The Red Sox Thread

[Yankees1962]

Bonds didn't need to either. It takes great players and makes them into immortals.

It worked out well for Mauer - after that season he signed his massive contract and realized he no longer needed to juice.

I just wished that Mauer could sue your ass for defamation of character if what you stated isn't true.

[teknetic]

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of the Red Sox Lives...

--Aceves gets suspended for 3 days for blowing up at Valentine.
--He is told he has to get to Anaheim on his own, not with the team.
--Re-joins the team yesterday in Anaheim - Valentine says probably flew first class - and spends 30 minutes with Valentine and then the coaches.
--Nobody knows if he ever apologized but Valentine claims Aceves is moving forward - doesn't say "we are moving forward".
-- Aceves gets put in as closer again last night and blows a 2 run lead and the save and the Red Sox lose.



http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sp...-night-tantrum

AndrewBailey ‏@AndrewBaileyNESN
Required to take a day off (NESN rules) ~ I'll be back next home stand. Big thanks to @AlfredoAceves for filling in! I'll be watching

These guys are hilarious.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

I just wished that Mauer could sue your ass for defamation of character if what you stated isn't true.

That'll go as far as our class action suit against MLB for knowingly perpetuating fraud by allowing rampant steroid use to help the game recover from the strike and enrich themselves. I think it's a baseless accusation, but MLB and the players brought this kind of speculation upon themselves.

[THEBOSS84]

I just wished that Mauer could sue your ass for defamation of character if what you stated isn't true.

Better luck next time!

[ruthianblast]

Better luck next time!

Meanwhile baseless speculation regarding a player is encouraged?

While we don't nor will we ever likely know if Mauer was taking any kind of performance enhancer or if he simply had a career year then was injured and regressed; implying he may have been taking said performance enhancers seems a bit out of line.

Understanding that baseball has brought this speculation on themselves, you sound like Skip Bayless; no basis other than your own supposition.

[THEBOSS84]

Meanwhile baseless speculation regarding a player is encouraged?

While we don't nor will we ever likely know if Mauer was taking any kind of performance enhancer or if he simply had a career year then was injured and regressed; implying he may have been taking said performance enhancers seems a bit out of line.

Understanding that baseball has brought this speculation on themselves, you sound like Skip Bayless; no basis other than your own supposition.

I apologize and take back my comment.

[Bronson'sCornrows]

That wouldn't be the first time that a player had a random, out-of-context power season. It happens, and it doesn't always mean steroid use.

This is what I was thinking almost word for word. Every season a handful of ................ty players run into flukishly good seasons and a handful of good players run into flukishly amazing seasons. I'm not particularly suspicious toward Mauer's flukishly powered 2009 performance.

[TommyK8]

Why would he retire when he can still very effectively do the job he's trying to do, which is to help the Red Sox? The fact that he has absolutely no integrity clearly doesn't bother anyone, as they still pretend that he's a journalist and not a mindless shill. They even refer to him as a Hall of Famer despite the fact that he isn't in the Hall of Fame.

He certainly is in the Hall of Fame, inducted in July 2005.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

He certainly is in the Hall of Fame, inducted in July 2005.

No, he wasn't. He won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award

Winners are not considered to be members of the Hall. They are not "inducted" or "enshrined", but are permanently recognized in an exhibit at the Hall's library.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Taylor_Spink_Award

[TommyK8]

OK, he wasn't inducted, but as far as I know, this is the equivalent for baseball writers and there's another similar award for broadcasters. But these are the highest honors that are available, and it's the equivalent of being in the Hall for these guys.

Gammons seems like a nice enough guy, and I felt bad when he had health issues a few years back. But he has nothing extraordinary or unique to contribute today. If you go back three decades, however, he had an inside track that not many sportswriters had in those days.

[RenoHightower]

OK, he wasn't inducted, but as far as I know, this is the equivalent for baseball writers and there's another similar award for broadcasters. But these are the highest honors that are available, and it's the equivalent of being in the Hall for these guys.

