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Around SBN: What Drove Phil Mickelson From The Memorial?

Lope3

britsoxfan

Mar 21, 2008 Feb 18, 2010 56 3643

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Over the Monster If you could sign one free agent...

This being a Red Sox fansite, as soon as the final out of the season is made, our thoughts turn to re-tooling for next year. Fire up the hot stove, people.

We were a very good team this year. Probably the second best team in MLB (though I know the run differential tells a slightly different story). While we are aging in some key positions, we have both the money and the prospects to sustain our success.

Let's look at the free agents first of all, before we come up with creative trades for Tim Lincecum and Ryan Braun. Pick your priority free agent in the attached poll. If I've missed one out, chose Other and state your choice below.

Here's an apparently full list of FAs for reference, though I've spotted an error or two.

Poll
Who should be the Red Sox's priority free agent?
CC Sabathia (the Big Waist wouldn’t be a Big Waste)
84 votes
Mark Teixeira (Youk to third, Lowell to Pinewood Retirement Manor)
149 votes
Adam Dunn (we’d find a place to play him)
9 votes
Ben Sheets (we need an injury-prone #3)
8 votes
AJ Burnett (we need an injury-prone #4)
15 votes
Jason Varitek (hits like Kevin Cash, throws like Johnny Damon)
32 votes
K-Rod (I am stupider than yeast)
10 votes
Richie Sexson (I run an illegal betting ring, and want to tank the season)
22 votes
Other (state below)
23 votes

352 votes | Poll has closed

179 comments  | 

Papelbluto

Come on... It wouldn't be the Red Sox without a little bit of drama, right?

over 3 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 7 comments

T1_bay

Jason being Jason...

almost 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 1 comment

Over the Monster The Manny Memorial Thread

Share with the Over the Monster community, if you will, your fondest memories of Manny in a Red Sox uniform.

He has been spectacular, and bizarre, and infuriating in equal measure, and he will be sorely missed.

I will start the ball rolling by mentioning the walkoff home run he hammered off K-Rod in Game 2 of the ALDS last year. It was a legendary blow, and I will treasure it for a very long time. Pimping? Damn right. Damn right...

Thanks Manny.

Bdd_mr_game2hr_1-507_gett_medium

via i151.photobucket.com

 

 

27 comments  |  1 recs | 

Papelkid

The is no defence against The Crane

almost 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 1 comment 1 recs

Cocotrix2

Covelli Anderson

almost 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 3 comments 2 recs

Juliangoesnuts

There's history between these clubs, you say?

almost 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 0 comments 1 recs

Over the Monster You the GM: Bring in Bonds?

So, let's assume that Ortiz is going to be out for more than a month, or worst case scenario, the whole season. Could you stomach avowed Boston-hater* Barry Bonds in a Red Sox uniform, or would you rather stick with internal options, such as Carter and Moss?

Make no mistake. Sports teams are mercenary and there is generally very little they won't do to win. Truly, I'm not sure ethics would be a sticking point for Theo and co. Barry Bonds is still a ferociously good hitter and he would be likely to match Papi's production. He would only cost money.

*Perhaps with good reason. I'm not going to gainsay his personal experiences of racism.

Poll
If Ortiz is going to be out for more than a month, should we sign Barry Bonds?
Yes
20 votes
No
38 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

54 comments  | 

Over the Monster Insert Game Thread Here

Bottom of the 2nd. Sox have jumped to a 1-0 lead.

Dustin Pedroia got the RBI - pretty amusing given how he has mouthed off about Daniel Cabrera 'having nothing'.

Jonathan Van Every is patrolling CF, Ellsbury in RF. Buchholz in the DL with a broken fingernail (trans: an excuse to break for a week or two, with the bonus of limiting his innings).

Jon Lester is your starting pitcher for the good guys.

 

Red Sox

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Alex Cora, SS
9. Jonathan Van Every, CF

-- Jon Lester, SP

Orioles

1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Jay Payton, LF
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Aubrey Huff, 3B
5. Kevin Millar, 1B
6. Ramon Hernandez, C
7. Luke Scott, DH
8. Adam Jones, CF
9. Freddie Bynum, SS

-- Daniel Cabrera, SP

129 comments  | 

Over the Monster Road to 500

Manny Ramirez keeps Mike Mussina in a gimp mask, and brings him out when he feels like batting practice. (Note: not a euphemism.)

