a700hitter

They are not going to improve this team by Dumpster Diving for lame and infirm pitchers. They have big challenges. They need to re-sign Beltre or get another third baseman or move Youk to third and get a big stick at first. They need to add a top quality hitting OFer to play LF. They need to add 3 quality bullpen arms. They should re-sign VMart and Tek and pick up Ortiz's option. Let the s*** teams like the Nationals go dumpster diving. It never works out. How did Chieng Ming Wang do this season?

It speaks volumes about the will to win and hard work of the players. It speaks nothing of the organization beyond that. The FO did a terrible job building a bullpen. It did nothing to fortify a wounded team throughout the season. The idiot third base coach cost us at least 3 wins just by himself, but yet the organization left him there to continue to send slow runners to certain deaths. The team's fundamentals... Well... They had no fundamentals. The Rays are a very fundamentally sound team as are the Yankees. There is almost nothing positive to be taken from this season. This was a season when the Yankees were ripe to be picked off due to an aging roster and a disappointing rotation, but injuries, a horrendous bullpen and other factors conspired such that we never really mounted a serious threat. Our season was fun for 3 weeks during interleague play, but the rest of it was a huge disappointment even when we were healthy. Congrats to the Yanks. They went wire to wire on us (except for (opening day). We were behind them when we were healthy and when we were injured. There are no excuses and there was nothing positive about the season other than the emergence of Buchholz. Next season the Yankees will probably fortify their rotation with Cliff Lee, and they will not be easier to beat. The FO will have to step up their game so we are not looking for excuses again next September. Stop whining Red Sox fans. The Yanks have given their fans the right to gloat.

The season has been over since the first week of August when Youkilis went down. I'm relieve that it's over. We would have been eliminated before next weekend anyway. It was fun to watch the Yankees sweat a little, but there was no chance of us catching them.

Maybe they'll break a leg or two celebrating.

The entire bullpen (except for Bard) should be released.

This is a fitting end.

A Papelblown special to close out the season?

He came here with the reputation as a big game pitcher. Today is put up or shut up time. We're facing a minor leaguer.

This guy is never going to amount to anything at the major league level. He's never going to hit enough to overcome his defensive deficiencies and most teams want backup catchers who can catch. He's a bust.

I think he met her at game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Peter Gammons gave her a pass to the game.

They offered Tony Graffanino arbitration after 2005 hoping he would turn it down and they would get draft picks. No one wanted Graffanino so he accepted arbitration and took up a roster spot. The Sox couldn't trade him either. It didn't work out. If he accepts arbitration, they will not make an offer to Hall, because there will be no spot for him. I'd rather have Hall, because he can play IF and OF, plus he has some HR pop and he's got good speed on the bases.

He wouldn't be the first or the last player to negotiate through the press. Whether and how a player negotiates with the team is irrelevant to me as long as it doesn't affect on field performance. Unlike Manny, who can be a punk, Ortiz has too much character to mail it in. Also, he is smart enough to realize that he would be cutting off his nose to spite his face.

Tampa and the Yanks. If the Yanks and Boston end up in a tie, there would be no tie-breaker, but a 1-game playoff.

The Sox picked up Felipe Lopez. Why?? If they offer him arbitration, he might take it. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2010/09/lowell_feeling_2.html

That's right. You would play the Twins. If we beat up on you this weekend that should end up being a good thing by lining you up with the Twins. Who wins the tiebreaker?

Concerned about the Division or a playoff spot? I'd be concerned about the Division. That will be tough to win if you get swept this weekend. Playing Texas in a 5 game series with Cliff Lee pitching twice will be tougher than the Twins in a 5 game series. I wouldn't be concerned about the playoff spot. I will be really pissed if the Sox win 5 of 6 or all 6 games from the Yanks and finish a game or two out. The "what if's" will bug me. I mean to lose by 1 or 2 games and to think that the FO made no in season moves to help the team will grind my gears.

But wouldn't the offense be much stronger with both of them in the lineup. It's not like Ortiz will be getting a long term deal. To jettison 30 HRs and 100 RBI doesn't seem to make sense.

Wouldn't that weaken the offense?