a700hitter

Wakefield bringing the garbage to the mound again.

Trade Bait at the plate with runners at the corners.

JimEd is dead to me

No one is saying that Joyce was intentionally trying to ruin the perfect game. It's just that some umps have an unfortunate tendency of making big calls in crucial situations that affect the outcome of the game. In the last Super Bowl, watch the replay of Manning's INT and you will see that he was clearly blocked in the back away from the play on the INT return. He was not in a position to make the tackle and technically it would have been a correct call to throw a flag for an illegal block, but it was a good non-call by the official. If he had thrown the flag there, he could have affected the outcome of the game unnecessarily. Joyce showed poor judgment. He should have known the context and significance of the play, and on anything close his right hand should have gone up. He didn't do that. What he did went beyond a missed call. It was overall bad judgment.

Everything and everyone has faults, even you. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. I hope the FO is not ignoring the team's faults, because the team is currently winning. Excuse me for trying to figure out what the FO might be looking to address. Because I like you, I'm going to tell you anyway. I don't think anyone would be surprised that they are trying to move Lowell. I think he'll be gone before the end of June. I think they will look to get a reliable good fielding MIF in case Scutaro or Pedroia gets a bump or a bruise. Hall's MIF record is horrendous and they can't risk that he might have to play at 2nd or SS for a week or two. Look for an OF that can play CF if the medical report on Cameron is not good, and they will hold onto McDonald if they don't make such an acquisition. They can't afford to DFA him with Ellsbury's and Cameron's health in question. There. That's what I think they need to do. Maybe the FO agrees with some or all of it. If so, I don't think they are being negative.

The Sox FO doesn't want to give their opposition a free player who could hurt them down the road. Anyone would take him for free. The Sox are trying to get something, not a lot, in return. That market is still not there. If it were, he'd be gone already. BTW, I am not "making a fuss" about the logjam. I am just noting that one exists. Lowell has no role. It would be optimal if VMart could catch 4 or 5 times a week and DH or play first the other games. That's not making a fuss. In some ways it can be a positive, because you have some good protection if there is an injury to Youk, Ortiz or Beltre, but it is a challenge to the manager and it makes for some inflexibility in other ways. If Scutaro gets a bump or bruise, I really don't want to see Hall at SS for a week. Do you?

Being critical is not being negative. It is a necessary part of the process of improving. I like to discuss how the team can improve. If you noticed when things were looking bleak at the end of last August and several posters were ready to throw in the towel, I maintained that the Tampa would fade, because its management gave up on them by trading away Kazmir and adding nothing for the stretch run and Texas would fade because they only had one veteran pitcher. Similarly, I felt confident that the Sox could make a good run at the Yankees IN September. So, I have been known to point out the positive when things are going bad and everyone else is ready to open a vein. Conversely, in 2006, when everyone was riding high, because the team was still in first place, I noted that there was real reason for concern and that the team was in the midst of a nosedive that would not end well. I am not a person to ride the popular sentiment. That's not negative. It may be unpopular, but it's not negative. Earlier this season, I posted that I was completely puzzled how a team with so many good players could be playing so poorly. Now that we are playing well and everyone is all giddy, I'll still point out the weaknesses, because in a long season they usually get exposed eventually unless they are addressed and fixed. I'm sorry if that ruins your mood, but that is your emotion and interpretation. I am not being negative, just critical. Critical analysis has given me reason to hope when everyone has been ready to throw in the towel.

I really wouldn't be surprised if it got reversed. The equity of the situation is all on the side of reversing it. The umpire admits that he blew it, so a reversal will not ruffle the feathers of the umpire union. The pitcher behave impeccably professional throughout the entire situation, both on and off the field. I think the Commissioner's Office will be looking for grounds to reverse this.

Lots of teams would like to have him, but they don't want to pay his salary or give up any talent for him. His value is higher now than at the beginning of the season being that teams have suffered injuries.

Why you gotta go say something bitchy? The fact that I didn't think Youk had hit his stride wasn't a negative comment, but rather commentary about how good I think he can be. I still think he will hit better from here on out barring injury. If Ortiz keeps performing at a high level, pitchers will start pitching around Ortiz a bit more instead of pitching around Youk like they have done so far this season. Youk either tied or broke the team record for walks in May (1970-Yaz). If they start to challenge him more, we will see more long balls from him.

You're right. He has been pretty damn hot lately.

No he will not. Have you ever heard of Milt Pappas? He got jobbed out of a perfect game by an umpire with two outs in the 9th inning. Here's his story from an interview:

I think the fact that Gallaraga acted so professionally about the situation will weigh heavily in his favor.

Hall is not a good MIF. He hasn't been traded yet, so it is not in my head, and the logjam will still exist if Lowell gets trade, because their is no room for VMart to play any games at first. His offense has suffered in past years from catching too many games. Who would believe anything you think. You are convinced that Wily Mo was a fair return for Arroyo.

A statement like this might force MLB's hand to reverse the call. The moment has been ruined for the kid, but at least he will be in the record books forever.

There is still a logjam and no viable back up middle IF.