Spitball

I have nothing against Pedro Ciriaco as a utility player, but I'm not going to get carried away. He is not likely to ever be a major league starting shortstop. Minor league numbers are a very good indicator of major league accomplishment. His first minor league years may have been weak, but his three year AAA slash was also a very weak at .265/.281/.368. As for the Iglesias reference, he has a three year minor league career. Ciriaco has had an eight year minor league track record. I don't think they are comparable.

Right...at 27 years old, his minor league numbers tell us he is at best a minor league shortstop. There are more than a few guys out there with similar abilities.

Cliche' alert: Sometimes the best trades are the ones a team doesn't make.

I agree with User Name? on his appreciation of you.

I don't know that I can label myself. I have been an extreme fan since the early 1960s and have seen the really bad and the great...but have always supported the Red Sox. I think I'm a realist with hopeful leanings.

I have too many memories to mention them all. One thing I will never forget is trying to call my dad in Topsfield, Massachusetts, and my son in Portland, Maine, after the last out and the championship had been won. The telephone lines were all tied up, and I could not get a call through to New England. Wow! That really was mass Red Sox love.

Petrocelli was not a bad shortstop, but the Sox acquired Luis Aparicio who was way past his prime. They moved Petro to third, and Aparicio was merely a reputation at shortstop.

Because of Scott Boras, I don't see Ellsbury returning to Boston after this season. Boras rarely changes his mode of opperation even after players like Michael Bourne and Kyle Lohse suffer from his strategies. Ellsbury will test the market unless he is injured again and needs to re-sign a one year contract to re-establish his value. That said, the Sox are in a hard place with Ellsbury. His trade value is hurt by Boras and the injuries. Actually, Ellsbury is also hurt by Boras and the injuries. He would be better off dumping Boras and re-signing with the Red Sox. As someone else said, his market will likely be limited to Seattle where he will likely be the next Chone Figgins. As for Bradley, the Sox would be fools to bring him north off a hot spring training. Spring training is too a small sample size to get excited over. He has been facing a variety of pitchers who are not all major league pitchers nor in mid-season form. In the spring of 2011, Dave Sappelt hit .564 (22-for-38), along with three homers and 12 RBI for the Cincinnati Reds. The previous year, he had been the Reds minor league hitter of the year. The Reds wisely resisted bringing him north off a hot spring. Later in the year, they did bring him up, and he was totally over-powered by actual big league pitchers who were in mid-season form. He was not really ready. Sappelt would eventually be a key prospects traded to Theo Epstein's Cubs a year ago for Sean Marshall. This spring, Sappelt has a .494 OPS and headed back to the minors leagues. Spring training is way too small a sample size to get excited over. Bradley will be the Sox center fielder eventually, but there is no reason to rush the guy. The Sox may surprise this season, but their future is probably not now. We may not like it, but the Sox are going to have to learn to play, if not Money Ball, at least Smart Ball. Times are changing.

Though? In fact, we do not know yet on Kelly, Iglesias, or Rizzo.

Valentine said in an interview on Costas Tonight on NBC Sports Network. "He [Ortiz] realized that this trade meant that we're not going to run this race, and we're not even going to finish the race properly. He decided not to play anymore. I think at that time it was all downhill from there." Does this not put Valentine into perspective? He felt compelled to put the blame someplace other than on himself.

Hahaha! This is so true!

I agree. With the injuries and off season inactivity with the Yankees and the Rays' questions (Loney at first), there are problems at the top. I believe the Orioles have too many question marks and are my choice to finish last. The Jays were a bad team last year and have added players that lead their teams last year to low finishes in the N.L. Plus, Reyes and Johnson have had histories of injuries. This team could possibly emerge as a decent team. I do believe we will have to wait a year or three for the youth to merge with the veteran core to see a real World Series contender. Hey, I am 60 years-old and have become used to waiting.

Fred, Howard tore his Achilles in the 2011 playoffs and still hasn't returned to full strength. The Phillies rejected the WBC request for him to replace Teixeira because he is still recovering. "Though Howard has played in every game this spring, he is still building strength after missing significant time last season because of a torn left Achilles tendon. That gave the Phillies some reservations about turning Howard loose." Some players never return to full form after tearing the Achilles.

AL East 1. Rays 2. Yankees 3. Jays 4. Red Sox 5. Orioles AL Central 1. Tigers 2. White Sox 3. Royals 4. Guardians 5. Twins AL West 1. Angels 2. Rangers 3. Athletics 4. Mariners 5. Astros AL Wild Cards 1. Rangers 2. Yankees NL East 1. Nationals 2. Braves 3. Phillies 4. Mets 5. Marlins NL Central 1. Reds 2. Cardinals 3. Pirates 4. Brewers 5. Cubs NL West 1. Dodgers 2. Giants 3. Diamondbacks 4. Rockies 5. Padres NL Wild Cards 1. Braves 2. Cardinals

Tell us more about your post. I know the guy was responsible for the term sideburns, but was he a bad baseball player?

Hey, Clay Buchholz was arrested for stealing computers at one time. As President Lincoln said when told General Grant was an alcoholic, "Find out what he drinks and give a case to each of my generals."

I totally agree, Dojji. It is not about discussing baseball. It is about them avoiding being wrong. Actually, I can accept Fred's rants. He is over the top, but I can accept him. A.700 can never admit he is wrong, even when he is totally exposed. It is not in his character. At that point, he accuses the poster of being Dutchy. He is like a troll...only he is one of us...I guess. I just worry they have driven off some great posters. Where is User Name? and example1 and others?

Where are they? There are some excellent posters who seem to have disappeared. There are still some excellent posters here, but I believe we also need their input. Does anyone know why some posters no longer seem to be contributing?

You are right. It is always hard to predict how teams and the season will play out. After last off season, everyone was predicting the Angels were a lock after acquiring the top pitcher available in C.J. Wilson and top hitter Albert Pujols. Who was predicting they would be out of the playoffs and the Oakland A s would win the A.L. West?

Often it is not about saving an arm as much as it is about winning a baseball game. I know we all remember 2003 when Grady Little let Pedro Martinez go too long in game 7 of the ALCS. From pitches 85 to 100, the batters had hit .230 off Martinez that year, but from 101 to 120 they had hit .370. Little should have been checking the satistics that game. It wasn't about saving his arm so much as logical checking of the statistics.

I agree, plus the Marlins were a bad team in the (easier) National League with the very same players. The Jays were a similarly bad team last year. I am not sure the math adds up to a vastly improved team in Toronto.

Check out page 2. Fred brought it up first. This is typical. Don't let the facts get in the way of your ego. I go back to ignoring you.

It is very similar to the Youkilis/Middlebrooks situation. Frazier played his way into the starting job when Rolen was injured. It was about the Reds' budget and the inexpensive Frazier's production...and not about the tension between Baker and Rolen.

Being honest is stupid???