Gom

LOL, HeadofSoxNation...a few of you understand what my role is here. It's just baseball...I'm not going to agree with you guys on most things due to the fact of my allegiance, but the main reason I come here is the fact that I think most of your posts are off base as Sox fans, but a lot of them are very intelligent and insightful. Basically, what HeadofSoxNation said about me in reverese. You have joined the list of people I would drink with if ever in Boston. Except you are in Syracuse. What the hell is a Sox fan doing in Syracuse. That said, Mulder is a low ristk, high reward player. Everyone should check him out, to be honest.

Welcome..for now.

I agree with Pujols. It's not the best player award, it's the most valuable. I disagreed with Arod when he won it in Texas with a last place team, same with Dawson in the eighties. I think Ortiz should have won it in 2005. The Red Sox needed him more than the Yankees needed Arod. To me, the most valuable player should be a person who takes them to the post-season. It's the semantics of the award. Do you think the most valuable player award should go to the player who takes a team to the post-season, in which without that player, that team probably doesn't make it, or to the player with the best statistical season, regardless of standing? If it goes to the best statistical player, then they should call it the Ted Williams Award, or something like that.

Do I incite? Only those with lower intellects or low self-esteem. Bust balls? Sure, sometimes. Why not? It's a forum of fans of the team of my hated rivals. I do it in fun, and most people see that. Sorry you don't. I only wish I was here in 2003, but glad I missed 2004. Overall, Rician, I like your posts. Don't insult anyone's intelligence here by saying that you didn't intend to elicit some sympathy by bringing up the passing of your parents. What did you expect me to say when you mentioned you lost your parents within six months? Good riddance? Come on, buddy. Anytime anyone mentions the passing of a loved one, the normal human response is sympathetic. So, once again, sorry for your loved ones passing, but if anyone here who doesn't know me personally takes anything I say here personally, that person needs to go out, get drunk, and come home with the last, fat chick in the local bar. At least that way you'd really have issues to work out.

a700...the quote was sarcasm. I would give up Melky and Sanchez in a heartbeat. It would be funny if the team [via trade] that sabotaged a huge portion of the Red Sox's 2006 season sabotaged the coming one for the Sox again by taking below-market value for Willis from the Yankees. Earth. Try living there sometime. It's kinda fun.

No, I think Wang is a better pitcher than Dontrelle. That's why. I would trade Wang for Halliday or Santana, because they are better...get the drift here?

Lighten up bro. It's a joke. If your skin is too thin, leave. Seriously, if someone like myself, who knows nothing about you or or your family, makes a broad reference to all in jest, and you take it seriously, you should examine yourself and deal with your issues in a timely fashion. I've lost my mother to cancer in 1999, but when people make "mother jokes" unless they know my status, I never get upset with them. Grow up Rician. I am sorry for the loss of your parents, especially in such a short period of time, as I would be sad for anyone, but to attribute a comment I made in jest to all as specifically attributed to you is ridiculous. I hope that this is your grief talking, and nothing else.

YANKEES! YES! We'll give you Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor! How can you resist? LOL1

The previous four posts, by responding to them, are the genetic misfits I have spoken about. I told you there was a reason, LOL! I'm glad you all secretly [and not so secretly] enjoy my posts. For genetic misfits, you guys are great.

Quite possibly the best post I've ever read [here or anywhere else] that disagrees with my opinion. I would still take one championship every few years over being competitive every season, but that is nothing more than a personal choice. For all of you genetic misfits [there is a reason why I state this, you'll see] who have to debate with me because I am a Yankee fan [not to mention that I make all of you who debate me look foolish] please go back and re-read that post. That is how you argue your point. With concise, intelligent, valid points...that are rooted in COMMON SENSE. I'm shocked you are from New England. Were you educated in New York, by any chance?

I wouldn't trade Wang for Willis straight up. I'm just reporting what I heard driving home, and then found online, with the disclaimer that the Marlins would be nuts to agree. Maybe Marlins ownership hates the Sox, and figures that getting Ramirez and Sanchez wasn't enough. Who knows?

Both Foxsports and WFAN radio report that the Yankees have approached the Marlins about Dontrelle Willis, offering Humberto Sanchez and Melky Caberra. No word on the Marlins response [i think they would be nuts to agree, but I can hope, can't I?]. http://www.benmaller.com/#mlb_rumors_notes

ENOUGH WITH JAPANESE PLAYERS! ARRRGH! I hope they all bomb...screw it, even Matsui and Ichiro. I'm starting the HFC. Hiroshima Fan Club. All Japanese players should bomb. [Even for me, that's bordering on bad taste]

