The 2011 Boston Red Sox

MCMLVTopps · March 5, 2011 1:15PM

I think Perkdog is buried under snow, so I decided to take the leap and get us rolling for what looks like it could be a great Red Sox year.

CEOBIDMC · March 5, 2011 4:03PM

just dont give Dice K a slot in the rotation~!

MCMLVTopps · March 5, 2011 11:24PM

I almost turned it off yesterday while watching him pitch. This guy has turned into a huge dud in my book. I still find it incomprehensible that the Red Sox reportedly had to pony up $100m to just talk to him while he was still pitching in Japan.

bking · March 6, 2011 12:49AM

<< I almost turned it off yesterday while watching him pitch. This guy has turned into a huge dud in my book. I still find it incomprehensible that the Red Sox reportedly had to pony up $100m to just talk to him while he was still pitching in Japan. >>

Yeah, my Rangers have been in on a couple of guys from Japan, and I'm pretty well convinced that the posting process keeps ANY real studs from getting over here unless you WAYY overpay.

jdip9 · March 6, 2011 2:01AM

It was "only" 51.5 million, but your point is well taken....not one of Theo's finest moments.

WeekendHacker · March 6, 2011 2:02AM

On a much more positive note, the Sox are in for a great season!! I can hardly wait for opening day!!

Garabaldi · March 6, 2011 9:43AM

I agree with the DiceK being torture to watch

Barndog · March 6, 2011 9:59AM

the Sox starting rotation is Lester, Buchholz, ?, ?, and ?

(Beckett, Lackey, and Matsuzaka for the uninformed)

I think the Sox have a solid defense and a superior offense ready to play. Bullpen looks better than last year too. My concern is the three question marks. Which Beckett do you get: the guy worth $17 million a year or the guy they've overpaid for a couple of years? Which Lackey do you get? The "give me the ball and I will keep you in the game and pitch seven innings" guy or the "batting practice when not walking people" guy? And I think, unfortunately, that Matsuzaka is not a question mark, but a known quantity that we don't like, even as a number five.

Connecticoin · March 6, 2011 11:30AM

<< I think Perkdog is buried under snow, so I decided to take the leap and get us rolling for what looks like it could be a great Red Sox year. >>

Good thaw this weekend, starting to see some lawn! The Perkdog touch has not worked for a few years, so he probably won't mind.

jdip9 · March 7, 2011 7:05AM

<<<And I think, unfortunately, that Matsuzaka is not a question mark, but a known quantity that we don't like, even as a number five.>>>

Summed up perfectly.

If Beckett is healthy, I think he'll be fine. Maybe not a 20-game winner, but something like 17-8, with a 3.50 ERA is doable. I've never been a big fan of Lackey, so I'll just assume he'll give us his standard 13-10 with a 4.00 ERA again.

perkdog · March 7, 2011 12:02PM

Good to see the traditional Red Sox Thread going again! Thank You AL for getting it going!

Im overly optimistic about our chances, looks like Adrian's Shoulder is coming along fine which is good news...

MCMLVTopps · March 8, 2011 10:54PM

Anyone read the recent rant by Charlie Sheen over buying the Red Sox? WOW, this guy is really, REALLY on another planet !!!

Claims he made John Henry a "Bit#%in" offer to buy the club. You gotta read this thing to believe it...google Boston Dirt Dogs.

Barndog · March 16, 2011 1:42AM

some good news today. The manager is no longer in a coma...he names Lester as the opening day starter. Took Francona a while to figure out that Beckett sucks

Garabaldi · March 16, 2011 4:27AM

I can't get on Francona already.

WeekendHacker · March 16, 2011 5:11PM

<< some good news today. The manager is no longer in a coma...he names Lester as the opening day starter. Took Francona a while to figure out that Beckett sucks >>

Unfortunately, I believe the season rests with Becket (and Lackey) pitching to their capabilities/expectations. I like the upgrades in the bullpen, as long as Papelbon shows up and not Papelblown.

Garabaldi · March 16, 2011 9:55PM

There is alot of depth on this team right now. Theo has put a very good team on the field now it is time for the players to step it up.

