mstar1

I wasnt implying it was the Sox BUT being in the same division and being forced to compete, Im pretty sure the Sox'll be looking for ways to increase revenues (even though they squeeze every conceivable nickel already) to ensure staying competitive. FWIW they have dropped salaries over the last few years and with Manny and Schilling gone, next year is already 28 million lighter. Hopefully the youth movement will continue and overall payroll will stay someplace reasonable--That and Bill james comes up with some magic ..and cheap...formula Thank you! Glad to hear that the magic is happening somewhere.Its made a nice stop here for a few years off and on but it is certainly elusive at the moment... Ortiz isnt the same without Manny behind him (and publicly saying so..) Lowell is playing damn near crippled, Julio Lugo has been on the DL for weeks, Ellsbury who through May looked like the Rookie of the Year has been knocked hard to the ground,Drew has cooled off and any one of you guys could hit better than Varitek. Schilling who hasnt pitched an inning all year is still spouting off daily about Manny STFU!! already on the radio On the plus side I'd take 9 Dustin Pedroias and Kevin Youkilis's anyday I could get them, Jed Lowrie has been great filling in for Lugo at short and Jon Lester was pitcher of the month for July..Jason Bay is looking good but I miss those long dreadlocks and the anticipation when you saw him walk to the on deck circle.. Right now,, its OK, but its not happening. I guess these are just the dog days-and a lot of adjustments are necessary--I give em around two weeks to find their groove because they're certainly not in it now.... Things can change on a dime i know but if they drag on much longer like this ...pffft...it'll be a long winter

Glad to see your all having fun in Texas! Its about time --you guys have waited long enough! I'll get back to "the moment" in a moment HERES some off field news that Im not liking... Doubling? I'll wait til the offseason to figure out what it means--but I can already smell MY ticket prices which are already off the charts, skyrocketing even further

I have to be reminded from time to time but there is no better place on earth than the moment and that is really where baseball and life is played.and won...If you can stay right there .make each at bat a quality at bat, make each pitch a quality pitch and every play a quality play --the season will take care of itself

thats a rarity these days! ..This is all good--whether it pays off this year--or a year or two from now these games are invaluable for these young guys--(and the veterans too for that matter) I dont know how they hold it together in that heat down there--i really dont--but there is nothing like meaningful games to see what players are made of.... no sign of the Rays fading yet....awesome season so far ---but Im waiting and waiting for a 4 or 5 game losing streak that just hasnt seemed to happen yet that will bunch up the whole AL East. (damn--still in Manny withdrawal/denial..)

Dang Tom get a bucket of ice to sit in--your all heated up..... I know what you mean about that little pitch box thingy---its exasperating enough without the thing there, but when you can see for yourself that a pitch is way off the plate and then the box shows that... Thanks for Marlon Byrd by the way--The Sox may not be gaining any ground on the Rays, but keeping the yankees off the heels works... :) Thats why we love this game Chas--its the greatest game in the world besides Id hug anybody that got me great seats by second base too!... ......................... Iwant one of these lost 'red socks that are apparently showing up in LA laundromats---

All these years of trying to explain what it was like on these forums is no substitute for tasting it... Im sure the whole city is on a Manny high about now --Its a great place to be :)

Here it is-- The Long awaited announcement of the new rules: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qff098NCNDE

Im finding myself acting like a withdrawing junkie--Im watching SportsCenter waiting a whole hour for the 30 seconds they'll have on Manny. I know the Red Sox are winning with Bay but Im still in disbelief that the greatest hitter Ive ever seen is gone

You might start finding yourself smiling and laughing for no reason any day now Yep---He's really that good.. James is brilliant--I saw it but i wish they had gone a little further and let him speak a little more.He is a great storyteller and remembers everything

If Manny is having fun-everybody will be having fun. He's the only guy I have ever seen that no matter what the situation in the game, there is a very real excitement throughout the park that grows as he steps up to the plate. I wont belabor the point but I miss him-- I miss the swing I miss him being goofy and I miss moments like this

a summer home up North? Stay cool down there! Jason Bay is looking good--Homered last night and has been on base 7 of 10 times so far..He looks like he doesnt seem to understand why all these people are cheering, going crazy, interviewing him all the time, and actually at a baseball game in the first place. He's a keeper I see Manny saying after 18 hours in LA that he wanted to end his career there-- Glad to see he's happy Note the number of outs

Here ya go WG Old Ironsides The USS Constitution WEBSITE

Thats an excellent strategy :) i may have to remind our bullpen of that... it sounds like Ryan is doing alot more than being the figurehead that some thought he was going to be when he ascended the throne --Good--- alittle shakeup can be agood thing. Good to see things going well down there. there was something symbolic about Bay tripling in the 12th yesterday and scoring the walkoff run, then watching Manny 6-4-3 to end the game in LA.... Its hard but it is move on time. Im still in awe of his 8 years here, and am glad I got to see them. It was a phenomena. Lots of players have come here over the decades that promised to be the messiah who were never quite able to do what they were heralded to bring....Manny exceeded it--far exceeded it---, aside from his numbers I dont know if I'll ever see an athlete again that was as universally loved by his fans as he was.. There is a thread of great photos and remembrances HERE. See you in cooperstown Manny--dont forget to show up that day!

