Boston Red Sox

Solat13

Phantom Pain wrote:

Look at the last few WS Champs..they haven't had huge payrolls

Marlins,St.Louis..not to mention the Rays were there on a very low budget

Since the Yanks won in 2000:

2001 Arizona won 8th highest payroll
2002 Anaheim 15th
2003 Florida 25th
2004 Boston 2nd
2005 White Sox 13th
2006 St. Louis 11th
2007 Boston 2nd
2008 Philly 12th

I'm just glad that the Sox only have the 5th highest payroll this year so people can stop saying they're buying titles.

polaris_x

Solat13 wrote:

Phantom Pain wrote:

Look at the last few WS Champs..they haven't had huge payrolls

Marlins,St.Louis..not to mention the Rays were there on a very low budget

Since the Yanks won in 2000:

2001 Arizona won 8th highest payroll
2002 Anaheim 15th
2003 Florida 25th
2004 Boston 2nd
2005 White Sox 13th
2006 St. Louis 11th
2007 Boston 2nd
2008 Philly 12th

I'm just glad that the Sox only have the 5th highest payroll this year so people can stop saying they're buying titles.

For sure - I think the Wild Card has allowed for that. Of the 4 major sports - baseball is the hardest to get into the post season and money plays a huge role especially when you consider the presence of teams like Boston, NY and Atlanta in the post-season.

Phantom Pain

Solat13 wrote:

Phantom Pain wrote:

Look at the last few WS Champs..they haven't had huge payrolls

Marlins,St.Louis..not to mention the Rays were there on a very low budget

Since the Yanks won in 2000:

2001 Arizona won 8th highest payroll
2002 Anaheim 15th
2003 Florida 25th
2004 Boston 2nd
2005 White Sox 13th
2006 St. Louis 11th
2007 Boston 2nd
2008 Philly 12th

I'm just glad that the Sox only have the 5th highest payroll this year so people can stop saying they're buying titles.

I knew the Phils weren't near the top either but i thought top 10 but actually 12th

Money buys the best free agents...doesnt guarantee squat

xavier mcdaniel

wow, who knew that some innocent remark lamenting the past in new york would derail this thread into a steroids talk. well I'm pretty sure that the guys who got those big hits I'm lamenting about were not part of it - Jeter, Brosius, Bernie Williams, O'Neill, Tino Martinez. carry on with the discussion.

jimed14

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

wow, who knew that some innocent remark lamenting the past in new york would derail this thread into a steroids talk. well I'm pretty sure that the guys who got those big hits I'm lamenting about were not part of it - Jeter, Brosius, Bernie Williams, O'Neill, Tino Martinez. carry on with the discussion.

All those guys were class acts .... except O'Neill, he was a douche, he was a roid rager!

(ha, kidding ... well, about the roids at least .... O'Neill was indeed a douche)

xavier mcdaniel

jimed14 wrote:

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

wow, who knew that some innocent remark lamenting the past in new york would derail this thread into a steroids talk. well I'm pretty sure that the guys who got those big hits I'm lamenting about were not part of it - Jeter, Brosius, Bernie Williams, O'Neill, Tino Martinez. carry on with the discussion.

All those guys were class acts .... except O'Neill, he was a douche, he was a roid rager!

(ha, kidding ... well, about the roids at least .... O'Neill was indeed a douche)

he seems like an OK guy, maybe a little intense. but if that's worst trait about a player, that's not too bad.

Wilds

Manny Ramirez: 'Am I In Trouble?'


LOS ANGELES—According to his teammates, his coaches, and the media, Manny Ramirez has appeared visibly confused and anxious since receiving a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, and has repeatedly asked those around him if he is in some sort of really big trouble right now.

"Uh-oh, things are not going so good for me I don't think," Ramirez was overheard saying to Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley. "Chad? Did I do something bad? If I did bad, I did not mean to do it."

"I tried to put on my uniform today and the day before that and Joe [Torre] told me not to do that," the left fielder added. "Chad.... Chad? Chad. Hey, Chad, do you think Joe is mad at me? I am not mad at him. Is Joe mad at me?"

