a700hitter

Back to last night's game, it was sweet to finally get a win. To provide some perspective, let's remember that KC has the second to worst record in all of baseball. Secondly, the Orioles who swept the Sox at home and fought them tooth and nail in 2 extra inning games got trashed by Texas 14-3 in their first game after leaving Fenway. Neither the Sox nor the O's can compete with Texas.

I never believe in compromising 2 positions defensively by playing guys out of position when I only would have to play 1 guy out of position to get the lineup that I want.

Putting him on the bench is not going to happen. Maybe if WMB hits 2 HRs a game until Youks comes back, but barring WMB becoming Pujols or Miggy Cabrera in the next 10 days, Youk will be playing when he returns. You are just not being realistic. On the trade front, they would get very little for Youk. Plus, they would have to eat salary. It is not going to happen. Two choices: WMB plays the OF or he goes to the minors. Take your pick. If you want to keep him at 3B, you had better hope that Youk's back is a chronic problem.

Is that for this year?

I'm just going by what Gammons said. I didn't look it up. I can live with league average on his range. I wish we had a league average pitching staff.

Youkilis on the bench is not an option. It ain't gonna happen. He has an OPS in the 900's when healthy. You don't sit that on the bench.

The other option would be sending him back to Pawtucket when Youkilis is activated. I opt for the circus with the big bat. DMac is a circus without a bat.

I don't think it is realistic that Youkilis will be relegated to a backup role. There's more of a chance that they try to get him to play LF.

I don't see how having him play some OF this season would hinder his development at 3B too much. He could continue to work on his skills at 3B with the major league coaching staff and he could spell Youk on occasion. Lot's of guys play more than one position at the beginning of their careers. Didn't Pedroia play an ocassional game at SS at the beginning?

Rehab assignments cannot go more than 30 days. Maybe he will be at the 30 day mark after his next start.

Impressions of tonight's game: Will Middlebrooks is a big strong kid. He looks as big and strong from the right side as Ortiz is from the left side. Can Middlebrooks play LF for when Youkilis comes back. Our substitute OFers have terrible range and instincts as it is. How much worse could WMB be? Added bonus of finally getting rid of DMac. When Ortiz hits, they score runs, but he can't do it every night. Bobby V is clearly mentally challenged when making the lineup. Was he trying to take the bat out of the hands of his best hitter by putting Ross up in between Ortiz and Gonzo? The walk of Ortiz and the DP in the 6th inning kept the game within stiking distance. My head would've exploded if Ross didn't come thru later. Padilla wasn't thinking when he picked up the infield hit that was clearly going to spin foul.

Middlebrooks could fit Nava in his pocket.

Middlebrooks is a strong kid. I thought that would be a foul ball short of the fence.

More Darnell McDonald. Seen enough of that act.

I never made that statement about Gonzo. I just changed your post to give it the proper context. He didn't merely go hitless for 1 game yesterday. Plus, his XBH power has been nonexistent up to this point.

Fixing this team is a tall order, but it needs fixing. It will not fix itself. As Peter Gammons said at the close of yesterday's broadcast, if they wait for the injured guys to come back, it could be too late. With this current crew, they are likely to be 15 games out of first by July. What do we have currently? We have an offense with only 3 premier hitters (Pedroia, Agon and Ortiz). Spare me the arguments for Aviles, Sweeney, Ross, or Middlebrooks. One is a rookie and the other three are journeyman type players. When you have 3 established offensive players, you will have tremendous inconsistency scoring runs. There will be games where we bludgeon the opponents and others where we look helpless against mediocre pitching. Our rotation can't go deep into games. Beckett and Lester cannot consistently give us quality starts. Our rotation does not have a "big three". Buchholz is a train wreck. If they don't option him to Pawtucket to work out his problems, he will continue to embarrass himself and cost the Sox games. Bard and Doubront are proving that they are unproven. Their performances have ranged from average to awful. The state of the rotation causes greater reliance on the bull pen exposing its deficiencies. Hopefully, Aceves is establishing himself as the end of game hammer, but there is little other talent in that pen and they are already being over-used. How do you fix the team? There is so much wrong. Where do you even start. It was poorly constructed from the start and very thinly stocked. It didn't have the depth to survive Injury.

^Corrected to give proper context. Yesterday, was the equivalent of going hitless for 2 or 3 games. Plus, his XBH ability has not shown up. You don't pay $22 million for a singles hitting first baseman who can't run.

Offer declined. You will stay here and suffer with the rest of us. That will be your punishment. You don't get a reprieve.