The Triumphant Red Sox Blog

Julio Lugo News Flash

2009-07-17T12:16:00.004-04:00

This just in from WEEI FLASH:

WEEI.com has learned from a source familiar with the situation, that the Red Sox have designated Julio Lugo for assignment. Visit http://www.weei.com

Surprised? No one should be, not only given Lugo's poor performance on the field and his lack of playing time, but also because of numerous online news stories in the last 24 hours indicating that Lugo's departure was imminent (he didn't travel with the team to Toronto, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne; the team is willing to assume Lugo's salary if he is traded, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal; and the need for a roster spot given the activation of Mike Lowell and Jed Lowrie and the ascension of Clay Buchholz, according to the Herald's Sean McAdam).

Thus is appears that the Red Sox will discard yet another shortstop while paying him to play for someone else.

Divine Revelation

2009-06-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

I would have blogged sooner, but I was waiting for inspiration from God. After last night's Red Sox victory over the Yankees—the eighth in eight meetings this season, in case you hadn't heard—I got it.

The First Book of Penny
(with apologies to Samuel)

Now the MFY gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Fenway, which belongeth to The Nation, and pitched between Yawkey and Lansdowne and Van Ness, in Back Bay.

And Francona and the men of Sox were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Kenmore, and set the battle in array against the MFY.

And the MFY sat in a dugout on the one side, and the men of Sox stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a diamond between them.

And there went out of the dugout of the MFY, a pitcher named Carsten Charles, of the house of Sabathia, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a cap of navy blue upon his head, and he was armed with a jersey of gray; and the weight of the uniform was considerable so as to cover his large midsection and bubble butt. And his glove was of fine hide, and his ball finely stitched.

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Sox, and said unto them, Ye are going down. Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Bronxite, and ye servants to Francona? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to defeat me, then will we be your bitches: but if I prevail against him, then shall ye be our bitches.

When Francona and all Sox heard those words of the Bronxite, they were dismayed, because face it, the Bronxite was a bad-ass.

Now Francona had five starting fighters, one who was Josh of the house of Beckett, and also Jon of the house of Lester, and Daisuke of the house of Matsuzaka in the land of the rising sun, and also there was the old man among them, being Tim of the house of Wakefield. The fifth was a lowly man named Bradley Wayne, of the house of Penny, known in The Nation as He of the Big Inning, God Help Us.

And so it was that the turn of Bradley came up to face the Bronxite, Carsten Charles by name, of the house of Sabathia, out of the armies of the MFY.

And all the men and women of The Nation, when they saw the matchup, averted their eyes, and were sore afraid.

And the men of Sox said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? Surely to defy The Nation is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the general manager will enrich him with great riches, and will give him a bonus, and an extra sandwich from the post-game buffet.

And Bradley spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that defeateth this Bronxite, and deliver yet another smackdown to the MFY? For who is this Bronxite, that he should defy the armies of the living Theo?

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that defeateth him.

And Bradley came on and drew near unto the MFY, and together with the pitcher Carsten Charles did dueleth. And there was no score until David, of the house of Ortiz, jacked one.

And it continued that Carsten Charles and Bradley further dueled, until the obscure Francisco, of the house of Cervelli, and A-Rod, of the house of Steroids, batted in three runs off Manny, of the house of Delcarmen, who hung his head in shame. And when the Bronxite left the field of battle, he thought he had it all sewn up.

But the Bronxite foresaw not the evil MFY bullpen. And as he gazed upon the diamond, he saw Alfredo, of the house of Aceves, and Phil, of the house of Coke, give up the store. For it was J.D. of the house of Drew, Jason of the house of Bay of the northern region, and Mike of the house of Lowell who avenged Bradley. And Takashi, of the house of Saito in the land of the rising sun, didst hold the lead, and Jonathan the Insane, of the house of Papelbon, got the save. And theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees lost, for the eighth time in a row this season against the armies of Sox.

And in the Nation, there was much rejoicing.

And so it came to pass that a voice rang out across the land, and the voice proclaimed, Yankees sucketh.

And Then There Were Two

2009-05-08T13:04:00.001-04:00

If you have read the late David Halberstam's The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship, you know that from the Red Sox teams of the 1940's emerged a quartet of players who, despite their many differences, forged a friendship that would last all their lives. Bobby Doerr got to the Red Sox first, in 1937, and was perhaps the most mild-mannered. Ted Williams was the last to retire, in 1960, and the most volatile. Johnny Pesky (né Paveskovich) was the youngest, the last of the group to join the team, and the only one who didn't play his entire career with the Red Sox. Dominic DiMaggio was the oldest and the only one who left baseball entirely after his playing days were over.

The men met through the Red Sox and remained a foursome of dear friends until the 2002 death of Williams. And early this morning, DiMaggio became the second of the teammates to die.

