Tuesday, May 25, 2004
This is The Year 1/4 report
Stupid fucking laptop keyboard is too small for my meaty fingers. But who cares, because the blog is on fire. Stu checks in from the West Coast. Congrats on the Imagine Cup second place. Also, I agree with you about the importance of space exploration and techonological innovation. Mars in my mind would be even bigger than going to the Moon. Dave is also posting like a madman.
But let's talk about more important things, like the Medias Rojas.
Record: 27-17 First Place, 1.5 Games ahead in first place in the American League East. Can't complain too much about that, although the second place team has gotten a little lucky with regards to total wins as opposed to expected wins (derived from run differential,) for the 7th straight year, where as we are below expectations. Lucky ass bastards. Can we expect to keep this pace? Should I believe baseball statistics given me to by Baseball Propectus? What if these stats aren't real at all, but just invented by one guy? Should we give credit to the guy who invented OPS for saying "hey, let's add two numbers together?"
Whoa I'm rambling. Lets get back to the topic here. Overall, The team is performing well, we are in first place. At least my team isn't 14-28, and I have something to root for, rather then an old, slow, overpaid team with incompenent management and Randy Winn playing centre field. I should be happy and satisfied, shouldn't I?
Well I'm not. It was clear from the beginning of this season that 2004 was not going to be enjoyable. Expectations are too high, and uncertainity plauges the team at every turn, due to injuries and the end-of-year contract crunch. So naturally, I am worried and irrationally pissed off. So lets break down the team a little more so I can vent.
Infield: Bill Mueller's batting average title may have been a fluke...Surprise! And now he is on the DL, meaning we may be seeing Gabe Kapler at third. Sheesh. Jason Varitek has been solid behind the plate, and is in the top three catchers in the AL. Nomar is out, meaning we have to play both Mark Bellhorn and Pokey Reese, leaving one hole in the lineup and one in the field. First base is filled with the usual crappy fielders, which doesn't bother me; Carlos Quintanna was our last decent fielding first baseman (although Mo Vaughn had a sweet pick at first, and could field anything in his range, which was as far as he could fall to either side.) Luckily, these crappy fielders can hit. David Ortiz's average is down from last year (.271), but he's on pace for 37 dongs and 133 RBI. That's hot. Millar has shown signs of life in May after I was calling for his release in April. I have no confidence in him whatsoever, but no doubt he will continue to interview well and take credit for everything positive that happens to the team, such as Manny "being more vocal," or teaching Pedro a new screwball.
Outfield: Manny has been in M-V-P form; even the press can't hate on him this year. And have you seen Damon's haid and beard? Of course you have. It's fantastic. Keep him in there no matter what. He's also got an OBP of .380, which is respectable for a leadoff hitter. He is only 4-7 in SB attempts however, I think the hair is causing too much wind resistance. With Trot Nixon out, right field has been another black hole, contributing to our offensive regression from last year's record setting squad.
Starting Pitching: God its nice to have a second ace on the team. I'm talking about Tim Wakefield of course. The next 300-win pitcher? I think so. Curt Schilling has excelled as expected. Pedro? 3.7 aint cutting it. I hope, hope, hope, hope, that he dominates the rest of the year. But I dont know. I am guessing ERA under 3, with at least three weeks on the disabled list. D-Lowe is toast. I don't mean that Derek I love you, I really do, but the ERA over 6? Thats terrible. BYK sucks, and we should trade him for that other Asian pitcher who was in a gay porn. Actually I would trade any of our players for that guy. Then I would trade him to the Yankees for Enrique Wilson, so I can make jokes about him with Jeter and Posada. Arroyo is medicore, but he's a fifth starter. Mediocrity is all we need.
Bullpen: From a weakness to strength in a year. Hell yes. We just need to trade for Tom Gordon and bring the Eck out of retirement. The only question is depth; Williamson has gone down with elbow problems, and Timlin and Foulke are pitching every day. Calm down Francona, to quote Jimy Williams, "its a marathon not a sprint."(Of course, Jimy used this quote to justify pinch hitting with Darren Lewis.)
Bench: Way too many Cesar Crespo ABs. This is where the injuries hurt you. Crespo shouldn't be on a major league roster, (well, maybe he could help the Mariners out,) Kapler and McCarty should be saved for platoon pinch-hitting roles, and Reese should be a part-timer and defensive specialist. Which brings us to...
