cp176

This is pretty much what I have been saying . It is why I place so much significance on the regular season. I have not been spoiled. I'll take what ever we get once we get to the playoffs. Winning it all requires a great deal of luck during the second season.

If anyone is playing for an aggressive running team and they are distracted and affected by a player when they attempt to steal a base, there is a good chance that that player should not be playing for that team. I'm a real believer in "what goes around comes around", stealing bases, moving runners along by any means and just in general playing good fundamental baseball is going to make a return.

I'm with you here for sure.

Thanks - and I do appreciate people who feel this way. I love those rings too but I still feel that you have to be damn lucky to get one even if you are the far better team.

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones here because I look at just getting to the playoffs as a much greater feat than actually winning once you get there. In my opinion, it is by far a much tougher job to keep a team motivated, moving , and winning throughout the course of the regular season. Slightly above average teams have lucked out on more than one occasion and come out big winners. Get me to the dance - small or big - and I'm proud and happy as well. It is nice to win it all but I will never judge a player or coach based on what they do in the payoffs. Once again the opinion that some have that if you don't win it all then you are not successful is a totally hot dose of stinking ******** the way I see things. In the playoffs which I think are far too long anyway, anything can happen. The best teams don't always win. Too much luck involved. Once again it is just me, but maybe that is why I think that Cora right now is a far better coach then we have seen in some time and also that our General Manager is equally as good.

Reading your posts has made it much more clear to me. Dave Dombrowski has done an excellent job as the GM of this team. I absolutely believe that he will continue to do so as we move forward. I am enjoying a good old solid dose of New England dominance. Our lineup is filled with players who seem to be of pretty good character. they work hard and they like each other. Our team being in the hands of our current ownership, Cora, and DD indicates to me that we will be just fine as we head into the future. I have every expectation that we will compete at a high level for years to come and there will obviously be plenty of griping about how the franchise does what it does. Personally I will continue to enjoy the types of players that make up our roster and I could care less about how they are all acquired. Just a fan here who doesn't believe in playing GM particularly through the use of hindsight. Obviously contract signings are going to just continue getting tougher for every competitive team. I'm just glad that we have someone who is more than competent at what they do leading the way.

I'm not sure that he was too big a problem, but it is really pretty obvious that our team is a better team without him. His productive years were all used up and our guys were sharp enough to see it. Maybe Hanley was the great teammate that some said he was and maybe he wasn't. who really knows? I like the guys that were brought in a lot more than I ever liked Hanley Ramirez.

I've really come a long way on this one. In my time as a Sox fan, got to say I have seen and enjoyed my share of great ones for sure. This guy is special. I don't think that they can slap a price tag on him. If he gets away, the cost to this franchise in today's world of declining interest in America's past time, might be too much for them to bear. He is worth that much. It'll get done.

We are fortunate that our current ownership has never embraced the theory of what many of our fans think the "farm" exists for. Our lower level talent pool really does have some interesting kids there. As long as Henry keeps the club and has DD as the GM, this team competes for many many years. Let's go. Someone here said that DD traded away "elite" pieces to acquire Sale and Kimbrel. What really makes any of those traded elite? We have a young team, an excellent GM, and an owner who seems to identify with doing what it takes to win. Not just now but year after year. with respect to this elite talent (lol) that was traded away, sorry I for one am very content with the players that they were used to bring in for us.

yup and it might not even be short of Trout's. Trout is a special one for sure. It is just too bad that he plays out there on the left coast. I'm beginning to think though that our guy might not be behind anyone.

You folks can argue about what you think Betts is worth and for how many years. No one here knows nor does anyone really know what John Henry will pay to keep him. At some point, they will sit down with Mookie and find out just how much it will take to keep him and how many years as well. I would be stunned if he gets away. He is a great young baseball talent for sure but that is only part of it. His smile, his attitude, and the way he approaches the game make him the face of this franchise. You want kids to come to the games dragging their parents along Betts is the one who can draw them. As long as he is in Boston, he will bring in the big money.

Also with respect to the odd double play that Bogaerts was involved in the other night, he did exactly what young players are taught to do in a run down. That runner had to be forced back to third as opposed to being forced toward the plate. If Bogaerts had forced him toward home plate, he would have been making a mistake whether he got the out or not. He used his head - good for him.

Absolutey correct! In Bradley's case, more often than not, players will go if the ball is on the ground. That is the way it works. Obviously when the ball is hit right back to the mound, you'd like to think that he would sit tight but in his defense that ball was a shot. Not a big time base running mistake there whether he makes it or not. His reaction to the pitcher's mistake in throwing the ball to third was made without hesitation. He turned that into a great play by doing more right things than wrong things.

Setting Ramirez free, along with the signings of Pearce, Eovaldi, and Kinsler are all moves that have helped this team move forward. These 3 seem to bring an approach to the game and the team in general that any fan should appreciate.

Many of us have been rooting for this kid since day one. Many of us! None have been pulling for him more than the Spudman. Let's hope for the best for this young athlete.

Pomeranz needs to be able to throw the ball harder than he has so far this year to make any secondary pitch effective. If his velocity is there, he has the ability to help any team. I think that he knows what is at stake tonight.

Being a "status quo" kind of guy (which really is a joke by the way), I'm sitting here reading about all of the potential changes and additions this current team needs to make, while in the meantime they continue to win. if being in favor of the status quo means not wanting to break up in any way what these guys have got going , then maybe that is what I'm all about. There may be some more of what I would call minor additions made to this team but I have to say that I would be surprised if they resulted in bringing in Beltre or any other second baseman at this time. Of course it would look good to assemble what might be called the best team in the history of the game on paper but that might be all that it would be - on paper. What we have currently is a team that appears to be very close. They seem to enjoy each other as they continue their march toward the fall. If status quo means not wanting to do anything that might break up what we have right now in any way then yup I'm all for the status quo.

The part I like the most here is that they have brought in team first guys who really want to be here. Not a lot of selfishness as far as I can see.

74 wins - I'm fine with this group but I'm sure DD is still looking.

Looks like the answer is yes based on he looks today!

Who else can make that play - JBJ

I am not a status quo guy at all. I think that Holt is more capable than you might of manning second base. Nunez is your sub for sure, super sub if you will. We have issues as does every other team. We all have our wish lists but in reality really I just don't see this team in worse shape than any other team and when you are likely the best team in baseball that is good. Don't try to paint me into a corner please by suggesting that I don't want to see us keep trying to improve. I just don't see a very good team as having any dire need for great changes at the present time. We won't fall apart in my opinion if we don't go out and add another bullpen arm or if we don't go out and overpay for a second baseman. Of course some of the names thrown around here as potential trade targets would make us stronger on paper, I just don't see the need that you do.

73 and 33 - Where are the real cracks? Every team has weaknesses, every team has needs. Every team wants to get better. No team is going to win every game. Red Sox fans want to win them all and that isn't a bad thing. If we have to patch a team together for awhile, we won't be much unlike most teams. About the time I start to get down on Kelly or Thornburg etc., they come on out and get it done. I don't think that this team needs to make one move right now.

Jose "the throw" Tartabull. You young folk didn't get to see Williams - Gieger - Jenson.

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