Pierre is younger and faster than Pods.  Both are below average outfielders and both throw like my grandmother (and she's been dead for five years.) Pierre put up some pretty solid numbers for the Dodgers last year when he filled in for Manny Ramirez. So it's not like the Sox acquired a stiff.  He's just had a rough start.

The key thing about Pods is that he wanted a two-year deal which the Sox weren't going to give him.  Pods has a long history of breaking down and he seems to be successful in alternate years rather than consecutive ones.  If he would have agreed to a one-year deal, he still might be with the Sox, but I think Ozzie really wanted Pierre, who Ozzie knew from his time as the Marlins third base coach.

On paper, it looked good and it still might if Pierre can right his ship and begin to get on base for the Sox and provide them with two out base hits.  The reality is Pods won't be hitting .326 at the end of the season.

You can debate it all you want,  you can say the devil you know is better than the one you don't know, but there are five months left in the season, time for both these players to have a reversal of fortune.  Sox fans hope that it's Pierre.

Lightning Round

• The time for talking for Jake Peavy is done.  He needs to put a significant amount of money where his mouth is tonight against the Royals.  All this talk about this and that improving hasn't so far led to anything other than him getting shelled in the first inning in Texas.  Peavy needs an all-star effort tonight and his next couple of starts if the Sox have any chance of getting back into this thing.
• Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth among Sox supporters as Donny Lucy gets sent back to Charlotte to clear room on the roster for Ramon Castro.  This should be the least of their worries.
• Since we don't get Comcast Sports Net in Wisconsin, I watched the game on TBS yesterday (well the first six innings anyway before I became totally disgusted and shut it off.)  A face familiar to those of us in Southeastern Wisconsin, Brewers TV announcer Brian Anderson was calling the game.  BA is not the most exciting announcer in history, but he is professional, prepared and does not ever use the phrase "fisted!"  He's a big improvement over the overwhelming stylings of Chip Caray.