Gammons seems like a nice enough guy, and I felt bad when he had health issues a few years back. But he has nothing extraordinary or unique to contribute today. If you go back three decades, however, he had an inside track that not many sportswriters had in those days.

Calling the guy a Hall of Famer is a lie, which is most of what Gammons does, and has done for more than a decade.

[TommyK8]

Calling the guy a Hall of Famer is a lie, which is most of what Gammons does, and has done for more than a decade.

We can get into semantics on the difference between being "inducted," being "enshrined," or whatever, but the Frick award for broadcasters, and the Spink award for sporstwriters is considered the equivalent of being in the Hall of Fame. They give a speech on induction day just like the players who get in, and they have an exhibit with all the award winners. Mel Allen, Red Barber, and Vin Scully are some of the notables who have won the Frick Award, and if anyone said they were in the Hall of Fame, I would not quibble with them (and they deserve to be there). Next year will be Vin Scully's 64th year, all with the same team. When I hear him broadcast the Dodger games on Extra Innings, he doesn't even have a color commentator to assist him and he's 84 years old. The Frick and Spink awards are the highest honor of these professions.

[RenoHightower]

We can get into semantics on the difference between being "inducted," being "enshrined," or whatever, but the Frick award for broadcasters, and the Spink award for sporstwriters is considered the equivalent of being in the Hall of Fame. They give a speech on induction day just like the players who get in, and they have an exhibit with all the award winners. Mel Allen, Red Barber, and Vin Scully are some of the notables who have won the Frick Award, and if anyone said they were in the Hall of Fame, I would not quibble with them (and they deserve to be there). Next year will be Vin Scully's 64th year, all with the same team. When I hear him broadcast the Dodger games on Extra Innings, he doesn't even have a color commentator to assist him and he's 84 years old. The Frick and Spink awards are the highest honor of these professions.

That doesn't put them in the baseball Hall of Fame. The best janitor in baseball might get a best janitor award. That doesn't make him a baseball Hall of Famer. This isn't about semantics, it's about being honest, which Gammons isn't. Gammons isn't a Hall of Famer. He's not even a sportswriter anymore. He's a liar who puts his lies on paper because he has no integrity and he's in bed with the Red Sox. I don't think I could think of a writer who is less worthy of my respect than Peter Gammons.

[Blazer]

That doesn't put them in the baseball Hall of Fame. The best janitor in baseball might get a best janitor award. That doesn't make him a baseball Hall of Famer. This isn't about semantics, it's about being honest, which Gammons isn't. Gammons isn't a Hall of Famer. He's not even a sportswriter anymore. He's a liar who puts his lies on paper because he has no integrity and he's in bed with the Red Sox. I don't think I could think of a writer who is less worthy of my respect than Peter Gammons.

Gammons is exactly as you described. That said, his name is on the FF plaque. Hopefully, when our planet is invaded by superior beings they will resolve that mistake.

[TommyK8]

Well, again, I think most people would say that Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Red Barber are all in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame conducts voting on the award, there is an exhibit in the Hall of Fame, and the winners give a speech on induction day. The strict interpretation you are applying means that there are NO sportswriters or broadcasters in the Hall of Fame. But whatever. Life is too short, and if I am going to get frustrated tonight, it will be over the blather I heard from the podium in Tampa Bay tonight, not this.

[Casey at the Bat]

That doesn't put them in the baseball Hall of Fame. The best janitor in baseball might get a best janitor award. That doesn't make him a baseball Hall of Famer. This isn't about semantics, it's about being honest, which Gammons isn't. Gammons isn't a Hall of Famer. He's not even a sportswriter anymore. He's a liar who puts his lies on paper because he has no integrity and he's in bed with the Red Sox. I don't think I could think of a writer who is less worthy of my respect than Peter Gammons.