Sources close to the Dodgers organization confirmed that ever since the suspension was handed down last Thursday, the visibly worried Ramirez has spent the majority of his time sitting in the clubhouse biting his fingernails and saying to himself, "Something is no good right now. Something is definitely no good."

In addition, a sulky Ramirez reportedly spent Tuesday afternoon pacing back and forth in front of Joe Torre's office in an apparent attempt to get the manager to invite him inside. When Torre exited his office without acknowledging the 2004 World Series MVP, Ramirez muttered, "I must be in big, big trouble, man. Big trouble."

"I think things are really bad because the people are being different toward me right now," Ramirez told reporters gathered around his locker Wednesday. "The people with the microphones who stand in front of the cameras and write the things in their books? They are talking about me differently than they usually talk about me. Usually they smile and laugh when they talk about me. But not now."

"You kind of look like them," Ramirez added.

Ramirez claimed he began feeling like he was in trouble during Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he found he was not in the starting lineup, was not asked to pinch-hit, and was left off the team plane when it departed Los Angeles for Philadelphia.

"Being suspended is one thing, man, but not being able to play baseball is really, really bad," Ramirez said. "I am going to miss baseball very much. I would like to tell everybody that I really love baseball, and that I love baseball, and that I am going to miss hitting the baseball forever and ever. I would like to end my career as a Yankee."

Dodgers teammate Rafael Furcal told reporters that although several people have attempted to explain the situation to Ramirez, the 12-time all-star either avoids eye contact entirely, smiles for no discernable reason, or nods his head with a furrowed brow, though many believe this is simply Ramirez's way of pretending to understand what is being said to him.

Sources close to Ramirez have reported that when the embattled star is told that his urine sample contained traces of a women's fertility drug, he typically giggles, extends his arms, and points his index fingers at whoever is trying to explain the predicament.

"If something is really messed up, I didn't do it, okay? It wasn't me. It was probably Brad," said Ramirez, attempting to deflect blame onto Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus. "He's no good. I do not like him. He should be in trouble, not me."

On Wednesday, Ramirez said that if he is in as big of trouble as he thinks he is, he hopes to receive his punishment soon so the situation can be over and done with.

"I am sorry for doing what I did, and for all the people who are mad, and for my parents, and my family, and for the fans, and the people I love, and everyone," Ramirez told reporters. "Please just let me start hitting the ball again, and doing all the things that let me do that so good—like looking at the videotape, practicing in the batting cage, and taking anabolic steroids."

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/ma ... =a-section

jimed14

What's bad about that Onion piece is that for the first 3 paragraphs, it's pretty believable.

This might be like the time Manny was rehabing in Pawtucket, he loved it so much he didn't want to go back to Boston and stated once or twice "I need more time" ....

He may never come back.

Wilds

jimed14 wrote:

What's bad about that Onion piece is that for the first 3 paragraphs, it's pretty believable.

This might be like the time Manny was rehabing in Pawtucket, he loved it so much he didn't want to go back to Boston and stated once or twice "I need more time" ....

He may never come back.

Yeah. That is why I snuck the link in at the bottom. It could almost be true.

RW81233

Why does this damn organization get validated with everything they do? Damn that piece is funny, but the fucking Red Sox seem to walk on water. If it weren't for the Yankees though this team might have had no money for K's for the Klan Schilling, because it would have been spent on A-Rod, Magglio, Jose Contreras, and Mark Texiera with massive crappy deals...oh well that's baseball.

Solat13

RW81233 wrote:

Why does this damn organization get validated with everything they do? Damn that piece is funny, but the fucking Red Sox seem to walk on water. If it weren't for the Yankees though this team might have had no money for K's for the Klan Schilling, because it would have been spent on A-Rod, Magglio, Jose Contreras, and Mark Texiera with massive crappy deals...oh well that's baseball.

Uh, the A Rod deal fell apart after Schilling had already been traded to the Red Sox.

