The Official 2011 Boston Red Sox Thread!!!

the kenyan · Dec 14, 2010

Theo Epstein says enough is enough. <img alt="" src="http://bosoxinjection.com/files/2010/07/THEO.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
The wheels have been turning especially fast inside the brain of the wunderkid thus far this offseason! The MLB winter meetings have wrapped up with America's Greatest Baseball Team making several KEY acquisitions to bolster their already robust arsenal..... <img alt="" src="http://guanabee.com/media/cache/uploads/entries/adrian_gonzalez_red_sox_entry_featured_image.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/04/images/tb_rays_crawford_300.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
With such a powerful lineup and most of the cripples of last year cured of their ailments, the red socks once again look poised to take it all and thward those dastardly yankees from their sinister attempts to purchase a championship. Sir Epstein is prepared to sacrifice a small child to make this happen... <img alt="" src="http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/f51498656d_theo_0219.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"> 
Given the conclusion of the winter meetings and the opening of single-game tickets, which featured several key purchases by yours truly, today has been deemed the day to get the ball rolling. It begins next spring! 
Make it so! <img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1D1GblK7oMw/TCgSE08TTxI/AAAAAAAABtY/WcRUZtJdXgw/s1600/picard_finger.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">

hazelrah · Dec 14, 2010

Kiteo, his eyes closed
 
...
$$$ does not equal championship

the kenyan · Dec 14, 2010

But hella good players who fit nicely into the mold of our ballpark do!
 
<img alt="http://creatingacomic.com/images/Picard-full-of-win.jpg" src="http://creatingacomic.com/images/Picard-full-of-win.jpg" style="">

hazelrah · Dec 14, 2010

I agree, I like their roster top to bottom better then any other in the AL. They need to get Becket to get & stay healthy, and with Lester, Lackey et al (assuming they pitch like they have pitched in the past, big assumption) they have one of the best starting rotations in MLB, perhaps as good as Philly's. With Tampa Bay being gutted this offseason their biggest threat to not making the post season (which is hard to picture if the Red Sox stay healthy) may come the Central, as the White Sox made some good moves to get stronger too, and the Twins always win 90 games even when they look like they have no one. My Tigers got a little stronger with VMart but I don't see him making an 81 win team into a WS contender.

buzzy · Dec 14, 2010

I believe I'm going to Hella enjoy this thread this season.
 
Just got cable, yup I'm joining the 90s (with the High Def Package, actually joining the 00s too). Sox got new toys.
 
Can't wait for the season.
 
Just need to shore up the bullpen. They really do.
 
--buzz

the kenyan · Dec 14, 2010

It is so. 
 
The big wildcard is the bridge to the Papelboner and the Papelboner himself. Both were often shakey last year and cost us victories. I expect Bard to only get better and I'm willing to chalk it up to a bad year for the Papelboner, but I wouldnt mind Sir Theo picking up another middle reliever or two. Preferrably ones that don't suck. Otherwise I can see us going the way of the mid 2000s yankees and having a relatively dominant regular season run before flaming out early in the playoffs. 
 
I could be wrong, but I don't think our starters missed a single start in 2004, and we all saw the result of that. So if those merry gents can stay healthy for once and go deep into games, and if the aliens who stole Sir Beckett return him, then we have a shot at good things.

gatorbob · Dec 14, 2010

I thought of a potential trade for the Sox, that might be reasonable from the other side as well. Tell me if anyone else thinks this makes sense:
 
The Sox trade Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon and Marco Scutaro...
 
to the Mets for Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.
 
Couldn't that help both teams?
 
The Mets are dying to get rid of Beltran because his contact has been an albatross. They don't want to get rid of Reyes, per se, but I think they'd be willing to do it to shake up the team. They'd get a good young player in Ellsbury, and a closer they could use to replace K-Rod. 
 
With Bard around, the Sox can afford to get rid of Papelbon. And frankly, he's a headache anyway. Rumor is that a lot of the guys on the Sox think Ellsbury is a bit of a diva, and he's not very popular with the other players. Scutaro is thrown in there just because the Sox wouldn't need him any more, and the Mets would need a SS. Beltran in '11 might be like Beltre in '10: A guy who used to be great, but then went way downhill, but is now playing for a new contract. I think *if* Beltran is healthy, he might be ready for a fairly big year, especially if he's given a proverbial "fresh start" in a new city. 
 
