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2008 Boston Red Sox


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Posted by: I Are Baboon

I took these pics of my trip to PNC last year:










Posted by: dg806

How was the de regenboog(Double IPA)?


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by dg806 View Post
How was the de regenboog(Double IPA)?
Very, very hoppy. If you are not used to hoppy beers, you won't like it. It is HARSH. I loved it though.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
I took these pics of my trip to PNC last year:
Wow.... absolutely stunning. I can't wait till my boys are a little older we are doing a tour. PNC is now on my parks to see list.

I don't know what it is about a ball field. There is just an aura.


Posted by: soxmuscle

PNC was rated the best stadium in sports by one of the more popular publications. Can't remember which one, let me try and find it.


Posted by: dg806

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Very, very hoppy. If you are not used to hoppy beers, you won't like it. It is HARSH. I loved it though.
I love IPA's. So I would probably like it also.


Posted by: dg806

Speaking of beers, did you all hear that Inbev, a belgium beer maker is buying
Anheuser-Busch?


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by dg806 View Post
Speaking of beers, did you all hear that Inbev, a belgium beer maker is buying
Anheuser-Busch?
I read in the Wall Street Journal that an offer was made for $4.6 billion.

It's the company that makes Stella Artois.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Bud sucks.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Ok yo, Tampa Bay is nasty. I'd get pissed at the Red Sox for sucking these last two games, but they have just been completely outplayed.....outpitched, outhit, and outdefensed. They look real good.

I could have also posted this in the Yankee thread, but fuck the Yankees.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Beat me to it.

I mean what the fuck.... we new Tampa was going to be improved... but this is ridiculous.


Posted by: shiznit2169

Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
Beat me to it.

I mean what the fuck.... we new Tampa was going to be improved... but this is ridiculous.
It's still early. They will collapse in August-September.


Posted by: IainDaniel

They will make the playoffs.