I had the pleasure of interviewing DiMaggio in 1996 while working in television production. Among the topics we discussed was the Hall of Fame, in which his friends Williams and Doerr were enshrined. Many (including Williams) believed that DiMaggio deserved to be in the Hall as well, and probably would be if his career hadn't been overshadowed by that of his older brother, Joe. So I asked him if he thought the Veterans Committee would ever select him. His straightforward response, delivered without so much as a chuckle, was that he didn't know, but if they did, he hoped it would be before he died so he could enjoy it. (It was a better question that what my mother wanted me to ask him, which was, "What was it like being Marilyn Monroe's brother-in-law?") When Williams, who sat on the Veterans Committee, passed, so probably did The Little Professor's shot.

Now, after 92 years of living, Dom DiMaggio follows Ted Williams into our memories, but without having received the accolades that his three friends got — Williams and Doerr with plaques in Cooperstown, Pesky joining the other two with his uniform number retired). DiMaggio was one of the inaugural members of the Red Sox' team Hall of Fame, but it doesn't seem quite enough.

The Veterans Committee should give serious consideration to admitting DiMaggio, who meets their criteria. Fans can submit their input via the Hall of Fame web site or to the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326. But regardless of what they do, the Red Sox, having dispensed with their erstwhile rule that only players enshrined in Cooperstown could have their numbers retired, should afford the honor posthumously to DiMaggio and retired number 7.

Ask Bobby Doerr and Johnny Pesky, the two surviving teammates. They'll agree.

That Depends on What the Meaning of the Word "Is" Is

2009-05-07T17:30:00.001-04:00

You just knew this morning's report and the subsequent noontime announcement of Manny Ramirez' positive drug test wasn't going to be the end of the story. Sure enough, just after the shock (or, in my neck of the woods, unbridled elation) wore off, another shoe dropped: a report about precisely which banned substance was involved. (Note: the linked article has been updated several times since I started writing this post. The text quoted was present in the article as of the time I published.)

[T]esting by Major League Baseball showed that Ramirez had testosterone in his body that was not natural and came from an artificial source, two people with knowledge of the case told ESPN's Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn. The sources said that in addition to the artificial testosterone, Ramirez was identified as using the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG....

hCG...is typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. It is similar to Clomid, the drug Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and others used as clients of BALCO.

If true (and controversial information from unnamed sources should be taken with a grain of salt, I believe), then it means that either 1) Manny took steroids and was trying to get his little friends working again, or 2) Manny took HCG instead of steroids.

So did Manny, in his released statement (also available at the link), lie? Maybe not, especially in the case of 1). He might have released the most brilliantly crafted denial since Bill Clinton talked about "that woman." To wit:

Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue.

Steroid use is known to cause hypogonadism, which certainly qualifies as a personal health issue, even if it was caused by the patient's own steroid use.

He gave me a medication, not a steroid...

Manny doesn't say he never took steroids, only that the substance the doctor gave him to treat his "personal health issue" — and for which he subsequently tested positive — was not a steroid.

I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

Manny doesn't say he never took banned substances, just that he passed 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. That doesn't necessarily meant that 1) he took a number of other tests that he didn't pass, or 2) he didn't pass drug tests before that. Counting the 2009 season, "the past five seasons" would be 2005 through 2009. Not counting this season, 2004 would be included. But drug testing in baseball started in 2002. Penalties were triggered after the 2003 season, when more than 5% of the tests run were positive. In 2004, a first positive drug test carried a "penalty" of treatment only, no suspension or fine. Beginning in 2005, the current 50-game suspension for a first-time offense was adopted for steroids, a category in baseball's drug policy that includes certain hormones.

Don't think there isn't plenty more to come out on this story.

Manny Being Manny = Manny Cheating

2009-05-07T13:57:00.003-04:00

So you've just emerged from a cave after winter hibernation and haven't yet heard the news from a few hours ago: Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Manny is claiming it was an innocent mistake:

Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy.

Well, cry me a river. First of all, presuming that whatever drug he took really wasn't a steroid, MLB also bans a lengthy list of stimulants, illegal drugs, and several substances that fall under MLB's definition of "steroids" but are actually hormones. (See Section 2 "Drugs of Abuse, Performance Enhancing Substances, and Stimulants" in Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for the entire list of prohibited substances.)

Second, just because something was prescribed by a doctor doesn't make it medically legitimate. Not all doctors are ethical. This isn't a knock on Manny's doctor, about whom I know nothing. It's simply the way things are.

Third, the policy explicitly provides for valid exceptions under which players may use banned substances if medically necessary. (See Section 3 "Testing," subsection G "Therapeutic Use Exemption" of the Program.)

1. A Player authorized to ingest a Prohibited Substance through a valid, medically appropriate prescription provided by a duly licensed physician shall receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption ("TUE"). To be "medically appropriate," the Player must have a documented medical need under the standards accepted in the United States or Canada for the prescription in the prescribed dosage.... 2. A Player seeking a TUE must notify, or cause the issuing physician to notify, the IPA of the existence of the prescription.... 3. A TUE shall be effective from the date the Player notified, or caused the issuing physician to notify, the IPA of the existence of the prescription involved, and shall not be effective for any use or possession of a Prohibited Substance prior to that date....

