seabeachfred

No, you're not happy that we like those funny names because you're a control freak with a tight rear end. You know VA, you don't have to read them if they bother you so much. Just gloss over them or put me on ignore. "Some of us do not"---perhaps so, but speak for yourself. I don't believe the First Amendment has been suspended there, and while I'm at it, I might suggest you buy a copy of any book on Red Sox history and see for yourself some of the nonsense that took place under Yawkey, some of which has already been mentioned in previous posts. I'm not making up falsehoods here and while I might not have been rooting for the Red Sox as long as you have been, I certainly know a enough about their history to see some disgusting parallels with the favoritism shown by Yawkey and the partiality still shown to those two deadbeats who should have been given their walking papers two years ago.

I don't know your age MVP so I can't be certain how far your Red Sox roots go back, but that meaning is that certain players are going to be nurtered, protected, and kept no matter how inept they are, and if the manager balks he will get his walking papers. I'm sure you read some Red Sox history, but that is how managers like Johnny Pesky, Billy Herman and Dick Williams were canned in the 60's, and how Steve O"Neill and Lou Boudreau went before them in the 50's. Players like Jackie Jensen, Bill Monbouquette, Mike Fourniles, Jimmy Piersall, Sammy White were some of the players who gave their managers all kinds of crap, under performed and were kept around because Tom Yawkey loved and spoiled them in the 50's. You could look it up and read about it. In the 60's Yaz, the immortal Yaz, gave managers Pesky, Herman and Williams all kinds of crap and got away with it because Yawkey refused to support the managers in their pissing contests with Yawk's hero. Remember Boomer Scott? Another Prima Donna who Williams tried to discipline out of his profligate ways without support from the Yawk. That's what Yawkeyism means, and now we see how it appears that the Red Sox front office will go almost any lengths to keep sacred cows like Varitek and Wakefield around when they both should have been given their walking papers at least two years ago. Take a look at Jacksonian's Yankees. Remember Bernie Williams? Quite a terrific player, but as soon as he no longer could do the job the Yankees got rid of him and fast. This winter they said sayonara to Jorge Posada, quite a player in his time but his time was up. Well Wakefield and Varitek's time has been up for some time now and neither one should be on the team any more. Does that help?

A helluva lot better than resigning the putrid Wakefield again.

Jason Varitek is a no-good washed up bum who made some great contributions to the team in his tenure with us and for which we all should be grateful, but he doesn't seem to know when enough is enough---and for that I blame both him and the front office. They can see that at no time after he became a FA after 2008, and again after 2010 and now that he had never received even one offer from any other team. He is that s***** now; he can't hit a lick after June, can't throw his mother out with that rag arm of his, and that captaincy is a complete fraud. When some leadership was needed last September as the team was collapsing he was AWOL--then denied there was any such problem with the team. The Yankees were smart enough to send Posada on his way after a fine career because they know it's time to move ahead, but Yawkeyism is still alive and well at Fenway Park as Lucchino and his pet canary Cherries Jubilee hold fast to their sacred cow mantra, and this why it is starting to become evident that we may be forced to swallow both Varitek and Wakefield again for another year even if we have to trade Salty and keep Lavarnway blocked in order to do it. If this happens, fans ought to consider a boycott because it will become crystal clear that winning is not part of the equation this coming season. Oh, some of you say, keep Varitek as a bullpen coach!!!!!!!!! BULL@@IT on that too because the temptation to activate him in a demonstration of auld lang syne would be too great for Lucchino and Company to pass up. This day is not starting out well having to read about Wakefield and Varitek still possibly playing again with the Red Sox. For God's sake, enough is enough of these two guys.

Miller is a desperation gamble---that's all he can be. The guy has been a colossal failure everywhere he's been. Detroit drafted him first, found out what a dud he was and sent him away. For some damn reason, though, Epstein thought putting on a Red Sox uniform might work magic as if there was some new magic in a uniform that was a symbol of failure and underachievement from 1919 to 2003. It blew up in his face, but for some reason they brought this bum back so the only reason could be DESPERATION CITY!!!!! As for Wakefield or Weakflood as some of us call him (I call him worse), my take is that the front office considers this has-been a sacred cow and is laying the ground work for actually bringing this turd back again to get his royal ass kicked. Well, he works cheap and all, and they can always use the excuse that others were more expensive. You can bet your last dime that if he is resigned he will be in the rotation come hell or high water. He wants that record and Lucchino is inclined to let him have it. I call this one big cluster@@ck!!!!!!!