Posted by: min0 lee

Boston Red Sox - Now he's a guaranteed out - The Boston Globe





The Red Sox have had it with Manny Ramírez.
Manny has punched his ticket out of town. It's over. O-VA. Adios, amigo. Good night, Irene. Turn out the lights. Last night's 1-0 loss to the Yankees (think they could have used Manny?) was the proverbial last worthless evening.
Ramírez sealed his fate with the club yesterday afternoon. After longtime enabler Terry Francona filled out a lineup card with Manny batting fourth, the Sox made an announcement that Manny could not play in the biggest game of the season. Seems there were problems with his right knee. Manny was a late scratch.
It was extraordinary. In the past, management and the manager would do handstands to excuse Manny's strange acts. No more. This time, the manager - apparently confident there's nothing wrong with the slugger - put Manny's name in the lineup, then sat and waited for Manny to pull himself out of the lineup. Manny complied. Never concerned with wins or losses, Manny told Brad Mills he was unable to play and took himself out of the batting order for the (thus far) biggest game of the season.
It was predictable. It was ridiculous. It was the last straw.
Former state treasurer Bob Crane happened by the EMC Club, pregame, and spoke for many fans when he said, "Manny's got to go. Enough's enough. Fans are finally sick of this guy."
The possibility exists that Manny truly has a sore right knee. No one can get inside the head of an athlete and evaluate game-readiness. If Manny's knee is killing him, there is no way for us to know, and we are wildly unfair to question his condition. I'm willing to take that chance. I don't believe him.
Call me a cynic. Call me a nitwit. Whatever. I'm comfortable with the theory that Manny is using his alleged knee injury to send a message to the ball club. We don't know why. We never know why. Manny shut it down in 2006 and he's toying with the Red Sox again. In the middle of a pennant race. It is despicable. And the front office and his teammates are burning. Off the record, of course.
Ramírez had an MRI yesterday and it was clean. This time, the Sox plan to do something about this situation. Soon.
Ramírez was in the throes of an 11-game hitting streak (.487, 11 for 39) when he showed up at Safeco Field in Seattle Wednesday and told Francona he could not play and could not pinch hit. It was odd.
For the first time since July 2005, when Manny insisted on taking a promised day off in Tampa even though Francona told him he was needed because the team was shorthanded, the manager made no effort to excuse his savant slugger. Francona said Ramírez's name had not appeared on the injury report and the injury took him by surprise.
In the old days, Tito would have talked about a day game after a night game and referenced Manny's multiple complaints about knee problems. There was none of that. The manager said Manny's knee injury came out of the blue. There was no history. It was just Manny being unavailable.
That's what happened yesterday. When the clubhouse doors were thrown open to the media at 3:30, Manny was sitting in front of his locker with an ice pack on his right knee. Despite this, his name was in the starting lineup and when Francona was asked about Manny just after 4 p.m., the manager said, "We told him, 'If you can't play, come tell us.' "
While Tito was speaking, Manny went to Francona's aide-de-camp, Mills, and said he was unable to play. The Sox revised their lineup and media members went to work deciphering the Manny Code.
At 4:36 p.m. owners John Henry and Tom Werner were standing behind the batting cage, blissfully unaware their star had bailed yet again. When they learned the hard news, they saw Francona emerge from the dugout.
"We'll go have a conversation," said Werner.
No one was saying much after the meeting.
"No comment," said Henry and Werner.
When Theo Epstein saw this typist approaching, notepad and pen in hand, the general manager put his Blackberry up to his ear.
"Veteran move," said Theo.
Something's got to give. The owners are mad. The manager is frustrated. The GM is frustrated. Teammates are angry. Even with sycophants who excuse everything, Manny may have finally exhausted his reservoir of goodwill. He quit on the team in 2006 and now it looks like he's quitting again. Is that OK with you, Red Sox Nation?
Manny's snit comes after he flattened 64-year-old traveling secretary Jack McCormick over a ticket allotment in Houston. It comes after he ripped ownership for allegedly lying to him in contract negotiations. It comes after he was rebuked by Henry. It comes after his giggle-fest when he played a popup into a triple while the Sox were being swept in Anaheim.
This might be a poor read of the tea leaves by Manny. He is not as valuable as he was. For $20 million (club option for 2009 and again in 2010) the ball club can expect to do better than .301 with 19 homers and 61 RBIs after 104 games. Stat geeks, take note: Manny's OPS is down the last two years. By a lot.
Sox management is at the end of its long rope. This has been an interesting and rewarding eight years, but Manny is acting out in a decidedly unflattering fashion. Red Sox owners have had enough. There will be meetings with the slugger in the next few days. Something has to happen.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 1-0, last night to close within one game of Boston in the loss column. It was supposed to be the magical night of the return of David Ortiz. Instead, it was another ridiculous night in Mannyland.
Stay tuned. The manager and the owners have had enough.


Posted by: Triple Threat

If he wasn't the gifted hitter that he is, he would have been gone a long, long time ago.


Posted by: min0 lee

NY Mets have been in contact with Red Sox about Manny Ramirez


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Sox acquire Paul Byrd. Good. They could use the help. Clay Buchholz has been horrible this year.


Posted by: IainDaniel

He has been on fire as of late. Good acquisition, surprised he didn't get traded earlier.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

4-0 with a sub 2.00 ERA since the break.


Posted by: min0 lee

Two words Schilling....fuck you!
BY MARK LELINWALLA AND LARRY MCSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Updated Tuesday, September 9th 2008, 5:04 PM

Stick a big red sock in it.

Big Apple-bashing Boston pitcher Curt Schilling unloaded on New York's "bitter and miserable" fans Tuesday, mocking the Yankees and picking the Patriots to whip the Jets this weekend.

PHOTO GALLERY: INSIDE SPORTS' GREATEST RIVALRY

Schilling ripped New Yorkers for reveling in the season-ending injury to Tom Brady - and then rubbed buckets of salt in the wounds of Yankees' fans in a nasty Boston radio appearance.

"The Yankees suck this year, and they're bitter and mad and they're making excuses over that," the over-opinionated Schilling said on WEEI-AM.

YANKEES BRAWL, BUT THEY LACK PUNCH

"Now they've got Tom going down, so New York's excited."

Schilling, yet to throw a pitch this year due to a shoulder injury, showed his motormouth was in All-Star form as he continued his rant.

HANK: GIRARDI 'WILL BE BACK' IN '09

"The sad part is going to be when [the Patriots] beat the Jets," added Schilling, predicting a possible 11-5 finish for the Brady-free Patriots this season.

The veteran has memorably lashed out at New York before, ridiculing the Yankee mystique, detailing his delight in making Yankees fans "shut up" and criticizing Alex Rodriguez.

