MVN: Most Valuable Network

#1

Posted by NebraskaSoxFan, August 15, 2008 7:28 PM

How long is the delay?

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#2

Posted by Mostly Running., August 15, 2008 7:52 PM

How's the weather look kids?

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#3

Posted by Sean O, August 15, 2008 8:12 PM

I'm at the spinners game now, and it is raining steadily. Don't expect good weather tonight.

Boy, I wish hok had designed a little cover in this park, but they are clueless. This is why we can't ever replace fenway, because they are idiots.

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#4

Posted by Evan Brunell, August 15, 2008 9:20 PM

It's gonna be a DH on Saturday, Sept. 13. I'm assuming Byrd goes tomorrow. Assuming everyone gets pushed back, Beckett Sunday and Buchholz Monday.

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#5

Posted by Sean O, August 15, 2008 9:33 PM

It was bloody pouring out at the spinners game. We finally gave up after the 5th, sopping wet. Cannot believe theo would be happy with his prospects playing in this.

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#6

Posted by gerry, August 15, 2008 9:46 PM

Sean, what is hok?

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#7

Posted by Evan Brunell, August 15, 2008 9:49 PM

Clay Buchholz will have his next start skipped due to Friday's rainout.

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#8

Posted by gerry, August 15, 2008 10:08 PM

With no Sox/Jays game, watched Craig Hansen close the game for the Pirates. We may have let him go too soon, as his command is improving. I have been trying to follow him, Moss, LaRoche (who I followed for a couple of MiLB years here). Moss is settling into the full time role, with good D and improving at bats. Jason Bay is central to the Sox home stretch and beats the heck out of half-hearted Manny . . . but Pittsburg and the Dodgers really scored on this trade.

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#9

Posted by Bob, August 15, 2008 11:00 PM

Hansen needed to get out of Boston, I don't think the Sox gave up on him too early, he was given ample chances to prove himself. But like I've always said, he should thrive in the NL, where crappy reliever who can't command become good again (ala JC Romero)

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#10

Posted by Bay's Dad, August 15, 2008 11:41 PM

LOL, Mo fucks up again. How much you want to bet he ends the season with an ERA higher than Papelbon's (for the third year in a row).

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#11

Posted by Sean O, August 15, 2008 11:57 PM

HOK is the company behind almost every MLB and MiLB stadium. They're the ones responsible for the total lack of architectural or functional evolution in American ballpark design since the opening of Camden Yards. Every time a boring, generic brick-and-steel park with the exact same seating bowl went up in the last 15 years, it was HOK refusing to make any advancements on any level.

They've set baseball architecture back decades, and individual cities hundreds of millions of dollars behind.

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#12

Posted by Sean O, August 16, 2008 12:07 AM

Yanks Lose, Yanks Lose. 10.5 games out of first, 7 games behind the WC leading Red Sox.

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#13

Posted by Evan Brunell, August 16, 2008 12:14 AM

Sean O, completely with you on the evolution bit, but they do know how to design a nice park. But everyone loved Camden because it got away from the cookie-cutter, uniform model. Now it's cookie-cutter all over again.

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#14

Posted by Sean O, August 16, 2008 12:22 AM

Evan - it's unfortunate, and a large part of why we can't replace Fenway since it'd be in their hands. New Yankee Stadium is an embarrassment to the sport, and I can't begin to think what atrocity they'd commit in Boston.

Here's a question: Why don't we sign Sexson? He won't need to go through waivers, even if he can't hit for power he walks his ass off, he's a 1B type that's a crapload better than Cora when we're not putting Casey in there, and he's making nothing for the rest of the year. Are we worried about Casey not getting ABs, and even then, why not take him instead of Bailey?

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#15

Posted by gerry, August 16, 2008 12:38 AM

Thanks Sean. I agree about Fenway, and cookie carter ball parks. By attrition, we are the AL Cathedral. What a great WS that would be, in the two Cathedrals, both national historic landmarks. If HOK keeps it up, every team will be playing home games all the time.

Sexson hit +270 against lefties w. the Yankees. Not bad. I remain a Cora fan, now hitting +280 and still mentoring Dustin and Jed with a smile. Julio won't do either; and Casey has been solid gold as his .350BA attests. Finally, if Coco is going to ever be a starter again, he has to start hitting and get traded this off-season or sooner. Otherwise, with Ells maturing, Coco has to accept his role as 4thOF, which at 28 he shouldn't.

That opens the door for Carter, Bailey, VanEvery or even Danielson as 4thOF for 2009. They all seem to have more upside than anyone coming on the market for that role. Tito only has 1.5 months to check them out. Carter, Bailey or VanEvery could provide power next year, as all 3 have been competing for the IL lead in HR while batting .280 - .300. This seems a good time to give them a shot.

You once said that if the Sox were going to go for anyone, they should only pursue top talent that will take the Sox to the next level. IMO, Sexson's upside is well below any of these rookies in terms of bench player/PH either this year or next. And if one of them can deliver at MLB level, and injuries occur next year, we will have a super-sub for OF or 1B.

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#16

Posted by jvwalt, August 16, 2008 12:43 AM

Sexson isn't a good fit for the Sox. They play with a short bench so they can carry 12 pitchers; they have a full-time DH as well as Youk and Casey. Unless Lowell is down for a long time, there's not much of a role for Sexson.

Bailey is actually listed as an OF on the Sox roster. Unlike Sexson, he is a passable outfielder. Plus, given Sexson's recent performance, I'm not sure Bailey isn't a better hitter. Sexson 2008: .221/321/382. And that's actually a slight improvement on 2007. Ick.

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#17

Posted by Evan Brunell, August 16, 2008 2:20 AM

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure Bailey also plays passable OF.

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#18

Posted by Sean O, August 16, 2008 3:51 PM

Well, what I would suggest doing is send Bailey down to AAA now and sign Sexson. When rosters open up on 9/1, we can bring Bailey back up (there's a 15 day wait for recalls, right?), while we would need Sexson on our roster before 9/1 if we had any interest in him on the postseason roster.

Sexson is a pickup with slight potential for upside, and zero risk. Rosters are opening up so soon, that we have great possibility for MORPing some value from a formerly good hitter.

My general thoughts are you pay, and risk overpaying, for the elite talents, and otherwise try to pick up undervalued talents. Signing Sexson for several million dollars to be a starter would piss me off, but signing someone who if nothing else can take walks, off of the bench, is a great move.

If we'd picked up Jason Bay for much less I would've been a fan, but I don't see him coming even close to Manny's production in the AL East now or into the future.

And that's why Tavarez was my favorite player. Even before he turned out to be hilarious, We paid him virtually nothing and got 2 months of tremendous production out of him in May/June '07.

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#19

Posted by gerry, August 16, 2008 10:58 PM

As usual, great points, Sean. Interesting tactic. How would Sexson hit at Fenway, if he hit?

Jason Bay didn't cost us alot, Manny did. ($7M, Hansen, Moss and our reputation.) Manny finally manipulated his way out of here, with Boras' help, and we were lucky to get someone of Bay's caliber, and Bay is fully aware he is not of Manny's caliber . . . who is? J.Bay could have been A.Dunn or E.Hinske or a prospect, but we got the best available.

His contract is less than Julio's, and he will hit .300/30HR this year, chase down fly balls, run out ground balls, steal bases, and turn doubles into triples, etc. He and Lowrie have re-charged the team. We are better for him. Be a fan. And if he settles in and starts powering the ball again, which he should, I can't wait to be a big fan. And Julian is like a river, he keeps on rollin' along.

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