TheVon · March 17, 2011 2:47AM

Beckett slipping all the way to 4th is pretty impressive to me. It's impressive to me on several levels: 1. Francona is actually willing to recognize the new hierarchy in the rotation. 2. That the Red Sox have three pitchers that are potentially/probably better than Josh Beckett and 3. and now that Dice-K is the 5th starter maybe that can translate into skipping his spot in the rotation a few times this year and saving us all the slow agony and boredom of watching him pitch.

Garabaldi · March 17, 2011 9:38PM

Thanks GOD DiceK usually only last 5 innings becuase he is torture to watch.

MCMLVTopps · March 17, 2011 11:56PM

DiceK has now become my new Mike Timlin. Beckett has diminished to the point of just a huge question mark. No doubt the wheels have got to be turning big time in Francona's and Theo's heads over this "situation". We may well need some big innings to offset these starters.

TheVon · March 18, 2011 1:39AM

At least most of the bullpen looks capable of stepping it up this year if the starters need to be bailed out.

I'm not totally abandoning Beckett just yet. He wasn't good last year, but I think he's got a lot left in the tank. It's just a question of whether he can stay healthy enough to prove it. If the Sox can get 30 starts from him I think it would bode well for the success of the whole team. After all the injuries last year though I am feeling gun shy about getting my hopes up too much.

Garabaldi · March 18, 2011 9:54PM

If Beckett and Lackey pitch close to like they can the Sox will be much improved. I am not expecting career years from them, but if they can keep them in the games and pitch into the 6th or 7th inning the pen will carry them the rest of the way.

Goot · March 19, 2011 8:32AM

I'm starting to get nervous about Wakefield's future with the Sox... it's been a hell of a run, but I don't want to see it end any time soon!

MCMLVTopps · March 19, 2011 10:49PM

Wakefield...44 years old, 16 years with the Red Sox, ERA consistently well over 4 (last year over 5), paid almost $54m over those 16 years...surely he has more than enough coin to live very, very well at a very young age.

I say go out gracefully this year, big ceremony at Fenway, corvette, whatever and pack it in before the inevitable becomes reality. Make him some kind of Ambassador for the Red Sox scouting out future pitching prospects...can't get much better than that !!

Goot · March 20, 2011 1:33AM

<< Wakefield...44 years old, 16 years with the Red Sox, ERA consistently well over 4 (last year over 5), paid almost $54m over those 16 years...surely he has more than enough coin to live very, very well at a very young age.

I say go out gracefully this year, big ceremony at Fenway, corvette, whatever and pack it in before the inevitable becomes reality. Make him some kind of Ambassador for the Red Sox scouting out future pitching prospects...can't get much better than that !! >>

Yeah I have mixed feelings. I want to see him keep going because we absolutely love him down here, but I also don't want to see him stick around too long and be embarrassed. And he's exactly the type of guy you would want in your front office...well respected, a lot of class, a ton of experience, and is a pretty smart guy too. I'm sure things will work out for the best!

Garabaldi · March 20, 2011 1:52AM

He is now hanging on too long and are going to make the organization do something.

MCMLVTopps · March 22, 2011 10:06PM

Google Red Sox 2011 schedule. One of the links will say "printable Red Sox schedule..." It will provide you a nice one-page list of all games this season. Perfect to have at work or home to keep track of games.

Barndog · March 31, 2011 6:54AM

isn't this the thread? Hmmm

Garabaldi · March 31, 2011 9:53AM

My bad, I did not see it scrolling down.

MCMLVTopps · April 1, 2011 12:36PM

Lester stunk
Crawford stunk
Bard really stunk

Ellsbury excellent
Ortiz exciting as ever

Credit the Rangers for a helluva comeback.

Garabaldi · April 1, 2011 9:42PM

Not a good start to the season, but they lost the first game of the season in 2004 and 2007.

