The Official 2008 Boston Red Sox Thread

[GreenMonster]

Julio Lugo

Man were we desperate last year. 3Y/27M. How long till we give Jed Lowrie a shot at SS, even though he is more suited for 2B most likely. I mean Lugo couldn't even post a .300 OBP, I am sure Lowrie is decent enough with the bat to do that. Lugo's D was pretty good last year all things considered, I can't really knock him there. Lugo plays well in TOR, TB and really bad in LAD and BOS.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Julio Lugo

Man were we desperate last year. 3Y/27M. How long till we give Jed Lowrie a shot at SS, even though he is more suited for 2B most likely. I mean Lugo couldn't even post a .300 OBP, I am sure Lowrie is decent enough with the bat to do that. Lugo's D was pretty good last year all things considered, I can't really knock him there. Lugo plays well in TOR, TB and really bad in LAD and BOS.

To be fiar with Lugo, when he played in LAD, he was playing the OF, 2B and 3B, all positions he wasn't comfortable or familar with. He wasn't getting regular playing time either.

Anyway I think the Sox will call Lowrie up at some point this year and see what he can do. I wouldn't be shocked if Lugo got off to a slow start or had another bad year the Sox would trade him and pick up some of the salary like they did with Renteria. But you're right about his D, he played pretty good SS the whole year.

 

[FIN-IN-RI]

Results of how the 30 GMs voted when asked to vote for a team, other than their own, that they thought were most likely to win the 2008 World Series...

While I'm mildly intrigued that the Red Sox took it in a landslide with 17 votes, I think it's more indicative of current conditions that the Mets got only 2 votes and the Yankees got ZERO ..

 

[GreenMonster]

State of the NL. Half of the GM's picked the Mets to win the pennant and only 2 picked them in the WS. Being the odds on favorite feels kinda nice, if Schilling wasn't hurt what could I be mad about.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Results of how the 30 GMs voted when asked to vote for a team, other than their own, that they thought were most likely to win the 2008 World Series...

While I'm mildly intrigued that the Red Sox took it in a landslide with 17 votes, I think it's more indicative of current conditions that the Mets got only 2 votes and the Yankees got ZERO ..

Interesting link, thanks for sharing.

I think its the state of how bad the free agent crop was this off season, there were no big teams that switched teams. I mean who was the biggest FA signing? Torri Hunter? Only a few select teams got better (Mets, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Mariners) but how much better did they really get?

I am surprised the Sox took it in a landslide though, but right now they'd be my pick to win the World Series this year too. No team overall really scares me, the teams with powerhouse line ups have bad/average pitching (Tigers)and teams with good pitching don't have great line ups (Angels).

The key to any team is staying healthy though.

 

[Brown42000]

Interesting link, thanks for sharing.

I think its the state of how bad the free agent crop was this off season, there were no big teams that switched teams. I mean who was the biggest FA signing? Torri Hunter? Only a few select teams got better (Mets, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Mariners) but how much better did they really get?

I am surprised the Sox took it in a landslide though, but right now they'd be my pick to win the World Series this year too. No team overall really scares me, the teams with powerhouse line ups have bad/average pitching (Tigers)and teams with good pitching don't have great line ups (Angels).

The key to any team is staying healthy though.

Agreed I think Boston has to be the favorite as no team improved by a wide margin and IMO Detroit will need to score a lot of runs in most games for a win. I think Willis will have a season similar to what Beckett had his 1st season in the AL.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Agreed I think Boston has to be the favorite as no team improved by a wide margin and IMO Detroit will need to score a lot of runs in most games for a win. I think Willis will have a season similar to what Beckett had his 1st season in the AL.

Yeah I can see Willis having a year somewhat similar to Beckett's, although I think his ERA will be close to 5.50 or 6.00. Willis is a wild card though, if he can give the Tigers something similar to his '03 and '05 stats Detroit is going to give the Indians a run.

 

[GreenMonster]

Yeah I can see Willis having a year somewhat similar to Beckett's, although I think his ERA will be close to 5.50 or 6.00. Willis is a wild card though, if he can give the Tigers something similar to his '03 and '05 stats Detroit is going to give the Indians a run.