Might want to get your dates straight.

jimed14

Men left on base today by David Ortiz - 11

What has to happen before Tito finally moves him down in the lineup?

Wilds

jimed14 wrote:

Men left on base today by David Ortiz - 11

What has to happen before Tito finally moves him down in the lineup?

For the love of the team he has to do something. I'm all for loyalty, and he was proven right with Pedroia in his rookie season, but this is ridiculous.

He's got to move Ortiz down in the order. No disrespect. Hell, make it temporary until Ortiz starts to hit.

Fuck. :!:

jlew24asu

I really feel sorry for Ortiz. its shocking. I'd send him to the DL or bench, if only to clear his head

PearlOfAGirl

Struggling Ortiz benched for Friday, and maybe longer

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009

By DANIEL BARBARISI
Journal Sports Writer

SEATTLE –– It has finally come to this: David Ortiz, the most feared slugger in Boston for most of his Red Sox career, has been benched in order to give him time to recover, mentally. It may be only for Friday night, it could be for a few days. But as he sits in a slump deep enough to make many question where his career is headed, it was clear something had to be done.

“I talked to him last night after the game. Just sometimes stepping back will help. Maybe I was too late in doing this. I hope not. I just think he needs a deep breath," manager Terry Francona said.

The move comes after Ortiz suffered through a miserable 0-for-7 performance Thursday in Anaheim, and left 12 men on base, tying a Red Sox record.

Pundits, fans and casual baseball observers around Boston have been calling for some sort of action from Francona for weeks, whether it be dropping Ortiz in the batting order or benching him temporarily to allow him to get his head and body straight. After the Anaheim game, with Ortiz hitting .208 with no home runs and 15 RBI, Francona decided that this was the time.

This “deep breath” could last more than just one day –– Francona and Ortiz planned to reassess after Friday’s game.

In the meantime, J.D. Drew will take Ortiz’s third spot in the lineup, and Rocco Baldelli will slot in at DH. And Ortiz’s teammates will hope their biggest cog can figure things out.

"It’s hard for all of us. We care about him. His teammates care about him. When it happens in Boston it’s a little bit more than if it happens in some other cities. It’s why we’re trying to help him. Trying to be there for him,” Francona said.

Mike Lowell has been through a slump like Ortiz’s before, during his own difficult 2005 season. Observers were calling him washed up. He never came out of it that year, but he turned in excellent 2006 and 2007 seasons. Just as he knew that he wasn’t done, he knows Ortiz isn’t either.

"We all still have a lot of confidence in David. I don’t buy the bat-speed slowing, I don’t believe that in four months you can lose bat speed, from one year to the next.

I don’t buy the Manny deal [that Ortiz is struggling because Manny Ramirez is no longer hitting behind him] –– I just think he’s in a rut where maybe he’s not seeing the ball well. That triggers other things," Lowell said.

A day off can often be exactly the right remedy, Lowell said, to clear one’s head. Rather than focusing on that day’s game, it allows a chance to think about the bigger picture.

"I think so, give him a mental break, see what happens. Obviously, he wasn’t happy with yesterday’s performance. He’s going to get a day off sooner or later, I don’t think this was a bad time," Lowell said.

Francona opted against leaving Ortiz in the lineup, but dropping him to a lower spot in the order –– partially because the repercussions of doing so are broad, and the rest of the lineup must be reshuffled to compensate.

"Well, I think it can be counterproductive," Francona said. "Also, if you look at who’s [out], Youk’s out, we didn’t have Pedey [ Dustin Pedroia] for a couple days –– again when you make one move, it sets off a chain reaction."

The lineup looked strange without Ortiz anchoring it. Even an unsuccessful Ortiz looks intimidating when he lumbers to the plate, and always elicits cheers from fans harkening back to good memories of game-winning shots in years past.

"Even when David’s struggling, I love his presence in the lineup. But I think that also if there’s a time to step back and take a deep breath it will help us in the long run," he said.

Friday night, there will be no chances to add to that legacy, to find instant redemption in a walk-off grand slam. Just a day to sit in the dugout, and slowly start down the road back.

