Can we all stop looking at Mannys stats in LA or mentioning what reporters are saying about him? Who cares. He wanted out of Boston and got his wish and the Sox will be a better team for that. Bay will not be Manny offensively, but he will be much more than Manny as a person and teammate. the sox have more life in them now and are playing better. Granted, manny did not on his own cause the sox to slide lately, but his negative attitude and lack of hustle didnt help. he was a great player in his tenure with boston and now its time to move on. i think Bay was a great trade for manny, with hansen never mounting to much and moss having no place to go in a crowded outfield. plus bay is under contract until 2009. he seems like a good kid with good numbers, playing in a park with no other great players to surround himself with and in a park that was the 28th most difficult to hit in. i hope he has a successful year and career in Boston and the Sox resume their winning ways.

I agree, Manny's gone, now we get the pleasure of watching Bay and seeing the Spx play well again.

Thank you!!!! At last, someone who wants to watch the rest of the RED SOX season with me!
I, too, wish Manny well - and bid him farewell.



I like the energy the Sox have shown the last few days. The pitching, both starters and BP, have been sharp. I hesitate to get to excited since it was the A's at Boston, but I still believe it will be a fun run to the wire. The Sox need to play consistently better ball, but the schedule is in their favor.
I am seriously concerned about the postseason. We would need to get past the Yanks or Rays first, and right now, the Angels look like the superior team.

I agree also. I think I must still be a tad immature because I find it hard not to toy with the childish folks on here. I just posted a "manny wanted a larger gay community" shot because I know they'll get hissy.....that will be my last. Onward and upward. The schedule from here on out is very favorable to the Sox in comparison with TB and ny. The June/July swoon is over and the chemistry just got a huge positive injection.

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Since the Angels have a 12 game lead in their division, lets hope they start getting lazy and just start going through the motions, and hopefully that will carry into the playoffs. Sometimes stiff competition to the end helps you roll right through the playoffs. Look at what the Rockies did last year...every game was do or die for 22 straight games and it carried them to the World Series.

Winning the division early is not always a good thing. I was glad the Yankees put pressure on us last year...kept us on our toes instead of getting lazy during the last month of the season.[/Quote]

Though an early clinch helps rest some players, I agree with you about playing it tough to the wire. I think it keeps a team sharp and helps prepare for the edge necessary to remain focused in the postseason.
I believe playing to the end was advantageous for the Sox in both 2004 and 2007, and last year's Rockies are indeed another good example.

It will be tough, but in the palyoffs I like our chances agianst both the Ays and the Yankees. THe ANgels would be tough although they may have slightly more talent, the seires will come down to which team is playing better and is hotter when the seires takes place, the y wont just blow us away with thier players.

Yes let's focus on the here and now.

Quick aside is that I think reg seaosn Bay will have equal stats to Manny - it is just the postseason intimidating presence we will miss - but hey he's 36, Bay is 29, Manny won't be like that guy forever.

I too am scared ofthe angel's this year. Not NY or TB but one of them would ahve to get past LAA before we saw them in the playoffs. It's the angel's or Cicago/Minnesota in Rd. 1.

WHATS IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW IS

SOX 3-0 W/O MANNY, WE NEEDED A SHAKE UP AND THE TEAM HAS RALLYED AROUND IT, AND JASON BAY IS A GREAT PLAYER AND WILL HELP ALOT. MANNY WAS GREAT, BUT ITS TIME TO MOVE ON, MANNY HAS