a700hitter

They probably don't want to release him from the organization, because we don't know how well Varitek or VMart will catch the knuckleball. IMO it's a smart move keeping him around. If Tek has no problem with Wakefield, they can DFA Kottaras.

I've been waiting for Coke to wear down. He's got to be getting fatigued. Girardi goes to him every day.

Beckett has been getting more DP balls this season than I remember in the past. It's been helping him keep his pitch counts down and letting him get deeper into games.

Calm down. He's got talent, but major league pitchers can expose a kid like him after a couple of weeks. He'll get a taste of the majors and hopefully boost his confidence, but we are in a tough penant race. It would be very unfair to expect much from him.

You are a knowledgeable and respectful poster. When you poke fun, there is clearly no malice or nastiness. That is clear from your body of posts. I got a good chuckle when I signed on tonight and saw the posts about the nerdy thing. Every once in a while I come up with a catchy phrase when I am ranting. I guess"4 eyed nerdy OFer" is one of those phrases. Again, I like his tools, but when I look at him, he looks like a nerdy high school kid. It is not a knock on his playing ability. I think Kurt Suzuki looks like Gilbert Gottfried. It just pops into my head when I see him. That doesn't mean that I think he plays like Gilbert Gottfried. In 2006, I was one of the first posters here to declare the team dead. In declaring them dead, I posted that the only way our guys were going to see post season play was if they bought tickets. That ended up in the signature of Optimist for the remainder of the year.

Chris Duncan is not an OFer. Now that Bay may be injured too, we unfortunately may get the chance to see him ply his trade in the OF.

Uh, no he hasn't. He can't due to an incurable physical illness.

I just got in, but I have been following the game on my phone. How many LOBs have we had. It seems like a lot. I see you guys have been having fun with the 4 eyed nerdy OFer. For the record, I like the kid. In addition to following his stats and scouting reports, I have seen him play quite a few times. I know that means nothing in cyberland, but he has a lively bat, good speed and a plus arm. The kid's got tools which he should be refining on his climb through the Sox minor league system. I still believe that the team fumbled when they didn't address the OF situation and decided to carry 3 first basemen instead.

I don't like Kotsay. I go crazy when I see him coming to bat in a big spot. I'm not going to let this become a a Reddick vs. Kotsay debate, because that is not my point. We had Kotsay who is an OFer. Now, we have a third first baseman that we don't need. Do we really want AA Reddick being rushed to the majors. It's not a good argument that he couldn't suck worse than Kotsay. If Reddick isn't ready, why start the major league clock running on him? As for this: If you are going to use inflammatory insulting characterizations, please try to be accurate. I tend to favor veterans, as do most GM's, because they are better performers, but you claim that I never want to give a prospect a chance. Really? I have been enthusiastic about lots of prospects throughout the years-- Papelbon, Ellsbury, Bard, Lowrie among others. I have repeated this discussion with you several times. Yet, you continue dismissively paint my opinions with this broad brush in your usual obnoxious way. f*** off with your insults. It adds nothing to the discourse.

He has done an excellent job for them. Girardi seemed to go to him for multiple innings for an extended period, and he kept them in a lot of games that the Yanks came back to win. I would not be surprised that he is burned out. I have been expecting it. Coke has to get fatigued soon even though he usually pitches only partial innings. Girardi has him warming every game and hi pitches in almost every game.

Yeah, why sit Ortiz who has homered in back to back games and he is scalding the ball right now.

Are you gonna Tonya Harding him? I'll bet you a case of El Presidente that Drew hits the DL before Lowell.

How he could think that a team with decent offense and defense could falter with Beckett, Lester and Halladay heading your rotation baffles me. If he thinks we would falter with Halladay, I guess we have no hope without him?

It's not impossible and they should have gotten one, because they are going to need one this week with Drew having a groin issue. That was a need that should have been addressed. A number of you posters have taken this discussion in a circle. I said that we need another OF because we barely have 3 warm bodies to put out there every night. I said that we need another OF more than we need a third first baseman. Frankly ORS, if my desire for a 5th OF is pathological when there are three OF positions then defending the acquisition of a third first baseman is idiocy. Several posters replied that none were available that would have upgraded our situation. Now, we have come full circle and the replies are stating that it's easy to pick up a 4th or 5th OFer. Which is it? None are available or we can pick one up any time? I'm getting confused. We need another OF ... now. Drew is down with a groin and those can linger. We don't need a third first baseman. I like the argument that Kotchman would be a good PH. Isn't inter-league over? How often does Tito pinch hit? Kotchman is going to rot on the bench, and if Tito works him into some sort of rotation with Youkilis, Lowell, VMArt and Tek, he had better produce because 5 guys sharing 3 positions could get ugly.

I didn't say that he was a bad player. Everything in your post I already knew. Question: How does he get ABs on this team? I have heard that he is going to be a late inning defensive replacement. Do we really need to waste a roster spot for a late inning defensive replacement for Mike Lowell which would involve moving Youk across the diamond after playing the entire game at 1B. I don't see how he gets ABs on this team, so why did they get him?

Lowell is still a pretty good fielder, and his mobility is coming back. His defense certainly doesn't warrant taking up a roster spot with a guy to be a late inning defensive replacement. Mientkievicz was a defensive replacement for Kevin Millar who will never be on a ballot for a gold glove.

Does Youkilis need a late inning defensive replacement? He's better than Kotchman. The problem with the OF is that you have one OFer Drew who has had injury problems throughout his career. Right now he has one of those nagging things. This could last a game or two, but would anyone be shocked if he missed a couple of weeks? He's way ahead of his games played pace that he has established over his career. Baldelli can't play more than twice a week. Who plays the remaining games?

Why sit the guy with a 10 game hitting streak--Lowell? Why not sit Varitek?

He sucks. Why would we want to keep him in the organization.

I think you must only be watching Pujols when the cards are on. Duncan is so bad that he is the son of the coach who is the best friend of the manager and he still got sent to the minors and then traded to a team where he has no shot at playing time. I hope you are right, because he'll have to help the grounds crew at Fenway if he wants to contribute to the Red Sox.

Any OFer would be an upgrade, because we don't have a viable OF replacement right now. Baldelli can't play two or three games in a row. We have 3 first basemen. That's at least one too many. I'd swap Kotchman for just about any OFer, because Kotchman will not be used. He is a wasted roster spot.

When you see him play the OF you will agree with me. I'd rather have Kapler on the roster than Kotchman. I'm not saying that he is better or more valuable than Kotchman, but what role will Kotchman have? I can't imagine that kapler would cost much. Kapler is an OFer. Duncan is not, no matter what the stats say. Kapler would be an upgrade over what we have now which is nothing. Baldelli can't play two days in a row. Missing two games for Drew is not a rare occurrence in his career. We don't need a third first baseman. That makes no sense at all.