MR

I never agreed with this choice. He is as fucking awful as Melanoma and Fatceves and the rest of the "bullpen". The Sox will NOT finish over .500 this year with Valentine at the helm. They have stopped believing in themselves; it's a carryover from last year's collapse. The Sox will not be competitive for quite a few years.

Lol. Great win by the Tigers!

Valentine's always been an ass. That said, the Sox did absolutely NOTHING in the off-season and the only guys they signed were complete stiffs. I said before the season that I would be stunned if this Red Sox team made the playoffs. They're not quite this bad and I promise you that the Orioles are nowhere near as good as their 3-0 record. These things even out in the end, but I still don't like this Sox team, AT ALL. I just don't blame Valentine for it, because he didn't assemble this team.

Seven Wishes...There you go again!

Seven Wishes wrote:I never agreed with this choice. He is as fucking awful as Melanoma and Fatceves and the rest of the "bullpen". The Sox will NOT finish over .500 this year with Valentine at the helm. They have stopped believing in themselves; it's a carryover from last year's collapse. The Sox will not be competitive for quite a few years.

Oh please. Try going through 14 years of Peter Angelos and the Orioles.

Oh, and where the heck did the name "Fat"ceves come from? Dude isn't anywhere close to being fat.

The opening series of the season was awful, but in no way does that mean Valentine should be fired.

TageRyche wrote:The opening series of the season was awful, but in no way does that mean Valentine should be fired.

The bullpen situation has got to be addressed, though. I really like Aceves and he has great stuff but I don't think he's a closer type or even a setup guy, for that matter. I still think he'd make a far better starter than Bard or a middle/long reliever at the least.

I dont think Bobby V is the answer either, but let's be honest with ourselves about Boston.

1. The team is getting old and they haven't really had any solid young talent come from the minors to help them out. The two guys who fit that mold are Ellsbury and Pedroia, both which began their tour in 2007...5 years ago.

2. The bullpen and starting rotation is a mess. Bard has 0 career MLB starts, you don't know who you're getting with Beckett, Lester is damn solid, Padilla has thrown over 150 innings only twice since 2003, Buchholz you don't know what you're going to get because he's been screwed around and injured. Pen wise Aceves looks solid, Albers has a long line of sucking, Atchinson sucks and was out of the majors for 3 years at one point, Doubront I saw pitch in AAA a few times looked OK, Melancon I saw pitch in AAA a lot with SWB Yanks and I don't know how he pitched well last year for Houston because he sucked at AAA, Morales sucked before last season, Thomas couldn't make it with the Pirates and that's all I need to know about him.

3. Management didn't do anything this offseason. They knew they needed changes and they sat on their hands and really didn't do anything except sign as someone mentioned above "Stiffs". Also I think Theo got out at the right time to save his legacy because I think he saw the writing on the wall in terms of his minor league system not having anyone coming up that is interesting.

4. Salty and Shoppach as catchers. Really. What were they scared Lavarnway might be to good of a player?

I normally wouldn't agree with panicking in April, but I never thought Bobby Valentine was the right choice.

Im taking my son on a trip to Boston in September as his sixteenth birthday present. We are going to two games. Why do I get the feeling I will be sitting there watching a last place team ?

Reactionary much? Geez.

I know the consensus on Valentine is maybe 50-50 positive/negative (being generous probably too), but it's a 3 game series against one of the most potent, balanced teams in the game right now.

I wouldn't be so quick to panic. And re: management not doing anything, welcome to the plight of most mid-market MLB fans.

What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Oh please. Try going through 19 STRAIGHT losing seasons & Bob Nutting with the Pirates.

jestor92 wrote:4. Salty and Shoppach as catchers. Really. What were they scared Lavarnway might be to good of a player?

Salty had a good year last year and actually ended up being fairly decent defensively. However, what you mentioned above is what perplexes me. Lavarnway has put up monster numbers at each level of the minors and I was surprised they didn't give him a chance. He has nothing left to prove at the AAA level and could probably hit better than Shoppach at this point with his eyes closed. Hell, Shoppach has hit below .200 each of the last two years and, while a good defensive catcher, his hitting is poor enough that the defense doesn't make up for it.

conversationpc wrote:

jestor92 wrote:4. Salty and Shoppach as catchers. Really. What were they scared Lavarnway might be to good of a player?

Salty had a good year last year and actually ended up being fairly decent defensively. However, what you mentioned above is what perplexes me. Lavarnway has put up monster numbers at each level of the minors and I was surprised they didn't give him a chance. He has nothing left to prove at the AAA level and could probably hit better than Shoppach at this point with his eyes closed. Hell, Shoppach has hit below .200 each of the last two years and, while a good defensive catcher, his hitting is poor enough that the defense doesn't make up for it.

Shoppach is terrible, take it from me. I was stunned to hear the Red Sox had him/that he was still in the MLB. Terrible player.

