seabeachfred

Jackson, I hate to admit it as a Red Sox fan but the Yankees have earned their AL East title they are going to clinch sometime soon. They overcame their injuries as Jeter, Damon, Giambi, Cano and the rest sucked it up and went on. We suffered some injuries and it nearly crippled us. Of course, we had even more but, still, we should have been able to keep the mixmaster going. Losing two of three to the Rays at home, getting swept by the Royals in KC, then falling in five straight to the Yankees in our house???? Sorry to say, but we brought it on ourselves. There's always next year, though. Hope springs eternal every Spring.

Schill, it sounds good to me. I just wonder if we could sign both Schmidt and Matsu??? It would be great if we could. Zito? Man, I have really gotten for suggesting him. I could take it if it was just here but I think the grapevine has spread to other boards that this is one guy we DO NO get. So, ok, those two you suggested are fine with me. We need pitching and as Joe Morgan has said so many times, "You win championships with starting pitching." The Marlins, Red Sox and White Sox proved it the last three years, so I would say there is something to that. The Padres seem to have the Dodgers' number this season, but I expect that finally in the next series the worm will turn. I have attended a number of Dodger games this year and plan to go to a few others---like against your team. However, I have to admit, it is not like the Red Sox. If you are a Red Sox fan you can never love another team the way you do them. Whatever other team you may root for, they are strictly number two and light years away.

700, we are thinking along the same lines on that one. I was befuddled how all of a sudden the Red Sox wanted to dismantle a World Championship team. Sure, you don't stand pat but I guess fine tuning was not in the FO's lexicon. In two years most of our team has gone to other places and we've not emerged stronger for it. My guess is that there is going to be a lot of soul searching this off season and the owners are going to decide to go for it; that is, spend the money and try to make a go of it next year. I really believe if we get the pitching, both starters and relievers, we could contend for the Big Prize next year. I hope the FO is thinking along the same lines. How's that for optimism for you? Yes, I really believe it.

Schill, here is how I see it. Too many of us on this board, Dirt Dogs, Uponthemonster, and the regular Red Sox board are moaning and complaining that the Yankees do this and that and then we try to react. s*** on that. My take is that as soon as the FA signing period starts we go and grab Jason Schmidt with a big contract and launch a premptive strike against the Yankees as we did in late 2003 when we took Schilling right from under their noses. As for Zito, we may not need him if the rest of the crowd comes around, but I would love to get my hands on Gagne. It means Papelbon for the rotation which I think would really give us a staff to be proud of. This season? We are playing for pride and that only. If you have a NL team that you root for now is probably the time to get behind them.

Well Mr 700, how did you like it tonight. We actually had to start Julian Taverez? I mean can you or anyone else on this board believe that? It is so ridiculous that I am almost at a loss for words to describe such a calamity. Wierder still, we actually won the game against the best pitcher in the AL---Roy Halladay----although through no help from Taverez. Still, you have to admit that we have a hell of a lot of work to do in this off season. The aura of our title two years is getting further and further away from our memory and, I don't know about the rest of you but I haven't time to wait another eight decades; I don't have more than two or three left, God willing. I want another title before 2010.

Well they had better not give Gonzales a multi-year contract. He is not the ballplayer Loretta is. He certainly cannot carry hit jock when it comes to hitting and he was slumping badly before he went on the DL. Then we need a shortstop next year because to let Loretta go and resign Gonzales is a slap in the face to all Red Sox fans. Remember, if the Sox did not sign Alex he would he out of a job today because no other team even made an attempt to sign him. That spells reject in my book. Maybe Julio Lugo.

Hammer, I want Loretta back. He has three or four good years left and he is a 300 hitter, a good second baseman, makes the DP well, is very intelligent and a heads up ballplayer. I know the guy personally; he used to play for the Senior Babe Ruth Team I started back in 1973, though I was coaching elsewhere when he came up to play. I know this is a guy that we really need. As for the rest of you, Schmidt, Linebrink, and Gagne could be the three pitchers we could go after. Again put Pedroia at shortstop, resign Mark and concentrate on pitching. I really think that if healthy we have three guys in the middle of the order capable of hitting 125 homers between them-----Papi, Manny, and Wily Mo. I also have great confidence in Papa Jack as a hitting coach. I also believe that with Tek back, a year under Youk's belt and another solid year from Lowell, there is another 60 homers there. Maybe I'm talking like the coach I was, but you win with good starting pitching. Schilling, Beckett, Schmidt, Lester, Papelbon sound like a good rotation to me. Put Wake in the pen, trade for Linebrink for set-up man, and Gagne for closer and we could be formidable next year. Some of you may think this is madness but I welcome your suggestions. Right now we need this networking from keeping all of us from going raving made. One damn run last night. Is that Red Sox baseball as we have known it?

