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well papelbon was given the info he would be in the bullpen. Don't like it, rather have him be the #5 guy. The way I would set the rotation is schilling, wakefield, beckett, wells, paplebon(i guess clement). That way you have guys who throw hard every other start, and then the offspeed location guys as fill ins to keep the other team off there routine.

Kevin Youkillis has been less then stellar this spring. Also lowell, nixon, and graffinio haven't done much. While it is still somewhat early, I don't feel confortable having 3 everyday players playing mediocre/below avg. The probability that all 3 will be fine is unlikely. I would like for graffinio to step it up, play 1b and move youk to 3b. There has been grumblings by reporters, as well as gammons, that if lowell isn't producing 30/60 days into the season, he may be outright released. I know lowell struggled the past year and a half and many say it was due to not having faith in his abiliities and tinkering with everything. Francona has said he is pressing in spring training to make a good first impression, and that is the reason for his slow start. He pulls that shit up in boston, I don't see him around after the 30 day mark.
 
Papelbon will slide into the rotation if Wells or Clement are traded, or if anyone gets hurt. I would much rather have him start, and give away Wells.

Lowell getting released would be an opportunity for Pena to play 1st, or for Graffanino to play 3rd.
 
Well graff has played 1b quite a bit in his career. I would like to see him at 1b, and move youk to 3b. Pena, I am taking a wait and see. He could be great, but he may not improve much more then his K every 2.6 ab's.
 
According to Sean McAdams, the red sox have claimed heep sup choi (no idea how to spell it), the dodger former 1b off of waivers. The big o chimmed in that the reason for the pick up is due to mike lowells bat speed usually being an hour and a half late.
 
From an outsider's view on things...

I don't really know why the Sox would happy with the Choi signing. He's a below average first baseman. Period. Doesn't get on-base at an awesome rate (not for a first baseman), and he's also below average power-wise.

And then you factor in the splits... he's dreadful against left-handed pitching. Absolutely dreadful.

So in reality, you get a player, who, against right-handed pitchers is a league average first baseman... and against lefties is a downright liability to the team!

For a backup player? Maybe he's a good pickup. But I wouldn't necessarily be thrilled with that guy being my team's everyday starting first baseman...
 
[quote name='ryanbph']very true winnie, but it is a take your pick: mike lowell at 3b or choi at 1b.[/QUOTE]

Choi is going to be playing at AAA, he is not going to be a starter. Lowell has had one bad year following a few good ones. That is why is the starter.
 
well choi is a backup, in case lowell doesn't work....if you read my previous posts...the report on lowell, who has had a horrible season and a half, his bat speed is slower then the second coming this spring. Both choi and lowell suck, maybe choi is to help motivate lowell into doing something.
 
[quote name='greendj27']Choi is going to be playing at AAA, he is not going to be a starter. Lowell has had one bad year following a few good ones. That is why is the starter.[/QUOTE]

While true... Lowell didn't just have a bad year, it was absolutely horrendous.

I mean, a .658 OPS and a sub-.300 OBP... c'mon, now.
 
[quote name='WinnieThePujols']While true... Lowell didn't just have a bad year, it was absolutely horrendous.

I mean, a .658 OPS and a sub-.300 OBP... c'mon, now.[/QUOTE]

I realize that, but to think that they would just cut Lowell and start Youk at third and Choi at first is a joke.
 
are the writers trying to absolutely destroy baseball??? every major player from the last decade has been accused of steroid use but none has ever been proven. do we keep talking or do we have some proof to definately say HES A CHEATER!!! BAN HIM!!!! WIPE HIM FROM THE BOOKS!!!! but how many people from our era really did cheat? the number may be greater that we all think. but for now it's just a rumor. put it in a book and every one takes it as fact. there are always 2 or 3 or even more sides to a story so a book makes a very lopsided case against Barry. maybe he did, maybe he didn't
we can't prove he did so we accuse and now he has to waste his time trying to save his image and his legacy
you'd think those writers don't want the Giants to win this year. why would you distract your best hitter before what may be his last year in san fran? why not release the book after Barry was retired so he could make his run at history? do they hate Barry that much as to fuck over the team? where does this leave the media and their claims for an impartial press?



sorry for rambling but some shit has to be said
 
The one name that intrigued me as soon as rumors popped up, was Ken Griffey Jr. I mean come on, if he's done them, its been throughtout his entire career, as he has roughly been about the same size, until lately when he put on some fat, his entire career.

