"Ode to Jason Bay"

[BillD1984]

What the hey, I guess it's safe to say that the Red Sox adding Jason Bay to the fray, is already making the opposition pay. The day before Mr. Bay got to Fenway, the Sox were ready to send out a Mayday. We understand that you will be eligible for free agency after 2009, so we pray, Mr. Bay, that you stay and help us beat the Yankees and shut up once and for all that obnoxious, Michael Kay. And thank God, Mr. Bay, that you didn't become an A, Ray, or Blue Jay.

In closing, I hope everyone found my "Ode to Jason Bay" okay......and not too gay!!!


News Item: Last night, in Jason Bay's first game with the Red Sox, Bay scored both runs in their 12 inning 2-1 victory over the A's. He also made a great sliding catch in leftfield. Tonight in the first inning (after receiving another thunderous ovation from the Fenway Faithful) all Jason did was hit a three-run homah over the Green Monstah. His totals in 1+ games in a Red Sox uniform: 2-5..........1 HR...........3 RBI.......4 runs scored. Not too shabby Jason, and oh, did we mention how happy we are that you're our new leftfielder???


Looks like someone has too much time on their hands on a Saturday night!!!

 

[skysurfer]

I don't think you have too much time. That's the sentiment I'm gettign from bosox fans I know - they are glad to get rid of ManRam and are happy to get Bay.

I hope Bay gets a good contact with Boston - he deserves to be paid great, he deserves to play on a winner (and he deserved to get out of pittsburgh!)

 

[vurbano]

FYI

the A's kinda suck. Lets see him deliver against the Angels, Yankees or Rays.

 

[SabresRule]

FYI

the A's kinda suck.

I am at my boiling point with Oskland. I am thisclose to severing my A's ties!

 

[BillD1984]

FYI

the A's kinda suck. Lets see him deliver against the Angels, Yankees or Rays.

Vurbano,

You're a Red Sox fan right? Why do you keep bringing up the opponent in Bay's very successful start to his Red Sox career? Don't you want him to succeed? He can only play against teams that are on the schedule, right? It just sounds like you're trying to insinuate a negative to a very positive start. Did Manny ever have success against Kansas City, Tampa (when they sucked), and some of the other lesser lights he played against? You bet he did. Do I hold that against him? Of course not, why would I?

 

[mccoyrj]

Bay is a good player, no doubt. But, from watching him the last several years, I know he's playing over his head right now. He'll cool down to his normal self pretty soon.

Oh, and he's prone to go into slumps that last a little too long sometimes.

 

[colt45allstar]

I am at my boiling point with Oskland. I am thisclose to severing my A's ties!

If you do that, you are going to wishing in a couple years that you didn't.

The A's are loaded all throughout The Minor League system.

If people only knew more about the kids we are getting in all these trades.

As good as Dan Haren is... we killed The Diamondbacks in that trade.

C Gon is going to be a stud and while Greg Smith and Dana Eveland have both come down to earth, they still have the potiential to be future back of the rotation guys.

We still have in the minors from that very trade Brett Anderson who just happens to be one of the top lefthanded pitching prospects in the game, Chris Carter who's crushed pitching down at High A Ball to the tune of nearly 30 homeruns and finally Aaron Cunningham who down at Double A Midland is hitting 312 with 11 homeruns and 10 stolen bases. He projects to be a solid major league outfielder.

All in all we raped one of the best farm systems in all of baseball in that deal.

The Nick Swisher trade netted us Gio Gonzalez who led all of the minor leagues in strike outs during the 2007 season. He projects to be a solid number 2 starter at worst. It also got us Ryan Sweeney who's already contributing at the major league level and Fautino De Los Santos who before needing Tommy John surgery was compared to Francisco Liriano (who ironically enough of course also had to get Tommy John Surgery last season and is just now making it back) It remains to be seen how Fautino bounces back, but he clearly has killer potiential.

I'll concede that we didn't get as much as I and other fans would've wanted in The Harden deal, though to be fair Sean Gallagher will be a solid major league pitcher.. he certainly won't be Harden.. but solid all the same and with Rich's injury history we weren't going to get a ton for him.

I mentioned earlier how deep our minor league system is.. Beane has restocked it and turned from one of the bottom 10 into a top five or so farm system seemingly overnight.

Our offensive prospects are still lacking a little bit, but our minor league pitching depth is the envy of the entire league.. as more than one scout has pointed out.

With names like the aforementioned Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, James Simmons, 16 year old Dominican phenom Michel Inoa, Henry Rodriguez, Craig Italiano and Jared Lansford... another 'big 3' era is inevitable. Not to mention with as much pitching depth as we have, we can afford to trade a couple of them for some offensive punch.

