seabeachfred

Crunch, just got back from Fort Myers. Actually, getting to the game was easy and there was no traffic. Getting out? Oh s***!!!!. I did find a way out faster by going a little out of my way in the opposite direction and then circling back. My report???? Well Florida ST is fun but not if you want to watch real baseball. The regulars play four or five innings and we see the dogshits the rest of the game. The Red Sox won one, lost one and tied one. Hell of an effort, huh? I'm more convinced than ever that Wily Mo Pena is an albatross around our necks. Five straight freakin' times the guy struck out over a three game period., and, wow, he still sucks in the outfield, losing a ball that he probably wouldn't have caught anyway, misplaying a ball offf the wall in left and letting it get past him. Everytime I see that guy he finds some other way to f*** things up. Beckett looked lights out last Sunday, Schilling did very well in the Twins' backyard (didn't see that game, though), and this Bucholz kid could really be something special for us. I am worried about Tek and Lowell. They haven't hit s*** this Spring but Crisp started to hit with authority this past week. Everyone sees to think that Papelbon as closer is the right move and I do, too. I just have this wierd feeling about Wakefield and Taverez. The backend of our rotation has to at least pitched 500 ball or better for us this season. Met up with SoxFanFromVirginia. Nice lady and looks like a real baseball fan, and to boot her name is Lynda, same as my wife. That has to mean class to me. Anyway Crunch I had a great time and look forward to my trip to Boston on April 9 for the opening series with the Mariners and the first game of the series with the Angels. :D :D

I think Lieber is a better pitcher than Seanez or Taverez. Clement is a head case so I can't comment on him because his head takes away all the natural talent he has. JL is a better pitcher than the candidates we have for the fifth spot at this moment, and the Phillies are looking for an outfielder anyway. Crisp is expendable as far as I'm concerned and his departure would end a nasty memory of how we lost a much better CF and wound up with this lemon. Besides, Ellsbury may be up before the season is over and we can hold the fort with Pena for the time being. Or maybe trade Pena instead if that be your pleasure. Time to start packing for my trip Kilo. Wish me luck is coming back with some real positive vibes about our rotation and bullpen. I keep thinking Theo is still going to swing a trade. I just don't for who and for what.

We could have sent Crisp to San Diego for Linebrink because the Padres lost Roberts to the Giants. Might have been a good deal for both teams. If we sent CC to the Phillies they might send Rowand back to Chi for one of the many pitchers the White Sox. They are the only team I know of who have a real surplus in pitching, young and experienced.

Crespo, believe it if you will or don't if you choose not to, BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHO I WAS THINKING OF LAST NIGHT. I heard on the ESPN broadcast that he is the sixth starter on the Phillies and does NOT want to relieve. He would be a good pickup if Theo can be convinced that he has some talent that he thinks is a helluva lot better than it really is. A Delcarmen or a Crisp or some combo could get us this guy. I said that when I left for Fort Myers on the 24th I was hoping that by then we would have a closer. We have that now, though not the one I had in mind. I hope now we can get a fifth starter. Lieber would be good for 10-14 wins and that in the backload of the rotation would be great. I remember the gem he pitched against us for the Yankees in the 2nd game of the 2004 ALCS that put us in the shithole, and without that three run homer by Bellhorn in the sixth game he might have beaten us again. I say go for it.

Crespo, if my take on Taverez seems like I'm grasping at straws, congratulations because that is exactly what I feel I'm doing right at this moment. Now if you could guarantee me that Wakefield will somehow go 14 or 15-10 my confidence would perk up immediately. I would also like to know who you would put in that fifth spot in the rotation. I said Taverez with my small sample. If you have a better suggestion I am all ears because if we cannot get our fourth and fifth starter to win some games and eat a shitload of innings our bullpen could be toast by September.

Hell Red, I have no confidence any more in Wakefield. He has looked absolutely s***** this Spring and he got bopped around yesterday if you were watching the game on ESPN. I think Schilling will hold up very well this season and we will have a pretty damn good trio of starters, but here's hoping from my end at least that Lester makes enough of a recovery arm wise that he can take a spot in the rotation by the end of April. I've read where physically he is doing exceptionally well and that's the best news of all. Let Taverez take the fifth spot right now and hope Wakefield suddenly remembers where is knuckler went and we could get through this. Truth be known, however, I really think sending Papelbon back to the pen is horseshit because it just creates a big hole on the starting staff. I'd rather have Jon pitching seven innings than one.

I hope you're not calling it a season because of this turn of events? I agree Gabbard would be a reach as fifth starter even though he's pitched well this Spring. However, I think Wakefield is a bigger reach because he has looked like s*** out there every time he's pitched. It will most likely be Taverez in the rotation until Lester is ready, which I would hope is sooner than expected. At least Julian proved he could win as a starter.