Hammer and Schill, looks like I came a cropper on my two suggestions. Hammer, I don't know why you dislike Schmidt, but he is some pitcher in my book. He is a real competitor and has terrific stuff. He would be a valuable asset to our team. As far as Zito is concerned I have gotten hammered (no pun intended) here and on another board for making that suggestion. Well one out of two isn't bad considering how poorly we've been playing. Maybe go after Eric Gagne as our closer, put Papelbon in the rotation, get Schmidt and trade for Linebrink from San Diego for a great set-up man. What you have to realize Hammer and Schill is that I am throwing out names in an attempt to see what the consensus is for us to get out of this pathetic rut we are in right now. This reminds me so much of 2001 except that collapse came in September. If you have better suggestions I am all ears. Hell, we are all in this together anyway, right?

I don't know how old you are Jsing, not that it matters except knowing how long you've been a Red Sox rooter. I actually came on board after watching them at Fenway six years ago this month and proclaimed that I had finally found my team that I had been looking for since the Dodgers left Brooklyn. Well hell, wouldn't you know my first full year was 2001 when they suffered a terrible collapse late in the season and I wondered what the hell I got into. However, within three years they had gone all the way. I can only hope this is another 2001 and better days are ahead the next few seasons. The ball is in Theo's court, though. He has to decide do we rebuild from the ground up or do we try and reload with the right players. The latter means they have to be willing to go out and spend some serious cash to get pitching (Schmidt and Zito and Leinbrink) come to mind, resign Loretta to keep a solid bat at the keystone, and put Pedroia at short----which they seem reluctant to do. There should be enough freed money to make a serious effort if they want to go that route with some divine help to keep us away from the injury epidemic that has ravaged our team of late.

I don't know how old you are Jsing, not that it matters except knowing how long you've been a Red Sox rooter. I actually came on board after watching them at Fenway six years ago this month and proclaimed that I had finally found my team that I had been looking for since the Dodgers left Brooklyn. Well hell, wouldn't you know my first full year was 2001 when they suffered a terrible collapse late in the season and I wondered what the hell I got into. However, within three years they had gone all the way. I can only hope this is another 2001 and better days are ahead the next few seasons. The ball is in Theo's court, though. He has to decide do we rebuild from the ground up or do we try and reload with the right players. The latter means they have to be willing to go out and spend some serious cash to get pitching (Schmidt and Zito and Leinbrink) come to mind, resign Loretta to keep a solid bat at the keystone, and put Pedroia at short----which they seem reluctant to do. There should be enough freed money to make a serious effort if they want to go that route with some divine help to keep us away from the injury epidemic that has ravaged our team of late.

Well I have two names to throw out to you. JASON SCHMIDT AND BARRY ZITO. We want to compete next year, we need two good starters and those fit the bill. Would our front office be willing to put out the cash to land these two pitchers? You know the Yankees would. I sometimes get the impression our esteemed leaders seem content to just let us enjoy our 2004 Championship and keep us in ignorance over their ineptness the past two off seasons. I'll tell you this; if we don't improve our rotation next years we might as well rebuild because we will not be able to compete. Sad to say but that's a fact.:thumbdown :thumbdown

At this rate Hammer if we could get the World Series this year I think most of us would rejoice, even though you think it doesn't amount to much. However, we aren't getting anywhere near the place so this argument is moot. Since you are so opinionated on these things, tell me this. Which way to we go? Rebuild or try to retool and reload for next year?