I actually think Willis is gonna bounce back now that he is of the Marlins, and doesn't have to be the guy. I really think he can easily get 15 wins on that team and have and era in the 4.5 range if not lower.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I actually think Willis is gonna bounce back now that he is of the Marlins, and doesn't have to be the guy. I really think he can easily get 15 wins on that team and have and era in the 4.5 range if not lower.

I don't know his ERA was over 5 last year in the NL facing the watered down line ups. I can't see hs ERA being lower than 5 going into the AL even with him pitching 4 or 5 times each against the Twins, Royals and White Sox.

I do think he'll win 15 games though, hell he won 10 games with a pretty bad Marlin team last year. Overall I think Willis will be average this year but will probably be the Tigers' 2nd best pitcher behind Verlander.

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

Yeah I can see Willis having a year somewhat similar to Beckett's, although I think his ERA will be close to 5.50 or 6.00. Willis is a wild card though, if he can give the Tigers something similar to his '03 and '05 stats Detroit is going to give the Indians a run.

Detroit is going to win the AL Central. They have the best lineup in baseball (by far) and there's just too much bad pitching out there for them to pound on. And even though I think Willis is garbage, who cares? Remember, offense wins in the regular season.

Also, Cleveland's bullpen (at least the names in it) is terrible. Nothing in baseball fluctuates more than a set-up #'s from year to year. Add back a healthy Zumaya, and the Tigers have a big advantage at the end of games.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Indians pen is much better than the Tigers. Zumaya might not even pitch this year and Jones and Rodney stink. Indians are still the better team.

 

[FaninPatsyLand]

Indians pen is much better than the Tigers. Zumaya might not even pitch this year and Jones and Rodney stink. Indians are still the better team.

How very convienent that you throw the Tigers closer under the bus, yet fail to mention the Indians closer, who's ERA last year was about as big as Barry Bonds' head.

I was making an assumption that Zumaya would pitch at some point this year. Regardless, the Tigers will win the AL Central because their lineup is just THAT good.

 

[Ray Finkle]

How very convienent that you throw the Tigers closer under the bus, yet fail to mention the Indians closer, who's ERA last year was about as big as Barry Bonds' head.

I was making an assumption that Zumaya would pitch at some point this year. Regardless, the Tigers will win the AL Central because their lineup is just THAT good.

Yeah Joe Blow stinks as a closer but Todd Jones is that much better? Asking which closer out of Joe Blow and Jones is better/would you rather have is like asking if you'd rather be buried alive or be lit on fire. Anyway I was talking for the most part about the bullpen as a whole, which Cleveland clearly has the advantage with Betancourt, Perez, Lewis, Mastny, Laffey and even the new Japanese guy they have is a wild card. Plus Cleveland's starters are better than the Tigers. Cleveland has a clear edge on pitching, even if Zumaya pitches this year (plus we have no idea what Zumaya will bring to the team, I've heard that his surgery takes at least a year to fully recover to he might never pitch again to he'll lose 5 mph on his pitches, he's too big of a ? mark right now).

About the Tigers offense, yeah they have a great line up as they basically added Renteria for Sean Casey and Miguel Cabrera for Inge which is a huge upgrade. But let's not forget the Indians have a pretty good line up of their own (granted it's not as good overall as Tigers) but they have enough fire power to match up with the Tigers with Sizemore, Hafner, VMart, Peltra, and Garko.

I still think the Indians are a better team, yes offense usually wins in the regular season (see Yankees, Phillies, Rockies etc) but I still think the big difference between the Indians arms and the Tigers will still push them over the top.

 

[uga3406]

the only team that worries me in the american league is the tigers....they have a great lineup from top to bottom and there starting pitching is good....verlander is nasty amd bonderman isnt that bad...miggy cabrera is gonna eat up AL pitchers big time

 

[GreenMonster]

With Manny contract up at the end of the year, and now the talk of how he wants to stay, do you think Theo will pick up his option for next year. I am almost sure we will if Manny is being Manny, especially given the fact we hold 2, 1 year options. This made me think of two other great Sox's players that Theo was right on with Johnny Damon and Pedro. Damon is now in decline, with 2 more years left and Pedro only started 59 games in the 3 years since he left the Sox after starting 92 in his last 3 years in Boston.