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The 2011 Red Sox Thread

Black Phantom

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yup,

Theo has screwed up literally a half a billion dollars in free agent signings. You've got 300 million in Crawford, Lackey and Drew alone.

If I'm John Henry, Theo is the first to go

You really think Henry threw the keys to the car and said drive it as fast as you want?

It's BS to think that the highest levels of the organization did not go out and say sign some big names to create a splash. There were only so many players to go after and it backfired horrifically.

Theo Epstein doesn't get the blame for this.
 

deadheadskier

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Theo called Henry in London to ask for 142M to pay Carl Crawford. The highest offer anyone else had on the table was 6 years and 106M (the Angels) He grossly overpaid for Lackey, Drew, Dice K, Lugo, Renteria, Scutoro, Jenks......on and on.

Eventually all those cumulative mistakes add up and you have a situation like the Mets are in as Geoff points out. Then when someone comes along who could really help your team (Texiera recently), you don't have the dough to sign them. I wouldn't be surprised to see some key free agents go to the Yankees in the next few years because the Red Sox over invested now on some of the current players.
 

Gnarcissaro

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I watched this in the post-game last night and it pissed me right off. Does anyone else want to reach through the screen and shake A-Gone in this clip?

Here it is

God has a plan? GOD HAS A PLAN?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!! GOD HAS A PLAN?!!!!?!!!!

Seriously, dude??Go throw yourself off the Tobin, Adrian. I understand being religious, but act like you give a shit. Such an easy cop-out, at least Papelbon stands up and take responsibility when he sucks. You aren't in San Diego anymore, you're not allowed to be complacent when you lose here.
 

JimG.

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You guys are gentlemen I'll give you that.

I'm a Yankee fan and I was pissed that they gave up a 7 run lead and let the Rays win. Mark my words, they are going to pay for that.

I would much rather that the Yanks had won and at least made the Rays beat the Sox to get in. The Rays are dangerous and I will not be surprised to see them knock the Yanks out of the playoffs.

Normally I would relish the way the Sox went down, but frankly it was painful to watch them hawk up a hairball the size of Jupiter in the last month.
 

kickstand

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My two favorite stats going into last night's game were these:

- The Sox were 77-0 when leading after the 8th inning
- On Sept. 1, when the Sox were 9 games up, they were given a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs

I'm as big a Sox fan as the next guy, but I'm glad they lost. I could never get behind this team. I think a lot of it was the pre-season hype. It was also the bad free agent signings. Lackey has historically pitched poorly at Fenway, and now he gets to make 14-16 starts per year in the building? Add in the fact he's a jackass, and it's an even worse signing. I never understood how Crawford fit into this team. Nice player and all, but not for that kind of money. On this team, I saw him as an 8 or 9 hitter. 8 or 9 hitters don't command $161m. I also don't think they were expecting Ellsbury to have this kind of year, but signing Crawford as insurance was not necessary.
 

Trekchick

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You guys are gentlemen I'll give you that.

I'm a Yankee fan and I was pissed that they gave up a 7 run lead and let the Rays win. Mark my words, they are going to pay for that.

I would much rather that the Yanks had won and at least made the Rays beat the Sox to get in. The Rays are dangerous and I will not be surprised to see them knock the Yanks out of the playoffs.

Normally I would relish the way the Sox went down, but frankly it was painful to watch them hawk up a hairball the size of Jupiter in the last month.
The Rays are THAT team that can surprise the crap out of you!
 

Geoff

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Firing Francona is bullshit...

assuming he got fired and didn't quit.

Based on what is now being revealed about the dysfunctional clubhouse, it seems like it was Francoma's time. My problem with the guy was that he'd stick with pitchers who had obviously lost it. He cost the Red Sox a ton of games by leaving pitchers in too long. We had a month of Wakefield throwing meatballs trying to get to 200 wins.

Theo also deserves a ton of the blame. Carl Crawford was a disaster signing. He's not a team player and he only came to Boston because of the money. The John Lackey debacle has been well documented.

I think the owners will take inventory and decide that Theo Epstein needs to go, too. He turned the Red Sox into the Mets. It will take several years to undo the damage.
 

