I hate the way teams mismanage the "protection" part of the game.  Clearly Cabrera was not hit intentionally in the first inning OR the game before by Penny who by the way had six or seven inside fastballs get away in that game.  Clearly Inge was thrown at but Cabrera was not hit intentionally!!  One out in the 1st to load the bases in the 1st inning of a kid from another country first major league start?  Seriously?  Jim Leyland may be one the great managers of all time but that was giving away a game.  Eh.  Now Bob Watson will use this chance to suspend Youk for 2 years or something. 

And you know what else pisses me off?  Why do the Sox react for the Youk HBP on Monday but not the mountains of intentional HBP's by the Yankees over the last 2 years?  Did we change our mindset overnight?  We now protect Youk but not in the very important series against your division rival.  I never understand this crap, it makes no sense.  I bet there is a way to show it statisically that HBP's are random. Damn MFY.  Oops wrong hate came out.

I have decided.  With a very small major league sample, that Daniel Bard should not be allowed to leave in any deal.  His gas is ridiculous.  This guy is insurance if the Papelbon Drama plays itself the way it seems to be heading.  I get the feeling with Pap that he wants to cash in.  Not saying he shouldn't but that it might be somewhere else.  I say you should never give a reliever (especially one with prior shoulder trouble) a deal longer than 4 years.  He wants 5+ and Mariano Money.  I know he says he has a "responsibility" to guys that come after him (bullshit).  He may be gone and Bard may be the guy.  This kid is lights out.  By the way strange stat on Bard. His ERA is 31.50 on the first pitch and 0.00 on every other pitch.  At least on  yahoo it is.  By the way his K9 is 11.06

Yahoo Bard

This is the official Boston Quasi(I love saying that) Celeb Post Loss Thread.  I aim this hilariousness at people like 75bandwagon and his hysterical tendencies.  Panic Button!!

Ah, it makes you feel so good doesn't it.  I mean David Murphy is .281 .363 .457 .820 for the Rangers.  Why can't we get any players like that? 

It doesn't matter anyways, now that the Sox acquired Adam LaRoche(the suckier of the two LaRoche brothers) all is right with the world. Right 75bandwagon ??

I'm so snarky.  Woot Woot.

Recently, because of the MLB extra innings package I find myself wondering if Boston (or New England) could support a second MLB franchise in the NL.  Obviously we know the history of the AL/NL in Boston in the past but today is a very different animal.  Boston Baseball fans are so rabid, at least I know I am, enough so that we follow draft picks in short season A ball and scout Dominican players while on vacation (oh only I do that?).  I think that we could support at least a Triple A franchise here and really what's the difference between the NL and Triple A (insert laugh tracks here).  So what do you think?

Watching the game today, I was particularly intrigued by the David Ortiz at bat in the third inning.  Understanding Lance Diaz's variable strike zone is a huge factor sometimes, but the 1-0 pitch was clearly 8-10 inches off the plate even without the NESN Amica Strike Zone(which I happen to think is wildly inaccurate because it is 2-D).  Ortiz completely lets the at-bat go after that pitch.  He argues with Diaz, swings at another pitch way outside the zone. and eventually rolls over on another ball.  Obviously 2-0 is incredibly different than 1-1 and for Ortiz his stats for 1-1 (in a decent sample size of 2039 ABS) are .277 .369 .540 .910 and 2-0 (651 ABS) numbers of .316 .569 .645 1.214
 How many players have better 1-1 than 2-0 numbers?  Is there anyone in recent memory?

Why do people want Nick Johnson?

Yahoo Player Profile

See the pic of this guy at Yahoo?  Fat Load.  Why oh why does anyone want a guy who averages 90 games played a year, has never had more than 77 RBI, never more than 23 home runs, and can't run is beyond me.  I never have understood the desire for this guy and I never will.  Nick Johnson Sucks.  And he always will.  It's the stink of the 2001 Yankees on him.  The Luis Gonzalez Curse.  He Sucks.

Just for reminding purposes, he SUCKS.

