Forgive the play on words ...

  but while I admire those of the fan base that has continued on through this most ... um ... challenging of off seasons, I admit to the fact that I don't have the vision or knowledge to work through the vast unknowns involved in rebuilding the team.   While we have had a core, the remaining work has seemed as open and unclear as the famed "tabula rasa."

  I have been too busy to spend a lot of time here, but truth be told, I have felt really wary about the thin FA market.  As a positive rooter of decisions made and teammates found, I was really uncertain what could be done after the top targets of Josh and Zach.  Underwhelmed by Napoli and the Flying Hawaiian and satisfied but wary about lifelong NL-er Dempster ... I am again drinking the kool aid.  Napoli isn't on board yet and have a personal liking of Swisher, I can still feel somewhat positive about the cards in the hand.

   Farrell will help bring Lester and Buch back to top notch arms, Lackey may  - ahem - may become a Bulldog of positive force, and Felix will become a Prince ... and Dempster will help greatly, especially if managed away from heavy bat teams.

   I am looking forward to the twin speed of Els and Victorino, the core strength of Pedey, Papi and Napoli (?) - and the maturing of several of our farm players.

  I was whole heartedly and throatedly behind the acquisitions of the fellas that now wear Dodger blue and this hot stove season is certainly a clear departure from their acquisitions (except Punto, of course).  It is the most uncertain off season for me since the ones prior to my use of on-line communications. 

   I am guilty of being a life long Red Sox colored glasses wearer.  Proudly so.  It is painful when the Sox lose, but I am always FOR them.  The last player I was sternly against was Jack Clark - but that was more a matter of youthful ignorance than targetted disfavor.  We attained him when he was at the end of a remarkable career and was still being paid $3 million a year for his services.  That was a huge sum back then.  

  So, I give my tentative approval of Ben's moves this year.  BV's gone, Farrell and the new club house building players bring about change in attitude and hunger.  The enemy will be the guys in the OTHER clubhouse .... and finally feel good about things again.

  Enjoy the season ahead!  May the youn guns prosper and the rest play with a team centered flair!

  Go SOX!

In response to nhsteven's comment:


I can appreciate this, SY. Well put, yet again.

In response to nhsteven's comment:


I can appreciate this, SY. Well put, yet again.

In response to SinceYaz's comment:

In response to SinceYaz's comment:

Forgive the play on words ...

  but while I admire those of the fan base that has continued on through this most ... um ... challenging of off seasons, I admit to the fact that I don't have the vision or knowledge to work through the vast unknowns involved in rebuilding the team.   While we have had a core, the remaining work has seemed as open and unclear as the famed "tabula rasa."

  I have been too busy to spend a lot of time here, but truth be told, I have felt really wary about the thin FA market.  As a positive rooter of decisions made and teammates found, I was really uncertain what could be done after the top targets of Josh and Zach.  Underwhelmed by Napoli and the Flying Hawaiian and satisfied but wary about lifelong NL-er Dempster ... I am again drinking the kool aid.  Napoli isn't on board yet and have a personal liking of Swisher, I can still feel somewhat positive about the cards in the hand.

   Farrell will help bring Lester and Buch back to top notch arms, Lackey may  - ahem - may become a Bulldog of positive force, and Felix will become a Prince ... and Dempster will help greatly, especially if managed away from heavy bat teams.

   I am looking forward to the twin speed of Els and Victorino, the core strength of Pedey, Papi and Napoli (?) - and the maturing of several of our farm players.

  I was whole heartedly and throatedly behind the acquisitions of the fellas that now wear Dodger blue and this hot stove season is certainly a clear departure from their acquisitions (except Punto, of course).  It is the most uncertain off season for me since the ones prior to my use of on-line communications. 

   I am guilty of being a life long Red Sox colored glasses wearer.  Proudly so.  It is painful when the Sox lose, but I am always FOR them.  The last player I was sternly against was Jack Clark - but that was more a matter of youthful ignorance than targetted disfavor.  We attained him when he was at the end of a remarkable career and was still being paid $3 million a year for his services.  That was a huge sum back then.  

  So, I give my tentative approval of Ben's moves this year.  BV's gone, Farrell and the new club house building players bring about change in attitude and hunger.  The enemy will be the guys in the OTHER clubhouse .... and finally feel good about things again.

  Enjoy the season ahead!  May the youn guns prosper and the rest play with a team centered flair!

  Go SOX!

 Yaz, good post. I too have been away a while. The off season changes were very welcome and not like the winter of A-Gon. His signing moved an all-star 1B to a different position, where is the wisdom in that? It pushed an all star 3B to Texas and brought in a LF, who, other than not being in the Tampa line-up when we faced them, had no other redeeming quality. Curious indeed. The winter's aquisitons have at least begun with aforethought. Getting out of the gate in respectable fashion will go a long way to restoring proper world order. Toronto reminds me of "The Best Team Ever". Be careful what you pay for.

 Yaz, good post. I too have been away a while. The off season changes were very welcome and not like the winter of A-Gon. His signing moved an all-star 1B to a different position, where is the wisdom in that? It pushed an all star 3B to Texas and brought in a LF, who, other than not being in the Tampa line-up when we faced them, had no other redeeming quality. Curious indeed. The winter's aquisitons have at least begun with aforethought. Getting out of the gate in respectable fashion will go a long way to restoring proper world order. Toronto reminds me of "The Best Team Ever". Be careful what you pay for.