In response to SpacemanEephus's comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

Bill is not capable of posting anything of substance but he craves attention so posts nonsense followed by "What do you think?"  Typically, as with this example, he will post the same nonsense about the same issue 5-10 times....no ideas, no details, just the same old nonsense. 

During his anti-Beckett tirades I pointed out that Beckett had had a fantastic 2011 season which good ole Bill denied.  I asked him at least 10 times why he thought Beckett had had a poor season in 2011 and he finally responded "I don't remember him winning any big games."

But Bill wins, as you are giving him the attention he craves.

I don't know what everyone is so hungry to call Bill out for this or that.  He's a good egg, even if he posts meaningless "blockbuster" drivel all the time.

I don't think he's a bad guy the way Stiffy is, but I think it's really anti-social and very annoying when someone relentlessly posts repetetive nonsense, usually filled with political commentary.

Someone once criticised me and others for not being respectful toward Bill, apparently a military veteran, to which I replied "So he can be relentlessy disrespectful toward the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces but is himself immune to criticism?"

No doubt.  Incredible hypocricy to tout one's own service as a badge of honor and then disrespect the chain of command will-nilly the way Bill does.  He deserves criticism for that. 

If our service people could speak freely, you would be surprised to see what level of CONFIDENCE the troops have in the CIC  (campaigner in chief)

In response to Bill-806's comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus's comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

Bill is not capable of posting anything of substance but he craves attention so posts nonsense followed by "What do you think?"  Typically, as with this example, he will post the same nonsense about the same issue 5-10 times....no ideas, no details, just the same old nonsense. 

During his anti-Beckett tirades I pointed out that Beckett had had a fantastic 2011 season which good ole Bill denied.  I asked him at least 10 times why he thought Beckett had had a poor season in 2011 and he finally responded "I don't remember him winning any big games."

But Bill wins, as you are giving him the attention he craves.

I don't know what everyone is so hungry to call Bill out for this or that.  He's a good egg, even if he posts meaningless "blockbuster" drivel all the time.

I don't think he's a bad guy the way Stiffy is, but I think it's really anti-social and very annoying when someone relentlessly posts repetetive nonsense, usually filled with political commentary.

Someone once criticised me and others for not being respectful toward Bill, apparently a military veteran, to which I replied "So he can be relentlessy disrespectful toward the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces but is himself immune to criticism?"

No doubt.  Incredible hypocricy to tout one's own service as a badge of honor and then disrespect the chain of command will-nilly the way Bill does.  He deserves criticism for that. 

If our service people could speak freely, you would be surprised to see what level of CONFIDENCE the troops have in the CIC  (campaigner in chief)

True dat! If barracks walls could talk!

When I served during the Clinton years, we were often told to keep the discontent to a minimum. A lot of my shipmates who retired during his tenure, refused the congratulatory letter from the prez. I was just glad I retired under GW.

In response to Bill-806's comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus's comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

Bill is not capable of posting anything of substance but he craves attention so posts nonsense followed by "What do you think?"  Typically, as with this example, he will post the same nonsense about the same issue 5-10 times....no ideas, no details, just the same old nonsense. 

During his anti-Beckett tirades I pointed out that Beckett had had a fantastic 2011 season which good ole Bill denied.  I asked him at least 10 times why he thought Beckett had had a poor season in 2011 and he finally responded "I don't remember him winning any big games."

But Bill wins, as you are giving him the attention he craves.

I don't know what everyone is so hungry to call Bill out for this or that.  He's a good egg, even if he posts meaningless "blockbuster" drivel all the time.

I don't think he's a bad guy the way Stiffy is, but I think it's really anti-social and very annoying when someone relentlessly posts repetetive nonsense, usually filled with political commentary.

Someone once criticised me and others for not being respectful toward Bill, apparently a military veteran, to which I replied "So he can be relentlessy disrespectful toward the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces but is himself immune to criticism?"

No doubt.  Incredible hypocricy to tout one's own service as a badge of honor and then disrespect the chain of command will-nilly the way Bill does.  He deserves criticism for that. 

If our service people could speak freely, you would be surprised to see what level of CONFIDENCE the troops have in the CIC  (campaigner in chief)

True dat! If barracks walls could talk!

When I served during the Clinton years, we were often told to keep the discontent to a minimum. A lot of my shipmates who retired during his tenure, refused the congratulatory letter from the prez. I was just glad I retired under GW.

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars' comment:

Bill is not capable of posting anything of substance but he craves attention so posts nonsense followed by "What do you think?"  Typically, as with this example, he will post the same nonsense about the same issue 5-10 times....no ideas, no details, just the same old nonsense. 

