AL team heading to the world series this year. (A poll)

[stormy]

Burkett over DLowe? It's time for Burkett to retire. Every once in awhile his control is good enough to pitch a nice game, but he gets pounded often. He can't even hit 90mph, so he has nothing to fall back on if he's having control issues. The sox signed him based on his one great season in Atlanta and he hasn't delivered. DLowe needs to get over his confidence issues, but he can be a great pitcher and is also much younger than Burkett.

Next year isn't going to be much better pitching-wise as there aren't that many good free agent pitchers. I'd like to see the sox add Millwood, but they're going to have to pay big for him, and i'm not sure that's something Epstien is willing to do anymore.

[youandwhosearmy]

Actually burkett's era over the last seven games has been astounding, DLowe may just be having a bad year, but still, he his problems recently are obviously psychological, and thats what really makes him expendable. Look at jeff weaver for chrissakes.

Burkett has another good year in him, but I don't see him pitching the whole season, maybe phasing into the bullpen by midseason as we make trade deals that focus only on the starting pitching.

Suppan was always inconsistent and our only real hope was that the move from there to here wouldn't affect his amazing last five game streak. We were wrong.

Yeah I'd like to see millwood, who knows though, we might wind up with an amazing pitcher for nothing the way theo's trades have been...

I mean I can criticize Suppan all I want, but the truth is we go him, saurbeck, and williamson for like one damaged good pitcher, a few bucks, and freddy sanchez. And then we got our damaged good pitcher back!

thats good business right there any way you look at it.

[Kinopio]

The Red Sox management is in an interesting position. The only long term contract they have is Manny, and thats a tough one to work around.

All the talk is about Nomar v. Pedro. Normally i've been leaning towards keeping Nomar if they have to choose one, but how can you give the best pitcher on the planet the boot? If his arm problems worsen, move him to closer.

I think they should just offer Nixon a contract after this year is up. He gets better every season and he is a clubhouse leader. Hes gonna get big money next year through arbitration anyways. Same goes for Varitek when that time comes. He is far too important to this team.

The Giants are on a skid, but they are 1 of 2 teams that can afford to do so. The past few days are just another example of why Bonds should get the MVP every year, no questions asked. He goes to visit his sick father and they can't score a run against the expos.

[dave is ok]

sox arent even making the playoffs. seattle and oakland are better ballclubs for pitching, and history has shown over and over again that pitching is all that matters at this point in the season, and in the playoffs.

burkett has always been mediocre at best, they would be nuts to sign him for any longer than they have.

suppan and ponson are both bad pitchers having good years, freddy sanchez is a good pitcher having a bad year, which would you rather have?

come the end of next season, we'll resign pedro, lowe, nomar, and varitek.

[stormy]

Freddy Sanchez was a minor leaguer in the sox system who plays middle infield. He was tearing up AAA this year, hitting like .350. I thinnk you mean Freddy Garcia?

Unfortunatly i agree with you, i don't think the sox are making the playoffs either.

[youandwhosearmy]

for the record, I take back my original reason for wanting to get rid of Derek Lowe...

I actually want to get rid of him now because he is a pussy.

[dave is ok]

oh shit, i didnt even realize. sanchez, garcia. friggen latinos. we should have kept sanchez and had him play second base next season, thats what sucks about the sox, no home grown talent. trot and nomar, thats it. and trot has tradebait written all over him, i guess you could consider suppan homegrown too, but who wants to.