a700hitter

He's having a hat mad from pine tar rags.

In my post, I was suggesting a new face from within the organization -- either Cecchini or Betts.

Do you think that a new face at 3rd and an OF bat are good ideas for immediate action items?

I am a little surprised that there is so much conversation about throwing in the towel on 2014 and looking to the future. More surprisingly, is that quite a few of our more glass half full members are expressing these ideas. I don't think that we are to that point yet. I'll wait until the trading deadline before I get on board with that. This is the right time to assess this teams needs and to try to address them if possible. We need Buch to pitch better. This teams fortunes are in large part tied to him turning it around. There is no way to address this need. We need Victorino on the field everyday. There is no way for the FO to control that either. We need one of the kids to start hitting. There is something the FO can do about that. I would leave Bradley and XB in place so as not to disrupt the defense. With Middlebrooks on the DL again, I would experiment a little. I'd get Cechinni to see what he can do with his bat and give him a crash course in fielding at the major league level. Boggs was a butcher at 3rd when he came up. If they really want to be aggressive bring up Betts to play 3rd. He may be exactly the type of spark that this team needs. Lastly, we need another reliable bat to play the OF. They can do something about that. IO don't know who is currently available, but there is always someone who is not fitting in with his current team for one reason or another. That is what I would do now-- not at the trading deadline. It might be too late at the trading deadline if we wait. Bring up Cechinni or Betts to play 3rd on a trial basis and get an OF bat. Reassess at the trading deadline.

Are we the Marlins? Win a Championship and the following season sell off all of the guys that got you there. How about a little patchwork to make the team competitive. It wouldn't take a lot.

Part of the offensive problem is definitely Bradley. He brings something else to the table with his glove so they should look to upgrade offensively elsewhere first. The likely spot to upgrade right now is third base, especially with Middlebrooks on the DL for the second time this season.

This would be worth a try. I'd bat Pedroia 3rd and Ortiz 4th.

I could see this as a stop gap to Cechinni.

People may have found Kruk annoying tonight, but I think that he was right on with his assessment of the two teams tonight. The Tigers look like a well-rounded juggernaut. We don't look like we belong on the same field with them, and the results of this series gave a strong indication that we are not competitive with the Tigers. He also pointed out that last year we got some career years from guys like Nava. Carp, who was discarded by a terrible Mariner team, was also a key contributor. He pointed out that last season our LF position was the most productive in the league (using several different platoons). This year, Nava's Joe Hardy-like deal with the devil has expired and Carp is floundering around. We are getting nothing from LF, CF, or 3B. We are barely getting average production from SS and Catcher. The other 4 spots are just not enough to carry a consistent offense.

Great point.

I think Buch has to turn it around, We need Victorino to stay in the lineup, and we need another bat.

A loss tonight would give us our first 4 game losing streak since 2012. We need to avoid losing streaks to tread water and sty close while we are waiting to gell.

5 runs given up by Peavy. We can't win when our starter gives up 5.

You have got to be kidding me!! A line drive back to Anibel that he catches like an ice cream cone and doubles Vic off 3rd. Jeesh!!

Stupid decision by the 3rd baseman. Still 1 out and bases loaded. Let's capitalize!

The stolen base took the bat out of his hands by creating an open base. Damn!

It looked like Napoli had a brain fart on that play forgetting who was running.

I am tired of the screaming at himself act of Peavy. Just get outs and shut up.

If you like Rush, you have high tolerance for bitching and complaining. You just don't like bitching and moaning with which you disagree. And yes SBF can take care of himself. I was not defending him. I was criticizing MVP who can also take care of himself.

He was the most dominant pitcher that I have ever watched and I saw Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968. every time that he pitched, it was an event.

XB with RBIs in back to back games. Maybe he is tarting to figure out things. Nice rope by Bradley for a guy that is lost.

People on the opposite side of the spectrum think that Rush is a whiner and complainer.

I was just wondering if you watch/listen to any political opinion/news shows.

Who is the happy woman in the first row of the stands... Lackey's ex?

Yes, they have been trying to think of a position for him for a while, but they moved him to CF after Bradley made his comment. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe not. His comment shows me something -- that he is not close to breaking out of his funk at the plate.