How 'bout those Red Sox

[K1ETP]

Down three games to one, the Sox win three straight and the AL Championship.  World Series here we come.

[W1IA]

Down three games to one, the Sox win three straight and the AL Championship.  World Series here we come.

Smokin  Rich!!!

Colorado watch OUT!

Brent

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

No one will want to watch. The Yankees aren't involved.

[Jim KF2SY]

Oh gawd,
here we go....groan

Steve, you're correct.

[WA1GFZ]

Sounds like I won't be missing any quality shack time watching the W.S.
Ah another year not watching a single baseball game. all those missed naps

[WD8BIL]

Congrats to ur team Rich !!
It was painful to watch the total collapse of the Tribe's pitching staff and offense. I'll bet being outscored 30-5 in the last 3 games was quite a learning experience for our kids.

But we'll be back and do it all again.

Here's hoping things go well for our AL team in the series.
Kinda like "keep it in the family" !! (besides, Manny and Coco were trained in Cleveland)

[W8EJO]

As a born & bred Clevelander & an Indians fan since 1954, it was painful to watch. The ALCS proved we still have a few areas where we need to improve in order to compete with the big $ teams.

Red Sox are now the best team money can buy.


Rank  Team       2007 Payroll        2006 Payroll 
1   Yankees    $195,229,045    $198,662,180
2   Red Sox    $143,526,214    $120,100,524
23   Indians    $61,673,267    $56,795,867
25   Rockies    $54,424,000    $41,133,000

[WA1GFZ]

that is my reason for almost no interest in baseball.

[WD8BIL]

That comes with the experience Terry. They've been there and it really showed.
Our Kids just buckled under the pressure. I really don't think the money has much to do with it. It just follows..... ya gotta pay the experienced or they walk. Why do you think Manny plays for them an not us anymore?

[W8EJO]

That comes with the experience Terry. They've been there and it really showed.
Our Kids just buckled under the pressure. I really don't think the money has much to do with it. It just follows..... ya gotta pay the experienced or they walk. Why do you think Manny plays for them an not us anymore?

The money does matter, big time. Just look at the at Red Sox lineup, especially the guys that can really get it done:

Beckett  & Lowell from the Marlins - big bucks.
Manny of course from the tribe bigger bucks
Schilling big bucks - Arizona I think
Daisuke -  ridiculous bucks from Japan
None of these guys came up through the Red Sox Farm system.

The "small market" teams like the tribe cannot compete for these type of players.

Baseball is in dire need of a salary cap (ala, the NFL or NBA) or it will be a boring annual coronation of the Yankees, Red Sox, Yankees, blah, blah.....

[WD8BIL]

Sorry Terry..... having played at the Semi-pro level .... I respectfully disagree.

The very fact that the Tribe was there in the end PROVES you don't need the most money to win. In fact, the 1995 Tribe was midway up the salary ladder but made it to the fall classic. The 1997 Tribe was no wheres near the "big money" and was beaten by a less expensive team in game 7.

The average age of the Soxs is what.... 34 ?? The Tribe....27. Playoff experience was virtually non-existant with the Tribe. The pressure at these levels is un-imaginable.

I'm disappointed they collapsed like that but the experience they gained for that level of play can only improve them for the future.

Bottom line; It wasn't so much the money as it was the experience.

[Bill, KD0HG]

In two weeks, it won't matter.

Mbwahahahaha!

[WD8BIL]

It didn't matter last week Bill 

Are you suggesting a Colorado Sweep of the Red Sox ??

[W8EJO]

Sorry Terry..... having played at the Semi-pro level .... I respectfully disagree.
I'm disappointed they collapsed like that but the experience they gained for that level of play can only improve them for the future.

Bottom line; It wasn't so much the money as it was the experience.

I totally agree with you that you experience is paramount. Sizemore, Hafner, et al were grabbing the bat a little too tight & CC & Fausto were gripping the ball a little too tight  & our 3rd base coach, well he just flat lined under pressure.

The problem with the system in MLB however is that as soon as your good young players accumulate the much needed experience, they get bought up by the big $ teams. There are endless examples of this as you know.

CC's contract will be up at the end of 08' & Cleveland will probably lose him to the Yankees or Red Sox because they won't be able to compete in the bidding war. Where will the tribe be without his 19 wins - second division that's where. Where will the Yankees or Red Sox be with him - at the top as usual.   

MLB's system is broken. The league needs to understand  (as the NFL & NBA understand) that their ultimate product is a competitive league not just a few well positioned teams within the league.

[Bill, KD0HG]

It didn't matter last week Bill 

Are you suggesting a Colorado Sweep of the Red Sox ??

I'm saying the Rox swept BOTH the Snakes and Philly in the playoffs.
That doesn't happen by accident.
You easties don't know much about them because of the media.

OK, ERA of Colorado pitchers has been a stellar 2.0.
MVP candidate Matt Holliday with a league-leading .340 batting avg with 36 homers and 135 RBIs. Three other unknowns with at least 110 RBIs each. Four players with 24 or more homers and six players who scored 80 or more runs.

Jus' stating the facts.

From a sportswriter:

• The Rockies have a .636 winning percentage in Interleague Play over the last two years, and that was before this team really caught fire.

• The Rockies have more speed and are better defensively than Boston, and that will be the difference in what should be a close series.

• Unbeaten in October and with just one loss since mid-September, do you really think this team is going to lose four times in one week?

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

The problem with the system in MLB however is that as soon as your good young players accumulate the much needed experience, they get bought up by the big $ teams. There are endless examples of this as you know.

You nailed it. It's not that lower payroll teams can't compete for a season or so. There are many examples over the past few years (Rockies, Diamondbacks, Marlins, etc). The problem is they can't compete over a longer term because they can't keep the young talent they developed. Just think how good the Seattle Mariners would have been if they could have kept Ken Griffey, Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson!

[KB1OKL]

That's the free enterprise system, if I can get a lot more money working somewhere else I'd probably go for it, these players are the same and you can't change it unless there are rule changes which would probably be a good idea. The experienced players go where the money is, but big money doesn't necessarily mean success, look at Daisuke, he hasn't been very good this year, has little experience here in the U.S. big leagues, which shows that experience probably has more to do with success than money.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Indeed. I don't blame the players. How many of us can say we turned down a job that offered WAY more than we were currently making?

If it was all based on money, the Yankees would win every year. Thank goodness they don't. Their fans are already insufferable.

[KB1OKL]

Yeah, they're suffering this year

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Let 'em suffer.

[Jim KF2SY]

Speaking of suffering fans....
man those poor Oriole's this year....gawdawful.

[Ed KB1HVS]

 Sox in 6!  It is gonna happen!!!!!!!

[kb1jcy]

Yay! The Red Sox just won game 1!11!!

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Who is an Orioles fan?

Speaking of suffering fans....
man those poor Oriole's this year....gawdawful.

[WD8BIL]

Yay! The Red Sox just won game 1!11!!

Dude..... whatareyasmokin' ?

First pitch is TONITE ot 8:25 pm.