BrandoFan

You're kidding. Valentin made 2 above average plays on Berroa, Beltran and 2 of his 3 DPs were definately non-routine, especially the one with Marte with game on the line.

Miles? No glove, mediocre base-running and average bat at best -- being generous here. Uribe is faster, quicker, more agile; his swing needs fixing (ugly mechanics) and he is still all-around raw thanks to Colorado rushing him to the majors.....but make no mistake about it, he IS a talent. Obviously he won't maintain 400 average, but 265 with 750 OPS is not out of the question is not out of the question. Before he got hirt last year, he was crushing LHP. There is NO way in hell Wllie Harris should be starting against them.

I always get a kick out of people who speak of Coors field as though is a little league field. The ball does carry better there, but guess what? It's one of the most spacious parks in baseball. I think psychological factors come into play, self-fullfilling prophesy-style: hitters are more confident when they step into the box and pitchers - vice versa. The is NO objective reason why a 450 slugger will be a 550 slugger in Coors.

Frank is one of the smartest and smoothest-speaking athletes in sports when he is in a good mood, but some of his comments are just "wha?"-inducing. He can be his own worst enemy sometimes. And you know what? Being all-Zen does NOT work for everybody -- some players play better with a chip on their shoulder. I hope Frank busts out for a 1000 OPS season, leads this team to ALCS or even WS....and THEN he can talk 4/35-type extention. Right now, he is swinging like an 850-OPS'er. You got Palmeiro and Edgar making 3-4 Mill each. Why would Frank think at 35-36 he is going to get Jim Thome money? He is a big, heavy aging slugger who might suprise us all and hit well into his 40's.....OR he could succumb to mother nature and fizzle out. Too much risk which ultimately cuts his value almost in half even if he DOES hit. Furthermore....as if I made a big deal of overpaying to Magglio, it only makes sense to reiterate the same point regarding the older, more controversial and much more one-dimensional Frank. Just becasue I like him at 5-6 doesn't mean I have to like him at twice that.

Aaron Rowand has a nice quick swing, but like with most other Sox hitters (from Uribe to Valentin to Crede to Olivo to Konerko), it's a matter of pitch selection. He keeps chasing that slider a foot outside and heater up on the hands, and he is a marginal major leaguer. If he stops turning on every pitch and manages the SZ better, sky is the limit. There probably won't be an in-between.

11K is inexcusable either way. 15K is pretty bad as well. Weather was ok. Team is good. Park is better than ever. Rival in town. Still some of the cheapest tickets in the majors. We know Reiny is not gonna spend 75-80+ Mill if Sox can't draw 3 Mill. The equestions is: just WHAT would it take to get 3 Mill Sox fans through the turnstiles at this point?

Can't speak for myself (92 wins, remember?), but I am sure that little thing called HISTORY may have played some part in fostering the aura of negavity. Hell look at last 3 years: 2001 - average. 2002 - mediocre 2003 - average (2000 Sox would have won 105 games in that punk-ass divison).

Damn, WITE, way to represen' I definately think Everett is an 800+ OPS player when healthy, and much better defensively (even after knee tear) in RF/LF than in CF. As far as Edgar...Let's put it this way: last year before breaking his foot in late August, the man had a 960 OPS in a Safeco, which would be closer to 980+ at USCF. Rumors of his great decline have been greatly exaggerated. Magglio wants 15 Mill? How about a 150 RBI season? 10 RBI a Mill, sounds reasonable.

What was wrong with their old unis? I thought they suited their style and image perfectly. Change just for the sake of change = stupid.

See now, even though there is only a 3 Mill difference between Hallday and Livan, I personally don't consider them in the same class. With Halladay, you pry him away from Toronto somehow, and your playoff rotation gets a huge boost. With Livan, he is a tolerable #2 at best -- and Sox, for instance, already have 2 of those in Buerhle and Loaiza -- and maybe, just maybe, in Garland. Ace at 10 Mill is more affordable than #3 at 7.

