a700hitter

It's much more important that Beckett is getting quick outs instead of strikeouts. We need him to get deep into this game so we don't have to see pigs like Albers blowing the game up.

But he is getting quick outs.

Ross really doing the job of hitting lefties.

A hit and a run!!! That looks so good! Price is throwing a load of pitches.

Could this be the makings of a real rally?

Shop does have a talent for getting HBP

What a bottom of the order that can't hit? Look at who we are sending up there.

We got Ross to hit lefties.

Is that hard to do?

Keppinger? Really? He stinks.

I love it, but it is a dump.

Drew Storen, closer for the Nats had surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow and he will be out until the beginning of July.

and with the exception of the Yankees, the Red Sox have a larger payroll than each of these 5 teams. What is wrong with this picture?

Four months ago he was coming off an injury and his health was in question. Now, his health is back, but his ability is in question. I think his trade value will be maximized if he starts hitting.

It might be a better plan to trade Youk if he does start hitting. If he starts hitting like Youk, he will still have good trade value. I'd move him for the best pitcher that I could get or a SS.

What would you do with Ortiz? The Sox are on the hook for $15 million.

Teams are never as bad as they look when they are losing, and they are not as dominant as they look when they are winning. This team will not continue to play like dogshit too much longer. The question is whether they can play consistently good ball the rest of the way. In 2011 they had a brutal stretch at the beginning and a record setting collapse at the end. In the middle they were scorching hot and on a roll. People have argued about which was the real 2011 team-- the one that opened and closed the season like dogshit or the one that dominate the middle of the year. The answer is neither. They were a 90 win team. Period. There is no solace to be taken from the dominant stretch. That's just wishful thinking. A 90 win team isn't bad. It was 1 win away from being a playoff team, however it ended the season on a terribly sour note that overshadowed the season. At the end of the season, I felt very strongly that the FO would have to take some bold moves and make some major changes to make everyone forget the end of 2011 even if that meant going over the LT threshold. They made bold moves in the FO and management, but let's face it the biggest off season player news was that Papelbon left for Philadelphia. Essentially, we hit the field in 2012 with the same team as 2011. They are off to a slow start and the troops are already looking thin and we've only pLayed 6 games. We can't shake that 2011 season. It's still in the press everywhere we look and we can't deny that it is still in the minds of the fans. I firmly believe that cataclysmic collapses can really damage a franchise beyond one year if the course of events doesn't change drastically. They needed to stock up on some quality and depth. They didn't need to sign any marquee big money players, but they needed to bring in some quality reliable big leaguers. They didn't. They will not continue to play as badly as they have thus far, but I am not sure that they can play good ball for an extended period either-- and they need to do that to put 2011 in their rear view mirror.

Iortiz made an excellent point recently about this issue. If we had a health Bailey, the Sox would only be experimenting with the back end of the rotation by converting Bard to a starter. Once Bailey went down, we were put in a position of experimenting with the rotation and the bullpen. If Bard is put back in the pen as the closer, the bullpen experimentation would be over, but we'd have to find a 5th starter. Maybe it is Cook. Maybe it is Padilla, and maybe in August that experiment stops too if Dice K comes back to claim his spot. At least we would only be experimenting with one half of the pitching, not both halfs simultaneously. I really see few options for the Sox where Bard doesn't end up back in the pen very soon. Even if Aceves starts to shoot out the lights as the closer, there is no one else who can step up as reliable 6,7 and 8th inning guys.

Blah blah blah blah blah. :lol: No seriously, good post. I agree with the sentiment. I also agree with Yeszir that 2004 changed everything. I don't know if there is a sense of entitlement, but there certainly is an expectation that the Sox will be good every year. Look at this off season. Essentially, the FO did not improve upon the team. They did very little. Last year's team s*** itself down the stretch. A number of other teams made massive improvements and we stayed pat. The one good move made by the FO has already blown up in its face-- Bailey. Pitching needs were not addressed, nor were other needs like SS. Yet, our fans have very lofty expectations. These expectations are the result of 2004 and 2007. There are seasons when the expectations are justified like 2011. Everyone thought the Sox had juggernaut. It all fell apart and it was devastating, because our expectations were so high. In 2012, we are returning essentially the same group less our lights out 8th and 9th inning guys and we are expecting a Championship? There's your feeling of entitlement (if you want to call it that) right there. That's why people are freaking out, because reality is not matching expectations right now. This team has a lot of talent, and it's a long season. They could be a playoff team. We just don't know, but based on the off season moves we had no reason to expect this team to come charging out of the gate. If you did, you are freaking out. If you looked at the personnel and the disarray in the pen and our April schedule, you should have anticipated a rough ride. We opened on the road. Detroit is really good, so is Tampa and so are the Yankees. Each of those teams is materially improved from opening day 2011. We are not. Each of them were better than us in 2011, so what reasons did we have to think about a fast start? The expectations are always way too high, but if some people don't agree they are mocked. I am very unhappy with the way things are going, but I'm not ready to surrender my RSN membership. I am looking forward to the team returning to Fenway and going to see the MFYs next Saturday and view my brick on Sunday. Go Red Sox!!

This is pretty damn funny!:lol: