Fenway Hotdogs In October

This Is The End

2004-06-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

This is going to be my last entry in this blog. I still love the Red Sox; I mentally overanalyze them, talk about them to anyone who'll listen and nod, watch them when I can scrounge money for tickets, and read other peoples' thoughts as much as I can. I just don't have enough time to post, and I feel like my opinions aren't really adding anything particularly revolutionary to the gigantic world of blogs. I'm not deleting this journal; for one thing I want to save the link list (I still like reading other blogs!) and I might change my mind.

Online, you can find me at my livejournal
or my poetry/personal page
or on AIM [ PenToThePage ]
or the email address above. If any visitors want to talk Sox, try me. Otherwise, have a wonderful time in the Sox blogosphere - because this is the year.

Interleague Play

2004-06-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

The Red Sox have a losing record in interleague play since it began in 1997 (hard to believe that means this is the eighth season), and although the systems been shaken up a little (we used to only play the NL east, for instance) and although we won this series against the Padres, I'm still not convinced that the innovation is good for baseball.

Its strengths are clear: giving players, coaches, fans, and of course the media an opportunity to be exposed to players that they rarely encounter; increasing novelty... actually, that's not a lot of strengths. I was going to say that it increases parity somehow, or instigates a better preview-rivalry for the World Series and the All Star game... but I'm not sure that it really has a positive effect on this aspect at all. It's not as if the entire league plays all the teams from the other league - that would be the way to make it fair, but it would be pretty undesirable. Even in the paradigm of one Baseball League, we would find a million flaws, such as the decreasing of rivalries (due to teams' overexposure to a larger number of clubs). There are divisions within leagues in part because it simplifies the aesthetic aspect of fandom.

I think that's a big part of why there is now an uneven season, with every team playing within the division more frequently. Unbalanced schedules are hotly debated, too, for that matter. But I can see the reason for them much more clearly: it actually DOES help the aesthetics and the rivalry; it helps to make up for the fact that there is a wild card (which, in existing, helps much but hurts the "fight" within each division).

Back to the topic: I am not a fan of interleague play. If someone can point out the real value of it to me, I might just stand corrected. I mean, I, too appreciate a little novelty. Facing Bonds gets some people excited, and the pitching matchups get more interesting. But I'm not just speaking selfishly as a Sox fan who knows that interleague play hurts her team. I'm speaking as a Baseball Fan whose first game at Fenway was against the Expos. Blah. And no, it's not because the Expos are awful that I have a problem: it's because the Expos, being in another league, just don't mean as much. If we aren't going to just make this all one league - and I don't think there are many who'd desire THAT - then why can't we make the All Star game and the World Series the time for the novelty?

If people are only going to turn on their TVs or buy tickets for one series, I doubt that they'll decide to do so because of a team from the other league coming to town. Much, anyways.

A side note: I added two new blogs to the bottom of my list. Check them out; they're great. I have been adding and finding a lot of new blogs lately - tis the season.

Managers

2004-06-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

Another new link! Welcome to the list, SurvivingGrady.com, which is certainly one of the more interesting site concepts I've seen recently.

Speaking of management... I'm curious on the world's take on Francona this year. I think that he's good at using his bench, but I'm not so much a fan of how he's handled the bullpen. Of course, these are always difficult things to judge: sometimes, a player is unavailable that we imagine "should" be out there. I also don't research into each and every matchup between pitcher and batter, and maybe sometimes that would reveal a deeper reason for the relievers chosen. Still, I hesitate to feel comfortable with just "trusting Terry" since, clearly, we learned last year that a manager is flawed. Even Torre, generally lauded as a "good manager," has his bad side when it comes to the bullpen it seems: maybe he knows more than we do, but I can't imagine his top middle relievers (Gordon, Quantrill) continuing at the rate they've been pitching at all year if you're counting innings.

Brings up the question of how much we can really laud a manager at all. Certainly, there are some situations where the manager has the call (like, oh, last ALCS...). There are some situations that the manager absolutely cannot control (like who is on the team). Some things the manager can control to a certain extent (who gets the call to the bullpen. some depends on his judgment, some one the players' availability). With the GMs and owners of the world breathing down any manager's neck and the politics of the players always complicated, there is no easy job for a manager. That's not really what I'm saying. I guess I'm saying: can Torre, for instance, be really declared part of the reason why the Yankees did so well under his care? Is he a good manager or was that just a good team? It's easy to blame a manager when he's clearly done something wrong (Grady) but it's difficult to know when he's really worth congratulating. Sometimes luck is on your side.

New Link

2004-05-31T10:23:00.000-05:00

Just wanted you all to see the new link I posted to a fellow blogger in the baseball blogosphere, Talking Baseball. Apparently it's run by some fellow Batesies and it's a pretty intelligent, interesting site.

Makes me think of that song, "Talking Baseball," of course:

"the scooter, the barber and the nuke
they knew 'em all from boston to debuke
especially willy, mickey and the duke."

the Walking Wounded

2004-05-30T11:12:00.000-05:00

Anyone in the Rhode Island area might want to think about checking out a PawSox game tonight, even if you don't usually follow minor-league baseball. A certain mister Nomar Garciaparra is making his first rehab start there tonight, to be followed by a game tomorrow and then a re-evaluation before possibly joining the (Pawtucket) team on Thursday in Ohio. This Globe Article touches on that rehab as well as a little bit on each of the other wounded players on the Red Sox.