What that all means is that, presuming that the substance in question was medically necessary, Manny and his doctor could have followed the clearly defined process for seeking an exemption. Absent that, it would still be possible for Manny to defend himself, in the public sphere if not within the realm of baseball's drug policy, by simply authorizing the Commissioner's Office to release the test results and authorizing his doctor to release medical records pertinent to the prohibited substance. To my knowledge, he has done neither and apparently has no plan to.

That leaves us with but one conclusion: Manny Ramirez is a cheat. Just like the other players who have tested positive, not to mention guys like Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Caminiti, et al.

And that leaves me, personally, with the need to pick a new player to consider the greatest hitter I ever had the privilege to watch play. How very sad.

Yankee Smackdown, Continued

2009-05-06T17:28:00.000-04:00

Your humble correspondent begs her readers' forgiveness for the delay in this report. Some of you may know that from last Thursday through Sunday, the Red Sox dropped three out of four games to the former Tampa Bay Devil Dogs, a result that left me in a fetal position, weeping uncontrollably. Oh, the shame.

Fortunately, I emerged Monday morning and saw my shadow, forecasting yet another sweep of the New York Yankees. And so it came to pass that over two rainy nights in a half-full, overpriced stadium in the urine-stained Bronx, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett and a posse of Red Sox relievers and hitters kicked ass and took names. Despite toying with their opponents by allowing a few runs, our heroes made the MFY their biatches. Case in point: the much vaunted younger players Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher combined to go 0 for 14, wiping the smirks off their fugly mugs. The less vaunted and older Hideki Matsui was 1 for 5. Melky Cabrera was 4 for 8, but his name (which, as far as I can tell, really is Melky), is so ridiculous that I'm still ignoring him. Mark Teixeira managed to hit two home runs, but for his $20.625 million salary this year, he's still batting below the Mendoza Line.

Which brings us to our daily lesson in baseball terminology. Many have heard but few understand the number known as the "Mendoza Line." So named for former major league shortstop Mario Mendoza (who hit .180 in the 1975 season, .185 in 1976, .198 in 1977 and 1979, and — wait for it —.118 in his final major league season), the Mendoza Line is typically considered to be a batting average of .200. Personally, I believe it's possible to suck even with a batting average slightly above .200, which is why I prefer instead the more obscure "Ainge Line," referring to Danny Ainge's career major league batting average of .220 before he made the very wise jump to professional basketball. I am happy to report that both Jason Varitek and David Ortiz are now hitting above the Ainge Line. And speaking of Ainge, the MFY's Captain Intangibles, also known as The Most Overrated Shortstop of His Generation, made a couple plays in the brief series that made it look like he learned defense from The Danny Ainge Infielder's Instruction Video ($7.99 plus shipping and handling, call before midnight tonight!)

But I digress.

The biggest difference between the two teams wasn't batting (both had plenty of hits and a few home runs). It was pitching. The good guys used a total of six pitchers in their two wins, while that other, lesser team needed 11 pitchers to lose. The MFY pitching staff is in disarray, despite having spent great big Steinbrenner bucks in the off-season on two big-name free agent pitchers to go with their high-paid, big-name, light-hitting first baseman. At this moment, it could be said that the Yankees are the worst team money could buy. If we could replace all our remaining Rays games on the schedule with Yankees games, what a wonderful world this would be.

So the question of the day is... Will the New York Yankees ever win a game against the Boston Red Sox again? Probably, but they'll have to wait a month to try. The two teams meet again at Fenway June 9-11. Mark your calendars. And since these two teams always manage to play painfully drawn-out games (Monday's game ended at 1:15 a.m., thanks in part to a 2 1/2 hour rain delay), don't forget the No-Doze.

In other news, we have another two-game mini-series tonight and tomorrow, this time against the Cleveland Indians in Boston. Tonight's pitching match-up: Justin Masterson vs. Carl Pavano. Sox fans may remember Pavano as the prospect Dan Duquette traded to the Montreal Expos to get The Former Red Sox Pitcher Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken (but his initials are P*dro Martin*z). Best move the cowlicked one ever made as GM, and it seemed even more so after Pavano signed with the Evil Empire for big money and then sat on the DL for the better part of four years. I get all tingly just thinking about it. Tomorrow's pitchers are Tim Wakefield vs. Aaron Laffey, who is young enough to be Wakefield's son. I predict that old age and cunning will defeat youth and skill in that match-up.

In town for three days this weekend are the aforementioned Rays. I have instructed my co-workers that if I'm not at work Monday morning, they are to send out a search team, and make sure they bring lots of liquor.

The Ortiz Question

2009-04-29T14:48:00.002-04:00

Rumor has it that the Red Sox are working on a deal trading David Ortiz. In return, the Sox will get Aunt Jemima because she's a better batter. ("Batter" — get it?)