Bottom line this team has a very very good chance at being baseball's next dynasty by as soon as 2010. Let fans of other teams.. especially the big market teams laugh all they want.

The A's do it the right way... by developing homegrown talent and acquring talent via smart trades... not by throwing obscene amounts of money at players. Those fans laughing now won't be laughing in a couple years when The A's are as good as anyone.

 

[cybok0]

Bay is a good player, no doubt. But, from watching him the last several years, I know he's playing over his head right now. He'll cool down to his normal self pretty soon.

Oh, and he's prone to go into slumps that last a little too long sometimes.

Yeah wait till he strikes out every at bat.

 

[mccoyrj]

Yeah wait till he strikes out every at bat.

I could never understand that. He would suddenly be unable to hit pitchers he had been slamming early on. Maybe he was just depressed or something, knowing the Bucs probably weren't going anywhere again.

 

[AntAltMike]

I remember George Scott striking out 20 times in 25 at bats. He ended that string with a mamoth homer to dead left, which means he even miss-hit that because he didn't have a pull swing.

I remember the crowd stood up and called for Scott to come out of the dugout and take a bow, but he wouldn't come out, and the opposing pitcher wouldn't throw another pitch until the crowd died down, so there was an impass that lasted several minutes until Luis Tiant ended it by doing a Greoge Scott imitation for the crowd. He put on a warm-up jacket and rolled up another warmup jacket that he stuffed inside the one he was wearing, to look like Scott's big belly and he put on Scott's batting helmet (which Scott always wore in the field) and came out of the dugout and waved at the crowd, so that they then could sit back down.

 

[KCK_Halo]

Bill,

I think I told you earlier that you would enjoy JayBay. I am thrilled he has contributed in a big way for the Sox right away. You will grow to love him in Beantown!!!! ENJOY!

 

[BillD1984]

Bill,

I think I told you earlier that you would enjoy JayBay. I am thrilled he has contributed in a big way for the Sox right away. You will grow to love him in Beantown!!!! ENJOY!

KCK,

thanks and what a BREATH OF FRESH AIR this guy has been this weekend!!! You can actually see the body language of the whole team doing a 180 since The Trade. No one is standing around waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore.

 

[SabresRule]

You can actually see the body language of the whole team doing a 180 since The Trade. No one is standing around waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore.

Getting rid of a clubhouse cancer in Manny and leaving a moribund team in an empty stadium, like Bay did, will do that to you.

This is addition by subtraction, though it sometimes always doesn't work (see post Terrell Owens-49ers).

 

[KCK_Halo]

KCK,

thanks and what a BREATH OF FRESH AIR this guy has been this weekend!!! You can actually see the body language of the whole team doing a 180 since The Trade. No one is standing around waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore.

Buck and McCarver noted yesterday that when they interviewed Francona the previous Saturday you could see the frustration and anger just pouring thru his skin.

It's over. Jason will make you feel good every day, even if he is an 0fer.

 

[BillD1984]

Buck and McCarver noted yesterday that when they interviewed Francona the previous Saturday you could see the frustration and anger just pouring thru his skin.

It's over. Jason will make you feel good every day, even if he is an 0fer.

You, Sabres, Cosmo, Hart and a few others on this site get it, I just which the Manny apologists got it. Seeing this team hustling, playing hard, and pulling for each other is worth it's weight in gold to me. Bay will most certainly have his bad days, but at least I can invest 3 hours a day watching my team, knowing that all nine guys on the field have a common goal.

KCK,
thanks again for getting it!!! :up

 

[KCK_Halo]

KCK,thanks again for getting it!!! :up

Bill,

I've been watching JayBay and the "X" Man for years and have been one of their biggest supporters. I truly love them as a baseball fan.

 

[salsadancer7]

FYI

the A's kinda suck. Lets see him deliver against the Angels, Yankees or Rays.

I could not agree more.....Like I have said....Bay is a nice player and all, but let' see when the games mean something and the winning run is standing on 2nd and a sac fly will not do....

 

[salsadancer7]

KCK,

thanks and what a BREATH OF FRESH AIR this guy has been this weekend!!! You can actually see the body language of the whole team doing a 180 since The Trade. No one is standing around waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore.

What has happened to the modern day baseball team that they need to "gel" and "have a stable presence in the clubhouse" to win games??!! The Oakland A's you to FIST FIGHT with each other and STILL go to the World Series...Billy Martin almost punched Reggie Jackson's lights out IN THE DUGOUT NO LESS and STILL went to the World Series.... Pudge and Josh Beckett HATED EACH OTHERS GUTS and they STILL went to the World Series......Gimme talent and winning and all that cry baby bull**** takes care of itself....


...gimme a break, "waiting for the other shoe to drop"...... IF the Red Sox were in 1st place by 10 games....none this Manny is and Manny that would be around.....