seabeachfred

Ducherer of the A's intrigues me. I saw him a few times last summer at Angels Stadium when the A's were in town (my wife, daughter and son-in-law are big Angels fans), and frankly I was very impressed with him. Huston Street is the A's closer so that could mean Duch might be available for less in a trade than Cordero. All I know is that right now the Red Sox do not have a closer and we all know Timlin is better suited for set-up work. Donnelly is a remote possibility because he never has closed and Okajima is an unknown quantity there himself. Who does that leave us with, Delcarmen? No thanks, he was terrible the last part of the 2006 season, and Hansen? He seemed to regress thanks to the tinkering some jerkoff minor league pitching coach did with his delivery and release point.

Bucholz is off limits Jackson. That is, if the Red Sox are smart. The guy is supposed to be something really special, has all the pitches, is a competitive animal and is on the fast track to the Bigs. I'm surprised that the Nats don't want Pena. Bowden is supposed to have been a big fan of his; then again, I could understand it in light of how lousy Wily Mo is in the outfield and that strikeout machine that he is whenever he sees a breaking pitch. I'm surprised we haven't talked to Oakland, though. They have a plethora of good pitching and could use another hitter or two. They have a good closer and two more who could close. We might want to look there.

Riverside and Jackson, this thread is getting more entertaining by the minute and well it should. What else to we have to talk about right concerning our two teams but who will be able to make it through the season with medical assistance. Both teams have their share of worries. What the Yankees have, though, is Rivera as a closer. We have nothing even remotely resembling one right now. The Red Sox, on the other hand, seem to have a stronger rotation--right now. Too early to really have a solid take of how things are going to go. We get Drew signed and trade for a closer, I will more than happy to take my chances with the Red Sox this coming year.

What about him Papelbon? The way I see it, he wanted out of Boston and that's why he turned down that 5Mil deal. Keith was sensational for us in 2004 and I will always be indebted to him for what he helped the Red Sox accomplish, but somewhere along the way he became very angry and bitter at the Red Sox and the community. I don't think he would want to return to Boston and I'm not sure the Red Sox want him back. I think it was time for him to move on.

That's a lot of ifs Jackson but I suppose it could happen. The odds of four of those going lame is very very small, but I get your point. You must have a good bullpen to survive. Your Yankees are kind of weak down there, too, but they have Rivera and he can cover a lot of things because he is such a great pitcher and the Yankees score enough runs to cover for their middle relief. We might be now able to do that having added Lugo and Drew, but unless the FO has someone definately in mind for a closer from what we have, we had better not to try and win on the cheap. When Drew signs we will have an added chip to use in a trade. I also wonder when Lester will be able to go back to pitching competively, though his health must come first.

Thanks Jackson for trying to ruin my day. Not nice having that done to you by one of your friends on the board. Yes, we could get by without a top notch closer IF our starters could go deep into the game (eighth or ninth inning), but that is no guarantee as you know, and right now not having a decent closer means we have to be considered second in the food chain behind your Yankees going into the season. Of course, the Red Sox could strike a major offensive and sign Clemens and put Paps back in that role. I would not think that is a good idea, though---the Paps thing. Clemens would be fine. All in all, we still have some work to do to get our team up to snuff and I know that makes you all the happier. Have a great day. Enjoy reading your posts. :D :D

Ksushi, thanks for the heads-up. Out here in California we don't get the news that quickly, but now that you mention it I think I might have heard something said on MLV TV.

700---though I do not disagree with your assessment of the closer situation, it would be nice to have one guy step up and take over that role by the time the season starts. I think we both remember the closer-by-committee fiasco of 2003 and I don't think any of us want to revisit or relive that mess. It could be that one of those mentioned by you could step up and take over. It should have been Hansen this year but when they changed his delivery they really screwed him up. He didn't look like he would be anywhere near ready by this year if we look at the way he pitched in 2006. Glad you didn't mention Delcarmen. I don't know what happened to him but he was getting hammered just about everytime out late last season.

Riverside, I think we will be a step down defensively with Lugo but a much bigger upside. The way I see it, though, is that Lugo is a better fielder than Gonzales was a hitter. Besides we needed a decent leadoff man who could run when needed to steal a base or two. I think we did ok with that. Now if we can just get Drew taken care of we can concentrate on getting that closer we need so badly.

If Theo and the front office want Pedroia to play second they have to make it very clear to Francona that there is to be no backsliding here. I do believe that Tito loves Cora but knows he is not suited to be a regular and his best days are behind him. Used as a utility man he does well but whenever he plays for an extended period of time his game tails off terribly as it did last season. What worries me is if the Coma man convinces Epstein to sign a veteran second baseman. If that happens another good prospect from our supposed improved farm system is set out to pasture and screwed up. It must not happen.

Jackson, you use a lot of good logic behind your argument and under normal circumstances it could hold up real well. In this case it does not. Here's why. When the Yankees brought up Cano, Torre was very receptive to it and felt that Womack was just a waste of money and here he had a young prospect who could play a long time for the Yankees. Right so far? The problem with your argument in this case in our manager. You give Francona a veteran 2B on his roster and he will cling to him for dear life. He has repeatedly done this in his mgng career both in Philly and in Boston, his most recent example with the terribly slumping Millar in '05 when he had an eager Kevin Youkalis ready for a shot in the Bigs. Instead the guy kept getting shuffled back and forth to Pawtucket and hitting well each time down there, but never given a shot while Millar kept stumbling badly. No, my friend, we don't want that with Pedroia. He's ready, willing and able and we want him to get his chance to prove it.

