cp176

It would be nice I think to let the Hanlley thing just go. We don't really have any real evidence that tells us much about him. It is all based upon personal perspectives and things that we think we heard or maybe observed. Hanley had a lot of baggage that he possibly dragged around with him. When he was here I made an honest attempt to like and support him but I think that it is ok if I say I am glad that he is gone.

I've always believed this to be true. Many of the Dodgers will tell you right now how much they like and appreciate Machado. We see him do things that we don't like. It would have been easier I think for all of us if Pedroia had been just a little angry at him and not at his teammates when their incident occurred.

Obviously the term limited is relative used in this context. I thought that it might amuse you when talking about millions of dollars being thrown into the the world of entertainment. It is relative - to some 39.9 M really appears more dreamlike. I missed my humor mark - sorry about that. If John Henry wins this year and wants to continue to win and it means that he might have to spend more than what you or our other resident budgetary geniuses suspect he is willing to spend, imo he will spend it even if it means that he has to ignore our opinions. He likes to win.

Peoria means what he says and he knows what he is talking about but the rules around protecting second base became a heck of a lot more important when video review was instituted. Remember the old days when you really didn't have to be all that close to the bag to turn a dp. Things have changed.

Moon - really - "limited budget" - Could you make me feel better by using another expression? LOL Regardless of how much money the organization chooses to spend, it isn't limited. I wonder if any of the other teams in the game feel sorry for us having to get by on our limited budget. I'm just kidding around there but what I'm serious about is that if John Henry wants any of these guys badly enough, he isn't going to feel restricted by any budgetary restraints particularly if we win the series this year.

I think that it would take another foolish move by Machado in order for the Red Sox to conjure up any thought of retaliation for anything that he did. They might not like the thought that Pedroia suffered his injury in the way he did but I doubt seriously that any of them thinks about that incident much. It's over. I hope it stays over. I also hope that this series can remain sort of clean without a major incident. Just win. No one has to like this guy but the fact remains that he is just an incredible talent.

He probably still could be!

I think that what you are saying is accurate. I'm looking at a guy that I want to start very badly though. I saw what you saw for most of the season. I thought it was a good pickup but not special but when the games became ultra important he came up very big and very surprising. The potential which is clearly just that, would put him right up near the top of our rotation. not there but close. I just have started becoming very confident when he is pitching. The arm issue and its' health doesn't bother me too much. i have faith and believe that it has been rebuilt and might even be stronger than it was. And he is just 28. I tend to get a little caught up in the moment when a player goes through what he went through and comes up big. Mostly I just like him, and his attitude. I hope we wind up keeping him. He won't be cheap. Have to add though that when he comes into the game from the bullpen, right now I have more confidence in him getting the job done than anyone else.

I read your post and payed close attention to him fielding and throwing the ball last night and boy are you right on. That arm and quick release in general is very special. Note - I'm not going to be joining his fan club anytime soon but boy oh boy...

The Dodgers are a great team for sure but the only one that truly looks to me like he is threat to hit the ball very very hard every time he comes to the plate is Machado. he practically whiffs on a pitch and still comes close to knocking it off the wall. I don't like him much but he has awesome talent.

That is the big question i think. I didn't give my preference because I just don't know what the Sox will be thinking. I would love to see him continue being a starter I think. if there is just a slight blip in Sale's game, having him in the rotation wouldn't hurt. I really don't have much faith (a little I guess) in Wright or E-Rod. I understand also that we really haven't seen Eovaldi for any length of time but boy has he looked good. I love the fact that he throws strikes for the most part to go with the rest of the package.

When that shot went into the monster nearly taking that guy's hand off, all I could think of was all Houston fans everywhere crying foul and wanting to have fan interference called. lol Nunez hit that ball harder than Machado can throw it and that is something.

i think that resigning Eovaldi should be a priority during this off-season. I love Kimbrel and what he has done but if we have to decide between an overpay for him at the expense of Eovaldi, we have to let Kimbrel go. I begrudgingly will admit that watching Sale recently kind of makes me nervous. I still think that he will be fine but it does make me nervous. His location of pitches scares me much more than seeing the fastball speed slip from 98 to 96. I think that Sale looking like this makes signing Eovaldi much more important.

I don't like Machado much but i don't think that there is any denying the amazing talent. In the field and at the plate.

I sticking with my 5

Thanks go to Dave once again - good one - lol 3 to go

and there goes the shift theory - Turner hit it where the second baseman used to stand.

great start

I'm ok with buck it's pedroia and machado who I don't like

That is very true and yes I did fall into a bit of a trap there. I think that it is just a frustrating time in general probably for all of us and I do think that it is quite easy to take words personally. I probably read too much between the lines so to speak and unfortunately that does not bring out the best in me. But on the brighter side I am really looking forward to tonight. I really hope that we get to see a strong Chris Sale.

You make a very compelling case. I'm sure that I am one of those numb ones who still thinks that there were other things that were going on. I'm glad though you liked him and hold him in high regard for all that he did for the Red Sox. By disagreeing with you, it would make me seem intollerant and probably even biased. I'm not either one of those things. As for him being a good person, that might depend on how well you know him. I don't know him.

It is ok that we disagree. My personal choice is to not give my personal reasons for any of my beliefs on a public forum board. If they don't happen to line up with the current trend or the board's overall prevailing views I run the risk of being labelled something that I am not. It is just the way it goes these days. I do not believe that Hanley Ramirez was just the fun-loving goof ball friendly kind of guy that some want to portray him as. I tried to like him and certainly supported him but I am happy that he is gone and I do hope that he is enjoying his life away from baseball. I think that you are a good person Bellhorn but some posters here play a game of trying to bait people in to saying things that can easily be used against them. I can't be baited. It is probably safe to say that I might be a little too conservative (can I say that here) in my take on things in general to be particularly popular on this type of forum.

Kind of looks to me as though this current version of our team might be better off without either of these guys being on the field. lol We don't need either one of them. I don't mind Pedroia being in the dugout playing a supportive role at all though. He has a lot to offer about how to play the actual game the right way. Hanley who? I'm sorry Slasher - I couldn't help myself.

Some fans love the little dances as well other little displays of emotion. Most coaches understand this and realize that from time to time emotional outbreaks are necessary to break tension. When they happen repetetively they get tiring and can become a distraction, just another way for people to bring attention to themselves. Sometimes you just continue doing things or stop doing things for the good of the team. Often times a good coach will let harmless silly little things go if they are not detrimental to team building. I got very tired of the little outfield dance. Ok for a while but I'm alright with trying something else.

My God - it just doesn't end my friend. Although it is not a particularly positive or nice way to look at things, assuming that Hanley Ramirez was a lovable likable teammate based on very little evidence isn't really much different from looking at things from a little different perspective. I'm with you here - Is it possible that he is an idiot who was constantly seeking attention any way that he could get it? It is possible. If people want to drift around on their self-proclaimed high road and assume that getting rid of him had nothing to do with who he is and that he just wanted to go home and spend more time with his family or even that the only reason was the contract - that is ok. The Red Sox became a better baseball team after he left in many ways. I don't think that was all coincidence. I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but I don't think his "alleged" prior track record needs to just be forgotten. They have no proof that they are right - we have no proof that we are right. That is just the way it goes. We just aren't that nice I guess.