Yeah, I found it after your reply....Would like to see (Fantasy Team alone) DiceK and Schilling return to the rotation.
I'm not worried about Matsuzaka. In fact I'm kind of glad that he's being shut down for a little bit now as he was pretty bad towards the end of last season due to being tired etc. Hopefully the injury really just is a tired arm and he'll be fine when he returns in about another week or so.
Wow, a great old fashioned dugout clearing bruhahaha rubbarb between Sox and Rays. Knew it was a possibility of having CoCo thrown out from the slide on last nights steal attempt with Iwamura. Have to know that Madden ordered the "hit". Shields in CoCo's first at bat hits him in the legs...and CoCo charges...then a huge melee on the field and arms, legs, and pile ups galore. not sure who is ejected yet but from the film footage, whoever doesnt get ejected for this game will be suspended for following games once MLB gets a hold of the tape, etc. Gomes, Iwamura, and Crawford all piled on CoCo throwing or attempting to land punches....crazy wild.
I have new respect for both Coco Crisp and Shields. Shields did exactly what you do in old school baseball you hit the guy in the leg/thigh (no head hunting etc). Gomes is an absolute thug and I guess the Rays 'tough guy' as he's now gotten into fights he had nothing to do with 2 times since Spring Training (the other was running in from right field to push Shelley Duncan). Madden is also a baby, last night he was saying how Bartlet (who really started this whole thing last night) used to put his knee down so he ordered his players to slide in hard feet first (which is exactly what Coco did last night) to which Madden didn't like. But it was ok for one of his players to take out a catcher in the 8th inning of a spring training game. Anyway Gomes should probably get hit with a 10 game suspension and fined because this is his 2nd time doing this this year. I'm sure Shields will get the 5 games every pitcher does and Coco will get 3 or 4. Hopefully this is over with now with the brawling though.
Now Ellsbury leaves the game with banged up wrist (Great catch too) ...love the kid and his style of play, hope its not bad (Strained right wrist, xrays negative). Have to believe MLB will suspend Gomes, Iwamura, and Crawford for throwing punches too.
Yeah, thankfully Ellsbury didn't break it, that's the last thing the Sox would need. I doubt he'll play tomorrow and I wouldn't be shocked if he's out for this weekend. I'm guessing the Sox will call up Moss (especially if Coco's thumb is still hurting from last night).
Please, keep Ellsbury in a bubble. I just made a blockbuster in a $1000 keeper with him coming to me. Got him Mauer and Morneau for Fielder and Sizemore. Needed a C bad, needed a speed guy to beat the top 2 teams (1 guy has crawford and rollins, the other has hanley kemp and ichiro). This gave me Beltran Sori, Elllsbury, Bruce and Wright who will all run.... That said the game was a good one. Maddon is a baby but hes got some talent and seems to at least know how to manage.
I'll be honest when I first saw the play it didn't look good. But he was moving the wrist and hand afterwards but was in obvious pain. It looked exactly like what J.D. Drew did early this year and he only missed 2 games so we'll see. As long as no bones are broken or tendons hurt he should be back in the line up on Monday I'd guess.
For whatever it's worth Keith Law of ESPN (someone who I absolutely love reading as he's a former front office guy for the Blue Jays and now a scout and seems very bright) ranked the Red Sox as having the #2 draft overall (Giants were #1). Although I know next to nothing on the players they drafted this is exciting. However they can sign a lot of their top picks and keep pumping out the prospects. Way to go Theo and the scouts once again. Now sign these players.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3429782 Crisp got 7, Sean Casey 3, Lester 6 Sheilds got 6, Gomes and Edwin Jackson 5, Crawford 4, Iwamaru 3
Red Sox dugout spat due to Youkilis' actions after at-bat http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3429644
I think Lester's suspension is an absolute joke and would love to hear MLB's reason behind it. I also think Coco's suspension was a little too much. Richie Sexson charged the mound a few weeks ago and threw his helmet and punches at Kason Gabbard (who wasn't even trying to hit him) and only got 4 games. Coco should have gotten 5 I think. Gomes got off extremely light too especially since it's his 2nd offense since March. The guy is a better wrestler than ball player. I also felt that Maddon should have been suspended too, I think he completely overeacted at times on Wednesday night and if he didn't start jawing at Coco, none of this would have happened.
The Lester suspension is a joke I don't know what he did to warrant a suspension. MLB has always been a joke when it comes to things like this so I can't say the suspensions given out are that shocking with Lester aside.
I guess he is saying what Lester did merits 1 more game than what Gomes did. WOW are you serious. Good win today, glad to see Wakefield with a good start and Manny has been hot since he hit 500. We have won 7 of 9 even with alll of our lineup changes.
Well the only reason Lester got 5 games is because he's a starter and therefore his start gets pushed back 1 day. So I understand why, usually starters get at least 5. The Gomes thing is totally mind blowing, did MLB even watch the tapes? Whatever I hope it's over with now and forgotten the Sox don't need to risk injuries on mindless brawls with the Rays.
Clearly a better GM for the Yanks in the early and mid 90's then at admonishing players and managers....
Haha, you said it not me. There have been a few times when 'Yankee Bob' has given weird suspensions to Red Sox players or when he sent security down to the Sox dugout during a big Yankee series in the middle of an inning to see if Francona was wearing his jeresy under his jacket, which is always a funny one.
