seabeachfred

Crunch, between you talking up Crisp and our friend Kilo talking up Wily Mo I'm getting a good shot of whiplash. Look, Crisp hasn't been doing what he is supposed to be capable of doing. You know that, I know that, Kilo knows that. Hell, everybody knows that. Unfortunately, the only current alternative is Pena and just the thought of your suggestion that he play right field over Drew sends chills down my back. A word---he cannot play outfield at Yankee Stadium either. I saw that myself with my own eyes last Septemberl At any rate, Crisp has to start stepping up big time and starting today would be a good time to do it. We cannot let the Yankees back in this race; if anything, we have to do all we can to put them away for the forseeable future. Tim. Curt and Julian have to have it all together and we have to back them with strong support. This is one of the Yankees' best chances of getting back into the thick of things and we will rue the day if we allow this to happen. We have to take care of them this series and that's that.

I agree with everything you say 700 and I hope you are spot on correct with your prediction.

You cannot say anything of the kind my friend. If Theo and his playmate Tito think Hansack is really a good pitcher who just had a bad day and has just had bad days this year at Pawtucket, he will most certainly be trotted out there again---to hell with what the fans think, believe and know. Those two are very stubborn people and it takes almost a roof to hit them in their collective heads before they reluctantly see stars and do an orderly retreat on a player they both like. We've all seen this before. Hansack is a piece of s*** when it comes to being a quality pitcher, and we shouldn't ever see him again. That does not mean we won't. Unfortunately, I think we will, much to our collective chagrin. Now how much longer do we have to wait for Jon Lester?

The way I look at it, if you are going to get beat, get beat good and proper. This was you can't second guess yourself as the Yankees did today in their close loss to the Mets. Hansack doesn't look like he can cut it in the Bigs if what I've seen of him is of any indication. Our future prospects on the mound are Bucholz and Bowden, maybe Cox or Bard----not Hansack. As for Gabbard, we'll all see for ourself tomorrow. One good thing, though. Francona finally knows how to use Pineiro. Mopup in games we have little chance of winning. That way when he get bombed all to hell we can just nod and say I told you so. We picked up a half-game today. Not that bad a day's work.

Ksushi, it depends on how you look at the Yankees and what your vantage point is. I happen to have had many very sad experiences seeing the Yankees beat up on my teams; first the Brooklyn Dodgers of my youth and of the past seven seasons the Red Sox. To be sure we have gotten our share of licks in the last few years, but for some reason the Yankees have had an inordinate amount of lucky breaks to go with their plethora of talent. I never underestimate them and neither should you or anyone othe Red Sox fan. If they get decent pitching from Mussina, Wang, Pettitte, Clemens and Hughes when the latter two join them, with the hitting they have they could prove formidable. We must do everything to stomp on their necks while they are down and do NOT let them up. We give them some breathing room and a chance to get off the floor it could come back to bite us on the ass. I didn't mean to upset your apple cart but I know the Yankees better than you do----UNFORTUNATELY. This history now goes back 60 seasons.

I wasn't all that gung ho about Taverez but he sure was a clear choice over Sadsack who looks like he belongs somewhere other than the mount at Fenway Park. It is early guys, but the way he is pitching it looks like we're trying to give the game away. He looks like s*** out there.

Well your Pena is in RF in the second game. That may be good news for you but to me it is a disaster waiting to happen if any balls go out in his direction. Smoltz is going to be giving him nothing but sliders on the outside. I want to see WMP do well but this is a bad fit for him. Mirabelli catching? Well, we give Varitek a rest but in some ways without Drew and Youkalis in there it lookss to me like a bit of a throwaway lineup. Hopefully, we'll find a way to win this game. Good day so far; we won the first game and the Yankees lost again to the Mets. We will gain some ground no matter what happens in this game but a win would really make this day a doozy.

Let me guess Kilo----you don't like Crisp. I'm not too fond of him myself and I think he is going to be given only a couple more months to get his stuff together. You may find your Wily Mo playing more in CF. What Crisp does give us is a guy who can steal a lot of bases, that is if he can get on base. I think that is what is behind Red Sox thinking of keeping him in the lineup, plus his defense hasn't really been all that bad.

