seabeachfred

I notice there are also a few other converts on this board....I thought so!!!!!! You see, it is very easy to let the Red Sox grow on you if you are of a mind. Also there are fans who have followed the team for less time than I have so I don't feel like the last guy in line anymore. I also don't think I have to convince Red Sox 305, SCM, MVP or ORS that this is my team. Too bad some believed the tripe that a few miscreants tried passing off a few years ago, two of whom are now my friends. Keep these things coming guys and gals. This is a fun thread.

You'll get that gift if you look me up when you come to California. Did you think I would charge you for it??????

Mine are all large......No. 15, 19, 20, 24, 33, 34, 38, 44. I don't know how big you are but the jerseys are official Red Sox ones.....they are the same the players wear, one of the residual benefits of going on these RSD trips. We pay for the privilege. Let me know if you are interested and I'll let you know how to get to Arcadia if you're interested. I'll also show you my Red Sox room.....that will shake the hell out of you.

MVP--You don't say whether your not having a Red Sox jersey is by choice or bad luck. If you want a jersey, this ought to inspire you to t ake a trip to California. I have eight of them, all given out on my Red Sox Destination trips. They no longer give them out and instead give out golf shirts with Red Sox logo. I'll hold one up for you just in case you decide to take a trip out here. Let me know.

How Long?-----August 19, 2000. Final leg of a Sports Travel tour (my first trip of this kind) How I became a Red Sox fan?---I sat in Fenway Park, was taken totally in seeing Pedro shutting out KC, 9-0, and said I have finally found my team. My first team since the Dodgers left Brooklyn after the 1957 season. Favorite Current Player---Dustin Pedroia Favorite All Time Red Sox---Bill Mueller Least Favorite Red Sox----Manny Delcarmen, aka, Delgarbage, Major Disaster Coming Favorite Memory-----------October 27, 2004 Sox win World Series on my 64th Birthday October 28, 2007 Sox win WS while watching with other Red Sox fans in a Red Sox Bar and Grill in Santa Monica, California. First Time in Fenway-------August, 1997. Braves smash Red Sox. My friend and I were on a trip to New England and Fenway was just part of the trip. It made no impression my first time there. Least Favorite Yankee------Where do I start? I have despised that team since 1947 when they beat Brooklyn 4-3 in the WS. The list is too long to put on paper.

Ciriacco is opening a few eyes this ST and we should keep an eye on him. We've seen flashes of brilliance before from players who have hot Springs and then flame out and his career is not one to raise hopes too high, but still, we should see if this guy can continue to play the way he has. If he stays consistent and makes a contribution, even if he is assigned to Pawtucket he is only a phone call and bus ride away. I'm waiting to see how he performs the next two weeks, but right now my main overiding concern is that starting rotation......Will our "Big three" do the magnificent heavy lifting? Will Bard make the conversion to a solid No. starter? And will Doubrant finally live up to his promise? Or, for that matter, will Padilla or Cook be able to pinch hit for Doubie on the mound should be come up boxcars? Really, I think that is where our focus should really be.

Jung, I've been droning on for the past week about Doubrant finally having to stand up and make his play for a spot in the rotation. The days of promise are gone; he needs to step up and tonight it looked like he did. I would hope that he will continue to do well and that goes for Padilla as well. The latter didn't do himself any good in his first outing but he couldn't locate his pitches. Tonight he did and when he can do that he has the ability to be a big help to us. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Bard does his job in the No. 4 spot and between Doub and Pad we have a good choice for the No. 5 starter because it means we can keep Aceves in the bullpen where I think he would be a bigger help to us this season. You see it the same way or not?

I'm a Bobby Valentine fan and have made no bones about it. I think the Red Sox needed to have a manager who wouldn't be afraid to take it to the opposition and give clubs like the Rays, Angels and other speed teams a taste of their own medicine. We should have a good hitting team this season, but we won't be held hostage to the two run homer and a station-to-station philosophy. We have the means to play a running game, to bunt, to hit and run, to take the extra base, to lay down a squeeze bunt once in awhile and, most importantly, to keep the opposition on their toes and guessing all the time as to what we might do. I just feel there is a different feel to the team this season. BTW, Doubrant straightened out after a bad first inning and did fine---and so did Padilla this time out. Plus we won.