In all seriousness, though, I am worried about Big Papi. Don't count me among those people who think he's washed up, finished, cooked, stick a fork in him. But I'm with Jerry Remy, who said on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show this morning that he thinks Ortiz is pressing to get that first home run.

It isn't that he isn't hitting. His season average of .238 is misleading, reflecting a very slow start in the first five games, during which he hit only .125. In the next seven games, he hit .194 and had his first extra-base hit, a double. But since then, Ortiz has an eight-game hitting streak with an average of .333, eight RBI, and six doubles — good by anyone's standards. The homers, though, remain elusive.

Papi has never been a high-average guy, excepting the 2007 season when he finished the season at a career-high .332. Last year, his average fell significantly (.264) and his home run total (23) was the lowest since he left the Minnesota Twins. For the last eight games, he has been a high-average guy with no power.

The question is what kind of hitter is David Ortiz now? And perhaps more appropriately, what kind of hitter do the Red Sox need him to be? With Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek (!) on a pace to top 140 total home runs this season, there is an argument to be made that Ortiz doesn't have to be a slugger. His most useful role may be to move Ellsbury and Pedroia ahead of him and then be batted in by Youk and Bay. As a fan, I'd take that and be happy with it.

Still, there are many who would see that as a failure, as the end of Big Papi. That isn't fair.

The Natural Order of the Universe

2009-04-27T18:08:00.005-04:00

It was epic. It was prodigious. It was a beatdown for the ages. The Archangel banished Beelzebub to the fiery netherworld. And among MFY fans, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For three games this past weekend, the Yankees really DID suck. Spectacularly.

Game 1, Friday. It was a fairly typical game, with not much of anything special. The Red Sox were on the short end of a 4-2 score and threatening to tie it or take the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Enter MFY manager "Clueless Joe" Girardi to bring in closer Mariano Rivera to get a four-out save. The only problem was that Girardi forgot that the "O" at the end of "Mariano" stands for "owned" — by Red Sox hitting. Check it out: from 2004 to the present, Rivera has a 1.93 ERA and a 92.27% save percentage overall, but just 3.29/73.33% against the Sox. So naturally, with a runner on base and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Rivera gave up a home run to our pasty-white Canadian outfielder, Jason Bay. Tie game, and it was off to extra innings, where Kevin Youkilis put an end to the madness with an 11th inning walk-off homer. Just like that, THEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES LOSE!!!

Game 2, Saturday. But wait, there were more taters where those came from. The long balls continued into Saturday, on both sides. Let's ignore the starting pitchers, who reportedly are undergoing ECT to wipe out all memories of their sordid performances. Not that the relievers did much better. By the end of the game, the evil ones had scored 11 MFR (mother f***ing runs). Now I'm a big believer in the principle that any team that gives up 11 runs in a game doesn't deserve to win, but fortunately the Red Sox disagreed with me and scored 16 runs of their own by the time all was said and done. Jacoby Ellsbury, solo homer. Mike Lowell, three-run homer. Jason "Captain Thighs" Varitek, grand salami. Sox win again! They also managed tear the MFY bullpen to shreds, which would come in handy for...

Game 3, Sunday. The unwelcome guests needed their starter, Andy Pettitte, to go deep into the game and hold the Sox offense at bay, since their bullpen continues to suck like a Hoover. Oddly enough, their bullpen did a great job...of shutting the barn door after Juice Boy let the horses out in the form of 4 Red Sox runs. Pettitte ought to take a lesson from Justin Masterson, who gave up just one itty-bitty run. But that wasn't the best of it. Ellsbury, whom a friend and reader has nicknamed "The Little Thief," decided to embarrass MFY veteran catcher Jorge "Rodent Face" Posada by stealing home. Having been in attendance in Grandstand 26, your humble correspondent can now cross "Watch a steal of home plate, live and in person" from the list of things to do before she dies.

The entire weekend was something we in New England like to call a "sweep," or as they say in the Bronx, "WHAT THE $&%#@ HAPPENED?" As I fell, exhausted, into bed last night, I swear I heard a pathetic whimper from southwestward, and it sounded strangely like Hank Steinbrenner.

(Edited to correct a typo.)

The Rivalry, 2009 Version

2009-04-24T12:59:00.007-04:00

Showdown part 1 — Good vs. Evil — God vs. Satan — the Olde Towne Team vs. the Mother F***ing Yankees. The Sox have hot bats and a 7-game winning streak. The Evil Empire have a 3-game winning streak that is about to end.

Game 1, tonight at 7:10. Tune in to NESN to see Jon Lester get the start for the good guys against Joba "the Hut" Chamberlain. Young Mr. Lester always looks cranky, but maybe that adds a little extra something to his fastball. I'm putting the over-under on how many times Chamberlain hits Kevin Youkilis at 2. Expect a bench-clearing brawl and ejections, which we can hope will include the MFY's Captain Fist Pump and the hideously ugly Hideki Matsui. Advantage: Red Sox.

