seabeachfred

Spitball, Mondesi hit only when the team was way ahead or way behind. He never got the big hit in close games and when with the Yankees it was almost a joke as he was referred to as the out man when things were on the line. The guy was a classic in hitting into double plays with men on base and then singling with no one on base to start an inning. I saw him plenty out here in LA and he was a real choker-----something that Bogaerts may be even worse at. I will be 74 on October 27 and have been a rabid fan since I was about seven, wearing my little Dodger uniform while playing with my friends in the Queens of the late 40's and early 50's. The best player I ever saw was Willie Mays, the best managing job I ever watch was Leo Durocher's with the Giants in 1954, and my greatest thrill as a kid was the July 4th Doubleheader win by the Dodgers over the Giants at Ebbets Field. The worse experience was when Bobby Thomson hit that three run homer to win the pennant for the Giants that same year. Now you're up to date.

Spitball, it comes from observing baseball for over 65 seasons. Some players never learn to hit with men on base and it becomes a mental block. Most recently, there was Raul Mondesi, considered by the Dodgers to be their next big star in the 80's. The problem was he hit with no one on base, when they were way ahead or way behind. Eventually the team caught on and he was traded.....Toronto, the Yankees, Pirates, Braves... The reputation stuck. He was a choker. You want more, I'll give you more.

Looks that way, but remember, we beat them to that dumpster with time to spare.

Well I think I know. If Tulowitski is adamant about leaving Colorado there is our next shortstop and Bogaerts should be part of the that deal. He can't hit with men on base, is lousy in the clutch and those weaknesses usually do not improve with age......they get even worse, if that's possible in X's case. The fact that he's started to hit now with no pressure and our team out of it only angers me more. I said in April this guy was a potential choker.....I think I've been vindicated by what has gone on with him this season.

What a season is right!!!!! Today I'm wearing the Cubs tee shirt I picked up in Chicago when I was there last June. I figure one last place team is as good as another right now.

Well on that score Elk you make a very good point. I was talking about John on the mound and not as a husband. Maybe I should have said he has both virtues and vises. You don't treat your wife that way and we agree on that since we're both very happily married men.

Oh Elk, we finally disagreed on something. I loved Lackey and I miss him. He was a tower of strength for the team last season and the one pitcher who had to work overtime because a lack of run support when he normally pitched. He showed his true metal in the post-season. To me the guy is a warrior.

Lackey didn't and doesn't do it the Cardinal way. He is a Red Sox through and through and got disgusted when those cheap bastards low balled Lester, his pitching pal, and showed John they didn't give a s*** about winning this year.

And did you read or hear who is leading the investigating team? People with connections to that dipshit Goodell, one of the owners of the Ravens and a couple of lawyers who have had connections with the NFL for years. The press and media must not let up in their attacks. This has all the makings of a whitewash. Goodell has to go...PERIOD!!!!!!

Why don't they try him as an eighth inning pitcher is we can ever take a lead into that inning again---then give him a shot at trying to close a game. We would be utilizing his "talents" a lot more effectively that way instead of running him and his now 1-9 record out there every fifth day only to see his lunch get eaten time and time again. He is NOT a starting pitcher.

And some wonder why many of us rip Farrell all to shreds for his managerial stupidity this season? If someone work try and research Workman's ERA after he goes through an opposing lineup once I think they would see that it up around 18.00 if not higher. And yet Farrell keeps running him out there as a starting pitcher....WHICH HE MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT. I can't wait for this season to end because I feel like I've been in a tsunami

Well said Jacko by a fan who is totally devoted to his beloved Yankees. Well, let me put some new colors in your paint box. Do you feel like hitting something? Do you feel like smashing some furniture, curse until your lungs explode, want to take a bat to the skull of that f***ing owner of my team and send a boot up the rectum of that ******** manager of ours and his equally incompetent partner who passes for our GM? Do you? If not then you have no idea how angry and disappointing a fan can really be because I'm describing me right now.

