winter in RSN

to quote someone very wise, i can talk about this now that the Yankees have been eliminated. the most important parts of baseball are, of course, Red Sox wins followed by Yankees losses. and when they happen simultaneously... ::shiver::

ah, but we have some time before we'll be *there* again... because now it's "winter". now is when we sit here & suck up every little mundane bit of Red Sox information we can get our hands on. rumors. contract negotiations. what will hopefully prove to be wise strategical moves that will send Boston back to glory a year from now...

i was stunned to see Papa Jack & Dave Wallace named scape goats for the debaucle that 2006 finally became... but when a team with the payroll of the Red Sox can't get past the All Star break without struggling & suffers a downward spiral like they did for the last six weeks of the season, heads will inevitably roll. (sometimes i wonder though, just for a moment, if maybe it shouldn't be a *lumpy* head that rolls... or maybe that of Boy Wonder, who can't seem to gather all the pieces to make a dominating pitching staff...)

at least this little quote from none other than Peter Gammons makes me feel kind of good about the latest Tito-inspired coaching acquistion: "I'm not big on coaches changing teams, but Boston's hiring of John Farrell as pitching coach is one of those moves that could change the franchise. Farrell eventually will be a general manager, somewhere, and the Red Sox's 2007 season will depend greatly on the development of Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, Edgar Martinez and, in time, Clay Buchholz, Kris Johnson, Bryce Cox, Justin Masterson and others. In the last eight months, Boston has raided the Cleveland developmental organization for Farrell and farm director Mike Hazen." intersting. very interesting...

anyone who is truly a Red Sox fan, though, is waiting, whether they admit it or not, for the verdict on Trot. even if his numbers haven't been as strong as they had been... even if he spent a little time on the DL (again), he is an institution in Fenway's tricky right field. and he comes out & *plays*. i can't imagine a Sox roster without him & watching him receive a standing ovation as he came off the field a couple of weeks ago... i think Gabe Kapler said it best: "He's a loyal, deep, strong human being that I have a tremendous respect for. It was hard to watch without getting emotional, him walking off the field today, for no other reason than he deserves to be recognized, not because he is or is not coming back to Boston but because he means a whole lot to a lot of people."

someone *did* get a contract signed though & to be honest, i think i have some mixed feelings about this... of course there is the consolation that whatever Boy Wonder ::eye roll:: did or didn't do, he doesn't have *this* stigma hanging over his head: Just some quick math. The Marlins $15M payroll bought them 162 games. The MFY $200M payroll bought them 166 games. That’s $46M a playoff game. (Dirty Watah) now if i could just get over having given up Anibel Sanchez... although i *am* thrilled with having one hell of a Mike Lowell...

::sigh::
football season or not, i miss my boys. let the baseball winter musings commence...