Watching the All Star game made me remember how much I hate Fox as the network tv baseball king.  I have to say Joe Buck is seriously lame.  Seriously.  By lame I mean boring, he actually makes baseball boring.  Real fans of baseball understand that it is a game of anticipation and expectation,  Joe Buck makes me sleepy.  Tim McCarver has not much too show for himself other than the fact that he is better than Joe Morgan(not even possible to detail how bad he is).  They actually paid attention and scrapped the pre-game show this year with Jeanne and Kevin(he actually got the Red Sox into the playoffs??  Really??)  And why do they continually come back from commericals late?  How is that possible for a multi-million dollar broadcast.  I just want people who know the game AND can talk about it without lecturing us.  Of course Tim McCarver knows about baseball but seriously dude, can you not mention 1966 14 times a broadcast?  Or hump the Yankees at every moment?  And I mean HUMP!  Joe Buck is terrible with this too, just because you don't out and out root for a team doesn't mean we can't tell you are against us.  Worst World Series Call of all time.  Seriously, go back and listen to the 2004 call and tell me he doesn't basically cry as the Sox strangle the Cards to death.  Compare to the Cards 2006 victory and you tell me there is no bias.  I mean in the 9th inning of both clinching games he is on opposite ends of the spectrum.  For the cards he calls their victory historic 39 times.  Before the final out.  39 TIMES.  Red Sox?  First Champ in 86 years?  3 Historics all after the final out. 3 vs. 39 Hmm. Fox Baseball blows.

David continues to put on a power display and he is hitting .291/.381/.631/1.012 since June 1st.  With the offense slumping a bit is it time to move Papi back to 3rd in the lineup and reset this offense?  I know and see the argument against putting Ells back at the top of the lineup but what about this for a lineup:

Drew

Pedroia

Ortiz

Youk

Bay

Ells

Tek

Kotsay (until Lowell Comes back)

Green

Youk has been scuffling too, but was dominant in the 4 earlier in the year.  Ortiz has already been sliding back up the lineup hitting 4th recently.  Why not go all the way back and have that left/right/left/right balance again?  I know we are undermanned a bit but lets see what the old dog has got hitting in his old spot.

I love trade season!  I'm going to put out two bats that are available and potentially low cost. 

From Cleveland:

Shin-Soo Choo .303/.409/.496/.905

Jamey Carroll  .276/.352/.351/.703

Cleveland need bullpen help badly.  They need rotational depth badly.  They need salary relief badly.  They are the worst team in the American League.  Sox need middle infielder depth (Carroll plays SS/2B/3B, lifetime fielding .985), and a bat off the bench and occasional starter for pretty much everyone.  Kotsay, Bailey both hurt.  Drew, Baldelli need regualr rest.  these guys could be had. 

Carroll is a free agent after this year.  Choo doesn't even have 2 full years of ML service time, but he is arbitration eligible and Shapiro has already started downplaying his potential contract in the Cleveland papers.  These two guys are flying way under the radar.  Carroll doesn't bring much pop but he doesn't strike out, gets on base and makes decent contact.  Shoo is another potential young bat with decent pop, started out as a pitcher and has been used as a 1B in the minors and the WBC.  What do you think? 

Seriously, let's make it happen.  Halladay, although an injury machine is still only 32, has a full year left on his contract after this season.  At $15.75 million, an injury free season from Roy Hallday with Jon Lester and Beckett would give the Red Sox the best top three in 15 years.  Theo if you hear me now, get J.P. on the phone, wax poetic about Worcester and get him to change Roy's conditioning program now to match the Sox's program.  This guy is 123-51 since the beginning of the 2002 season.  If Wake is reupped, you get him 4 and Dice 5.  Masterson is the swing guy, and Bowden becomes your "minor league backup" if the following trade occurs:

J.P. Ricciardi wants to do it. Non-crazy  trades only,  Bucholz, Delcarmen, Saito and a legit position player.  Jays get financial flexibility, two proven middle relief guys and a potential front of the rotation replacement. Is it possible?