seabeachfred

Right you are Spitball. Nava seems to be a story line for an overachiever who was able to do the job whenever and wherever called on. He hit 303, 12 homers and 66 RBI's besides his solid OBA. True, this coming season he's going to have to perform at least as well since Vic is a year older and still nursing an ailing back along with the possibility of Bradley having trouble hitting ML pitching on a consistent basis. Personally I have a lot of confidence in Daniel, and Dojii was right on the mark about him last off season. One piece of advice though. Do all of us a favor and never mention Darnell, Hermida or Pod again---and add Cameron Gathright, Lillibridge, Repko and Thomas to that list.

Right now it's boring time Camp and the writers need something to help them earn their pay and keep some readers happy. Right you are about most of those Japanese imports; we certainly had one of those to frustrate us for five seasons, but I think Okajima was worth whatever hype came his way. Darvish looks like the real thing but we will have to wait and see on Tanaka. Since we're not in the picture for him and apparently have no interest in getting in the bidding war, this "mania" is nothing more to us than a stabbing sensation in the teeth. Personally, I'm paying little if any attention to it, and I would suggest my fellow Red Sox fans follow me on this one. It's a complete waste of our time except for the possibility that he may wind up on the Yankees with their mega-millions they're throwing around like candy wrappers.

What I'm liking is that the vast majority of us here on Talk Sox are strongly in favor of giving Jon Lester a new and improved contract. I think the only difference of opinion there is, however, is slight, and that is when should these negotiations begin and when they should conclude with Jon's name on the dotted line. As I sometimes have a tendency to get ahead of myself, I think this is one time I might be on schedule....How about before Opening Day in 2014. He has all the pre-requisites needed to stay on the Sox. He has said he will give the team a hometown discount and wants very badly to stay in Boston. What's not to like?

Of course you would Jacko---then when the price goes up your shithole team claims they're not interested and then swoop in and steal another player from us, a pitcher who knows how to beat the Yankees. No thanks!!!!! I hope the Red Sox are smart about this because with your horse dung farm system you can only succeed if you raid other teams and try to buy your way to a title. The Red Sox had better be smart about this and not wait until the season is well under way because the price will only go up if Jon is having a solid season....and barring unforeseen circumstances he will be having a very solid season. He is just about all the way back and he wants to stay in Boston. Cherington is no dope; I think he sees what's ahead of him and will act accordingly......I HOPE!!!!!!!

The facts are there. LESTER WANTS TO STAY IN BOSTON AND HAS SAID ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS THAT HE WOULD TAKE A HOME TOWN DISCOUNT. I think that should speak volumes to the front office to try and get something done as soon as possible. The price will only go up if he gets off to a good start and rumors start flying around how much Scherzer and Kershaw might be getting. As we know, Lester developed or reverted back to an ace this past season in the second and in the Playoffs.

And we sign Drew, which I am dead set against, Bogey goes to third and Cecchini is BLOCKED!!!!!!!!!!! That must not happen.

That's what I would suggest too wyo. I personally believe the Sox are playing with fire if they drag the Lester question deep into next season and if they wait until the 2014 season is over they will be up against what some other pitchers like Scherzer and Kershaw are getting. They might pay a hell of a lot more money for that privilege and just might come up empty and lose Jon. Instead of worrying about Drew, who as most of you know I don't want back, money towards him (and a lot more) should be going towards re-upping Lester to a long term contract. Besides, many talk about WMB being tradable if we sign Drew, but it also will block Cecchini like an anvil and stop his chance of breaking into the lineup and giving us that solid young left hand hitter we're going to need so badly down the road.

If Drew is resigned I will root like the dickens for him to succeed and will rail with joy if he does, but truth be known, I hope it never comes to that. Come on Mets, you guys need a shortstop. Sign this guy and take that silly notion Cherington and Farrell have about bringing this guy back to us.

Getting Cabrera, Mienkiewitz and Roberts tightened our defense, added speed and chemistry to a team in a little need of the first two. OCab became a real favorite of mine SoxSport and it got personal with me that we let him go. True, at time Renteria was the better all around players but there were many who said despite that, Orlando was a better fit for the Red Sox. And you are spot on about Drew.

