Rex Hudler

Soxfest, the only thing you and I agree about is a distaste for KW. The question is why in the hell are you even a Sox fan if you so negative? Who pisses in your Cheerios every morning? You'd find something to b**** about 5 minutes after the Sox made the last out in the World Series. If life is so bad as a "long suffering" Sox fan, just quit and be done with them. Spare us all the negative babbling.

How can you avoid it. Baseball fans gravitate towards these kinds of stories. Imagine a game 7 Red Sox-Cubs game. I'm wondering if at some point I may cheer the unbderdog and begin pulling for them. I know I'm cheering Boston all the way and believe if I was a lifelong Texan I would probably be cheering the Cubs. That is different than being so obssessed with having to validate yourselves by degrading everything the Cubs do.

It's just a narrow-minded comment. One I would expect to come from you.

LOL

Why all the emphasis on the Cubs?? The obssession from so many people on here about what the Cubs are doing is just sad....

Bingo, this is a problem with either the advanced scouts, or a problem with the team listening to the advanced scouts. And the thing is with some of the players we have, we might have good scouts, but they are being ignored... Th at's my thought exactly. I have no idea what scouting reports come in, but those reports have to be communicated to the players and the players have to take them seriously and adjust accordingly. That said, there is no way that every Minor League pitcher can be seen and have a legitimate scouting report done before he makes the Majors. There just aren't enough scouts to do that, especially if it happens before the draft, when they are concentrating on amateur players. Even if the scouts have seen a guy once, that may not be totally indicitave of how he will pitch the next. He may have added a pitch since he was last seen. Obviously this differs somewhat for a guy that has been in the Majors for a half-season, but just has not yet faced the Sox. They should have better reports on those guys. As far as Minor League guys, I do know that scouts are rarely seen at parks until after the draft in June. Hell, one example of s***ty scouting....... Enemencio Pacheco pitched twice in Birmingham after the Carl Everett deal was made and to my knowledge no Texas Rangers scout was in attendance. They finally caught up with him in his 3rd start. In missing his 1st start after the trade, they missed a guy throwing a three-hitter through 7 IP throwing 95 mph and just dominating.

Disagree. Winning it all is all that counts. Losing in the playoffs isnt any better than finishing 3 games out, if youre talking just one season. That is also incorrect in terms of revenues and season ticket sales for the next year. Playoffs definitely help in that regard.

Disagree. Winning it all is all that counts. Losing in the playoffs isnt any better than finishing 3 games out, if youre talking just one season. Making the playoffs could be better on the mental approach of the team the following year. In my mind, the Sox would have been more hungry if they made the playoffs and failed this year, based on his scenarios.

That's not even close to the same comparison.....

In the Damaso Marte trade? I'm on your side with this one, but couldn't let you skate free there. I knew someone would bring that up. KW always does Gotta hang on to any thread you can........ LOL

That was the purpose of doing it. They were guaranteed a certain amount of money (i forgot what that # was), which is why the promoter was so tight with tickets, etc down there. I think they will play back down there again next year, but some issues have to be settled as of yet. Josh, where were your seats when you want to the 'xpos-cubs game??

In the Damaso Marte trade? I'm on your side with this one, but couldn't let you skate free there.

Assuming everything in your scenario is true, I would have preferred to see the Sox make the playoffs and lose to the Yanks this year. Winning can be contagious, and a taste this year could have allowed them to keep the key components next year and they may have come out fighting. No one will ever know, but give some teams a taste and they may run with it. I'd have preferred to make the playoffs and gamble in that regard next year. I know you can bring up 2000 as an example, but I don't think the same tools (players) were available then that are now. They had nowhere near the pitching this team would have going into next year. Injuries also hurt that 2001 team.

A lot of people liked the way the Pirates played hard and never quit, even after being way out of first place. Liked the way he stood behind his players (assuming they mean the way he goes after umpires). I don't watch the Pirates daily, so I cannot add anything else.

I thought an exclamation point was needed killa. ;-)

Can we delete ones that fall into the "snowball's chance in hell" category?? If so, cross off Fisk and Bowa. I'd be shocked to see McClendon be available as well.

Jason, this one is for you........... what do you think will happen with Frank? Will Frank exercise his $6 mil option?? If not, will the Sox pay him $8 mil or let him walk?? Your opinion/prediction please.........

By the way, the Expos think they can hold their team together. They will gain $7 million paid to Tatis this year and think they can spread that out to cover Vlad and Cabrera, if MLB lets them hold payroll.

The same crap was said about Robbie and we all know that not to be true. Actually, it was true about Robbie....... in NY. Sometimes a change of scenery can do a guy some good. I don't know the degree to which Cabrera may or may give 100%, I just know that it has happened.

Buyer beware on Cabrera. Word has it that the Expos aren't all that thrilled with him because he has a tendency to dog it. He is very talented, but if he isn't a "give it your all" kind of player, I am not sure Sox fans would be very tolerant of him.

That is old news..... they were accused of that years ago.

There is no f***ing way that happens........

Don't be afraid to go watch a game or two live as well. Go with or find someone that knows the game and learn it live. And be careful, while fantasy baseball can be fun and even useful, it can also distort the reality of the game. We did the 11 game package with the Sox this year. We have done it for the last two years. As i get older, I learn more and more. You also have much cheaper options in the Chicago area...... Kane County and Schaumburg... You can get much closer and see the game much better there......

Don't be afraid to go watch a game or two live as well. Go with or find someone that knows the game and learn it live. And be careful, while fantasy baseball can be fun and even useful, it can also distort the reality of the game.

No way they offer arbitration to Everett. Not if they have any business sense at all.