a700hitter

I didn't make any claim about any statistic being better than any other stat, so I don't know what you are disputing. I am just saying that there is no single stat that I look at to determine a player's value.

and WAR doesn't match either. So?

I don't need to look at WAR to confirm for me who I think the top players are.

After reading Lester's latest comments, he might have a strained relationship with him next Spring. He should have clammed up after the first interview.

In arbitration, the stats that are the most relevant for the players agent are those that make him look the best, and you had better believe that management will be arguing different stats to lower the player's value. That's how much consensus there is regarding the best stat for proving value. Lol! Sure stats are important and they are a lot of fun for fans, but there really is not stat to show if a guy plays the game the right way. I still think that #2 hitters should be able to hit the ball behind the speedy runner to get him into scoring position. I like to see a hitter be aggressive and swing at the first good pitch he sees to drive in a crucial run from 3B with less than 2 outs when an Alex Cora type is on deck-- even if he has to go a little out of the zone. With a big run on second base and two outs, I'd rather send to the plate the guy with the .300 BA who doesn't K instead of the guy with a .250 BA but with a higher OPS. Where are the stats to show me if a guy stretches a single to a double at the appropriate time or gets caught in a run down after getting a hit to make sure that a runner scores. What is Vin Scully's saying about stats? They should be used in much the same way as a drunk uses a lamp post -- for support and not illumination. Stats can definitively seperate the good players from the bad, and you can use any number of stats to make the case. However, in close calls, no stat or group of stats is definitive. It makes for a good argument, but if you think you can prove yourself right, you are just kidding yourself.

I was at that game. I was sitting in LF Lodge seats with my nephew. He was making paper airplanes out of some signs that were handed out at the gate and he was throwing them onto the field. I told him to knock it off and warned him that if he got kicked out that I would disavow knowing him. A beach ball was getting batted around the stands when my nephew stood up and whacked it right onto the field of play. Play got delayed. If you have an original video of the game, the announcers mention the reason for the delay and you see the beach ball getting removed. If it is a later created version, the announcers just make a reference to the delay. I remember leaving Shea that night and the Mets fans were very subdued, and I felt certain that it was finally our season.

Yaz was a fitness junkie except for the chain smoking. He was the first player to employ a personal trainer in 1967. After he hit 30 yrs old, in the off season and on off days he would run 5 miles every day in addition to his other work. On game days, he ran 1 mile. He took more BP than anyone. Being unprepared to play is one criticism that can't be leveled at Yaz. That's why he went to the post every single day despite nagging injuries and wear and tear. He hated DH'ng and a very small percentage of his stats were racked up while DHing.

I think IOrtiz has established that stats are not the be all and end all in building a team. The Sox have the Father of Sabremetrics in it's employment, but we don't have a playoff major league team and our farm system isn't the best either.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2011_1018lots_of_cash_no_class_henry_a_bumbling_billionaire/ JH has made himself look like a fool in the aftermath of the collapse.

I don't think anyone could expect more from Lester than he gave in the interview. I really don't think beer and chicken are the issue. I think it was stand up that he expressed to the fans that he cares. It is ridiculous that we expect each of the players to make a statement of contrition. This is their job. If they don't prepare correctly, it's up to management to do something about it. I doubt that these guys would have taken their conditioning so lightly if they were on 1 year contracts.

Garza's contract is no bargain, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs wanted to rid themselves of it. The Sox are probably trying to get them to eat some of the contract. I think the Sox have stronger hand here than most people assume, because Theo apparently wants to bring some of his people with him.

Welcome to TalkSox.

Do you know anyone who works for an organization that has an official beer sponsor? Do you know anyone who works at a job where beer is sold to people who watch them do their jobs. I'm not shocked by starters drinking beer on their off days. I am shocked that it would surprise anyone. I'm not sure why the fried chicken revelation is such a big deal either. I don't think ballplayers drink beer to cope with stress. They drink beer, because that is what baseball players do. Two Yaz stories. During his HOF induction speech, Yaz said that he was always surprised when he got asked about coping with the stress of baseball. He said his answer was always the same: "What stress? Going to work everyday to support a family and raising and giving that family-- that's stressm. Playing baseball is not stress." In the other story Ted Williams invited Yaz to go fishing during spring training. TeddyBallgame was a very serious fisherman. Yaz arrived at Ted's boat with a cooler of beer. Ted said that there would be no beer on his boat. Yaz said, "see ya later, Ted." LOL!

Slice it however you like it, but under every method it is a loaf of crap. He's the worst starter that I can remember on the Sox in 45 years.

Shoppach pretty much stinks, and kottaras took a long time to develop, and he's still meh. Let the crappy teams take the time to develop these guys that become less than mediocre major leaguers. In the meantime, if we can put them in a package to improve our team, we come out ahead. Keep the prospects who can hit the ground running at a high level/ star performance.

Any good manager should know how to remain hands off when things are going well, but be able to go to the whip to keep things from slipping away.

You must have been in a cave since mid-season. It was frequently talked about on NESN, in the Boston papers and even on the National Network games. Lackey has the worst ERA of any Sox starting pitcher in history with more that 130 innings or so. He is the worst starter that I have seen in 45 years by a long shot.

The best use of most prospects is as a trading chip. That's just a fact. A very small percentage of prospects make it big. The art is figuring out which ones to keep an develop. Bowden was not a keeper. It's looking like Dubront probably wasn't a keeper either.

L:ester is an "ass man." TMI. Let's stick to baseball.

But your plan doesn't improve the team. You need to replace these guys. I'd be okay with this plan if they were going to get another starter like CJ Wilson or King Felix. I think you also need to replace at least one of those big bats if not both. There are time that I believe in addition by subtraction as with Lackey, but you are stripping the team of too much talent without adequate replacements.

Three years behind the Mets? The Mets plan is one of complete disarray. Their fans would be very happy if they returned to competitive prominence by 2015. I hate to think we are 3 years behind that.