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:dbarbari@projo.com">dbarbari@projo.com</a><!-- e -->

The Juggler

HeartShapedBox wrote:

Struggling Ortiz benched for Friday, and maybe longer

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009

By DANIEL BARBARISI
Journal Sports Writer

SEATTLE –– It has finally come to this: David Ortiz, the most feared slugger in Boston for most of his Red Sox career, has been benched in order to give him time to recover, mentally. It may be only for Friday night, it could be for a few days. But as he sits in a slump deep enough to make many question where his career is headed, it was clear something had to be done.

“I talked to him last night after the game. Just sometimes stepping back will help. Maybe I was too late in doing this. I hope not. I just think he needs a deep breath," manager Terry Francona said.

The move comes after Ortiz suffered through a miserable 0-for-7 performance Thursday in Anaheim, and left 12 men on base, tying a Red Sox record.

Pundits, fans and casual baseball observers around Boston have been calling for some sort of action from Francona for weeks, whether it be dropping Ortiz in the batting order or benching him temporarily to allow him to get his head and body straight. After the Anaheim game, with Ortiz hitting .208 with no home runs and 15 RBI, Francona decided that this was the time.

This “deep breath” could last more than just one day –– Francona and Ortiz planned to reassess after Friday’s game.

In the meantime, J.D. Drew will take Ortiz’s third spot in the lineup, and Rocco Baldelli will slot in at DH. And Ortiz’s teammates will hope their biggest cog can figure things out.

"It’s hard for all of us. We care about him. His teammates care about him. When it happens in Boston it’s a little bit more than if it happens in some other cities. It’s why we’re trying to help him. Trying to be there for him,” Francona said.

Mike Lowell has been through a slump like Ortiz’s before, during his own difficult 2005 season. Observers were calling him washed up. He never came out of it that year, but he turned in excellent 2006 and 2007 seasons. Just as he knew that he wasn’t done, he knows Ortiz isn’t either.

"We all still have a lot of confidence in David. I don’t buy the bat-speed slowing, I don’t believe that in four months you can lose bat speed, from one year to the next.

I don’t buy the Manny deal [that Ortiz is struggling because Manny Ramirez is no longer hitting behind him] –– I just think he’s in a rut where maybe he’s not seeing the ball well. That triggers other things," Lowell said.

A day off can often be exactly the right remedy, Lowell said, to clear one’s head. Rather than focusing on that day’s game, it allows a chance to think about the bigger picture.

"I think so, give him a mental break, see what happens. Obviously, he wasn’t happy with yesterday’s performance. He’s going to get a day off sooner or later, I don’t think this was a bad time," Lowell said.

Francona opted against leaving Ortiz in the lineup, but dropping him to a lower spot in the order –– partially because the repercussions of doing so are broad, and the rest of the lineup must be reshuffled to compensate.

"Well, I think it can be counterproductive," Francona said. "Also, if you look at who’s [out], Youk’s out, we didn’t have Pedey [ Dustin Pedroia] for a couple days –– again when you make one move, it sets off a chain reaction."

The lineup looked strange without Ortiz anchoring it. Even an unsuccessful Ortiz looks intimidating when he lumbers to the plate, and always elicits cheers from fans harkening back to good memories of game-winning shots in years past.

"Even when David’s struggling, I love his presence in the lineup. But I think that also if there’s a time to step back and take a deep breath it will help us in the long run," he said.

Friday night, there will be no chances to add to that legacy, to find instant redemption in a walk-off grand slam. Just a day to sit in the dugout, and slowly start down the road back.

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:dbarbari@projo.com">dbarbari@projo.com</a><!-- e -->

oh god...now we have to read your articles on this board too? just post your thoughts not someone elses!! :roll:

jimed14

The Jeagler wrote:

oh god...now we have to read your articles on this board too? just post your thoughts not someone elses!! :roll:

:?:

If you don't like it, move along ... I don't get the Projo out here, and it's not my first read when I want Sox news, so, it's an interesting post.

