The Critic

Agreed on both points. Hopefully, the Sox bats will wake up and Bart will go deep into today's game to rest the bullpen that was needed WAY too much last night. Again, condolences to Tom Gordon and his family.

After the All Star Game, the Sox have been a lot of fun to watch. While I am pessimistic about their postseason chances, the games still have to be played, and the Sox are RIGHT THERE. If they play like they want it, and especially IF THEY HIT, it can be done. I have enjoyed the second half quite a bit, especially the resurgence of Frank and Konerko, though this season can still be described as a disappointment based on the capabilities and expectations coming out of Spring Training. Not to jump the gun, but it will be VERY interesting to see which direction management takes if the Sox do NOT qualify for postseason play. Will they try to keep guys like Colon, Alomar or Everett, or will they decide that "rent-a-players" don't get it done and try to go young? Do they have the guys in the minors TO go young?

1 simple answer...."hiatus".

BTW, I didn't even bother trying for tix - I don't want to loan JR any $$$ until the refund comes home...my optimism wanes... My only chance is the old "friend of a friend" method - there's a decent chance I can grab a couple if it happens....we shall see...

Yeah, but paid you HOW??? KIDDING - JUST KIDDING.....we know she is Maury's....

Good luck to you AND your butt, L I B! Try and deliver a Sox sweep - they REALLY need it right now!!!

Does NO ONE go to A's games out there? Or do they charge $5 per ticket? How is it that they can't keep ANY free agents AT ALL? I mean, you even hear about teams like KC or Pittsburgh re-signing their own guys SOMETIMES! ( well....you USED to hear about Pittsburgh re-signing guys, anyway....now they just give them to the Cubs... ) It would be frustrating as hell to be a diehard A's fan - I mean, how many obsolete replica jerseys would you have hanging in your closet? You could wear the jersey of an ex-"fan favorite" when almost any opposing team came to town!

I was VERY into Johnny Cash - he was the Original Gangsta! He was singing about killin' and drinkin' WAAAAAY before these "whippersnappers todayyyyyyy" were even born! R.I.P. "Man In Black" and also very sad to hear of John Ritter's passing - I heard that he suffered the attack on the set and may have even died on set. Very sad indeed, and a haunting memory for everyone who was there at the time. R.I.P. Jack Tripper

Two days ago, my Sox alert System was at Positive ( the 2nd highest level ) Certain is the highest level Today it dropped to Hopeful, the 3rd highest level. For those interested, the 4th level is Pessimistic. the 5th and lowest level is Doomed. I see a lot of people at the 5th level already...

Whattya TALKIN about??? The sCrUBS lost 3-2. Biddle was awful but Joey Eischen got Handy Dandy Randy Simon to ground out to end the game.

Just as there has been all season, there are valid reasons to be optimistic and valid reasons to be pessimistic. I don't really know what to think right now. If the Sox had lost the first two games and won the last two, I'd be positive and upbeat about escaping with a split. Same result, but a different mindset. The schedules of the Sox and Twins have been discussed to death, so I won't go into that. Just going to watch the games, root for the Sox and hope for the best. If it happens, they'll certainly have earned it. If it doesn't, this team will be one of the more baffling disappointments in recent Sox history. A case study in lost opportunities.

He must have never heard the ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR when SamME takes his "love me" trot past his adoring "fons"...............

Typical, predictable, cowtown minor-league "journalism". It's getting to the point where the only reason to read the paper - ANY newspaper at all - is to avoid having to look at the miscreants on my morning train to work...

FO14, just speaking for myself, I have never enjoyed it when broadcasters continually bring up the bad calls by the umpires. I didnt like it when Piersall did it, and I don't like it now. If you grumble a little bit when it happens, that's human. If you keep on grumbling for the entire half-inning and beyond, it becomes unprofessional, in my opinion. ...unless it's Sox And Roll, of course!!! Professionalism does not darken the doorstep of the SnR studios....EVER!!!!

The Soxpos??

You'd LITERALLY s*** a gold brick???? EXCELLENT!! That would make for a GREAT Opening Day ceremony!!!

When he was told of the zoning problems, did he shake his head dejectedly and walk away sadly? That's what I see him do when things don't go his way...

Michelle, you don't have to watch the DVD on a computer. It works the same as a regular DVD, it just wears out in 2 days.

Already happened to me. A Cub fan co-worker said to me yesterday, "playoff tickets go on sale Sunday" I said, "No, Friday." After a mental struggle, he finally realized what I meant. "So, did the Sox call you yet to take some tickets, since no one will buy them?" Then he laughed that half-retarded chuckle-snort of the self-amused until I said, "I read that the Cubs are selling all their playoff tickets through Premier Scalping, just to save time." "NO! REALLY???" then I just smiled............ ...............kinda like that.....

I believe in the old cliche that the umpiring evens itself out in the long run. Harrellson was a liitle snippy about the umps. I remember that after the first base ump missed the call on PK ( when he kept his foot on the bag on Graff's throw but the ump said he was drawn off ), the third out of the inning was a fairly routine groundout. When the throw got to PK, Hawk said something like "well, he got that one right and the inning is over". You come off as a bit of a crybaby when you don't let it go, I think, especially because Harrellson wouldn't be so upset if a bad call allowed the Sox to score a couple runs.

Hey, Tex, Asking someone to choose between KC Joe and Hysteriotti is like asking if you'd rather get a kick in the face or a punch in the throat. Neither one is any good and I try to avoid both...

I guess I need to revive my 7-0 thread because there is WAY too much trash talking and celebrating going on here. Dumbasses, unless the sox win the next two, THE TWINS still have the advantage in this division!!!! Hey, bmr, I'm wondering why you chose MY post to quote when you're talking about overcelebration. My post was about NOT celebrating - e.g., not counting chickens before they hatch. Unless you meant to agree, I'm not sure why my post was there. ...and please ralax with name-calling, it actually weakens your argument.

Just saw on SportsCenter that Joe Mays' elbow surgery will force him to miss the 2004 season as well as the rest of this year. I'm not crazy about the Twins, but you still don't like to hear news like that...

100% agreed. Sometimes you just tip the cap. Santana had great command and a terrific changeup. When the game gets to Hawkins and Guardado, it's tough to make up 3 runs. Thursday is another day, but it's now REALLY important for Loaiza to get #20. C'MON ESTEBAN!!!!!

I don't think you should leave the board, but if you're going to take every post of every thread super-seriously, maybe it'd be better for your mood if you did...