S5Dewey

"So", says Jax, "How did you like that Kool-aid?"

Huh. I did not know that! I learn something every day. To paraphrase what I tell my kids, "If I hang around you and pay attention I may learn something."

My advice would be to never play chess or poker with Chain Bloom.

Having Yasiel Puig on your team can always hurt.

Good Lord. Now I'm not only rooting for a SS who insisted on having Derek Jeter's number I also have to be rooting for a kid named Jeter. The indignity of it.

In what I think is still the current vernacular... "WORD" Unfortunately I now have to tell my granddaughter to put her Mookie game shirt away for a year and hope for the best.

I'm sure that Jax is very happy with Bloom being GM of the Red Sox and will extol Bloom's virtues loud and long. Bloom was the boss in Tampa Bay for 11 seasons and after walking around the stadium I realized that there are no flags flying there! They made one WS appearance in Bloom's first season in TB so it can be said that those weren't even his players. They won one more division championship two years later and were dispatched in 5 games in the ALDS by Texas. IOW other than that his first year the Rays didn't even appear in the WS during Bloom's tenure there. Bloom probably is the guy to rebuild the farm - which is one heck of a lot easier when you're not finishing at the top of the heap and have money to spend - but I've seen no sign that he's the guy we want to compete with the MFY. I don't want to have to settle for being like the Rays, a team that's often the bridesmaid but never the bride. Yankees fans would disagree.

I agree with this post completely. IMO the success of a professional player comes from his talent and his desire to win. By the time a player reaches this level he's had numerous opportunities to rest on his laurels but none of them have done that. "They've got the fire down below". That's what got them to where the are and it's why they will keep producing regardless of the numbers on their paychecks.

I hate to say this, but NO. I've followed Mookie ever since his first AB in Spring training until his last AB in 2019 and I think he's a very special talent, someone I'd like to have on the Sox for his entire career. However, he's a prime example of what money - and a player's union that's too strong - has done to this sport. This business of allowing owners to pay as much as they want for players as long as they're willing to pay the penalties should stop. I never thought I'd say this but baseball needs a cap like the NFL and the NBA. Even MLB knows this to be true. That's why MLB is now trying to penalize teams by withholding draft picks instead of along with financial penalties. Unfortunately neither the players nor the owners will support a cap because they're making too much money. The current process almost guarantees that a player like Mookie will not remain with his team during his entire career. Smart owners will not pay $350M or $400M to one player over their lifetime because of the risk (See: Pedroia, Dustin) and because they KNOW that when they do that they're mortgaging their future in the quest for one WSC. They know that they will not be able to field a competitive team with the remaining money after their superstar gets paid. That's what the Red Sox, one of the highest payroll teams in baseball, are facing right now. I don't blame the players for getting what they can get. I don't blame the owners for trying to maximize their earning potential. However, I do blame both parties for allowing money to be the be-all, end-all of the game without regard to the fans. So, NO. Do not pay Mookie what he's asking for. Not now, and not in the future. Spread Mookie's superstar $400M over several quality players each of whom will not be quite as good as Mookie but in the aggregate will be better for the team. After all, these superstars only get to bat once through a 9 man order and they only get a few balls hit to them each game. Is Mookie really worth 3.5 times a JBJ - who is still one of the best OF'er in the game? I don't see it. I say let some other owner struggle with the ramifications of paying that much money to one player.

If those were the only two choices I'd cast one vote for shutting Sunday Night Baseball down altogether. In fact... I'd do that anyway. SNB is nothing more than a conversation between three "analysts" about basketball and anything BUT baseball strung together by a baseball game.

ftfy

I see what you're saying and I respect it, and I also see the other side of it. I see it as a lose/lose situation now. If the Sox are found guiltless in this fiasco wouldn't getting rid of Cora and all of his coaches make it look like the FO knows we're guilty - and got away with it?.

I'll bet you never leave home without your pocket protector firmly in place.

It's been a bleak 2019 season and hot stove league this winter but something good has happened too. It may be a bit of a moot point what with the anticipated bleakness of the upcoming season but if the Sox do get their feet under them we at least won't have to listen to Jessica Mendoza on Sunday nights. https://bangordailynews.com/2020/02/07/sports/professional-sports/mendoza-has-new-roles-with-espn-resigns-as-mets-adviser/ At this point we have to take our blessings where we find them.

When things turn around again would it be negative positive regression?

I couldn't agree more. In fact, I believe what I said (out loud) at the time was, "Don't you f'ing do it!!"...and he did it anyway. I was more than ready to take my chances with Timlin and if that didn't work out I'd still think Timlin was the best option.

According to a report from USA TODAY, two high-ranking officials involved in the investigation believe that Red Sox will receive LIGHT punishment since little to no evidence was found of cheating. What??? Since they couldn't find any significant evidence that the Red Sox cheated they're only going to give them a LIGHT punishment????? WTF????

Those two things are not exclusive properties. Of course he's a troll. The fact that he's been here since 2006 doesn't excuse his trolling behavior. He's not a troll in every post but he has days when he looks like a troll, walks like a troll, talks like a troll, and posts like a troll. The only troll-like thing he doesn't do is that he doesn't associate with Harmony.

Ahhh.. the land of nonsensespeak. I would like to hear what George Carlin would say about the phrase "positive regression"?

Once in a while I wish this forum had a "Like" button, and right now is one of those times.

Nice phrase. You (and Kimmie) have chanced my thinking on this. It reminds me of what the great philosopher Jagger said, "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes.... you get what you need.' We'd all like to see Mookie around for his entire career, but at what price? Do you want to see him here forever if it means we never win a WSC again because JH can't/won't spend enough additional money to put quality players around him? We may not like this but it may be what we need.

So... Is Verdugo the heir apparent to RF in Fenway? Does Castillo enter into the mix anywhere?

Yeah. I think somebody... somebody like ME...said some time ago that they were going to hold onto JBJ until they found out whether they could get a deal they like for Mookie - and I was roundly criticized for it. It's a good thing I'm not the kind guy to say "I told you so!" :D

Now we'll see if the FO is still so 'hot' to save another $10M by trading (or DFA'ing) JBJ.

This is it. The day we've been waiting for..... https://www.boston25news.com/sports/red-sox-equipment-truck-heads-florida-marking-unofficial-start-spring-training/WPUCNXESPJGWTASFZYOMAN6SLA/