Baseball season 2007

[tonequixote]

McCarver and Buck continually demostrate that they are not even watching the game. While they were rambling about Beckett staying in the game the scoreboard flashes his low pitch count number. All you can do is laugh at the level of ignorance these two mooks spew.

If I was living in New England I sure as heck wouldn't bother listening to them when you can get audio from ESPN radio or WEEI and spare yourself the nonsense.

 

[Hawaii Islander]

McCarver harped on Francona's decision to keep Beckett in past the 5th inning even though the game was well in hand - his thinking is that it would increase the chances that Beckett could come back early and pitch the 4th and 7th games.

There are four main reasons that Francona didn't do this:
1. He did not want to use his bullpen unnecessarily as you never know what you will get from Schill and Dice-K.
2. It sends the message to your 4th starter (Lester) that you do not have confidence in his stuff.
3. Beckett has been lights-out on regular rest - why mess with success
4. It sends the wrong message to Schill and Dice-K that you don't have much confidence that they won't deliver a win or two.

They also went on and on about the difficult decision of whether to sit Youk or Ortiz when they are without the DH in Denver?
This is not so difficult a decision as Youk is a converted 3rd baseman and Ortiz is a decent first baseman. What would most likely happen if they play 3 games in Denver is that Lowell will play 2 games at 3rd, Youk will play one game at 1st and 1 game at 3rd, and Ortiz would play 2 games at 1st. And the odd man out will make a pretty potent bat off the bench.

+1

The announcers still haven't figured out that the Rockies never played the Cubs in this years playoffs! I've been reading a lot of sports blogs where the Rockies fans are really bent out of shape by this.

 

[dangnewt]

Good point - I have gone to the WEEI Sox radio feed before (2004 ALCS was awful) and I won't hestitate to do it if Buck and McCarver get out of hand. However, I like to give the boys a chance and they were not totally awful during the 2007 ALCS. Also, I am afraid to admit that I sort of look forward to those times that they tick me off with their nonsense. It lets me enjoy the feeling of smug superiority relatively guilt-free.

 

[dangnewt]

+1

The announcers still haven't figured out that the Rockies never played the Cubs in this years playoffs! I've been reading a lot of sports blogs where the Rockies fans are really bent out of shape by this.

I can't blame Rockies fans for getting bent over this - I am pretty low-key and this would drive me batty.

 

[dangnewt]

I was hoping that someone would do a Dr. Suess Rox and Sox poem and here it is from www.Bostondirtdogs.com

This site is worth making a favorite if only for the photoshop illustrations (some of which have been posted to this thread) which are pretty funny.

Oh, the Places Tulowitzki and Torrealba Won't Go!

With apologies to Dr. Seuss...

Rox
Sox
Rox on Fox
Sox on Fox
Rox vs. Sox on Fox
Sox vs. Rox on Fox
Sox vs. Rox in Coors Bandbox

Sox have Jocks
Rox have Jocks
Jocks in Field or Batter's Box
Jocks with Money Box of Stocks
Papi strong as Wild Ox

Fox ex-Jocks sit in Press Box
Listen to Tim McCarver's Vox!
The insanity he Talks and Squawks
Joe Buck oughtta clean his Clocks

Rox beat Sox
Sox beat Rox

No one claims the games are Locks
And on some wood a Nation Knocks
But if the Rox Outfox the Sox
Or Gagne Walks or Beckett Balks
It surely would cause Mocks and Shocks
Requiring Whiskey on the Rocks

... and then, as Manny says, there will always be next year ... -- Mark Stebbins, 10.24.07

 

[SoComSurfing]

Hey Sox fans, just a quick question:
We all know about the pretty big names w/ the Yanks that are facing free-agency, but what about y'all? What kind of movement are you expecting?

It's far more likely than not that ARod will be leaving NY, and y'all have two of the three 3Bs on your depth chart w/ contracts that expire this year. At SS, which ARod wants to play, Royce Clayton's 1-year deal is up this year, but you have Cora and Lugo for one and three more years, respectively.

 

[dangnewt]

The two biggest free agents are Schilling and Lowell.

I used to think that they would probably let Schilling go and go with a rotation of Beckett, Dice-K, Wake, Lester and Buchholz. Now I am not so sure, depends on Wakefield's shoulder.

Lowell must be signed to a new contract. And I think they will resign him. I would even give him pretty insane money and years. I don't want A-Rod - even though the Sox are one of the few teams that can afford him and he does have freakish gifts for playing baseball - I don't want him.

