What should enrage you my friend is the mind boggling 13 LOBs...AND to loose by one run. Geez, Pedroia can't do it all. Certainly not the best time to loose two in a row by one run each...the next 7 games are crucial. At least we DH !!!
Your spot on Al, the 1 run loss two days in a row to go along with an army of people left on base is unacceptable but what can we do? Hopefully we can buckle down and get a nice win streak going with this next stretch.
These Rays are looking and playing like they are not going away anytime soon so lets not take them lightly..
To me, the Houston series exposed our greatest weakness which is middle relief consistency. That's disappointing to me, because going into the season I would have said that with guys like Delcarmen and Okajima that middle relief was a strong suit of the club.
This is where we are going to miss Schilling, like I mentioned a few weeks ago I think he would have fit in nicely in shoring up our middle relief, I would be willing to bet Theo will be looking to take care of this issue soon. Definately no Gagme though...
Im really looking forward to the game tonight, it should be interesting with Shields out there-Im sure any chin music or shenanigans will not be tolerated.
Hopefully Masterson can pitch a good game and get some serious run support. We need to make a statement against these youngsters!
Yet another opportunity lost last night...5 LOBs. When you see Lugo at the plate with the game on the line, you already know the outcome. Lugo has to go, along with Timlin and Hansen.
Gotta just shake it off and hope for a good outing by Wakefield.
The whole team needs to have a clubhouse meeting behind closed doors....helllllllllooooo team captain, do something besides strike out. And no, at this point, I don't give a damn how good of a game he calls. The guy is getting over $65k PER GAME and he is beginning to hurt us badly in crunch times. It is what it is, and Varitek is just not getting it done at the plate. Batting .222 ain't gonna cut it in this league. Yup, I know he got an RBI last night, but that brings him to a paltry 26 RBIs for the season.
BTW, if Manny keeps being a distraction in the clubhouse, methinks it's possible he could be traded, YES, traded. Better things to do with $20M than put up with his nonesense. Remember when Nomar left, well, I'll bet you the wheels are turning at the Theo level. YES, I said TRADED. Looks to me like Ellsbury and/or Moss can handle left field quite well. Batting .286 is pathetic for $20M for 6 months of "playing" baseball. The math says Manny is getting a mind-blowing $123,457.00 PER GAME. So, he swung 3 times last night, that's all, SO twice and walked once. $41k per AB.
So, how dumb was Coco's charging the mound? Well, he hit 3 doubles recently, and is now forced to sit out 5 games when we need hits badly.
The only good is that the Yankee's are looking as pathetic as we are. Opportunity has been knocking, but we can't seem to close the deal.
We better get a grip on the Rays, they could take it all !!
May need Theo to add something to the team - Papi has been a big blow, Tek was below the Mendoza line last I checked.
It appears the Rays are for real, and Pettite and Joba are starting to pitch very well. Looking forward to the second half (but I'd love to see them finish this half with a bang).
Also, WTF Tito, why didn't you pinch-hit Casey for Luso?
Cora was available to take over defense in the 9th. To hell with Luso's confidence, Tito has stuck with him long enough. Friggin 18 RBIs and gobs of errors for $9mm. At least he had more RBIs last year.
As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong). The traveling secretary for the Red Sox was apparently unable to get the desired number of tix (I assume to the Yankee's series) for Ramirez. Ramirez then pushed him to the floor.
This, coupled with the, not so long ago, Youkilis incident make we wonder what's up with Manny?
This, coupled with performance, make we wonder what's up with Manny again.
Aren't there enough problems right now without RAGING narcism thrown into the mix? I guess Manny's too good to try stubhub.
Luso totally bites monkey appendage. He can be released or traded, just get him off the Nation's team. And Francoma, until he is off the team never let him hit (a) when it counts or (b) in front of anyone other than Varitek
Timlin helps the team best in his current capacity as a DL-sitter. Please keep him there or send him to Milwaukee. Julian Tavarez just vacated a locker there too.
Varitek belongs in the lineup four out of every five games. His pitch-calling and guts and leadership are valuable. He doesn't need to ever hit above 9th. Oh yeah, Jason...just bat righty please. And about the breaking ball at your ankles...lay off it once, just for me. I think the Sox are seeing that this is going to be Varitek's last contract. Wasn't Mirabelli a good defensive catcher too?
Manny is not demonstrating his value to the team for next year or the year after (the two years for which the Sox hold team options at $20 million/year). For 2009, I suggest take a gold glove winning first baseman and put him in left field (the old "if Manny can play there, anyone can play there" mentality). That frees up $20 million per year that will be needed to get a certain Atlanta Braves first baseman. Watch Tex play and you will be saying "Manny who?"
