cp176

I think that Varitek is an obvious logical choice. Boggs is going up but it should not be ahead of the players that we have been discussing. If it had been Tek and not Boggs we would have had one hell of a lot less to talk about.

Great discussion by the way. What I am hearing is that there is no one way to assemble a quality team. It isn't black or white, old or new, advanced metrics or personal scouting alone. It takes a combination of all available tools with quite a bit of plain luck involved as well. I think that the current direction looks good. Even looks as though there is a dose of common sense being used as well.

Thank you very much for posting this. Good to see that there were a few others around at that time who experienced what we saw and felt about this young gift that we were given for such a short time. I don't know whether or not his jersey should be retired. It doesn't really matter. The discussion began with the idea of Wade Boggs having his jersey retired in Boston. Once again, personally I don't really care. My understanding is that the statistical evidence of a player's greatness presents only one piece of the puzzle that gets put together in this picture. We aren't talking the HOF. For lifelong fans who have experienced this team's real rise to the top, that retired number stands for something very very special. Maybe even something a little tragic. I was too young for either Doer or Cronin, but as for the rest of those numbers, even today thinking about them brings back memories that I hope that I will be able to someday share with my grandchildren. To not appreciate the significant contributions of the greatest from this era, is to not appreciate the history of the franchise.

Based on your comments and observations, I am thinking you are confused. It's Tony not his brother Billy. Just a little sarcasm. You are wrong.

It is not wrong in any sense of its meaning His accomplishments from 1964 to 1970 had great significance to fans at that time. I'll stand by any statement that I have made. To somehow trivialize his place in Red Sox history is a shot across the bow that most lifelong fans would not take.

Forgot to mention the fact that he was a local boy. I might be alone in this one as well but that means something to me.

A little over the top I think on your Tony C. negativity. Must have struck a nerve. Tony C. was very very special to those of us who lived through some of the Red Sox most trying seasons. You can beat all you want to about credentials needed to have your number retired. Bottom line - your opinion is no better or worse than anyone elses. My point = Tony Conigliaro represented a hell of a lot more to the history of this team than anything Wade Boggs has ever done. We aren't talking HOF. You see, I remember listening to the game the night he got hit. All of the promise and hope in the world ripped apart by one pitch. For the record, i did not say that i would retire his number. That does not change how I feel about his importance to Red Sox history with respect to Wade Boggs. Simply stated Boggs would be back in the pack for me. Just so I know what I am dealing with - for clarity sake - You are saying that Tony Conigliaro was a flop?

I have read so much on here about who was to blame for all of Ben's moves that I sometimes question whether he actually was the GM or not. My guess is that if any of "Browski's" moves turn out to be poor or even questionable, his feet will be held to the fire as probably they should be. I would really like to know how he actually feels about the possibility that the contracts of Ramirez, Sandoval, and Porcello will have to be honored. I would bet quite a bit that if he could have he already would have moved either Sandoval or Ramirez and possibly both of them. So far he has done a good job for us all by trying to make the most out of a bad situation.

thanks - Just seems like an arbitrary kind of honor to me. A special one for sure but just for starters - Tony C., Luis T., and Dewey would have their day quite a while before Boggs. Sounds like I don't like him but I do. IMO - the others meant more to the Boston Red Sox than he did. Guess I just don't see him as representing more than some others when it comes to Boston Red Sox history.

HOF criteria is fairly definitive. What criteria do the Red Sox use to honor players in this fashion? I'm sure that you must know and I really would like to be enlightened. A pretty good gap between Pesky and Boggs. It is a feel good PR move. Nothing more. It is all good. In your opinion he should have is number retired. Wonderful. My opinion would be without knowing what the specific criteria is that has to be met, there are others that deserve to be honored in this way before Boggs.

I'm sure you would get a ton of support for this opinion.

Not debating his HOF credentials here. Clemens was arguably the best pitcher the team has ever seen. Co jersey retirements.

I agree here. The landscape for MLB just isn't what it used to be. I liked Damon and his contributions as much as anyone but the Red Sox saw a price tag with him that they weren't going to pass. The way it goes. I think that in this day and age it is just a little silly to hold something against someone based upon their making a financial decision. So again, why is Boggs' number being retired? PR move and that is it.

To date his moves have made perfect sense. Anyone who finds fault with what he has done so far, is really just looking for something to talk about. I was at Herb Chamber's place the other day Spud - DD looks to me like he would fit in very well there.

he has indeed - an angel in the outfield

Dead horse - old school vs new school. One alone does not equal a good school. I'm for good which allows us to take the best of the old and the new mix it up and come up with a successful outcome. There is no one size fits all. Once again - I'm pretty sure that both Cherington and Dombrowski are aware of this one.

A good read - thanks - there is a lot to look forward to.

Over the years , the Red Sox have proven that there is not one model that fits all. It takes a solid combination of approaches to get the best job done. Much of what you have said is not debatable. People I think realize the importance of a solid feeder program. For a small market team unlike the Red Sox, it probably represents a much bigger lifeline. As for "new school vs old school", I don't know what that means. I think that both Cherington and Dombrowski both would agree that only using one way to approach a problem is not going to be successful. I have not read or heard anything to make me believe that either one of them was unwilling to embrace either new or old ways of looking at things if they were leading toward success. The disgruntled Cherington fans obviously want to think that Dombrowski has an "old way " of looking at things. He probably cares much more about winning as opposed to promoting one school of thought over another.

It isn't just you at all.

There was certainly too much money invested in players that people hoped would be actually better than they have been last year. Personally though, I think that John Henry cares much more about fielding a winning team than he does about the luxury tax or even the money that has been wasted to a certain extent. I would not be caught off guard if there was still a deal that gets done. I do not think that Swihart's status is necessarily dependent upon Vasquez. If there was an opportunity to secure a top of the line young starter through a trade involving Swihart in a package, I think that you would see him traded. I don't think that he will be given away but his ability to catch and call a game is certainly replaceable for now by using Hanigan and Leon. We could survive without his bat and they are both at present better catchers- imo. They don't represent the future but as a means to an end they do fine.

I think that he has been left between a pebble and a firm place. Pretty sure he is ok with what we have moving toward spring training but he doesn't strike me as the kind of manager who likes to play the guessing game. In this case he has to. I bet that he would love to add one top of the line starter. The money is only done if John Henry wants it to be. There is still plenty of potential for a trade. Might even include Swihart. I don't think that he will let us be sucker punched though.

I only care what these players have meant to the Boston Red Sox. Everybody does not make the honor roll - everyone does not get a trophy. Wade Boggs should not have his number retired by the Red Sox. Once again ( and yes I am beating that dead horse) to retire his number before that of Dwight Evans is an absolute joke. Their respective stats mean really nothing to me. Guys like Evans and Tiant will always have players like Boggs in their rear view mirrors when it it comes to Boston history.

I'm starting to agree with most of your posts and that is scaring me a little. Not really but anyway, i agree with this. He was not the man for the Boston job. Most people realize that . The but is that he did a lot of really good things. I really think that for him Boston came way to early. I would bet on him having a successful career but shoving him in to the forefront in Boston was not what the proverbial doctor ordered.

I don't think that we are as loaded up as people think we are. Like everybody else, we have potential good ones.

Manny Ramirez? really? good one!