Game 2, tomorrow at 4:10. It's a Fox broadcast, which means we'll end up listening to The Velvety Smooth Voice of Major League Baseball and his sidekick, he of the shoe-polished hair, Tim McAsswipe. God, I hate the fact that that man ever wore a Red Sox uniform. To avoid the need to save your sanity by puncturing your eardrums with an ice pick, I recommend turning the TV volume down and getting your audio from AM 830 instead. Oh, and the game itself? A.J. "If It's Almost May, I Must Be Due for a Stint on the DL" Burnett against Josh "&#$%@" Beckett, who never met a 4-letter word he was unwilling to use in a postgame interview. Advantage: MFY, unless someone really pisses Beckett off and he decides the MFY are in need of an epic smackdown.

Game 3, Sunday 8:05pm. ESPN game of the week, and your humble correspondent will be there. Look for me on TV. I'll be the one cheering with lots of people around me. ESPN games are always longer than normal because the TV breaks are ridiculous. Besides, the Sox-Yanks have a way of turning a 2 1/2 hour evening at the park into 4 1/2 hours of Where-the-hell-is-the-Maalox. Pitching matchup: Justin Masterson (whom I'd do in a heartbeat if he weren't younger than my kid) against confessed juicer Andy Pettitte. On paper, this matchup seems to favor the MFY, especially if Boston has to use up their bullpen in the first two games. But I wouldn't count Masterson out because he has nerves of steel, and did I mention he's adorable?

Boston hitters to watch: Youk is 2nd in the AL in batting average. Mike Lowell is 4th in RBI, having knocked in runs in his last seven games. Nick Green is doing more than his share subbing for the injured Jed Lowrie and rehabbing Julio Lugo, whose name itself makes me throw up in my mouth. Big Papi may be coming around at the plate, though I must withhold judgment until he raises his average and home run total above Jason Varitek's.

New York hitters to watch: Robinson Cano was on fire but has slipped in the last week. Ditto Nick Swisher, the only Yankee I'll root for at the plate (except in a close game) because he's on my fantasy baseball team. Melky Cabrera has been hitting well, but I just can't take seriously someone named Melky. Judas Demon still looks like a moron. Mark "I'm Making HOW MUCH MONEY???" Teixeira continues to thrill me by batting .222.

And that's your series preview in a nutshell. Have fun, party hearty, and don't forget to designate a sober driver.

(Edited to insert omitted word.)

Counting Our Blessings

2009-04-14T11:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, things are bad right now for the Red Sox. But they could be much worse. Rocco Baldelli could be pitching out of the bullpen.

Play Ball!

2009-04-08T10:52:00.004-04:00

It took an extra day to get rid of the rain, but the Red Sox opened the 2009 season at home on Tuesday afternoon, and it was worth the wait. After being rained out on Monday, the Sox and defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays (they're no longer Devil Rays, but evidently a kinder and gentler Ray, sort of like a ray of sunshine - gag) played to a full house. The good guys won, 5-3.

#1 starter Josh "If-There's-a-Swear-Word-I-Haven't-Used-in-a-Post-Game-Press-Conference-I'm-Not-Trying-Hard-Enough" Beckett was everything we'd want him to be: 7 innings on only 93 pitches, allowing only 2 hits and striking out ten. Rumor had it that the Yankees' C.C. Sabathia was in attendance, disguised as a fat cotton candy vender, just to get a glimpse of what a real ace looks like.

Every Sox batter had at least one hit, except the adorable Jacoby Ellsbury, whom I'll forgive if he lets me take him home. Dustin Pedroia, the shortest MVP in the history of American professional team sports, had a first-inning homer. Kevin Youkilis and his enormous chin had two hits. Even Captain Thighs had a moment of clarity in which he remembered how to hit. Good times all around.

New England wakes up this morning to find the Olde Towne Team tied for second place with the Baltimore Orioles, a half game behind the Toronto Blue Jays, and one game into an undefeated 162-0 season. The M*ther F***ing Yankees are in last place. All is right with the universe.

Opening Day Washed Out

2009-04-06T11:23:00.001-04:00

The Red Sox announced earlier today that today's opening game against the Tampa Bay Rays has been postponed until tomorrow at 4:05pm due to forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Tickets for today's game will be honored tomorrow.

This is why the practice of scheduling a day off between the first and second games of the season is a good idea. No one wants to wait two months to use their opening day tickets.

As If We Couldn't Have Guessed

2009-03-23T12:09:00.006-04:00

A couple hours ago, I got a WEEI Flash text message reporting Curt Schilling's retirement from baseball. Schilling made the announcement directly on his web site.

Talk about anti-climactic. Honestly, my first thought was, "He wasn't already retired?"

In my mind, this was a foregone conclusion. Schilling certainly wouldn't have agreed to blog on WEEI.com for the next year if he thought there was even the slightest chance he might be playing somewhere else. And I don't know anyone who thought the Red Sox were remotely interested in bringing him back for another year. All that was left was for him to make it official, which he has.

