onegameatatime

No free agent busts? Monte Beisel? Chad Brown?

In addition to collective bargaining, another difference between baseball versus football and basketball is that in baseball, it's rare for a player to make a big contribution as a rookie. There are 40+ rounds of drafting and most never make it. Some make it after 6 or even 8 years in the minors.

This might be is one reason why baseball has a more cohesive players association. It also means baseball teams rely more on free agents.

Both sports are challenging in their own way, but could not be much more different in so many ways -- length of season, size of teams, emotion, team vs individualistic, etc.

Master Yates

Can we really keep these stupid threads to a minimum please. First of all, the last time I checked the Sox were still one of the last 4 (now 3) teams left. Also, the Pats haven't won anything yet, except for 6 regular season games. And when was the last time either team won anything significant again? Stop comparing football to baseball.

FlyingElvis75

Hehe, sounds exactly like me and the Bruins...talk about a dysfunctional organization. Trading Thornton away was the last straw for me...

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reflexblue

I hear you on that one.I use to be into the Bruins more than football. I wrote them off until old man Jacobs croaks,and the son decides to get out of selling hot dogs.

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FrontSeven

I see that the thread went in the direction of the collective bargaining agreement. That's fair, but doesn't tell the whole story. It does not explain why a manager like Tito (who I think shares a lot of traits with Bill), even though tied to a player's contract would sit an Ellsberry and play a lamer like Drew.

This brings up the whole issue of loyalty versus performance, and if the thread goes in that direction I think we see a clear distinction between Bill and Tito.

Everybody admires loyalty to a point. The Sox have crossed that point. Now it's like Nixon's loyalties: Self-defeating.

They may be tied to Drew, but that doesn't require them to play him. They're tied to Ellsberry too, just for less money. You play guys that can help you win after you reach the point where you are quite sure that the other guys aren't getting the job done. Sayonara white man with the talent who doesn't actually produce anything but singles with two out.