krazeebrainz

I think that "conviably" is a contraction...I think that it is a fusion of "can" and "viably." Well, my new word for the day is going to be "cantviably." The Mets are going no where this year. They are a first-round-and-out in the playoffs at best. The Mets just don't have the starting pitching. Pedro had a great year last year, but I'm very curious to see if he can duplicate it. Last year was on of vengence for Pedro because the Sox didn't wish to give him a 4-year deal. Now that the burner has cooled, I wouldn't be surprised if Pedro clocked in an ERA somewhere between 3.7-4.00 this upcoming season.

One Red Seat, I am sure that "formulas" produce figures that are used by the front office in any organization. This is a fact, and "formulas" are used by all in all professional sports; calculations limit random variability and hone in on predictability. What separates the Sox from others is the fact that we have Theo. Now, I know that this has been touched upon in other posts, but I truly believe that Theo has a knack for eye-balling talent that works. He not only uses calculations, but he also has a blood hound-like cunning to sniff-out those potential talents that will fit in with the ball club and produce accordingly. Ya can't buy chemistry...There is no equation for this. With this said, I strongly feel that both instinct and number crunching are what make our front office different from many in MLB. Numbers make the world go 'round, but solid calculations and instinct are what win championships. With all of this said, I agree with One Red Seat's statistical analysis. I also appreciate that fact that he can make sound judgements based on ball player's tendencies (i.e. Lowell and Crisp doing well in Fenway) and back-up a number of his statements with sound evidence. Analyze away, kraze

There is no way Pedro will ever pitch for the Sox again. The primary reason that he is on the Mets right now is because he has a definitive 4th year promised to him. This was the problem that the Sox had with Pedro...The Sox front office saw a big-money pitcher throwing an 86 mph fastball in the '04 W.S. Pedro's arm just doesn't have the juice to grind it out for the next (3) years, let alone the post season. The post season is where the money is, and this is why he is a perfect Met, seeing as they're going nowhere.

There is no doubt that Clemens is one of the best that this game has ever seen. To be perfectly honest, we all know that his best years are behind him. I think that if Clemens comes back to the A.L. he will get racked. I would much rather invest money in young talent as opposed to mirroring what the Yanks are doing. It is bad enough that Schilling remains a huge "?" in our rotation. Why invite more potential adversity? I honestly hope the Yanks do pick him up. I think that the Sox would have a field day against him. That pin-straight 93 mph fastballwould look good plastered against the monster when our lineup gets ahold of it. In this past W.S., I saw something that I'd never seen before; Clemens looked human. I do not want a 40 y.o. mortal, do you?

This upsets me...Granted, Crisp is a good ball player, no doubt about that. I would have been insanely happy if the Sox went after Peralta instead. Even if we had to give up a little bit more, I think that Peralta would have been worth it both in the short term and in the long run. I suppose I also just hate seeing Marte go without ever seeing him don a Sox uni...:thumbdown

Riverside, I agree. I think that Benson is going to sport a mid-4 E.R.A. at best this season. He doesn't have anything that is head topping...I think that Mr. Ortiz will give him a warm welcome when the O's come to town. Get out your tape measurer boys...

The major difference between Theo and Duquette is postponed gratification. Theo is an ideal G.M. because he not only manages to sign ball players that will make an instant impression on the field, but manages to maintain and build the farm as well. We as Red Sox fans have never seen a front office do this to this extent before. Yes, Theo did sign Renteria who didn't work out as well as we'd hoped last year. But in all honesty, how could you blame him for signing him? Renteria was known not only for his gold glove caliber play at short, but was also revered as a solid hitter. I don't blame Theo for signing Renteria at all. I was upset when Cabrera wasn't resigned because what he brought cannot be bought. Orlando brought the team together and was the missing link that fueled the team's chemistry. All of those wacky hand shakes and gestures were not only fun to watch as funs, but defined the 2004 team's attitude. I have never seen a baseball team have more fun than the one that we loved in 2004. That team truly was special... With all of this said, I think that Theo not only has an eye for talent but also has one for chemistry. I honestly feel that he and others in that front office can sense if a particular player is going to fit the complexion of the existing team. Call me crazy, but given the Yankee's line-up in the recent past, there is no reason why they shouldn't have won the WS at least once in the past 3 years. I honestly feel that what separates "good" teams from "great" teams is chemistry. Hopefully the front office will continue to add players that will, with any luck, gel as the team in 2004 did.