During his anti-Beckett tirades I pointed out that Beckett had had a fantastic 2011 season which good ole Bill denied.  I asked him at least 10 times why he thought Beckett had had a poor season in 2011 and he finally responded "I don't remember him winning any big games."

But Bill wins, as you are giving him the attention he craves.

I don't know what everyone is so hungry to call Bill out for this or that.  He's a good egg, even if he posts meaningless "blockbuster" drivel all the time.

bill is not a 'good egg.' but he is 'CRACKED.'

bill is not a 'good egg.' but he is 'CRACKED.'

I guess the yoke's on him then.

In response to SpacemanEephus' comment:

bill is not a 'good egg.' but he is 'CRACKED.'

I guess the yoke's on him then.

Eggxactly.

I toured Bavaria and saw Bershtesgaden, Konigsee, and the Eagle's Nest in 1970. That Lake Konig has to be the most picturesque lake in the world with the tall Alps rising from the shoreline. Lake George is beautiful but can't hold a candle to that lake. We stayed in a hotel there with a balcony view looking up at the Eagle's Nest.

The trade market for Jarrod Saltalamacchia apparently has shrunken as Seattle appears on the verge of signing catcher Kelly Shoppach:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130129&content_id=41244674&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea

Last season the Red Sox got 1.2 WAR from Shoppach in 48 games and 2.0 WAR from Saltalamacchia in 121 games:

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2012&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=3&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

Shoppach reportedly will receive a $1.5 milliion base salary with another $500,000 in incentives. Saltalamacchia will earn $4.5 million in 2013.

The pending acquisition of Shoppach means the Mariners will need to clear another roster slot, possibly making available in trade Mike Carp or Justin Smoak, rumored players of interest to the Red Sox.

"I don't think he's a bad guy the way Stiffy is, but I think it's really anti-social and very annoying when someone relentlessly posts repetetive nonsense, usually filled with political commentary.

BINGO!

Someone once criticised me and others for not being respectful toward Bill, apparently a military veteran, to which I replied "So he can be relentlessy disrespectful toward the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces but is himself immune to criticism?"

TRIPLE WINNER BINGO FOLKS!!!

Bill I am on the record right now that there will be no Blockbuster....no egg on this face baby. How can there be a Blockbuster when you have nothing to trade? (except maybe Ells, who your ownership group wants for the ticket/ratings0. Bill the headline is we can't have a Blockbuster because we don't have anything anyone would want. All we can really have is a "deadline move." Not as sexy but hey, that's ok

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars's comment:

In response to Bill-806's comment:

In response to SonicsMonksLyresVicars's comment:

Bill is not capable of posting anything of substance but he craves attention so posts nonsense followed by "What do you think?"  Typically, as with this example, he will post the same nonsense about the same issue 5-10 times....no ideas, no details, just the same old nonsense. 

During his anti-Beckett tirades I pointed out that Beckett had had a fantastic 2011 season which good ole Bill denied.  I asked him at least 10 times why he thought Beckett had had a poor season in 2011 and he finally responded "I don't remember him winning any big games."

And ole WISE ONE, how did  all that turn out ????  History is the greatest teacher of them all !!!!   

You completely miss the point, again.  The point was not about Beckett's (then) present or future, but about his performance in 2011 about which you were unable to present a single detail.

And my point has always been , that outside of 2007, Beckett$ has always been overpaid & underperforming !!!   The fact that the Dodgers were dumb enough to take him off of Ben's hands was a stroke of gooood fortune for Red Sox Nation !!!  And this is no longer up for debate......  

I agree with Joe.  Beckett was a very good pitcher, and even had his moments in 2012, although far too few.   To say he had one good season in Boston 6 years ago shows the essence of whiny fandom.

He was outstanding in 2009 and 2011 (the year he had career low ERA and WHIP in 103IP).  Yes, he only had 13 wins.  But then the AL Cy Young that year went to a guy with only 14...

Until he slipped off the mound in TO in 2011, he had a 2.49 ERA with a whip < 1.00 and a .579 OPSa.  Verlander had much better run support, hence a better record, but park-adjusted, he was every bit as good as Verlander at that point.

In 2009, Beckett was 9th in WAR, 4th in wins, 2nd in winning percentage, and 3rd in complete games.

There is a huge difference between following a team and being a fan of the team.  A true fan should kind of know this stuff.  2011, in particular, should be pretty fresh in everyone's mind, since it was Beckett slipping off the mound which probably cost us the season.