Thanks for the update ORS; I didn't think Lin had that kind of speed. When I see how Dojji goes into a lather over Lin I have to remind myself that I am the same way about Lavarnway and the way I was about Pedroia and Ellsbury when they were coming up the ranks and how disappointed I was that Lowrie never joined them in the pantheon of solid young Red Sox players. I hated to be wrong on him. Dojji apparently loves Lin as a player but looking at his minor le ague record the problem I have is that he has shown no real improvement in his hitting the past few years. We play half our games in a hitter's park so it would seem logical to me that we should try for a balance of a good defensive player who can also hit ...the complete player. Lin is not that.....I only hope Ryan Lavarway turns out to be just that.

I can try to help with some feedback redsox 3 but I'm sure there would be others who might take an opposite point of view. I would LOVE to see Aceves in the rotation. The guy knows how to win, is a tough competitor and fearless to boot. However, he is needed more in the bullpen in my opinion. I mean look at our pen after Bailey and Melancon, who though talented, still might be slight question marks. You want Morales in there in the 7th inning in a 5-3 lead against the Yankees? You want Albers in there in the 8th taking the place of Melancon who is getting a night off? You want Miller in the game at all? We know Bowden will be on the team because he has no options left and I keep hearing he has two new pitches that are hellacious. Well I will take a wait and see attitude on that. Doubrant also has no options left, but, damn it, the guy has been floating on ice for the past three years now and it is high time we gave him a shot to either barf or g et away from the sink. Let him be the No. 5 starter; he he flops we then can make adjustments on the fly and wait for the T D to try and upgrade. Atchison is Atchison, a career minor leaguer who has trouble e xecuting the simple 1-3 play---a typical journeyman. I know little about Carlson so perhaps 700, SCM or MVP can weigh in on him. As f or that guy we got f rom Colorado I keep hearing he might be an answer in the bullpen but until he, Carlson, Bowden or Padilla can show they can do the job I want Aceves down in the pen.

Elk, you know that on another venue I have preached that Lars is a white elephant that just doesn't have it to make it as a Major Leaguer. To me he's too cerebral and introspective and those kind of players usually think themselves into a slump or out of baseball. He also has a lot of side interests and to me anyway, that is a red flag right there. His performances in the minors have remained very mediocre since some promise was shown in the lower classifactions. He is a Josh Reddick type, only I don't think he is capable of even approaching was Josh did last year until the wheels came off. To me sure this is only my opinion and I could be proven wrong, but I believe the best thing the Red Sox could do is try and trade him while whatever market value he has is left. Anthony Rizzo passed him up two years ago, but for some reason Epstein still thought he has what it took. Of course, let's not go into Epstein's judgment of players. We all know he left a lot to be desired there.

We've listened to you Dojji for a few days now on your crusade about Lin. You put up a good argument and I respect your advocacy as I do anyone who has a strong point of view and fights for it, but you still miss the crux of it all....THE GUY SIMPLY CANNOT HIT!!!!!!!!! Hee doesn't hit for average, doesn't hit for power, is not a base stealer, his speed is maybe slightly above average, he is not known as a drag bunter who could elevate his BA and OBA with his speed. He is simply a minus as an offensive threat. Take also into consideration that RF is a hitter's position and you have suggested he might also be put there, how does that help our attack if two or three others are having off years as players on our team always seem to be doing? You only have to look at my favorite Red Sox team to see how that can possibly inhibit a team. The 2007 World Series Champions has off seasons from Varitek, Lugo, Crisp, Drew, and for Manny a downturn season. If not for Papi, Lowell, Pedey and Youk, our offense would have been hard pressed to win the division. We hit a lot less homers that year and a lot of our games were lower scoring than usual. Lin would only add a weak bat to the lineup. If we could afford to put him on the roster as a reserve outfielder that would be fine but to do that we would have to cut a better hitting reserve outfielder or cut one of our pitchers. To me it doesn't add up at all.

This is the way to end the day on this board---feeling good about the team, that we are seeing things coming together, and that we will do all we can to take the game to the oppositon instead of sitting back and waiting for the three run homer. Certainly there is a time when you must use the station-to-station technique but it should not be worn as a straight jacket. I like the way Ortiz motored around the bases in the fourth inning; we didn't see that last year, did we? Of course, our pitching has to step up and we must stay healthy but our team looks like it may be on a mission. I'm liking what I see so far. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I think Valentine's insistence on stressing fundamentals this spring has already looked to have paid dividends. Two great relays in the ninth inning kept the game from going South. Lavarnway made a great tag on one but came up boxcars when the second throw got away from him. So far, I really like what I am seeing. We look sharper in the field, we are running, bunting, moving the runners, all things that we didn't do in the recent past. My impression is that BV is going to throw the whole kitchen sink at the opposition this season---and thank goodness for that. Let's face it, we had become very predictable under the old regime. Now if only our pitching can get it all together we may be very pleasantly surprised this season. On that note, I hate to say it because he has looked so good, but I still think Aceves is needed in the bullpen. We need to be deep down there just in case someone comes up ineffective or lame. Bard must step up at No. 4 and Doubrant must finally live up to his promise, and if not him then Padilla or Cook.