So, last night the Bad, Bad Man got homers 494 and 495, and the 500 mark is just around the corner.

Foolishly/enthusiastically, I opened up the 500 sweepstakes in March last year when Manny was on 470. It looked like he'd reach the mark in August. Gulp. Just a little bit out... 

But let's have another crack at this. State below when, and off which pitcher, Marvellous Manuel will make the mark. There will be prizes. Lots of virtual, imaginary prizes.

For the record, he's 24th all time. Ted Williams sits at joint 16th, with 521. Suddenly that looks achievable in 08.

5 comments  | 

Variteklittleleague

The captain as a kid. Obviously a bit more mobile back in the day.

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 1 comment 1 recs

Now that's a minor league affiliate to follow randomly.

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 1 comment

Over the Monster MMMBop: Hansen's back

Craig Hansen has started off the 2008 season in terrific style for the PawSox. Six innings, eight strikeouts, one hit. If that doesn’t make you say "MMMbop", I don’t know what would.

Yes, yes. Small sample size. But last year he had two big problems:

Severe sleep apnoea: He was waking many times a night and as a result was suffering fatigue and problems with focus. A 500-lb fat man, if you will (and who wouldn't). But off-season surgery in has corrected the problem

Release point: The probable reason his slider hasn’t as devastating as it was at St John’s. But looks like he’s found it again. Hello: I’m from the school of extrapolating wildly based on a handful of innings. Regardless, I’m back on the bandwagon.

I’m bravely predicting is that Hansen will make it to the Sox pen soon after the All-Star break, when he’ll become a solid 6/7 inning guy. All part of his renaissance in realising his potential as a dominant setup man.

 

Craig Hansen note: He was described as the most Major League-ready player in the 2005 draft class.

Bonus Craig Hansen note: He’s from Glen Cove, NY, where Hitchcock filmed bits of North by Northwest. The bits where James Mason and Martin Landau get Roger Thornhill liquored up and behind the wheel of a car, I believe. (And having looked it up, Glen Cove was also used for Annie Hall, Arthur and Batman Forever. We’ll forget about Batman Forever. Or try to, at any rate.)

Hanson note: If I saw the drummer, I’d probably bust him one on the snout. It would be a purely reflex action.

Bonus Hanson note: Their Wikipedia entry alleges that fans all over the world still celebrate Hanson Day on 6 May. Let’s just say I’m sceptical.

8 comments  | 

Ramirezmtp

Manny's rookie card.

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 4 comments

We are hard done by. Poor us.

The Chicago White Sox: expensive crap.

PS I am FanShotting the snot out of the rest of you. FanSnotting, if you will.

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 9 comments

High praise for Justin Masterson and John Farrell, among a ton of insights.

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 3 comments

Kevin Millar is a cool-rocking daddy

about 4 years ago Lope3_tiny britsoxfan 1 comment

Over the Monster I will no longer support this team when...

Here's my contribution to off-season silliness, though there is a serious point buried deep beneath the drivel.

There are plenty of Red Sox fans vehemently opposed to the signing of A-Rod. Would these people find it difficult to root for the Red Sox if he were manning third base for the next decade?

Assuming it's unlikely that even the biggest A-Rod hater would abandon the Sox if he were signed, what would be the final straw?

At the heart of this is a question about the nature of fandom. Even the most diehard fan has a tipping point...right? Is it the uniform or the name or the personnel?

I don't know what my tipping point would be. A name/town change would probably seal the deal though.

Poll
I will no longer support this team when...
The Red Sox are uncompetitive, year in, year out
4 votes
Fan forever, regardless of foolish imaginary scenarios
23 votes
The Red Sox trade their entire roster with the Yankees
1 votes
The Red Sox move from Boston to Brooklyn
20 votes
The Red Sox sign A-Rod
7 votes
The Red Sox are renamed the Boston Donkey Molesters
6 votes
The Red Sox sign A-Rod, Barry Bonds and AJ Pierzynski
4 votes
The entire 25-man roster goes on a thrill-kill spree in a shopping mall
4 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

11 comments  | 

Over the Monster Schilling "reaches agreement" with Red Sox

According to ESPN, Schilling has agreed to a one-year deal "worth about $8 million in base salary and another $2 million in potential incentives".

