chw42

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 06:28 PM) 1.) I agree players win games, so I guess Alomar could be great if everybody has career years. 2.) Nice post IMO. I agree they are rolling the dice on Sandy. He'll come relatively cheap and be calm if we suck next year. 3.) No, but I think if you have a chance to get a personality who has won a WS like Francona, you'd be stupid to not take him over what, a couple million dollars? Pay the money, steal the headlines. I just have this gut feeling that Sandy will be the calm guy who is in charge as our team takes over KC's role as doormat in the division. Francona won with a lot of talent and one of the highest payrolls in baseball. Give that to a lot of managers and they accomplish that. I wouldn't mind Francona, but I'd rather go down a completely new road with a guy that has the tools to be a great manager like Maddon or Scioscia.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 04:35 PM) That's why I want Francona. BTW rightfield is crowded in your scenario and left is left vacant. I realized that and fixed it.

This is considering we don't acquire anybody that will contribute to the ML roster next year. Lineup 1. De Aza CF 2. Ramirez SS 3. Dunn DH 4. Konerko 1B 5. Viciedo LF 6. Pierzynski/Flowers C 7. Rios RF 8. Morel 3B 9. Beckham/Lillibridge 2B If Dunn and Rios actually play like they're paid, then that won't be such a bad offense. You can trade Quentin for prospects for all I care. This is considering we don't trade Danks away and Buehrle won't be brought back. Rotation 1. Danks 2. Floyd 3. Peavy 4. Sale 5. Humber/Stewart/Axelrod Bullpen LR Stewart/Axelrod MR Filler RP MR Ohman MR Reed SU Crain SU Thornton CL Santos If things go right next year, this team still has a chance to succeed. There is still a decent amount of talent on this team, it just has to perform.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 02:32 PM) No offense to Sandy, but this truly is our return to irrelevance. Francona would be making a statement. Sandy? Nice dull man to manage a dead team as it rebuilds and hopes the rebuild isn't Royals or Pirates like. So dull manager = bad team?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 01:36 AM) Do you really believe they're going to spend $4-5 million per season on Francona? This whole "All In" thing has become a thing of the past SEEMINGLY this week, and the likes of Francona or LaRussa would have zero interest in a complete rebuild...basically the same thing Lou Piniella went through in Tampa before he finally walked away from it. Yeah I doubt Francona would come here. I'd rather spend the money he will make on a player and have Martinez or Alomar here.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Sep 29, 2011 -> 12:22 AM) A good essay question for persuasive argument even if you don't take that side. I would love to see a well-written and well-thought out essay on this matter by one of the Ozzie supporters on this board. But that will never happen...

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:59 PM) Milkman delivers. That was quite the owning you performed. Haha. DODGED!

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:49 PM) And the other historic one was also 8, right? Was it the Mets or Phillies, one choking it away to the other? Well the Mets choked it away much faster than the Red Sox and Braves did.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:46 PM) What was the Braves' lead? I think 8

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:40 PM) Scott Merkin The last time a Florida team rallied from this far back to reach the playoffs, one of their coaches ended up managing the White Sox ~ 27 minutes ago via web You gotta wait it out, KW. Patience Kenny, patience.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:42 PM) Hey Carl, there will be a ticket left at will call for you if youre interested in attending a playoff game. --Rays Hahaha nice. It's fitting that Crawford was the one who dropped the ball Andino hit and made a poor throw to home plate. There was a lot of weird stuff today. For instance, Pence hit a single to send Berkman to the playoffs and kept Bourn away from it. All former Astros. And of course, Crawford dropped the ball in LF to help the Rays win the WC. Very weird. If only Dan Johnson played for the Red Sox before...

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:37 PM) I can respect that. With the Red Sox, I think it would be OK to fire Francona. It's been 4 years since their last title, they collapsed worse than any team has in the final month of the season, and they have an incredibly high payroll. The Braves probably shouldn't fire Gonzalez because this is his first season and they had a lot of young guys, some of whom faltered down the stretch due a lot to their youth. Gonzalez's overuse of O'Flaherty, Venters and, Kimbrel really bit him in the ass late in the season.

QUOTE (Real @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:35 PM) I'd rather have the guy who shows he wants to prove something, Francona could very well be the same old s***. I want a new manager to groom a youth-led core of players, very similar situation to what Martinez and Maddon have in TB. I'd love to have this organization mimic everything the Rays do. That is how you build an organization. They're basically the modern day Moneyball A's, but better.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:32 PM) It's amazing, was it an inning earlier that it looked like the Red Sox might just make it out alive? The Yankees had first and third with no outs and Aceves just got out of that jam to hand the game over to Papelbon. Then BANG it's over. WPA graphs Rays Red Sox Red Sox had a 95.3% chance of winning in the 9th. The Rays literally had no chance of winning in the 8th. Amazing stuff.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:26 PM) What was the third time? He hit a bases clearing triple in Boston to give Baltimore the lead. He hit a inside the parker against Beckett to put the first game of the series away. And of course, what just happened like 30 minutes ago. I would want to punch him if I were a Red Sox fan right now.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 11:22 PM) The Red Sox fans will surely claim that NY threw it. And good call on Andino being Dent. Andino's f***ed the Red Sox over 3 times already. It's crazy.

Harold Baines is 4th in the poll.

Looks like we might have to wait at least one more week if Martinez is the guy. Tito should be available now.

That was AWESOME!

QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 08:03 PM) I can't believe they won 79 games thinking back................. Yeah, it seemed like it was a lot worse.

The only times where I was optimistic about this team was the first couple weeks of the season. Then when Ozzie got fired, I started getting interested in the team again.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 07:07 PM) 79-83 For whatever reason, 80 wins looks a lot better than 79 to me. Oh well, it's irrelevant either way. We get a better pick this way anyways.

lol who voted for Baines?

QUOTE (Cali @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 07:04 PM) Thank you David Price...if you just made Dave Martinez easier to get a hold of after today... Basically what I'm thinking. The earlier the Rays are knocked out, the more likely Martinez gets the job.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 28, 2011 -> 07:52 PM) I read something today comparing Ozzie to Ditka, and it was eerily similar. They also said they wouldn't be surprised if Ozzie's tenure in Miami goes a lot like Ditka's in New Orleans. Now that is a good comparison.