a700hitter

Talk to me after October, becuase that's why they are resting him. They have that luxury, because they are a lock for the post season. BTW: He has a .692 winning % since leaving us. He's slipping, but he's still great. He'd be our #2 withou question.

You mean 39 years of devoted fandom. You mean those bandwagon fans that go to Ft myers every year and travel to see the team in Philly, Miami, Baltimore, Boston and NY and spend thousands of dollars doing it. Fans that stayed with the team through the Haywood Sullivan- Buddy Leroux days and the Butch Hobson Crack-pipe years. If that's the type of bandwagon fan you are talking about, then I think you are more than a bit ridiculous. I am part of the fan base that kept this team going in the lean years, so how dare you, you little fan boy ball washer. As it pertains to me, I have heard enough from you telling me to root for the Yankees or calling me a bandwagon fan. When you have been a fan for 39 years from a little boy to a time when I have adult children maybe you can address me on an equal footing, but until then you have no right so cut the crap. Be more creative in countering my arguments or STFU. Telling me to root for the Yankees or calling me bandwagon is no longer an option. Okay.

It's a monetary message. That's what gets through. When a company's product is inferior people stop buying it. The company either gets the message or they lose profits and sometimes their business. That's the message.

Here is my concession to the Ball washers, the Front Office apologists among us. I know that I aggravate the hell out of you, but I bear no ill will against you guys. You live and die with the team like I do. I feel your pain. Here is why it is hard to be you. First off, you are wrong. The FO has made a series of ill-conceived moves since 2004 that have dismantled a champion and fiercely competitive team. Unfortunately for you, if you are wrong in your philosophy, it means that your favorite team will be a loser. If I am wrong about criticizing the FO, that means our favorite team is a winner. I'll admit that it is much easier to be wrong and admit that you were wrong when your team is winning. Losing and being wrong is like a double dose of bad tasting medicine. As a critic of the FO, I have the added advantage of being able to defend my position even if the Sox go to the playoffs. Anything short of a World Series victory leaves me the opportunity to argue that the team would have been better had it not been for the mismanagement by the FO. It's not a level playing field. That's my concession to you ball washers. Unlike you guys, I can say good luck to you and I really hope you are right, because it will mean that the team will win. That being said, this year is not even a close call. The dismantling of the Championship formula (notice I did not say team, because I have never advocated keeping that roster intact) is almost complete. All the FO needs to do is trade Manny and we will be finished as a WS contender for a minimum of 5 years. Who knows what the maximum will be. Edit: BTW being critical of the FO and acknowledging that the Yankee FO has done a better job, does not mean that I should be a Yankee fan. You guys really need to start understanding that there is no logic in that argument. We compete with the Yankees. They keep beating us. Maybe they are doing something right and our management is doing something wrong. Maybe, just maybe, we should consider the possibility. I, for one, thought we had turned a corner in 2004 and that new ownership with a new philosophy was going to keep the pressure up on the Yanks and we would run off a string of AL East flags and championships. Apparently, I was wrong. What we got is more second fiddle status that we had under prior ownership and excuses. The only way this ownership is better is they have figured out a way to fill the house every night.

More people should do the same and send management a message.

Thank god they were not successful in their attempt, because that would have accelerated our move to being a s***** team. Manny has been a major piece of the formula that has made this team successful. They got rid of one Hall of Famer who would still be our #2 pitcher on this staff. They let the best CF-leadoff hitter go to the Yankees and he is getting better. Dumping manny would have made this into a third world team. Manny, Pedro and Damons don't grow in the minors like a bumper crop, and they are rarely even found oun the FA shelf. We had them. The FO let two of them get away. It could be 10 years before we see replacements that are as good as these guys. IMO we'll never see another Pedro.

Compete for what 3rd place in the wild card race. Clearly this team didn't have good pitching from the beginning. Clearly, the bullpen was stocked with bums from the first day of ST. That's what forced Papelbon to the Pen. While Beckett has been a disappointment, without him we'd have to replace his 13 wins. That would leave us in a class with Tampa. Partience by the fans who pay the highest ticket prices in baseball? That's not even warranted to ask for that. The other 5 highest payroll teams are making solid playoff runs and if the two LA teams make it, then 5 of the highest 6 payroll teams will be in the playoffs. The #2 team will be at home. When the Mets had the 2nd highest payroll and didn't make the playoffs, Phillips head rolled. Duke's head rolled.

This team has not been beating good teams all year long, so it is no surprise that when it got a little banged up that it had trouble with the bad teams. The answer is yes it is the FO's fault. They put this sorry group together. No one else did. They have to be held accountable.

This team has not been beating good teams all year long, so it is no surprise that when it got a little banged up that it had trouble with the bad teams. The answer is yes it is the FO's fault. They put this sorry group together. No one else did. They have to be held accountable.

Good job by the FO. They spend $ 120+ Million on a team that raises the white flag by August 20th. What a disgrace.

Didn't he take Randy Johnson deep for a grand salami once?

If they take just anything for him, wouldn't the FO be officially signaling that they are throwing in the towel.

You'd have to do it if the Tigers would take it.

This link has some interesting stats. From 2002 to today, Pedro is 3rd among pitchers in winning % behind only Halladay and Santana. He is also tied with Schilling for 2nd in # of wins during that period -- two wins behind Halladay. This is somewhat surprising to me since this is after Pedro's prime years from 1998-2000 and after his arm injury in 2001. It supports my opinion that he is still a very special pitcher.

The Tigers are reported to have turned down an offer of DFA Loretta for pitching help. Here's the link. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/08/19/tigers_dont_bite_on_trade/

or anything in a Yankee Uniform.

I made the appropriate edits.

They need to teach this to Beckett first before they get around to Lester.

It's all BS posturing for PR purposes, trying to get the fans on one side or the other. The FO plays these games in its own way. They even lie to each other during the face to face negotiations.

Yeah, I noticed, but most players are full of it.

But the most descriptive.

It's been horrendous.

On these boards we prefer to call him "Home Run Derby" Beckett.

He's a bulldog with a lot of balls. He needs to adjust and he really needs to develop another out pitch like a splitter.

Yeah, he was half as good as Aaron Small was last year.