This time, his diatribe went beyond just fans of the pinstripers, painting local sports rooters with a broad and brutal brush.

"The euphoria in New York is palpable," Schilling said when asked about Brady's injury. "They want us to be as bitter and mad and miserable as they are, and unfortunately it's not going to happen."

Schilling, unimpressed by the Yankees' run of 13 straight postseason appearances, said the Bronx Bombers were just another team lately.

"I was front row and center when their quote/unquote dynasty ended," said Schilling - referring to Boston's stunning 2004 defeat of the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

The veteran righty, pitching with a blood-soaked sock after injuring a tendon, defeated the Yankees to force a Game 7.

The Red Sox won the deciding game, coming back from an 0-3 deficit and sealing the Yankees' historic collapse.

Before the series, Schilling said, "I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up."

Three years earlier, asked about the "mystique and aura" surrounding the Yankees, Schilling joked: "Those are dancers in a nightclub." That was when Schilling was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks - the team that beat the Yanks in the World Series that year.

When A-Rod decided to opt out of his contract with the Yankees during the World Series coronation of the Red Sox last season, Schilling attacked the Bombers third baseman.

"All I heard was cha-ching, right after I heard A-Rod opted out," Schilling said.

Schilling's latest comments were made as the Red Sox remained in position to overtake Tampa Bay for sole possession of the American League East.

New York fans - grudgingly - had to give the loud-mouthed lout his due this year.

"He's saying the truth," said Ariel Ramos, 17, a high school student at Kennedy in the Bronx. "I can't be mad."

Pedro Rosa, 33, a Brooklyn security guard, agreed the Yankees were awful - but warned that New England could suffer a tough fall and winter.

"[Schilling] should watch his mouth," Rosa said. "Last time I checked, Boston doesn't have Manny Ramirez. As for Brady, he's right. What do they need him for? So they could go 18-1?"

lmcshane@nydailynews.com


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Curt Schilling is an attention whore.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Curt Schilling is an attention whore.
That's why I like Brady a lot, he's the opposite of Curt.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Yankee fans can't handle the truth.

Not one thing Schilling said in there is false.


Posted by: soxmuscle

The Red Sox have had far worse injuries than the Yankees and yet are a game and a half out.

You'd think with a payroll almost $100 million dollars higher than any other team in the league, depth wouldn't be a problem; meet the 2008 New York Yankees.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
Yankee fans can't handle the truth.

Not one thing Schilling said in there is false.
I don't think I am bitter nor am I miserable.


Posted by: min0 lee

Schilling is a fat classless media attention whore, don't like him at all.


Posted by: min0 lee

Boston Red Sox
Updated Player Pos Injury Status Expected Return
06/24/2008 Curt Schilling SP Shoulder DL 15-day DL. Out for the season
09/10/08 David Aardsma RP Groin DL 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
09/09/08 J.D. Drew RF Back Questionable Questionable for Sept. 10 vs. Tampa Bay
08/31/08 Julio Lugo SS Quadriceps DL



08/31/2008 Chien-Ming Wang SP Foot DL 15-day DL. Out for the season
08/23/2008 Phil Hughes SP Rib DL 60-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment
08/03/2008 Edwar Ramirez RP Suspension Suspend 3-game suspension. Playing amid appeal
06/15/2008 Andrew Brackman P Elbow DL 60-day DL. Out for the season
09/03/08 Jonathan Albaladejo RP Elbow DL 60-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
09/09/08 Ivan Rodriguez C Suspension Suspend Likely facing suspension, pending review
07/28/08 Jorge Posada C Shoulder DL


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
I don't think I am bitter nor am I miserable.
From Cashman to Hank, the front office execs have all made comments ranging from pathetic to comical. Not only are they bitter but they sound miserable in the process.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
Schilling is a fat classless media attention whore, don't like him at all.
He is fat.
He is an attention whore.

