seabeachfred

Meanwhile Epstein is locked away in Chicago preparing to fu@k up another team for years. I often wondered that the reason we signed Crawford was that Epstein didn't think he could worm his way through the mine field t hat is Scott Boras and wouldn't be able to resign Ellsbury. Reports back in 2010 by some bloggers with supposed inside info stated that Jacoby was really upset being moved to left field and even madder when he was wheeled out of action by tailback Beltre. Whether those rumors have legs or not, we know that last season Crawford, for whatever reason(s) sucked big time, both offensively and in the field where he spent part of the time stumbling over sinking fly balls. Now we know he will not be ready in April, may not be ready in May and might not come back until June. What I do know is that if Carl does not get off to a decent start when he does come back he is going to become a target for the boo birds and it could get real ugly at Fenway Park. I hope Crawford is fully mended when he comes back, that they put him in the lineup in one spot and keep him there (second is what he likes best), and that he has a standout two thirds of a season. We need him to perform and his comeback would be a great shot in the arm for our team. The question is will be see the old Crawford or the fraud we all got sick of looking at last year??????

Yazman, no one could mistake me for a Schillingphobe. I love the guy and what he did for our team, and no doubt he was a winner for us...Two WS Titles in four years. Still, I think he may have gone out of his way to throw a few grenades at Valentine and the Red Sox. To be sure, this is only my opinion but that whole exchange I read by him sounded like sour grapes from a revered player (also in my opinion) who still is harping on the fact that his friend Francona was shown the door by the front office. What cinches it for me is what Josh Beckett, supposedly one of Valentine's foils, said today. Beckett said things are running much better than last year and he likes the way things are going. Hell, if Valentine has made peace with Beckett and now Crawford is singing the manager's praises, you have to figure that most of the team is pleased that the team is taking a turn for the better in the development and fundamentals department. Again, I have a hard time not believing that there might have a tad of animus in what Schilling said. I hope I am wrong.

You have extremists on both sides of the political spectrum but I never hear the media or some of the lefties on this board ever mention the liberal goons who are trying to turn this country into a European socialist "paradise". Yea, right!!!!! How's that working over there? For the record, Schilling is not a right wing nut job; he is conservative Republican and I am an ardent and passionate conservative Republican as well. You want a real nut job? Try lefties Matt Damon an Ben Affleck, good Red Sox fans both, but two politican morons who whenever they entertain themselves to talk politics sound like the village idiots. What ever happened to the political thread on this board anyway? We should have one so none of us have to defend our political beliefs on a baseball thread. Any chance of one yeszir?

Ibot----I've always been a big Curt Schilling fan and will always be grateful for his risking and probably shortening his career for what he did for us in 2004, not to mention being here for two WS Titles in his four year years with the Sox. However, let me me clear that I didn't approve of his sneak attack on Valentine. It certainly wasn't one of his finest hours and truth be told, we all know that he has been a Franconaphile from Day One. Most importantly, we don't need any more dirt being tossed around by any in the media, let along one who is one of the most revered Red Sox players of recent history. I know he loves to talk and make his presence felt with his verbal hand grenades but I think if he really wants to see the Red Sox do well this year he would be better served by easing up on the verbal crap and taking a little more of an upbeat mood on a team that can sure use some heading into the new season. Of course, as much as I like Curt, I know if he somehow would read what I and the rest of us wrote it would fall on deaf ears.

Well with Valentine managing instead of pablum dispenser Francona, there will be no pussying of the pitching staff this year. Tito was notorious for that. And, yes, Beckett did beat the Yankees, 2-0, in the 6th game of the 2003 WS to wrap it up for the Marlins. I hope he is in good shape and the medical and conditioning staff does its job for a change this year because we need a top notch performance from Josh this year, not to mention the same from Lester and Buchholz.