Whaddya think? Should I give Theo a call and suggest this?

the kenyan · Dec 14, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by GatorBob <a href="/forum/thread/71651/the-official-2011-boston-red-sox-thread#post_1969594"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> I thought of a potential trade for the Sox, that might be reasonable from the other side as well. Tell me if anyone else thinks this makes sense:
 
The Sox trade Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon and Marco Scutaro...
 
to the Mets for Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.
 
Couldn't that help both teams?
 
The Mets are dying to get rid of Beltran because his contact has been an albatross. They don't want to get rid of Reyes, per se, but I think they'd be willing to do it to shake up the team. They'd get a good young player in Ellsbury, and a closer they could use to replace K-Rod. 
 
With Bard around, the Sox can afford to get rid of Papelbon. And frankly, he's a headache anyway. Rumor is that a lot of the guys on the Sox think Ellsbury is a bit of a diva, and he's not very popular with the other players. Scutaro is thrown in there just because the Sox wouldn't need him any more, and the Mets would need a SS. Beltran in '11 might be like Beltre in '10: A guy who used to be great, but then went way downhill, but is now playing for a new contract. I think *if* Beltran is healthy, he might be ready for a fairly big year, especially if he's given a proverbial "fresh start" in a new city. 
 
Whaddya think? Should I give Theo a call and suggest this?
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But then I couldnt take part in the "MARRRRRRRCO.............SCUUUUUUUUTARO!" chant at fenway anymore! <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif">
 
We've got good ol' Jedediah to back up at shortstop. God willing he stays healthy for a season and then we're pretty set there. What we really need right now is more middle relief and I dont know if subtracting the Papelboner for a surplus of position players is the best solution there. Where have you heard about the Taco being a diva? I know there was some drama surrounding the ribs last season, but I hadn't heard anything else to suggest he was unpopular. I've heard his name come up in trade talks though, so perhaps something will go down somewhere along the line.

gatorbob · Dec 14, 2010

There were stories last year that Ellsbury wasn't trying very hard to come back from his injuries. I <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2010/05/central_issue_concerns_his_des.html" target="_blank">found this article in the Globe's archives</a> from Mazz last May. You might need to be a Globe insider to access the article. Here's an excerpt:
 
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<div>Two months into the regular season, Jacoby Ellsbury has played in nine games. Ellsbury says he is hurting. The Red Sox seem to wonder. And there is an indisputable disconnect between the team and its flashy center fielder.
 
Just wondering: Has Jacoby now become to the Sox what "Medical" Bill Cartwright once was to the New York Knicks? Is it Ellsbury – or DLsbury?
 
In case you missed it – and many did – here’s what Ellsbury told Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com following Wednesday’s game against Tampa Bay, yet another affair in which Ellsbury was absent from the lineup.
 
"I think they downplay it because they misdiagnosed it,'' Ellsbury said of the rib injury that has kept him out for the large majority of this season. "They said you treat it all the same way. Remember that comment? How do you treat a bruise the same as a break?"
 
According to the Globe’s Nick Cafardo this morning, sources in the Red Sox organization contend that Ellsbury now regrets making that remark. Regardless, Ellsbury has not disputed actually making them, offering an unfiltered glimpse into his soul and into the wedge currently driven between him and the team.
 
...
 
He came to the Red Sox having earned a reputation in the minor leagues of being someone who required a great deal of, well, maintenance. Last year, during a rock-solid season in which Ellsbury batted .301, stole 70 bases, and played in 153 games, manager Terry Francona spoke of how Ellsbury was beginning to understand the "responsibility" of playing in the major leagues, which was a nice way of saying that Ellsbury had an obligation to his manager and teammates to play through minor issues and be in the lineup.
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Nonetheless, you're right about the bullpen. That is the weak point right now, and removing Paps (whether he is a high-wire act or not), would not help. Maybe they need to get some crappy reliever back from the Mets in the trade as well. <img alt="tongue3.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">

gatorbob · Dec 15, 2010

Well, it looks like the Sox may <a href="http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/2162196/sox-close-signing-reliever-matt-albers" target="_blank">have an answer</a> for their bullpen questions now! 
 
 From WEEI.com:
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The Red Sox appear close to signing right-handed reliever Matt Albers. Peter Gammons of NESN and the MLB Network was the first to report that Albers was being added. A source with knowledge of the talks between the pitcher and club said that a deal is not yet concluded, but that the two sides are "getting closer" to a contract.
 
