cp176

Times were just a little bit different. Any owner or manager who did what Rickey did was in fact taking his life into his own hands. If it had been easy to do, it would have been done years before for some of the greatest players who ever played the game. Theo has done a great job, but comparing him to those that did the job generations before is impossible. We all get an equal vote as to who we think the greatest of all time was. Hey - I take Russell over Jordan everyday of the week.

I guess my real question is right now how good is Vazquez? I need some real feedback here because I haven't heard much talk outside of Boston claiming that he is one of the best in baseball. Leon looks to be easily as competent. If Vazquez actually laid over the field with respect to all things catching, Leon would be a footnote regardless of what he did this year. I'm guessing that there really isn't much difference between the two.

Man - you folks are throwing those figures around as though this team has a limitless budget or no budget at all. Come on.

you just keep doing what you are doing

kind of like it myself - creates some conversation

With what we currently have in starting pitching, there is no way as in 0 that I would give up Kopech at this time. When the talk trends toward a discussion of younger players, I get excited about the ones who are actually showing signs of living up to their potential as opposed to those that everybody (including the scouts) says somebody might be other worldly. Kopech is an example of the type of pitching that you just don't give up at this time.

In my world - which I understand is a little unbalanced - I would have wanted one more very near potential starter in addition to a JBJ. Maybe even an E-Rod. It might cost a JBJ plus Swihart plus an E-Rod or Moncada. They might even ask for more. A cost that gets pretty high but of course you still have to listen.

whatshisname from Portland.

My take from what is coming out of White Sox land - yes you might be able to pry our young pitchers away from but it is going to cost you a great deal!!! The players we gave up collectively to get Kimbrel and Pomeranz were chump change in comparison to what it will take to drag young pitching away from the white Sox. If we do business with them then we get to discuss for real whether or not we have sacrificed our future to add on pitcher to our roster.

I think that this is the problem - good one to have - with many of our younger players. Most teams would absolutely love to have quite a few of them. We aren't so bad in the positions they play that we actually have to count on them but they may still be so good that we don't want to just give them away.

I'm guessing that it says something about them not being completely blown away by the abilities of any of the guys that caught for us this year. Will Leon hit? Can Vazquez hit? Either one of them that good behind the plate that a lack of hitting does not factor in with respect to playing time? Once again, I think that DD has tough decisions to make. Trading Swihart before we truly know what we have in Leon or Vazquez might not be such a good idea. You never know - He just might wind up being our everyday catcher.(in time)

Beltran I get (or actually EE possibly) Signing a third baseman without a major trade for totr pitching I would not get. Some of us of course might see third base as a problem that needs to be upgraded. I just absolutely believe that there are ample in house options to cover this one. There are just too many variables that we don't have answers to just yet. I see it this way- 1. dh bat gets signed - you need something that looks a little more like a sure thing than trying to piece meal it from within. 2. relief pitching upgrade 3. major trade for starting pitching.

I'm changing course here. I like Beltran for one and since you didn't put in a team that he is projected to go to - I'm going to pencil in Boston for them.

I don't think he is throwing up smoke screens. His comments just seem to make sense. Beltran could be the target and it does make sense. I don't think that it is the money as much as it is the years that it would cost to sign EE.

Kopech starting the season in Portland is good news for us folk up here. Better news is that there seems to be no indication that he will be anything but a starter.

What did i use to stick those cards on the spokes?

I just chummed the water a little bit. Mostly just fooling around. Just so you know - i enjoy reading your posts. sometimes I actually agree with you. This is a particularly slow time of year for me thus this is what you get. For the record - I have not actually disliked any of DD's moves. Even if I did, I probably would stay quiet - It is his job. I very much enjoyed Theo when he was here but I also thought and still think that Dan Duquette did well also. In my opinion, he is much maligned. As for Ben - not so much. I do give him some credit for helping with others to build our minor league program but I have to admit that I feel much more comfortable with DD in charge. Must be something about his rumpled look I guess. what else could it be right? I guess I get the fact that around here Larry Luchinno seems to take a beating. I have to say though for me he was part of the solution. If people feel that he was part of a problem then obviously they have some inside scoop from reputable sources that I just am not interested in. It is their opinion - I don't know the man. I'm looking forward to next year although we will keep reliving what has happened. And yes - I do feel feel that since Dick Williams is long gone, I really do wish that Mr. Francona was still with us.

short term - intermediate - long term I circle intermediate if I have to choose. lol

Oh come on Bell - Don't rain on the current King of Hindsight's parade. Don't spoil the moment.

right beside my pete rose rookie - how about that? pretty sad right?

Old school! Of course you are. I think. It's good that some of us still exist. In all honesty though, what does it mean? Old schoolers that I know tend to be in the middle with respect to many of their beliefs whether they are sport oriented or whatever else. Traditionalists I guess who need to actually hear both sides before they form an opinion. Some tend to think that we are close minded - I don't agree. I still learn something new everyday and am very open to new ideas. It is doubtful though that I am going to let someone else make up my mind for me. With respect to leaders, isn't that the way it goes - too much credit when things go well and too much blame when things don't work out. A real leader to me is someone who doesn't crave the spotlight.

Yes - a waste of time in this case. This is what you do. I get it. You aren't alone. You assume that because an 18 year old kid was traded for a 27 year old kid with some upside as well, that whoever suggests that this still is good idea then those people would of course have traded Betts, Bogaerts, etc. for immediate wins. It is a sad way to characterize people who just don't agree with you but I guess it is what people do these days. I happen to believe that it is still possible to look at this franchise with an eye toward the future be it the immediate future or 5 years down the line. It is a balancing act and to date I have seen nothing from our management that even looks remotely like selling off the future for today. Keep the faith though - maybe in a few years you will be able to hindsight DD's views to death.

I do not care at all about Theo - how he felt - what his mindset was - 0. I do not know him. He does not play for us. He does not pay the bills. I would not sacrifice the next 4-5-6 years in hopes that in the 7th Pedro might reappear. It is a waste of time. There will be others. I am not being short-sighted with respect to his numbers. Whether they be his performance to date or what in the opinions of many they might be in the future. I get the fact that he does have great potential.

If it is a personal question - of course not - I don't carry grudges. If I did, it is likely that they would be against someone that I actually knew. Now - using the best available information - or at least what we think is the best available information to formulate our opinions is what we do. But, what appears to be to us the best available information still can be painted with prejudice. I have read what is readily available to read with respect to what has and is going on in the Red Sox front office. I still have no favorites. Actually I could care less about who the GM or President or whoever is in charge as long as the job gets done. I am simply just a fan. Maybe just simple though because my concern is really focused on the product performing on the field. Honestly, I like leadership to be less needy. I have been very satisfied to date with DD. I'm happy for all that Theo, Ben, Larry, etc.etc.etc. did for us but in the end they are just as replaceable as anyone else. I'm sure that I am not the only one who has actually experienced that.

Yes - Espinoza is no longer in our system. Pomeranz is. How old is Espinoza again (i do know the answer) and how has he actually performed to date? Don't get me wrong, no one likes to see potential pitching traded away but in this case being somewhat realistic is also a good thing. You are not the only one here who has been grievously upset over this (or any) of DD's deals but what do you or Espi's most ardent supporters see as his potential timeline to break in to any ml rotation? 4-5-6 years or ever? Who can tell. Like it or not, the Pomeranz deal was necessary and has a much greater chance of helping us for the next 5 years than hanging on to the teenager would have. As a fan of this team, I am as concerned about our future teams as anyone. I just think that the future plan encompasses a shorter period of time - say 5 years - as opposed to others.