Barndog · April 1, 2011 10:12PM

Papelblown must have been smiling inside that it wasn't him.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 11:30AM

Well, at least JD Blew did not have a bad opening day.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 11:34AM

Blew could not drive in Youk from 3rd. Nice going.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 11:47AM

Lackey sucks again. What a surprise.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 11:52AM

Wow, $16 million a year for hanging curve balls, BP fastballs, and Grand Slams.

It's early and I am on the Lackey hate wagon already.

Barndog · April 2, 2011 11:56AM

other than Lester (who should have three more bad starts to get out of his system) and Buchholz, the Sox have nobody starting pitcher-wise they can depend on to turn in a so-called quality start with any semblance of regularity. The 95% of experts predicting the Sox winning the WS seemingly forgot about that.

So what will it take for the Sox to get a starting pitcher this year? Deplete the AAA and AA prospects plus another from the MLB club for someone like Felix Hernandez before the NYY do it?

Lacking gets 17 million a year, doesn't he?

Barndog · April 2, 2011 11:57AM

<< Wow, $16 million a year for hanging curve balls, BP fastballs, and Grand Slams.

It's early and I am on the Lackey hate wagon already. >>

ok, poor guy gets only sixteen million.

I never got off the Lacking hatewagon from last year, so you are late to it.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 12:03PM

<< 

<< Wow, $16 million a year for hanging curve balls, BP fastballs, and Grand Slams.

It's early and I am on the Lackey hate wagon already. >>

ok, poor guy gets only sixteen million.

I never got off the Lacking hatewagon from last year, so you are late to it. >>

I have been on his hatewagon since July of last year -- but was willing to give him a chance for redemption. I now realize redemption is futile and his contract is now an albatross.

Barndog · April 2, 2011 12:06PM

it's sad when you start thinking, "wow, we have Beckett coming up soon, we will do better then"

MCMLVTopps · April 2, 2011 12:10PM

I have now moved Lackless into my Mike Timlin position. At least Dicek began to look good late in Spring Training.

Nice hustle by Ellsbury and the Ortiz homer made it feel like we were on our way.

When Beltre hit the slam, I switched over to Mecum Auto Auctions.

Connecticoin · April 2, 2011 12:24PM

<< it's sad when you start thinking, "wow, we have Beckett coming up soon, we will do better then" >>

And it will be desperate if we start thinking "I think we can get some quality starts from Wakefield now that Beckett and Dice-K suck"

Barndog · April 2, 2011 12:31PM

as Francona walked out to the mound to yank Wheeler I remembered that college basketball is on. Sweet. Three pointers that won't come off of Sox starters!

Garabaldi · April 2, 2011 1:04PM

U-G-L-Y

Barndog · April 3, 2011 8:09AM

Shaq is coming back against the Pistons tonight

(I know which thread this is, I just wanted to post some good news)

TheVon · April 3, 2011 8:20AM

I took Lester, Lackey and Buchholz for my fantasy baseball team this year. Anyone care to guess how my team is doing this week?

Barndog · April 3, 2011 9:05AM

<< I took Lester, Lackey and Buchholz for my fantasy baseball team this year. Anyone care to guess how my team is doing this week? >>

I can understand Lester and Buchholz. I fully expect each to learn where the lower half of the strike zone is very soon. Lacking...that was fantasy thinking.

Garabaldi · April 3, 2011 10:21AM

Lackey is plain awful

TheVon · April 4, 2011 2:46AM

What is more concerning to you: Salty starting 0-10 at the plate or pitchers he handled giving up 11 home runs, 26 runs, and 34 hits in 3 games? I'm going with his performance behind the plate as opposed to at the plate. It wouldn't be fair to blame him for all those hits, but I have to wonder if Varitek would have called these games better.

Barndog · April 4, 2011 6:23AM

neither catcher called for or would have called for belt high fastballs middle middle or hanging curves. 0-10 is concerning, I'm sure Varitek would have been at least 1-10, but likely not much more.

The pitchers own their results

jdip9 · April 5, 2011 12:00PM

will the Sox be winless for their home opener???

good lord, this is getting hideous....Dice K tommorow night not making me feel any better either.

Garabaldi · April 5, 2011 5:27PM

UGLY

The 2011 Boston Red Sox

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