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

In Fat Boy's defense, he did have a 2.87 ERA last year - and that's after choking the Sox' season away with his last four abysmal, inexcuseable starts.

This team is doomed. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but between the controversy surrounding who spilled the beans on Chicken and Beergate, and their amazing inability to put last year's historic collapse behind them...and this idiot of a manager...we're already fucked.

Looking forward to the NFL draft. If the Pats address their needs on the line and in the secondary, they're going to be close to unbeatable.

I'm pissed at this team because management knew what needed to be done, and did NOTHING, and then hired a shithead as a manager. I wanted Francona out, but Valentine was the worst choice possible. Everyone who ever played for him, hates him.

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

YoungJRNY wrote:Oh please. Try going through 19 STRAIGHT losing seasons & Bob Nutting with the Pirates.

The Pirates don't count as major league baseball. They could disappear tomorrow and nobody would even notice.

You're probably right, until we win the 'Series in 2012 baby! BUCCOS, wooo

Enigma869 wrote:

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

Sounds like the Phillies. Extensions for Utley, Rollins, Howard, Uncle Charlie, crazy money for Pappelbon on and on again they complicate their own problems.

Red13JoePa wrote:

Enigma869 wrote:

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

Sounds like the Phillies. Extensions for Utley, Rollins, Howard, Uncle Charlie, crazy money for Pappelbon on and on again they complicate their own problems.

Exactly, and everyone in Philly is already panicking about the Phillies since they are off to a 1-3 start.

YoungJRNY wrote:Oh please. Try going through 19 STRAIGHT losing seasons & Bob Nutting with the Pirates.

As a Pirate fan as well. You might as well put 20 Straight losing seasons in there because they're not winning this year. We have what is possibly the worst 4-8 lineup in the majors and it might not even be close.

Red13JoePa wrote:

Enigma869 wrote:

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

Sounds like the Phillies. Extensions for Utley, Rollins, Howard, Uncle Charlie, crazy money for Pappelbon on and on again they complicate their own problems.

I think Ruben will eventually complete his secret plan to have every player on the team with lower lifetime batting averages than him Just kidding, of course.

Seriously, the Sox are in deep shit. A record of .500 would be a shocker.

geminix wrote:

Red13JoePa wrote:

Enigma869 wrote:

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

Sounds like the Phillies. Extensions for Utley, Rollins, Howard, Uncle Charlie, crazy money for Pappelbon on and on again they complicate their own problems.

I think Ruben will eventually complete his secret plan to have every player on the team with lower lifetime batting averages than him Just kidding, of course.

They have a problem with that egocentric-in-the-guise-of-bumpkin KNOTHEAD in the dugout. Can't tell that SOB ANYthing and ALWAYS telling Ruben how to do his F*&^ng job. As Joe Pesci said so eloquently in Casino when trying to reason with crazed coke headed Sharon Stone: "Ahhhh what's thje use?"

geminix wrote:

Red13JoePa wrote:

Enigma869 wrote:

Ehwmatt wrote:What the hell has happened to Beckett the last few years?

Not a thing. Guy has never really been that great of a pitcher. The reality is that Beckett has had one really good season in his entire career, from start to finish. The rest of the time has been filled with wild inconsistency, hype, avlulsions, beer, and fried chicken. I really didn't understand the Red Sox giving him the contract they gave him a couple of years ago and said so at the time. This team makes a lot of moves that I've never understood (Mike Cameron, Beckett, Lugo, and John Lackey, just to name a few). I had those opinions long before I ever saw how badly these guys suck. The reality is that Jon Lester is the only proven arm they have on their staff.

Sounds like the Phillies. Extensions for Utley, Rollins, Howard, Uncle Charlie, crazy money for Pappelbon on and on again they complicate their own problems.

I think Ruben will eventually complete his secret plan to have every player on the team with lower lifetime batting averages than him Just kidding, of course.

Ruben really fucked that team up. They have so much salary sunk into under performing and declining players that it's scary. He better hope the minor league system can rebound from the mass exodous that he put onto it when they traded a lot of the young talent away.

The Red Sox have looked pretty good in the last two games.

Big Papi went deep today!

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So now Valentine has at least two Sox players a bit upset with him questioning Youkilis having his head in the game. Say what you will about Youkilis being a jerk, being a liability because of his limited range at third base, etc., but he at least always plays hard.

TageRyche wrote:The Red Sox have looked pretty good in the last two games.

Big Papi went deep today!

Dude is on fire...Two, if not all three, of those hits yesterday were absolute lasers.

conversationpc wrote:

TageRyche wrote:The Red Sox have looked pretty good in the last two games.

Big Papi went deep today!

Dude is on fire...Two, if not all three, of those hits yesterday were absolute lasers.

Thank heavens for Big Papi.

This "bullpen" is the worst in baseball.