To me Cabrera was bigger than the sum of his parts. He was very steady in the field and I was disappointed the Red Sox didn't resign him. As for Renteria, his numbers before (and after) were very impressive but Tony LaRussa insisted that Edgar would have trouble playing in the pressure packed venue known as Fenway Park. At that time I found that statement to be strange because Renteria had always been a damn good clutch hitter. You are right about pitching being our Achilles that 2005 season but we still finished even-steven with the Yankees, and those 30 errors Renteria made (in my opinion anyway) was the difference in at least one game. Still, I'm going to keep arguing the point. Suffice to say, Cabrera was a real spark for our team in 2004 and though we didn't on a tear until about two weeks after he arrived he played a very big part in our late summer drive for the WC and subsequent dramatic charge towards winning the World Series. I had become a real Cabrera fan and was sorely disappointed we didn't resign him. Rumor had it we was involved with the wives and girlfriends of some of the players on the Red Sox and the front office didn't want him back. As I said a rumor.

That may be true Pal but his recent post concerning Boras was pretty much right on the mark, and if you check back over the past few months User has NEVER agreed with him on anything....NOT ONCE!!!!! Yet SoxSport has been a good sport about this all along and has refused to get into a urinating contest with that guy. He does have one out, though, and maybe he will put him on ignore as some of us have.

BEL--I see no way that Bogey fails. Barring something unforeseen I see him emerging into a absolute star on the Red Sox. However, Bradley doesn't look like he will hit ML pitching on a consistent basis, there will be an opportunity to replace him the following year. Peter Bourgeous of the Cards might be available because they have this guy Taveras who they are sky high on, and the Yankees will be losing the guy who plays both center and left as a free agent and who I'm having a senior moment trying to remember his name. Man, getting old can really be a pain in the ass.

NC84, maybe this can help a little. 1---Don't stay in a hotel in Boston---to expensive. Try either the Holiday Inn Express or the Hampton In, both in Cambridge right across the river. You are only two blocks from the "T" Subway station if you stay at the HIE and right across the street if you stay at the HI. You then take the Green Line train to Kenmore station, get off and head to your left and on the first street you come to go left again up the hill and over the bridge and there you are....FENWAY PARK!!!!!! Staying Cambridge is less expensive than the high priced Boston Hotels and if you stay there a couple of days you are only two or three stations from Civic Center, Fanueil Hall and close to the North End where there are the best Italian restaurants in the country. Tickets can be high, but I would suggest a grandstand seat behind the box seats on the third base side---rows 26-35 would be ideal. First base also ok, though I'm not familiar with that side of the park because I've never sat there in all my trips to Fenway. Those seats are very good. I sat in Row 26, just one row behind the Box seats for the final game of the ALCS this season and for one of the WS games. Sat in the bleachers for the other WS contest---and those seats are not so bad either. Hope I helped somewhat. It will be the treat of your life to go to Fenway Park. I went one summer afternoon in 2000 for only the second time and came out a diehard Red Sox fan. The field converted me on the spot.

And a very Merry Christmas to you my friend. Let's see if we can hook up sometime later this week.

Right on Bogey---we lock him up long term when we can and be willing to spend the money on him. Bradley? If he doesn't produce get his ass out of Boston on the first train or plane. He is a decent player but that good that we have to get into a bidding war for him.

You're right about the year....didn't proofread my post before sending it. OTOH, we couldn't disagree more on that other matter. Since we finished with the same record as the Yankees in 2005, for you to tell me that Cabrera's solid fielding and clutch hitting wouldn't been worth ONE MORE GAME, well, let's just say we will have to agree to disagree with extreme prejudice. Frankly, I cannot fathom how you could say it wouldn't have made a difference since Renteria was a sieve in the infield that year and cost us at least three or four games defensively alone. Well, everyone has a right to his or her opinion and we have ours. Unfortunately in this case YOTN, we are on opposite polls. Merry Christmas to you.

BEL and Pin, I just dropped in to see if anyone decided to log on today. So far just you to.....so may I wish you both a very Merry Christmas.

I thought that one out awhile before commenting on your post mvp. In 2006 we finished with the same record as the Yankees but they got the division and home field advantage in the playoffs because they won the season series. I believe strongly if we had kept and signed Cabrera we would have won the division and gotten home field advantage because Cabrera was a much more solid fielder than Renteria who made 30 errors that season and cost the Red Sox three or four games in the field alone. Cabrera has a very solid season for the Angels and most likely would have a big difference if we had him on our side instead of Edgar. That's not to say we would have won the WS that year, but it does say we would have made up at least one game and gotten to open the playoffs at home. From there who knows?

Orlando Cabrera----and letting him go and signing Renteria instead was a colossal blunder on Epstein's part. Tony LaRussa, Renteria's manager in St. Louis in 2004, told the press and Red Sox personnel that Edgar did not have the personality or physical and mental makeup to thrive in Boston. Boy, he was never more right in his life.

I think you made a very salient point BTR---the parallels between Demon and Ells go in much different directions. Ells made it clear he was going to test the market and I always had this sneaky suspicion that he was never really comfortable in Boston, that there were things about playing there that didn't sit well with him. He just didn't want to be part of the face of the team with Papi and Pedroia, and, personally, he might find New York better for his liking unless he starts getting hurt and doesn't perform. Then his ass with be grass and the press and fans with be his lawnmower. Still, it was worth it for him to go there and it might work out well in the end. Damon was a rotten lying bastard who said one thing and did exactly the opposite and why he is still despised in Boston and will never be welcomed back with any fanfare or affection of any kind. Then Damon turned out to be kind of a comic and pathetic figure, the Yankees dropping him and his going to Detroit and saying that's where he wanted to be and that was the team he wanted to play for only to reverse course with the Rays the very next year after the Tigers gave him the heave-ho and told fans and press that there is where he really wanted to be. Next the Guardians and by then he was a totally comic figure and now out of baseball, unmissed and unloved. I hope the Red Sox never invite him back for anything.

Kap, Theo said himself he would NOT have made that trade for Beckett and Lowell because he wanted to hold onto Hanley Ramirez and Annibel Sanchez at all costs, and that means if he had been in charge at the time that trade was talked about instead on hiatus we WOULD NOT HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES IN 2007. No way we win that year without Beckett and Lowell. Therefore, even with his skillful handling of our youth brigade that year, it would have been an empty season for us. Thank God he was not the GM those two months when we made that trade.

Big Fan----From what I've read so far, the comments by my colleagues here have been pretty much spot on. Epstein is very big in the PR department and wants to see his Chicago tenure work out in the form of a WS or two or three. There are some good young players close to being ready in Bryant and Baez, some good young pitching and a decent farm system. My take is to give him two more seasons. As my pal 700 said, if he doesn't get it going by 2015 or 2016 at the latest he migh tnot be in Chicago by 2017. The key for 2014 is to show some improvement over the past two seasons under Theo and if that happens you will know he is on the right track. There was always some wonder about what he actually wanted to do in Boston---go with developed home grown talent or spend high on FA. There was a conflict with CEO meddler Larry Lucchino over this with LL big on free agents and experienced players. Perhaps Theo was forced into doing these things in Boston...maybe. Don't expect too much improvement in 2014; expect a big jump by 2015. If not the Cubs ownership should start looking for leadership elsewhere.

Who would have thought is right Bellhorn!!!!!! Can you even imagine a baseball team founded in 1876 with a certain amount of tradition and a fervent following can have gone 105 years without a title Boggles the mind...and keep in mind they haven't been in a World Series for the past 68 years. That is some drought. 2003 could have been a seminal year for baseball if Grady Little hadn't had that anal-brain cramp and the Cubs could have shook off Bartman's swipe and just concentrated at the business at hand. They still had a lead and they led in games 3-2. That was just a royal choke up job. We were at 85 that year too, but the Cubs and Red Sox have gone in two different directions since then and good for us that we are on the sunny side of the street.

Interesting post Sox Sport but please allow me to make one little correction. Dan Topping and Del Webb sold the Yankees to CBS in late 1964. and then CBS sold the team to Steinbrenner in time for the 1973 season. Other than that a decent and timely post.

You know Palodios, you're again on to something, but let me add an addenda to it. We can help this along if the Red Sox become perennial WS contenders year in and year out. We now have a second chance to do something like that and whether the Yankee fandom wants to admit it or not we are now the premium team in the game even though talent wise we have to take a back seat to two or three other ball clubs. Still the proof is in the eating and we have three titles the past ten years and no one in our league is closer than two away. Back when I was a regular poster on the old Dirt Dog board before they sold it to some company and screwed things up, I said the first WS Title would end the curse and end our reputation of talented but lovable losers. A second one would validate us as a serious player in the baseball world. A third would put us in the elite category not shared by more than two or three other teams. In fact, had Tito been able to have won another WS his ticket would already be ready to punch to the Hall of Fame. Well we have three now and if we could get two more in the final seven years of this decade (2014-2020) we would be the elite team in the game. It is worth the gamble for the Red Sox to supplant the Yankees once and for all as the TEAM in the Big Leagues.