cp176

come on - those big guys throw harder and don't get hurt as often

I'm related tho that guy

Lincoln's hat

vertically striped clothing can do that

Loyalty is a great quality to have but when it reaches a point where it is flat out stubbornness and hurts the teams' performance it becomes joke like. If some of the positive predictions just don't seem to working out, I hope Dombrowski will be able to get things done.

Some of their success or lack there of this year will be determined by how quickly it takes them to react if things don't go according to plan. We all want to think that Hanley can get it done at first, Sandoval at third , and that Castillo will hit. If any of these guys don't get off to good starts, we have potentially very good and maybe even better options to replace them. If the decision is made to just hang on and hope that things will get better and they don't, .500 is still a good target. If the sun shines everyday, the skies are blue, and the birds keep singing, "on paper (once again)" we look fairly good.

I wonder if that is the best place for him. We have heard that he wants to be an infielder and specifically a second baseman. it might be better for him (maybe not us) if he was in the outfield.

A fast athletic guy on first is of more concern to an opponent than a fat slug who can't run. My point is that it very well may upset a defense to the point that it can be a disruption that could give the offense an advantage.

Not to the extent of being a contender or a bottom feeder like we have been. This year's team with a top of the rotation guy and a vastly improved bullpen may even allow us to hang in there throughout the course of the summer. We will see.

If everything works out the way we all want it to, that probably is a great estimate. Everything doesn't work out, who knows? Anybody's guess.

Price, Rodriguez, and Porcello will at least be around in the fall. Price will perform as he has in the past. E-Rod will remain a consistent starter. He will have his ups and downs but overall he will continue on an upward trend. Porcello may show signs of improvement but more likely will be what he has been for quite some time. He will be dependable though. Buchholz and Kelly will give us something and that represents an added bonus to me. If Brian Johnson is healthy, I expect him to be a pleasnt surprise. He knows how to pitch. I wouldn't be at all surprised if either or both - Owens and Wright- helped out significantly. Although I would like to see them add one more good one to the rotation, I think that they have other equally important issues that we all are hoping that will resolve themselves. First base - third base - the hitting of both JBJ and Castillo - what happens with the catching scenario. If everything comes together, could be an excitingly competitive season. If there is too much flopping around again, they will have to battle to get the 80-85 win level.

A fat slow guy on first base probably won't be of much concern to anyone. Athletic fast guys draw a little more attention.

Part of the package that has to be taken into consideration is what speed can do to an opponent from a mental aspect. I do not view the game in singular bits of statistical data. If I did, I would not like the game. It would lose its magic for me.

Anything to put pressure on the defense to make them do something physically or mentally different than what they want to do is a good thing from an offensive standpoint. Speed does that.

Ouch on that one!

If he was instructed by ownership to make those moves, I am glad that we have a new GM. I would feel better about him if the decisions were his even though they were bad ones.

ok - here is how I see your logic here. The two moves that we seem to be talking about are the signings of Sandoval last year and Price this year. Since the Red Sox are flush with cash, in your estimation they needed a third baseman last year and they signed the best available in Sandoval. Since they are once again this year flush with cash, they realized that starting pitching was a priority, thus they signed the best available in Price. You see virtually no difference in these two signings, because you feel that both were keeping in line with the team's philosophy at the moment. Those of us who see a difference between these two moves, are allowing our feelings about whether or not we liked either signing to cloud the fact that they represent the same thing in keeping in line with orders from the top? If that is your case, it is much to narrow a focus for me. If it supports your feeling good about Ben Cherington's tenure in Boston, that is fine. The move to sign Sandoval would have made some sense at the time if they had gone out and gotten a real top of the rotation guy as well. They chose not to. Bad move at the time and extremely bad in hindsight. The way you see things - not much difference in the 2 moves. The way I see things - a huge difference particularly considering what they did not do. If that is my bias getting in the way of the facts as you see them, I am very biased.

I understand what you are saying here and I always applaud loyalty. This really has very little to do with the General Managers. We did need a third baseman last year and Ben sure as hell helped to get us one. We needed a top of the rotation pitcher more. Ben's attempt to fill the greatest need that any number of teams face was to sign Porcello, Miley, and Masterson. I like the Price signing more. Although I really do value loyalty, your back door attempt to find a way to praise Ben seems silly to me . It is done. I hope Ben's attempt to solve our third base conundrum works out well for us. Remember now how many times we all thought that another deal had to get done. When Buchholz broke out the t shirts I guess I figured it was a lost cause. It might even have been when Kelly told us that he would win the Cy Young. Oh well - maybe this year.

that is different - obviously he is still the real deal - based on the number of errors he committed last year, it wasn't a stretch to think that he still has some work to do. that is the first time that i have seen anything written about his footwork though .

A couple of things. All things being equal - I did not like facing tall pitchers. They gave the impression (illusionary as it might seem) that they were a helluva lot closer to me than the shorter guys. My teammates tended to feel the same way. Athletes tend to be bigger and probably stronger today. Whether or not they are better is certainly debatable. There seem to be ample supplies of compiled statistics so as to make it possible for people to prove a point that might not even be valid.

I think you might be on to me - I'll admit it. I was trying to give the bear a little poke but he is so deep in hibernation that he isn't bothering with the likes of me. I could have said what I always told my very best point guards just to piss them off. Little people help big people win games. With respect to you personally trying to prove or disprove anything, I'm not sure that I would bet against you. I might not agree with you but that is a different story.

Doesn't surprise me- off day here - just muddling along. Speaking on my behalf though, I'm usually quicker than that.

Fastball velocity leaders of all time possibly - 1. Ryan - 6'2" 2. Chapman - 6'4" 3. Johnson - 6'10" 4. Clemens - 6'4" 5. Zumaya - 6'3' Proves absolutely nothing unless someone wants to make the point that big guys throw harder than little guys. If you have a point to prove, someone can find some kind of stat to back it up.

The wording can certainly make any two signings look similar I think you could say. If there are two positional needs on any team, and both needs get filled, I guess you are right. Exactly the same. I don't think like that. I would find it bizarre if someone truly believed that there was much similarity between a Price and a Sandoval (etc.) signing. The Red Sox in my opinion have needed a top of the rotation pitcher for sometime. They could use the girl or boy who sits on the stool down the left field line to play third base and given the opportunity to sign Price I still would have favored the deal. We just don't agree I guess. You find me old and traditional. I'm not nor are my views. I like the lens I'm looking through.

Hindsight