Ahhh NESN, if I was willing to shell out serious money to AT&T U-Verse for the total sports package tier (not the standard sports package tier mind you which is one step up form the standard channel package) I could get that, but alas even with it I wouldn't watch enough games to make it worth the ludicrous amount they want to charge every month for it. If they offered a la carte channel purchasing I might consider it, but as much as I love the Sox I don't want to have to pay for 50 soccer, Asian sports, every college conference's channels and a handful of others just to get NESN. 

-M

Tom Brady's Cliff Dive





From Costa Rica - Vacation Clip ... 40 feet jump in the water below.

I'm also not a fan of ESPN's new design. Since I'm a 45 year old that doesn't own a mobile device, I don't think ESPN cares.

I don't hate Edes or anything, I just don't find him particularly insightful or interesting. It's funny that the Sox get better coverage on ESPN when Joe McDonald is on Sox duty (after the Bruins are done) or when someone like Rick Weber is filling in when Edes has a day off. Edes just plods along parroting what others are saying and repeating the same old saws again again and again. He's not terrible, but he is just sort of there, you don't notice what you're missing with him until his work gets juxtaposed with other better reporters working the Sox beat for ESPN. 



As for the outfield situation-I think Victorino and Craig are going to get a lot of April and May at bats to showcase what they can do in an effort to get some kind of value in a trade for both. Teams were interested in Craig but weren't willing to give up much because he had such a down year last year and hadn't shown he was recovered fully form the lisfranc injury he suffered 2 years ago. I think Castillo plays every day at Pawtucket to make sure he is fully recovered from the oblique and to get back int he rhythm of playing-he has shined in his time here, but he hadn't played regularly for almost a season and a half before that while he went through the defection process, and he lost time in the fall league after he signed last year with an injury, so it's not a bad thing for him to get a few more reps in at AAA. I think either Craig or the Flying Hawaiian is dealt in April/May for bullpen depth and Castillo is starting in right by June 1. If both are dealt, JBJ will be up to be the 4th outfielder with Nava as the lefty off the bench and reserve 1B. The only way they keep Craig I think is if they are sure they are not resigning Napoli after this year and want him to play 1B next year and the remainder of his team friendly contract. Unless Cecchini blossoms they are thin at 1B after next year, unless Hanley makes another position change. I do kind of salivate at the prospect of the outfield defensively with Betts, Castillo and JBJ playing there and Hanley DHing after Papi retires or playing 1B if Nap signs elsewhere. Then there is the Moncada factor too, where will he play when he's ready in a season or so?

-M

SO for my fellow Sox fans and those who follow the team's coverage...what's the deal with Eric Wilbur of Boston.com...every article I read of his is so negative...his latest piece (in its words and in is tone) basically says Vegas is crazy for the odds they are giving the Sox to win the series (the best in the AL), everyone picking the Sox to do well this year is wrong and a bunch of delusional fools, this team won't be good and probably is terrible, Farrell can't manage and Cherington can't evaluate talent and both have to go before the Sox will be good again....is he just a troll who feeds on negativity playing to the sports talk radio crowd for the website, or did someone on the Sox brain trust kill his puppy? There are a lot of question marks on this team to be sure, and I do believe people are overrating them a bit, but in that relatively weak and wide open division they can contend and they still have a lot of assets to go out and get players to fill needs once the season is in swing and the trade deadline approaches, so I think they will be relevant and watchable all year. They may fall short, but this Wilbur guy paints them as bottom feeders for the coming season and the front office as complete and total incompetents who have driven a glorious franchise into the ground.

-M

Never been a huge baseball fan but if Montreal had a team again I would probably become at least a casual follower. I've always cheered for Montreal teams in pro sports, for some reason. I suppose it goes back to becoming a Canadiens fan at an early age.

I gave mine a few backs earlier in this thread as seen here

-M