Albers, 27, had a 4.52 ERA in 62 appearances for the Orioles last year, striking out 49 and walking 34 in 75 2/3 innings. In parts of five big league seasons, he is 15-25 with a 5.11 ERA. While his strikeout numbers (5.8 per nine innings) are fairly unimpressive, he gets a significant number of groundballs, making him an intriguing buy-low possibility on a Sox relief corps that is lacking a groundball-inducing option.
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So there you go! Matt Albers! Start printing World Series tickets!
 
And if you asked "Who the hell is Matt Albers??" .... so did I.

the kenyan · Dec 15, 2010

coachie · Dec 15, 2010

How have the last couple of these threads gone for you, kenyan? <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
 
You'd think you'd learn.

hazelrah · Dec 15, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by coachie <a href="/forum/thread/71651/the-official-2011-boston-red-sox-thread#post_1969812"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> How have the last couple of these threads gone for you, kenyan? <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
 
You'd think you'd learn.
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Shaka, when the walls fell

gatorbob · Dec 16, 2010

And the bullpen continues to gain more future Hall Of Famers.
 
<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5926886" target="_blank">Red Sox to sign Bobby Jenks</a>
 
 
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/66201/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="srsly.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15474" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15474/width/500/height/375" style="; width: 500px; height: 375px"></a>

the kenyan · Dec 16, 2010

This one I like! Provided they can find a uniform his size...
 
The ship is almost ready to roll!
 
<img alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1D1GblK7oMw/TCgSE08TTxI/AAAAAAAABtY/WcRUZtJdXgw/s1600/picard_finger.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">

gatorbob · Dec 16, 2010

Anyway... I'm a Red Sox fan in New Jersey, which means I'm in enemy territory. One of the NYC sports talk stations just had a stretch where they compared the Red Sox' and the Yankees' rosters position by position. For the sake of argument, this comparison is assuming everybody is healthy. They consider things very even, and after looking it over, I think I agree. Here's how I see it:
 
1B Gonzalez vs Teixeira 
Two great hitters who are both great fielders. This is basically a wash.
 
2B Pedroia vs Cano 
This battle is between a former league MVP and a guy who was near the top of the MVP voting last year. It would appear that a slight edge might go to the Yankees here, but it's really close.
 
SS Scutaro vs Jeter 
It's an aging Hall-Of-Famer vs a journeyman. At this stage of their careers, it's probably a wash.
 
3B Youkilis vs Rodriguez 
At first glance, it might seem like the advantage goes to the Yanks because ARod is a sure-fire Hall-Of-Famer. But Youkilis has been near the top of the MVP list in each of the last couple years he's been healthy. And ARod's best days are clearly behind him. If there's an advantage anywhere, it probably goes to the Sox. But it's really close.
 
C Varitek/Saltalamacchia vs Martin/Montero 
Lots of garbage all around here. You'd think that teams with over $350M of combined payrolls could have better catchers than this. Since none of these guys are any good, I'll call it a wash.
 
LF Crawford vs Granderson 
Granderson has more power, but Crawford has more speed and is a better on-base guy. Crawford gets a little edge overall.
 
CF Ellsbury vs Gardner 
Both are fast, flashy guys without much power. We don't know how healthy Ellsbury can be, but if we're assuming he's healthy, than this is probably another wash.
 
RF Drew vs Swisher 
Both guys are solid, but unspectacular. Once again, a wash.
 
DH Ortiz vs Posada 
Two older guys on the way down. Ortiz' numbers have been better in recent years, so he gets a slight edge.
 
#1 starter Lester vs Sabathia 
Sabathia is the best starter on either team, so he gets the nod. But not by a heck of a lot.
 
#2 starter Buchholz vs Pettite 
Pettite is starting to show his age, and Buchholz seems to be on the way up, so he gets the nod. (This assumes Pettite comes back. If not, it shifts things dramatically). 
 
#3 starter Beckett vs Hughes 
It could certainly be argued that Beckett is the Sox' #1 starter, especially if we're using the "everybody is healthy" assumption. But Beckett is such a question mark that I think I want to use him here. Hughes had a nice year, but he can be shaky. Beckett has a lot more upside, but again, it requires him to be healthy. Since this one can really go either way, I'll call it a wash.
 
