DBAHO

Ok Sox, let's get this season off on the right foot. Buehrle to pitch a great game, Swisher to hit a HR on debut, and the Sox to get the win please.

Right now the Hawks would have the 10th pick in the draft I think. So I'd certainly take that (because I don't think we'll make the playoffs).

Edge winning here would be a shocker now.

Also Nashville got a point against Detroit today. Vancouver vs. Calgary later tonight. Need to the Flames to win that one. If we win, we'll be 3 back of the Preds with 3 to play.

There we go tie game. They're doing well on the PP tonight.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 01:03 AM) You want a 2B with a broken rib in the line up? No I don't obviously. I didn't really word that right. Basically if he was healthy, I still think Uribe would have beaten Richar this spring for a job (because Ozzie said Uribe had the best spring out of ANY player). And I think Richar could end up being a very capable player for us if he was given the chance to start for a full season.

QUOTE(Disco72 @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 12:54 AM) I agree, it's a really interesting topic. Ideally, you bring one or two young guys along with a veteran, experienced team. The Sox tried that with Anderson in 2006, and it didn't work (we'll ignore the discussion of why it didn't work). The other extreme is the 'luxury' of being a team that does not plan on competing - you can let the guys go out and play and see what happens. I don't like that extreme as I think rebuilding programs are pretty risky. The Sox are in an odd no-man's land this year. They have to develop some young players because they can't spend much more than they are now, but it is almost impossible to compete in the AL right now without a stacked lineup. As much as KW is trying to "win now" (and I think he means it), he is also trying to find out if some of these younger guys can play. It is also a risky move - I hope it pays off. It's something KW had to do to basically revitalize this team. I think everyone saw last season we had an "aging core". Thome, Konerko, Dye etc. all over 30, Contreras in the rotation etc. So we need some young guys who are on the up-swing, while those guys I mentioned before will be on the down-swing to balance things out. The Swisher acquisition for example. I guess for me, I'm just a little annoyed that we're not seeing Richar at 2nd, and Fields should argubly be playing 3rd (but he's not for other reasons). So the Sox could be getting even younger (and argubly getting better not worse, but they don't think that), and I think fans get a little dissappointed with those type of excuses. It is risky, but if the Sox want to jump up the standings, it's the type of thing they need to do.

QUOTE(CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 12:50 AM) The only thing muddled is Ozzies mind. He talked about Ozuna starting and Thome batting 5th against tough lefthanders then did neither. Against the Cy Young winner you have to have your best defense on the field. If you want Ramirez in the lineup just DH him and put Anderson in center. Thome batting 3rd with his 0-11 & 7 K lifetime line against CC . Ozzie puts the most plodding team in against a guy who if he allows base runners won't even need to worry about holding them on. Ozzies convinced by Ramirez' spring that he deserves to play but not Anderson's spring ? On Thome, these were his overall numbers against lefties last season; .196/.314/.350 So pretty average. It's be great for the Sox if a Quentin or BA could really step up against lefties and give Ozzie that 2nd option as a DH. Jim still got 289 AB's against righties and crushed 29HR's, that's 1 every 10 plate appearnce. Whether Ozzie would ever platoon him though, I don't know. It's something he needs to consider though.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 12:49 AM) He's won the opening day job. I still think we could see a good deal of Swisher in center and Quentin in left, until Owens returns. Well yeah, that's probably what I'm most hoping for, and for Alexei to be used as a super utility man. Whether it's just because a lefty is on the hill first up, we'll wait and see. I just hope, Quentin is getting healthy right now also with that shoulder of his.

Well let's hope Phil had a brain freeze on this one. Ozuna needs to be playing as much as possible (if he's hitting well) against lefties.

QUOTE(Disco72 @ Mar 30, 2008 -> 01:38 AM) The problem with cheap, young players is that not all of them can actually play. Hopefully, after this year, we'll know if young pitchers like Floyd and Danks can compete and if other guys like Fields, Anderson, Quentin, Owens, Rameriz, Richar, etc. can also play (or continue playing) well at a major league level. If the answer is yes, that opens up a ton of options for the Sox. However, some of them are more than likely going to fail. Well I mean there's lots of ways you can look at that, and it's a really interesting subject, and the one I probably most enjoy discussing about actually. I mean with young players, how much lee-way do you give them if they're a starter. Do you bench em if they produce like Brian Anderson did in his 1st season? Should the Sox have made a change before then? Did BA deserve another opportunity sooner? Because obviously you want GOOD young players, but I'd say the % rate of players who can produce straight away from being up from the minors would be quite low of course, probably around 15-20% maybe? And that's why someone such as a Josh Fields could have been so valuable, because he would have been a building block at 3rd, but the Sox already had a guy there that they couldn't trade, and are stuck with him for the moment paying him 5.1M. And with some players, they just take a while before things click. And you can't just have all veteran players on your team making more than the minimum, otherwise you'd end up with a huge payroll. And the Red Sox had some really good young players last season of course. The 2 players I'm most looking forward to seeing this season from your group this season are Ramirez and Quentin. Right now, I don't think anyone can accurately predict what they're going to do (although I'd say Quentin if given regular AB's is capable of a .800-.850 OPS).