Oops, I meant to say "tradionally NOT a second half pitcher." I'm tired and hitting the sack!

I think that Clemente is a better pitcher than people are giving him credit for. Bear in mind that at All Star break, he was one of the better pitchers in the American League. He didn't slide into the all star game, he should have been there in the first place. He just wasn't the same pitcher after he was struck by that line drive in Tampa. He suffered greatly afterward. I know that he is traditionally a second half pitcher, but I have to think that this incident greatly effected his psyche and performance. Clemente has fantastic movement on his pitches. From what I have heard, both hitters and Varitek alike say that he has good stuff. Give him one more year with 'Tekcatching him and I think he gives us about 15 wins this season...

Ken Griffey Jr. is a household baseball name that has also but tainted by the thought and question "Imagine how good he could have been if he stayed healthy." I know that Griffey did have a good season last year, no questioning that. The question is do you want to work toward the World Series for one year, or set the table for years to come? I think that picking up Griffey would be a mistake. His history of injury is enough to have me shy away from him. I would much rather see the Sox put someone between 22 and 30in center field and set the table for the upcoming season and seasons to come. Though Griffey remains a solid fielder, he has lost a step. He isn't nearly as fast as he used to be and as the body gets older, healing takes that much longer. His injuries are bound to surface once again in the near future; it's the nature of the beast. Bearing this in mind, I think that I would rather pay a young ball player 8-10 million per year who shows serious promise and upside as opposed to signing a ball player who has had only 1"healthy" season in four years. The cost-to-benefit ratio is not only out of wack, it strikes me as a very expensive gamble. I just keep thinking of his 2002 through his 2004 seasons. Griffey only played 70 games in 2002, 53 games in 2003 and 83 games in 2004. Dis a no looka too good... -krazeebrainz:thumbdown

How do you all think Johnny Damon will be received when he makes his way back to Fenway in a Yankee uniform? I think that he is going to get razzed like hell...

26 to 6, I'll be honest; I wasn't happy with how the Damon deal went down. What we have to do now is realize that what's done is done and move on. I am a firm believer that the F.O. will put a quality team on the field that will make a push for the A.L. East pennant.

This is fantastic news. The reason that I am so happy isn't because he made moves to make the Sox better...This was just a bonus. Theo kept the farm intact and didn't deal our young prospects (Papelbon, Lester, Van Burren, etc.) during that late season push for the playoffs. Our farm system is as strong, if not stronger, today asit was the day Theo first stepped into the lime light. I am a firm believer that this farm system maintenance will surely continue now that Theo is back in the saddle. Hopefully the Bean Town Wiz Kid can get us a quality CF. In all honesty, if we started with Cora opening day, I'd be happy. The key is getting a well rounded center fielder that isn't too top heavy in any one category. If Cora is to start at short, then we need a center fielder that will hit somewhere between .285-.300, have a solid OBP, play a solid CF and potentially steal a base or two. -krazeebrainz;)

Point well taken riverside. The reason Gathwright entered my mind was when these talks of Johnny Peralta entered the forum. I figured that with Peralta's offensive prowess, taking a chance on a good fielding speed demon like Gathwright may work well. The other angle to look at with Gathwright is his age. I believe he is going to turn 22 this season...I feel that if this kid was taught to take a pitch-or-two, hit the ball on the ground and really learn how to bunt he could very well be a .285 hitter with a much higher O.B.P. Well gotta go, off to work... -krazeebrainz

That's fine. I just wanted to throw an idea on the table. I can see all of your points.

Spartans, This is true, but when I think of a lead-off batter, I think of one that has speed which in turn creates havok for opposing pitchers. I think that Gathwright would be an ideal lead-off hitter.

I didn't mean to turn this into a way to "bash" members. I'm just asking. I am a member of other non-sports-related boards and this is done. Just wanted to see what people thought. I have no intention of starting any problems!

