cp176

You aren't wrong, we just don't get do overs as a rule. As good a player as Mookie Betts projects to be, I am willing to bet that even the people who scouted and signed him are a little surprised that he projects as an outfielder. They obviously signed a great athlete. I hope that the Sox don't sell low on JBJ. To this point he quite obviously has not shown that he can hit major league pitching . Still tough to give up on one of the better centerfielders in the game.

Very true - Pedro as well I think.

I agree with you . I think that the people who do the evaluating for this organization have done a good job. Certainly a job that I wouldn't and couldn't do. Reality just seems to say that they aren't doing a better job than any number of other organizations. You kind of roll the dice until they make the leap to the big club.

Well thank you for that Point being that there might be some other pretty good farm systems out there. It might be possible that they produce players equally as talented as the Red Sox have.

I just watched 42 the other day. Obviously I don't watch much. 35,000 wasn't a bad payday back then. I have been in all parts of that ballpark at one time or another. The price paid today to sit in some of those places is astronomical. Who goes? I don't feel too bad about being a little critical from time to time. My Pete Rose rookie that I had between the spokes of my bike wouldn't get me through the gate today.

It was an easier time growing up in the 60's playing Strato and being a devoted fan of the Red Sox. Until 67, we knew what we had. No guesswork - no predictions - no real hope. I cheated like a wild man in that game. Made a card for myself - hit an easy .300. Radatz started and won 20 plus. Wish that I had saved all my baseball cards. Today - just a few differences. Ticket prices sky rocket - payroll sky rockets - New England fans tend to think that we have some of the best young prospects in the world. Do people really think in terms of bridge year?

What a huge waste of money that would be for them this year. They either think that they can win with the pitching staff that they have now or they make an addition. I truly do not believe (I hope anyway) that they would not have signed the people that they have signed if their intent was to build a team for 2016.

I couldn't agree with you more. It's mostly about $.

In all honesty I agree with you. If Buchhoz can stay healthy, I think we all know what he is capable of. If Masterson is able to come back strong, he is solid. If Porcello's last season is what we can expect from him this year that would be great. If Kelly can stay healthy, he obviously has great potential. Miley will be durable and play a solid roll. A whole lot of ifs there but if your glass is half full as opposed to half empty then I guess things look pretty good. Looking forward to it all starting, just wish I felt better about all of the ifs.

Very true. i hope that is what the current thinking is in Boston. If it is, we will see an addition to that staff soon.

Good point. It is just a personal thing. I don't like the length of the playoff season in general. I know that it isn't changing. I accept it, I just don't like it.

That's the rub for me. As more and more teams qualify for the playoffs, tends to de-emphazize the importance of the regular season to a certain extent. For this fan, the regular season is the journey to reach the playoffs. If you get there, you have a chance to win. If you win - great. If you lose - you got there.

You do your homework well. Obviously we can find studies somewhere if we are willing to look to support just about anything. Many of those studies I wind up helping to pay for. I admit I am more of a feel kind of guy. We know that both types are necessary to create a winning formula. My strong personal belief is that any study disparaging a great athletes regular season accomplishments based upon what they have or have not done in the post season is a poor one. Before you can win a championship, you have to get there. The ill chosen word ace is the guy who usually leads you to it. I still think that the Sox need that arm to lead them there. I find your posts informative and unbiased. Fun for me to read.

Agreed - I have some fun with this. I follow them with a passion but that passion is limited in scope. I may not always agree with decisions they make and I might get lucky and be right once in awhile regardless I will support them. Might not see me in the ballpark but I will support. It is all about choices. I also don't pretend to be something I am not. I was taught early on that you have to have a grasp of your limitations as you set your goals. Just like you, I still want that frontline thrower.

I am thinking that Porcello is free after next year as well. I have no idea what Detroit was thinking or if they know something that we don't. Porcello had a very good year last year - once again last year. He is young and hopefully healthy and may have a solid upside. Nothing is a given but it looks like the tigers traded potentially good pitching for a potentially good bat. I would take that trade every time.

I too am very thankful for the championships that have been won. 2013 was just magical. My concern is with a previous post regarding our front office caving to fan pressure and signing free agents to huge contracts. I hope that that is not the case. I want to be able to voice my opinion but I certainly don't want to sway theirs'. Our front office has a job to do and they are paid well to do it. None of us are on the front line. We have opinions and that is it. I want them to be competitive every year! I think they should be if the job is being adequately done. I might not agree but I will always support.

You might be right. With respect to the Red Sox of 67, 75, 86, 04, and 07, I would argue that they had a pitcher at the top of the rotation that served them well. I don't like the term ace particularly but I prefer to see money spent on big arms as opposed to big bats. I guess I am prepared to be stunned if they don't make a significant trade before the start of play. Too many players and not enough positions for them all.

Can he pitch?

Don't know about Kalish but Lavarnway has a pretty good education to fall back upon

I agree with your analogy. Having competed in a few marathons, I would say that if you want to compete at a high level, You cannot lose track of the competition throughout the course of the race though. I think that the Red Sox are going to wait until the right deal is there for them. I do think that they will do something this year. I also think that they are dealing from a stronger position than they have in the past. They could start the year with what they have. Once the field realizes this, I think that the "right" deal will surface. I don't think that this is a finished product. Just doesn't seem to make any sense to me that it is. I don't think that they have any intention of waiting until the next free agent class either. Very confident here that they know what they are doing and that they will get the job done - "on paper" anyway.

Cafardo is right this time. The Red Sox have made numerous moves that will help them this year. It would make no sense what so ever for them to go in to this season without the pitcher they need. They have the trade chips, they have the money - bound to happen. Just a waiting game for us. Common sense says that it will happen.

I have liked what I have seen in Kelly as well. We still have a ways to go but it is starting to look like he will be fighting it out for the 1-2-3-4 or 5 spot in that rotation. Got to start getting used to that line of thinking.

I suffered through those vintage 60's teams. A miracle started to form in 1966. You could see it and feel that it was coming. Talented young group of players with a fiery, demanding, and knowledge manager going in to the 67 season. For the most part since that season, all expectations changed. We had left the dismal 50's and most of the 60's behind. I was one of those very disappointed fans on numerous occasions. 75, 78, and 86 (in particular 86) stand out. I will exclude 67 - they had Bob Gibson before the mound was lowered - we did not. Baseball is a journey for me though. Once again championships are very difficult to win - any game in any sport. Of course I would like to think that we could win every year but I also realize that it is not possible. For me - It's the hunt, the long season and everything that goes along with it. I do think this is a franchise that should compete year in and year out. 59 years a fan. I always had a National League favorite (the Giants) but I have lived with this franchise for a very long time. Seen all the owners, players, managers, and general managers come and go. the hunt begins again very soon. I would like to see a few subtractions as well as additions but we will all live with whatever they yard out on to that field. I can't wait for that green flag to drop. I miss just two things - the radio and lazy afternoon games.

Ted williams who I still believe had the best eye at the plate and was the greatest hitter of all time, was no fan of the media and a very reluctant fan of the fans until after his retirement. A little tough on his teammates as well but very respected for his baseball and fly fishing abilities. It was a great thrill to see him play. Championships are very hard to win. Do you need to win one to be considered the best of the best? In terms of pure hitting, with Ted I don't think so. He was the best.

A great trade for Mr. Duquette!