You got it. If it were a clear-cut issue, the deal could never be made as one of the parties would be losing big-time. It comes down to talent vs. cost vs. team needs vs. history of performance.

Giants ran away with the division. Sox, who we arguably more talented than the Giants, couldn't win in the weakest division in baseball. Giants meldown was more along the lines of two really bad defensive mistakes and two brilliant atbats by PudgeJunior. Marlins peaked in the right time. Sox meltdown, on the other hand, was protracted over many, many weeks; there was nothing even remotely accidental about it. If anything, Sox were lucky that they were by far the healthiest team in ALC throughout the year. I just find it shameful that Sox players can look back and basically place the thinly-veiled blame on Jerry for not inspiring their self-centered asses. Yes, when, say, Brian Daubach was trying to put the ball on the moon when the team only needed a measly basehit to win.....all Jerry's fault.

Yoo want me to believe Manuel's strategic shortcomings caused the Sox to look like zombies for 4 months of the season? Bonds is just one player; he can't create 97-win teams by himself. I find it ridiclous that grown men need to be told to relax and/or to not swing for the fences as much. JM rightfully got his share of the blame, and I certainly have said enough unpleasant things about KW/JR.....but at some point somebody somewhere has to admit that players were selfish and reckless and unprepared, and that ultimately led to 2003 debacle -- that squad had enough talent to overcome JM's tactical mistakes if only it wanted the division as badly Royals and Twins wanted it. Even Ozzie sort of admits as much -- he stops just short of calling them bums and instead gives the PC "not havin' fun" answer to explain away 2003 underperformance.

Which brings up another point: if it indeed wasn't a matter of insufficient talent but rather of attitude that did them in 03, why couldn't they "have fone" last year? Was JM that big of a party-pooper? Was the promise of victory less sweet? Jerry wasn't a good manager, granted, but what is this, little leagues? These are highly paids professionals -- these excuses for their own selfishness, lack of discipline and plain buckling under pennat pressure are rather pathetic. Felipe Alou is as laid back as it gets -- how come Giants didn't choke or play uninspired ball?

Who is aboz?

Well, if you say so.

Frankly, that's all you deserve. Maybe next time you won't stray from the topic at hand. As soon as you use my moniker and get all META- on me, you waive your right to a decent response. Deal with it. Or don't. I could care less either way. Take care.

I don't know how this fairytale ends, but whatever Ozee did is working -- I truly believe the way Sox played under Jerry Manuel in the 1st half last year, with this tough schedule, after losing the season opener in the fashion in which they did.... Sox woulda been looking at 2-5 or even 1-6. Whereas now they are 4-3 -- could have been 5-2 just as easily. Already a 2 game improvement on what last year's "superior talent-wise" team could have done.

Yeah....and 2 months from now when HeadcasePaulie is hitting 240 with 12 GIDP, 200 wRISP, with no speeed and no range at 1B.....while Perez has a 3.40 ERA.....See, two can play the guess game. Oh and money most definately matters. It's called budget flexibility, something Sox haven't had since they were saddled with Koch and Kong's contracts. That's just laughable. Mota, Miller/Jackson were involved in a Magglio trade. Get your facts straight back atcha. Thanks for the advice. I'll pass. I disagree. Shove the ad hominem up your ass, momo. The poll topic is "Konerko for Perez", not "let's discuss Brando", little s***. Capiche?

Actially, I wouldn't mind giving up Anderson, Pacheco and Rauch/Borch. If you think a 42/4 pitcher on a team that can't really afford him and won't finish higher than 3rd is worth Cotts, Honel, Reed, I got news for you: he isn't. .

For the same reason I'd do Koch for Freddy Garcia if such opportunity ever presented itself -- because I want to improve the ball club. There was a reason why Dodgers wouldn't do the deal in the off-season -- their new GM is no fool.

Got agree with your 'agreed' there, little buddy. Quality poster, him. A mensch.

Deal.

Paulie's getting lots of support na.

ha much?