I have enjoyed the ride with him. I laughed at the Ford pickup ad ("Going to break an 86-year-old curse") and the Dunkin' Donuts ad ("Pahk. Pahk the cah.") I cringed at the sight of the bloody socks and got queasy upon hearing a description of the procedure that allowed him to pitch in those two games. I hollered at my television screen when I saw the weight gain. I smiled when he called out Manny. I got misty and thought of my late cousin Joe when he asked for money for ALS research. All in all, I liked him.

Sure, some so-called fans hate him for his politics because, you know, only celebrity Democrats like Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino are allowed to campaign for their chosen candidates. Tell me you'd rather he had never come here. Tell me you'd give up 2004, the organizational confidence from which helped promulgate 2007 as well. Go ahead and say it. I won't believe you.

The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

2009-03-20T14:51:00.004-04:00

The good: Shortstop Jed Lowrie is hot in spring training, with (going into today's game) a .439 batting average, .872 slugging average, two home runs, and 10 RBI. He'll be the starting shortstop while Julio Lugo rehabs from arthroscopic knee surgery...and maybe afterward.

The bad: Jason Varitek is hitting .160 up to today (though he had a three-run homer this afternoon). David Ortiz is doing only slightly better at .200.

The unknown: Who is Josh Reddick? He's a 22-year-old left-hitting outfielder who hit .311 last season in time with Single-A Greenville and Lancaster, and AA Portland. This spring, he hit .500 in 13 games.

Quick Hits

2009-03-18T20:16:00.003-04:00

Some of the stories that have caught my eye of late:

Sporting News Today reports that if pitcher Brad Penny's right shoulder isn't set by opening day, Justin Masterson will start the season as the #5 starter.

The Herald's Sean McAdam says first baseman Kevin Youkilis will have an MRI in on his left ankle after a few days of Achilles tendon pain. Youk joins teammate and reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia as victims of injuries suffered while playing in the World Baseball Classic.

For the second time in three years, the Josh Bard era has come to an end. The Sox released the backup catcher today, clearing the way for what might prove to be minor leaguer George Kottaras' big break.

In case anyone still hasn't heard, shortstop Julio Lugo underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday to repair a torn meniscus. He'll be out up to a month. And there was much rejoicing. (Actually, I hate to see anyone injured, especially someone like Julio who seems to be a very nice guy, but you know what I'm saying.) Adam Kilgore at the Globe points out that Jed Lowrie's resulting ascension to the starting job means a backup infielder is now needed, with Nick Green, Angel Chavez, Ivan Ochoa, and Gil Velazquez all contenders now that they are under minor league contract with the club.

Finally, WEEI's Dennis and Callahan had author Jeff Pearlman on their show this morning. Pearlman's new book, The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality, is due out next week. It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, the book says about whether or not Clemens used drugs during his tenure with the Red Sox. Pick up a copy at a discount on Amazon. My order is already in.

The Triumphant Red Sox Fan Tweets

2009-03-15T15:12:00.003-04:00

So I joined this Twitter thing last night. Not sure if I'll keep it going, but just in case I do, I decided it would be cool to have my posts here show up there. (Being a Twitter neophyte, I only realized this could be done because I noticed that someone else updated via something called Twitterfeed. I Googled that, and the rest is history.)

If you're on Twitter and would like to follow me, my user name is >kellyjsox. Be aware, however, that my tweets won't be just about baseball. In fact, most of them probably won't be about baseball. If you're cool with that, I'd love to have you on board.

Waxing Poetic

2009-02-06T10:34:00.008-05:00

Happy Truck Day! Karen wrote a bit of verse to send on the equipment to Fort Myers:

Truck Day
(with a nod to Ernest Thayer's Casey at the Bat, penned 121 years ago)

The winter winds were howling down Yawkey Way last night;
Ice hung from bleacher railings, what a cold and chilling sight.
Deep inside the sacred home of bats and balls and glory,
A tiny mouse named Petey began to tell a story.

It was the tale of Terry, the brave and valiant knight,
Who never cried and never quit but exercised his might;
In quiet, simple, strength he fought 'gainst Jay, and Ray, and Yankee;
All season long he hung on strong with little but a 'thank ye'.

Then Youk and Pap and Jacoby with Dice-K, Wake, and Timlin;
Saw Theo smile and break a grin and say to someone, "Come in!"
So in trooped Saito, Smoltz, and Bard and returning Mr. Kotsay,
And someone heard John Henry say, "The season starts today."

There was an ease in Tito's manner as he stepped out of the crowd;
There was pride in his demeanor which showed that he was proud.
He told us all that they were ready and not to be downcast,
"It's a new year. It's a new day. (Boy this winter went by fast!)"

So load 'em up – get all the stuff – and don't forget a thing;
The base balls, gloves, and liniment - especially Terry’s RING.
Rotation charts and cribbage boards and every other item
That could be used against the Yanks to help us when we fight 'em.