The Juggler

jimed14 wrote:

The Jeagler wrote:

oh god...now we have to read your articles on this board too? just post your thoughts not someone elses!! :roll:

:?:

If you don't like it, move along ... I don't get the Projo out here, and it's not my first read when I want Sox news, so, it's an interesting post.

touche, touche...i just came from another board and saw the same exact post though. gets a little tiring day after day....

GO PHILS!

PearlOfAGirl

The Jeagler wrote:

HeartShapedBox wrote:

Struggling Ortiz benched for Friday, and maybe longer

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009

By DANIEL BARBARISI
Journal Sports Writer

SEATTLE –– It has finally come to this: David Ortiz, the most feared slugger in Boston for most of his Red Sox career, has been benched in order to give him time to recover, mentally. It may be only for Friday night, it could be for a few days. But as he sits in a slump deep enough to make many question where his career is headed, it was clear something had to be done.

“I talked to him last night after the game. Just sometimes stepping back will help. Maybe I was too late in doing this. I hope not. I just think he needs a deep breath," manager Terry Francona said.

The move comes after Ortiz suffered through a miserable 0-for-7 performance Thursday in Anaheim, and left 12 men on base, tying a Red Sox record.

Pundits, fans and casual baseball observers around Boston have been calling for some sort of action from Francona for weeks, whether it be dropping Ortiz in the batting order or benching him temporarily to allow him to get his head and body straight. After the Anaheim game, with Ortiz hitting .208 with no home runs and 15 RBI, Francona decided that this was the time.

This “deep breath” could last more than just one day –– Francona and Ortiz planned to reassess after Friday’s game.

In the meantime, J.D. Drew will take Ortiz’s third spot in the lineup, and Rocco Baldelli will slot in at DH. And Ortiz’s teammates will hope their biggest cog can figure things out.

"It’s hard for all of us. We care about him. His teammates care about him. When it happens in Boston it’s a little bit more than if it happens in some other cities. It’s why we’re trying to help him. Trying to be there for him,” Francona said.

Mike Lowell has been through a slump like Ortiz’s before, during his own difficult 2005 season. Observers were calling him washed up. He never came out of it that year, but he turned in excellent 2006 and 2007 seasons. Just as he knew that he wasn’t done, he knows Ortiz isn’t either.

"We all still have a lot of confidence in David. I don’t buy the bat-speed slowing, I don’t believe that in four months you can lose bat speed, from one year to the next.

I don’t buy the Manny deal [that Ortiz is struggling because Manny Ramirez is no longer hitting behind him] –– I just think he’s in a rut where maybe he’s not seeing the ball well. That triggers other things," Lowell said.

A day off can often be exactly the right remedy, Lowell said, to clear one’s head. Rather than focusing on that day’s game, it allows a chance to think about the bigger picture.

"I think so, give him a mental break, see what happens. Obviously, he wasn’t happy with yesterday’s performance. He’s going to get a day off sooner or later, I don’t think this was a bad time," Lowell said.

Francona opted against leaving Ortiz in the lineup, but dropping him to a lower spot in the order –– partially because the repercussions of doing so are broad, and the rest of the lineup must be reshuffled to compensate.

"Well, I think it can be counterproductive," Francona said. "Also, if you look at who’s [out], Youk’s out, we didn’t have Pedey [ Dustin Pedroia] for a couple days –– again when you make one move, it sets off a chain reaction."

The lineup looked strange without Ortiz anchoring it. Even an unsuccessful Ortiz looks intimidating when he lumbers to the plate, and always elicits cheers from fans harkening back to good memories of game-winning shots in years past.

"Even when David’s struggling, I love his presence in the lineup. But I think that also if there’s a time to step back and take a deep breath it will help us in the long run," he said.

Friday night, there will be no chances to add to that legacy, to find instant redemption in a walk-off grand slam. Just a day to sit in the dugout, and slowly start down the road back.