OK OK lets not lose our heads here- Bottom line Lugo is what he is and that wont change, we won with him on the team last year and again I think we are good enough to overcome his inability to ever contribute anything more than a 2 out no man on single... V-Tek is not getting it done at the plate but with any Sox player Im giving him a free pass, he does a ton of things that we as fans dont ever see, I know his anemic BA is tough to swallow but having him struggle and Lugo not able to hit thats two spots in our lineup and that is not bad!
Manny? I have no idea whats going on with him, two physical confrontations inside a Month? Tell ya what though next time he goes on a tear and starts cracking HR's and driving in runs we might be overlooking his ummm.. uh.. bad attitude? The "We are a family" thing is kinda getting overused a little at this point, but Im not ready to trade him just yet.
We have had alot of things go wrong this season and to this point we are still right there as far as winning the division goes- I mean please the Yankees are looking OK but trust Me their pitching staff is not going to bring them to a World series and the Rays are a bunch of young inexperienced guys who will fade soon enough.........Sounds good right? Seriously, hopefully we can keep it together and start winning ballgames and righting the ship! We are in most of these losses as opposed to getting smashed so I think with a few breaks we will be just fine.
not losing my head here. I believe in every statement I made. Lose Luso and Timlin...until that can be done, put Luso at #8 in the order and pinch hit for him whenever the game is on the line. Drop Tek to #9 in the order. And make this Manny' farewell tour, but don't tell him until the last out of the WS. Age, injury (ongoing hamstring and knee issues for what, two or three years now?), salary, and attitude don't help. If he was hitting .300/40/125 and playing every day, then this would not be an issue. Assuming Ortiz gets well, the Sox don't need an overpaid DH next year.
Be thankful you guys aren't here in the Tampa Bay area. I had a bunch of people reminding me the Rays won last night. Oh well, they can look at my computer screen and see the 2004 & 2007 World Champions banners! The Rays are going to be a tough team, but it's only July and I am not ready to push the panic button yet!
Great series filled with some awesome games, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Rays fan. We did you in at our house just like you did us in up at Fenway earlier this year. I honestly can't even begin to tell you how much fun this season has been up to this point. You know that people are finally starting to pay attention when my older sister, who lives in downtown Tampa, calls me up right before first pitch bragging about how she was sitting in the outfield right behind Crawford and how many games we'll be ahead of the Sox after the sweep. This is the same girl that I used to DRAG to spring training games or even Rays games sometimes. Times, they are a changin in the Tampa Bay area....
One thing that I can say is that even if we tank out and finish in 3rd with 75 wins, I will finally be able to say, with confidence, that "we'll get em next year". Here's to many more years of a division with more than 2 teams in contention at the end of the season!!!
PS- If this is out of place, I apologize. Hopefully you guys can understand the excitement I have right now and trust me.....I come in peace
Goot you are more than welcome to pop in this thread anytime buddy, believe me I respect the Rays-although I HATE Johnny Gomes, and dislike Shields along with Crawford.
My anger is mainly focused on the Red Sox more than anything else- I LOVE them but they get me ripping mad ( like right now ) but I do think We will be fighting it out with either you guys or the Yanks. If the Sox cant win the AL East you know I will be rooting for the Rays
Ok Sox fans, real simple.... Douche K is a stubborn ass who wont modifiy his pitch style and throws too many pitches and walks way too man batters (100 pitches by the 5th) leads to an early exit and sub-standard middle relief. Definite recipe for disaster. Sox had this game, got to kasmir and just gave it away. I would have never predicted a Rays sweep, but they showed real character. Momentum can carry a team a long way. Stellar defense and good consistent pitching and a solid bullpen are = major success for the DEVIL rays. lol
<< <i>Goot you are more than welcome to pop in this thread anytime buddy, believe me I respect the Rays-although I HATE Johnny Gomes, and dislike Shields along with Crawford. >>
Those 3 are very understandable haha. Interestingly enough, I've never had much hatred towards the Sox (only hatred goes towards BOTH New York teams). I've always really like Manny for some reason and Tim Wakefield for the obvious reasons (hometown, families, character, etc.) so I've always cheered for the Sox when it comes to the World Series and stuff like that. However, that was much easier to do when we were 61-101!
EDIT: I have a question. Is Varitek always that bad at throwing runners out? He gave up 5 stolen bases, 2 to Upton and 1 each to Crawford and Bartlett.
