Dojji

Whatever. I overreacted, he overreacted. At his point it just needs to die.

Probably, actually. The guy completes about 33% of his games in he Japanese league where they aren't as big on pitch counts. But I don't know where to get pitch count numbers from NPB. The guy has such a low WHIP that I can't imagine him getting into ehough trouble to rack up titanic pitch counts though. He's allowed substantially less than a baserunner an inning in each of the last 2 years. In 2007 he had a .080 WHIP -- ridiculously absurd for a starter. The guy makes vintage Curt Schilling look like Daniel Cabrera.

I'm sorry, but when a chance, offhand commend of mine that was tangential at best to the actual thrust of my post inspires that sheer level of rantage, I think my objection is justified, ORS. Particularly when Crespo has the gall to say I am misrepresenting HIS argument.

If you want to think that. Personally I think that debate revealed more about Crespo. I make a post that mentions Johnson briefly in a positive light, while mostly talking about the potential for an awesome Boston rotation of Beckett-Lester-Daisuke-Smoltz-Buchholz (with Bowden and, yes, Johnson still in the minors as reserves), he goes postal. Just because I mentioned Johnson. He can own that ground just as hard as he wants to. At some point it's like talking to a brick wall. Or maybe more like getting into a wrestling match with a crap golem. Even if you win he still covers you with crap.

Yeah, because one bad season at the AA level guarantees the guy will never ever ever be good, right? Your statement here is patently ridiculous. They're not that bad, actually. I wouldn't be nominating him for any Cy Youngs, but he did not embarrass himself. You're expecting our #10 starter to be a top prospect? THAT is freakin' sad. Dude.. again, he's tenth on our starting pitching depth chart. Kevin Jarvis level. If anyone gets to their #10 starter the season's going to suck. You aren't telling me anything here. At least our #10 has some big league upside. That's actually very good. That's why he dominated HWB after he was switched to relief. And of course why he had such a high k/9 even as a starter in an awful year. Yeah, almost as bad as Lester was in AAA in 2006. Lots of lefties experience sucky command when they're young. Heck, even guys like Johan Santana and CC Sabathia did. Dude. "prospect" does not mean "future superstar." Anyone with MLB level upside is a prospect. I make no apologies for calling Kris Johnson a prospect when he's getting by at AA at age 23. He is a prospect. Chris Carter is a prospect. George Kottaras is a prospect. Dusty Brown is a prospect. DOn't get so hung up on the top 3 or 5 or 10 or whatever that you don't give MLB upside the credit it's due.

ANd hopefully indicitave of legitimate progress. Would be great if this meant we could play Penny, build up his trade value, and move him at the deadline.

Befitting the #10 guy in starter depth. But he could probably be better than Zink at any rate. I was just mentioning him mostly because he's still considered a legit prospect and he'd still be there behind, Smoltz, Buchholz, Bowden, and Masterson

Spring Training is Spring Training. That said, Buchholz has the potential to be just that good so glad to see what might be a sign of him getting it all together. Man, by July we have a distinct possibility of a Beckett-Lester-Daisuke-Smoltz-Buchholz rotation. With Masterson in the pen and Bowden and Johnson still waiting behind them. I mean, I know it's a bit of a pipe dream, but wow.

Yeah, Bailey and Carter may or may not have played themselves into jobs, but Wilkerson has sure played his way out of one. I still think it was worth taking a flier on him. If he'd worked out he would have been exactly what we needed. But if it's not gonna work it's not gonna work.

I like Carter as a Brian Daubach type. I think he'd be a good choice.

Even if that's true Baldelli alone makes for an upgrade.

Good guess.

You know what an option does, right?

The word is "replacement," idiot, not " successor." In other words, when Drew gets hurt (because he's going to get hurt) the OP was asking if Carter could, temporarily, replace Drew until he recovers.

You're kidding me, right? Schilling didn't WANT surgery. Who wants to be cut open? He NEEDED surgery. But until the Sox came around Schill was in a position where he had nothing to lose. His doctor had him convinced that it was the only way to return to pitching shape, but if the Sox wanted to hold out for their little medical dog and pony show, he could go through with it for $8 million. And if the Sox were right and Dr. Morgan was wrong then maybe he could get to do what he REALLY wanted to do -- pitch. Obviously it didn't work out but it was a carefully calculated risk on both sides, not something done on a whim.

Dr. Morgan said there was no chance. He said it at the time. In fact he was unprecedentedly outspoken on the subject, going so far as to state his objection publicly to the embarrassment of the Red Sox. You cannot say definitively that there was a chance of it working when Schill's own most trusted doctor and a leading expert on sports medicine was saying exactly the opposite. Personally I think it's to Schill's credit that he even tried the rehab in light of the fact that he knew Morgan thought it was going to do more damage than good. I guess he isn't the first player to adopt an "anything that might put me back out on the field soonest" approach.

Doesn't have the arm or range to play Fenway's RF. If you want to try Bay in RF, then maybe

Neither Schilling nor the Sox were aware just how badly off the shoulder was when he signed. What happened afterward deserves to be viewed in the light of what was known at the time.

Heh, so are we looking at a historic first here or what?

You really think anyone's going to remember the 2008 contract 5 years from now? Hardly. Schilling's legacy is going to be as a guy who was dominant in the playoffs, left it all on the field, and sacrificed his body for the good of the team on numerous occasions. The fact that he was also outspoken doesn't distinguish him from that many all-stars including no small number of hall of famers.

Thanks for a great career, Curt. You left it all out there and your last pitch was thrown in winning a World Series game. You had a heck of a career. You owe nobody anything. Enjoy your retirement, your gaming company, your political ambitions or whatever the heck else you've got in mind. You've earned it.

DB I hear your blood tests came back 80 proof.