Last year baseball pundits picked the Red Sox to have the second best selection of prospects in all of Major League baseball while the Angels were ranked dead last. You think so? Well they dip into their "barren" minor league system and come up with a first baseman named Cron, two outfielders named Cowgill and Calhoun and a pitcher named Schumacher......and they have all performed well this season, some in regular roles and a couple as valued reserves. US???????? Bradley had been a total disaster, Bogaerts a near car wreck, Middlebrooks a bomb and the pitchers brought up on our farm bitter disappointments. No one who follows the Red Sox should believe a word of crap coming from Charington, Hazen and the rest of the dolts running our minor leagues. You mentioned Lavarnway. He hit 32 homers in 2010 and instead of being put on the team was sent down again. I think he may have lost his confidence when that happened. He was at least as capable a defensive catcher as Salty was but the Red Sox went with the latter. I guess it turned out OK since Jarrod was part of a WS Title team last year, but Ryan was hurt by his demotions. Even last season when brought up he his just under 300. So there is more there than meets the eye. Either way, my point is that none of us should take anything the FO throws at us except with a fine grain of salt. Me? I like Betts, Swihart and Cecchini will eventually be solid players for us......if they are not ruined or jerked around by the Sox. The front office hyped and picked the wrong people to hit their wagon to. I think with the three I mentioned they could make amends for their miserable judging of the talent they tried to sell us.

There you have it NS---a crock of s*** for a total human crock of s***.

Palodios, the problem most of us had was that we took the propaganda the front office gave us about Bogaerts and Bradley and swallowed the Kool Aid. Never will I do that again. Both turned out to be duds and I'm not sure if Bogaerts will ever live up to his buildup. He has been a car crash this season almost as bad as Bradley. Now from MY take on things and s*** canning the front office, Betts is keeper. He is headed for some great seasons for us as soon as we fine a spot for him in the lineup. Vazquez is a terrific defensive catcher but we have a better all around backstop down in AAA in Blake Swihart. I've seen enough film of him to say he is the real thing. We should not trade him---and here's a prediction. Garin Cecchini will make a strong comeback next season and be our third baseman byu June or July. He is now looking like the hitter we all thought he was, but Betts is the key here along with Blake. Neither of those to must be traded.

You're too old? Think about your good buddy here Elk. See what you think of this dream I had.......prescience or flat ********??? About the first of March I had this dream that I would, with God's grace, go to 93, a very lucky number for me. That meant I would see 20 more Red Sox seasons, 2014-2033. In that dream there were TWO, count them, two World Series Titles. I wondered if I could make that dream a reality would I seize upon it or just chuck it and try for more than two. As I write this I do feel a little silly having to share this stuff with others who think I might be a little off my trolley but I wonder what percentage on this board would be satisfied with two titles in the next 19 season----19 because this season is in the crapper.

Wow Dupree, I stand corrected. Let me amend that to say try and post here when you can. You're a busy man. I'm retired so I do have a lot of time on my hands to play around this board. Are you from the Midwest by any chance? I married a Midwest girl and I think they are the best.

Someone was trying to cover Goodell's ass after he made that putrid call of a two game suspension for what was a violent attack on a woman. I would like to cut the guy's balls off, the filthy scumbag. Fortunately, the Ravens saved the commish's bacon by releasing the bastard. As 700 Hitter said, good riddance you bum.

Notice you and my pal Elktonnick had a good friendly exchange and did it in a gentlemanly manner. You can agree or disagree but the way you did it showed real class. I hope you're right about Lester even if I have my doubts. BTW, try to post more often here if you can. I enjoy reading your missives and you certainly seem to know the game well. You also don't pull any punches but do it in a classy manner. I sometimes wish I could show much control when I'm tempted to go off the deep end.