Whichever way you slice it, that's a good deal for a pitcher of Curt's calibre and experience. It even looks like there might be a bit of a home-town discount here.

[editor's note, by Allen Chace]Sweet mother. Sounds like a good deal for us, though I figured a $10M base with incentives to possibly push it over Schill's original asking price of $13M.

43 comments  | 

Over the Monster Player of the Month: June

A rockier month for the Red Sox, but we still maintained a double-digit gap ahead of the second-best team in the AL East...

This poll isn't the embarrassment of riches we've had previously, but there are some strong performances to consider. Two hitters, two star pitchers, Julian Tavarez and a Y*nkee: it's the classic combination.

Near misses:

  • Coco Crisp (yes, really): 817 OPS, .330 AVG, some more catches for the highlight reel
  • Dustin Pedroia: .883 OPS, .333 AVG
  • Hideki Okajima: 0.92 ERA, 0.84 WHIP
  • 3 comments  | 

    Over the Monster Player of the Month: May

    It's been largely about hitting this month, after a pitcher-dominated April.

    One notable absence from this poll is our leftfielder: Manny's heating up, and recorded a May OPS of .970.

    For the record, Beckett won last month's poll, with 57% of the vote, trailed by Okajima with 30%.

    Let me know if you think anyone else is worthy of consideration.

    Poll
    Player of the Month: May
    Jason Varitek, .416 OBP, .541 SLG, .311 AVG (he's back!)
    2 votes
    Josh Beckett, 2.88 ERA, 3 wins, 26 Ks in 25.0 IP, and for introducing us to the word "avulsion"
    3 votes
    Kevin Youkilis, .447 OBP, .679 SLG, hit safely in 25 of 26 games
    43 votes
    Hideki Okajima, 13.0 IP, 1.38 ERA, 3 saves
    3 votes
    Alex Rodriguez, dirty rat score 102% (he cheated on the test)
    9 votes
    David Ortiz, .459 OBP, .540 SLG, .333 AVG, 12 doubles
    2 votes
    Dustin Pedroia, .472 OBP, .600 SLG, .415 AVG, amazing 12-pitch AB vs Gagne, culminating in HR
    32 votes

    94 votes | Poll has closed

    3 comments  | 

    Over the Monster Clemens to the Yankees [Promoted Diary]

    breaking news - Clemens back to the Yankees. No word on $$$, or anything else yet.

    We didn't need him - I'm glad we don't have him, to be honest, though of course he would have made the rotation stronger.

    Must admit, I'm very surprised that he's not stayed with the Astros, though they have been crappy recently, and of course Andy Pettitte is with the Yankees.

    27 comments  | 

    Over the Monster Poll: Player of the month for April

    It's been a corker of a month. All about the quality of our starting rotation, backed by two studs in the pen, right?

    Well, pretty much. But there have also been some strong offensive contributions. I've included Alex Cora below because he's been tremendous in limited opportunities. Though he's not in the poll, Tito Francona gets a double thumbs up too, for his all-round strategy - though it's relatively easy to manage a team whose starters go seven innings.

    Let me know if I've missed an obvious candidate.

    Poll
    Player of the month for April
    Alex Cora (2 3B, 2 HR, .800 SLG, 1.207 OPS)
    1 votes
    Hideki Okajima (0.63 WHIP, 0.174 OBA, 17 SO)
    15 votes
    David Ortiz (7 HR, 56 TB, .615 SLG)
    1 votes
    Jonathan Papelbon (8 saves, 0.75 WHIP)
    3 votes
    Josh Beckett (5-0, 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP)
    28 votes
    Derek Jeter (124 fist pumps, 100% calm eye component, negative range factor)
    1 votes

    49 votes | Poll has closed

    16 comments  | 

    Over the Monster Game thread

    ...because there isn't one yet.

    Lugo lines the first pitch of the game straight back at Karstens, smacks him just above the right knee. Karstens struggles on, but Youk gets a single.

    Kei Igawa in - he had been relegated to the bullpen.

    The Yankees' luck this year = our luck last year.

    Ortiz hits into a DP. Lugo over to third, though.

    129 comments  |