I wouldn't say classless though. He goes on to WEEI every week to promote his charity, just because the radio hosts asks him these questions and he's a straight shooter doesn't mean he has no class.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
Boston Red Sox
Updated Player Pos Injury Status Expected Return
06/24/2008 Curt Schilling SP Shoulder DL 15-day DL. Out for the season
09/10/08 David Aardsma RP Groin DL 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
09/09/08 J.D. Drew RF Back Questionable Questionable for Sept. 10 vs. Tampa Bay
08/31/08 Julio Lugo SS Quadriceps DL



08/31/2008 Chien-Ming Wang SP Foot DL 15-day DL. Out for the season
08/23/2008 Phil Hughes SP Rib DL 60-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment
08/03/2008 Edwar Ramirez RP Suspension Suspend 3-game suspension. Playing amid appeal
06/15/2008 Andrew Brackman P Elbow DL 60-day DL. Out for the season
09/03/08 Jonathan Albaladejo RP Elbow DL 60-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment
09/09/08 Ivan Rodriguez C Suspension Suspend Likely facing suspension, pending review
07/28/08 Jorge Posada C Shoulder DL
You're forgetting the time Josh Beckett missed and the time David Ortiz missed.

The injuries that count for both teams are Posada, Wang, Matsui, and Chamberlain for the Yanks and Ortiz, Drew, Beckett, Schilling, Lugo for the Sox.

Both aren't fun, it just so happens that the Yankees are the only ones complaining about it.


Posted by: min0 lee

I don't really see people complaining, we lost.....it's as simple as that.

The only people making a stink about this is...damn, you and Schilling?

Can't you guys win gracefully, I mean you still have to beat the Rays and stuff...


Posted by: min0 lee

I just wish red sox fans would see that they are basically the same kind of fans the yankees are. Just farther north.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
I don't really see people complaining, we lost.....it's as simple as that.
Hank Steinbrenner:
Quote:
“I’m not writing off this season. They’re trying hard to win. There’s only so much you can do. They’re not supermen. I think it’s very simple, we’ve been devastated by injuries. No team I’ve ever seen in baseball has been decimated like this. It would kill any team. Imagine the Red Sox without (Josh) Beckett and (Jon) Lester. Pitching is 70 percent of the game. Wang won 19 games two straight years. Chamberlain became the most dominating pitcher in baseball. You can’t lose two guys like that.”

“It’s not making excuses. It’s reality. That’s part of the game. That’s clearly our problem. We’re going to win it next year. If we need to add a top veteran pitcher, we’ll do that. We’ll do whatever we need to do. Next year we’ll be extremely dangerous.”
Quote:
"If we don't make it this year, I'm not going to explode," Steinbrenner said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "Injuries are a part of the game, and in 35 years since we've owned the Yankees, I've never seen a rash of injuries like this."
Quote:
"Chamberlain had become the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball and Wang has been a 19-game winner every year," Steinbrenner said. "You lose those two guys, it's rough. If the Red Sox lost (Josh) Beckett and (Jon) Lester, the whole national media would be crying about it. We lose two guys better than Beckett and Lester and you don't hear anything."
Quote:
"I can guarantee you this; a lot of teams are riding high on the hog right now, but in the end, we're always going to be there as long as we're healthy – and so are the Red Sox," Steinbrenner said. "The others? They all go up and down. Look at Detroit, the Rockies, the White Sox. If we stay healthy, the team we have next year, we'll be might tough."
Quote:
'Red Sox Nation?' Hank says. 'What a bunch of [expletive]that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.' ”
Maybe next year, you poor sport.


Posted by: soxmuscle

^ For the record, it took like 5 minutes to compile that list of ridiculous Hank quotes and everyone but the last one was from the past month or two.

Not only is he a poor sport, but he's an attention whore just like Schilling is.

The guy flat out sucks at life.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
^ For the record, it took like 5 minutes to compile that list of ridiculous Hank quotes and everyone but the last one was from the past month or two.

Not only is he a poor sport, but he's an attention whore just like Schilling is.

The guy flat out sucks at life.
Yeah, the guy may be worse than his father.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
^ For the record, it took like 5 minutes to compile that list of ridiculous Hank quotes and everyone but the last one was from the past month or two.

Not only is he a poor sport, but he's an attention whore just like Schilling is.

The guy flat out sucks at life.
But it's fun to hear his quotes!


Posted by: soxmuscle

"Joba Chamberlain had become the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball"

Wow, just wow.

Like, what could possibly be going through his head when he said that?


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
"Joba Chamberlain had become the most dominant starting pitcher in baseball"

Wow, just wow.