700, let me give you some soothing knowledge. Pedroia is going to do just fine for the Red Sox. You will be very pleasantly surprised and will become a big fan of his by the end of next year. Bank on it my friend.

Loretta would never accept a backup role. He thinks he has three or four good seasons left, and, while we are about it, I think some of you are thinking of a guy like Belliard to play second for us. Forget that!!!! The Guardians and Cards both discarded him and that's the kind of players we've been signing t he past few years with lousy results. Damian Jackson, Willie Harris, Guitierrez, Bellhorn, they all turned out to be crappy. Let's start using our good young players instead of seeing them doing well for other teams while we keep getting stuck with other teams' rejects. Enough of that. Pedroia is the man at 2B next year and the years after that.

Excuse me my friends, but the fact is Dustin Pedroia missed ALL of Spring Training and the first few days of the regular season because of that injury. He started absolutely cold and got off to an expected slow start. Yet he came on like a prairie fire and wound up hitting 305. He also hit 324 in AA in 2005. I can understand the worry you anti-Pedroia campers might have but I think this kid is going to be a very good player for us. He has nothing down below to prove. As for his slow start, remember he was jerked in and out of the lineup, hit a number of ropes right at people, and was up and down the lineup. You should also remember that he showed a particular ability to take it to the Yankees, and on their home turf. This guy is going to be fine. Relax and enjoy this young man. He will probably be around for a long time. I've loved this kid since the first day I saw him play in a ST game on TV in '05.

Just having that guy on our side should sit pretty well with the lot of us. After all, this guy is no chopped liver. I really feel we may put together a rotation that could be as good as any in the American League. Now, my friends, let's get Drew signed, get a closer and then start having sweet dreams about a very nice 2007 season.

Crunch, I think you are going overboard comparing Pedroia with Sadler, Veras and Cordero. First of all Cordero was a flop at Montreal and couldn't field consistently even on astroturf and by the time we got him he was on his way out. He simply stunk. Veras was overhyped from day one and he had issues other than his playing ability and a questionable attitude helped to sink him. Sadler was one of the best fielders to come up to the Bigs but his hitting was suspect even in the minors. Pedroia has hit all the way through the minors unlike Sadler, he has no attitude issues and is not being overhyped like Veras was, and he certainly is not on the downswing of his career like Cordero was. If Loretta has shown a little more power, speed and OB ability he might have been brought back. There was talk of moving Pedroia back to short if we didn't get Lugo and resigning Loretta. However, that won't happen and it is high time we start breaking some of our good young prospects in OUR lineup instead of someone else's. BTW, I know Loretta personally and he grew up in the town in which I live and played for the Sr. Babe Ruth Team I founded years before he was a star on it. Therefore, this is NOT an anti-Loretta missive by any means.

Too bad this wasn't about the Yankees after career aspirations. With the way A-Rod likes to sun himself in Central Park with his shirt off he'd be a great candidate for opening a nudist camp in Tijuana.

s*** Crespo, don't blame me. I was told I was a good teacher and I certainly didn't have your friend for a student. Then, again, after reading that post of his maybe I shouldn't even mention that I was one.:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

Guys, I may have you all beat on the Christmas gift parade. Remember, though, I will be entering only my seventh season as a Red Sox fan since my epiphony at Fenway Park in August of 2000 and I have a lot of catching up to do. Anyway, here's what I got for Christmas 1. A new Red Sox tee shirt, bright red with navy blue trim at the sleeve and neck. 2. A beatuful metal Red Sox trash can that will not be used for any such thing. 3. A nice looking Red Sox clock which not hangs in the center of my baseball room. 4. A Red Sox lamp with the logo really standing out proudly. 5. A Big Papi plastic drinking cup 6. A Big Papi charm and neck chain 7. Red Sox golf balls 8. A bottle of Red Sox hot sauce You guys must be saying---WHAT THE FAAAAHHHHKKKKK; is this guy a nut? Remember it was my wife, daughter and son-in-law who got me these gifts, and also keep in mind that I am a convert to the Red Sox and converts to anything have the tendency to get totally carried away. Oh yes, three gifts haven't arrived yet. One, a Red Sox mahogony box, a Red Sox travel alarm clock for my trips to Fort Myers and Boston in March and April, and a Red Sox garden flag. Well, my friends, do I at least get an A- for all this?

Bo, the greatest player I have ever seen is Willie Mays. The guy do it all; masterful fielder who never threw to the wrong base, a cannon of an arm, and man, could he go after a baseball. He also had tremendous power and hit for a very good average and played with an infectuous enthusiasm, and the man could run like the wind. No one like him in all the years I saw baseball and that is close to 60 now. Mantle might have been as great as Willie but injuries and a stupid lifestype hurt him immeasurably. As for Ted Williams, he has my vote. He wanted to people to say he was the greatest hitter who ever lived. To me he was.

Thanks Ex; some sanity for a change on this topic. Pedroia will be with us more than five years, though. I think this guy is going to turn out to be not only a fan favorite but a solid ballplayer for us for a long time and eventually be hitting in the No. 2 spot within a year or two. Now leave the guy alone. He has the ability to show what he can do and he will.