Deadline Blues
We’re going through changes. Hopefully it turns out good for us. Embree has been designated for assignment and I’m sure that a few more will be heading that way. It’s hard to depart with someone who had such a big part in last years success but, this is business. Embree just hasn’t got it done this year. Even though he’s been coming around it’s a little too late. Left handed batters are hitting over .300 against him and his fastball has gone from 97 mph in 03′ to 89 mph this year. He has no intimidation factor working for him this year.
I have a feeling that Kevin Millar may be on his way out. Now we all like Millar because he’s fun and always does something to make us laugh. But I’m not laughing at a starting first baseman with 4 homeruns. I think we could get a decent reliever for him. Olerud would start and we could bring up Roberto Petagine 16 HR .315 average and .446 OBP, for backup for 1B and OF. That would give us a defensive upgrade and not great but decent power. Sorry Kevin, thanks for all the cowboy up and idiot squad.
I feel like I’m beating a dead horse with this one but you have got to think that Mark Bellhorn is on is way out. Right now the DL is saving him from being traded but he could be flat out released. The Sox were way to thankful of him over the off season by giving him way too much money. With Cora and now Tony Graffanino, a guy who can play almost every position, Bellhorn’s time is limited. Both Graffanino and Cora should be the ones fighting for the starting second base job. Graffanino was decent in KC and should be better in Fenway.
I read this statement on another post and I kind of believe it. ” The only way to keep Francona from playing someone is to get rid of them.” I think Tito feels loyal to the guys that got him the championship so they get more chances. It can’t be about money. Millar and Bellhorn aren’t pulling in huge pay loads. We have kept ourselves in position to take control of the division. The trade deadline is getting closer. Don’t think that Baltimore and NY are going to settle. They are going to try and fix their holes, just like we need to fix ours. The trade deadline always brings up the age old question. ” Win Today or Win Tomorrow?” We are probably going to have to give a few prospects in order to get quality major leaguers. Kelly Shoppach is the best tradable prospect we have. Other teams want him. Damian Moss is another. I don’t say we trade them all with hopes of winning but, other teams don’t want to give quality for old arms and dead bats.
Come August 1st be prepared to see a different roster. Like last year we learned that Theo isn’t afraid to pull the trigger if it helps the team.
S.
July 20th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
Balance of Professionalism & Performance & Community
I often struggle with roster decisions of veterans and fan favorites. Certainly from a team performance standard, you want each player at their best. After players have had a couple of good season, or a dynamic personality, they can become part of the franchise’s community. That has it good and bad points. It’s perhaps the real reason we are so into the game — we know the players and want them to succeed (i.e. how many fans are really rooting for Kenny Rogers? I know I still root for Pedro). The bad side of, essentially, integrating family aspects, is we never want to part or break the relationship because of that emotional connection. It’s a fan’s catch 22, and really is a flip-flopping question of “what’s best for the team?” It’s not always winning with a bunch of strangers and players you would rather love to hate, than cheer.