Dipre

Ah, mates, i completely disagree with the notion that Crawford should bat third, since as traditional measures of lineup construction goes, you bat the best overall hitter on your team third, and statistical analysis would say that hitter is actually Pedroia. With Crawford's speed being such a valuable asset (but his career On-Base Percentage being .337, with only one year above .360, and not the last two as ORS suggested), it would be strongly beneficial to combine it with Ellsbury's at the top of the order. Cheers, mates!

This is for the ol' blokes who like to dabble in an endless stream of negativity and think the world is every possible shade of grey: There is light at the end of the tunnel!!! Cheers, mates!

Good ol' Youkilis has not hit under 21 Home Runs in a full season since 2007, and hit 19 in 102 games last year (on a pace for 32 over 145 games). It seems to me that you both underestimate the nature of park factors, the nature of Gonzales' offensive game and the quality of pitching in the National League West. First off, you do not give enough credit to the pitching quality of the National League West, which features many standouts, combined with stadiums that feature park factors that are borderline cataclysmic on hitters. He has managed the 40 home run feat before despite these disadvantageous circumstances, and comes to a division with ballparks much more conductive to offensive production, and in specific, a park that is very suited to his penchant for hitting the baseball towards left field with power. Taking these factors into consideration should leave us with no doubt that, if healthy, the 40 home run plateau is much more than certainly, but should be easily attainable by the Red Sox' big offseason acquisition. I know this man is no Jed Lowrie (i know a Jed Lowrie when i see one) but he has the possibility to accomplish great things on his own right. Do not be so disrespectful of Park Factors or the quality of pitching in the NL West mate! Cheers!

Talk about unrealistic expectations, old chap! Time flows for everyone, including those in pinstripes. I congratulate you on reaching the level of fantasy in baseball predictions only attained beforehand by those who hold the firm belief that Jed Lowrie can hit 25 Home Runs in 2011. Keep dreaming, mate, for dreams are the fuel that drive human accomplishment!

I.....i am shocked and apalled! How dare they pencil in perennial AL Silver Slugger contender at the number six position Jed Lowrie to a mere 92 games, 8 home runs, and .755 OPS??? I mean, i was all but convinced by the statistical experts here at TalkSox that the man was a lock for at least 20 home runs and an .800 OPS! It is clear that there was either a malfunction in their prediction software, or the person publishing said predictions has a clear agenda against Jed Lowrie himself and the Red Sox organization.... I ask for, nay, demand a means to contact the people that published this filthy piece of erroneous statistical analysis so i can force them to amend this travesty of a prediction, which is clearly incorrect...... Or not, and it is simply common sense when using previous statistical samples and extrapolating them in conjunction with an even greater sample size (minor league numbers). Anyways, fine night to you all, ladies and gentlemen! Salutations!

Fascinating story about the starting Right Fielder for the Boston Red Sox, one that i hope will placate (if momentarily) the bravado of the testosterone-fueled armchair G.M, managers and players that roam all over the internet, but particularly in this fine internet community! Chap-chap!

I firmly believe that the opinion from someone who actually plays baseball (and for a rival team, no less) and has a smidgeon of knowledge (in the least) about the tools needed to succeed at the Major League Level to be more important and accurate than that of people who procrastinate on over-sized chairs all day reading second-hand tidbits on the information super highway (better known as the internet, internets, interwebs, intrawebz, etc etc etc.). Prostitute-breasts makes a fine point, which people with common sense and baseball talent evaluators already knew. Alas, it is time for me to enjoy the benefits of a fine mid-morning snack. Have a good day sir.

Consume and digest that, lovers of the oft-injured and fluke producing imitation of a Shortstop named Jed Lowrie. Even the prostitute-breasted, amethyst-lipped Third Baseman Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez predicts a bright future of super stardom for the Short Stop of the Future for the what will be formerly known as the Boston Red Sox, and will be known as the Iglesias' Red Sox, but alas, i digress, and allow me to clear out for more ignorant minds that my fascination for Iglesias has little to do with race and more to do with potential upside and outstanding defensive ability, and proof is that exists in the form of me never wanting subpar baseball players such as Yamaico Navarro and Che-Hsuan Lin ever donning the proud and legendary uniform of the Iglesias' Red Sox ever again. Thank you, and good day.

And for further lolz, the beard of truth: http://www.beardoftruth.com/

How was this not posted before? http://pedroiaquotebook.tumblr.com/

Criticizing Jacoby Ellsbury as "unwilling to take a walk" is not correct. You need to look at the context in which he plays in. He was always very patient in the minors, and looks at an above average number of pitches per plate appearance in the Majors, the problem is, (and you can easily point this out in any competitive league that allows stolen bases) is that pitchers hate allowing speedy/no power guys to get on base, so they go right at them throwing a much higher percentage of strikes to them than your usual mid/high power guys, and if the pitcher's throwing you pitches down the chute, you either swing or strike out. If anyone's truly avert to taking walks, it's Crawford, but that's always been part of his game. As for the question of the thread, Ellsbury's 2010 injury problems need to be considered. He will probably receive a significant amount of rest and at the beginning of the season will still be tentative in his stolen base approach. Gimme Crawford.

Put me on ignore before i make you cry brah. I'm not dealing with any shrink bills.