<< <i>Ok Sox fans, real simple.... Douche K is a stubborn ass who wont modifiy his pitch style and throws too many pitches and walks way too man batters (100 pitches by the 5th) leads to an early exit and sub-standard middle relief. Definite recipe for disaster. Sox had this game, got to kasmir and just gave it away. I would have never predicted a Rays sweep, but they showed real character. Momentum can carry a team a long way. Stellar defense and good consistent pitching and a solid bullpen are = major success for the DEVIL rays. lol >>
Good point, but god dammit, 4 of their supposedly "quality" young middle relievers gave up 6 friggin runs in 2/3 of an inning:
DelcAAArmem -- could not get an out HAAAnsen -- could not get an out AArdsma -- got one out (yay!), gave up 2 hits Lopez -- got one out then allowed 2 inherited runners to score.
Plus, ironcally, Chokijima DID get the job done for 1 inning this time, but he has sucked so bad recently, that he will not go 2 innings like he did last year.
If these middle relief meltdowns continue, they will become the New York Mets quicker than you can say "Matsusaka" !!!
OK, young guns, now show what you are made of and KICK SOME YANKEE ASS!!!!!!!!
Oh, and Bobafett, how about some commentary on your beloved Indians!
<< <i>EDIT: I have a question. Is Varitek always that bad at throwing runners out? He gave up 5 stolen bases, 2 to Upton and 1 each to Crawford and Bartlett. >>
He has an average arm -- but against Crawford and Bartlett, and average arm will not get the job done.
Tek is in a major offensive slump (after reaching .295 -- I thought he was going to have an up year at the plate) and I wonder if it is now affecting his defense. You wonder if he could have called better pitches with the middle relievers, but they REALLY sucked, and Tek can't control their lack of command.
Cash has a much quicker release than Varitek. Clearly, if you want to prevent the SB, Cash is better. In all fairness though, that steal of 3rd by Bartlett was on DelCarmen (I think he was the pitcher in there without a care in the world when Bartlett was shaking Lowell's hand before the release of the pitch). Varitek has some weird "thing" when he raises the ball to throw that seems to delay him. Cash just shoots it out there quickly. Even accurate throws by Varitek (nice to see for a change) were not in time. He's what....36, 37 or something? Most guys are no longer catching at that age. This year will tell the Sox it is not in the best interest of the club to resign Varitek when the contract is up...unless it is for coaching/managerial/player development personnel purposes. Same with Manny (unless he gets dealt this month)
Thanks for the input on Varitek. I watch the Sox every now and then on Extra Innings, but not enough to see how other teams run against him. Most of those games are the ones that Wakefield starts anyways...
I spoke with my sister this morning and she told me that the game was a blast and the place was probably 70-30 with Rays vs. Sox fans. She said a few Sox "fans" were behind her and made some hilariously stupid comments but this one was the best.......
When Ramirez was up one lady asks "Is that Big Pagi?" Man anwers, no "That is Manny." Lady. "Oh which one is Big Papi?" Man says "David Ortiz." Lady asks "How come I don't see his name in the line up?" Man says "Well teams like the Yankees and Red Sox like to rest their best players sometimes when they play teams like the Rays. They don't need them to beat them and they like to keep them fresh for the good teams." Lady says. "Oh ok. That makes sense."
She said it took all that her fiancee had in him to not turn around, but he didn't. I'm not knocking Sox fans, because that's just the nature of all front runner/casual fan types and thought it was pretty funny considering how this season is going.
Ok Red Sox Nation, time to suck it up and take the hits.
Our team is at an extreme low-point and just isn't getting it done. We can moan and groan all we want about all that is wrong, but let's snap out of the bummer we're all living with and just stay the course and keep the faith. We know we have a good team, we just have a lot of crap going on now...shake it off.
There is one thing for sure. The financially challenged Rays are embarrassing the crap out of both the Yankees and Red Sox who both have just a couple players making the entire Rays salary.
I don't know what was going on in that game, but my thoughts:
-The Yankees looked very lackluster. -Maybe the Sox found out that beating the Rays is way tougher than beating the Yankees so it just seemed easy for them. -NYY was way too aggressive at the plate. Too many first/second pitch swings. I recall a more patient lineup in the past. -Perhaps Lester is just that good.
Could be a combo of the above? Dunno, but after a sweep, this victory is "just OK" for me
Comments
<< <i>Man that freakin' enraged me
What should enrage you my friend is the mind boggling 13 LOBs...AND to loose by one run. Geez, Pedroia can't do it all. Certainly not the best time to loose two in a row by one run each...the next 7 games are crucial. At least we DH !!!
Enjoy,
Al
These Rays are looking and playing like they are not going away anytime soon so lets not take them lightly..
BobaFett -- won't that pic in the sigline get carolj's attention?