This book has definitely damned more people than it really should have. But I guess its going to "cleanse" the game. And if that means take away what brought it back from the lockout, the excitement, then consider me done for good this time.

And as much as I hate Bonds and don't want to see him reach Aarons record, let alone the Babe, I'd rather him get it than the book take everyone who has been near or known of people doing steriods done with him.
 
I think it is hilarious that the Sox picked up Choi. I have hated him since he was with Chicago. He was always an overated 1B. When the Dodgers picked him up in the LoDuca trade, I can't tell you how pissed I was. And look what he did as a Dodger, NOTHING. He is one of those Epstien types who walks alot and CAN hit for power. Emphasis on can as opposed to does.
 
[quote name='depascal22']are the writers trying to absolutely destroy baseball??? every major player from the last decade has been accused of steroid use but none has ever been proven. do we keep talking or do we have some proof to definately say HES A CHEATER!!! BAN HIM!!!! WIPE HIM FROM THE BOOKS!!!! but how many people from our era really did cheat? the number may be greater that we all think. but for now it's just a rumor. put it in a book and every one takes it as fact. there are always 2 or 3 or even more sides to a story so a book makes a very lopsided case against Barry. maybe he did, maybe he didn't
we can't prove he did so we accuse and now he has to waste his time trying to save his image and his legacy
you'd think those writers don't want the Giants to win this year. why would you distract your best hitter before what may be his last year in san fran? why not release the book after Barry was retired so he could make his run at history? do they hate Barry that much as to fuck over the team? where does this leave the media and their claims for an impartial press?



sorry for rambling but some shit has to be said[/QUOTE]
The overwhelming landslide of evidence against Bonds, and even his own admission, is not enough for you? Will you be satisfied that he's guilty if the official Major League Baseball investigation finds him so?

As for Choi, his OBP is good. He's Mark Bellhorn at 1B with some power. Nothing wrong with having that on your bench.
 
[quote name='dafoomie']The overwhelming landslide of evidence against Bonds, and even his own admission, is not enough for you? Will you be satisfied that he's guilty if the official Major League Baseball investigation finds him so?

As for Choi, his OBP is good. He's Mark Bellhorn at 1B with some power. Nothing wrong with having that on your bench.[/QUOTE]

Not bad to have on your bench, and I can't knock they guy for his key walk in 04 clinching game agaisnt the Giants. Just heard so much about how good the guy is supposed to be, yet have never seen it. if he plays like he did in the WBC, will be a great guy to have on the bench.
 
I think what people are missing with choi is, Mike lowell has appeared to lost the abilitiy to hit the ball. He was horrible for a year and a half. And all reports this spring is that he isn't getting around on pitches that a below avg major league player should do. Yes throughout his career, for the most part, he was a top tier fielding/hitting 3b. But he can't get around on 90mph fastballs as of now. If he can't get around on them, then it is reasonable to think that he will be hitting .220 or below, and hit about 8homers. That is not acceptable, even with gold glove caliber defense, for a team that wants to contend. Choi hits .250, with a better obp, and a tad more power. Neither one of them are ideal choices, but one has to go with the better player NOW of the 2 of them. While crisp is nice, I really think the sox fucked up with marte. They should have kept him at 3b, and dealt with stern in the CF. Yes, stern sucked last year, and yes they traded for crisp before stern light it up in the WBC and spring training. Hell, even Pena could play cf. No it isn't ideal, but it is better then the grab bag between lowell and choi. We aren't exactly excited about either of them, but we don't have much of a choice.

On the brighter side, keith foulke pitched yesterday vs a minor league team. 1ip, 3k's 13 pitches, 10 strikes. Today, he faced toronto, and set the side down in order. The one thing that concerns me about foulke, is he has decided to throw/learn other pitches. Going with his usual fastball and changeup, he has added a slider and a split. While it is good he is adding something to his repotoire, he was neck and neck with mariano rivera for 3 straight seasons (ending in 04) to be the best closer in the AL. After an injury plagued last season, I don't know why he feels the need to add 2 - 3 more pitches to his arsenal. In his first game back, his fastball topped out and maintaned around 85 - 86mph. That is 4 - 5 mph off where he was in 04. Those were the numbers he was around most of last season. After the game he said he still had a lot more in the tank, but he was working on mechanics/location/new pitches in the game. I hope for his sake, that either his fastball ends up around 90mph, and the new pitches work for him. As fans in boston will be quick to turn on him.
 
