[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

Well looking at your division it's kind of nice to see Baltimore on top. They've always had a team of pretty nice guys and it could be one of those underdog feel good stories of the year if it continues. I would not expect to see Toronto gain anymore ground this year. The Yankess always start out near the bottom of the pack and move their way up until they are under full steam come September. You guys have a lot of work to do if you are going to make a decent showing of this year.

Interesting note - Boston tried to get Billy Beane (OAK -Moneyball) as a GM for 12.5M in '02. He said no thank you. They then turned to Theo Epstein (who was only 28 yrs old at the time) and he used the same principles as Beane (it has a name - Sabermetrics) and that's how they ended up the improbable heros of '04.

Boston has the same pathetic rabid fan devotion that the Cubs have. I believe that this is ultimately their downfall as well. What I don't get is that your payroll is the 3rd largest (behind, of course, the Yankees and then Philly)in baseball. So everyone is getting ripped off over there. When the White Sox quit trying (note I said quit trying and not simply losing) we just stop going to the games. I don't understand why you (Boston fans) and more so, my less enlightened brethren on the north side, continue to support teams that don't even try.

Beane and Epstein might have had similar philosophies on money management way back when. But Beane never had the money to work with. He had to improvise to get the best value for the few bucks he had. He used a different method of statistical analysis to evaluate players potential, using different methods of probability to gauge a players attributes and picking those who would fill the holes while not breaking his meager budget. He made many a career by showcasing their talents in new ways. And, he lost those players to big budget teams in the end.

Theo had a heck of a bankroll to work with and increased it with advertising as well as making "things" the official Red Sox favorite....ice cream, cheese snacks, hospitals, mri providers, etc all offical Red Sox "supporters" paying big bucks for the privilege of the designation.

But, Theo, imo, got lost in the money maze trying to capture more titles. He became bolder and bolder on questionable players i.e. DiceK, Lackey, Drew, Crawford, and had a thing for going after past their prime pitchers coming off major arm surgery. He spent a fortune on people who just didnt and arent performing well enough to justify the incredible salaries they are being paid.

And, he got himself sucked into the Cashman bidding theatrics way too many times, finding himself holding the bag on contracts for underperforming players while Cashman cashed in on dependable players who made a difference. Me thinks Theo got a little too impressed with himself.

Pathetic rabid fan devotion? We differ there. It is not pathetic nor rabid to me. It is part of being a fan, in good times and in bad, when they do well and when they suck the big one.

If you only support a team that is doing well, are you a fan of the team or a fan of winning?