#4 starter Lackey vs Burnett 
Lackey was very underwhelming last year, but he did chew up a lot of inning with a mediocre ERA. And Burnett was less than "mediocre". So Lackey gets the nod.
 
#5 starter Matsuzaka vs Nova 
Fifth starters are basically a crapshoot anyway. Since neither guy (or any potential replacement) really stands out, I'll call this a wash.
 
Closer Papelbon vs Rivera 
Rivera may be 80 years old, but he's still the best around. Everybody keeps waiting for him to show his age, but it hasn't happened yet. Papelbon is half a century younger, but he's the one who took a step back last year. For now, I think you have to believe that Rivera gets the edge. And it's probably the biggest edge that either team gets at any position.
 
Main set-up man Bard vs Chamberlain(?) 
Joba has clearly lost a lot of the mojo that he had when he first came up. Bard still seems to be on the rise. Edge goes to the Sox.
 
Rest of bullpen 
Meh. Fill-in bullpen guys come and go, and guys who are great one year end up stinking the next, and vice versa. I don't think either team has anybody that really wows you. (What team does have a middle reliever that wows you? If they wowed you, they wouldn't be in middle relief). So what the heck, call it another wash.
 
Well gee, that does seem pretty even. If both teams stay healthy, they should battle right down to the wire. But of course, teams don't stay healthy. SOMEBODY is going to get hurt. That's inevitable, especially when talking about veteran teams. So I think this could go either way, and the AL East will come down to which team stays healthier. Like it usually does.
 
You guys got any comments/disagreement/questions/complaints/threats?

the kenyan · Dec 17, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by GatorBob <a href="/forum/thread/71651/the-official-2011-boston-red-sox-thread#post_1970198"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
2B Pedroia vs Cano 
This battle is between a former league MVP and a guy who was near the top of the MVP voting last year. It would appear that a slight edge might go to the Yankees here, but it's really close.
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<div class="imgEnv" id="user_imgEnv-fullSizedImage"><img alt="" class="media" id="user_fullSizedImage" src="http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g224/SunGodRa/Picard_Wtf-1.jpg" style="width:620px;height:473px;"></div>
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gatorbob · Dec 17, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by the kenyan <a href="/forum/thread/71651/the-official-2011-boston-red-sox-thread#post_1970193"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> This one I like! Provided they can find a uniform his size...
 
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 The Sox have never had a problem employing portly pitchers. Such as:
 
Rod Beck:
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/66220/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="250px-RodBeck.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15477" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15477/width/250/height/316" style="; width: 250px; height: 316px"></a>
 
Steamer:
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/66226/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="ape-stanley-bob-8x10.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15480" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15480/width/363/height/500" style="; width: 363px; height: 500px"></a>
 
Boomer:
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/66222/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="295px-DWells.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15478" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15478/width/295/height/251" style="; width: 295px; height: 251px"></a>
 
and of course, El Guapo:
<a class="H-lightbox-open" href="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/66224/width/1000/height/800/flags/" target="_blank"><img alt="250px-GarcesRich.jpg" class="lightbox-enabled" data-id="15479" data-type="61" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/content/type/61/id/15479/width/250/height/220" style="; width: 250px; height: 220px"></a>

jcumming · Dec 17, 2010

What jumps out at me is that the two teams are evenly matched, but for half a BILLION dollars in payroll it just doesn't look that good.
 
Of course for half a billion I'm not quite sure what it would take to look good.
 
Either one of those teams is only a serious injury or two from the possibility of coming in third...or fourth... in the division which would lead them to probably buy ALL the players to prevent that from ever happening again.

BTW, as a Blue Jay fan I love that Toronto is in the same division as NY, BOS and TB. I'd much rather see them play those guys 54 times a year than the Mariners, Royals and Indians. The Toronto owners (Rogers Communications...just tried to buy Maple Leaf Sports for $1.5 billion, but it wasn't enough) have bags of money and one day may just say WTF and go on a spending spree too. I hope not though. It's more fun playing underdog.

gatorbob · Dec 17, 2010

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by the kenyan <a href="/forum/thread/71651/the-official-2011-boston-red-sox-thread#post_1970231"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> 
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<div class="imgEnv" id="user_imgEnv-fullSizedImage">WTF</div>
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 Uh, so you disagree that Cano and Pedroia are close, but Cano has a slight edge? In which way do you disagree? Do you think Cano is much better, or do you think Pedroia is better?

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