WSFAN35

A bad manager could take an all-star team to a World Series, but in all honesty, the Sox are not an all-star team. Jerry Manuel isn't a terrible manager, there are far worse in the league, but he will definately have to smarten up in order to get this team into the World Series. The best bet for the Sox is to have the veteran players on the team get behind Manuel, and give this team some real leadership. Finding a fifth starter couldn't hurt either.

sox-r-us, like Jerry Manuel, we all make mistakes. It's all good... I encourage all of you to voice your opinion, but let's remember, we take the oath as true Sox fans, and true fans of any team will support their troops and hate their enemies (Cubs) win or lose, rain or shine. Let's put our rally caps on, give Manuel and the Sox a kick in the ass and hope for a pennant run. I think we all want more than anything for the Sox to win a World Series.

sox-r-us... You don't have any right to call someone ignorant, you should take a look in the mirror. For lack of a decent vocabulary, you have to use the F word over and over again. I don't think anyone hear quite understands the pressure of being a major league manager, and I sincerely doubt any of you could do a better job than Manuel has this year. He turned a slumping ballclub around. Every one makes mistakes and wrong choices. A week ago when the Sox were on a roll everyone was praising and saying how good of a job he was doing, and now, with three losses in a row, you all choose to put him back on the dartboard. Sure, I may not agree with everything Jerry Manuel says and does, but I can also talk about it in an intelligent fashion instead of sounding like a moron and using the f word every other second. Rick White had no rite to say what he said, something like that needs to be kept in the clubhouse. What he said may have destroyed the chemistry that the team had while riding their winning streak. Rick White is more than likely the reason that the Sox are hurting right now. Manuel will now have to prove himself by getting his team back in shape and leading them to the postseason. You shouldn't judge a man's job until he's finished.

They aren't giving this as a reward to Buerhle, it's a reward to Bartolo, because Colon wanted to pitch Cleveland's home opener.

Both Sox are done talking to Rogers, and since Finley is returning to the Cards, Rogers won't end up there either. He'll probably sign with the Rangers for less than they offered him in the first place. Serves him right.

Jason Dallaero... not that he was hyped much, but he was a first round pick.

He won one championship, why not another?

Yea, because Royce Ring beat his fat ass...

Yep, it's on the Barons site. I don't quite get why a major league team would want to play a AA team, but oh well, it will get us prepared to face the Royals... haha.

Where is he going to end up this year, will the put him in Birmingham, or throw him right into Charlotte. Personally, since he lost some gas towards the end of the season last year in Kannapolis, I think he should stay in AA with the Barons this year. Hopefully he'll have that mid-nineties fastball back to go along with that deadly knucklecurve.

Jon Garland is still very young, and has shown glimpses of greatness. He will be a Cy Young candidate in the future, he will be the Ace of this staff if and when Mark Buerhle leaves. Hell, even if Mark doesn't leave Garland has a good chance to show him up. He has the pitches and the tools to be an all-star, and once he gains better command of his pitches he will be an all-star. In a few years Garland will be picking up 20 wins, I promise you. If Garland isn't in the front running for a Cy Young by the time he is 28 years old, then everyone on this board can kick me in my big fat ripe testicles.

ISU needs to do something to snatch some of those top HS recruits. My friend Blake Chervinko will be pitching there this summer! He's a righty who throws mid-eightees, with a natural sinking fastball and an excellent curveball. I hope he does well.

Danny Haigwood might also be a nice suprise... He's a lefty who led the AFL in wins and was second in ERA. What makes him most suprising is that he was drafted in the 15th round. He could be huge!

Cotts will be a solid major league pitcher one day, but pitching at ISU is totally different, and yea, his numbers were great there. He was taken as a non-roster invitee to get a good look along with Josh Stewart, because both of these guys seem to resemble Mark Buerhle. Bullard might be one of my top choices to come out of nowhere though. If I had to choose a *suprise* minor leaguer to come up it would be Micah Shnurstein. In case you don't already know, he was drafted in the 6th round, which to be totally honest isn't all that high of a draft pick, considering how many players actually make it to the majors. He's got a good short swing and can really hit for average. He's got decent power, and with a little time to mature, could end up being a big time hitter. The only problem, is he plays at the hot corner, which is occupied by Joe Crede, and he isn't going anywhere. But hopefully Schnurstein will get a good look at AA this season, and maybe get some playing time in Charlotte.

Is it just me, or do any of you have the feeling that Harold Baines is being kept some where in the celler of u.s. cellular field... training with a new bionic body, waiting to feast on the rest of the major leagues?

Contrary to what most people believe, Person is healthy and ready to go. He's been training in the offseason and aparently is in the best shape he's been in for a long time. Two years ago he won fifteen games. He's a solid major league pitcher. But, to be honest, as much as I like Person, Rauch is gonna be good, and I think he should get the chance to show the world what he can do when he's healthy.

Ring won't become a starter, because it will take him too long to build the stamina... Royce is a big boy, a mighty big boy, who will take alot of innings in relief before he'll be ready to even come close to pitching five innings even. Royce does only have three pitches, but he is trying to add on another. Edwin Almonte will be up in the bigs as a setup, not a closer, because by the time Koch is out of a contract, Ring will be ready to step up and take over. I don't think he can lose the job, he's pretty tough to hit, but I guess we will see in a couple of years.

Rogers will probably sign with someone else for more money... I don't think that the Sox are that much of a contender to him that he's willing to only play for a million bucks. However, if the incentives are easily achievable, and he does feel that the sox have a good chance of bringing him a ring, he'll end up in black pin stripes. Rauch will go to AAA to start the season, and with an injury he will be the first to be called up. Rauch could use a bit more seasoning, but if Rogers isn't signed, he belongs in the Sox rotation.

If roger's lands in the rotation, Rauch is headed to Charlotte for more seasoning.

Some of the Twins are pretty calm and collected about this year, they know that they have competitors. But assholes like Dougie can't keep their mouths shut. I'm not saying the Sox will dominate, because we won't know that until these two face off. But to be honest, I think that most of the Sox are paying the Twins the respect they deserve, and they now understand that they can beat them, and they don't need to be loud about it. Hopefully this revalation will turn into more chemistry, because that's all this team needs.

Don't jinx it... by saying their gonna win it, you're f***ing them over.

How about: "No more gay posts"

Well Heredia and Loaiza mostly...

If these guys don't make the big club, will they be let go, or will they rot in Charlotte?

Rauch isn't going anywhere. The Sox are most likely going to be without Colon after next season (unless Reinsdorf pulls the dildo out of his ass). There's no way we should trade our best pitching prospect AND Valentin to get Rollins. I say keep what we got...