Re: Re: Re: BASEBALL COMING; This is the year!!!
Dreadsox said:
I hate the YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!
HATE HATE HATE HATE
THEY ARE THE EVIL EMPIRE!!!!!!!!!!!
See, now I am twitching DANG IT ALL!!!!
Yes, agreed. If you read Ball Four, you'll find out how the Yankees abused the reserve clause back in the 50s and 60s to become so successful. I'm sure they do the same thing with current salary rules, so its not as though our hatred is unfounded. You see, other Red Sox fans give crap like "Oh if we could just win one title..." No, I disagree. I think we should win 26 titles without letting the Stankees ever win another one. Then their fans will be crying every year, and we'll be the ones taking joy in their misery. You think that sounds harsh? Ask Red Sox fans from the past 84 years about being treated harshly.
But back to the game, I kind of have doubts that Theo Epstein can hold his own in the organization. I mean I know that he is a "player's GM" and all, but does he have the shrewdness to make the right moves? We still have a fairly weak outfield, especially after we let Floyd go. Our pitching is pretty good, but that's really no different from last year. We did lose Urbina though, so I don't know if someone else can step up to make the big saves. Looks like it will be "closer by committee" (Chad Fox, Mendoza, Timlin), which I actually prefer to having just one guy be the stopper. Guys like Mueller and Walker will be good defensively, but I really doubt if they can provide the pop we need in the lineup.
I think that if Johnny Damon gets hot, and Manny can get along with the management, we will have a fighting chance. We need an infielder to step up too, be it Walker or Mueller, and we need Nomar to stay productive consistently. If Lowe can prove that he is no one-trick pony, and Wakefield doesn't let the knuckler jump all over, it would be great. And hopefully Jeremy Giambi doesn't prove to be a total bust. If it all works out, we can get back to the World Series. But then, things never work out the way you expect. Either way, I think they will contend.