They are complete idiots if during the off season they try to correct the problem at the New Yankee Stadium. THERE IS NO PROBLEM!  They Yankees have been blessed,.......again.  Some people believe that if God has a favorite team it's the New York Yankees. Some believe there was a curse of the great Bambino. Some believe there were ghosts at the old Yankee stadium. I believe the right field jet stream at the new stadium is meant to be. A jet stream that seems to blow harder when the Yankees are batting.

Since 2004 there are only two teams in the AL that have had winning records on the road each and every season. The Yankees and the Angels. Winning on the road is the sign of a great team. The Yankees do that better than anyone. However the Yankees have NEVER had the pleasure of a distinct home field advantage. I say distinct because every team should have the slight  home field advantage. Home cooking and comfortable surroundings alone would give the slight advantage.

When evaluating a clear home field advantage in the AL  one team truly stands out. The Boston Red Sox have been mediocre on the road since 2004 with two losing seasons. Yet they are at the top of the standings every year. Last year  the Yankees had the 2nd best record on the road in the AL  behind the Angels and  they missed the playoffs. Yet the Red Sox had a losing record on the road and made the playoffs. How?? The Red Sox have the biggest homefield advantage in baseball. There team as a whole bats 30 points higher at home and there are two guys in particular,  Pedroia and Ortiz  who are PEDESTRIAN on the road and have lifetime averages of 50 points higher at Fenway. The Red Sox have had the luxury of inflated numbers for 100 years and Fenway has TRANSFORMED good players in to great players time after time. For the first time ever the Yankees are starting to enjoy some of these advantages

Could you imagine what it would be like if you took the best road team in the league this past decade and suddenly gave them a home field advantage as good as any one. If you suddenly gave them the same advantage as a team who's biggest reason for success is just that, their home field advantage. WELL IMAGINE NO MORE!!!!!

Shortly after I posted this thread. Paplebon starts calling himself Cinco Ocho. How original

Stealing Nick Names

by LouieTheLip on Sep 22, 2008 1:09 AM PDT 40 comments

Everyone knows there is only one nation, ...Raider nation. The nerve of you people. What's next. Are you going to start calling Beckett the Big Unit.

Let me ask you this, if  it really is Red Sox nation then why is it that in Boston you can listen to the Yankees on the radio every night, but in New York you are not able to get a Red Sox game????

You're just Red Sox fans, that is all. It's Raider nation, it's Yankee Universe, and The Cowboys are America's team.

Go get your own Nick Name

As you can see I posted the thread below at the end of 08. I posted it on Over The Monster. The Red Sox version of Pinstripe Alley, which you all probably know.

At the time of this thread Beckett had 3 seasons with the Sox under his belt and 2 of them were sub par. Beckett is pitching lights out right now and I wasn't really expecting another 2007 type performance from him but that is what we're getting ferom him.  Burnett hasn't pitched as well as Beckett has this year. I do realize that. HOWEVER!

The point of this thread was to make the case that our number 3 was nearly as good as their number one. Again, at the time Wang was still in the mix an A.J. was projected as the number 3.  My point was simple. I'll take our chances with a Burnett and Beckett showdown ANYDAY!!! Well last night it happened. I thought we could touch up Beckett a little . We have had some success against him in the past. However he's pitching as good as he ever has,......and Burnett hung like a champ. A few walks away from a masterpiece was Burnett. Hell of a game.

We Have Our Beckett, His Name Is A.J.

by LouieTheLip on Dec 13, 2008 12:27 AM PST 45 comments

I like to compare A.J. to Beckett more than I like to compare Sabathia to Beckett. Beckett has been a post season MONSTER and there is no denying that. So we can have that debate again come playoff time. However during the regular season over the last 7 years C.C. has been the better pitcher. He did win a cy young people. He is a throw back with innings pitched and complete games. Beckett doesn't hold a candle in those  two areas. C.C. has a lifetime 3.66 ERA spending all his time in the AL.  I can't wait to see him go into the post season with 195 innings instead of 250. I can't wait to see how successful he will be in the post season with a fresh arm instead of killing himself just to get there like he has in the past. 

Anyway I want to compare our number 3 starter against your number one.  A.J. to Beckett. Both injury prone. Although Beckett has not missed entire seasons with major injuries like Burnett so I'll say Burnett is more fragile and there is no doubt about that. What I want to do is use a 4 season window. Why 4 seasons? Well I keep hearing how good the Red Sox have been over the last 4 years. Apparently that's how we judge everything now in 4 year encrements. So says the Red Sox fan. So be it. In the last 4 years Burnett has averaged 182 innings pitched and Beckett 189. Burnett strikes out a few more, but also walks a few more. The ERA is comparable as well. Burnett has dominated the AL East but has no post season history.  If there was a game tonight and it was Beckett vs Burnett how are you feeling. Like you better watch the game. That's how you're feeling. Burnett is a health risk I agree, but he's electric.

