cp176

How loud a voice do you really think Ben Cherington had at that time?

I don't think that I said that they didn't employ scouts. If this is what they produce, it doesn't seem to be working.

I really don't think that Castillo was or is a stand out very good player. Right at this moment, Rodriguez is their best pitcher.

Very true! no place on anybody's stat sheet showing us how to measure character. People who know athletes know it when they see it.

Hanley Ramirez was traded early in his career by people that had some clue as to what type of person he was and was going to become. He brought a good return but if he had had the mentality to go along with his talent it is quite possible that he never would have been traded. Whether you like Panda or not, he filled an obvious need. He=a third baseman. He was and is sadly an upgrade over what we had at third. Ramirez can hit some of the time. Big f***ing deal. He is a malcontent who needs to be asked to change positions to help his team. If a dh was needed, then maybe but we don't and didn't need one. Now before anyone jumps as to how I know that he is a malcontent let me say that I am as sure of it as some of you are that the Red Sox coaching staff screwed up Porcello. We will not gain ground until he either is dhing or until he is gone. He cannot play left field, third base, or first base.

You are right as we all know. It is a sad reality and a losing way to look at things. But it does happen. i know that you disagree with me with respect to the fact that it is a loser's way to look at things. That is ok. I absolutely believe that the best players have earned the right to play. Regardless of options or team control - the best players should always play. I also understand that it is a business and all that goes with it. I don't buy it at all.

I think you are right. You are a good one. I like the banter. I am just your typical disturbed fan right now.

it's all good - you can hit me with the thread jacking stuff if you like. I just couldn't help it. I agree with you on much of this. I would say that in some cases a player's first exposure to the teaching of good defensive technique may be at the professional level. Some not a lot. Pretty sad! Not the way it is where I come from. On my high school and college teams, the instruction was quite good. I have always been a believer in drafting your best athletes. Normally it is foolish not to. I think implying that I called the Red Sox overuse of repositioning players a fetish is a little harsh though.

You could be right but I think that if he was that mentally fragile, he should not have been signed. Speaking of that - signing Hanley Ramirez was a mistake.

Oh - while I am on a little rant here - I think that your best hitter hits third. And that your run producers should still be in the 3-4-5 slots.

sk - you know that you can spin that one anyway you want to. If he was that much quicker than other second basemen at getting to those balls then their official scorer would suck too I think. I want him to succeed for sure but this franchise is starting to actually become known for moving players from position to position while just assuming that they will be able to field them all if they can field one. But also understand that I still think that wins and losses by starting pitchers is a solid stat to use as well as earned runs allowed as well as RBI's. i am also willing to go on record as saying that bringing Hanley Ramirez to Boston was a much greater risk than bringing Sandoval on board. See what you are dealing with here? I also believe that the people who studied the statistics and suggested that certain moves be made are as responsible as the current coaches for this franchise's failings. That small space between the ears of the players brought in was not studied adequately. Everyone shares the blame. No one gets a free pass. Looking good and actually being good are often two very separate things.

Don't agree - they don't tell the whole story obviously but that many at second base over that many games is reason to suspect that improvement in some area is needed.

Depth is important. No one questions that. The fact remains that winning teams play their best players. They sometimes make difficult decisions not based upon spending when it comes to doing this. If Rodriguez and or Owens and or Wright are outperforming any other starting pitcher it would make no sense to have them start the year in Pawtucket.

As things currently stand - If you had one game that you had to win, who would you start - Porcello, Miley, or Rodriguez?

I sincerely hope that pitching and defense become their priorities from here on in.

If that is all it takes - How great would that be. Eck would love that.

A canard - - really - glad I am just a simple man. People have been tying to make the game of baseball just a little bit more than it should be these days. It is not that complicated. Just so you know - I consider Sandoval and Ramirez both to be players who are professionals but not leaders by any stretch of the imagination. Surround them with good players and they probably will succeed. I do not believe that this belief is all that unusual at all. As a matter of fact, most people realized that there was a great risk involved particularly with the Ramirez signing. I understood the signing of Sandoval. I did not understand at all the Ramirez signing and still believe that this team will be held back to a certain extent until he is either gone or dhing.

I didn't mean to quote you there 700. I was just stunned that someone even suggested that Rodriguez be moved to the bullpen.

Papi we can live with. Ramirez not so much. When you have to wonder how you can hide a player in your lineup, you are going a little too far. They hoped that he could field a position. He can't. They don't want to move him or he doesn't want to move. If he was playing for someone else, he would not be missed. He is a dh and Cherington forgets that there is already someone filling that position. The last thing this team needs is one more player that someone wants to convert to another position in the field.

If Ramirez balks at a position move, they would be a lot better off without him than they are with him. If the front office spouts the company line that they won't consider moving him then that is just an example of the incompetence that is becoming much too common place for this team. You would like to think that they might try to rectify some of the mistakes that they have made. They signed him with too many assumptions.

Just out of curiosity - How could anyone who truly wants to see this team be successful suggest that Rodriguez goes to the pen? If I had to pick one guy that had to start for this team ahead of everybody else that they have yarded out to the mound it would be Rodriguez. He is better than the rest.

If their plan is to develop a farm system and a core of young players while at the same time staying competitive year in and year out, they have failed terribly. Pitching - defense - offense - in that order. They failed to address the first two and made mistakes with respect to the third it looks like. They should be in rebuild mode.

they signed the wrong guys. Stats looked good but a lot more to it than that. they need to be surrounded by high performing professionals which they are not.

Read a glowing report of Moncada possibly moving up. He is starting to hit (.287) but 18 errors at second base in 59 games has to be a concern. Want the best for the kid but you can't sugar coat that stat. It is what it is.

It remains a very difficult question to answer. Everyone involved with the recent moves should share in the blame. No one can hide.