a700hitter

I love Red Sox walk off homers. Second time for Gomes!!

My boy? As opposed to you being my bitch.

Why have you altered your identity?

It might be a little disruptive to make the trade mid-season if it lands Napoli on the bench. I would love to see such a trade in the off season.

I don't rip on guys when they are playing well. Salty has made a big improvement. I guess you don't watch much NL. Victorino is better than he has shown. The leg and back have hindered him. Uehara has been good everywhere he has been. Lester's first month and a half were a surprise. Pitching like last year wasn't very unexpected.

I love Butler, but what happens with Napoli?

With regard to Lackey, I think he is getting stronger. Look at what Wainwright has done after 2 TJ's. I never thought it would happen, but I think Lackey will be a big part of this team's success. This team is not just a surprise with a few good months. They are demonstrating that they a really good team. They need Buch back. That is essential. When you have a team that is a bona fide upper echelon team, I think you need to reinforce it and give them the best shot at going deep in the Post Season. Some prospects should be sacrificed. There aren't that many seasons when we are in this kind of a position. They are on on 98 or 99 win pace. This is not a bridge year. This could be the year. This is when you sacrifice some prospects-- not the top guys for rentals, but decent second tier guys. If Buch comes bach strong, I am not sure that our biggest need is for a pitching stud. Maybe a big bat would be a bigger help in the OF.

This would be an appropriate time to discuss the biggest surprises and biggest disappointments on the 2013 team. It is a hugely pleasant surprise that we are leading the division and extending our lead a bit. I was just hoping for a competitive team, but I think they are more than that. Here's my list: Surprises: Lackey-- He tops my list. Coming off surgery, he is pitching as well as he ever has. Red Sox fans have not seen this Lackey. When right, this guy has been pretty good in his career. He keeps his team in games and he puts up innings Nava-- What can be said. I think he has surprised everyone with his power including his family Iglesias-- The surprise isn't that he is hitting .400. The surprise is that he looks like he belongs in a major league lineup Salty-- He has been more consistent on offense and his lapses behind the plate have been much fewer than the past. Carp-- The guy has a nice stroke and good power. Disappointments: Middlebrooks-- I was certain this guy was on his way to stardom and that he was going to form a formidable lefty/righty combo with Ortiz for the next couple of years. The 3 home run game early on made me think that I was aiming too low. Hanrahan-- A complete Jenks-type bust Bailey-- Got the closer's job on a silver platter when Hanrahan went down, but he squandered it in spectacular fashion. Buchholz having injury/durability issues

Do you know if there are any fat old relievers with bad elbows that are available?

i can't watch them play the Twins. Even when the Twins keep the game tight going into the late innings, Gardenhire gives away the game. It happens over and over.

David Price with 7 innings of shutout ball and 10 k's tonight in his first game back from the DL.

I think that it is more likely that Dempster gets traded.

That's how Farrell teams run the bases. At least the running has not been too stupid like his teams did in Toronto.

Middlebrooks and Iglesias are no longer prospects. Their rookie status is gone. Other than Bradley, I don't see that any current farm hand will be a starter next season.

ARod started his rehab tonight.

If we have Lester, Buch, Dempster, Doubs, and Lackey next season, I don't see that either one gets the job unless they absolutely light up AAA this year and ST next year.

I went blank on Bradley. Of the group, yes I think he will be playing full time next season. Ellsbury will be gone, and Bradley will get the job, but I do not see any one of our pitchers making 20-30 starts for us in 2014. I think Boegy will start next season in AAA, but I expect him to get the call if Middlebrooks falters. But that is it. The rest will not have any role other than a cup of coffee.

Feldman is a good addition for the O's. They didn't give up much. Stop s*** his pants in every big game.

Got to chirp while I can.

You are free to disagree. BSN had quoted a 2010 post of mine in his sig that said I didn't expect an impact player from our minors prior to 2013. The meaning of "impact" was debated, but read in a full time player or a rotation guy, because that's what I meant. I was convinced that Middlebrooks had proved me wrong last year, but look at him this year. I am still waiting for the fruits of the farm. We traded the only one that would be a fulltime player-- Rizzo. I follow our minorleaguers closer now than before, and I think there are some major leaguers there, but I am not convinced that any of them are ready to play a full time role prior to 2015, except Middlebrooks who no longer has rookie status. Our guys develop slowly, and I am impatient.

It is curious how this happened right after I finished my furious climb to the top of the standings in TalkSox Fantasy passing you like you were standing still. I think you had something to do with this trying to deprive me of my bragging rights.

Our kids other than Xander Bogaerts are just not very good.

Boy this site looks like s***.

I am watching out for SFoC and iortiz too.

Hey U.N., how does second place taste?