Gom

I was being generous. Abreu is better than Drew. He won a gold glove in the NL in 2005, and probably would have won it again if he wasn't traded mid-season. This is not Varitek from years ago who won a gold glove, this is the last full season he had with one team. Give me a break. I'll even give you Pedroia over Cano, and I will say that the advantages are slight in both RF and 2B. However, it is huge at SS, LF, and 1B, with an advantage in CF and 3B for you, and us at catcher. Overall, the Yankee defense is better, and gets better with Melky coming in for Damon. Imagine putting Wily Mo out there with Manny? Etiher way, neither team will win because of their defense. The Yankees will lose less games because of errors than the Red Sox will. Neither one of us is the Twins. You also better hope those errors don't come in the 6th inning or later. Unless Papelbon is pitching, with your bullpen, it will be like throwing gas on a fire.

I don't really think you understand the dynamic of New York, especially with Arod. With this being his last season in New York [it's pretty much a given], the fans know that the best chance the Yankees have of winning another ring is with Arod having a monster year. He got the loudest ovation when he came to bat of any Yankee. We want him to succeed. It is just that we have no patience at this point when he doesn't. Arod will get the most curtain calls this season, because inherently, we know he needs it. Try a mile wide and deep.

What a perfect day. Pavano pitches better than Schilling, Royals pound the Red Sox and their fat boy pitcher, Yankees take care of Kazmir and the Devil Rays. Life is good. Remember to tune into the YES network for post-season analysis. Great day, isn't it Jacko? Now if only Beckett lives up to form, the Red Sox will go into Friday's game looking to get swept. On a serious note, Schilling is just getting old. I know, it's just one start, but with power pitchers, when they get old, they tend to get old fast. Look at Randy Johnson. He lost it in one year. He'll be serviceable, but no ace. It has to happen sooner or later, it happens to all of them. Pitchers like Glavine, Mussina, Maddux, etc., pitcher who rely more on off-speed pitches to win tend to last longer. There really isn't much doubt who will have a better year of the two, but if Schilling has an off year, you guys are done. That's a lot of hope to pin on a 41 year old pitcher who doesn't keep himself in shape. As a Yankee fan, I know what it's like to pin your hopes on older pitchers [brown, Wells, RJ]. My prediction of 86 wins still stands.

First of all, Moose had a better ERA than any starter on your team. The Yankee offense is better, the defense is better, the bullpen is better. Nice try.

Oh my God, I just put that out there and didn't expect this firestorm. Fair enough. However, if I'm right, you shall all bow down to my superior intellect. I'll take that risk. Try to think how much ridicule I would have gotten if I made the same prediction last year. Matsuzaka is an improvement, as is Drew and Lugo [offensively]. However, the whole team got older, the bullpen is in shambles, and your defense is downgraded [Lugo]. Couple that with an improved Blue Jay and Oriole roster, and the fact that the Yankees have gotten stronger, with Matsui in for a full season as with Abreu, the improvement in the rotation with Pettite, Igawa, and Pavano instead of Chacon, Small, and Johnson and added depth to the pen, right there is five more losses than your team had last year. We shall see. Someone is eating crow in October.

This is my prediction. I will eat crow if they do not. However, if they do, you shall all pay homage. I figure 86 wins for the Red Sox.

Exactly. Now the light starts to shine. Maybe I wrote it word for word that it would be contradictory in both cases to obviously show my point. It's contradictory because they first say it is best for him to start and that they wouldn't risk his career, and then they put him back in the bullpen and say that his shoulder is fine enough, even though he can't get through 4 innings without his fastball resembling Wakefield's. Finally, he gets it. Usually, everyone chimes in to defend your position. You're alone on this one, because it is obvious. You're wrong. Any way the front office spins it, they tried to put him in the rotation. Didn't work. Doesn't exactly make sense to come out and say he is still damaged. You think this kid would give up MILLIONS, quite possibly 70 million dollars over the course of his career to relieve instead of start? You think if he was physically able, he wouldn't be a starting pitcher? You may one day win a debate from me yet, but this one is over. Give it a rest. By the way, you never answered my question. Which one is it, is he better off physically starting or relieving. No matter which answer you give, YOUR front office has come out and said the opposite is true. Pick one. Otherwise, let it rest, and let's pick something else to debate.

Ok, so let me see if I understand you. You are saying that he has strengthened his shoulder to the point where the risk of re-injuring the shoulder is low enough that he can be an effective reliever. Can I deduce from that that you believe in Papelbon's case that relieving is more stressful on him than starting pitching? Because if that is the case, your front office has gotten some serious contradictory reports on your pitcher from the beginning of spring training till now. Or do you believe that starting pitching is more taxing than relieving on Papelbon's shoulder, which would mean that the Red Sox front office has gotten some serious contradictory reports on your pitcher from the beginning of spring training till now. Please, enlighten me, good sir.

