Beckett, Lester, Lackey. 1, 2, 3. Wow. If Matsuzaka gets back to form then Buchholz as number 5, man that?s got to have you Sox fans feeling pretty good.

Baseball needs to be cap'd

Not a Red Sox fan?

I don't watch baseball at all as it is all about money
They should instate a salary cap

I only follow NHL Hockey

So you?re saying the NHL is not about money but for the love of the game?
Sorry my brother but I must disagree. The NHL is also about the money they just do it badly. I love hockey. I used to play, but unless I?m at the game (I go three maybe four times a year) I seldom watch it. It is never on regular TV and the regular season does not really matter because every team except the last place team gets into the playoffs. If one of the original six is not in the finial I don?t even watch that, its spring!
I?ve been hearing about how unfair the system for MLB is every year. I know that I root for the team that spends the most but I?m sorry; the system is working just fine. The Yankees have spent way more money than every team, every year this decade and yet it has taken them ten years to win the World Series. Three of the teams that spent the most in payroll during 2009 didn?t even make the play-offs. Unfortunately for me, spending the most does not equal winning it all and is not why the Yankees out spend everyone.
Baseball?s system is designed so that teams can make money. Let?s be realistic, that is what matters in all of the ?Professional sports? and in the end they are ALL making money no matter what the owners say. The Yankees make the most so they spend the most. That is their goal and that is what they are really champions at year after year.
The reality is that MLB provides an environment where every team has the potential to compete (Tampa Bay in ?2008). It does so without a salary cap that would eliminate greatness in favor of mediocrity (NHL, NFL, and MLS). When I get the urge to watch baseball for the ?love of the game? I go see some minor league crap (NY has two teams and I go see the Yankees when I?m in PA). I like it but I?d rather go see the best that money can buy.
Don?t blame baseball for any one Baseball team?s failure. Blame the POS owner who is pocketing all the profits instead of reinvesting in their team.
Ya know what I?m sayin? bro.

You forgot one vital piece of the puzzle, baseball is mindnumbingly boring

Ha ha, to each his own I guess. I watch golf, go to the opera and take the family vehicle off-roading.

I'm glad the Sox picked up Lackey, makes for one hell of a rotation but....I'm reading rumors lately that they signed him and Cameron so that they can trade Ellsbury and Bucholz to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez. Screw that!
Trade Lowell to the Rangers for one of their catching prospects, he and Varitek can do the catching with Martinez playing first and Youk at third.

Lackey has nothing to do with Ellsbury.

As for Cameron - he's a righthanded bat - Reddick, Drew, Hermida, Ellsbury are all lefties. Drew sits against a lot of lefties, and Hermida is miserable against lefties (.237 BA, .321 OBP, .367 SLG). Ellsbury can actually hit lefties (.311 BA, .364 OBP, .401 SLG) - in fact Ellsbury's OPS is the same for lefties and righties, but his BA and OBP is higher against lefties than righties.

The Sox also have an "Ellsbury clone" in Reymond Fuentes- the difference being that we know that Ellsbury can produce on the big stage, and we know what his limitations are. Fuentes is a big question mark...

I love the idea of getting Gonzalez, but I think that a combination of Buchholtz, Lars Anderson, Fuentes, and Kalish and/or Reddick could bring Gonzalez to Boston.

Right noiw, trading away ellsbury means a big problem for the Sox against Lefty pitching. Especially since Kotchamn and Gonzalez are fairly similar in their performance against Left-handed pitchers

When did I say Lackey had anything to do with Ellsbury? I said that adding Lackey makes for one hell of a rotation with Bucholz, Wakefield, Lester, Matsuzaka and Beckett.

I don't care what other routes they go to get Gonzalez, if they do, as long as they don't send Ellsbury and Buchholz for him. I don't trust National League hitters coming to the AL especially the AL East, not all of them can make the jump successfully from AAAA to the AL. He is very talented but, I would rather see Ellsbury in Center...or LF than in a Padres jersey.

Nice shirt! haha

I see this one is now on sale;



Maybe next year they'll have a "28 RINGS" one...

Are there any sites like that one but with Yankees merchandise?

I've never seen one but then I don't hate the Red Sox.

There are stands around the stadium that sell that kind of stuff (anti Boston) but it's not for me so I could not quote you any of the sayings. I look and report back in the spring if you'd like.

Just interested to see what funny stuff they have. I'm sure, like the "Anti Yankees" sites, some of their material is clever and funny and most of it is corny and lame.