Sorry MC, that will not fly. No matter who the Yankees would have put in there we would have won that game. Fact was they had nobody who could stop our team, their pitching staff was spent and they only scored three runs that game. We could have scored four of five in our sleep. I have been hitting on Schilling's importance because I am a very big fan of his, but many of the guys here are right---it took a team to go all the way that year. You take one or another from our team and we don't make it. It is just that Curt put his ass on the line and risk his career. As it was it probably cost him an effective 2005 season.

MC, I would be lucky if we got that from him; frankly I don't think we'll even get that. He was batted around the park again today. Now that the Red Sox are putting Papelbon at closer Wake's performance becomes more critical because now he's the #4 pitcher and we need something like 14-10 from him and I don't think we're going to get it. Again ,what happend to Furcal today?

Schill, Roberts is with some other team now but I get your point. We'll just have to wait and see how this works itself out this year.

I get the message Kilo. Good show, and I'm still laughing at that cartoon. We really have been dragging this thing out, though, haven't we?

ORS, do you have any leery feelings about Paps going back to closer? Frankly, it really worries me. What if his shoulder acts up again? We could see the end of a very promising career. The doctors made it clear that starting would be much more beneficial for him and his team. I just think this is why I believe Theo has balked like hell about going out and getting a closer. He had something in reserve all along and that was Paps. Now we need a fifth starter and as it is Wakefield doesn't look like he is going to be much help for us this year unless his knuckler starts doing something. He is getting hit pretty consistently. And who is our fifth starter now????? Lester is not ready, is he?:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

Jackson, I've gotten to the point that I don't even mind. He did come out with a decent post and maybe one of us can convert him to either one of our teams. I don't think he believes you can root for a team in each league as long as you have one definite favorite, but as long as Metro puts decent posts I personally don't care if he stays here. You only ban someone if they are really nasty and evil.

Riverside, it looks like Papelbon is going back to the bullpen. The Red Sox are ready to make the announcement this afternoon after their game with the Phillies. I had this nasty feeling that was why Theo was determined to pick some stiff already in our pen because he had an out in Paps if worse came to worst. Now we will need a No. 5 starter because Wakefield is now #4 and has pitched s***** all Spring and I really believe he has just about had it. Suddenly we have a hole in our rotation. This soap opera never seems to stop.

I've always enjoyed listening to Gammons because he loves baseball and I know he is a Red Sox fan, but if you check his predictions the past ten years you will find that he has been as out to lunch as Phillips has. Predictions are hard to make for anyone, but what pisses me off is that some of these pundits act like they know it all and wind up talking down to us. Rosenthal bugs the hell out of me, too. In fact, I would like it a whole lot better if they would just report and not try to act like prognosticators because usually they look pretty foolish when all the counting is done.

WRONG!!!!!!!!---We owe Schilling more than we could ever give. Without him we have no World Series Title in 2004 and we are still being laughed at by Yankee fans with that 86, 87, 88, a century s***. He put his ass on the line for his team, for his fans, for Boston. Besides, he could still keep his business in Boston and pitch for another team, and I can promise you this: If he has a big year, go something like 18-7, the Mets, Yankees and other teams will line up to give him a three year contract and he will be gone. BS on that. I want Schilling to finish his career in Boston--and that's the last I will have to say on this thread. We've run this into the ground and the two camps aren't going to change their collective minds on this.

It took you a while to get to the heart of your message but I had you pegged all along. Phillips is a douche, a buffoon and a total ass. Thank God he predicted the Yankees. Our chances of winning the AL East just improved 50%.

Hey Jacko, this is not meant to get you jealous but today in the mail I received a nice Ticket Info and Fan Guide plus a nice sketch of the ballpark. I could rub it in that my team thinks more of me than yours does of you, but in this case I can't. Why? BECAUSE THE FAN GUIDE AND SKETCH CAME FROM YOUR MOTHER f***ING YANKEES!!!!!!! No s***!! First I cursed to beat the band, then started laughing and wondering what the hell was going on. Then my wife told me why it happened. In early 2005, I got something in the mail from MLB asking if I wanted a Yankee Credit Card. Well I almost threw the damn thing away until I read if I said yes and got one I would get two tickets to a Yankee-Red Sox game that September10th. So I did. It was a beautiful game as Curt Schilling pitched an eight inning three hitter and I saw my guys hammer yours, 9-2. After the game a I got together with a bunch of Red Sox fans and we cut the card to shreds and set on fire right outside Yankee Stadium with some of your pals flipping us off. Was a hell of sight to see. Some people out there think I'm a Yankee fan. Well I won't rip this guide up and throw it away, but if you want it let me know and I'll send it to you. In the meantime eat your heart out my friend.