Health: We havent had one AB from Trot or Nomar. Eerie similarities to 2001, where the team held close to the Yanks in the AL East, expecting Nomar, Pedro, and Varitek to return from injury, and collapsed in August when they never made it back. This team probably won't pull that collapse, because our pitching depth is so much greater. But I am VERY skeptical about either Trot or Nomar making it back this year at full effectivness. First of all, they are both out much longer than was supposed to be; the brilliant Red Sox medical team originally predicted Nomar would be out 5 days, its been 2 fucking months. Second, they don't seem to be making any progress. Both are concerned about the stresses of "participating in full baseball workouts." Which leads to me to this question: How fucking hard is it to do a complete baseball workout? Or play in a fucking game? Steve McNair is playing football in zero degree weather with a seperated shoulder. Donovon McNabb finishes a game with a broken ankle. Bledsoe plays with a broken finger and finishes a game with a sheared artery. And these are pussy-ass Quarterbacks. I think you need as much toughness to play one baseball game as you do one play in the NFL. Why are these baseball players such pussies? NOMAR SUCK IT UP AND GET IN THE GAME.
Management: I realized I was too harsh on Francona earlier. I haven't been able to watch the games day-to-day, and thus can't really judge how is doing. So I'll give him an incomplete. As for Theo and company, it would have been nice of them to bring in someone besides Crespo to play the reserve role. The trade for BYK and signing him to a 2 year 10 million dollar deal is looking ugly. I guess I have to give him credit for the Ortiz and Nixon contract extensions. Really though, this is a matter of strategy. Theo seems to be holding firm to his original offers, signing those players who will take what he offers, and not budging with regards to Pedro and Nomar. I think you have to give him credit for the patient approach. Lets look at the top 4 free agents. Lowe turned down 9 mil for 4 years, and now has a 6 ERA. Pedro has struggled some. Nomar hasn't taken an AB. Varitek is the only one who has performed to expectation.
But there is a downside to this patient approach. These players are people too. Both Nomar and Pedro especially, have personified this team since the late 1990s. They have made the team ALOT of money, and it is their success that has caused the owners to be in the position of power they are today, selling out the team every game with the highest ticket prices in the league. They deserve to be treated with respect. They deserve to stay Red Sox. I, personally, think they will continue to perform if rewarded. Leaving them dangling might save you a few million in the end...or make you lose them.
And if we do, and fail to replace them adequately, then Red Sox fans will soon realize they are paying out the nose to watch a crappy team in an antiquated stadium. Teams rise and fall, look at the Mariners. So Theo, don't make this year the last of an Era. Because if I have learned anything as a Red Sox fan, it's to not pin all your hopes on one year. Which is exactly the mentality management and fans have had about 2004.
But let's talk about more important things, like the Medias Rojas.
Record: 27-17 First Place, 1.5 Games ahead in first place in the American League East. Can't complain too much about that, although the second place team has gotten a little lucky with regards to total wins as opposed to expected wins (derived from run differential,) for the 7th straight year, where as we are below expectations. Lucky ass bastards. Can we expect to keep this pace? Should I believe baseball statistics given me to by Baseball Propectus? What if these stats aren't real at all, but just invented by one guy? Should we give credit to the guy who invented OPS for saying "hey, let's add two numbers together?"
Whoa I'm rambling. Lets get back to the topic here. Overall, The team is performing well, we are in first place. At least my team isn't 14-28, and I have something to root for, rather then an old, slow, overpaid team with incompenent management and Randy Winn playing centre field. I should be happy and satisfied, shouldn't I?
Well I'm not. It was clear from the beginning of this season that 2004 was not going to be enjoyable. Expectations are too high, and uncertainity plauges the team at every turn, due to injuries and the end-of-year contract crunch. So naturally, I am worried and irrationally pissed off. So lets break down the team a little more so I can vent.
Infield: Bill Mueller's batting average title may have been a fluke...Surprise! And now he is on the DL, meaning we may be seeing Gabe Kapler at third. Sheesh. Jason Varitek has been solid behind the plate, and is in the top three catchers in the AL. Nomar is out, meaning we have to play both Mark Bellhorn and Pokey Reese, leaving one hole in the lineup and one in the field. First base is filled with the usual crappy fielders, which doesn't bother me; Carlos Quintanna was our last decent fielding first baseman (although Mo Vaughn had a sweet pick at first, and could field anything in his range, which was as far as he could fall to either side.) Luckily, these crappy fielders can hit. David Ortiz's average is down from last year (.271), but he's on pace for 37 dongs and 133 RBI. That's hot. Millar has shown signs of life in May after I was calling for his release in April. I have no confidence in him whatsoever, but no doubt he will continue to interview well and take credit for everything positive that happens to the team, such as Manny "being more vocal," or teaching Pedro a new screwball.
Outfield: Manny has been in M-V-P form; even the press can't hate on him this year. And have you seen Damon's haid and beard? Of course you have. It's fantastic. Keep him in there no matter what. He's also got an OBP of .380, which is respectable for a leadoff hitter. He is only 4-7 in SB attempts however, I think the hair is causing too much wind resistance. With Trot Nixon out, right field has been another black hole, contributing to our offensive regression from last year's record setting squad.
Starting Pitching: God its nice to have a second ace on the team. I'm talking about Tim Wakefield of course. The next 300-win pitcher? I think so. Curt Schilling has excelled as expected. Pedro? 3.7 aint cutting it. I hope, hope, hope, hope, that he dominates the rest of the year. But I dont know. I am guessing ERA under 3, with at least three weeks on the disabled list. D-Lowe is toast. I don't mean that Derek I love you, I really do, but the ERA over 6? Thats terrible. BYK sucks, and we should trade him for that other Asian pitcher who was in a gay porn. Actually I would trade any of our players for that guy. Then I would trade him to the Yankees for Enrique Wilson, so I can make jokes about him with Jeter and Posada. Arroyo is medicore, but he's a fifth starter. Mediocrity is all we need.
Bullpen: From a weakness to strength in a year. Hell yes. We just need to trade for Tom Gordon and bring the Eck out of retirement. The only question is depth; Williamson has gone down with elbow problems, and Timlin and Foulke are pitching every day. Calm down Francona, to quote Jimy Williams, "its a marathon not a sprint."(Of course, Jimy used this quote to justify pinch hitting with Darren Lewis.)
Bench: Way too many Cesar Crespo ABs. This is where the injuries hurt you. Crespo shouldn't be on a major league roster, (well, maybe he could help the Mariners out,) Kapler and McCarty should be saved for platoon pinch-hitting roles, and Reese should be a part-timer and defensive specialist. Which brings us to...
Health: We havent had one AB from Trot or Nomar. Eerie similarities to 2001, where the team held close to the Yanks in the AL East, expecting Nomar, Pedro, and Varitek to return from injury, and collapsed in August when they never made it back. This team probably won't pull that collapse, because our pitching depth is so much greater. But I am VERY skeptical about either Trot or Nomar making it back this year at full effectivness. First of all, they are both out much longer than was supposed to be; the brilliant Red Sox medical team originally predicted Nomar would be out 5 days, its been 2 fucking months. Second, they don't seem to be making any progress. Both are concerned about the stresses of "participating in full baseball workouts." Which leads to me to this question: How fucking hard is it to do a complete baseball workout? Or play in a fucking game? Steve McNair is playing football in zero degree weather with a seperated shoulder. Donovon McNabb finishes a game with a broken ankle. Bledsoe plays with a broken finger and finishes a game with a sheared artery. And these are pussy-ass Quarterbacks. I think you need as much toughness to play one baseball game as you do one play in the NFL. Why are these baseball players such pussies? NOMAR SUCK IT UP AND GET IN THE GAME.
Management: I realized I was too harsh on Francona earlier. I haven't been able to watch the games day-to-day, and thus can't really judge how is doing. So I'll give him an incomplete. As for Theo and company, it would have been nice of them to bring in someone besides Crespo to play the reserve role. The trade for BYK and signing him to a 2 year 10 million dollar deal is looking ugly. I guess I have to give him credit for the Ortiz and Nixon contract extensions. Really though, this is a matter of strategy. Theo seems to be holding firm to his original offers, signing those players who will take what he offers, and not budging with regards to Pedro and Nomar. I think you have to give him credit for the patient approach. Lets look at the top 4 free agents. Lowe turned down 9 mil for 4 years, and now has a 6 ERA. Pedro has struggled some. Nomar hasn't taken an AB. Varitek is the only one who has performed to expectation.
But there is a downside to this patient approach. These players are people too. Both Nomar and Pedro especially, have personified this team since the late 1990s. They have made the team ALOT of money, and it is their success that has caused the owners to be in the position of power they are today, selling out the team every game with the highest ticket prices in the league. They deserve to be treated with respect. They deserve to stay Red Sox. I, personally, think they will continue to perform if rewarded. Leaving them dangling might save you a few million in the end...or make you lose them.
And if we do, and fail to replace them adequately, then Red Sox fans will soon realize they are paying out the nose to watch a crappy team in an antiquated stadium. Teams rise and fall, look at the Mariners. So Theo, don't make this year the last of an Era. Because if I have learned anything as a Red Sox fan, it's to not pin all your hopes on one year. Which is exactly the mentality management and fans have had about 2004.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 7:30 AM 
