BrandoFan

Firstly, b****ing helps. It shows one cares about the team and is not afraid of expressing raw emotions. Secondly, what can be done? How about letting the Dodgers, Mets or the Yankees pay Magglio to their hearts' content?

How about using Rowand instead of Beltran, Reed instead of Magglio and spending that 75 Mill/5 on other needs -- like #1 and #3 pitchers to complement Elo and Buerhle to make a hell of a playoff rotation? Konerko leaves soon, ditto for Koch, Valentin's contract restructured -- now you can get a big bat to replace Magglio and left over spend on Urbina or some other underpaid closer as well as a real lead-off hitter. Assuming payroll will be around 65-70 Mill, options are many -- as long as Sox have a good GM.

Sooser and Alou back-to-back homers in the bottom of the 9th. Cubs win 11-10. Reds pitching + worthless Corky Miller = damn, Sox are upstaged again.

Keep on not giving a s***. This attitude is why Sox might not win the Series in our lifetimes. But hey, at least Maggs's bratty great-grandkids are set.

These POS Pirate and Red pitchers are making Petterson, Ramirez, Walker and Alou look like HOF'er. Batting practice city. :puke

He is not going to come CLOSE to "watching over" anything, let alone supervising a GIGANTIC project such as the landmark skyscrapper. Omarossa is not just a brat. She is a low-down dirrrty bats*** insane whore who basically cost Kwame the job. He was loyal and cool; how the hell was he supposed to expect the unbelievable (and I am sure Donald-mandated) f***-ups perpetrated upon him by Assarosa, HatchetFace and Faux-Cowboy?

"Your whole line-up card is out of order!"

Great for who exactly? The player or the team? Hell....let's pay him half the 2005 payroll. Afterall, the dude has a homely, moon-shaped non-threatening smiley face, he is good for the organization, doesn't talk s***....*snore*

That's a good start, Flash, nice ideas.

Maggs's worth to Big Boy teams: 5 year/70 Million Maggs's worth to the Sox: 5 year/50 Mill. Conclusion: can't afford him

Maggs' worth to Big Boy teams: 5 year/70 Million Maggs' worth to the Sox: 5 year/50 Mill.

Or...he could just as easily go 10 for 4 tonight and have an 800 OBP. Miles is 28. Some rookie. Here we are giving up on 24yo Uribe who was recalled from A-ball by the Rox and missed a ton of developmental time.

Oops, make that 4. D'Angelo? batting 360 with 450 OBP.

Wow, Todd Walker is making Jimenez look like a GG -- 3 times through first 4 innings of today's game alone, he failed to get his glove on the ball an average 2B probably gets to. That's no different than making 3 errors as far as I am concerned.

Non-mainstream is not = stupid. And of course there is such a thing as a productive out -- not that one'd know what it is watching the Sox the last 3 years. Hell, I myself forgot what it is -- what with the abundance of insipid pop ups and GIDP's and all.

The bigger question of course still stands:

After watching this team for the last 3 years, how can anybody in their right mind NOT get nervous at some point. I'll breath a sigh of relief when we are at least 7-8 up on the dwindling Twins/Royals. I think Sox fans haven't earned the right to be arrogant about this team just yet. Coming off 2000, Sox couldn't go anywhere but UP and it was great. Since 2001? Not so much.

Omar Vizquel had a ball go between his legs last year, so 1-2 plays don't make a season. Speaking of dropped pop ups.....Both Crede and Uribe did that as well and they are considered to be future Gold Glovers.

Granted, Jimenez is bad defensively (then agan so is Todd Walker), but his baserunning is not nearly as bad as it's presented -- he can still score from 1st on a double, go from 1st to 3rd on a single to right, tag up from 2nd on a medium-depth flyball to RF, etc, etc. With Cinci, he hit got on base, played tolerable defense and didn't get picked off much if at all. Right now, he looks sharp even when he makes OUTS.

I got one better: people who want to see Frank and Maggs stay no matter the price (say, a combined 25 Mill) are not Sox fans as much as they are Frank and Maggs fans. Barring unexpected attendance influx, payroll will NOT exceed 70 Mill, so don't even dream it. They only reason why it's at 60+ this year is because KW was stuck with Konerko and Koch. You simply don't know what you'll get from Frank at this poont, and Magglio is a career 890 OPS (very good but not 15 Mill good) hitter with overrated defense. Sox will have NO chance at winning the WS with those two taking up 35-40% of the payroll. It's a reality no matter how you want to spin around it. Damnitt, we have Reed, Anderson, Sweeney, Borchard, Rowand, Perez and Gload. Nothing spectacuar but at least it gives a chance to load up on good pitching to do some damage in the playoffs, Marlins/Angels-style.

I miss D'Angelo. Amidst a horrible June lost were April, May, July and September. He would literally have to try NOT to have a 360 OBP. Jimenez-Uribe platoon at 2B would be f***ing lethal

....and when he signs, say, a 4/30-type contract and then goes down with chronic backspasms (or did you think a 285-pound, 36yo is just another trivial detail?), thus pretty much crippling Sox' chances to compete for the duration of those 4 years.....I bet you'll love it. By which I mean....the 90's are over.

How much was David Ortiz making last year? How about Palmeiro and Edgar this year? What would make Frank think he can make 3year/25-30 Mill type money? His unbelivable "crowd-drawing and merchandise-pushing" charisma?

Or Miles Davis.

The "something" that has clicked is superior coordination and batspeed from the left side. You'd be suprised how much sexier one's stats can be if one doesn't waste 100 abtats (to say nothing of countless hours of batting practice) basically swing-bunting against ML pitching. As long as he doesn't start swinging at balls in the dirt as he did in the season's first 6 atbats (6 Ks), he will be alright -- compared to his 370 OPS as a RH last year, anything is a significant improvement. Literally.