Muggah

What are we going to say if not a one of them pans out?

You're better off paying the few extra bucks to stay in the city and walk to the games or ride the T---get the whole experience. Seabeachfred can help you if you need specifics.

I wouldn't get your hopes up. This is just the tip of the iceberg with Bekcett. He's squarely in the crosshairs of just about everyone not employed by the Sox. Ownership and the FO are already at DEFCON 2, anticipating the worst. Of course this could all change with a reversal by Josh towards his behavior last Sept., but that's highly doubtful if history is any judge. They'll do their best to shield him from the media and fans, but from what I've been told they're fully expecting him to be booed out of the stadium on opening day on the 13th. Tough situation.

That makes two of us.

SOURCE: SOX SIGN OHLENDORF By: Alex Speier FORT MYERS -- An industry source has confirmed to WEEI.com that the Red Sox have signed veteran right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to a minor-league contract. Ohlendorf had an 8.15 ERA in eight appearances (all starts) with the Pirates in 2011 and was released by Pittsburgh after the season. The 29-year-old Ohlendorf, a Princeton graduate, had his best season with the Pirates in 2009, winning 11 games with a 3.92 ERA in 29 starts. Peter Gammons was first to report the deal between the Sox and Ohlendorf.

Silence, in this case, most likely means they're both planning on showing up.

RED SOX BLOG Adrian Gonzalez on fried chicken in the clubhouse: 'People have to eat' February 15, 2012 10:55 am By Mike McDermott Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez appeared this morning on ESPN's SportsCenter, where he took questions from Hannah Storm about several topics, including the team's late-season collapse. At one point, Storm made reference to the fact that a handful of Boston pitchers had on occasion enjoyed fried chicken and beer in the clubhouse. "We just didn't play good baseball," Gonzalez said. "People have to eat, whether it's chicken or [whatever]." Gonzalez said that he met his new manager, Bobby Valentine, last week in Boston, and noted the differences in personality between Valentine and Terry Francona. He described Valentine as someone who would stress the details, and also said that it was important for the Red Sox to play every game like it matters. In conclusion, Storm asked Gonzalez the inevitable question about Jeremy Lin. The first baseman said that he sensed the buzz about Lin, a Harvard graduate, during his recent time in Boston. "It was a weird feeling," Gonzalez said, "seeing Boston embrace a guy who plays for a New York team."

I think your last two sentences are spot on, jung. And I firmly believe both ownership and the FO are in complete agreement with you as far that being their primary definition of success this season. Not a one of them has mentioned a thing about 'playoffs' or 90 or 95 wins, they have instead chosen to ask us to be patient, promising only that, given time, we will see pride and dignity restored to the way the players approach the game. That's their main goal. Everything else is ancillary this year.

I don't see it that way. In fact not at all. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

I never said this team sucks, because it doesn't. But it should be clear to anyone not wearing rose colored glasses that this team is not a playoff caliber team. Not this year. Sorry. And I fully believe both Ben and BV have been alluding to that. If that's not what you're taking away from what they've been saying, then fine--so be it. But IMO they've made every effort, albeit indirectly, to warn people not to get their hopes too high.

I'm not being negative IMO. What I'm simply trying to point out is the exact same thing Valentine and Cherington are---don't get your hopes too high. According to you they know more than all of us. So if they're saying the exact same thing I am, why don't you email them and ask them about their so called 'negativity.' All I'm simply doing is trying to save a few 'pie in the sky' folks from setting themselves up for disappointment.

He got away with it once. Why wouldn't he do it again?

Spot on.

And I owe you an apology, too, SCM. This thing has driven me crazy this winter, but that's no excuse for me taking it out on other posters. Please accept my apology and let's hope the arrival of the players in camp will put us all in a better frame of mind.

I think you're over-simplifying things a bit. And I believe this is why Valentine has made the statements he has about not 'imagining' a role for these two has-beens. We're not dealing with MENSA candidates here, and all it's really going to take for Beckett to start strong-arming ownership to reinstate Varitek as his personal caddie is simply Jason's presence in camp. If you recall, Tito went out of his way at the beginning of camp last year to inform us all that Josh's days of hand picking his own catcher were over. A short time later Tito was before the cameras playing the fool because Josh had gone over his head and gotten his way. The vey same result is likely to take place if Varitek even shows up in camp. In fact, I'm not going to be surprised to see them move Shoppach if he shows up and his 'boys' in the rotation start lobbying Prune Face for his return. That's going to be a touch position for Valentine to be in, and a horrible way to start both camp and the season. So while I hope you're right, there's precedent for the thing to become a major distraction.

It sounds like you're upset. Did I say something to offend you?