As there seems to be a lot of Red Sox fans in the PBS membership I thought it might be fun to have a place where we can chat about our favorite team.  So here we go!  Of course we cannot prevent fans of other teams from placing their comments here, but all I ask is that any differences of opinion be set forth tactfully and reasonably, even among Red Sox fans. 

I would encourage fans from other teams to set up their own thread as well.  I know that other teams have their own "Nation" following, so this would be a good thing for you as well!

So, welcome to the PBS branch of Red Sox Nation and let the discussions begin!

Joy

Ok...I was starting to panic this morning. (lead in AL East down to 5 games) The game was on too late (usually I stay up no matter what but I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and way too tired at this point), but I spoke to some of the guys at work and they talked me off the ledge saying that the Yankees are beating up on bad teams right now and their schedule will get harder as the Sox get easier. Let's hope this is true. and that the Sox can gain some ground when they play the teams under .500. My husband is such the fan that always thinks the worst and I usually have more faith, Let's hope they can pull it off tonight. Yankees are lsong tonight, but only by 3-2 in the 3rd inning.

Who is everyone's favorite player on the team?

I like Coco Crisp and Mike Lowell best. (but of course, I love them all)

Dawn

Well Dawn, the good news is the Yankees lost 15-4 - Toronto must have taken all their frustrations out on them tonight!  I did not have much faith in us winning tonight - Ortiz was out with his shoulder hurting a bit again, Tito had promised Coco the night off, and decided to stick to that plan.  Manny did the DH role for Ortiz. So the outfield tonight is like this:

left field -Brandon Moss                                      centerfield -J.D. Drew (yes,  J.D.)                                                    right field -Wily Mo

Jon Lester was pitching.  Jerry Remy remarked that it looked like a B squad game down in Fort Myers instead of playing one of the best teams in the AL.  However, saying all that, I just checked the score and Boston is ahead 7-6 in the top of the 7th, they've scored the go ahead run and are still batting.

I haven't quite reached out on the ledge yet, but I sure am in panic mode!  :)  The guys at work are right, the Yankees schedule the rest of the way out is tougher than ours.  Finally.  I was wondering when they were going to actually start playing teams that aren't 25 games out of 1st place.  :)

I'll keep you posted if I stay up any later. Oh, my favorite player - Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, Manny, Big Papi, and Coco.  How's that for picking most of the starting line-up?  Ooops, I forgot Tek, so we might just as well throw Youk in there.  Julio - not so much!

Happy Baby by the way!!!

Joy

Joy - great thread you started here.  I am sure and the pennant race heats up you will find lots of friends here.  I have been a Sox fan for as long as I can remember.  Some of my favorite players are George Scott, Captain Carl....see I told you I have been a fan for a long time.

I am looking forward to the Baltimore series this weekend.  I am hoping we get up a couple of more games on the Yankees.  I liked being around the 10 game mark but I will be happy with 8.

My favorite players this year is definitely Captain Tek, Big Papi and Youk.  I like most of the starting lineup  and have faith in most of them.

My husband too is a negative fan.  Everytime JD Drew is at bat he makes a comment on how his isn't worth the money.  Then it is almost like Drew hears him because then he gets a great hit!  LOL  My hubby says that is why he says it because they can hear him and want to prove him wrong.

Lynne,

Your husband sounds a lot like mine when it comes to Drew. He is the same way with Matsuzaka (although he is coming around lately..my husband that is) and Wily Mo especially (although I can't say I blame him there).

Just watched a really good game by Josh Beckett (almost had a complete game, but was pulled with two out in the ninth). Let's all hope the Yankees lose tonight!!

Dawn

I right there with you Dawn.  That ninth inning was a nail biter.  I was so cheering for Josh.  I like him - the first time I saw him pitch was in Philly last year - we went down for the weekend and saw two games and Josh hit a home run - since then he is one of my favorite pitchers. 

I Like Josh Beckett too. He is so much improved from last year. I think last year he was just trying to throw the ball as hard as he could and this year, he is actually pitching and throwing more curves and breaking balls rather than just relying on his fastball. I think Varitek probably has a lot to do with that.

I was disappointed to hear that the Yankees won yesterday.....the lead is still 5 games, which is not comfortable enough in my opinion.

What a great game tonight...Clay Buckholtz becomes the first rookie in Red Sox history to pitch a no-hitter...

