100 years: The Titanic...(a rant)

[MaineDolFan]

I was an Assistant Professor at University of Cask'n Flagon.  Those were good times.

[Landshark]

I was an Assistant Professor at University of Cask'n Flagon.  Those were good times.

Did you pledge to I Tappa Kegga or Kappa Kappa Chino?

[SportsChick]

I heard part of Valentine's interview on EEI when dennis ans Callahan asked him about the Schilling comments. His reaction made me sad and so unhopeful for this season.

[MaineDolFan]

His reaction is why he's a used douche noodle.  I love Callahan, the guy is a bull dog and won't back down (and won't accept silence as an answer).  "Consider the source?  He is a three time World Series winning pitcher, two of those titles came in this town.  Seems like a good source to me  Why isn't he a good source to you?"

"Next question."

Screw you, Valentine.  The bright side?  He won't be the manager after this season.  Schill is very right.  This is going to go bad, quick.

[SportsChick]

I know he is right as much as you don't want him to be right. Losing Jacoby for 6-8 sucks too

[MaineDolFan]

Boston starts the season 0-4.  They go on to recover fairly nicely, rattling off three straight wins and looking pretty darn decent at the same time.  Their new closer, Alfredo Aceves, is throwing 96mph darts and looks great.  They stumbled onto a 98-97mph left handed set up guy in Franklin Morales.  Clay Buchholz gives up four runs in the top of the 1st the other day and still manages to give them 7 innings and a win, a game where he could have imploded.  The team loses Ellsbury (again), this time possible for months, and Aviles responds in the lead off spot by going 3-5 and popping a HR.  The offense is cranking.  The bullpen looks good.  Carl Crawford feels good, took BP three days in a row and is ready to start some extended spring training games and might join the team in three weeks. 

And Bobby Valentine feels this is the right time to roll a grenade into his own locker room.

Say what you will about Kevin Youkilis.  The one thing you can't say about the guy?  Effort and caring.  He is one of a handful of guys out there who define "dirt dog."  Boston could be winning 13-1, if Youkilis strikes out to end bottom of 8th inning he will walk back to the dugout screaming about it.  Maybe the rest of the guys on this team feel the same way, they don't carry their emotions and heart on their sleeve like Youk does.  Valentine does this?

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/04/valentine_youki.html

Do people still want reasons why I hate Bobby Valentine?

[SportsChick]

I know there are comments out there about Youk being a jerk and things of that sort, but I've never heard anything about his play, hustle and caring on the field until Valentine said something.

I do love how Pedy backed Youk up real quick. Seems like the guys have each other's backs, even if their manager doesn't.

[MaineDolFan]

"Youk plays as hard as anybody I've seen in my life. I don't understand what Bobby's thinking to do but that's not how we do our stuff around here, he'll find that out soon... [Could this be a way to motivate someone?] Maybe in Japan or something, over here in the US we're on a three game winning streak and want to keep it rolling. We want to make sure we've got each other's back... as teammates, this game's hard, Youk's a great player he works his butt off... we'll figure it out." -- Dustin Pedroia on Bobby's slam on Youk

I challenge someone to find me one instance, just one, of a player having a public spat with Tito.  Just one.

[Landshark]

Bobby Valentine is the Jimmy Johnson of baseball.  A good manager who makes teams into winners but rubs a lot of people the wrong way while doing it and always leaves on a bad note. 

I have a feeling the Red Sox will contend this year but at the end of the year, the locker room will be even more divided.