Like, what could possibly be going through his head when he said that?



Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
But it's fun to hear his quotes!
Of course.

Hank's always good for a few laughs.


Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
Like, what could possibly be going through his head when he said that?
You mean the part where the brain normally is? Probably a gust of hot air - unimpeded.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Eff. Two losses to Tampa.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Not just two losses. Two unacceptable losses.

Timlin is horseshit, the guy is completely toast, how Terry Francona doesn't realize that is beyond me. It's one thing to stick with a struggling youngster or vet because he's "your guy" but after two seasons of this horseshit, you just got to accept it even if the person's a class act and not someone that you want to disrespect.

This team had plenty of chances to win both games, especially last nights. I guess my theory of On Base Percentage was proven wrong yesterday; this team has no problem getting runners on base, they just have trouble bringing those runners in.

Oh well, on to the weekend. Just win.


Posted by: Goodfella9783

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
Not just two losses. Two unacceptable losses.

Timlin is horseshit, the guy is completely toast, how Terry Francona doesn't realize that is beyond me. It's one thing to stick with a struggling youngster or vet because he's "your guy" but after two seasons of this horseshit, you just got to accept it even if the person's a class act and not someone that you want to disrespect.

This team had plenty of chances to win both games, especially last nights. I guess my theory of On Base Percentage was proven wrong yesterday; this team has no problem getting runners on base, they just have trouble bringing those runners in.

Oh well, on to the weekend. Just win.
With that said, Go Yankees!


Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goodfella9783 View Post
With that said, Go Yankees!
It's just wonderful to see all these Yankee fans still holding out hope that NY will still make the playoffs.


Posted by: IainDaniel

See the problem being that you have a team ahead of you "Jays" who you need to beat the redsox a good chunk of those 7 games, so that will make it tough for you to leapfrog the Jays and catch ground on the Bo'sox.


Posted by: Triple Threat

Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
See the problem being that you have a team ahead of you "Jays" who you need to beat the redsox a good chunk of those 7 games, so that will make it tough for you to leapfrog the Jays and catch ground on the Bo'sox.
There you go ruining my unbridled optimism with harsh reality. Damn you!


Posted by: I Are Baboon

I am pleased with how this Tampa series has started.

Got to like our chances to take the first two with Josh Beckett going tonight.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Tied.

No way Sonnanstine shuts down the Sox in back-to-back weeks.. right?


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
Tied.

No way Sonnanstine shuts down the Sox in back-to-back weeks.. right?
I am more confident that Josh Beckett is returning to form.


Posted by: soxmuscle

2 more terrible losses to the Rays.

Wakefield as inconsistent as ever.

At this point, the Wakefield/Cash combo shouldn't be starting any playoff games and if that's the case, do you even have Wake on the roster?


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
At this point, the Wakefield/Cash combo shouldn't be starting any playoff games and if that's the case, do you even have Wake on the roster?
Long relief if the Sox are on the wrong end of an early blowout?

Wake ate up some innings in the 2004 ALCS when the Sox really needed to preserve the bullpen.


Posted by: soxmuscle

I would love him in that role, but that might mean you need to carry 3 catchers with Varitek's inability to catch his knuckler, something I don't see happening in the playoffs.


Posted by: min0 lee

I checked to see if this was a misprint but it wasn't....I thought it was only Yankee fans who act this dumb.


BASEBRAWL: Sox fans fight cops at the Trop

St. Petersburg, Florida -- An out-of-control fan struggled with security officers and police on the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' dugout during Wednesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox.

St. Petersburg Police and Tropicana Field security finally subdued Christopher Soxmuscleski of Sarasota and led him out of the ballpark after a struggle that lasted several minutes.

The altercation between the fan and security began several rows up in the aisle, but moved onto the roof of the Rays' dugout when Soxmuscleski rushed down the aisle and tried to jump onto the field.

While a handful of Tropicana Field security officers in blue polo shirts raced over to hold down the man, two uniformed St. Petersburg Police officers walked down to the scene of the fight.

For several minutes, play came to a halt in the bottom of the seventh inning as down the combined group of about a half-dozen security and law enforcement officers struggled to bring the man under control.

One of the St. Petersburg Police officers drew his Taser gun and held it to the came of Soxmuscleski's neck, but never discharged the down , according to a police spokesman quoted in this St. Petersburg Times article.