[quote name='vrs1650']http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2383575

Bagwell will start the season on the DL and will probably retire. That really sucks, he seems like a great guy who was the face of the Astros for a long time.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's really tough to see. Him and Biggio are such good guys for the game.

Horrible how ugly the situation was down there... I think the Astros organization was pretty classless, given the fact that -- like you said -- Bagwell was the face of the team as long as he was...



I remember during a Spring Training game, Harold Reynolds asked Bagwell, "Do you think you're ready to play?" (thiis was a week or two ago) Bagwell's voice was kind of shaky and he replied with something like, "To be honest, if I had to go right now... I'd say that, 'no,' I wouldn't be able to make it."

I think when I heard him say that I knew he was finished. Too bad. Really shame his career ended the way he did...


One thing I did really like to see, though, is Phil Garner putting Bagwell in the lineup when the 'stros were in Chicago and had the DH. That was an extremely classy move.
 
[quote name='ryanbph']I think what people are missing with choi is, Mike lowell has appeared to lost the abilitiy to hit the ball. He was horrible for a year and a half. And all reports this spring is that he isn't getting around on pitches that a below avg major league player should do. Yes throughout his career, for the most part, he was a top tier fielding/hitting 3b. But he can't get around on 90mph fastballs as of now. If he can't get around on them, then it is reasonable to think that he will be hitting .220 or below, and hit about 8homers. That is not acceptable, even with gold glove caliber defense, for a team that wants to contend. Choi hits .250, with a better obp, and a tad more power. Neither one of them are ideal choices, but one has to go with the better player NOW of the 2 of them. While crisp is nice, I really think the sox fucked up with marte. They should have kept him at 3b, and dealt with stern in the CF. Yes, stern sucked last year, and yes they traded for crisp before stern light it up in the WBC and spring training. Hell, even Pena could play cf. No it isn't ideal, but it is better then the grab bag between lowell and choi. We aren't exactly excited about either of them, but we don't have much of a choice.
[/QUOTE]

If he can't around on 90 mph fastballs how is he hitting .270 with a .372 OBP this spring?

We all know he had a terrible year last year, but his spring hasn't been terrible and it might have jsut been a blip on the radar. Look at Burrell and Konerko a few years ago. Sometimes players have a bad year. Even if Lowell can't hit this year, he will still be abut as valuable offensively as Choi, and he will play much better defense. I think you need to stop making assumptions until the season actually begins before you start saying that Lowell is done as a player.
 
I didn't say he was done, he just isn't turning on anything at this moment. A lot of his hits are weak grounders/soft line drives threw the holes off a triple a and younger pitching. It isn't like they have scouting reports to give to these pitchers, the pitchers are going threw routines to get them ready to play come opening day. At this current point in spring training, sean mcadam said this morning (boston beat writter, who is in florida with the team) that pokey reese had better bat speed then mike lowell. Now maybe with the green monster, he can return to form. But the things I have read about him (namely that he let his slump really get to him in the head, ie taking a contact lense out of 1 eye, as maybe that will help him break out of it) and the fact that his bat speed is slower then when the red sox management were expecting. 100% of boston beat writters and peter gammons have written/talked about the fact that his bat speed is way behind pitches that a MLB player should hit. Come May, when we face a team, don't you think the scouts will have that he can't get around on an avg fastball. If his bat speed is as bad as they say, then I would imagine that they will bust him inside with fastballs.
There is a reason the sox picked up choi, and it isn't that we have been conveting him for awhile. Youkillis was playing 3b yesterday in the game. They are preparing for the worse with lowell. Come mid may/june, and if he is hitting .220 or below, the red sox fans will eat him alive. He had mind problems with his slump before, in florida, where the fans are no where near as tough on the players as boston/new york.
 
[quote name='H-Town Info']bagwell deserves to be in the HOF[/quote]


I agree 100%. At least he got to play in one World Series. It's a shame he didn't get to go out on his own terms. I hope the organization and baseball give him the sendoff he truly deserves.


Oh, and since when were there any fans at all to give Lowell a hard time. From the games I saw on TV, there only seemed to be old retired guys and their grandkids in the stadium. Not exactly the toughest of crowds except for the usual amount of pissed off unemplyed guys that come to the game drunk and only get drunker as they go. I mean, Joe Robbie Stadium was the place where a guy was getting head in the upper deck in right field and no one noticed for a half hour.
 
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