Oh, surely you can without even thinking that hard. There are hacks at worse than Gammons. CHB is the first name that comes to my mind.

[RenoHightower]

Well, again, I think most people would say that Vin Scully, Mel Allen, Red Barber are all in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame conducts voting on the award, there is an exhibit in the Hall of Fame, and the winners give a speech on induction day. The strict interpretation you are applying means that there are NO sportswriters or broadcasters in the Hall of Fame. But whatever. Life is too short, and if I am going to get frustrated tonight, it will be over the blather I heard from the podium in Tampa Bay tonight, not this.

The award that Gammons-liar shamefully received specifically stipulates that recipients are not in the Hall of Fame. That you and other fans are confused about this is not of my concern. Gammons-undermine-the-Yankees-at-every-opportunity is not a Hall of Famer, and it's a good thing, because he's a complete and utter embarrassment to his profession.

[ojo]

Gammons shouldn't be faulted for being allowed a ton of space each Sunday to write his meandering, half sentenced thoughts on the goings on of the current season for the Globe. He did it well.

[Snatch Catch]

Oh, surely you can without even thinking that hard. There are hacks at worse than Gammons. CHB is the first name that comes to my mind.

If we're speaking strictly about present-day versions, I don't know that it's possible for anyone to be above Gammons at this juncture.

Same general vicinity, sure. But clearly worse? I don't believe so.

[Snatch Catch]

Oh, and people always like to laugh about the Yankees GM being named "Cashman", but it's not even in the same ballpark as this Peter fellow, in my opinion.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gammon?r=10

gam·mon

³    /ˈgæmən/ Show Spelled [gam-uhn] Show IPA British Informal .
noun 1. deceitful nonsense; bosh.

[Yankees1962]

Calling the guy a Hall of Famer is a lie, which is most of what Gammons does, and has done for more than a decade.

I don't know how old you are, but back in the day, Gammons was one helluva baseball writer and those that read his articles, pre-internet, back in the old Sporting News appreciated his writing back then. He's a shell of himself right now, but you could say that about alot of writers and announcers that are long past their prime.

[nnysiny]

the Aceves saga continues. from closer to mop-up guy in one day. i dont know how they bring him back at this point.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...loser-anymore/

[TommyK8]

I don't know how old you are, but back in the day, Gammons was one helluva baseball writer and those that read his articles, pre-internet, back in the old Sporting News appreciated his writing back then. He's a shell of himself right now, but you could say that about alot of writers and announcers that are long past their prime.

You are absolutely right. Those were the days, pre-internet, when that was a prime source of information. The problem with Gammons was he got fame and overextended himself. He made the transition to TV, and he was working a lot of hours and assignments. He got away from baseball writing, and writing still is not his primary focus. Unfortunately, he's not doing anything particularly unique and he is currently superfluous, in my opinion, to the many writers who are more focused on print media than he is.

[TommyK8]

the Aceves saga continues. from closer to mop-up guy in one day. i dont know how they bring him back at this point.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...loser-anymore/

I don't think Aceves is a closer. I know there are folks here who think that the seventh is not different than the ninth. I don't agree with that. I think if used properly, Aceves is very valuable. He has a rubber arm, and he can give a team 100 or more innings out of the bullpen. I just don't think he's a reliable closer.

[RenoHightower]

I don't know how old you are, but back in the day, Gammons was one helluva baseball writer and those that read his articles, pre-internet, back in the old Sporting News appreciated his writing back then. He's a shell of himself right now, but you could say that about alot of writers and announcers that are long past their prime.

It's not just that he's old and can't hack it anymore, it's that he has no interest in writing anything honest. He's so transparently just trying to prop up everything his favorite team does. I'm not criticizing the guy for aging badly; I'm criticizing him for having nary an ounce of integrity. He's irresponsible, lazy, dishonest, and corrupt. What he does now says a lot about who he is as a person, and what it says isn't good.