No, I'm not talking about my fights with my olds; nor am I talking about our recent run-ins with Conservative Weasel; or even my run-in with telstra - they solved that and I'm now back on-line.
I'm talking about the trade deadline that passed which saw Red Sox superstar Nomar Garciaparra go to the Cubs. A lot has been said already around the traps so whatever I say, 2 days late is just more concrete in the mix. I will report that Larry Mahnken who writes for The Hardball Times wrote this on his blog:
Meanwhile the Red Sox pointed a shotgun at their face, pulled the trigger, and said, "I think we look better now." A lot of reports list the Red Sox as trade deadline winners, which is true only in the sense that everyone who participates in the Special Olympics is a winner.
The trade of Garciaparra could be a big-time win for the Red Sox, if Cabrera and Mientkiewicz come near to last year's number -- not too much to hope for in two months. But if they play to their true level, as they are more likely to, the Red Sox have cut off their Nosemar to spite their face.Yeah, Garciaparra was going to walk at the end of the year, but this is your best shot at a title this year, if he walks, he walks. Go for it now.
Yeah, he was going to miss time in the regular season -- which makes the accquisition of Cabrera a help for the stretch drive, playing him rather than Crespo. But if Nomar did get healthy in time for the playoffs, and the Sox were able to win the Wild Card, their chances of winning the World Series are better with Nomar, bum defense or no.
This team is 8-5 versus the Yankees, they've won 3 of 4 series. They're 5-1 vs. the A's, and while they're 2-4 versus the Twins and Rangers, they can still beat these teams. Boston is, more likely than not, underplaying their projections because of bad luck, and by probably getting worse, and giving up a prospect to do it, they've panicked, something I never thought Theo Epstein would do.
Now that's straight-talking right there.
I think it represents a long malaise of the Red Sox franchise where they just can't seem to get thier perspective right because they are in the same division as the Yankees. Even the New York Times commented that the Red Sox, along with the Mets were somewhat delusional. What's amazing is that the NY Times is a part owner of the sorrry Red Sox. As it stands, the Red Sox are 9 games out of the division race and half agame behind the Wild Card leader. Most of all, it has the same karmic feel as when Dan Duquette famously described Roger Clemens as being in the twilight of his career and let him go; or the time the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Letting franchise players go and disguising this fuck up with an altercation is just plain stupid, but goes to the character of the club.
I do feel sorry for the Red Sox fans who cheered for Nomar; they deserved better from their ownership.
- Art Neuro
1 comment:
Yep, ugly business. Still, the NYY do well. (a silver lining).
Anyways, we have had run ins, but recently wasn't it. I had this argueent with Big while watching the Matrix finale. I keep running the opposing arguers into this wall where they end up saying that something outrageous because it is easier than accepting my position. I don't think people give me credit for having thought through the issues as thoroughly as they. I have not always had the positions I have taken. I used to be racist, thoughtless and careless.
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