cp176

Oh baby- those were good times!

sad sad - so sad

Owens off to a decent start. He is beginning to look like a solid -3-or 4 option. I guess possibly even trade bait but I hope not.

Youth - I can tell you what I wasn't spending my time on when I was his age. Still loved the Sox but had a few other more important items on my mind. Even in that magical summer of '67. There were just things that seemed more important to me.

Whoops - John Tomase - That's what a few beers will do to you.

Ok - just read Jerry Thornton's article and I'm with him. Screw em all! I'm in on E Rodriguez , Barnes , and Johnson in particular. I need it. Good therapy. Sadly or maybe not I still throw a golf club now and then. I don't just throw them I f----ing wail them to. I realize it's me not the club but where I come from it's called passion! Without it, I am old, with it I'm not. I really don't care a great deal about how Buccholtz or Kelly perform. I don't like them. I can't wait for them to be somewhere else. I like Miley! He has a toughness to him that I like. Porcello- to early for me to make a call. I even see I bit of value in Steven wright. At least he looked a little disgusted on occasion. I do not care about the patience preachers. You are entitled to your opinion. It's all good. We need the excitement that this dose of young brings. After Buccholtz threw his no no, if someone had said be patient I might have agreed. Look at him. I want athletes that at least look strong. Rodriguez fits for me. I like John Farrell but in a different role. Although I will admit he manages people well. Longer leash for Cherington but not much longer. A wise move right now by our owners would be to lock up Pedroia for what ever he wants to do forever. Now keep in mind that this post was written by a fan who had gone to bed in 1975 right before Carbo did his thing. I did come right back downstairs though. Time for some youthful enthusiasm and not the same stick with me a little longer tired old ********.

Owens gets the start tonight. With Barnes, Wright, and Rodriguez already promoted and Johnson pitching like someone who should be, we might find out a little bit about how motivated this kid is. He has been highly regarded by all actually ahead of all except Rodriguez. He should be ready to start moving on up. Hope he gets it done.

6 perfect innings. He has nothing more to prove down there. Makes me a little nervous. I'm not so sure many of the moves made by the front office lately have been good ones. I hope they don't do something foolish with him. There is a chance that he is as good as any of the "untouchable 3" we have in Boston right now.

Nash rambler?

Curious move - Johnson out after 6 innings - no hits - 9 strikeouts?

6 innings, no hits, 9 strikouts.

Good point - Maybe no need for a major trade for pitching. Free agent maybe - trade maybe not.

Great start for Johnson tonight.

Call yours and see you one better. Johnson line so far tonight - 4 innings - no hits - 5 strikeouts.

Cool Works for me

It was just one start. You are right about that but based on what he has done since the Sox acquired him compared to Masterson and Kelly personally(certainly just my opinion), I would take my chances with the kid. I think like most that he has great potential. I get the fact that no one wants to rush him. I just don't want him to waste starts in Pawtucket. No leash for Masterson-short leash for Kelly. Rodriguez stays, Johnson or Owens get the next look if Kelly can't get it done. I would get Barnes out of the bullpen at some point as well.

I absolutely agree with you. The only problem I am having is thinking that the this kid should have been given a chance earlier. With what the primary prospects have been doing in Pawtucket, I would not be giving too long a leash to Kelly. Miley, Bucchotz, and Porcello I get - not Kelly, certainly not Masterson.

The Red Sox may well have to make some tough decisions and one of them might be to send Kelly to the bullpen eventually. Could be a good move for everyone if Kelly embraced it from an ego standpoint. I would like to see them get Barnes back into a possible starters role again as well. With respect to Rodriguez, yes he probably will have growing pains but lets see - lefty, throws strikes, has 3 solid pitches, is capable of a 95+ fastball, and if buccholtz and Kelly stood shoulder to shoulder they could wear this kid's jersey. Not to mention the excitement factor he brings to the team. I wouldn't want to be the one who decides to send him back too soon. He might very well need to go back back certainly not yet.

I think that we should be patient with our young pitching prospects but if they are capable I think that they should be using up their innings with the big club. Maybe most thought that this year would be too soon for him but most of the people who offered reports about him had his upside being better than the rest as well. He is a strong looking kid who deserves the opportunity to show what he has in Boston. Personally I like the fact that he has the solid upper body. Power pitcher with a big frame.

Hanley Ramirez was right where he belongs last night - DH.

I'm not surprised that the kid was good last night. A little surprised at how good maybe but he has had the tools from the beginning. He looks bigger, and stronger comparatively to most of the guys we currently have. He looks like he his built for the long haul. The rumor mill yesterday said that he was up for just one start possibly. That would be a joke. I enjoyed last nights game immensely. I remember Clemens in '85 and thinking that it was amazing that we finally had a real pitcher on the mound. Everybody has been screaming about the need for a pitching upgrade. Rodriguez will have his ups and downs for sure but he certainly looked to me like a potential power arm last night. Coming into spring training, many thought that he was third or fourth on our list of potential young pitchers. Maybe it was because he is the youngest. I don't know but he has been the best of the bunch since the first pitch this spring. I like his pace - I like how he and Swihart work together- I want to see more.

With Rodriguez on the mound at least it gives me something to get excited about. New blood - a change from the norm-try something different. It has been so damn sad watching them. Either too young or too old or too whatever. Sholuld have been a little more cautious before I bought in to all the early positive projections and hype. There were plenty of things to be concerned about coming in to the season. The stars had to align for them to be successful. Maybe they will turn it around, but it really doesn't feel that way right now. Tonight is a start toward finding out what our young pitchers have. Hope things work out of the kid.

I agree with you. It seemed like a strange move at the time for sure. I kept thinking that there must have been more to the story at the time.

There must have been more to the Lackey story than we were told. If he didn't want to be in Boston, then they had to take what they could get.

Owens, Johnson, and Rodriguez have all had their ups and downs. Good starts and average ones- nothing too bad. They seem to have Barnes locked in as a relief guy for now. In the long run, hope he gets a shot to start as well. There really doesn't appear to be much separation between these 4 young guys right now.