Not a Pessimist but a Realist

[LamboNYK]

The Sox are downright scary, maybe the series favorites right now in my book.

- Beckett looks back to his nasty form. Let's be real, last year was an exception- this guys been filthy for years. And hes a Yank killer. Only issue is health.

- Dice-K has straight up dominating stuff. People won't figure him out even a little until the All Star break.

- With 2 ace-level guys, whatever Schilling, a former ace gives them is icing. And Wakefield always gives us fits.

- Lineup wise, theyve improved...Youkilis is a year older and wiser, hes underrated and a hitters hitter, he can work a count. Drew, as much of a D-bag as he is, can also see the ball real well. Lugo is underrated. Then you have Manny and Papi.

- Papelbon is pretty much ridiculous too.

Im not trying to be apocalyptic here, but that is a team with very little flaws (mid relief?) and 2-3 aces. We don't have one ace (Wang maybe?). The only real improvement we have is our "improved chemistry".

I haven't lost all faith though, because I do buy the ARod year of redemption idea. He can carry us and our lineup is sick as usual. It is just our big game pitching that worries me.

Just had to get that off my chest. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.

[Wade2k6]

I'd want to see Beckett to go at least 10-12 starts before i say he's back to previous form. He was so inconsistent last year, it's kind of hard to judge him right now. Dice K looks pretty good so far, but then again he has faced one of the worst teams in the league in his only game, and played bad teams all pre-season. There staff should be decent, but nothing to get scared about IMO.

There offense is improved, but so is the Yanks. With Arods improving confidence and Matsui back (hopefully) the Yanks offense is improved as well.

Papelbon is a great young closer, but if there's any closer i'd rather have over him, it would be Mariano.

They are a pretty dangerous team, but i still think the Yanks have a better overall team, especially once Wang comes back.

[NYKnSTILL!]

Wang ,Pettitte, Pavano (MAKE ME LOVE YOU !!! MAKE ME LOVE YOU !!!) Moose, Karstens , Hughes, Clippard ? Proctor ? # 5 SP never know... long season.

[Jitpal]

The Sox are downright scary, maybe the series favorites right now in my book.

- Beckett looks back to his nasty form. Let's be real, last year was an exception- this guys been filthy for years. And hes a Yank killer. Only issue is health.

- Dice-K has straight up dominating stuff. People won't figure him out even a little until the All Star break.

- With 2 ace-level guys, whatever Schilling, a former ace gives them is icing. And Wakefield always gives us fits.

- Lineup wise, theyve improved...Youkilis is a year older and wiser, hes underrated and a hitters hitter, he can work a count. Drew, as much of a D-bag as he is, can also see the ball real well. Lugo is underrated. Then you have Manny and Papi.

- Papelbon is pretty much ridiculous too.

Im not trying to be apocalyptic here, but that is a team with very little flaws (mid relief?) and 2-3 aces. We don't have one ace (Wang maybe?). The only real improvement we have is our "improved chemistry".

I haven't lost all faith though, because I do buy the ARod year of redemption idea. He can carry us and our lineup is sick as usual. It is just our big game pitching that worries me.

Just had to get that off my chest. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program.

Hey why stop at series favorites? Let's just pencil them in for a 4 game sweep of the world series. Gimme a break. The red sox are no better than the rest of the pack. They have too many question marks.

Beckett might be good again but like someone else said give him a few starts befroe giving him the comeback player of the year award. Yank killer or not we knocked him silly last year and unless he changed his mechanics or delivery up the Yanks still know how to hit him.

Relax with the Dice-K for MVP stuff. He had one start against the Royals. Let's see him do it consistantly and against teams that actually have a lineup.

Ace-level is a strech. Right now they are two good starters, nothing more. Schilling is a shell of himself and will get rocked. Wakefield is nothing special either.

Their lineup did improve but their problem was not scoring runs, they could do that with just Manny and Ortiz. I don't fear their lineup.