Hopefully Masterson can pitch a good game and get some serious run support. We need to make a statement against these youngsters!
NOT HAPPY
Through one half of the season, he has only one more home run than I do.
Gotta just shake it off and hope for a good outing by Wakefield.
The whole team needs to have a clubhouse meeting behind closed doors....helllllllllooooo team captain, do something besides strike out. And no, at this point, I don't give a damn how good of a game he calls. The guy is getting over $65k PER GAME and he is beginning to hurt us badly in crunch times. It is what it is, and Varitek is just not getting it done at the plate. Batting .222 ain't gonna cut it in this league. Yup, I know he got an RBI last night, but that brings him to a paltry 26 RBIs for the season.
BTW, if Manny keeps being a distraction in the clubhouse, methinks it's possible he could be traded, YES, traded. Better things to do with $20M than put up with his nonesense. Remember when Nomar left, well, I'll bet you the wheels are turning at the Theo level. YES, I said TRADED. Looks to me like Ellsbury and/or Moss can handle left field quite well. Batting .286 is pathetic for $20M for 6 months of "playing" baseball.
The math says Manny is getting a mind-blowing $123,457.00 PER GAME. So, he swung 3 times last night, that's all, SO twice and walked once. $41k per AB.
So, how dumb was Coco's charging the mound? Well, he hit 3 doubles recently, and is now forced to sit out 5 games when we need hits badly.
The only good is that the Yankee's are looking as pathetic as we are. Opportunity has been knocking, but we can't seem to close the deal.
We better get a grip on the Rays, they could take it all !!
It appears the Rays are for real, and Pettite and Joba are starting to pitch very well. Looking forward to the second half (but I'd love to see them finish this half with a bang).
Bosox1976
Cora was available to take over defense in the 9th. To hell with Luso's confidence, Tito has stuck with him long enough. Friggin 18 RBIs and gobs of errors for $9mm. At least he had more RBIs last year.
As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong). The traveling secretary for the Red Sox was apparently unable to get the desired number of tix (I assume to the Yankee's series) for Ramirez. Ramirez then pushed him to the floor.
This, coupled with the, not so long ago, Youkilis incident make we wonder what's up with Manny?
This, coupled with performance, make we wonder what's up with Manny again.
Aren't there enough problems right now without RAGING narcism thrown into the mix? I guess Manny's too good to try stubhub.
Luso totally bites monkey appendage. He can be released or traded, just get him off the Nation's team. And Francoma, until he is off the team never let him hit (a) when it counts or (b) in front of anyone other than Varitek
Timlin helps the team best in his current capacity as a DL-sitter. Please keep him there or send him to Milwaukee. Julian Tavarez just vacated a locker there too.
Varitek belongs in the lineup four out of every five games. His pitch-calling and guts and leadership are valuable. He doesn't need to ever hit above 9th. Oh yeah, Jason...just bat righty please. And about the breaking ball at your ankles...lay off it once, just for me. I think the Sox are seeing that this is going to be Varitek's last contract. Wasn't Mirabelli a good defensive catcher too?
Manny is not demonstrating his value to the team for next year or the year after (the two years for which the Sox hold team options at $20 million/year). For 2009, I suggest take a gold glove winning first baseman and put him in left field (the old "if Manny can play there, anyone can play there" mentality). That frees up $20 million per year that will be needed to get a certain Atlanta Braves first baseman. Watch Tex play and you will be saying "Manny who?"
Manny? I have no idea whats going on with him, two physical confrontations inside a Month? Tell ya what though next time he goes on a tear and starts cracking HR's and driving in runs we might be overlooking his ummm.. uh.. bad attitude? The "We are a family" thing is kinda getting overused a little at this point, but Im not ready to trade him just yet.
We have had alot of things go wrong this season and to this point we are still right there as far as winning the division goes- I mean please the Yankees are looking OK but trust Me their pitching staff is not going to bring them to a World series and the Rays are a bunch of young inexperienced guys who will fade soon enough.........Sounds good right? Seriously, hopefully we can keep it together and start winning ballgames and righting the ship! We are in most of these losses as opposed to getting smashed so I think with a few breaks we will be just fine.
Bob...
the Rays own the Sox!
BAM
Cost them a run because of his stupid slide under the 2nd baseman.
Bosox1976
Sincerely,
Fantasy Owners
One thing that I can say is that even if we tank out and finish in 3rd with 75 wins, I will finally be able to say, with confidence, that "we'll get em next year". Here's to many more years of a division with more than 2 teams in contention at the end of the season!!!
