Mark Teixeira

Ok, I haven't posted in a while, but as a Red Sox fan, I am very interested in how this Teixeira business spills out. Best case scenario, he signs with Boston for 8+ years, and we trade Mikey Lowell for a middle quality prospect or a cheap veteran on the bench or in the bullpen. A lot of Sox fans are reluctant to trade the 2007 World Series MVP, but they clearly are not familiar with Mark Teixeira. 

Teixeira was 7 for 15 in the ALDS against the Sox this year. 7 for 15!!!! That is somebody you want in October. And oh, yeah, his regular season numbers aren't too shabby either. Let's try at least 30 home runs every year since 2004, and 26 his rookie year in 2003. A .290 career average, and a .378 career OBP! Anybody who would rather have Mike Lowell than this guy should stop reading this, learn about the sport of baseball, look at Teixeira's stats both on offense and his .995 career fielding percentage, and then talk to me.

If Teixeira signs with the Yankees, they will be straight up one o

f the best teams ever assembled. The only way the Sox have any way to counter the Yankees' huge offseason acquisitions is to sign Teixeira. This will allow them to contend with the Yankees next year even with Sabathia and Burnett. Long story short, it's Teixeira or bust for Boston.

PhotoSource: leath's photostream

Matt Holliday

The Oakland Athletics appear to be just on the verge of acquiring right handed slugger Matt Holliday from Colorado. At first glance, Holliday appears to be a good fit in the traditionally powerful Oakland lineup, but this is a man who has played his whole career in that infamous Denver ballpark, Coors Field. Now he is going to play in a stadium that has made its name by being incredibly difficult to hit in due to its expanse of playable foul territory. Don't be surprised if he experiences a statistical drop off.
And as Big League Stew says, Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland A's and the perfector of the management style that is "Moneyball", will be well aware of Holliday's value and the ability of Holliday's agent, Satan's favorite cousin, Scott Boras. Beane, if he elects to conduct this transaction, will be wary and assess every factor as he proceeds with the negotiation with Colorado and Holliday. And in the event that Holliday does not produce, Beane will seek to trade him and his 13 million dollar paycheck in the offseason.

McAFEE COLISEUM
(notice the amount offoul territory on the infield)











PHOTOSOURCE:

Kimberly*'s photostream

Thats It

Huh... Well, its over. The Rays beat the older, more experienced Boston Red Sox in seven after a win last night. What happened? I'll tell you what happened, they choked. Straight up, New York style choke-job.

David Ortiz this post season: Bust, Jacoby: Bust, Kotsay: Bust, Varitek: Bust. Every game the pitching staff went out and did their job excepting games two and four, giving the Red Sox a chance to win in six games, but they didn't. They lost. Varitek and Kotsay both left upwards of twenty runners on base apiece. That's bad. In the eighth inning last night, with runners on first and third, why was Varitek even batting? Francona had Sean Casey on the bench who had a much greater chance of producing than the aging Red Sox Captain. God love him, but he simply cannot hit anymore.

Why did no one try to buzz Upton off the plate a little. They just pitched it where he wanted it, and he's on his way to breaking the single postseason home run record held by Bonds and Beltran.

The Sox should not have lost this series. But they did. All I can say is "C'MON PHILLIES, DESTROY THEM!!"

Photo Source:LP&P's photostream

Yankees Stadium

So, the last game has been played at the house that Ruth built, and the Bronx Bombers do not make the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years. Not a good year for the New York Yankees. The incompetence of Cashman and the front office turned the legendary franchise from the powerhouse of the nineties to the home of overpaid, overrated hitters and pitchers such as Randy Johnson, Johnny Damon, the former greatest closer alive, Mariano Rivera, Roger Clemens, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, and Hideki Matsui. All of these players are shadows of their former glory, performing inconsistently and poorly. The Yankee management has failed to maintain anything other than a lineup.

The young pitchers that they did not trade for Santana, whom they needed desperately,
were a fantastic disappointment. Hughes and Kennedy were unable to perform as is expected in New York, and when Chamberlain went down because his innings were poorly managed, the season was over. When the pressure was on to make the playoffs,
Alex Rodriguez collapsed, becoming "Double-Play-Rod" instead of the most feared hitter in baseball.

Cashman and the Yankees have their work cut out for them this offseason. They, like the Red Sox, need to add better middle relief, to replace the likes of Bruney and Britton, who have no place on a team with such a payroll. They need to add an outfielder who can produce more consistently than Matsui or Damon, such as, unfortunately, Manny Ramirez, who has expressed interest in wearing the pinstripes.

Free agent pitchers such as Burnett or Sabathia could turn the team around, and perhaps put the Yankees back on top, as much as I would hate to see that happen, they certainly have the means, the only question is, does Cashman have the initiative to make such big pitching acquisitions?

Photosource 1:wallyg's photostream
Photosource 2:Random Factor's photostream

Red Sox

The reason the Sox can't seem to win close games is simply because other than Masterson, opponents have figured out how to hit the once unhittable Sox bullpen. Hit Papelbon early in counts, and sit on Okajima's fastball. The rest of the bullpen is fairly ineffective, the perfect example of which is Mike Timlin.

  Tony Mazzerotti is over analyzing it. Plain and simple, when the game comes down to the wire, Boston needs to hope that Papelbon uses his splitter and LOCATES it. Otherwise the game is over, as then we have to rely on sub par middle relievers to close out the game. Under the pressure of late and extra innings, the bullpen implodes. 

This off season, the Sox need to acquire a strong middle reliever to remedy the situation, such as Rafael Betancourt or Duaner Sanchez. Then maybe they could hold the game long enough to win it.

   

Duaner Sanchez: Maybe the Red Sox can get an effective wearer of #50

Photo source:penner42's photostream

Play Ball

Ok, If you're reading this you obviously like baseball. So first of all, if I seem biased against New York, its because I am. I am a Red Sox fan, but more importantly I am a baseball fan, and most of my commentary will concern the game, and I will save my Yankee bashing for a Sox/Yankees matchup. Other than that, my opinions are created from my own mind, and will reflect my thoughts on the game. Everyone loves baseball, c'mon.


PhotoSource:

daviddesign's photostream