ForSyth: Let's make two things clear: Number one, you nitpicked the current topic of discussion from a post that pretty much had absolutely nothing to do with being a criticism of Crawford as a player. Number two, you're trying to extrapolate two variables in a very incorrect manner. Because he is weak (or has been historically weak) against LHP, Crawford will see an enormous amount of at bats against lefty relief pitchers, now, it is true that the RHP/LRP ratio will always hover around 65/35% but is this 35% of non-production not important to his value? I don't get why you would get so defensive because i pointed out a flaw in his game (it is a flaw, and it is there) while saying he can certainly (and probably will, since he's entering his prime) improve upon. Relax brah.

Did i say he can't, or won't improve? No, but i would certainly like to see it happen before i proclaim all his problems solved by the monster. As for Iglesias, he's a generational talent with the glove who could be an above-average performer with the stick. He's already better than your main man Lowrie with the glove. The problem in this case is that there's upside, and he'd make the league minimum, keeping Lowrie around as the super-sub, strengthening the bench massively. I am realistic in my analysis of players, Palodios, because i'm not a homer. And by the way, don't start asking me stupid s*** like this if you're going to pull your little victim act later. I'm just saying.

Ok, so the Players Union is your source. Give me some actual evidence of the Players' Union screaming for MLB teams to open their coffers, and some hard numbers that counteract the fact that MLB pays more money in more guaranteed contracts than any other sport in the USA, even though they're no longer the number one cash-cow of professional sports (NFL). And for the record, that doesn't directly back up a claim of "having more money" or whatever. They operate around the limits of the luxury tax, which was set there to discourage teams from excessive spending. Neither the players' union nor the MLB can have it both ways.

Believe it or not, the friggin' Mets. Even though in terms of estimated net worth, the Red Sox come second to the Yankees: The Yankees are valued at 1,660 million while the Sox are valued at 870 million, in terms of revenue, the Sox are third to the Yankees (441 million), and Mets (268 million) with a (266 million) in team revenue. Source: http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=126 Notice the difference between the revenue output of the Yankees, then the 173 million friggin' difference to the Mets? Jesus Christ.

Where do you come up with this stuff? The Sox spending money last year came as a surprise to no one, after they got rid of a bunch of dead weight from the payroll. They have always stayed under/around the luxury tax threshold. That is their limit. They do not spend like the Yankees, because they do not have as much money as the Yankees, and unless you can prove this with facts, like Forbes' report that the Sox are the third most profitable baseball team, and, surprise, they spend like the third most profitable baseball team. There is no "secret money", they spend around the luxury tax threshold and that's that. Also, you keep pounding your chest over the Crawford signing: Newsflash. They were going to sign an Outfielder, and the preferred one was Werth, but after he signed that decidedly ridiculous contract with the Nationals, pulling the trigger on Crawford (who is still overpaid and his platoon issues are still there) suddenly made a whole lot more sense. That being said, i wouldn't discount them going balls to the wall for Pujols, and not because of their "Secret finances" but because being one of the richest baseball clubs in MLB and having a lot of money coming off the books next year (Cameron, Drew, Ortiz, Papelbon) they could create the fit while operating under their usual parameters. There is no conspiracy.

This is not about you, it was never about you. You jumped in, i responded. I really didn't mean to have to further explain my points and expound on my ideas more than necessary. I did, and so what? My initial point was that he f***ed up, should be punished, but his humanity should not be denigrated with insults. Now you say you're not making him out "to be a piece of s***" and you're one of the people doing the insulting. Which is it? But let me say, that i am frankly disappointed, that you, of all people, are so judgmental. Mistakes are "only mistakes" if one commits them right? Funny how that works.

It's not a cultural excuse, it is exactly as you say. I was trying to make a joke in order to get my point across without coming off as too confrontational. It has nothing to do with Cabrera's race. I'm usually all-out when it comes to everything, but i'm actually pretty reserved about these types of issues and don't give my opinion completely until i know the specifics of everything. When the Taylor issue came out, a lot of the people who are now attacking Cabrera where all over him, calling him a rapist and s***, while i kept a cool head thinking that maybe that wasn't all there was to it. I was one of the first to post further details of the case. My point is, that it's easy to judge and throw people under the bus, but it's harder to try and see that we are all human, and people make mistakes. Now this doesn't mean that he shouldn't be punished, because he should be, but let's not make him out like he's a piece of s***. He is part of the morality problems with society, but he is getting his punishment. I don't think he's an idiot or piece of s***, and neither is Hamilton. The way for society to not "condone" this type of behavior is by doing what is being done to Cabrera: Punishment. Other than that, we have no right to point fingers. Everyone makes mistakes, and they are no better.

Jacko, you are pathetic. You've been going through every thread involving DUI's or drug charges, and the best you've come up with is a mention on my part of the fact that morality has gone down the toilet. If you'll notice from the other threads you've been looking at (Joba's mom, Nick Adenhart) etc etc etc i usually don't go all out talking s*** on any of them, and when i talked about the Hamilton issue, i was mostly making mention to the "Alcohol, hookers and blow" thing. I'm not the one here with a holier than thou attitude trying to show people i'm better than them. Point is, BPEF is right. You are the direct opposite of everything i would expect in a health care professional, with that huge ego you've got. Learn some humility buddy. You are better than no one, and your save-face attempt is weak. Look for one quote where i specifically mentioned Hamilton as a "piece of s***, jack-ass" or another insult denigrating his humanity. "When someone else calls you out, pull the race card". If anyone here has racial issues, it's you buddy. I'll wait here.

Seems fair enough.