Spitball

I'm not sure you meant what you said. This is a contradiction in the same paragraph.

Right. Mauer is a great player but is at the point in his career where elite players start to lose their elite abilities. I'd rather go with Maura Gomez's or a younger, more affordable option. I agree but would really hate to see the Twins lose their favorite player and be saddled with the salary. That is a great smaller market franchise and that would hurt them.

When Johnny Bench's days behind the plate were over, he moved to third. I wonder if that would work with Mauer. Btw, I hope Mauer retires a Twin. When I was in Fort Meyers for spring training, virtually every Twins jersey I saw was a number 7.

Sure, the players do the hitting and pitching, but managers really do impact a team's success. Talented players, like the Red Sox have, and a good manager can be the difference between a winning team and a below .500 team. First of all, there are at least 1,000 signs flashed during a baseball game between the two teams. Most are generated by the managers, if not directly at least by the managers' designs. The pitchers and catchers sign at least once per pitch and usually more. The pitch strategy has been pre-determined by the manager and staff before the first pitch is even thrown. The manager and his staff have to determine how batters will be pitched to. Infielders have to know where to be positioned and who will cover the bag on a throw. If the wrong infielder leaves position to cover the bag, he will leave a hole for the batter. It is not always a left or right handed thing. The inside or outside pitch has to be called and the positioning has to be coordinated. The outfield needs to know where to position themselves, and not just by the batter, but also by the pitches being thrown. The offense has to be designed around strengths of the individuals. Whitey Herzog was an excellent example of a manager who would take advantage of personel. When he had only Jack Clark with any power, he ran the bases. He made sure Clark got fastballs to pound by sending runners. His offense put pressure on the defense and manufactured runs. Pitchers and bullpen might be the hardest part of managing. When does the manager replace a pitcher? It can affect several games if the manager gets the relief pitcher up too early. It can lose a game if he waits too long. The manager has to be a clubhouse leader. A manager can't simply say, "It will be my way." He has to earn that respect and act in a way that inspires athletes who earn millions of dollars. Managing large egos and knowing the important nuances of baseball are not easy. I hope the Red Sox find the right guy. In my opinion, Bobby Valentine is not the guy.

Right, and he is owed $23 million a year through 2018. His contract is one of the worst in all of baseball. Catchers just don't keep producing after too many years of squating, blocking pitches, and taking foul tips. The Sox would be absolute fools to take this guy on after the gift the Dodgers just gave them.

It is an old saying in baseball. Perhaps you have not been following the game very long. Talk about blanket statements! I did not hate Valentine in the beginning. No one is suggesting anyone fire all the players. It is just an old saying in baseball I don't know how long you have been following baseball, but baseball is about winning. It is not about building a community club. There are lots of reasons games are won or lost, but the ultimate job of the manager is to create a winner. Every manager will face problems. Players will get injured. Players will be selfish. It is the managers job to fix those problems the best he can in order to win baseball games. Grady Little was a very successful manager in Boston in 2002 and 2003. In the 2003, he guided them to the ALCS against the Yankees. The series went to the seventh game and the Sox had Pedro Martinez, the greatest pitcher of our time, on the mound. The Red Sox had a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning. They were six outs away from the World Series. After recording an out, Pedro gave up four straight hits and a run. Everyone could see Pedro was out of gas. The Sox had a deep bullpen, but Little allowed Pedro to pitch to Jorge Posada. Posada doubled to tie the game, and the Yankees would go onto win in eleven innings. They would go to the World Series, and the Red Sox would go home. Shortly afterward, Little was out as the Red Sox manager. Why? It was simply because he didn't win when he had to. The lesson is that managers are expected to win. Dude, you've got four posts!

I believe this is the kind of trade the Red Sox should absolutely not make. They just got rid of three bad contracts and shouldn't be looking to acquire another one...especially for a young starting pitcher.

If the Sox just wanted someone to change the clubhouse culture, they should have hired Dr. Phil. Valentine was hired to make the third highest payrolled team a winning team. Changing the clubhouse culture would have to be just one of his focuses. There is also the business of building a winning culture. A year ago, with virtually the same players, The Red Sox were 30 games over .500. Valentine may have changed the culture...but not necessarily for the better. Outside of the trade with the Dodgers (and that was more about the Dodgers' stupidity), the Red Sox have done little right. If they bring back Valentine, it will just be another failure to understand how to build a winning team.

Bobby Valentine was brought in for one purpose, to manage the Red Sox into contention. He did not do it. The Red Sox have played very poorly. As the saying goes, you can't fire twenty-five players, but you can fire the manager.

I would be happy with Tek. I am not so sure about Schilling.

Francona had the same prima donnas and also some injuries, and no one in the front office felt sorry for him. I honestly don't see how Valentine can be brought back. I would be surprised but happy to see Tek brought in to manage the Sox.

Stewart pitched a one-hit shutout versus the Twins a little less than a year ago.

I don't know if he wins it "for sure." Jered Weaver, David Price, and Justin Verlander are all having equally good seasons. With Ichiro gone, Felix Hernandez is the face of that franchise. They won't, they can't, trade him at this point.

Hahaha! I am the one who continued this foolishness.

I believe Ortiz will be back. SoxFanForsyth is correct in that the Yankees have too many aging players they need to rotate throught the DH position. Also, by Ortiz accepting arbitration last year, we can assume he likes it in Boston. I am more worried about building depth in the rotation. Through a miracle of stupidity by the Dodgers, the Sox now have the money to rebuild. I pray Cherington has the wisdom to do it wisely.

I can't believe this silly thread is still going. There is no way the Mariners are trading Hernandez to the Red Sox. First, he would be the most sought after pitcher in baseball. He would command better prospects than the Red Sox possess. The Sox have a nice group of B-type prospects, but they are behind other teams who will be seeking starting pitching, including the Jays, Rangers, Cards, Royals, and Braves. In fact, the Mariners have better prospects than the Red Sox. Secondly, the need for just a Hernandez type pitcher has passed. The Sox need more. They need depth in the rotation, a first baseman, shortstop, and at least one outfielder with power. Hernandez would be the cool guy to get, but hardly the smart way to get this team back into contention. The Sox just cleared some bad contracts out by some kind of miracle. They need to rebuild by making wise choices. Epstein went crazy like a seventh-grade kid trading baseball cards and nearly ruined the franchise. Hernandez won't be coming to Boston and they don't need to be making that kind of trade at this point.

Forgetting the Bard's failure and assuming a competent starter will be impossible to obtain, I'd move Aceves to the rotation next year.

Hernandez is great...but so was Beckett. The Sox have to be careful with the saved money. They can't drain the farm system further and sink the saved money back into an over-priced contract. They have to avoid the traps they have fallen into that has resulted in this horrible season. A great player's production will regress with time. Given the Dodgers' gift, the Sox have to be careful going forward.

Torey Lovullo is a possibility. He was in the system before moving to Toronto and seems to be highly thought of. He has been interviewed for several managerial positions.

Why Piniella? Because he wouldn't take any crap? Then hire Mike Tyson if that is what you want. Piniella has shown a lack of passion for baseball in his last seven years in the game. He didn't even finish out his last year with the Cubs. He went home rather than see the season out. His passion had left him.

:clap:

Carl Yastrzemski turns 73 today.

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Dawn of the Dead Sox The Rocky Horror Baseball Team The Good, the Bad, and the Red Sox The Inglorious Basterds: Henry, Lucchino, Cherington