A few dolllars are coming off the payroll. Matt Clement is going away. The Sox payroll could be lower next season than this season especially if they do not resign Schilling.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

paps is the man.

all i can say is they need to resign lowell. first and foremost. i don't think schill will have another year in him, but if he comes back next year i will welcome him with open arms. who knows what will happen in the off season as far as pitchers coming to the sox.

also, i will take a-rod over lugo any day of the week.

 

[dangnewt]

Hey Sox fans, just a quick question:
We all know about the pretty big names w/ the Yanks that are facing free-agency, but what about y'all? What kind of movement are you expecting?

It's far more likely than not that ARod will be leaving NY, and y'all have two of the three 3Bs on your depth chart w/ contracts that expire this year. At SS, which ARod wants to play, Royce Clayton's 1-year deal is up this year, but you have Cora and Lugo for one and three more years, respectively.

I'm not convinced that A-Rod is leaving. Do you risk your 27 million for the next 3 years? You need a few big money clubs ready to go 30 million plus for awhile. Cubbies? Angels? Maybe - please, please, please not the Sox.

 

[Josh Ryan]

Game 2 - Red Sox

 

[SoComSurfing]

I don't think I've ever heard such a loud stadium go that silent so quickly as when Pap's 0-2 pitch to Hawpe went in the dirt.

Our AA D-backs affiliate is hosting a Game 4 party at the stadium. Being a season ticket holder, I'll have free tickets. I'm going to take a good friend of mine who is a die-hard Sox fan, and had a good friend of his pass away two days ago. I think by Sunday he'll need the uplift of a Sox Series win.

 

[dangnewt]

paps is the man.

all i can say is they need to resign lowell. first and foremost. i don't think schill will have another year in him, but if he comes back next year i will welcome him with open arms. who knows what will happen in the off season as far as pitchers coming to the sox.

also, i will take a-rod over lugo any day of the week.

Paps is the man.

Give Lugo another year. It takes awhile for the NL guys to get used to playing at the AL level. Even Beckett took a year to get to used to the higher level of competition. Same will happen with Dice-K next year - he is already a solid #2 and next year will likely be a solid 1-B. Lugo and Drew will be better next year; both have been solid so far in the post-season. The Sox will pay 8 million of Edgar Renteria's salary next year - no need to pay half of Lugo's salary on top of 30+ million for A-Rod - if they do that then the Sox would supplant the Yanks as the Evil Empire. I am comfortable as the Mini-Me of the Yanks; I don't want to out-Yankee the Yankees.

If you were designing a fantasy team, I'd say sign A-Rod; but not to a flesh-and-blood team that is this good. Team chemistry is one of those undefinable, unquantifiable but none-the-less very real things that must not be trifled with.

 

[BassManPatsFan]

Good game. Can't wait for Saturday night.

 

[dangnewt]

What a game! This is one of those that could have gone either way and it is more indicative of the way the Rockies can play than the first game. Jimenez is the real deal - he has serious stuff.

I hope Joshua was watching - he likes pitching duels. Me, I prefer watching one pitcher pitch well and his teammates mashing the ball.

 

[arbitrary]

What a game! A great baseball game, but was at times stressful for this sox fan (anytime a popfly went Lugo's way).

Oki-doki pitched beautifully and Pap's pickoff to first for the third out in the 8th was AMAZING!!!



And Ellsbury stole 2nd base; free tacos from taco bell!

 

[Hawaii Islander]

Great game! A little too close for comfort (my comfort that is ). Sox pitching matched up great against the Rox.

The Rockies defense kept them in the game, that and a couple of bad breaks for the Sox. Lugo's bunt out was very strange. I thought his left foot was still in the batter's box when the ball hit him. I also thought Lowell's (?) foul ball past 3rd based went over the corner of third base. That would have scored two more runs.

I think Boston has a good shot at winning in 5.

 

[Andy Brown]

It was a great game. Even though it was close, it now guarantees the Sox win it on the road, or it has to come back to Boston. The Rockies cannot win it at home. Sweet.

 

[Tony G]

It was a great game. Even though it was close, it now guarantees the Sox win it on the road, or it has to come back to Boston. The Rockies cannot win it at home. Sweet.

+1

 

[Mon Rominee]

I can't take much more...damn, my heart's gonna stop...hahaha...I'm on a steady diet of hot wings and pepto bismol and I'm loving it. Holy crap!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[ElectrAcoustic]

was trying to watch on the big screen while playin last night but had to rip my head back to the stage a few times so I wouldn't screw up the gig... high drama last night...