Since this is a very well-written post, and you have been polite, I respectfully disagree with you here. Take it from me, a serious Yankee fan...it is much better to WIN than to be competitive, and we are competitive every year. I'm starting to feel like a Braves fan now, going nowhere fast. Would you have traded your WS win in 2004 for going to the playoffs every year since 95 like us? No, you wouldn't. The majority of fans, players, owners, etc. want to win. I for one would trade three losing seasons for one world series champion, rather than being competitive every year. If we won one season every four, thats 25 Championships in 100 years. I'll take it. Teams have windows. The window on both the Yankees and Red Sox has passed. We are both trying to re-open it, but our core is disappearing, the players who got us our championship(s). Teams like the Tigers, Mets, Twins, Angels, etc., are coming into their own. Their rosters have a lot more potential than ours do, respectively. The advantage of money to keep that window open helps...but when the sun sets on Papi and Manny, and Derek and Mo on our end...it aint gonna be easy. Win while you can. That's my philosophy. One team wins. The rest are losers. That's the way I see it.

Where can you find the classification of free agents, what type they are, etc.

Umm...exactly. The Sox were out of the race by then.

Thank you a700. Finally, someone who believes that not only does Theo not walk on water, but would probably sink like a stone. I salute you.

Yes...the esteemed Japanese league...where the immortal Tuffy Rhodes, he of the lifetime .224 career average in MLB, with 13 homeruns in 225 games, who tied the immortal Sadahuro Oh's homerun record of 55, and only didn't break it because they wouldn't pitch to him in the last five games to preserve the record for a Japanese player. Let us not forget Alex Cabrera, the nine-year minor leaguerer who tied the same record the next year. If they hadn't graced the Japanese league, they would have been in the Hall Of Fame here. As ushers. Or the WBC, that esteemed format of stellar international play...where the American team had to show up for an early spring training, most haven't having seen a real pitch in 5 months. and the Japanese won behind the stellar pitching of Daisuke Matsuzaka, who stifled the Cubans in the final, they of...um...can anyone actually name ANYONE from the Cuban team off the top of their head or without googling it? Did you ever wonder why Boras didn't allow Matsuzaka to pitch against MLB All-Stars in Japan? I'm not saying he isn't a decent pitcher, but if he got bombed, it would have cost Boras millions. An image of Matsuzaka has been created. Whether it is real or a mirage is yet to be seen. Boras deemed the risk too great. Imagine how much more money Boras could have extracted if Matsuzaka did pitch, gave up two hits in six innings. Boras thought there was a much higher chance of him getting bombed...that should make you think for a second. The Yankees bidding for Igawa is a waste. At least I admit that. The only thing that I see that makes any sense is that the Yankees are prepared to offer 16-17 million total over 4 years, with no negotiating. That outlay of 42 million over four years is what they would have to spend to get a Ted Lilly, but with less of a salary cap hit. In that case, it makes sense, this guy looks to be a Sushi-clone of Ted Lilly. The fact that some of you guys have fallen in love with a player who hasn't even performed against major league caliber players, and would prefer him over a pitcher like Wang shows that you will believe ANYTHING anyone tells you to believe. They say there's one born every minute. Unreal.

Wow..you guys love press clippings...you would take a wild card in Matsuzaka over one of the top 3 pitchers in the AL over Wang [outside of Santana and Halliday, he's probably the best pitcher in the AL]. I should bookmark all of these posts and show them to you at the end of next season. I'm gonna love it. Wang's dominance is not about striking out people. It's the fact that he throws a pitch no other pitcher throws. He throws a 95 MPH sinker. He keeps the ball in the park, as evidenced by his 12 homeruns in 218 IP. Beckett game up THREE TIMES AS MANY HOMERUNS in almost 14 LESS INNINGS is a point you fail to realize. What a huge difference in WHIP too. 0.02. Significant. Really. Big time. Let me tell you what is significant. Wang had a groundball to flyball ratio of 3.06. Conversely, Beckett had a ratio of 1.20. the next best thing to a strikeout is a groundball. It's the most likely scenario to turn two outs at once. Try this...take a deep breath...THINK...and then post. Try it some time.

Edge has to go to ChiSox. Although this trade will benefit the Angels more this year, the potential of Santana is still high. Garcia, Crede, and Figgins have all peaked. How good this deal turns out for the Sox is directly related to Santana's growth.

Would be a great trade for the Padres with one exception, and this will bring you back to reality.... No way the Padres take on both salaries of Ramirez and Lowell. No team in baseball will, with the exception of the Yankees and the Red Sox...and the Sox are not trading Manny to New York, and they won't trade him to themselves either. From a Padres point of view, why would you make this deal? As good as Manny is, you aren't trading your #1 pitcher for him, not to mention one of the best relievers in the NL. You will trade Manny, more likely than not, but to patch holes and get young prospects. Kind of like the Sheffield trade, although you will net much more than we did.

Manny has to be one of my favorite all-time non-Yankees. I for one, enjoyed seeing him play. Although I won't be sad that he leaves the Sox, I will be sad to not see him anymore. The funny thing, with him being from New York and all...I think New York likes him more than Boston.