"Oh somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;"
But the greatest joy's in Boston – the equipment truck's set out!

The Triumphant Son, who is a man of few words and is thus partial to haiku, marked the event more succinctly:

Throw and hit the ball
This year is the one, again
Yankees fans beware

One Fan Speaks, the Red Sox Listen

2009-02-05T16:13:00.008-05:00

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead

I'm so proud of my friend Karen right now, I could burst.

Karen is one of those card-carrying members of Red Sox Nation™ (yes, I write that disparagingly) who has forked over her dues each year in the hope that it will give her access to the elusive game tickets. I've tried to tell her that she doesn't need a membership, she needs a friend who manages to get her hands on tickets throughout the season, and that friend of course would be moi. But I digress. Through her Nation™ membership, she receives periodic e-mails entitled, "Red Sox Nation Citizen News."

A couple weeks ago, one such e-mail talked about Truck Day, which for those of you not keeping track is tomorrow. Last year, Truck Day was on a Saturday, and Karen and I met Cyn on Yawkey Way after picking up a couple tourist guys from Illinois in the Kenmore T station, but that's another story. The five of us, and a small but enthusiastic group of similarly deranged Sox fanatics watched the truck being loaded with everything from hats to bats to compression shorts (something I still don't want to know about) and talked to the loitering media types who were there to cover what is a big event in no other city in the world. When the truck finally pulled away from the curb, drove down Yawkey Way, and turned onto Brookline Avenue on its way to Fort Myers, it was Karen who waved a heartfelt bon voyage to the departing semi — and got her picture on the Boston Globe web site doing so.

So back to the e-mail about Truck Day. Karen was a bit crestfallen that she couldn't be there due to work commitments, so she wrote to the Red Sox Nation™ people suggesting that perhaps fans who couldn't be there in person for the send-off could instead e-mail in their warm spring training wishes, which would then be printed and packed in the truck with the compression shorts.

This afternoon, she received this:

RED SOX NATION CITIZEN NEWS

The Red Sox Equipment Truck leaves for Spring Training TOMORROW!

The truck departure lets us know that pitchers and catchers are right around the corner, and that the 2009 season is about to begin!

With that in mind, and on a suggestion from a fan who e-mailed me just a few days ago (you know who you are) [TRSF's note: IT'S KAREN!], we'll be collecting your e-mails and sending them down to Spring Training on the equipment truck! It's our hope that sending messages of support from all over Red Sox Nation down to Florida might just bring our team some good luck to start the season off right! So, please e-mail insider [at] redsox.com by tomorrow (Friday) at noon to have your message sent down with the equipment truck.

Your e-mails could be anything from a simple "Good luck, boys!" to a message of support for a particular player.

Just send them along now so we can get them on the truck!

All the best from inside the Front Office,
The Voice of the Nation

OK, people, you know what to do. Karen has started the ball rolling. Let's take advantage of her efforts on behalf of us all, and get those messages sent off tonight.

Margaret Mead may not have been a Red Sox fan, but we can still prove her right.

Deal Done

2009-01-30T15:05:00.003-05:00

According to the Boston Herald:

Varitek, who turns 37 in April, will receive $5 million in 2009. The club holds a $5 million option for 2010 and if it declines, Varitek can exercise a $3 million option of his own or become a free agent. The presence of the player option technically makes the contract a two-year deal in the eyes of the union.

Varitek also has $2 million in performance bonuses that he can earn in 2010 if he catches 120 games, but they are only attached to his player option.

This sounds like what has reportedly been on the table, so I'm not sure what took so long. It's possible that the two sides were quibbling over the little extras that get thrown into a contract, such as travel perks and other seemingly inconsequential details.

Tek Talks Continue

2009-01-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Globe's Tony Massarotti reports that the Jason Varitek negotiation isn't over just yet.

According to a baseball source earlier this week, the Sox composed the letter to Varitek last Thursday, Jan. 22, and sent it to the player and his agent, Scott Boras, by registered mail. According to another baseball source yesterday, the letter was delivered to the player and his agent at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, and gave the player one week to reply, a precise deadline the team intended to enforce at a moment when negotiations appeared most tense.

Late last night and this morning, the same source indicated that the sides expected to go into the late morning and early afternoon in hopes of resolving the matter. Boras, who is based on the West Coast, is expected to contact club officials today to accept or decline the offer.

The burning question is what the team's "Plan B" is (you know they have one) in case this doesn't get done. Pitchers and catchers report in 13 days, and as things stand now it would be pitchers and catcher, as Josh Bard is the only one they have who anyone expects would be a regular on the major league roster. The current 40-player roster also includes minor leaguers Dusty Brown and George Kottaras, the latter of whom had a short stint with the parent club, and a 24-year-old I've never heard of named Mark Wagner.

The Clock Is Ticking on Varitek

2009-01-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

With the team-imposed deadline on the Sox' contract offer to Jason Varitek come and gone (on the east coast, at least), yesterday's breaking news looms large:

According to a baseball source [ . . . ] Varitek is seriously considering the option of sitting out the 2009 season and/or retiring rather than accepting the contract offer made to him last week.

