|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Nov 23, 2010 20:25:35 GMT -5
Good grief. The Red Sox let Victor Martinez get away to the Tigers. Here's a guy who could catch, play 1st base and hit. Lemme see ... with V-Mart gone, that leaves the Sox with V-Tek and Saltallmachia (or some such spelling) behind the plate. Neither are quite up to V-Mart, are they? Well, at least the Yankees didn't get him.
Beltre is another decent hitter and fielder destined to leave, most likely to Oakland the last I heard. I can't wait to see who Theo is going to nab to plug that hole. Probably some 40-something-year-old guy with a big name in decline, with a hefty price tag, who'll wind up hitting .110 in about a dozen games before spending the rest of the season on the DL. Yikes!
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Nov 23, 2010 21:56:21 GMT -5
Good grief. The Red Sox let Victor Martinez get away to the Tigers. Here's a guy who could catch, play 1st base and hit. Lemme see ... with V-Mart gone, that leaves the Sox with V-Tek and Saltallmachia (or some such spelling) behind the plate. Neither are quite up to V-Mart, are they? Well, at least the Yankees didn't get him. Beltre is another decent hitter and fielder destined to leave, most likely to Oakland the last I heard. I can't wait to see who Theo is going to nab to plug that hole. Probably some 40-something-year-old guy with a big name in decline, with a hefty price tag, who'll wind up hitting .110 in about a dozen games before spending the rest of the season on the DL. Yikes! I understand their not signing Veratek, but letting Martinez go at the same time is mind-boggling! That guy was one of their few bright lights in an otherwise dismal season. Ditto Beltre! One of the best hitters they had. I've been wondering if Theo's been distracted or something the past couple of years, given some of his personnel moves. I understand he's also part of the group buying up other pro sports teams, so maybe he's preoccupied with that and not giving the Sox the attention they need. I'd think he'd want to make some serious moves in the pitching department, especially the bullpen. I thought they'd go after Capps, but I guess not. |
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Nov 24, 2010 5:28:33 GMT -5
Yeah, I wasn't lamenting the pending loss of V-tek at all. Great guy and all, but not really a player they should keep. Wakefield is another player who is a super nice guy and all, but whose time has come to retire or move on. They now need to get a top-shelf catcher and still haven't addressed their pitching woes. Paps has shown that he's extremely hittable -- you would be too if all you had was one pitch and the batters had learned to sit on it until they saw it. The Sox are saddled with Dice-K for a couple more years -- what a total waste that deal was (except for Dice-K). And on and on and on ...
Red Sox Nation can only hope and pray. It is early, after all, and something good could happen before spring training opens in February. Oh, wait. Right. We ARE talking about the Red Sox, here. Um, scratch what I just said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Nov 24, 2010 9:04:40 GMT -5
Agree totally on Dice-K and so does everyone I talk to on my few visits to Fenway. I was in a bar in Halifax one night several years ago and even those guys were calling him "Matsu-SUCKO." His legend has spread far and wide. If this is the hottest the hot stove league is going to get, it's going to be a long, cold winter!
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Nov 25, 2010 20:44:11 GMT -5
Amen, Allen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Dec 9, 2010 12:32:47 GMT -5
Woah -- Adrian Gonzales and now Carl Crawford?! Holy BATcrap, Robin, things are looking up in Boston.
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Dec 9, 2010 14:03:23 GMT -5
I agree, Paul, but I'm still skeptical about the pitching, both starters and bullpen. I only saw real consistency from Lester and Bucholtz last year. I've never been sold on "Dice-K" and think he never lived up to expectations. Nonetheless, given these 2 new additions, I'm willing to give them a pass for another year, especially since most of the lineup seemed to be on the DL all year. If they get good years out of Pedroia, Ellsbury, Yuke and these 2 new guys, they should be serious contenders. I still think it was a mistake not to resign Beltre, but you can't have everything.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Dec 9, 2010 16:22:57 GMT -5
I couldn't agree with you more, Allen. I even told my oldest son in Maine that the Sox offense and their infield and outfield defense look excellent. Probably the best in the Bigs, if they all stay relatively healthy in 2011. The catching? Well, I can only hope Saltalamachia reaches his potential, and that V-tek can come through when called on. Having acquired Crawford AND Gonzalez makes the hole behnd the plate less an issue.
But, like you, my biggest concern is pitching. Dice-K? Deport him. Wakefield? Time to hang up the spikes. Paps? Not reliable or effective. The Sox really, really, really, REALLY need to get a solid, reliable closer and at least one more good starter and reliever. The old saying goes that good pitching will shut down good hitting. If there was ever any doubt, look at this year's World Series, when Texas' hard-hitting lineup was totally shut down by San Fran pitching.
I feel much better today about the upcoming year's campaign than I did last week, but Boston's biggest weakness and liability remains its pitching.
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Dec 9, 2010 18:00:43 GMT -5
Exactly. Texas romped over the Yankees' pitching, then got totally shut down by San Francisco's young staff. I thought the Sox might go after Matt Capps, but it looks like Minnesota has resigned him. You're right - they really need someone like that who will virtually guarantee that they win any game where they are leading after the 7th. It's crucial these days and Paps just ain't that guy.
|
|
