cp176

Guess I must be really old. Although even I can't question which decade was the greatest. I will say it again. It is absolutely unbelievable that they are this bad.

I was ok with 67. I really don't recall any discussion of the payroll size through the decades of the 70's and 80's. Not speaking for you or anyone else. I had much more fun back in the day. It is hard to imagine that with all of the supposed careful planning and the money spent that they would be this bad.

Castillo sure looks good from a distance. Our management group looks like they get caught up in the eye candy. He will soon be 28. Maybe he is tradeable. Maybe they can convince somebody else that ehe will be the next superstar.

I don't know how it will work out for JbJ but after watching Castillo's all around play and Ramirez in the field, I would be very much in favor of putting him in the outfield and just leaving him alone for awhile. If he hits, what a premium that would be.

I really hope not. Swihart is starting to hit - he has a power arm - and is learning on the job. No one knows what will become of Vasquez. With that in mind, I see it as Swihart's job with Hannigan backing him up.

When a team has this type of payroll (unlimited) and produces this type of product, it is not good. I am happy that we have won world championships but I had much more fun following them before the payroll bump. They basically are bad. I would much prefer a team that gradually phased out its veterans, turned the page and went young.

I will go see him soon.

And just to add to this - he ain't no f***ing kid. This team has literally spit money into the air without anything to show for it. We now have 3,4, or 5 centerfielders in our system who are clones of one another. From a pitching perspective we have Rodriguez and then we have the rest of them. Any and all could be traded. Power bats are a long ways away. I am a Sox fan for life but what they have done really does suck. We will get through it and maybe they will get lucky.

No one at aaa - no one at aa - guys with some real potential at a level. When I see Travis Shaw, who has been playing first base on a consistent basis move to third, i ask what is up with that and I don't care where he played before he hit Pawtucket. Chechinni of late has been moved from third to the outfield. I am as confused as Ramirez is. Please don't get offended by my post SK. I really like your posts and think that you offer some very good info. I actually agree with you in a way. I am not a big fan of Sandovals but who really plays third base for us now if that happens? I think that right now our management team is as confused as everyone else. It is easy to say that a positional change for a professional athlete should be fairly smooth in most cases but Ramirez's escapades indicate that it might not be that easy. It looks like they are throwing darts blindfolded.

It is pretty obvious that a trade for Hamels would have helped this team now and for the future as well. It would have cost us a lot less before the season began. We need an established top of the rotation guy if available to lead the way for the future. I think that we would have to pay a very high ransom for a pitcher of his quality right now. I hope I am wrong but I don't see that big addition coming that we all hoped for. The players that have produced are the ones we don't want to lose.

yup that too. I say time for the young stars to move on up. Great post by the way.

Pretty much my thoughts as well.

how does he earn it? I have no clue how prospect evaluations are done. I don't care. Unfortunately in the Red Sox organization, I don't see any 20 year olds tearing anything up.

3 more hits for JBJ = .325 Outside of the ones that have already been brought up this year (and possibly sent back) he continues to be the "prospect " who is putting up the best numbers. Seems like he should get another shot. If your minor league system is going to have credibility isn't that how it should work? That would seem to make sense - maybe too much sense.

Margot promoted to Portland. A reason to take in a game? Bradley, Betts, Margot, Binintendi - all good athletes. All the same type of player? speed - good defense - decent arms - limited power potential.

thank you Kimmi - I do respect your comments. I think that the key words here are in and of itself. It isn't a stand alone stat. It can still have significant meaning over the long haul but taken separately it is no better than many other statistics.

Good job

Oh Come on now Bellhorn. We have been instructed this year that new wave thinking considers a pitcher's win loss record not very important. Only old no nothings like me still consider this a reasonable stat to consider.

Me either really.

I'm guessing we are all guilty of that from time to time . I don't think I know what is going on at all. Glad I could add some humor to your day.

Almost everybody who posts here felt that we were one pitcher shy. We still are even with Rodriguez although he sure helps. I am really enjoying watching Mookie get it going.

Absolutely accurate. I was not in the least bit surprised that Rodriguez was brought up. He is and has been the young pitcher with the highest ceiling. He was just needed sooner than I thought that he was going to be.

That is very accurate I think. I think that there was reason to feel optimistic going into this season. But I have to also say that personally I don't think that I ever felt anything other than optimism heading into spring training. The pitching staff as a whole has not shown any sign that they are going to get the job done. Outside of Rodriguez, who many people didn't even have on their radar, they have been disappointing. I did then and I still do like what the scouts said about Rodriguez. Trading Cespedes and bringing in Porcello - signing Sandoval and Ramirez seemed to be stepping in the right direction both from a pitching as well as a hitting perspective. No one could possibly have foreseen how poorly Ramirez would adjust to playing let field. No way. Ramirez came back with some baggage that much we did know. We can second guess most of the decisions that were made. It is safe to say that no one is particularly happy right now. Personally for me there will be a time if things don't improve that I think saying that things didn't work out is ok. No one is right all of the time. Turn the page. I hope that they will build a team based around the play of their young players. Outside of Pedroia and Holt, I think that this is where their leadership is going to come from.

Revisionist thinking or not many if not most people entered this season with a heavy dose of caution attached to their optimism. I am not particularly critical of the decisions that they made to try to improve the team in general. If things don't get a little better, it would be senseless not to make some changes.

As long as the young pitching staff comes along, I agree with you. Whether both Swihart and Vasquez stay in Boston will be interesting to find out.