Jsing, unless you are not a Red Sox fan YOU are part of Red Sox Nation and therefore just as idiotic as the rest of us where the Red Sox are concerned. You never heard me say I am giving up on Lester, only that he is having some struggles right now. I have no intention of giving up on him. Try not to read anything in my posts. Take the words as written. Of course, I didn't know his back was hurting him and that I can understand. I was at my chiropractor today and will be tomorrow for him to work on my back. Believe me, having a sore back in no walk in the park. Keep the posts coming, though. You are entertaining to read.

Relax Hammer, I was not questioning you. Randy throws an atomic ball so he can throw anyway he wants. When I saw Lester last Wednesday in Anaheim he was dropping down and throwing what seemed to me to be something very close to sidearm.

I was watching Lester very closely last Wednesday in Anaheim and he was dropping down a good deal of the time. Perhaps he was hurting but he was not coming over the top on this pitches----not even close.

Bowden!!!!! That's the guy. The "B" Boys, Bucholz and Bowden. I keep hearing how good they are; I heard the same for Lester so I hope he straightens himself out.

Hammer, you know Randy is one of a kind. A guy who can throw over 100 MPH can throw anyway he wants. Does that sound like Alvarez, DiNardo or Gabbard to you?

Hitting isn't our problem? I guess then I was just hallucinating over the weekend when we scored, what, seven runs in the three game Seattle series, and none last night. I never said we would trade a pitcher for Abreu; I never even said we should have traded for him. I just said if we had we would probably be four or five wins better right now. As for our rotation, as long at Gabbard and Snyder are part of it we might be lucky to finish with a 500 record. Mark my words, neither one of those two pitchers will even win three games for us.

Some of us are getting in a pissing contest trying to outdo one another; the fact is we stink right now and are sinking out of sight. The season for us is over. WHAT DO WE DO THIS COMING OFF SEASON?????? We either try to reload, which will take a lot of money willing to be spent by the owners for pitchers of both varieties, staring or relieving-----OR we start the painful rebuilding process. We simply cannot afford to try and do both at the same time or else some of you younger ones will be waiting for another World Series title long after this 65 year old war horse is called home by his Lord.

Hammer, right now we can't hit either---and Papi has been sent back to Boston with an irregular heart beat. Think of how punchless we are now without him and Manny or Wily Mo. Looks like Francona is going to have to finally learn how to manufacture runs by the hit and run, run and hit, steal a base here and there, squeeze, and get rid of that station-to-station baseball that he loves and loved when he was in Philadelphia.

Crespo, have you noticed that our lefthanders all seem to throw either sidearm or close to it, even Lester. What the hell is with that. A good lefthander with a fastball should be throwing overhand or three quarters, but, then again, DiNardo, Gabbard, and some of the others we've used this year are journeymen so maybe we see one of two of our prospects come up and smoke some gas at the hitters. Phillips is considered a real nice guy and I hope he makes it, but sentiment aside, I don't want 2004 to become an even more distant memory than it's becoming. Either we rebuild or reload. If we do the latter we must be willing to spend the money for the right people and not some of those mediocrities we've been signing the last two off seasons. Agreed?

Crunch, listen to Riverside. Dustin Pedroia is going to be a very solid player for us, and you can take that to the bank. As far as the others are concerned you are not going to get any argument from me. But leave Pedroia out of it.

Jsing, all I said is that if we had Abreu we would NOT have lost all five games to the Yankees. That psychologically and well as artistically ruined our season. I have figured we would have won three of the games if we had had Abreu in the lineup and I take that to be something since it would have come against the Yankees. Nevertheless, all this means s*** right now. We are in the toilet and we had better start thinking about next year and the year after that.

Crespo, middle relief? Well it seems like we have a lot of guys already who seem more attuned to middle relief like Gabbard and Snyder. Unfortunately, we are using them as starters and they suck to high heaven. Nothing wrong with your assessment of middle relief but if that is the best we can do, maybe we should start thinking of Bucholz and that other young stud we signed a year ago and whose name escapes me right now.

Moose, this might make you feel better. In every year the Dodgers have won the NL Pennant since their first one in 1916, they have beaten the Giants in every season series except 1952. In fact, even when the win just the division they take care of the Giants, except for 1983. The Dodgers currently are 10-6 against the Giants and 4-2 in San Francisco. When they win up there they always do well. Sorry, I missed out on Colorado. I was thinking of some other team.