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:dbarbari@projo.com">dbarbari@projo.com</a><!-- e -->

oh god...now we have to read your articles on this board too? just post your thoughts not someone elses!! :roll:

DON'T READ IT THEN!!! :roll: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO!!! :roll:

The Juggler

HeartShapedBox wrote:

The Jeagler wrote:

HeartShapedBox wrote:

Struggling Ortiz benched for Friday, and maybe longer

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009

By DANIEL BARBARISI
Journal Sports Writer

SEATTLE –– It has finally come to this: David Ortiz, the most feared slugger in Boston for most of his Red Sox career, has been benched in order to give him time to recover, mentally. It may be only for Friday night, it could be for a few days. But as he sits in a slump deep enough to make many question where his career is headed, it was clear something had to be done.

“I talked to him last night after the game. Just sometimes stepping back will help. Maybe I was too late in doing this. I hope not. I just think he needs a deep breath," manager Terry Francona said.

The move comes after Ortiz suffered through a miserable 0-for-7 performance Thursday in Anaheim, and left 12 men on base, tying a Red Sox record.

Pundits, fans and casual baseball observers around Boston have been calling for some sort of action from Francona for weeks, whether it be dropping Ortiz in the batting order or benching him temporarily to allow him to get his head and body straight. After the Anaheim game, with Ortiz hitting .208 with no home runs and 15 RBI, Francona decided that this was the time.

This “deep breath” could last more than just one day –– Francona and Ortiz planned to reassess after Friday’s game.

In the meantime, J.D. Drew will take Ortiz’s third spot in the lineup, and Rocco Baldelli will slot in at DH. And Ortiz’s teammates will hope their biggest cog can figure things out.

"It’s hard for all of us. We care about him. His teammates care about him. When it happens in Boston it’s a little bit more than if it happens in some other cities. It’s why we’re trying to help him. Trying to be there for him,” Francona said.

Mike Lowell has been through a slump like Ortiz’s before, during his own difficult 2005 season. Observers were calling him washed up. He never came out of it that year, but he turned in excellent 2006 and 2007 seasons. Just as he knew that he wasn’t done, he knows Ortiz isn’t either.

"We all still have a lot of confidence in David. I don’t buy the bat-speed slowing, I don’t believe that in four months you can lose bat speed, from one year to the next.

I don’t buy the Manny deal [that Ortiz is struggling because Manny Ramirez is no longer hitting behind him] –– I just think he’s in a rut where maybe he’s not seeing the ball well. That triggers other things," Lowell said.

A day off can often be exactly the right remedy, Lowell said, to clear one’s head. Rather than focusing on that day’s game, it allows a chance to think about the bigger picture.

"I think so, give him a mental break, see what happens. Obviously, he wasn’t happy with yesterday’s performance. He’s going to get a day off sooner or later, I don’t think this was a bad time," Lowell said.

Francona opted against leaving Ortiz in the lineup, but dropping him to a lower spot in the order –– partially because the repercussions of doing so are broad, and the rest of the lineup must be reshuffled to compensate.

"Well, I think it can be counterproductive," Francona said. "Also, if you look at who’s [out], Youk’s out, we didn’t have Pedey [ Dustin Pedroia] for a couple days –– again when you make one move, it sets off a chain reaction."

The lineup looked strange without Ortiz anchoring it. Even an unsuccessful Ortiz looks intimidating when he lumbers to the plate, and always elicits cheers from fans harkening back to good memories of game-winning shots in years past.

"Even when David’s struggling, I love his presence in the lineup. But I think that also if there’s a time to step back and take a deep breath it will help us in the long run," he said.

Friday night, there will be no chances to add to that legacy, to find instant redemption in a walk-off grand slam. Just a day to sit in the dugout, and slowly start down the road back.

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:dbarbari@projo.com">dbarbari@projo.com</a><!-- e -->

oh god...now we have to read your articles on this board too? just post your thoughts not someone elses!! :roll:

DON'T READ IT THEN!!! :roll: NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO!!! :roll:

then you tell me. who is this person standing behind me with a gun pointing to me head forcing me to read your redsox articles? WHO IS HE PEARLJAMJEWEL?!?


:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: