seabeachfred

Man, you're a mean son of a bitch today Ted. Good to get agitated every so often, isn't it? I have to try and do the opposite, wind it down a little. BTW how about letting me know when you're going to be around so I can buzz you. We haven't had a baseball pow wow in some time and I love to pick your brain. Let me know.

An A+ for that one vj. There were teams that had more raw talent, better hitting, rotations, and even power and defense, but the Red Sox has the BEST TEAM!!!!!! I can't recall any other team in baseball who demonstrated the total team concept of one for all, all for one concept as did our team this season. I would also assume that this gives some inspiration to some other clubs who saw what our team did.....if the Red Sox can do it, so can we. Of course it isn't that simple because they most likely don't have the chemistry we had and, secondly, they aren't the Red Sox.

I'm not so sure about that anymore. I think if the Cubs got into a World Series all of baseball would rejoice---and I know the perfect opponent for them. You can guess who I'm talking about but it should be a slam dunk. Two classic franchises in the two classic ballparks. That would do a lot for baseball IMHO.

I'll gladly second that BSN. Youk was a gamer for us in the time he donned a Red Sox uniform. Too bad his body started to give on him. Hopefully he'll enjoy Japan and finish off his career on a pleasant note.

The capability and talent is there Hitch, and from where I'm sitting Drew would only be a one or two year stopgap at SS and then we'd have to move Bogey back to short to make room for Cecchini who could be moved to another position to get his bat into the lineup. Players are converted to other positions as we all know. it would also stop the revolving door we've had at SS since 2004 and more or less at 3B since before that. Cherington has some chips to play now and that WS Title he helped bring to Boston has given him a little breathing room for next season while we still be strong enough to challenge for the AL East Title and a strong playoff berth. We should take advantage of this if we can.

It still seems that someone in the Red Sox hierarchy has an itch up their ass to sign Drew. Enough already!!!!! We don't need him and I don't want him. He would only be a one or two year stopgap and for that we trade or send down a guy who can hit 25-30 homers for the next decade? Let Yankee Fan Boras croak and force himself to eat some s*** and get the money hungry Drew a one year parachute contract.....if any team is still interested. If not, screw them both.

I heard on ESPN Los Angeles radio news this evening that Yankee Fan Boras has been traveling at a frenetic pace the past few days trying to drum up some interest in three of his charges......Drew, Choo and Kendrys Morales. Right now he is getting nowhere with them. It would be a shot in the arm for baseball if the owners and GM's give this guy a big middle finger on all three of these money hungry bastards and they all wind up getting a one year parachute contract, but there are still enough suckers out there for YF Boras to still make some hay. Boy it would be great if he got a bloody nose and his three cohorts with him.

Dupree, as long as Steven Drew is out there I keep getting the woolies that we might just sign him. For Pete's sake someone take this guy off our hands before Cherington makes a mistake and inks him. We need to turn the page and move on. You don't turn your back on a guy who can hit 30 homers for you and that's what Will Middlebrooks is capable of. Besides Drew showed in the playoffs that he is not that good a hitter anymore and his strikeout totals are going through the roof the past couple of seasons. It just seems to me that Ben is just itching to sign this guy and to me anyway, that is the wrong move. We need to get these young guys into the lineup and build for the future, and we still have enough solid veterans that we can carry a couple of young players in the lineup. First of all Middlebrooks is no longer a rookie, and Bogey showed under the extreme pressure of the ALCS and WS that he can carry his share of the load. The sooner Yankee Fan Boras can find a spot for Drew somewhere else besides Boston the safer I will feel going into 2014 with a team capable of competing in 2014 and for the rest of the decade.

Well to me as much as it sounds a little of the wall, there has to be an element of truth in it and maybe a lot of truth. How can anyone account for some of the moves those guys have made this off season. Even ardent and passionate Yankee fan Jacko is befuddled a little by what he has seen going down. Also, look at the parade of second basemen that they have corralled this off season. Where the hell are they going to put them all, and how many of them can still play worth a lick? There is something very strange going on in the Yankee front office and I also wonder if there is a little difference of opinion among the operatives there.

Jacko, one thing no one has seemed to mention about whether the Yankees are vastly improved now, or slightly improved, or running in place, is the fact that perhaps your No. 1 weapon is no longer with you guys. Mariano Rivera is hands down the greatest closer in baseball history and all of us know it. It was an automatic lockdown 95% of the time he came in to close a game. That loss has got to sting a lot and that is why your closer next year has to really step up and show good stuff, and as you put it, show the balls to do the job. I would have sworn that you guys were getting Balfour but I've been as surprised as you are at some of the moves the Yankees have made. They haven't gotten very much younger have they.

So am I Dupree----I'm still in orbit after what happened last October. I do think I have a hunch what's going on with the Yankees. This has to do with their front office. I really believe they are totally bent out of shape by what they saw our team do this past season. They must have thought we'd be on our asses for the next three or four seasons so if they fell a little short they'd have us down there with them. No can do boballo!!!!! We came all the way back and won the WS and it totally discombobulated them. I really think that is what happened and what's happening with that crowd over in the Bronx. I find it a real hoot.

And if you find any reason they are doing this Geritol movement please get back and enlighten me. Frankly, I can't figure what the Yankees have up their sleeves.

Well it was probably your turn on his s*** list Pal. 700 hitter went through it, then it was my turn and there was someone else after me. I wouldn't worry about it. mvp is a Jeckel and Hyde type of guy. You never know if he is going to give you a nod or the club. At least he is a terrific Red Sox fan though. Anyway don't give it another thought. You know you stand real with me and most of the rest of the crowd.

I can't speak for the medical staffs of other teams but what I've seen from ours the past half-dozen years they make incompetence look good in comparison. They have done more of their share of misdiagnosing injuries and it got so bad the players started ignoring them and simply getting second opinions. The departed Jacoby Ellsbury didn't trust them at all, and to make matters worse they screwed up royally with Dustin Pedroia in 2010 and nearly threatened his career. They've made some changes the past few years but it still seems we have a pack of second raters charged with keeping our team healthy.

No one argues with that point Pal---you win with effective and consistent starting pitching, the one caveat is keeping them healthy so they can toe the rubber in the vast majority of their starts---though don't diss me for not mentioning an effective bullpen too. You certainly need that too---as we found out much to our pleasure as the 2013 season evolved.

Glad to do it Bellhorn and I hope our pal Palodios follows up on it and not only gets one for his friend but one for himself as well. I find it strange, though, that the lithograph itself was taken off the DirtDogs website and frankgalasso.com put in its place. I really think if people saw just what that piece of work looked like there would be a massive order for it. Heck, I put mine right on the front of my red painted door to my Red Sox abode. Go for it Bellhorn.

Stealing a little of my friend Palodios' thunder I would give Bradley a full shot at CF in 2014 and if it is shown that he has real trouble hitting Big League pitching make a strong end run for Brent Gardner in the off season. He will be a free agent and has the singles and doubles bat, the speed and decent fielding ability to be a big help to us. He will be 31 by the time we can get him but still young enough to give us three or four years of solid play and by that time we should be able to come up with another good young CF not represented by Yankee Fan Boras. OTOH, if Brad has a decent season ignore this post.

I go with Maddux and Thomas even though I think Biggio, Bagwell and Glavine should be given some consideration.

The best I can do Pal is give you the address of the guy who made this lithograph....... Frankgalasso.com For some reason the picture of the lithograph was taken off the cartoon and the name of the artist substituted instead. Try that Pal and I hope you can make contact. Believe me it is one hell of a piece of work.

Is it me Camp or is Ike Davis actually getting worse instead of better? You would think a ML prospect so highly by the Mets when they signed and developed him would learn to hit breaking pitcher a mite better than he has. If the Mets are successful in trading Davis five will get you ten the return for him might be a bit meager. Then again, maybe I talked too soon on that. I've seen some sucker teams out there making some ridiculous trades for a pig and a poke. The Angels trade of Mark Trumbo to Arizona for a couple of mediocrities on the mound could serve as an example.

I know this is off the subject but I just had to share this with all of you just in case any of you might be interested. On the Red Sox website---Red Sox.com, as you scroll somewhat down the page you'll come to a cartoon of an old type Red Sox fan bearded with nuff ced below the cartoon. Double click on it and you will see a terrific lithograph of the 2013 season measuring about 20 by 28. I sent away for one and now I laminated it and put it on the door to my Red Sox room. It would make a great present to some Red Sox friend or love one of yours and an even better gift for you.

Dojii, I have always maintained that as a clubhouse skipper keeping the press and pressure away from his players Francona was a terrific manager. He let his players play ball and didn't get in their faces and make stupid comments that alienated any of his people, and most importantly he showed terrific loyalty to his men. These are all very highly commendable traits and much of what managing should be. It is as a strategist and field skipper that I had some real doubts about him.....and if you kept up with things the last few years of his tenure in Boston owner John Henry had become very critical of his field managerial skills. Then he completely lost his team when they turned on him with that chicken and beer fest late in the 2011 season. Francona never bunted, said he didn't want to give up outs, yet in six or seven of his years in Boston we led the AL in hitting into double plays, many of them rally killing ones. He never used the hit and run much, and even when teams paid little attention to Boston runners he never moved them. It was station-to-station ball all the way with him, and if you remember the sudden death game the Guardians played against the Rays in October, once again with men on base he never once tried a steal, a hit and run or a bunt. The result was a number of strikeouts and I believe two double plays. I readily give credit to Terry in areas where he was strong but I don't hesitate to point out where I think he was deficient.

Good recounting of the half-ass thinking of former manager Francona. The guy has his mindset ass backwards. Instead of his insisting on playing his dull and unimaginative and easy to defend game, he should have been more willing to move runners, to hit and run, to try and force the game on the opposition. Instead he did nothing of the sort and then compounded his petty crime into a felony by coming out and insisting that stolen bases by the opposition wasn't a concern of his. Amazing, isn't it? It never occurred to him when we were losing one and two run games in bunches his last years with the Red Sox that the opposite mindset mind have netted us better results. That's what I liked about Farrell this past season---he moved runners, played a more wide open game, and though he didn't throw out as many potential base stealers as everyone would have liked, much of it had to do with Salty's inability to throw well. At least, though, things have improved markedly on those scores. I don't think too many people miss Francona much any more.

Dojii, if WMB can hit 25-30 homers and Cecchini becomes a 300-plus hitter, you find a place for both of them in your lineup. You don't trade one away and be left with one good hitter and a weaker one at the spot Cecch or Will could have played.