The only ones who will jump on you for your missive about how critical getting a quality fourth starter is are those who don't much of a clue about how important that is. You explained it very well and I notice that Palodios was right there with you and we all know that guy knows what the hell is going on. You can get your opinion is in the majority. Palodios cautions patience and I guess we will have to be in that regard but I still would like Cherington to be a little more proactive in his search for that elusive fourth starter. It would be a great move for us because either Bard or Aceves could return to the bullpen which would strengthen us there and it would provide cover in that 80% of the time we would send a quality starter out there. To me your argument is a no brainer. It must be done.

All true Bellhorn and since my pal Elk joined you against me on this you could be right. Here's where I believed Francona was culpable. Notice we were in first place all the way into September and after the last Yankee series we were three games out in front around September 10th of that year. Francona had cost us about five games earlier with his stubborn use of Embree who had clearly lost it and was eventually put on waivers after blowing leads and games to the Yankees, Jays, Angels and Orioles. We were leading in those games going into the last two innings and then lost them. This was after Embree kept getting hit and hit hard weeks before that. He should not have been used in those situations. We had Timlin, Halama and Montei among others who were pitching a little bit better out of the pen. Then there was the Millar saga. Kevin was having a terrible second half while Jon Olerud was hitting well and getting some big hits for us when it counted. Three times Francona said he would go with Olerud only to have Millar bitch publicly and Terry then back down and put him back in the lineup with disastrous results. Just one more damn game in the win column and we would have been division champions. That is why I put that loss on him.

With a name like Spudboy I had you figured for some hot-shot 20-something stud, but unless you are over 60 you aren't one of the "Old Gang" on here. My pal Elktonnick still refuses to tell me how old he is, but since I admit that I'm 71 I might be the oldest old war horse on the board. I also wonder how long you've been rooting for the Red Sox? I've met some guys here and elsewhere who have followed them for over 50 years.

Maybe you missed the one where he ripped J.D. Drew for his apparent unwillingness to suck it up and play with assorted bruises and sprains. Seems that has been a recurrent theme in Drew's career. At any rate, all I do know is that LaRussa survived whatever barbs were thrown at him, went out a big winner and can now start the countdown to his certain election to the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile coddler FrancoMa lost his and most likely will spend the next few years in the TV booth.

It is now 12:00 A.M in the East. Happy New Year to all my colleagues on Talk Sox.

Mentioning Dick Williams brings a smile to my face. He is my all time favorite manager, bar none. When he saw someone screw up he corrected them immediately and didn't give a damn about any fallout. He also was a very successful manager, winning in Boston, Oakland, Montreal and San Diego. However, he was not BV's first ML manager. Unfortunately, it was LaPasta Lasorda, the bloviating loudmouth in LA.

Hey VA, you never through your threat to put my on ignore.....good for you. You'll like dueling with me from here on in. Who knows, we actually agree on some things along the way. As for the PC part, if you supported your great governor Bob McDonnell that I know you're ok, who BTW has sent me Christmas cards the past two holiday seasons. Quite a handsome family he has. I can see Vice President written all over him come next November. As for the clamor over Beckett and Crawford, I'm sure it will all calm down. Everyone knows this season was a bummer and in a few hours it will be a new year with new hopes and goals. There are obviously two schools of thought on this, but I might add that the last three seasons were highly disappointing and I really think the rot was starting to erode the team long before this September collapse. In my opinion we needed a good field manager who will demand discipline and accountability. Liberalism might be good in some areas, so say some people, but it sure as hell doesn't work in the manager's dugout.

Anyone who even tries to minimize the 2011 collapse ought to have their head examined. In my opinion it was the worst collapse in Major League history with the possible eception of the Phillies 1964 collapse when they blew a 6.5 game lead with two weeks to go in the NL Pennant race. And you are right in comparison 700; the '51 collapse by Brooklyn doesn't measure up to what went down with our Red Sox this past season. The Dodgers than year were playing around 500 baseball from August 12th on that year while the Giants suddenly went ape.....with a little cheating along the way. Read the Echoing Green is there are any doubting Thomases out there, and, oh boy, do I remember 1951. I ate s*** for the next 11 months until the Dodgers rectified things in 1952. BUT THIS YEAR WAS WORSE THAN THAT. What the hell were we in September, 7-20???? That was historic as much as it was disgusting. What went down this season with the Red Sox changed the whole ball game. The players choked, quit, flopped, and defied their manager. They had better be willing to make amends because right now Valentine is fully backed by the press, the fans (most of them) and the media. If the recalcitrant players, whoever they are, want to keep a pissing contest going it will be their asses who will get reamed. They can change things if they want; all they have to do is go out there and win the AL East Division next season and all this crap will be forgotten. For that to happen they have to tuck in their horns and get with the program.