RSF3, I go along with your whole post save for Bard in the rotation. He may make me eventually eat my words and make me look like a sap but right now I do not think he has the makings of being a successful starter. He has walked too many batters, when in the zone he gets hit pretty good, and he doesn't seem to get out of an inning without damage. I always believed that in his case we should have left well enough alone and keep him in the pen, but Cherington has this wild hair in his nose and thinks the guy has the means and neccessities to be a quality starter. I hope Ben is right on this but I have deep doubts about it.

A little thick behind the years? I guess so SCM; took me a little time to get with it. When I became a Sox fan that day in 2000, I saw Pedro pitch a two hitter over seven innings against the Royals and kind of took to Lou Merloni. I knew from the papers that he was a journeyman at best, not that swift with either the glove or the bat but a likeable guy. That day he got three hits and the crowd kept yelling LLLLUUUU, LLLLUUUU. I kind of got into it myself even though I knew he was NOT going to be the regular third baseman for the Red Sox. He was certainly an underdog, he certainly wasn't a great player, but from time to time he surprised you. He gets my belated vote.

Well then there would be no such animal. He was a s***** ballplayer he probably hurt the team and didn't help it win so why the hell would I like such a guy? I'll answer it myself........I wouldn't!!!!!!!! Later for me on this thread.

OOOOOPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSS----well, that's what my wife says too. I guess it would be Papelbon. He used to piss me off with his dramatics but every time I saw him in person he pitched well as the closer, and I liked the way he showed his pleasure after getting the last out. He wasn't some wooden soldier. Hey SCM, does that pass?

They broke that cord Sox Sport but still need to smash it once and for all and go with their best players. From what I've seen on the screen, Salty doesn't look any better behind the plate than Lavarnway does and he sure as hell can't carry his jock as far as hitting is concerned. He is one player we must not waste or misuse. His uptake is tremendous and I really am convinced he is the next Mie Piazza. This loyalty s*** must stop once and for all. If Ryan is one of the best 25 he should be going to Boston, and frankly, I rarely believe the crap handed down to the fans by the front office telling us who showing leadership and who looks like they're coming on strong. I go by what my eyes see and not what someone tries to tell me from afar.

He only played for us for less than a half a season but Jay Payton was the biggest ******* in my opinion. A total underachiever, he came to the Red Sox before the 2005 season and thought he should be started in RF over Trot Nixon---and he became a total distraction and pain in the ass in the dugout. Fortunately he was traded away where he kept up with his half-baked play.

I suppose I should have liked Heidi Watney being that she was from California as I am but I didn't particularly care for her at all. To me she was almost a jonah---for four years that she was with us we didn't win a freakin' thing, not a division, league or WS. It seemed every time I saw her face on my computer screen bad things seem to happen to the Red Sox. Now I do misss Tina Cervasio; I remember the last year she was with us we won the World Series. Bring Tina back!!!!!!

You know, I'm beginning to know what Valentine must be going through right now. Every time one of our potential starters looks like he's getting a little ahead of the game, Whoosh!!!! They get their asses handed to them. Today it was Aceves, who really got tagged, didn't he? Was this a hiccup or a portent of things to come. OTOH, Dubrount looked very good today. What to me make of that? Now we have to see how Bard and Cook do in their next outings, Bard tomorrow and Cook early next week. Lots of decisions to make my friends and I'm glad it's Valentine and not me making those decisions. All I know is that none of the potential 4th or 5th potential starters have distinguised themselves up to now. Anybody got any pearls on this dilemma, please inform me. I really don't know what Valentine can or will do save to believe that Bard should back to the bullpen. :dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno:

Dojji, I'm beginning to become convinced that Bard is a candy ass. When the team got off to a rocky start last season he was right in the middle of it, getting his ass reamed and losing games. When the team collapsed in September he played a leading role in that. It might be true his arm was tired and that could have been a legitimate excuse but we have to keep in mind that on nine occasions he was entrusted with a tie or lead and proceeded to blow the game away. The guy is no Craig Hansen, thank God, but I wonder about his heart, guts and balls.