Papelbon was figured out by late last year. Plus the rest of the pen to get to him will be really weak. If the yanks are smart the game will never get to him.

Wang is an ace. He was tied for the most wins in the AL last year and he had a very strong case for Cy Young. How have we not improved? We are better on the defense, we actually have corner outfielders(we didn't for most of last year), the pen is better, and our starters are better. Melky for a late inning defensive replacement as year older with more experience is a big improvement over having Matsui out there late in games. Meinkewitz over Andy Phillips or Giambi at first is much better on the defensive end. Vizcaino, Henn and Bruney makes our pen much deeper and better. We don't need to rely on Farnsworth as our only setup man. Plus we have 4 pitchers out of the pen that can take care of lefties in Meyers, Vizcaino, Henn and Mariano. We had 3 last year and Villone was trash at the end of the year. Bruney is here with some Yankee experience under his belt for the full year meaning Proctor won't be pitching everyday. If you don't think Pettitte is a vast improvement over Jaret Wright, then I don't even know what to say. Pavano is back and healthy and he looked "ace-level" as you call it allowing just 2 runs to the Twins. We will be fine and the Red Sox are not our main competition in the AL East, the Blue Jays are. -Jitpal

[34Celtic]

Wang ,Pettitte, Pavano (MAKE ME LOVE YOU !!! MAKE ME LOVE YOU !!!) Moose, Karstens , Hughes, Clippard ? Proctor ? # 5 SP never know... long season.

Come on...Clippard and Hughes have never started in the majors and you make them out to be Roger Clemens. wait and see. Also Proctor Karstens (and Rasner) have never proven it over a full year. I do feel confident with Wang Pettitte and Pavano and Moose...


The fact that Lambo doesnt feel confident with our big game pitching is just stupid, he should check some of Pettitte's postseason starts on DVD. Wang isnt bothered by anything and you know Moose is going to give you consistency.

I think we all need to find a middle ground on the Sox. Schilling is a big game pitcher who we have had some success against recently. Dice-K looks legit yet hasnt faced any 'real' talent. You can tell by his locations and pitch movement that he will be a viable starter. Beckett is Beckett and if he ever learns that you cant live with a fastball over the heart of the plate he will be dangerous. His problem in the first year in the AL is that he said here is my fastball....can ya hit it? And our answer was yes. Wakefield is Wakefield you know he will be solid. Right now they dont have a fifth starter who is any good, just like us. We all know it is going to come down to a series in August or September with the Yanks and Sox right in the thick of things.

To say one team has a leg up on the other is just stupid and biased.

[34Celtic]

- Beckett looks back to his nasty form. Let's be real, last year was an exception- this guys been filthy for years. And hes a Yank killer. Only issue is health.
..................................................................................................
Im not trying to be apocalyptic here, but that is a team with very little flaws (mid relief?) and 2-3 aces. We don't have one ace (Wang maybe?). .............................................................................................. "improved chemistry".

Beckett has pitched more than 180 innings once in his career and has a career record of 59-45.....far from filthy....Roy Halladay is filthy...Josh Becket not so much

We have a better bullpen then them, a far better lineup top to bottom, and a comparable starting rotation when Wang gets back...

Did you not see what Cashman did to bolster our bullpen last year??? Before you say the only thing we have improved is Chemestry, also check our improved starting rotation. I would take Pavano and Igawa, Karstens, Rasner over Jaret Wright and Cory Lidle (God rest his soul) any day of the week.

Our lineup is also better offensively and defensively. WE have Matsui back and Abreu for a full yr at the outfield corners instead of Bernie and MElky. We also get to stick Giambi's immobility at DH and put Mientkiewicz and HIS GOLD GLOVE AT FIRST BASE. It doesnt matter if he hits .250 we get production from areas other teams dont.

[34Celtic]

By the way Beckett is 3-2 lifetime against the Yankees.