The same fan, Soxmuscleski, was removed from the stands earlier in the game by police after arguing with people in neighboring seats. Minutes after he was allowed to return to his seat, he began shouting "Let's go Red Sox!" into nearby fans' faces.

A few minutes after Soxmusleski was hauled away, police and security rushed back into the same section of seats and removed another writhing, struggling man from the stadium. That man, who was wearing a Red Sox t-shirt, was Robert SourShiz, also of Sarasota.

This second tussle did not interrupt the game, but 10 News reporter Grayson Kamm caught the incident on his cell phone camera.

After the Rays' 10-3 win, fans filing out of Tropicana Field's Gate 4 walked past a parked police transport van. A person inside was pounding on the van's walls and shaking the vehicle.

Pinellas County records show that Soxmuscleski is in jail on a count of disorderly conduct and Sourshiz is locked up, facing disorderly intoxication charges.

Tampa Bay's 10 News


Posted by: min0 lee

Tuesday, October 7th 2008, 4:00 AM

BOSTON - This all could have gone differently for the Red Sox. After all, they essentially made the same decision as the Yankees to say no to a trade for Johan Santana last winter in favor of keeping their young pitchers, and though it was a lesser gamble considering they had just won the World Series, it was a gamble nevertheless.

For them, unlike the Yankees, it worked because their faith has been rewarded. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz were Boston's Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, and while Buchholz had a Kennedy-like season, Lester has blossomed faster and further than even the Red Sox dared hope.

"He was a nice, young pitcher they thought would be a solid No.3 guy this year," one AL executive said Monday. "I know they never expected him to be as dominant as he has been. With (Josh) Beckett not looking quite right, Lester might be their savior."

Lester pitched seven shutout innings last night, allowing just four hits, but got a no decision in Boston's clincher against the Angels.

Beckett couldn't do it Sunday night. Seemingly rusty after needing time to recover from an injury to his oblique muscle, Beckett looked nothing like the ace who was unbeatable last October, and the Angels were able to hang around and finally win, 5-4, in 12 innings to avoid a three-game sweep.

Lester, the 24-year-old lefthander, made sure the Red Sox didn't let a 2-0 series lead get away from them and set up a decisive fifth game in Anaheim tomorrow night. At the moment there is nobody else Boston would trust more with such a task.

Lester was coming off a brilliant seven innings in Game1 of this series in California, when he allowed one unearned run in Boston's 4-1 victory, further stamping him as their interim ace of sorts, at least until Beckett regains his form.

And considering that Lester was 11-1 with a 2.49 ERA at Fenway Park this season, what he did last night wasn't surprising.

Still, he was matched up against Angels ace John Lackey, who allowed just two runs in his seven innings and was taken off the hook when the Angels tied the game at 2-2 in the eighth. Lackey also pitched well in Game1, and enjoyed success all season at Fenway, taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning here on July 29.

For that matter, last night's game figured to be something of a referendum on the Angels' pre-series strategy call. For TV purposes, one American League series was to start on Thursday, and the other on Friday, and as the team with the best record in the American League, the Angels were given the option of choosing.

The difference was the extra off-day in the Thursday start, and that was the one the Angels chose. In effect it was a statement of their confidence in Lackey, since it would allow each team to use its No.1 starter in last night's Game4 on regular rest, with no need for a No.4 starter.

Meanwhile, when Beckett needed to be pushed back because of his injury, the Sox had the option of moving either Daisuke Matsuzaka or Lester into the No.1 spot. Matsuzaka was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA this season, while Lester was 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA, but, according to Red Sox insiders, there was no question about who would get the nod.

Lester, after all, finished his season in brilliant fashion, going 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA to earn AL Pitcher of the Month honors, and seemed to be getting better with every start.

"He made a huge leap in performance level over the second half of the season," an AL scout said Monday. "The big difference was his fastball command. He used to be a guy who worked righthanded hitters inside with his cutter, but didn't use the other side of the plate.

"At some point he was able to throw his fastball for strikes on the outer half, and he throws a legitimate 94 miles an hour. Combine that type of fastball command with his cutter and his change-up, and you have the formula for dominance. You could see his confidence grow as he began to attack hitters more and more aggressively, and when you add all that up you have a guy who's very tough to beat."

