I still remember Kevin Millar throwing a fit publically saying “No way I am losing my job to Kevin Youkilis” when Youkilis was the better player.

Thanks for everything, Youk, and good luck. I hope that he can gradually get physically healthier and tack on a few more productive years.

I can understand how anyone who’s not a die-hard Sox fan could dislike Youkilis…he’s quick to anger, gets all pissy at the drop of a hat when he isn’t playing well or doesn’t get the call and to boot, he’s got a super-awkward batting stance (not that something so trivial should matter, but he’s taken a lot of grief for it over the years)…

…BUT I defy anyone to say they don’t want someone like him on their team. He gives 100% every day, every play. He leaves it all on the field, always dirties his uniform, and has waaay over-achieved these last 5 years given his lack of natural athleticism.

Just something to think about before the knee-jerk bashing begins.

Clearing up salary space, and the two people we got in return aside, I’m glad he’s going to get regular playing time again. It sucks that Middlebrooks is so freekin good (insofar that it meant Youk had to ride the bench), but these things happen in all sports.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2004/news/story?page=Curse041005

Ryan Sweeney has been an above-average RF when he plays. (And yes, he’s had more than 1.8 WAR in a season. Maybe try looking at every one of his years?). No, he’s not a star. But he’s hardly the reason the Sox aren’t leading the division, nor is he a player who somehow dooms a team to missing the playoffs. Especially when he’s the 3rd or 4th best OF on the team (depending on who’s healthy).

You should really stop using statistics. You’ve managed to use a different one incorrectly in every post you’ve made, which is, frankly, kind of impressive. If you just say, “I believe that this roster is going to perform worse going forward because that’s my personal opinion, I just don’t believe in these guys,” it will be a reasonable statement that reasonable people can make and other reasonable people can disagree with. But you should really stop trying to prove it, because you’re very bad at that.

And again, I don’t even have a PROBLEM with Aviles….but he is a middling, average player who is THIRTY-ONE YEARS OLD.

In a most likely lost season what good is he doing the team? Is he going to be on the team the next time they go to the Series? Hell no. Mine the talent you have, or target potential in your trades….but Jesus, stop running out there guys who have long since peaked. If he’s a place holder that’s fine….but don’t act like he’s anything else. He is a middling player who will be gone as soon as a better alternative is found.

Put another way….you think this team is going to compete with castoffs from Minnesota, Oakland and Kansas City? These are guys AWFUL teams didn’t even want!

Look at the history. Look at what Ortiz and lots of others have said. Look at Bobby V calling Youk out in the press. Look at the disgruntlement over losing and injuries and Francona being fired. If you don’t see it, you aren’t looking.

Umm, Ortiz wasn’t takling about a Clubhouse issue, he was talking about problems with the media and how the media tries to create Clubhouse issues. As for the losing, not sure what you are trying to say? Should the Sox players be happy with losing? And what players/clubhouse went after Francona? I know tons on the media did, and the front office was the one leaking the report about his substance abuse.

The problem is Boston (and NY) is, and always will be, the media. They write ex-post facto bullshit as a way to “explain” why a team does poorly, rather than do a bit of research and come up with real reasons for a loss (or two). It’s far easier to say “Manny/Nomar were cancers that needed to be removed” and conveniently forget all the winning the team did with them, then spend some time on b-ref.com or fangraphs, or study film and find real answers.

For pete’s sake, the Boston media (after Gammons) was led by CHB whose entire career was built around a “curse” (and books, tours, etc about it), who then said that curses were bunk once the Sox won a WS in ’04.

I don’t even dislike the guy. I’m a Red Sox fan, but I’m also a realist….they have a couple of good players, but the rest is plug-and-play with very average talent that is not going to carry the team to the playoffs.

They need to accept that and start seasoning guys that will help in the LONG TERM, not running out guys who have already peaked AT AVERAGE.

Remember that WAR is related to playing time. So Sweeney’s 1 WAR so far has been racked up in just under half a season, which equates to about 2 WAR for a full season. There’s nothing wrong with a 2 WAR starter–respectable, but not an All-Star. Plus as Skeleteeth points out, he was intended as a backup and has easily exceeded those expectations so far. Sweeney is not the problem.

Also, I believe that OPS+ is normalized against the overall league average, and not adjusted for the player’s position. So a shortstop could have a sub-100 OPS+ and still be a decent hitter FOR A SHORTSTOP. Kind of like, say, Aviles. Aviles is not a problem either.