[ . . . ]

Though Varitek appears to have no other suitors at this time, it would not be unprecedented for him to sit out until he receives an offer to his liking. With agent Scott Boras advising him, Varitek opted to return to Georgia Tech for his senior year after being drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993. He re-entered the draft and was selected in the first round by the Seattle Mariners in June 1994, then signed with the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League because he could not come to terms with the Mariners.

Varitek never actually played for the Saints and eventually signed with the Mariners in April 1995, but he lost almost a full year of development.

The risk now seems to be even greater, since the captain's marketability is already low. It's hard to see what he stands to gain by waiting until he is even older than he is now, potentially out of shape, and less familiar than other catchers with the league's new hitters. By playing, at least he has the potential to show that he still can play.

The offer on the table may not be for long years or big money (not that $5 million isn't big money to most of us, but that's another discussion), but it is guaranteed money. It's also, in essence, a guaranteed two years in that the second year is a dual option which can be exercised by either the team or the player. So even if Varitek has another dismal year, he can still pick up the option to play—and earn millions—for one more year. Indeed, the only potential downside for Tek is if he were to have a bang-up season in 2009 and then have the Sox pick up the option year, denying him the chance to give free agency another try.

But on the larger issue of Scott Boras' apparent advice to his client, Varitek has already been screwed by Boras, who advised against accepting the team's offer of salary arbitration so he could get more via free agency. That hasn't worked out so well. Neither will this latest ploy, if Varitek is foolish enough to go along with it.

Paps Inked for 1-Year Deal

2009-01-20T16:31:00.005-05:00

Alerted by a WEEI Flash text message I just read, I am somewhat happy to pass along an Associated Press story that the Red Sox and closer Jonathan Papelbon have agreed to a one-year contract for $6,250,000 to avoid salary arbitration.

On the up side, the news renders obsolete a report filed less than an hour ago by the Boston Herald's Sean McAdam saying that arbitration may be imminent.

The negative is that the deal signals something of an impasse between the two parties, who had reportedly been working on a long-term deal to lock in Papelbon in similar fashion as they have sewn up Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis this off-season. One wonders what Papelbon is looking for, and if it's more than the relatively modest (for pro ballplayers, that is) numbers last year's MVP and second runner-up got.

Papelbon sometimes gives me the impression that he is a little too big for his britches, that his ego may get in the way of his making a reasonable business decision such as negotiation of a long-term contract. How much of his reluctance is a function of his agent is unclear, but ultimately the agent works for the player and not the other way around. In other words, if Papelbon wants a deal to get done, he has the power to instruct the agent to get it done.

Holy Crap, I Have to Blog More

2009-01-19T20:07:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the former Red Sox Chick, Cyn Donnelly, known affectionately by Tru and me and a few others as Beazer, for her new gig at WEEI.com. The Beaz will be blogging about the Red Sox throughout 2009 at Toeing the Rubber.

Having been my friend for awhile now, Beazer was kind enough to put this blog on her blogroll. Of course, it was on the blogroll at her old sites too, but WEEI.com is the really really big time, and it would be embarrassing if I were to get an avalanche of curious clickers showing up here to find nothing more than monthly posts.

Hence my motivation to avoid said embarrassment by pledging upon my sacred honor to post more. And if no one clicks through from Toeing the Rubber, then that's fine too.

It's About Damn Time

2009-01-12T14:56:00.004-05:00

New Year, New Post: Baldelli and Smoltz

2009-01-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Today seems like a good day to resurrect this blog, considering the stories out about the Red Sox' acquiring a fourth outfielder and a veteran pitcher.

ESPN.com's Peter Gammons reported last night that the Sox were "close to signing free-agent outfielder Rocco Baldelli" and that the announcement would be made at tonight's Boston Baseball Writers dinner. But apparently it's already announced, or so WEEI.com's "This Just In" box currently states:

The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with outfielder Rocco Baldelli on a one-year contract through the 2009 season. No further terms were disclosed. To make room for Baldelli on the 40-man roster, righthanded pitcher Charlie Zink was designated for assignment.In five seasons of major league action, Baldelli has compiled a .281 average, 94 doubles, 52 homers and 234 RBI in 447 games, all with Tampa Bay. He was 4-for-20 with two home runs and six RBI in his post-season debut this past fall. -- (Jan. 8, 12:49pm)

'EEI's is also carrying a Paul Newberry Associated Press story saying that Boston has "reached preliminary agreement" with versatile 41-year-old pitcher John Smoltz, a one-year deal for $5 million plus another $5 million in performance incentives. It sounds like a typical low-risk Theo Epstein deal for a player who was out last season with shoulder surgery but should be able to contribute on some level in 2009. Depending on his health, Smoltz could relieve and spot start, or be the fifth man in the rotation now consisting of Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and Tim Wakefield.

No word yet on a catcher...