Privately Red Sox people admit they didn't expect Lester to be this good already, but they knew enough that they didn't want to give him up for Santana last winter.

Perhaps that's so, but nearly a year later it's still not clear exactly what the Sox were or weren't willing to do regarding Santana. The consensus seems to be that they dangled Jacoby Ellsbury, Buchholz and Lester in separate deals, knowing the Twins wanted two of the three, because they were more interested in keeping him from the Yankees than actually acquiring him.

The strategy could have backfired on the Sox the way it did on the Yankees. Lester took care of all that.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

I'm pretty sure Lester is arbitration eligible this off season. He's going to get a HUGE raise. His salary is something like $450,000 right now. The Sox will take care of him. No player has gone to arbitration under Theo's reign.


Posted by: Triple Threat

Go Tampa Bay!


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple Threat View Post
Go Tampa Bay!
shut up, turd herpe!


Posted by: ReproMan

*ahem*


Posted by: IainDaniel

i hate tampa.

more like there fans. fucking jump on the bandwagon.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
i hate tampa.

more like there fans. fucking jump on the bandwagon.
It's funny, I was at Busch Gardens Tampa about a month ago. People all over the place were wearing Tampa hats and shirts. I was there about four years ago and didn't see any. I went to a Tampa game then and there were about 5,000 people in the stands. It's funny how success brings everyone out of the closet.

I'll be disappointed if the Sox lose this series but I'll be ok with it.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReproMan View Post
*ahem*
^Philly sports fan. 'Nuff said.


Posted by: ReproMan




Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReproMan View Post
Still basking in the glow of zero championships in the last 25 years?


Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Still basking in the glow of zero championships in the last 25 years?
That I am. But I'm not bitter enough to call it a "curse".


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReproMan View Post
That I am. But I'm not bitter enough to call it a "curse".
Of course not.


Posted by: ReproMan

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
First I've heard of it. Oh well.


Quote:
Notes

^ The Phillies had their own separate run of bad luck before 1980. Until then they had been the only one of the sixteen original Major League Baseball teams formed from the 1901 National League contraction and subsequent American League foundation to have never won a World Series (the St. Louis Browns had won in 1966 and 1970 as the Baltimore Orioles). This, however, appears never to have been publicly identified as any curse, and no curse-related theories were ever offered, as their futility was largely attributed to bad players and incompetent management. On July 15, 2007 the Phillies became the first team in the history of professional sports to amass 10,000 losses.
On September 30, 2007, the Phillies won the National League East by beating the Washington Nationals by a score of 6-1. Entering play that day they had been tied with the New York Mets, who before their epic September 2007 collapse had previously been poised to win the National League East. The Mets lost to the Florida Marlins by a score of 8-1 on September 30, thus enabling the Phillies to win the National League East for the first time since 1993. However, the hope engendered by the Phillies' improbable late-season comeback proved to be a mirage: by October 6, the Colorado Rockies had completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies in the 2007 National League Division Series.
Hopes of breaking the curse re-ignited when the Phillies won the National League East for the 2nd straight season. They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3 games to 1 in the 2008 National League Division Series to advance to the 2008 National League Championship Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning game one with a final score of 3-2.
We have every right to complain, yet we remain loyal....


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReproMan View Post
We have every right to complain, yet we remain loyal....
As any good fan should.


If it's a Phillies/Rays World Series, I'll be pulling for Philly. Philadelphia fans have waited long enough, and the Rays are run by cheap bastards.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
It's funny, I was at Busch Gardens Tampa about a month ago. People all over the place were wearing Tampa hats and shirts. I was there about four years ago and didn't see any. I went to a Tampa game then and there were about 5,000 people in the stands. It's funny how success brings everyone out of the closet.

I'll be disappointed if the Sox lose this series but I'll be ok with it.
they have done a good job drafting.

but even all regular season when they were winning they were lucky to get 5-10k fans


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
they have done a good job drafting.
When you get the top draft picks for 10 years straight, you are bound to eventually pick some good ones. Unless you are Matt Millen.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
When you get the top draft picks for 10 years straight, you are bound to eventually pick some good ones. Unless you are Matt Millen.
lol


Posted by: soxmuscle

newsobserver.com | Vandals strike at a Sox fan's heart


Posted by: I Are Baboon

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
Jesus Christ, that's friggin disgusting. If they find the vandals, why allow them to live?