This is where the press has to leave things alone. If Adrian doesn't want to hob-nob with the press that is his perogotive and his privacy should be respected. He isn't getting paid to be a public relations font for the Boston Press. There are plenty others who love to deal with writers; they shouldn't be starved for copy. As for Shaughnessy, he is a very strong Red Sox fan and has said so on many occasions, and I got that impression in talking to him in San Francisco two seasons ago. He is also a fan so I would guess he gets pissed off like the rest of us. BTW, that was the weekend I took in a game with Pumpsie when the Red Sox were in town. When are you and I ever going to touch base at a game?

Not happy about it at all and sorry it happened. It is not celebrating, I can tell you that SCM and it is certainly not mocking either. I wish it hadn't happened. I had a good friend recently banned permanently and another friend banned for a month. I am not laughing at this at all. Sorry if you or anyone else got that impression....just the opposite.

Suddenly I don't seem to be so bad, do I EMMZ? I wish you and Jacoby would cease with the personal attacks. Nothing gets accomplished. I know from recent experience.

This is off the subject 700 but I noticed both Emmz and Jacoby had "banned" next to their name and yet they are still posting. What gives with this? Are they banned or this some kind of game? I ask this because back in late 2007 some jerks from a now defunct Dodgers board came on here to give me a bad time, one of which was an old student of mine who I flunked because he was a lazy bastard. They all got banned and had that next to their names and then they disappeared. I never got that but I thought I might have been banned too, though I suspect it might have been a suspension. I didn't come back on until this past October. Is it possible I wasn't suspended? I never saw that next to my name. Does yeszir handle this stuff or is there a board?

On Boston Dirt Dogs after the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series, someone on that board has gotten hold of a story emenating from somewhere that because of the baseball fever engulfing Boston and surrounding environs it might be a lure to bring another team to the area. I wish I had printed that missive. You're right MVP---no other team would get the support in the Boston area. It is a Red Sox town PERIOD!!!!!!. Here's where a little history can help. Back in the late 40's the Sox were contenders and AL Champs in 1946 and started to fade a little by 1951. The next year they finished a sickening sixth and played crapola baseball all year. Williams was called back into service, and I believe Pesky was traded that year and Dom DiMaggio either quit that year or at the end of the season. Still with all that the neighbor Braves could only draw 281,000 fans ALL SEASON and left town for good the next Spring. Boston is a closed city.....Red Sox or nothing!!!!! I see that every time I come to Boston; it just jumps out at you.

I'll tell you this SCM....The old has-been coach or coach emeritis (take your pick) got his blood really running in the ninth inning when Atchison blew that 1-3 play and sent the game into extra innings. I got so pissed I shut off the TV and went out and read the paper. For that alone I would consider sending that guy down. I noticed the relay plays BV worked on this ST has payed off pretty well, but he should send one of his coaches out with a shagger to catch balls and a IB to catch throws and hit that bum 1000 balls tomorrow on the side field. How the hell can a guy blow a play like that anyway? What made it worse is that I missed Ciriaco's bomb to end the game.

SCM and Sox Sport----the front office tried to sell us on that "run prevention" crap which was, as SCM said, a bridge year. Many of us didn't buy it then and I'm surprised our friend Dojji is buying it now. Most definitely you need solid defense but how many teams can put three weak bats in a lineup in the AL East and expect to go very far? Hell, we couldn't even be sure that the other six in the batting order would all be doing their job. We've seen enough of the off years like Crawford and Youkilis and Drew last year, and it isn't as if we're weak in CF as it is. Ellsbury not only had a solid season with the bat last year in both the average and power and run producing department but unless my memory is shaky didn't he also win a Gold Glove with an errorless season in the field? I'm told Dojji comes up with something like a phantom prospect every year, and if he wanted to succeed in getting us involved in a thread like this, he did just that. If, OTOH he tried to sell us Lin as a starting outfielder, he pretty much came up empty.