a700hitter

The biggest problem with Soriano is that he is a hack in the field. RF at Fenway maybe one of the toughest fields in baseball. There's no way he can handle it. If he played LF, Crawford would have to move to RF.

You and I just applied our experiences with private businesses and enterprises to the Sox predicament. It was obvious to us that big management changes would be made. It was fortuitous for the Sox and Theo that this Cubs job was available. Had it not been for that, the owners might have kept Theo for the year remaining on his contract, but Theo would have been expected to make massive organizational changes that would produce results in 2012. People without our experience don't grasp these realities. People who work for the government or whose jobs rely on government grants live in a world where there is no real accountability for failure and inefficiency. If they miss a deadline they get more time. If they can't deliver services, they get more resources and the taxpayer pays the bill. It is precisely for these reasons that this country and much of the world is in a debt crisis. It's not a crystal ball. It's just an understanding of realities in a responsible business environment.

After 2011, I'd probably rate Swisher ahead of the others.

Typical Theo! Trying to pull off an absurd 3 way deal even as he is on his way out the door.

This off season started off crazy and strange and it looks to be getting very bizarre.

Doji first.

If Doji and I made our top 10 lists, they would probably be very different. Don't you think so?

I'm just saying that I don't rely on any one or two stats to evaluate players. I like to look at all the stats. I am not disputing or promoting any statistical measures.

Will we see the Gorilla suit again?

Goodness, we are bore out of our minds. Get this World Series over with and get on with the business of fixing the Red Sox.

Lester denies the latest accusations. http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/index.php/2011/10/18/jon-lester-channel-7s-report-of-drinking-in-dugout-completely-false/ The freakin press is going to make players look to avoid playing in Boston. The Boston Press is showing its true colors. JH had better make a few calls off the record and express his disappointment. Come the Spring there will be few Globe or Herald writers making appearances on NESN. Screw them. Give them no exposure.

There is no definitive measure of worst. He is certainly among the worst. All the stats indicate that. No stat definitively proves that he is or isn't the worst. He did have the worst ERA and that's a pretty bad distinction that puts him in a class of the worst pitchers. If his WAR sucks less than some other poor schlub, it doesn't mean that he was a better pitcher than the other schlub. It just means that he had a better WAR.

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.