Posted by: soxmuscle



Did anybody see that chica with the sign taunting Manny?

"Manny is playing golf today, this is better!"


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
That's wrong, hope they find the piece of shit.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post


Did anybody see that chica with the sign taunting Manny?

"Manny is playing golf today, this is better!"
Manny is a A-hole and I think Boston was justified in getting rid of him.
Anyone hear his quotes of late?


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
Manny is a A-hole and I think Boston was justified in getting rid of him.
Anyone hear his quotes of late?
"Gas is up and so am I"


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
"Gas is up and so am I"
Yes, that one. What a jerk.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Gas is up so i wont buy memorabilia, or tickets. Lets see who wins.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
This is going to be a fun thread to look back on when the 2008 World Series is won.


Quote:
Originally Posted by shiznit2169 View Post
Don't jinx it like many people did for the Patriots

Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
True - even if they don't win it, it'll be fun to see all these news clippets all the way from March to October. Could be a fun thread to look back on is what I should have said.


Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
I don't think being below the Jays is that big of a surprise especially this early in the season. They are a solid team.

But below, Tampa and Baltimore. eek


Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle View Post
. The Jays and Rays are both vastly improved from years past, but this just isn't the year that guy who threw money on the Rays to win the East becomes a millionaire. Maybe next year...



Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Dustin Pedroia > Robinson Cano


Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post


Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
FUCK YOU, TAMPA BAY.



Tampa Bay will suck forever.


Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Tampa might be having a good season but they still behave like the last place team they've always been.


Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
Ok yo, Tampa Bay is nasty. I'd get pissed at the Red Sox for sucking these last two games, but they have just been completely outplayed.....outpitched, outhit, and outdefensed. They look real good.


Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
Beat me to it.

I mean what the fuck.... we new Tampa was going to be improved... but this is ridiculous.


Quote:
Originally Posted by shiznit2169 View Post
It's still early. They will collapse in August-September.


Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
They will make the playoffs.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple Threat View Post
Go Tampa Bay!



Posted by: min0 lee




They need to get rid of the cowbell guy.


Posted by: IainDaniel

impressive young team.

however there playoff attendance probably exceeded the entire regular season attendance


Posted by: min0 lee

What I find strange is that I would image baseball is played in parks longer because of the good weather and with all that open land there would be plenty of parks.

In New York you have fewer ballparks and bad weather.


That town doesn't deserve baseball playoff team, The Cubs fans deserve a WS team.


Posted by: IainDaniel

i think they start ball earlier in the year with kids, cause it is too hot in the peak summer to play


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by IainDaniel View Post
i think they start ball earlier in the year with kids, cause it is too hot in the peak summer to play
That it is, I went there for the summer and nearly died from the heat.

I have a freind who used to complain that he never liked being stuck indoors in the winter In NYC, so it was one of the reasons he moved to Florida.
Now he spends his time stuck indoors in the summer.


Posted by: soxmuscle

So do they still have that flyover scheduled for game one?

Nothing like a fly over in a dome.


Posted by: min0 lee

I dislike dome stadiums.


Posted by: IainDaniel

Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee View Post
I dislike dome stadiums.
agree. i hate the shit hole here in toronto as well.


Posted by: min0 lee




Posted by: soxmuscle

The Red Sox aren't the evil empire though.

They're a mold for how a professional organization should be run.


Posted by: min0 lee

The Rays are.


Posted by: I Are Baboon

The person that drew that picture is retarded and doesn't know shit about baseball. Does he not realize the Red Sox are 4th in team salary? Any other reason to call the Red Sox an "Evil Empire" is simply Red Sox envy.


Posted by: min0 lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
The person that drew that picture is retarded and doesn't know shit about baseball. Does he not realize the Red Sox are 4th in team salary? Any other reason to call the Red Sox an "Evil Empire" is simply Red Sox envy.
I agree, same with that jerk who posted it here.


Posted by: soxmuscle

Quote:
Originally Posted by I Are Baboon View Post
The person that drew that picture is retarded and doesn't know shit about baseball. Does he not realize the Red Sox are 4th in team salary? Any other reason to call the Red Sox an "Evil Empire" is simply Red Sox envy.
This is true.



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