SinceYaz

Agreed, completely.

I've always been a fan of Clay's, mostly because when he's on he's almost unhittable. (literally unhittable on one day!) However, it's getting harder and harder to champion the cause of his being here. I have no objection to paying him what he's getting for half a year's production but he's got to produce for that half year and if he doesn't produce during the first half of the year he's not going to get the chance to produce for the second half. Re: Swihart - We have a very nice problem with Vazquez and Swihart. Both of them are good enough to be starting catchers someplace and both of them are too good to be backup catchers. That means one of them will go in a trade. I don't understand Swihart's getting time in the OF though. His primary value is as a catcher and he hits well enough to be a good hitting catcher - but not well enough to be a good hitting OF'er. In addition, our OF could be locked up with cost controlled good OF's in Bradley and Betts with Benni (never mind. I never can spell his name!) allegedly knocking at the door and guys like Young and/or Holt in reserve. So where's the value in playing Swihart in the OF? You know me, S5, I have a very hard time saying anything negative about any of our guys. That goes for Clay as much as anyone. I am starting to consider his performance as an option that is opening doors for him to go ... I did forget for the moment Benni ... but I think that the trade value for Swihart (bite my tongue) goes up if he is multi-positional. I think that if he is able to be the 2nd catcher here and play the OF on off days makes him and his bat as a good deal. BUT his strength really is that he is a catcher still in training. I know he played MLB last year but that was only because of the must have situation with Vaz and Hannigan going down. (I know you know that) I love Swihart's athleticism. He hits well, runs well ... and apparently he learns quickly. None of that is bad.

Not here, mvp, but at the old forum I was at. Hot stove season. I won't go into all the craziness there. A lot of vg posters but easily had our share of off the wall thinkers. Some of us are just plain off the wall, heh. Works at Fenway ...

I had a silly idea ... I wonder if the Sox could hire Ozzie Guillen, a fellow Venezuelan, but full of spit and pride, to somehow turn Panda around.

I think that the consideration FOR Swihart is clear. DD isn't casting him off but getting him ready for the reality that he has far more value being a multi-positional player. What Swihart did for us last year was terrific, IMO. He was no where near ready but he showed his aptitude to adjust and learn. If he keeps on with that ability he will be a valuable team player going forward and this time in AAA will be seen as a smart move. I do have a twitchy-ness about DD's itchy trade finger. I join you there. But he has already spared Swihart...now, what to do with Panda and Clay (I am finally losing support for him.)

Hey Kimmi, It has often made me wonder how the Splendid Splinter* would take these exaggerated shifts. I understand that he had some shifting to face in his day but not to the extent of today. * And other greats in days gone by.

Hey S5, how are ya? Hasn't slash told you those are pics of his sisters? I agree with the concept put forward that the guys are going to all fields. I enjoyed reading Shaw's quick study of how pitchers were throwing inside... watched films, and in two days he shifted his approach at the plate. These are intelligent batters, by and large. It is nice to see them come to the plate with confidence.

I know I am new to this forum, but I remember there being some deep sighs and longings that we somehow get a hold of Dee. All I can say is I am sure glad those were only sunset dreams. Someone on ESPN last night brought up another uncomfortable thought. Who is Dee's hitting coach? Yep, none other than ...

Thanks AJ He has been trying his best to help us

Ha! Funny but looks good for us to begin

Should be

They were bound to win one, sooner or later. We've blown them out but most of their losses have been close.

Agreed

Vaz couldn't save Buch ... I am thinking waivers ....

He almost had a tater last night and almost one in Atlanta ... let a couple of those almost's run out a few feet more and we'll see a great change in his stance at the plate too. It's coming. And in the mean time ... we score anyhow!

Heh ... on another site I have visited, it is almost universal, King. ) I think he will become a better and better manager as we see ERod come back, Porcello continue to improve, Wright keeping on with the right stuff and Price settling into ace-dom. In the course of just this last week, all of a sudden we have turned a corner. The brilliant call up of Vaz certainly helped ... Farrell isn't flying solo here. I think that DD is very much keeping his finger on the daily pulse, triage work being done as often as daily. I haven't seen the brilliance of putting Chris Young in where he isn't facing the pitchers he hits well (compared to the other side). I think DD is very much tied to the purse strings of Mr. Henry ... and that results are expected rather immediately because he has been so free with John's club and money.

Not sure that Tek didn't "coach" ... was famous for his reams of notes and preparation for each opposing player as well as handling our pitching staff. If I had a buck for every time I heard a variation of "he is as good as an extra coach out on the field" I could at least buy all of us here a White Castle burger, no cheese.

Betting on his bat finding it's place, too. His face, if I read it anywhere correctly, seems to be relaxed to pleased everywhere but at home plate. Playing first, in the dugout, he seems to be doing fine. His approach at the plate may become more relaxed and therefore more competent as his energies expended on new things become second nature. We're asking a guy to do something new ... and we saw last season with Swihart that his bat came along after he got more comfortable as a backstop. Lifetime .290+ ... I'm thinking he returns to that area as season moves on.

There are only 140 games left ... I think it is way too late to see Hanley start hitting well.

Hanley given the credit for calming down Pat Light last night. That's a nice extra level of being a team mate and even a ... stop me before I say the impossible ... LEADER? Nice!

I'm more loyal than Tito, so it hurts me to say that I think it may well be so. It appeared the kids responded to Lovullo ... just a take I heard somewhere else. I think DD is going to use Farrell as a platform for now. If things advance, get better, Farrell is ok. If not, Tony is right there..

Does the better play of the team under Lovullo last season say anything ...

JBJ has been key to 2 of the last 3 wins. Gilding on his stats for each of those ...

Joe West giveth and Joe West taketh away ....

I think it was a terrific start. I know the Bravos are losing terribly as a team, but did anyone notice that four or five of their hitters were near or over .300 hitters. There are also a couple more that are buried in slumps but are good hitters that could break out anytime. The biggest thing is that they haven't scored, their homerun power is missing to date. In the last 8 games they had like 69 hits .... 61 of them singles. Price was unsettled to start with, but remember he had warmed up. Then the Sox took half an hour at the top of the first, giving him three runs. He had to come out cooled off, his warm up basically gone. What would we rather have? Sharp right out of the shoot and no runs or finding his rhythm again with runs?