mtbykr

Nice try! A-rod came through when it counted and i congratulate him for that--he did a great job. (and i don't like the guy just so you know:D ) However it was one play, the A-rod and Jeter ground into DP's in critical situations didn't help; nor did JD striking out! A-rod did great, but let's not get carried away!

Well look, you are really starting to show your ignorance! These players are not substituting winning in march for winning in october; it is two totally different things. These players all want a WS ring, however they also want a WBC championship. It's not an either/or proposition! If these players didn't care about this, then they wouldn't be here---look at how many guys backed out. (and i am fine with that--i want the guys that are here to want to be here) These guys want to be here and represent their country, as evidenced by their participation and by their emotion. That is your opinion, and one that is not shared by any member of team USA! -- becuase if it was, they wouldn't be there! Ahh the truth comes out; you are more concerned that damon won't mix with his teamates and needs more time---we know you care more about the yankers, but if you knew anything about damon, you would know that this isn't a problem! Even all the repots out of yanker camp says so (and i don't look for those reports, they were all over the place) That's apparently how it is in NY, not in boston. -- The community is part of the team in every sense of the word! Ok, so you don't like the WBC, fine---then why don't you go back to your yankee boards and talk spring training instead of coming here and spewing out crap that is totally oposite of your username!

Excellant point. I mean look what mariano did for the yankers last year. Without him they wouldn't have even sniffed first place!

Ok, here's the point. I understand what you mean. My point was that you said you couldn't remember one memorable play by pokey---and i vividly remember that one to end game 7 of the ALCS. That's it!

Sorry here is the link to the new thread i created: http://www.talksox.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5597

I moved this over from the "foulke feels strong and ready to reclaim closer role" becuase i thought it should be moved over here! and Carry on:D

I am moving (at least copying) this part of the thread to the General Baseball forum under "selig and the steroids problem" thread. I just didn't want to get off topic of Foulke---sorry for the confusion!

I understand that, but i am just saying what i think our best option is for the season. I think that is our best option--i read so many people wanting to put paps or hansen or bronson in the closer role. Let's give Foulke a chance to find his groove again now that he's "healthy" and his home life has settled down! If he sucks, then we can cross that bridge when we come to it--but let's give him a chance! If it does come down to that, i think we are better served trading for a real "closer", rather than trying to throw someone in that role---we saw how it worked last year!

Well to get a quick answer out: I would say that Selig is doing a fair job and my vote is still out on him. I think he has wanted to do more than he has been allowed, but has not been able to because of the players union. However with that said I don't know if he wants to do something more about it because he wants a clean game or because he is now being forced to with all the stuff coming out the past few years. I think that the real problem was 10 years ago when these guys starting coming to camp looking like the hulk and no one did anything about it them. I also don't want to hear anyone give that lousy excuse of "well steroids were not an illegal substance back then"---that argument is crap. Steroids were illegal is the USA, thus that supersedes the MLB rules. I mean if Bonds freaked out and killed his mistress--that is murder and illegal in the USA, but there's probably no rule specifically about it in the MLB handbook The MLB missed the boat 10 years ago, when they didn't "clean up" the sport before it got to this point. However they were reluctant to because MLB couldn't take another big hit like that right after the strike---so they looked the other way. Now it's gotten too big and they have to deal with it. What it boils down to is I think Selig wants a clean game. He couldn't do anything 10 years ago for fear of another scandal right after the strike. After that they were doing well (homerun chase and all) and things spiraled out of control,,,now he has a huge mess to deal with. If they would have come down hard 10 years ago, guys would have gotten the idea and we wouldn't be here. Ultimately we need to keep the testing up with the product development. I mean they don't even take a blood sample now, which is the only way to detect HGH. (thanks MLBPA) As far as the records go, there is no way to "asterisk" them or remove them because we can't go back and test. However Selig needs to do something before bonds goes by Ruth. I don't think he really cares about Aaron’s record, but being a racist he wants to pass Ruth! Bottom line is I think Selig wants a clean game, but hasn't had the "balls" to take care of it yet---and now the MLBPA stands in the way of a lot of it. The new suspensions are great and all, but if they can't even test for the new substances---what's the point. Only the truly stupid will get caught. (*cough* palmero *cough*).

Foulke will be our closer for now. They will not (and i think should not) put paps in the closer role. He is bred to be a starter, and the longer we keep him from that the less effective he will become. I think the best thing is to keep paps in the rotation and let shill be a mentor to him. They will let foulke be the closer for now, and if he returns to form---great! If he doesn't then they will trade for someone by the deadline. (we have the people to trade without ripping our farm system) We all want Foulke to return to form, and i believe that they will let him either shine or hang himself. --- but it's his job to lose becuase everyone knows that our best chance is with him closing!