To all, First of all, I am happy to be a member of this board. It is refreshing to read posts that have been written by well-informed, creative Sox fans. On that note, do you think that we could implement a rating system? I know that we have generic ratings that are based on only the number of posts written. I think that it would be to our benefit if we we were able to rate members/members' posts on a 10 point system. For instance, "One Red Seat" has posts that are awesome! His posts are some of the most insightful and informative that I have read yet. I would give "One Red Seat" a 10/10 without hesitation. A 5-6/10 could denote that other posters rated this person as "average" poster. One could then rank other posters on this numerical rating scale. For example: 1-2/10: You know nothing about baseball, stick to hop scotch. 3-4/10: Picking-up a newspaper every now-and-then would help... 5-6/10: You make good points and bring good information to the forum. 7-8/10: Solid Poster, one that brings insightful and well-thought-out points. 9-10/10: Incredible poster, Peter Gammon's "mini me!" What do you all think? -krazeebrainz :thumbsup: or :thumbdown

This is a classic example of "show me the money." I don't know guys, I'm just not buyin'.

Look nice, hell, he'd be the talk of bean town! This kid is the real deal. If we ever landed this kid, names like Nomar, Edgar and Orlando would be dust in the wind. If we ever landed Peralta, then a big-hitting CF would be unneccesary. I'd be more than happy with the likes of Joey Gathwright in CF at that point....Speed, average hitting, good "d" and more speed! Sorry, I know that this is a David Wells thread, but I just couldn't resist! -krazeebrainz

I totally agree. The cost-to-aquisition ratio if we were to aquire Zito would be far too great. If we deal Papelbon or Lester, it is going to have to be for someone that is young, proven and ultimately a future HOF-type ball player. Does Curt Schilling for Mike Boddiker (1988) ring a bell? Keep the young talent and pass on those high-priced potentially good ball players. Like I said before, the only Oakland starter that I would have any interest in is Rich Harden...This kid had a 2.53 ERA and struck-out 121 in 128 innings and is only 25 years old...Not too shabby. -krazeebrainz

I think that Delcarmen for Meredith seems reasonable, but I liked what I saw from Delcarmen last season. The kid throws smoke and has pretty good stuff. Now that he has some major league experience and has put those rookie jitters behind him, I think that we're going to see a much more poised pitcher this upcoming season. The guy that I'm not totally sold on is Hansen. For starters, his delivery is one that just invites arm problems. The kid is 6'6" and probably has an arm that is about 35" long. With the way that he short-arms the ball, he shortens his arm at least 3" as compared to others of similar proportions. He was also supposed to have an incredible slider...I don't know about you guys, but I sure as heck didn't see it when he was pitching. I know that he was side-lined because of "dead arm" syndrome and we may not have seen everything that this kid is capable of. On the other hand, perhaps his "dead arm" problems were the direct result of poor pitching mechanics...What do you all think? -krazeebrainz

If the Red Sox got Peralta for Marte, I would be thrilled. I agree in that Peralta has room before he hits his ceiling. He plays a solid short-stop and hits for both average and power. Marte, though covetted by many, remains unproven. I really like the idea of getting a good, young short-stop that has play-off-like experince. He was a major contributor in last year's Cleveland team that nearly overtook the White Sox in the A.L. Central. I don't know, call me crazy, but I'd bit in a minute... -krazeebrainz

Abreu for Manny trade, even if Rollins is in the picture, obliterates the Sox lineup. Figure Abreu would have 90 RBIs...Where are the other 50-or-so going to come from? The bottom line is that the Sox need to keep Ramirez. Ramirez can talk all that he wants, but the bottom line is that Manny knows that he has to produce. I he has a sub-par season, it all but eliminates the potential for being traded later this year or in the future. Who is going to take a chance if his numbers greatly decline? Given the price tag on his contract, another team interested in Manny is going to need to be positive that he is still the RBI machine that he has been in the past. With this said, Manny hits... On a sidenote, picking up Tavarez works out well with regard to Manny. Apparently the two of them were fairly close when they both played for Cleveland... -krazeebrainz

a700hitter, No doubt! I just don't understand...He has the access and the money to afford the best personal trainers, food and supplements that money can buy! If David Wells took care of himself throughout his career, he had the potential to be one of the best left handers ever!