ZYDECORICH

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I guess now that the Sox have spent all that money and now have nothing, puts to rest the argument that the Yanks are always trying to buy a championship. You spend money and hope for the best if you have it. For Boston it didn't work out this time. I don't want to hear that argument anymore. The Rays have I think the 3rd lowest payroll. Crawford will adjust eventually I think, and be good for a few years even though you overpaid. Adrian is a stud, I guess don't play him in too many night games (what"s that all about?).Lackey? Good luck, maybe he needs a bloody sock. Lick your wounds and swallow that chowder, even though the clams are a little tougher.
 

tjf67

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Theo called Henry in London to ask for 142M to pay Carl Crawford. The highest offer anyone else had on the table was 6 years and 106M (the Angels) He grossly overpaid for Lackey, Drew, Dice K, Lugo, Renteria, Scutoro, Jenks......on and on.

Eventually all those cumulative mistakes add up and you have a situation like the Mets are in as Geoff points out. Then when someone comes along who could really help your team (Texiera recently), you don't have the dough to sign them. I wouldn't be surprised to see some key free agents go to the Yankees in the next few years because the Red Sox over invested now on some of the current players.

Monday morning quarterbacks are a dime a dozen. Injuries and that lack of backbone that New Englanders are know for was you downfall. You chumps are in trouble for a while.

How's nursing school going fart pie? Is the little lady getting sick of supporting your sorry ass yet?
 

Geoff

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I guess now that the Sox have spent all that money and now have nothing,

The Red Sox are a business. They don't "have nothing". They fill their ballpark. Their captive cable TV network NESN rakes in the dollars from cable TV contracts that force the cable TV operators to pay them a few bucks per month per subscriber. NESN sells TV advertising for big bucks. There's a radio contract. They sell millions worth of shirts and pink hats.

What the Red Sox care about as a business is that the team is in the running for a playoff slot every year. Recall that a year ago, nobody watched NESN during the month of September. I'll bet the ratings were quite different the last week of the season this year.

If Boston doesn't do something to correct their problems, they risk having the whole thing crumble. You can't support that huge payroll without the TV revenue. You don't get the TV revenue unless the team wins. I'd expect some major changes.
 

Gnarcissaro

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If this is true, it is BS. Drinkin in the clubhouse? Sounds like it was time for a change.

From ESPN.com

The Boston Herald reported another divisive issue, citing sources as saying that pitchers were allowed to drink beer in the clubhouse on their off days. A Red Sox source not only confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that was the case, but also said that it "has been going on for two years."

Francona didn't want to go there Friday afternoon, reasoning that if as manager, he'd never singled out players before for petty crimes and misdemeanors, including the poster boy for such behavior, Manny Ramirez, he wasn't about to start now.

Lucchino said after Friday's news conference he had a "low" level of awareness "until very recently" that this had been going on. His reaction when he did find out?

"Surprise," he said, before adding, "Yeah, there were some other emotions, but I'd rather just leave it at that."

A third issue of concern that has circulated widely was a perceived indifference to conditioning by some players -- "gluttony," one Red Sox executive called it.
 

ZYDECORICH

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The Red Sox are a business. They don't "have nothing". They fill their ballpark. Their captive cable TV network NESN rakes in the dollars from cable TV contracts that force the cable TV operators to pay them a few bucks per month per subscriber. NESN sells TV advertising for big bucks. There's a radio contract. They sell millions worth of shirts and pink hats.

What the Red Sox care about as a business is that the team is in the running for a playoff slot every year. Recall that a year ago, nobody watched NESN during the month of September. I'll bet the ratings were quite different the last week of the season this year.

If Boston doesn't do something to correct their problems, they risk having the whole thing crumble. You can't support that huge payroll without the TV revenue. You don't get the TV revenue unless the team wins. I'd expect some major changes.



What I meant was they have nothing to show for as far as a post season this year. I'm sure they will bounce back. The team has talent, but are at this point are in disarray.
 

Nick

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So much drama, I was listening to an interview with Youkilas this morning on the radio. Between locker room brewskis, complaints about pitching, and apparently mis-quotes by journalists, sounds like the entire world is unraveling!
 
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