Which is why first they listen to him, and then they don't. His advice is sound and good (sic), and they initially follow it, but then they change their mind, and it is ok. Papelbon has the strongest shoulder in camp http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/03/23/papelbon_takes_closing_argument/ yet his velocity drops tremendously after 3 innings of work. In fact, no additional tests were done on Papelbon when he "decided" to go back to closing, just a talk between Epstein and his doctor. Real sound medical advice, make a decision of this magnitude without any tests, x-rays, etc. Could it be that the doctor is completely and utterly unqualified, or it is UNQUESTIONABLY easier on the shoulder to close than start and that a test isn't even needed to do what COMMON SENSE dictates? No. No way. ORS and the front office are right, always have been. You are lost. The ONLY thing you have said that makes any sense is that ultimately, his highest value is as a starter. You get a gold star with glitter for that, lol. Let me make this simple for you, as you obviously need help. 1) His shoulder is not "the strongest shoulder in camp". If it was, he would be starting. His velocity would not be dropping a good 8-10 MPH after 3 innings of work. Your shoulder is probably stronger than his is at this point. 2) With that assumption [which is pretty much a fact at this point], your so-called medical experts had previously stated that it was better for him to start than relieve. Either they were Sox fans, or completely dropped the ball. Probably both. With his shoulder so-called stronger [lie], but velocity dropping dramatically after 3 innings [proof of that lie], it makes more sense to relieve because it is more stressful [another lie]. 3) With this circus, it was determined that it was OK for him to go back to relieving with no tests done on his shoulder whatsoever, just a medical opinion based on observation. Mind you, extensive tests, x-rays, etc., were done to convince everyone in New England it was ok for him to start, but it only took a five minute conversation without any tests to reverse what you call sound medical advice. Remind me not to get sick in Boston. Game, set, match. It's like the posting version of the five game series we had last year. Except that you still think you are doing well, lol.

Griffey from the left, Manny from the right. Sweetest ever that I saw, Gwynn, Strawberry [when he connected], and Griffey, right-handed was Edgar Martinez. Still trying to find a hole in his swing. You may show your pleasure.

I actually wonder which of these scenarios is most likely to occur in the next few years. This has been bothering me for the last 15 minutes.

Go get Directv, problem solved. Screw cable.

I wonder if she would hook up with me...I'm only 34, but to be heir to the Yankees, I would sleep with anyone, even ORS. Pitching only, not receiving, mind you.

ORS, his usage pattern will be defined in the pen as well. Tito came out and said one inning only, and not on back to back days. He will also be used less, therefore less strain. Can't have it both ways. Pick one.

Holy cow, even in light of everything I said, you still don't get it. Glad you weren't on the Titanic. Ok, genius, answer this then. If it is so much better for him health-wise to start rather than relieve, why is he back in the pen? This, I can't wait to hear.

Simple. There was little doubt outside of Boston that Papelbon would blow his shoulder wide open. His velocity dropped dramatically after 2-3 innings, and there really is only one reason, his shoulder sublaxation. The only reason was that the Sox thought the best chance of winning the World Series was a dominant starting rotation. At least they got that right. The Red Sox FO had to come out and say that it was better (sic) for Papelbon if he moved to the rotation. That proper rest would be the best thing for his shoulder. You guys fell for it. Now think about this for just one second. The kid is a special talent. He has been hit with the injury bug, but if his shoulder stays steady, he can be something special. Hell, he is something special right now. With that in mind...if starting was SO MUCH BETTER for him than relieving....(que the dramatic music here) WHY PUT HIM BACK IN THE BULLPEN WHICH ACCORDING TO THEIR EXPERTS WAS THE HIGHEST RISK OF RE-INJURING HIS SHOULDER? Because he wanted to relieve? ********. You think the Red Sox are that blase about their team, let players dictate how to play, when, and what role? No way in hell. You think the Red Sox FO would willingly risk a phenom with a subject shoulder in order to possibly win a division or make the wild card? Absolutely. Especially one that is already injured, and probably doesn't have much of a shelf life. It's the nature of the business. Do you really believe that with the depth that the Red Sox have in the farm system, and with the money that they have, that they couldn't swing a deal for a serviceable reliever? Which is more valued, an ace reliever or an ace starting pitcher? Last I checked, you won your only World Series since 1918 with a closer, that going into the post-season, wasn't all that heralded. Do I think the Red Sox would risk him as a starting pitcher? Absolutely. Do I believe that the Sox would risk him as a reliever. No way in hell. Why on earth would you ever risk injury for a player, especially a special talent like Papelbon, by playing him less? I can't believe some of you actually believed this. A starting rotation that is dominant, and one that would have Schilling, Matsuzaka, Papelbon, and Beckett has enormous potential. Look at Rivera last post-season. He didn't do s***, because the Yankees were blown out. The best pitcher on the team didn't really play. His velocity went down after 3 innings? Why? Sublaxated shoulder. So it is obvious that that is the stress his body can take in one appearance. If he has the strongest shoulder in camp, you guys will be looking up at Tampa Bay this year. The only way this kid can be effective and healthy is this: 1 inning maximum, never back to back days. Just like Eckersley. Last I heard, he did ok in that roll. Why would the kid "volunteer" to make less pay, have less of a legacy [most-likely] and pitch less. That would be detrimental to him and his team. Unless...wait a minute....he can't. That the only real way he can help this team is stay on the field, and not on the disabled list, and that the best way to do that was to keep his work load low like it is for all relievers compared to starting pitchers [with the exception of anyone in a Torre-managed middle relief core]. Or is it more likely that either the specialists they spoke of were either (a) lying, as they were paid by the Sox in the first place ( incompetent fools who realized the error of their ways [ironically, the fools were the so-called experts in physiology you have servicing the Red Sox] As they have for the 86 year drought, the front office pulled the wool over the eyes of Red Sox nation. The Red Sox realized that there was NO WAY a sublaxated shoulder could withstand THREE to FOUR times the workload and get BETTER. There's one born ever minute. ORS, here's your sign.

You really are being obtuse. The reason why the Red Sox needed someone to go out and say such a thing is because it is AGAINST conventional medical opinion. Going out and saying the opposite is stating the obvious.

I'm loving it right now! ORS, Papelbon cannot be an effective starting pitcher due to his sublaxation. He can relieve, and only every other day, and limited to one inning. Please realize this. You were wrong in listening to the advice of so-called experts that the Red Sox had paid off. It is not your fault that you were given disinformation that you believed due to your limited knowledge of the subject and human physiology, which is not your area of expertise. Lets move on to the next subject.