And I thought I disliked that bastard. I am, however, willing to cut the guy some slack but about two months ago as irotiz he sent me a filthy missive and I wondered why all of a sudden he went off the deep end. Now that I know he is the old Crespo it makes sense. I left the board in late 2007 or so and don't know what he did later to get you and others riled up at him. For me, if he contributes and meets me half way I will give him the benefit of the doubt and move on. I think this guy is also a Dodger fan who was on that biggest shithole board of all, Dodger Blues before it got ripped off the internet. Those *******s came on this board to harasss me and two other posters and I felt that if I left this board peace would descend. I guess it didn't. Maybe a degree and some maturity has straightened Crespo or iortiz out. We'll see. I'm not going to ask what happened with you and him when I left this board but apparently he got you good and pissed. Remind me not to ever let you get that pissed off at me.

Koji has been overworked and he is running of fumes. After what he did for us last season you will never hear me utter one negative word about the guy. Too bad we didn't score more runs in the game and in the ninth inning where Farrell's miserable managing cost us a chance to add to our lead. If this guy pulls another 2014 next season we must get a new manager. I cannot believe how inept and wrong he has been on all fronts this season. As much of a critic as I was with Francona I cannot remember any season he managed the Red Sox that he f***ed up continuously from beginning to e nd. Francona screwed up games and series here and there but this guy has been s*** warmed over from that opening home series back in April.

Game number two of this three game set-to with neither team going anywhere this season, and yet the rivalry still ranks with the best in all sports. Tonight the Red Sox send Anthony Ranaudo to the mound to oppose Hiroki Kuroda who might now qualify as the Yankees No. 1 pitcher at the present time. Hiroki is a decent pitcher who tends to tire late in the season, though that's no guarantee that he won't save one of his best for the Red Sox. Renaudo is 3-0 with a half-decent ERA in the mid 300's but he seems to have pitched well enough to win when he's out there. I do recall he came out on the winning side of a 4-2 win over the Yankees the last time he pitched against them. The game shapes up as an "it can go either way" type of game but if we can hit pretty much as we did last night we stand a decent chance of winning, but Anthony must keep us in the game and the bullpen must be lights out in the late innings.

Cespedes is a keeper and Mookie is a gem.....too bad Farrell had some doubts about his playing time earlier. Well he's a keeper too. If we trade him we had better get something very good in exchange for him. I've given up on Middlebrooks. If he doesn't turn it around by the end of the week it is all over for him. Of course, most of you have said he was through a lot earlier. Guess I was really wrong about him and for that I apologize. I hate being so out of it with a player. BTW, let's not be too hesitant in getting rid of Nava. We can use a good LH hitter and Daniel has come around very well since he was brought back up from his stint at Pawtucket.

Looks like I have company in writing off the season even though I wrote it off a helluva lot sooner than you did and with my team which happens not to be yours. I just wonder what kind of new spending spree your club is going to undertake this off season. Since it won't end with a Red Sox title maybe they will be a little more circumspect but there will still be a lot of spending. I only pray that Henry decides to open his wallet smartly this fall and winter instead of paying through the nose for player who hasn't played in almost two seasons.

We're in Yankee Stadium for the next three days taking on a team that has had more injuries and mishaps than we have and yet are in second place in the AL East while we're sucking wind at the bottom of the pile. However, to me these games do make a difference. I don't want to look up at the end of the season and see the Yanks winning the season series 14-4 or 13-5 or even 12-6. Tonight it's Kelly vs Greene which seems an even match up. I would like to say the Red Sox are playing for pride but that might be a canard since it doesn't seem to have been part of the team's persona all this season, but the fact that we can throw a serious monkey wrench in New York's chances of getting to the post-season should offer us some inspiration.....and I'd like to see for once this season Farrell holding his own or out managing Joe Girardi. As I said this game could shape up as an even match so I would like the team to finally give that 150% that I haven't seen much of this season and win that game tonight. I'd like to believe we have a decent chance tonight.