cp176

I'm confused here. Sale was dominant through 6 innings - 92 pitches I think. Barnes pitched the 7th clean. Smith and Kelly s*** the bed. Did you want Sale to pitch the 7th and then go back out for the 8th? That would have put him well over 100 pitches likely! Not happening on the first start of the new season.

somebody blew him up during the winter

If they are really hurting for a catcher right now, I don't think there would be any question which of those 2 guys they would want - Leon the finished product.

Great start for Sale! no one too surprised I bet - right about now I'm thinking he is just rip s*** pissed that he walked 3 batters.

come on MVP - we are liking some Devers in the field right now.

Devers is just a natural with that bat. I liked how he looked on that first chance in the field.

so I'm thinking Nunez knee must be feeling pretty good!!!

Sale looks like well SALE

Got to take a walk to loosen up. In the final countdown .

I think that the better JBJ hits lessons the chances of him being moved significantly. He hits - Boston keeps him - I'd be happy.

I think that you have remained fairly neutral over the course of this GM discussion. You helped answer some questions for me. I probably should not have posted this because I do think that anything to keep the board moving along is good.

But Moon, I get the passion that goes along with the feelings of so many people here. I've always felt that passion in what we do keeps us moving and young. I just don't get the passion that is exhibited for both the like and dislike, and for some that is exactly what it is, for GM's. How does anyone here really truly know what Ben Cherington would have done with this team had he been able to stay? Do people really believe that LL was responsible for the bad free agent signings under Cherington. Is it fair to judge DD with respect to minor league developed based on something you think you might know based on his past. Personally I would not have minded Cherington staying. I truly do not care. I will say though that I have not disliked any of the moves DD has made to date. It took me a long time time as in years and years not just a couple to get sick of the moves made by "my" former NY Giants GM. Guess I'm just a simple fan. If I disliked the moves being made by any GM as much as some here seem to, as well as the direction in which the club seems to be moving, Personally speaking (emphasis on that ) I might consider not following the team or eve possibly pulling for someone else.

Jerry Moses has recently passed away. RIP Jerry - I remember him very well back in the day.

Inside the Mind of JD Martinez - a very good read.

It was a very good read for me when I read what JD Martinez said about what he considers "being in the zone" . He believes that as soon as you start thinking about being in that special place where hits just seem to come easily you are out of it. Kind of looks to me as though he truly believes that the mental approach to the game is actually certainly equal to if not more important than the physical approach. I like what he had to say and believe in it very much.

Great post!!!

I would probably agree that word for word no one has said that spring training does not count. Many people here have said that spring training statistics do not count. In my world, that basically is the same thing. Now my comment once again was meant to be humorous but it is pretty much what people have said - and yes as you probably might have imagined I don't agree with that sentiment. In my little world, spring raining still counts a great deal actually.

You bring up some very good points. My response might have seemed too simplistic and these types of cases are anything but simple. They are all different and all methods of protection as well as treatment have to be considered of course. All done for a while with this topic for me. Too depressing - BASEBALL!!!

thanks for posting this - I'm going to try to be serious here for just a minute. I have been reading your postings now for quite some time and I think I know how you feel with respect to some of the social issues that we face today such as domestic violence. I'm proud of you (might not mean much but I am older than you) for voicing your opinions the way you do. This particular one is very important to me as well. I'm not being callous if it seems that I don't want a domestic abuser punished more severely. I do - In some of these situations we just aren't privy to all the info. If any convicted domestic abuser was never again allowed to play ml baseball, I would be very pleased. Now back to baseball!

I think like you do on this one and I actually am very fond of the guy. We have all been waiting for things to come together for him and I think for his sake as well as the team's it needs to be this year.

I think that this would be a classic case of apples to oranges. There are plenty of people out here who have accepted the fact that PED use was sadly a part of the game. Most of us want the game cleaned up. I don't think that there are enough games in a year to make up for a proven domestic abuser. With respect to Wright, I might be going out on a limb here but I would like to think that people have carefully looked into his case and do in fact know a lot more about what happened than anyone here does. I don't know him - I don't know his wife or family - I feel very strongly about domestic abuse for very good reasons but I won't be judging anyone without knowing the whole story.

Good one - So many people just rush to judgement about everything that happens without truly knowing what actually happens. I do get it though. This is a forum where everyone can and should express their opinion. It keeps things moving. I also think that it is important to at least try to understand that some people's opinions on really important issues can be shaped by experiences that they have witnessed or personally have lived through. I know that mine have. Nothing wrong with that.

Personally I am pulling hard for JBJ but he has to hit better than he has. Big year for him.

Do you think that Beni would appear adequate out there if his batting average was say 40 to 50 points higher than JBJ's and his overall production at the plate was significantly better as well?

I agree with you. The only reason I'm posting about this one is that some have suggested that what JBJ has done or not done I should say hasn't and shouldn't be noticed by the guys in charge. As you said, they have worried about him now for a while and his spring has done nothing to increase their confidence level in him.