Wasn't that no hitter great!!!  It sure brings up some interesting questions like - what do they do with Clay now? The roster increase came not a day too soon and already Ellsbury, Moss, Buckholtz and Cash have made big impressions.  As I understood it from yesterday afternoon's game, JD Drew may be in the game.  Lynn, please make your husband make his negative comments about Drew, it must be why he is doing better.  It's kind of like having your own little Wally standing upside down in his white chair as long as they are winning, like Jerry Remy does. 

Well, we have picked up another game on the Yankees, we are now 6 ahead since they lost yesterday afternoon.  :)

What do you think about Jon Lester?  He won yesterdays game, and is now 3-0, but there is just something painful about watching him pitch.  He is so deliberate, makes so many pitches, and I'm constantly afraid that he is going to blow the game.  Maybe it is just because we're all so glad he is back and want him to do well, but I think he still has some work to do.

And then of course there is Eric Gagne.............................................................

We start a series with Toronto tonight, must be Dice-K pitching.  Go Red Sox!!!

Joy

Hi Everyone,

Yes, Dice-K is pitching today!  From what I have read and heard Eric Gagne is out for a while - he injured something.  I did not get to watch much of yesterday's game to see Jon Lester.  We do want him to do well - I think we are afraid he is not strong enough yet.  My hubby makes comments about J.D. every game - I was with friends the night of the no hitter and they were saying the same thing.  We will have to see what happens.  I hope we have a great series against Toronto! :) 7:05 is the time NESN is the place - see you all then.

I totally agree about Lester...I am rooting for him, but in the back of my mind, waiting for him to mess up. I think Ellsbury is awesome...what a great call-up he has been.

We are now 7 games ahead of the Yankees but that may not be for long since they are now winning their game 9-2 and we are tied and have had many chances to score more runs but have not taken advantage. 

Off to Baltimore tomorrow....who's pitching tomorrow? Did you guys see that they are not even having Manny make the trip because they know he will be out at least that long. 

I heard something funny a few weeks ago about Gagne on the radiio....they were talking about how Texas won their game 30-3 and someone said..."well, Texas was ahead 30-3 in the ninth inning...good thing they got rid of Gagne, he would have blown it"  I think Gagne will be just fine in time, but I am much more the optimist than my husband, who is all over him, Drew,and Matsuzaka. (and whoever else might be annoying him on any given day)

I have not been paying attention tonight.  I am not happy about the Yankees winning.  I was really hoping they would lose.  The last time I had looked they were losing.  I better start paying attention tonight.

I have had all the back to school paperwork to fill out and jury duty paperwork so I have been away from the television.

I thought I had read somewhere that Wake is pitching on Thursday.  You can't hold me to it because I saw it in passing.  I am trying to check the Red Sox website right now.

Here is what I found:

On deck: Tim Wakefield, whose late scratch (sore back) last week made possible Clay Buchholz's no-hit game, will return to the rotation on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. ET as the Red Sox open a brief four-game series in Baltimore. Orioles lefty Garrett Olson gets the start against the Red Sox.

Bad news - A Toronto 2 run Home Run - Oh, NO!!!!

So far so good with this Baltimore Series!  We've won two out of three so far.  Did you see Bulkhotz pitch the 3 innings Thursday night?  Man that kid can pitch.  I must be getting older though, because these young guys look like they should be still playing in high school. 

Jon Lester had a super game last night!  What was going on in Daniel Cabrerra's head last night?  He said the ball slipped out of his hand.  Right.  And I think Tampa Bay has a shot at the Wild Card.  I don't even want to think what would have happened if he had really hit Pedroia in the head. I agree with Jerry Remy though, he should have been ejected immediately.  What were they going to do, see if he could actually hit him the next time?  Ah well, it added to the excitement and we won the game.  Dice-K on the mound tonight and Beckett tomorrow afternoon.  Now I have a problem though because the Patriots first game is on the same time as the Red Sox game!

Hooray for Josh Beckett!!  He has now one 19 games, and best of all, he beat you know who!!!  :)

Josh is one of my favorite pitchers.  I got to see him pitch and hit last year against the Phillys in Philadelphia.  He has had my heart since I saw him hit a homerun and a base hit -  he was the only Red Sox to get a hit off Philly that night.  :)  I am really hoping he wins the Cy Young this year!

Me too.  I think winning his 19th game just has to put him ahead of everyone at this moment.  Certainly ahead of Wang.  Hope Schilling does well tonight.  