Another great start by Masterson today, man that kid has been steady. Another good inning from Hansen and 2 more from Oki, and Paps and thats the game. Think any team is looking to coming to Fenway, were are now 26-6 at home. Masterson: 4 GS, 3-0 Joba, Hughes, Kennedy: 15GS, 1-9
Masterson is extremely impressive so far. I know there was a huge debate as to whether he'd make a better starter or reliever/set up guy but right now he's making the debate as easy one. The Sox have incredible starting depth right now and for next year as well. I'm thinking the '09 rotation will be Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Buchholz and Masterson. Although I'm sure they'll resign Wakefield with his dirty cheap salary. The Sox look great at home, it reminds me of the Yankees during their destiny how teams would come into Fenway and just freak out. Hopefully the Sox get over that road woes soon. Good win and good weekend. P.S. It scares me to say that I'm starting to really like J.D. Drew, I still don't think hes worth 14 million a year but he's making it hard to argue against Theo signing him. EDIT: One big key with Masterson and also Buchholz is that they're getting their innings in this year so they can go deep into the season next year as well, sometimes the Yankees didn't do with either Hughes, Joba or Kennedy and it's looking like they won't be able to do it with Hughes or Kennedy again next year.
See what happens why you Bat in front of Manny? Good things. Let me just say that I LOVE to see JD Drew playing so well.
I wanted Colon pretty bad last year, and he is pitching really well now. Who knows how long this will last, but he is giving us a chance to win everytime out.
I have a lot of respect for JD. Last year when he was taken the verbal beating in Boston(fans and press) he never spoke out! Never said a thing. I was at a game last year and the fans were bruttle. I had gotten wind of the situation as to what his family was going through. Didn't know if it was true or false because I never seen anything in ink. The press was asking why he wasn't a team guy. After the games they saw him get right into the shower and out the door he went. Little did they know the JD was heading right for the hospital to see his kid. He would go to relieve his wife so she could catch a break from being at the hospital all day. He went the WHOLE summer with his kid in the hospital being very sick. Not once did Drew make an excuse to the media or fans. Then came playoff time and his kid got released from the hospital. If you noticed his numbers came up towards the end of the year and playoff time. That's right around the time the story broke also. Now he has a year under his belt and no family worries and the bonus of batting in front of Manny. As long as JD stays healthy, I think he was well worth the dough. GO SOX!
Past 2 starts for Lester and only 1 walk issued. Is this the real Lester showing? I should as hell hope so because if the last 2 starts are any indiction of his potential then this kid is going to be scary good. I would like to see him get more K's but if he can pitch 7 innings, giving up only 1 run every time I'll take it. Drew is on fire right now. The Sox needed someone to step it up since Ortiz went down and it's nice to see both Drew and Manny step up. Hopefully it continues this weekend against the Reds. The Sox need to start to build a cushion in the East.
Manny out of the lineup again today. Never like to see the guy out, but Manny is Manny. Beckett on the hill today, so far he looks good and Crisp just hit a HR. Ellsbury is becoming a beast on the bases, stole 2nd and 3rd, then scored on a Pedoria Sac. fly. Only the Cubs have a better record than the Sox now.
How bout Coco with homeruns in back to back AB's ? Maybe a little offensive life amd momentum from the chocolate puff of cereal. Hell, we'll take whatever we can get! On a side note, boy have the Celtics taken my desire for baseball right the **** away.. I'll tell you what, having the Celtics be this successful makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.
Imagine how you'd feel if you liked the Patriots too. You have to tip your hat to Boston sports right now they're in a nice run. You'll get your baseball desire back in a few weeks I'm sure.
Hey Red Sox Nation................... PHEAR THE PHILLIES You're gonna need a calculator to chalk up all those runs we are going to score on you. Hope your pitchers are ready.
Lester was great tonight, it looks like the kid has finally turned the corner and is starting to become the #2 starter that was projected for him before the illness. IF Lester has turned the corner and continues to pitch like this the whole year then this Sox team is going to be extremely tough to beat with an ace in Beckett, two solid #2s in Matsuzaka and Lester and solid pitching from Wakefield and the younger arms in Masterson and Buchholz when he comes back.
I won't be fearing the Phillies this year, they have a nice line up 1-5 but they can be pitched around and beaten especially since a lot of those hitters are all or nothing. Other than Hamels, they have no one that could get out an AL line up in a best of 7 series.
I didn't even fear the Phillies this series and Ortiz and Youk didn't play, and Manny and Crisp sat a bit each also. Also you didn't have to face Beckett or Dice-K and could only muster a win of a hurting Colon with Hamels on the mound. Lester has really stepped it up lately. Now that he has learned to not walk as many, he has been pretty dominate. Masterson has given us 5.0+ innings in every start, he has been great. Hansen has been rocky again lately, but Delcarmen has been much better lately.
I really don't know how I feel about Hansen or Delcarmen. They're either lights out (like Delcarmen today) or terrible (like Hansen today). I guess it could be worse but I'm not sure if there's anyone in our pen right now that I trust whose name isn't Papelbon.
Curt Schilling's career is over. He will be having season ending surgery to repir Labrum and rotator cuff injuries as well as bicep repair. Thanks for everything Schill.
Hey bottom line when he came to Boston in 2004 he promised he'd bring home a WS title for us. Well he lied, he got us 2. It's a shame that he's not going out on his own terms but like he said, his last game was a W in Game 2 of the 2007 WS so not a bad way to go out. Isn't it amazing that the Sox lose Schilling and no one is ready to commit suicide? Shows the depth of the Sox pitchers, although the team and fans will miss Big Schill in October, just because he's one of the best ever in that month.
Has anyone one player in a long time made such a bold predicton and then backed it up in every way. Schilling was everything we asked for plus more, and nobody, nobody will forget the bloody sock. We should also thank the Expos management today who in 2003 told us we didn't have enough propects to land Javier Vazquez, so we turned to Plan B, Schilling. Schilling should goto the Hall of Fame. Sure people will knock him for only 216 wins, but if its playoff time you can have Glavine, Clemens, Maddux, I will take Schilling and not even think twice about it. Schilling is the type of guy you want to goto war with.