Weird how Swisher was to be starting at CF, and now all of a sudden, Alexei has won the CF job. I think it's going to be a muddled picture all season long, unless Ramirez produces from the get - go.

New GTAIV trailer. WOW. Graphics just so clean and crisp. Only 1 month now.

Ehren would be very annoyed right now, and I don't blame him. Masset should have a month to perform, and if his ERA is above 6, get rid of him. But now Nick has the opportunity, and let's hope he makes the most of it.

Happy Birthday Kap!!!

118 is the new 70M of course. Just shows how valuable it is too have good young players for payroll flexibility.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 28, 2008 -> 01:43 PM) Well, the only scenario where ANY team trades a great young arm for Fields is on XBOX. Well consider it from the Giants P.O.V. They almost traded Rios for Linecum in the off-season. And sure Rios is more of a sure thing, but Fields would be a cornerstone in that lineup for at least the next 5 seasons.

Hey, if Crede produces like he did in 4 months of 2005 and all of 2006, and we can re-sign him, do it. Then you can trade Fields for say Tim Linecum. That's the only scenario where I can see it feasible though, and Crede would have to fire Bora$$.

Certainly not Crede or Uribe, based on the offers so far. Konerko perhaps, but he'll have 10/5 right soon. D-Backs and yanks really the only teams I can see being interested. Dye I doubt we'll move anytime soon. If he performs, we'll keep him for his production. If he doesn't, not many teams are going to want a 34-35 year old OF who's makes 8 figures. O-Cab we'll only deal at the deadline if he's not signed long - term. Buehrle's going no-where. Jenks would have be an unbelievable deal for the Sox to even consider it. So I'll say John Shelby. You know KW loves to deal his prospects.

Don't see Walsh making that mistake again R.E Isaiah. There was a good story about how Walsh wanted Tayshaun Prince, but instead Thomas made him pick Fred Jones a week back.

Nothing crazy here like some above. One time, when I was really tipsy, for some reason I had sudden urge to my shoelaces up, on a concrete path. TIMBER. Nice gash on the side of my head there. Seriously next time you are drunk, try doing up your shoe-laces. Another time after work, I had a bad lunch on some sort of Japanese food, so I was already a little queasy. And then I had these 3 very large stein's of some sort of German Beer. I got to the state, where they wouldn't serve me after that, so I walked to the tram station, or stumbled. Got in the tram, 15 mins later, the tram went over this bump, I'm at the back of the tram, and boom here comes the vomit, all over my suit, tie and backpack. I jumped off at the next stop, and chucked again. Finally got home, and then the next morning I had to clean the puke off all of my stuff. The backpack was ruined, and I took the suit to the dry cleaners, and I've never felt so guilty before.

And yet Pods' hasn't been healthy for what 2 seasons?

QUOTE(shipps @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 12:13 AM) About six months months ago a supervisor at work took my picture while I was washing my hands.She told me to look up and smile,a very random moment and I didnt think anything of it at the time.Yesterday people are greeting me in the hallways about how Iam a "medical model" and I have no idea what they are talking about,I just giggeled and went on.Turns out my picture is a screen saver on every computer for the notice "Remember to always wash your hands before patient contact".It is so embarrassing,I have a look of jubilation on my face just to be washing my hands.Iam that guy on those stupid pictures of sanitation and I feel like I have been violated. You could always be a hand model. "Just like Ray McKechnie". Not the master of his domain.

Probably old news, but interesting nonetheless; http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/clinto...6207274517.html

QUOTE(iamshack @ Mar 27, 2008 -> 02:44 PM) Even right now, with his injury concerns? I think he's shown in the past week or 2 he's getting healthier. Give him the chance to start while Owens is on the DL I say. And if he doesn't produce like he's capable of, he can go on the DL before or after Owens comes back (possibly allowing Swisher to move to LF and BA taking over CF). He's got the most potential out of all our young OF's, and he should be given a chance to show it.