If he has not  done it already Brian Cashman should be on the phone every single day with Mike Mussina.  I know the Moose marches to his own drum, but he has to be tempted with this line up. He has to be tempted with this potent line up and with the chance to get that elusive ring.  A chance to EARN the ring, because we can surely use him. Let the uprise begin.

"Call Up The Moose. Call Up The Moooooooose!"

Last night I heard that there were two Red Sox employees fired. I'm not exactlyOne of which had possession of steroids. One of the guys was Jerry Remy's son. Baseball had an investigation that was kept private.  PRIVATE??? A Red Sox employee is caught in the club house with steroids and subsequently terminated,....and this is private.  How the hell is this private? Here is the link to the story.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/08/02/sox_fired_two_in_steroids_case/?page=full

So nobody here thinks this is a joke. Cleveland gives away one of the 2 best offensive catchers in the AL for Masterson and that doesn't bother anyone?? You don't think the loud voice of Red Sox nation has a direct influence on baseball then you have your head up your booty.

Tell me how a guy who has 83 RBI and 17 HR wins an MVP. I understand If you are a lead off guy and you bat  .340 and steal 60 bases.

Tell me how a pitcher with a 4.5 ERA and 6 runs plus per game run support gets to be an allstar. A guy gets 6 runs a game and HE BETTER win some games

Tell me how you get Victor Martinez for a guy with a 4.5 ERA and a 1.34 whip.

Tell me how every prospect the Red Sox have is a can't miss, yet they can't resolve their issuesfrom within.

Justin Masterson gets traded and the Red Sox bull pen ERA goes down,......for Victor Martinez!!!!!

You people need to wake up and realize it has a direct affect on the NYY. Keep looking the other way and calling me a cry baby if you want. I see the big picture.

Justin Masterson value has been dramatically altered by the loud voice of Red Sox Nation,........PERIOD!!!!!!!

The month of April called and said that she'll be taking over where she left off. The back end of the rotation disfunctional, and most of the guys in the bull pen you would rather not see. To put it nicely.

How do you spend the money that was spent in the off season to build a contender, but not address the issues at hand mid season. I am perplexed and not feeling so optimistic.

I'm pretty sure this guy was one of the biggest reasons our bull pen was a disgrace early on?  And I'm pretty sure that the bull pen earlier on was the biggest reason why we stunk . Watching him last night I got that HERE WE GO AGAIN FEELING!! I don't want that feeling. If I see this guy again I may actually puke!!!!!!!

Is it Just me or did you get that feeling too??

The New Yankee Stadium averaged 1.9 HR's per game during this past home stand. I just thought I would mention it since nobody else seems to be.

During the first game of the road trip, the Yankees hit more home runs then they did in any game during the home stand,.......and the two teams combined tonight for more HR's than any total during the home stand.

Johnny Damon hit a HR to RF at Tropicana tonight that would have been ridiculed at Yankee Stadium.

I have never been a guy that put much stock in determining the success of a baseball team by looking at the schedule. In football the schedule can tell you something.  In baseball it's a non issue. There are too many games played. Having said that I have noticed a trend. The Red Sox have missed the better pitchers in the league, the aces if you will.

I don't think I'm reaching here. Playing the Mets with Santana on the mound is playing a completely different game then if you face Redding.  I am not making excuses either. I am just making an observation. An observation that suggests the Sox aren't as good as their record would indicate. I trend that I hope won't comntinue and if the start of the second half is an indicator, it won't.

Did you know that yesterday was the first time the Red Sox saw Halladay this season. It was the final game of the third series when they finally got to see the ace.

Played Detroit didn't see Verlander or Jackson

Played Kansas City didn't see Greinke (Yanks missed him too)

Played the Phillies without seeing Hamels or Myers

Played Mets but didn't face Santana

Played Anaheim with no Lackey

Kazmir and lost

Millwood and lost

King Felix and lost

Cliff Lee and lost

Halladay and lost 

If you add that up. You are talking9 different series the Red Sox played without seeing that particulars team best guy. It's like beating the Colts without Manning, The Pats without Brady

I will say one thing. The Red Sox are winning the games they are supposed to win. The Red Sox are obviously a contender and one of the better teams in the league.  However I won't be surprised ifthe next time the Yankees take over first it's no looking back. I can see the Yankees winning in a walk before I see the Sox distance themselves. The Yankees are better than they were last year, and the red Sox aren't. No Manny and Bay coming back down to earth. Take Bay out of their line up the first two months of the season like the Yanks with no ARod and the Sox are battling the birds right now.