Cool! I was lucky enough to work on the 9th floor of the Boston waterfront in 1992 when they had the Tall Ships celebration come to Boston as part of the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovery of America. At that time it was the largest gathering of Tall Ships and it was absolutely breathtaking to watch them coming into the harbor under full sail. If anyone anywhere has the opportunity to see anything like this--GO! its wellworth it Here's the Krusenstern, which I got to tour when it was docked...

There is also a great version by the Blind Boys of Alabama, that always moves me .... but dont forget--

Good for Kristopher!--I remember my very first game, I was so excited I was pretty sure that my heart was going to beat right out of my chest for about a week beforehand and it lasted until.....well ....Im still here. :) Welcome to the club kid!! Cmon aboard! Its the best game in the world... Sox won the first game of the Jason Bay era 2-1 in 12, Bay scored both runs, made a webgem catch to save a run , played the wall very well and didnt stop to make even one cell call.. Welcome to the Bay State , Jason! Iwas worried and in mourning most of yesterday but

The way things have been going for me and just about everyone I know Im pretty sure we have entered some bizarro something or other. It would make perfect sense that you'd get to be a Manny fan. The first 50 games or in '01 he had 65+RBI's and I honestly couldn't remeber any situation for the first 2-3 months I saw him where he DIDNT drive in a clutch RBI--I was hooked right then--if he happened to walk off second to talk to the shortstop and got tagged out, or forgot how many outs there were --that was just part of the package that became lovable over time....you knew a 490 foot blast to rightcenter on an impossible down and in pitch would come soon enough.... He's in his own world and it took some time around here to undertsand his rhythms and to get used to it..and what it was... I really hope there is enough time for him to do his thing in LA and for you guys to see it-Its tons of fun and the just the pure joy of baseball when he is on----of course he could also be the second coming of Nomar too--nobody really knows-- It would be good for Manny and good for all of LA if he ignites though....i wish you guys didnt play so late I wanna watch!

I'll be better they have me on high doses of antibiotics--but Im really loopy--its amazing what what of those little frickin ticks can do to you..hopefully it will all be gone soon.. I hope that Manny finds himself and is having fun out there (Iread in the paper that McCourt said he could stay in his guesthouse :) ) and the pressure is off. When Manny is feeling loved, happy, peaceful and he steps in the batters box and finds his "zone' -Its like nothing Ive ever seen--its beautiful to watch. After awhile you can see it and recognize it--its like a zen state-and you know without a doubt that these runs ARE coming in... He's not 'there' all the time but when he is- God could be pitching and you'd feel sorry for him because he'd be overmatched Granted he is not the hitter he was a few years ago--but he can still go there---I hope you get that chance to see it during his time in LA. Enjoy it and keep me posted.. Im thinking of becoming a Dodger fan--I kinow at the very least I'll be watching alot closer now..

Its been a helluva few weeks--I got food poisoning about 10 days ago, then contracted Lyme Disease last weekend, then Manny got traded.... :( This will all pass, but Im still stunned... I better start sending in my ABS to Tom or something.. <_<

He was out there making cell phone calls the last game I was at --He's used to playing shallow because of the closeness of the monster and gottten a lot of assists that way..His range isnt that good but he actually is pretty smart in the field although there is the occassional train wreck. --I would expect that a chunk of the Dodger lineup may jump up a little (Notice what happened to JD Drew when he spent a month infront of Manny?--all of a sudden he had a HallOf Fame month. --Glad you put "fulltime" in quotes--has anyone informed them of the vacation days yet?? :)

Im alright---I'll get over it--I have a lifetime of good memories to reflect on..... It wouldve been good if the red Sox could have gone after something that they actually neede instead of having to deal with this situation but it was necessary O well --- Theres been a helluva list of Leftfielders out there Ted Williams- Carl Yastrzemski- Jim Rice- Manny Ramirez-- and now - -Jason Bay Its Time to see what the new kid can do

Manny should be alright out there--he's most of the time very laidback ---he just heated up over the last few weeks--He'll be reunited with Nomar and Lowe...his salary is being paid for by the Red Sox, hes in a new nice location, and he will be fighting to get a big contract...if he gets in the Manny zone-it could be great to watch for you----hopefully he'll stay away from Boras until the end of the season and his emotional upheaval will be settled. The Red Sox gave up a lot to get Bay (Manny PLUS T million plus Hansen plus Moss-------It's Ok..... ......... Its starting to hit me that the Manny Era--the greatest hitter and funnest ballplayer Ive ever watched ---is over... i knew it was coming--I knew it had to be--Its good and right to get Bay, but its still hard for me to believe. of all my years of watching baseball the last 8 years have been the best so far Thanks for everything Manny-the last 8 years have been one awesome ride I hope you get to have some fun out of this Hiway

4:34-- This is like the scene in Apollo 13 when they lost radio comunication at the the most crucial point and nobody knew what was going on.. I have 5 windows open on my computer and the TV on and everyone is saying something different and nobody is sure. It looks like Manny to the Dodgers, Jason Bay to the Red Sox and who knows what else. Does Manny have to sign off on this? have fun out there Hiway!

Im watching the NESN deadline show at 4;00 they announced definitively the Sox did nothing no trades blah blah blah 4:18 -they are now reporting manny has been traded--still no info as to where or for who yet Bay to LA? ..remind me to go on vacation to a stoneage village in the Amazon next July 31 4:27 SI reporting Manny to the Dodgers