Elktonnick

When Tom Caron a paid NESN employee calls out Crawford for his juvenile behavior you know his shiit is weak.

Then he'll suffer the consequences. CC is obviously very sensitive and very dumb. And BV didn't do anything wrong despite what you may think. This controversy was all CC's doing. He'll have to face the music eventually.

If it couldn't be touched, it certainly lessens its market value as real estate now doesn't it.

No I don't think that approach would have worked because the media was interested in whether CC had returned the call and would have seen throught eh spin. But I am happy the way things worked out. I think those criticizing BV would do so regardless of the result. It is all about enablement of bad behavior. I had a somewhat favorable view of CC prior to this. I no longer have that view. I don't think I am alone.

From the way things happened with CC i don't think BV had any other choice. It wasn't planned. He made a comment about CC's batting stance several months before he was hired when he was an analyst with ESPN. His comments were appropriate for his role. CC got PO'd. BV is hired. Everyone advised him to talk to his players. He does that. He is asked a question. In resposne he said he called CC but ws unable to reach him. No problem so far. Several days later he is asked a followup and replies that he still hasn't spoken to CC. He downplays it but the media follows up. So what is BV supposed to say. Is he supposed to lie? Is he supposed to say no comment? The end result is simple the managers calls and the player doesn't return his call. As far as we know he still hasn't returned his call. Any way you look at it, a fair reading is that BV reached out and CC has snubbed him. I ask you who is the one who is inappropriate? I don't know who is advising Crawford. I don't know if Crawford is smart enough to listen to any advise. But as of right now Crawford not BV is the one who looks like the jerk.

I don't think that will be a significant issue considering the circumstances.

As we speak this team is worse on paper than last year's team going into the season. It doesn't have a closer, it doesn't have a 4th or 5th starter or it doesn't have a setup (Bard and Aceves can't be both starters or in the bullpen) or any decent middle relievers. The way it is currently constructed, it is like many Red Sox clubs who finished out of the money, it will score a lot or runs but it will give up almost as many.

That may be true. But given the evironmental rules and other regulatory hurdles, I don't see how any major construction of a new stadium which will run hundreds of millions of dolars can be done without government support. I am not a developer but I don't see why the current ownerrship would incur that amount of debt without tax credits and other incentives being thrown into the mix.

That's not the way it happened. Valentine was asked repeatedly over several days whether he talked to CC. It was out there that when he first called him Carl was unavailble. It was the followup question several days later about whter CC had returned his call yet. In my view from the interview that I saw BV tried to downplay it. He couldn't avoid the question and not say anything or that would have made things worse. If CC is such a dope and after several weeks still hasn't spoken to his manager whose fault is that, cretainly not BV's. The onus is on Carl, I just think he is too dumb to realize it.

Given the mess that was the "big dig" and the economy, are the Mass pols willing to spend the money and the tax credits to subsidize a new Fenway? I just don't see it happening regardless of the site in downtown. I'd be surprised that the political will is there right now. That could change, however if and when the economy rebounds in a big way. BTW there is another Major League park a couple of miles away if BU is willing to part with the old "WigWam" (which will never happened) I saw my first Major League game there. My father took me with his little league team to see the Braves play before they annouced their move to Milwaukee. We were among the 250,000 who saw the Braves play that year.

I remember my first game in 53. We always sat behind the dugout in reserved grandstands The tickets were three bucks if I remember right. In those days you couldn't drink beer in your seats, not that I was old enough but I remember my father getting a quick beer between innings. The park definitely can't compare with Baltimore or Philly for comfort but it does have a special atmossphere that neither have. If they were to replace Fenway, I don't see how it could be done in today's economic environment and keep in downtown Boston.

Sorry to be so tardy, But Merry Christmas to all

I didn't think so. Lowell was a class act all the way. He clearly was in physical pain.

04 and 07 teams had leadrs within the clubhouse who straighten things out. The 11 team did not. Bobby V is usin the tools available to him. The media will be his ally at least initially. Everyone is disgusted with this team. The team has to re -earn their respect. That's the difference.

A good leader uses what ever tools needed to get the job doen. Francona kept things quiet and look where it got him. These spoiled entitled ingrats liked him but in the end they didn't respect him. Sometimes public criticism is a viable leadership tool, sometimes it may be the only viable tool.