Monday, October 31, 2005
New Outfield? New team?
Manny wants out...again...Time to go. Sorry, I will not listen to how great his numbers are, etc...How many times do we have to listen to this crap?
A few weeks ago Manny and his reps wanted to talk to the Sox about the direction in which the team was going (i.e.- are they going for the WS win in '06?). Apparently, Manny and his peeps didn't like the response. Does this mean the Sox are actually looking at a rebuilding (but competitive) year or two here? With a look at the current roster possibilities, there are many, many holes. There is a good chance with Manny forcing this trade that the Sox brass may very well blow it all up and look to catch lightning in a bottle with the young stars.
I believe that the Sox will take this chance to shed themselves of the rest of Duquette's doings.
With Theo staying, though, they will more than likely continue with the "Money Ball" philosophy. Gets some guys on and bash them home. However, they MUST pursue pitching.
Wells, it is reported, is not going to be a Bostonian next year. That leaves Schilling, Wake, Clement, Arroyo, and Papelbon. They definitely need to pursue a starter, and a top-of-the-rotation type at that. And what about the bullpen? Who is left? Foulke, Timlin (is he a free agent?), and Hansen. They need a ton of arms out there.
But...and here's the part that most Sox fans don't want to look at right now...Is there enough of a team to try to salvage here? Can Theo be expected to rebuild a starting rotation, a bullpen, the entire infield (minus the SS position) and two-thirds of the OF? Also, Kapler will probably miss a portion of the season so there goes your fourth outfielder for a while.
Seriously...here's the lineup (without Manny)
???
Renteria
Ortiz
???
Varitek
Nixon
Youkilis
???
??? (Cora?)
Rookies coming up this year?
Hansen
Pedroia
Papelbon (first full year)
I will be very impressed if Theo is able to put together a competitive team looking at the core here. And don't expect much in return for Mr. Ramirez. Thanks to his stupid PR people, every other team in MLB now knows that he will not play for the Sox next year no matter. Try trading someone like that and getting something resembling equal value in return.
I have heard rumblings of Erstad for Ramirez...Do it. With the infield of Youk, Renteria, and Pedroia the Sox are going to need a gold-glover at first.
A few weeks ago Manny and his reps wanted to talk to the Sox about the direction in which the team was going (i.e.- are they going for the WS win in '06?). Apparently, Manny and his peeps didn't like the response. Does this mean the Sox are actually looking at a rebuilding (but competitive) year or two here? With a look at the current roster possibilities, there are many, many holes. There is a good chance with Manny forcing this trade that the Sox brass may very well blow it all up and look to catch lightning in a bottle with the young stars.
I believe that the Sox will take this chance to shed themselves of the rest of Duquette's doings.
With Theo staying, though, they will more than likely continue with the "Money Ball" philosophy. Gets some guys on and bash them home. However, they MUST pursue pitching.
Wells, it is reported, is not going to be a Bostonian next year. That leaves Schilling, Wake, Clement, Arroyo, and Papelbon. They definitely need to pursue a starter, and a top-of-the-rotation type at that. And what about the bullpen? Who is left? Foulke, Timlin (is he a free agent?), and Hansen. They need a ton of arms out there.
But...and here's the part that most Sox fans don't want to look at right now...Is there enough of a team to try to salvage here? Can Theo be expected to rebuild a starting rotation, a bullpen, the entire infield (minus the SS position) and two-thirds of the OF? Also, Kapler will probably miss a portion of the season so there goes your fourth outfielder for a while.
Seriously...here's the lineup (without Manny)
???
Renteria
Ortiz
???
Varitek
Nixon
Youkilis
???
??? (Cora?)
Rookies coming up this year?
Hansen
Pedroia
Papelbon (first full year)
I will be very impressed if Theo is able to put together a competitive team looking at the core here. And don't expect much in return for Mr. Ramirez. Thanks to his stupid PR people, every other team in MLB now knows that he will not play for the Sox next year no matter. Try trading someone like that and getting something resembling equal value in return.
I have heard rumblings of Erstad for Ramirez...Do it. With the infield of Youk, Renteria, and Pedroia the Sox are going to need a gold-glover at first.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Stay tuned...
Rumor or fact???
So there is a rumor floating around that an AL Outfielder on a playoff team has tested positive for steroids. He has been going through the appeals process and resolution is expected in the next few weeks. I have not seen anything confirmed, but supposedly USA Today Sports Weekly has the story (can't find on the web) and allegedly Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus did a radio show in DC and gave an official "I can not comment on this because I was involved in the appeals process." Yet he did confirm that it is a big name.
So there is a rumor floating around that an AL Outfielder on a playoff team has tested positive for steroids. He has been going through the appeals process and resolution is expected in the next few weeks. I have not seen anything confirmed, but supposedly USA Today Sports Weekly has the story (can't find on the web) and allegedly Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus did a radio show in DC and gave an official "I can not comment on this because I was involved in the appeals process." Yet he did confirm that it is a big name.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Ozzie
Well, that didn’t take long.
I guess my prediction was only half right. I knew he wouldn’t go, but thought he would drag it on. I’m sure Bobby Cox is thrilled to have a comment like that made public. But then again from a guy who has beaten his wife, why should he care if he looks or sounds petty.
I guess my prediction was only half right. I knew he wouldn’t go, but thought he would drag it on. I’m sure Bobby Cox is thrilled to have a comment like that made public. But then again from a guy who has beaten his wife, why should he care if he looks or sounds petty.
No mas beisbol
Congrats to the Chicago White Sox. So the Red Sox are no longer World Champions. But they still can lay claim to the Greatest Comeback in Sports History. And when they were eliminated in the playoffs this year, it was to the eventual champions, who really proved themselves to the Best Team in baseball. Hell, we put up a bigger fight than the National League Champions.
...and yet again the AL shows itself to be the stronger league. This is not the first time one league has swept the other for two consecutive World Series-es. It's actually the fourth time. But the other three times the team doing the sweeping was the New York Yankees. They swept in 1998-1999 (vs. Atlanta and San Diego), 1938-1939 (vs. Chicago and Cincinnatti) and 1927-1928 (vs. Pitsburgh and St. Louis).
Pitchers and catchers report in 4 1/2 months. [Edit: make that 3 1/2 months. Whew!]
...and yet again the AL shows itself to be the stronger league. This is not the first time one league has swept the other for two consecutive World Series-es. It's actually the fourth time. But the other three times the team doing the sweeping was the New York Yankees. They swept in 1998-1999 (vs. Atlanta and San Diego), 1938-1939 (vs. Chicago and Cincinnatti) and 1927-1928 (vs. Pitsburgh and St. Louis).
Pitchers and catchers report in 4 1/2 months. [Edit: make that 3 1/2 months. Whew!]
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Well then.
So I'm notoriously bad at predictions. I thought this was the year that was going to change -- by mid-August my two bold predictions, that the A's would take the AL West and the White Sox wouldn't make the playoffs, looked pretty good. But then both teams turned it around, in opposite directions, and I was totally wrong. I guess I called four of the eight playoff spots correctly (about what everyone else on this board did), but a smart monkey could've done as well. And someone picking the highest-salaried team from each division would have done even better, picking 5 of 8.
Anyway, even after the Bad Sox turned it around in September, I assumed they wouldn't get anywhere in the playoffs. And I maintain they didn't look great against the Red Sox, or even the Indians before that. But since then, damn. I guess I've been totally wrong about them. They've caught a number of lucky breaks, but they're still playing like the Best Team in Baseball. It's down to the same situation the Red Sox were in a year ago: either they win their first WS in over 85 years, or they suffer their worst collapse in team history. You gotta go with the first option. Even I don't hate Guillen or Pierzinksi that much.
So, really for the first time all season, or ever, I'm rooting for the White Sox. If they win, (1) Ozzie Guillen will have to address his promise to retire; (2) the Curse of Barbara Bush will become baseball's biggest curse (she deserves that after her New Orleans comments); and (3) the Red Sox will remain the only team in baseball history to come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a 7-game series.
These are all good things. Go Sox.
Anyway, even after the Bad Sox turned it around in September, I assumed they wouldn't get anywhere in the playoffs. And I maintain they didn't look great against the Red Sox, or even the Indians before that. But since then, damn. I guess I've been totally wrong about them. They've caught a number of lucky breaks, but they're still playing like the Best Team in Baseball. It's down to the same situation the Red Sox were in a year ago: either they win their first WS in over 85 years, or they suffer their worst collapse in team history. You gotta go with the first option. Even I don't hate Guillen or Pierzinksi that much.
So, really for the first time all season, or ever, I'm rooting for the White Sox. If they win, (1) Ozzie Guillen will have to address his promise to retire; (2) the Curse of Barbara Bush will become baseball's biggest curse (she deserves that after her New Orleans comments); and (3) the Red Sox will remain the only team in baseball history to come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a 7-game series.
These are all good things. Go Sox.
Random Thoughts during game 3
Part of me hopes the White Sox win this one and then we get to see the graphic "Only one team in postseason history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit."
If HOU can win here, Dookie gets the loss. Of course Petite did not get the loss yesterday, but it would Clemens the loser in game 1, Andy started game 2 and then Dookie the loss in game 3. HMMMM.
All these Prison Break promos remind me of the show Cop Rock for some reason.
If HOU can win here, Dookie gets the loss. Of course Petite did not get the loss yesterday, but it would Clemens the loser in game 1, Andy started game 2 and then Dookie the loss in game 3. HMMMM.
All these Prison Break promos remind me of the show Cop Rock for some reason.
Wow
Just in case you didn't already think Tadahito Iguchi was awesome: his favorite song is "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses. Check out Keep Your Sox On for a list of the favorite songs by other players in the WS.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)