I'm jealous!  I haven't been to a Red Sox game anywhere for about 5 years.  Too expensive in Boston for sure. 

I think Jacoby Ellsbury is my new hero..... and such a little hottie too. 

Well, all I can say is that Schilling pitched a gem of a game until the 7th inning, which is huge.  And being 4 1/5 games ahead is way better than being 2 1/5 games ahead like it would have been if we had been swept.  On to Toronto..........

I agree, Jacoby Ellsbury is a great young player.  Unfortunately I am at the point in my life, since he could easily be my son or grandson, that I just want to pinch his cheeks and feed him pot roast!  He must use a tremendous amount of energy running around as fast as he does.  (I've always suspected that I have a little Italian somewhere in my background, I just want to feed everybody)!

Jacoby is a little hottie...he has Navajo Indian background I heard.  He sure is quick. 

I am starting to panic a little I guess with the lead down to 2.5...anyone else? Gagne just seems to be such a major disappointment. I really hop they can pull it off tonight and not get swept by Toronto.

Okay, I am now officially out on the ledge (the highest degree of panic on the Red Sox scale).  I cannot believe they were swept in Toronto.  The way they are playing they'll probably get swept in Tampa Bay - even Wakefield.  I know their magic number is down to 3 just to get a wild card spot, and they should at least be able to do that, but I am really worried they are not going to win the AL East Division.  And after they have been ahead almost the entire year!!!   Eric Gagne?  I don't think I trust myself to say anything about him.  I think Manny needs to get off his backside and start playing again or there may not even be any post season at all! Apparently Coco will be back in the line up Friday, but Youk could be longer (thanks to those blasted Yankees!!!) I am, by the way, very pleased that Beckett plunked Giambi over the weekend.  He is one pitcher who looks out for his teamates and will administer pay back whenever he can.  Well, I have ranted on long enough - but please feel free everyone to get your feelings down here.  Talking about it may help!  :)

I am with you, Joy. Kind of glad they aren't playing tonight. I need a break from them. I turned off the game once Papelbon gave up the grand slam last night and I NEVER do that....it just figures that the whole time we have been losing the damn Yankees have been winning!!! I hope they can at least get a spot in the playoffs, but after haaving led for so long, they should've won the division...

Post Season - here we come!!!!!  Yay!  Go Red Sox!

Great game tonight - great job by our captain, Julio Lugo and JD Drew.  He came through!  :)

I second your feelings Lynne!  Watch out Yankees, you may be next!  :)

Okay - we're down to the last 6 games of the regular season folks.  We are playing Oakland today at 7:00 and 5:00 tomorrow afternoon, then Minnesota for the next 4 games, all at 7:00 except for Sunday which is at 2:00.  Playoffs start Oct. 3.  I really hope we can win the division, but we are in the playoffs anyway, so I agree with Francona's plan to rest up the guys and not try to hurry Manny or Youk back into the lineup before they are ready.  Jacoby seems to be doing a fairly good job playing left field, and hitting, so it just makes sense to be sure Manny is really okay before he gets back.  I can't help but be a little suspicious of Manny and all the time it is taking for him to feel well, but if this is the only "Manny being Manny" episode we have this year it seems pretty tame considering some of the things he has pulled.  :) 

             WE WON THE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP AND HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS!!!!!! 

So exciting to watch this game.  How many of you stayed awake long enough to see Mariano Rivera blow a 3 run lead in the 9th to tie, and then the Orioles beat the Yankees in the bottom of the 10th?  :)  Evil grin. 

Fenway allowed any fans that wanted to stay to do so, and they played the Orioles/Yankees game on the scoreboard.  A couple thousand at least stayed, and they were really rewarded for their patience (it took the game 1 hour and 20 minutes to end!)  The team finally came out on the field after they finished celebrating by spraying champagne over each other in the clubhouse and sprayed the crowd with champagne, gave high fives to fans and basically jumped around.  Did you see Tina Cervasio interview Tito?  It may be just my imagination, but I think he was a mite tipsy after drinking so much champagne.

Didn't Dice-K pitch the game we have all wanted him to pitch for so long?  8 innings giving up 2 runs, and Papelbon doing his 1-2-3 inning thing in the 9th to save the win.  The game had everything - great pitching, defense, offense and Big Papi launching a home run into the monster seats.  :)

                                                                  LET THE POST SEASON BEGIN!!!