700, I say this with a bit of caution because I myself have posted some very controversial missives in the past on this board, but, please, take this advice from your friend here. LET SLEEPING DOGS SLEEP!!!!!!! No need to wake up the hordes of Yankees and post any material that will incite those masses of trolls. Let them stew in their own juices while we take it one game at a time and work our way through our injuries and keep playing solid baseball. Besides, we have a three game series with the Braves; let that be our concern right now. :o :o :o :o

Hey guys, we all should be feeling great right now, no doubt about that. Nine-and-a-half-games ahead of the Yankees? Who would have thought we would be in that position on May 18th? My missives were not that of a complaint but just a thought of how this team can do from here on in if we can just keep getting the pitching we've been getting, seeing one surprise player emerging game after game, and, especially, get Manny going on offense. We've given ourselves some breathing room just in case of a slump, but I would hope we all just keep thinking that we must continue to put as much distance between us and the rest of the AL East as we can. I'm pretty sure the players are thinking that way.

Crunch, good post even though you had the insight of after-the-fact- success last night to post your gem. If it ain't broke don't fix it could be the theme of your thread but think of how much easier it could be if some of our non-producers started hitting. Hinske really came through last night at both ends of the game, defense and offense, and we all know how much he enjoys playing for the Red Sox and is willing to accept his role. Not all players who were Rookies of the Year would act that way. Kuddos for him for his great attitude. Just some more consistency and more of what we saw last night and we could all smile more. Pena? Three walks? Laying off the breaking ball on the outside? It is like Neil Armstrong's bellowing: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It would be great if he really turns a corner on that.

Good point 700; we have to put as much distance between us and the Yankees as we can possibly manage. So far so good, and today we win two close games, Pena actually walks three times, and Taverez and Hinske are heroes. If only this can continue.....we seem to have a new hero every game.

Let me run this by now Kilo.....What if we bring up David Murphy and put him out there, at least against righthanders??? He was hitting 318 at Pawtucket at last glance, can field with the best of them, runs the bases well and has some power---certainly more than Crisp has shown this season???? For some reason the Red Sox kind of diss David but from what I saw of him at Yankee Stadium last September I was pretty impressed with what I saw. I think this guy is a late bloomer.

Ryan, my only concern is how the Red Sox. We win and and don't have to worry about anything. If, however, the Mets take care of the Yankees two of three or three of three I won't mind a bit. Every little bit helps.

Crespo, I've finally found a nastier bastard than you----Papelbon!!!!! The guy hadn't worked in a bunch of days, yet looked like in peak form. I mean he made short work of those three guys in the ninth. Man, we get pitching like that and we can really be something if our offense will just start hitting the accelerator button a little more consistently. As for those commercials you're talking about, I don't get them on my package. I get a test pattern that looks like pacman, but it does seem to last forever.

Rules, that was a helluva performance by Julian today. I mean we get him only two runs and he only gives up one??? That was some damn good pitching by our threesome against a very good hitting team, especially the top half of their order. Now if we could only start hitting a little more consistently ourselves, WOW, we might be really in the tall cotton. Nice to see the ChiSox beating the Yankees as well, Every little bit helps. Now if my man Curt can just forget his blog for a little while and go out there and pitch like Schilling can it might turn out to be one heck of a day.

I take it that Myer is a righthander and that is why Hinske is playing in RF. I also take it that it might be a very good idea that our team go out there and put some tallies on the scoreboard because Taverez is noted for giving up some runs and the Tigers do have a potent attack. I also believe that finally Julian is not facing the ace of the other staff and perhaps that will inspire him to pitch his "A" game and help get us a win this afternoon.

You know Jackson as much as I like and respect you sometimes I think you're full of it and are just trying to sandbag me and the rest of the Red Sox hordes here.

Come on my friend, you're grasping at straws. Is Adam that much of a Jonas to the Red Sox cause? I would think Verlander is more to worry about than Adam. Tim simply has to outpitch him tonight and we have to back him up with some good hitting to win the game. And NO, the race is not over, not by a long shot. On this board at least the Red Sox fans aren't being so silly as to say as much, but on my favorite board (Dirt Dogs), some of those guys are getting a little carried away and it is starting to piss me off a little. How can anyone say the race is a done deal on May 15th? I wish it were so but it is most certainly not.

Kilo, Pena will probably start seeing more action in CF unless Crisp starts earning his salary.

Senile, huh???? Well, I have a senior moment now and then, but you are kind of long in the tooth yourself if your profile is just a pile of ********. Striking out??? Well a ground out can get in a run, a fly ball could drive in a run. A strikeout can't. Look, when Manny leaves after 2008 we are going to need a good righthand hitting power hitter, not doubt about that. I just have some deep reservations if Wily Mo is the answer. We could give him some more work in CF because if you would get your head out of your ass you would know that I am no Coco fan whatsoever. However, we have to keep in mind that position is reserved for Jacoby Ellsbury and very soon so Pena still would have to play the corner spots from time to time and we agree that he cannot play those spots. Anyway, I am tired of all this WMP ********. We are winning and that's all the counts with me.