Well one of the big keys in my opinion is finding a catcher that wake feels comforable with. Flairehty (sp?) would rather retire than try to catch wake's knuckler all year:lol: However Bard looked real good yesterday (no pass balls) and in an interview Wake said that he felt comfortable with Bard back there-----which really makes me feel better as I think the big key is not catching wake, but having wake feel comfortable enough to go out and do his business. A-Gone is looking terrible at the plate! He looks good in the field, but that is to be expected. Could someone please explain to me how Cora is such a step down from A-Gone, becuase to me he looks like a cheaper version of him with a slightly better bat! (and that would allow us to keep graff as the utility guy) Shill looks and feels good, Foulke is feeling stronger than he has in 4 years (cross your fingers and pray), I haven't seen the fatman pitch yet. Coco looks good at the plate, but still a little out of sorts in center! Trot looks strong and healthy, manny is manny, loretta and lowell look decent---will have to wait and see them more before a judgement. Youk looks good at adapting to a new position and having snow there to mentor him helps i am sure! Ohh and Stern looks great in the WBC. I would love to keep him around until Kapler is healty as the 4th outfielder. His Defense in the WBC has been steller, and his bat has been good to. that's my $.02! --------------------------- I have directv with the sports package ($12 a month) and it includes NESN (i lock out YES:D ) it's worth it with the MLB extra innings package if you are able to get it!

Way to miss the point there smartguy! Just for a recap, here you go: Then I said: You said you don't remember any memorable plays---I gave you one that was memorable for the majority of sox fans including me. Then you procede to try and trivialize that play saying it wasn't a hard play to make. You made mention of "memorable" plays, not "web gems". I consider the last out to the greatest sports comeback in history memorable! If you want to "crap" on pokey, then you do that--it's your perogative. However, he was a member of the 04 sox, and therefore will be in our memories and hearts forever!

Well thank you; it's nice to come here and talk baseball with people who understand the game and are not "sox fans without knowledge of the game" (although everyone has their place and i welcome them too) As far as bronson goes, after hearing that interview it sounds (to me anyway) as though he has already accepted the fact that he will be in the pen, and he is alright with that. He's happy to be here. If someone get's hurt, traded, ect... then he can come out of the pen to start. (keeping him in long relief would help keep him starter ready). Foulke seemed to have a good attitude and seems like he is ready and exited about the season starting. I have said it before and i will say it again: if foulke and our starters stay healty, then i really like our chances:thumbsup:

They had Foulke on sportsdesk; he said he hasn't felt this good or strong in 4 years. Of course feeling good and returning to form are two seperate things! They also had Bronson on and he said that he would rather start, but if all the pitchers were healthy he expected to be in the bullpen! He also said he just wanted to be here and would do whatever they asked him to help the team! Gotta love his attitude!:thumbsup:

Last out of game 7 of the ALCS was a grounder to Pokey! I want to remember that one for a long time!:thumbsup:

Wow just checked the score to see it's 16-0 in the 3rd with the USA still batting--someone please put south africa out of their misery and call this game!

I understand that, I just think that it's stupid that with all the build up from Selig and ESPN---that the majority of the public can't even see the games unless they drop more money and sit behind their computers!

Well the USA is playing today at 3 est in a do or die game---and it's not on TV until 3am tommorow-----------thanks ESPN. It's on live on ESPN deportes, but of course hardly anyone actually gets that channel. After doing some research I find out that the majority of the major carriers (directv, dish, comcast, timewarner,ect...) don't even offer ESPN deportes. We have been bombarded with commercials and such pumping up the WBC, and now thet the USA is in a do or die game; you can't even see the game until 12hours after it's been played. Nice job Selig!

I would be happy to keep clement and dump wells. We all know that wells doesn't want to be here and clement does. I think that the ball off the melon last year really affected him more than he's letting on, and that attributed to the decline in the 2nd half. I would be happy with a rotation of: Shill Wake Beckett Clement Paps I guess we will see what happens!

Just for an update. ESPNEWS has it running at the bottom of the screen as well. So if the USA wins tommorow, we advance! By the way, thanks "one red seat" for explaining it earlier---after hearing the PTI guys get it wrong, and Mexico up big, I wasn't feeling too good!

They'd better win. I can't imagine the rocket's last game (in theory) as a loss to south africa!

Ohh, ok. The guys on PTI had it wrong then. (big surprise). They said that Canada had to win or at least score 3 runs or the USA was done tonight!

I thought that if this score holds up, then the USA is done no matter what happens tommorow.

I still think that the whole Wells "i'm happy now and want to stay" routine was more of a pr bump to make it easier for the sox to deal him without getting nothing back. It doesn't make sense for him to go from "not pitching and grumpy" to "happy and want to stay" all of a sudden. I don't see him staying the whole year. Something has to change and I think either/or clement /wells is gone. I would personally like to see the sox keep Arroyo; he's versitle, has a rubber arm, cheap, and he loves playing in Boston (which isn't that common) So come on Theo; roll the fat man out of town and let's get down to baseball!

This sucks, it looks like the Canada/Mexico game is on ESPN at 3am! Nice job guys. It may be on ESPN Deportes, but I don't have that so I don't know!