PS- If this is out of place, I apologize. Hopefully you guys can understand the excitement I have right now and trust me.....I come in peace
My anger is mainly focused on the Red Sox more than anything else- I LOVE them but they get me ripping mad ( like right now ) but I do think We will be fighting it out with either you guys or the Yanks. If the Sox cant win the AL East you know I will be rooting for the Rays
<< <i>Goot you are more than welcome to pop in this thread anytime buddy, believe me I respect the Rays-although I HATE Johnny Gomes, and dislike Shields along with Crawford.
>>
Those 3 are very understandable haha. Interestingly enough, I've never had much hatred towards the Sox (only hatred goes towards BOTH New York teams). I've always really like Manny for some reason and Tim Wakefield for the obvious reasons (hometown, families, character, etc.) so I've always cheered for the Sox when it comes to the World Series and stuff like that. However, that was much easier to do when we were 61-101!
EDIT: I have a question. Is Varitek always that bad at throwing runners out? He gave up 5 stolen bases, 2 to Upton and 1 each to Crawford and Bartlett.
<< <i>Ok Sox fans, real simple.... Douche K is a stubborn ass who wont modifiy his pitch style and throws too many pitches and walks way too man batters (100 pitches by the 5th) leads to an early exit and sub-standard middle relief. Definite recipe for disaster. Sox had this game, got to kasmir and just gave it away. I would have never predicted a Rays sweep, but they showed real character. Momentum can carry a team a long way. Stellar defense and good consistent pitching and a solid bullpen are = major success for the DEVIL rays. lol >>
Good point, but god dammit, 4 of their supposedly "quality" young middle relievers gave up 6 friggin runs in 2/3 of an inning:
DelcAAArmem -- could not get an out
HAAAnsen -- could not get an out
AArdsma -- got one out (yay!), gave up 2 hits
Lopez -- got one out then allowed 2 inherited runners to score.
Plus, ironcally, Chokijima DID get the job done for 1 inning this time, but he has sucked so bad recently, that he will not go 2 innings like he did last year.
If these middle relief meltdowns continue, they will become the New York Mets quicker than you can say "Matsusaka" !!!
OK, young guns, now show what you are made of and KICK SOME YANKEE ASS!!!!!!!!
Oh, and Bobafett, how about some commentary on your beloved Indians!
<< <i>EDIT: I have a question. Is Varitek always that bad at throwing runners out? He gave up 5 stolen bases, 2 to Upton and 1 each to Crawford and Bartlett. >>
He has an average arm -- but against Crawford and Bartlett, and average arm will not get the job done.
Tek is in a major offensive slump (after reaching .295 -- I thought he was going to have an up year at the plate) and I wonder if it is now affecting his defense. You wonder if he could have called better pitches with the middle relievers, but they REALLY sucked, and Tek can't control their lack of command.
I spoke with my sister this morning and she told me that the game was a blast and the place was probably 70-30 with Rays vs. Sox fans. She said a few Sox "fans" were behind her and made some hilariously stupid comments but this one was the best.......
When Ramirez was up one lady asks "Is that Big Pagi?" Man anwers, no "That is Manny." Lady. "Oh which one is Big Papi?" Man says "David Ortiz." Lady asks "How come I don't see his name in the line up?" Man says "Well teams like the Yankees and Red Sox like to rest their best players sometimes when they play teams like the Rays. They don't need them to beat them and they like to keep them fresh for the good teams." Lady says. "Oh ok. That makes sense."
She said it took all that her fiancee had in him to not turn around, but he didn't. I'm not knocking Sox fans, because that's just the nature of all front runner/casual fan types and thought it was pretty funny considering how this season is going.
Our team is at an extreme low-point and just isn't getting it done. We can moan and groan all we want about all that is wrong, but let's snap out of the bummer we're all living with and just stay the course and keep the faith. We know we have a good team, we just have a lot of crap going on now...shake it off.
Happy 4th!!
Al
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Sincerely,
REd Sox nation
-The Yankees looked very lackluster.
-Maybe the Sox found out that beating the Rays is way tougher than beating the Yankees so it just seemed easy for them.
-NYY was way too aggressive at the plate. Too many first/second pitch swings. I recall a more patient lineup in the past.
-Perhaps Lester is just that good.
Could be a combo of the above? Dunno, but after a sweep, this victory is "just OK" for me
<< <i>-Perhaps Lester is just that good.
>>
Correct. He was throwing strikes on the black, which is one reason why they were swinging.
<< <i>
<< <i>-Perhaps Lester is just that good.
>>
Correct. He was throwing strikes on the black, which is one reason why they were swinging. >>
Ehhh I dont know if a Complete Game Shutout is all that- a No-Hitter is more like it