Here is where I disagree MVP. I think ST wins DO matter, especially when you go in the tank as we did last Spring with that 12 game losing streak. We were bummed out from that and it carried right into the regular season. I'm noticing the Angels this Spring; they are hammering away at the opposition in Arizona and will head into regular season play full speed ahead. I personally think we better start winning many of these remaining Grapefruit League games or we can have a redux of what went down last year. Losing games in bunches are we are now doing does nothing to add momentum or confidence to a team. That also was provn last year.

Jung, it is good to see that I am not alone at all in categorizing Francona as a field manager. My problem is that I really disliked him as a skipper and always worried that my personal feelings would color my opinion of him. You try to be fair but sometimes your bias just pours out. I always gave him credit for running a good clubhouse, keeping the pressure off his players and the press at bay. However, in the dugout he was exactly what you said he was. I never thought much of him after he insisted Beckett would have to pitch seven innings in that second game of the 2008 ALCS even though the guy was hurt and struggling all year. He cost us that series, and his stubborness in never pinch hitting for Varitek during his collapse in the regular 2008 season cost us the division and home field advantage as well in the ALCS. He never learned to manage on the fly when the situation changed from his pre-game plan.

Cook was pretty sharp for three innings until the wheels weakened in the fourth. Still, if he is healthy maybe we've got a pleasant surprise in store for us. We can sure us some of the pleasant variety after all the unpleasant ones the past three seasons. Of course, we wait with baited breath to see if the injury barrage hits us again---I just hope Pedroia is alright and will not be on the shelf. We cannot afford to lose him or anyone of importance, not this year when we need every good player standing. Great squeeze by Valentine to tie it in the ninth. Think Francona would have called for such a play? Not in a million years.

I saw Pete Reiser play in 1947 and 1948 when I was seven and eight years old. He was pretty much through by then even though he was only 28. He ran into too many walls and suffered head injuries that led to dizzy spells the rest of his life. By 1952 he was out of baseball. My dad saw him in 1941 and 1942 and believes back then he was as good as Willie Mays and better than Duke Snider. He was the batting king in the NL in '41 with a 343 average as a rookie, and was hitting around 380 when he ran into a wall in St. Louis in the summer of '42. That began a long slide for him. I wonder why you mentioned Pete Reiser. Do you know something about him that your dad might have told you? Too many people today don't even remember who he was, but if you followed the Brooklyn Dodgers at any time in your life the name jumps out at you.

Well said Big Papi; I've been saying the same thing all winter. Personally, I think Francona cost us three more division titles and at least one WS appearance. His strength was handling the personalities and egos of the players, keeping the pressure and press away from them and running a spirited clubhouse. It all unraveled last year, but as my banned friend Muggah so aptly put it, once the players understood fully that he was little more than an errand boy for Epstein and pretty much did what he was told, the game was up and it became evident that his lack of managerial acumen in the dugout was now glaring and he had nothing to fall back on. The proof in the pudding is that despite two WS Titles no team offered him a managing job after the season including his old boss and I really think he might have trouble landing another one. Then, to be honest about it, I never was a Francona man and believed his talent in the dugout was pretty pathetic.

The team was a mess last September and I think all concerned just wanted the nightmare to end and go about their business. Now we're facing this problem with Bard. If he can't get this mechanics and release points ironed out very very soon the only recourse is to send him back to the bullpen where he would pitch less innings and be abled to be tutored more since he wouldn't on the mound that often. This thing has to be settled within the next week or we might be looking at another miserable start and we had enough of those under the old regime.

I'm not going to just come out and say that Bard is not a starting pitcher because I still am not sure on that score, but let's just say that I am starting to get a little concerned about his penchant for giving up base on balls in the early going of an assignment. I wonder if he is comfortable in that role and whether we are making a mistake not just putting Aceves there and getting between 12-16 wins from him. We do know that someway Alfredo knows how to win even though most of us believe we need to keep him the pen. The one saving grace User is that so many pitchers have trouble in ST because they are experimenting with pitches, doing things to tweak their pitches and just trying out some new things that could pay d ividends during the regular season that hitters aren't aware they have, but I also can see SCM's worry as well. This hasn't looked all that good so far.