jacksonianmarch

example, the Yankees looking inevitable period took a 2 yr nap from 07-08, resurfaced at the ASB last yr and hasnt stopped. This team hasnt looked this good in April since the early 2000s, maybe since 98

very nice post

I think the Rays are gonna be a thorn in the side of the AL East for awhile. Even with Pena and Crawford gone, the lineup will get Desmond Jenning, Tim Beckham, and Sean Rodriguez into every day roles, 3 guys with incredible futures. They have the rotation from hell, which only projects to get better. Regardless, I think the Rays need a new ballpark that doesnt totally suck and a 5-6 yr run of sustained success to garner fans. Their financial restrictions are mostly based on their s*** fanbase. Most of your Tampa area fans are Yankee fans from their long run in Tampa for ST. The franchise might actually benefit from a move, maybe to Las Vegas or to the Carolinas somewhere.

Jesus Christ, it is almost pointless, but I'll give it a shot again. The sox had Tex in their sites. They had a number, given by Boras, that would have gotten him. They could have met in the middle, which is called negotiating, which is exactly what the Yankees did after the sox f***ed up the Tex negotiations. Henry had an 8yr 170-175mil deal in hand. Boras asked for a 8yr 200mil deal for Tex. Henry refused to budge, EVEN THOUGH there were better offers on the table (from Washington and Baltimore reportedly, two places that absolutely suck). He then got pissed and thought that bitching to the media would help him. With that bitching, Cash got enough gumption to ask Hal to extend the payroll and make an offer. He went to Boras with a 8yr 175 mil deal, which Boras declined. Then met closer to the middle at 8yrs $184mil. The fact is, you need to know what is out there, and who is involved. Tex was the prime offensive free agent, probably of the past 3-5 yrs and looked to be the best one to hit the market until Pujols does after 2011. He was the holy grail for offensive impact. He was represented by a dirtbag who ALWAYS gets the highest dollar figure. You cannot go to that guy with a number and refuse to negotiate. It just f***s everything up. Then, bitching to the media, taking your contract negotiations to the media, that's a pisspoor move, and exactly why he's a Yankee right now.

This is why I am so excited. NY is a traditionally a second half team, with guys like CC, Cano, Pettitte, ARod and Tex being pretty damn good down the stretch. By starting out red hot, this team is probably headed for an uncontested run to the playoffs when everything is going right.

Ridiculous as usual. Tek looks like he's gonna be Beckett's personal battery mate, meaning that his CERA is gonna be MUCH lower than VMarts based on the fact that he's catching one of their top pitchers all the time.

That might work, but I highly doubt he agrees to a deal with the knowledge that he'd get dealt away. My guess is that the sox ride the season out with him and take the picks if he doesnt sign a team friendly deal

Teixeira, ARod, Swisher, and Johnson

Soxsport, as much as I love to bag on the sox, the "injuries" have nothing to do with their conditioning. Ellsbury got kneed in the ribs and Cameron suffered a kidney stone. No way to prepare for that

Hence why I think Buchholz ends up in SD. My bet is that AdGon is in Boston prior to the start of the 2011 season. They will feel the pain of lacking a true middle of the order power hitter

The boston offense has gone 0 for their last 30+ with RISP

Exactly. Hall isnt going the DFA route. If anything, Hermida can go that route.

The sox off to their worst start since 1996. By the way, are they using whiffle ball bats? Christ, every time they make contact, it sounds like the bat breaks

This is frickin comical. Drew, Hall, and Hermida absolutely suck in the OF

This is not the season to start slow. TB and NYY look like the real deal.

and Theo was praying for the day that Manny would go. Having 2 franchise players in the 3-4 spots makes your team look really fricking good, even if they arent.

Dipre, I have already said that the sox should win 90 games, which would automatically make the assumption that this small sample size is just that. I just find it odd that a focus on pitching and defense would entail having one of the worst catchers in the bigs and an average to below average SS. You build defense up the middle, and as nice as it seems to have a good defensive 3b and 1b, it doesnt matter as much as having a good catcher or SS. Also, this lineup will eventually hit, unless these slumps are a sign of aging for guys like Papi and Drew. Something I doubt. BUT, you take a team that was filled with high OBP guys and 2 bashers in the middle, to a team with less high OBP guys and one basher in the middle, you have to be wary. Some teams can get by when 4-5 players are slumping. The sox cannot. They have now lost their margin for error on offense. Meaning that a slump, or a bad yr by a player would take them from above average to below average offensively. The sox from 2004-2008 were so good that only two guys were irreplaceable and anyone else would take them from elite to good. That is no longer the case. Regardless, I think this is one of Theo's transition years, and he sold it to the masses as "pitching and defense." My guess is that he plans on having the big 3 plus Youkilis, Pedroia and offensive juggernaut FA X take this team into the future. The problem was, he didnt like what was out there this past offseason.

Lackey looks like s***. The sox defense doesnt even look like they care. And the sox offense is lying down like lambs with runners on base. Its one thing to get beat in heartbreakers. But this is a whitewash of a series, with only one game actually in doubt to the end

I agree with a lot of your post a700. I know a poster on here commented on the pitching and defense moves in 2004 to win a championship, but the lineup was deadly too. You had Ortiz and Manny hitting at elite levels and a lineup without holes, which allowed the sox to move Nomar for OCab and Mientkiewicz. The sox lineup was built as a funnel. You get a bunch of guys on base and funnel them to the middle of the order where Manny and Ortiz would bring them home. Now, with Manny gone and Ortiz a shell of himself, you need to replace those guys. Bay and Youks did a pretty good job of that last yr. But with Bay gone, you now have a middle of the order with one scary hitter, one good hitter, and one past his prime hitter. That isnt good enough, especially since you have a 6-9 that isnt very good either. The defense argument, I brought up earlier in the offseason. How do you build a team for pitching and defense when your catcher is one of the worst in the game and you have an average at best SS? You build a defense up the middle and if 2 of the 4 players up the middle are average to well below average, then you wont have an elite defense. As for the pitching, things will turn around when Lester starts putting up his customary 7IP 2ER performances and Beckett gets more consistent, but I also agree on the middle relief. You have a closer whose effectiveness has been waning since 2007 and a middle relief corps that has been mediocre at best since the ASB last yr. Subtract from that team Wagner and Saito and add in Schoeneweis and Atchison and you see the problem. Overall, a700, I do think this is Theo's worst job since coming to Boston. But, with the starting pitching, they should win 90 games or so. But, this team really isnt deep enough to win in the playoffs, IMO. They may pitch well, but they wont hit well enough against good pitching

by 2012? You're looking at 2 first basemen in Anderson and Rizzo, and you're looking at Casey Kelly. By 2013, you might have a better idea

"Spinning off VMart" isnt going to get you a strong return mostly because he is in the final yr of his deal and your suitors will be limited.

Or you could install him as the full time 1b and move Youks to 3b.

well, goodnight all

and that some bonus baby HSers would rather go somewhere they can rise the ranks faster. See: Gerrit Cole. ARRGH!!