Touching briefly upon these other injured, I will mention that Trot should be starting for single-A Sarasota and working his way up the minor league system on his way back to the Boston team. I am hoping this means he'll stop by my hometown team, the Portland Seadogs (AA) on his way, so I can spend about $6 to see him from about twenty feet away. ...Then Ellis Burks seems to be improving, but there seems no certain answer about exactly when he'll be back. They're thinking maybe a couple of weeks. ...Bill Mueller will be at least 6 weeks before he returns, and Francona assures the media that there won't be a takeover a la Brady-for-Bledsoe; when he returns he's starting at third. ... Finally, Mister Williamson is going to be supervised by Senior Pitching Advisor Cloninger while he pitches a bit and tests out his injured elbow.

I am always depressed after a couple of losses, but I should say, if we've made it this far being so hurt... there is no telling how amazing we'll be once every player is in working order.

Fenway Firsthand

2004-05-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

For the first time in a year, I saw a live Sox game, and for the first time in two it was at Fenway. I think I chose a good night: the weather was terrible and I didn't have reserve seats (and I was with 5 friends who, however great people, are not quite as Sox-obsessed as me), but the game itself was awesome. I got to see the 12-2 rout of the As, complete with a solid Curt pitching and a powerful offense.
Highlights:
*Bellhorn just a triple short of the cycle
*Manny's monster shot.
*The homerun that bounced Off the rf pole (but counted!)
*Ortiz, Damon, 'Tek and Pokey all having awesome nights
*The way the crowd cheers "Yankees suck" for no particular reason
*Chanting "Hudson" to get the guy out of the game. As if the offense didn't do enough to get him out in the first place.
*Screaming "yooouuuuk" whenever Youkilis got up to bat. Sort of reminded me of "Louuuu"
*Getting really amazing seats near the dugout after people (bah, "fans") started leaving in the seventh inning
*Everyone cheering for Andy Dominique in his first ML at bat. the crowd went wild.
*Standing up for the final out of the night and hearing "Dirty Water" come on...

I will not wait so long to go back, even if it renders me broke...

News Update:

2004-05-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have fallen off the face of the earth and returned only to read my blog:

*Ortiz has just been signed to a two year contract with a team option for the third year. The guarenteed value is $12.5 million. I think this is a strong signing for the team; Ortizzle is 28 and likely entering his prime, and even if he plateaus for a few years he is valueble at this money. I don't think it represents a "hometown discount" but I do think it's reasonable.

*Williamson is on the DL and they're hoping he'll be back as early as June 4th. I'm starting to get really worried by how many of our Sox have been placed on the DL, but we can just hope that SWilly's injury is minor and that he's able to recover quickly.

*Manny is the KING and he has proven this by hitting homeruns in the nick of time the last two games. Whoever kept saying that he only hits when we no longer need runs clearly was not envisioning games like our last two against the devil rays.

*Mueller is still out, but they're saying that he shouldn't require a DL stint. Don't get me wrong, Youks is a player with a strong "upside" potential, but I do think that he needs one more year in the minors in order to realize this potential for the Sox. I'm hoping that the Sox get Mueller back soon - and for that matter, it would be wonderful if MUELLER got his bat from last year back, while we're at it...

I'm seeing Schilling and the Sox take on the Oakland A's on Tuesday, live. I haven't seen the Sox in two years.

You can imagine my state of mind.

A Perfect Game for the Big Unit...

2004-05-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

Randy Johnson threw a perfect game last night against the Braves. His box score ended up at 13 strikeouts, too.

Here's one person glad to have him on her otherwise-crappy fantasy team =D

Greek God of....

2004-05-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

Walks? ...Kevin Youkilis, dubbed "the greek god of walks" by the smash-hit "Moneyball," just smashed a few hits himself in his first ever major league game. He's here either to display him as trade-bait or merely to cover for the ailing Mueller (we sent Malaska down to give him room), but who'd've thunk that he'd hit a home run in his second at-bat and follow it up by a single? Color me surprised.
And pleased. Can't forget to mention that.

Hopefully Mueller's injury is really just what they're calling it, a slightly inflamed knee that would be aggrivated by the turf. The last thing we need is another Nomar situation - where a short rest turns into a few weeks' rest turns into likely two months without the star shortstop - or third-baseman, as the case may be.

Logic and Stats

2004-05-13T00:13:00.000-05:00

Well, Kim's officially out of the starting rotation for a while, and Jamie Brown has been called up. This rather "heartwarming" story tells about that and just how Brown felt to get called up. Fine. I hope that translates into lots of strike outs, as projected.

I sound like a hardass. In truth, I'm a sucker for the human side of this game. I just have to keep reminding myself not to be. At least not in a world dominated by sabermetric minds and statisticians. Who, as it turns out, seem to be right most of the time.

I always hated Kim, but I have to play devil's advocate here and say he might come back stellar from AAA later in the season - just to keep me from believing in instinct. And because, heck, pitching is what is winning us most of these games. I am no fan of the "intangibles" argument - but I'm not a fan of most of the counterarguments either.

You can turn almost anything into logic and stats, of course. I could find you a statistic with appropriate endpoints and comparisons to "prove" that Brown will be like his namesake on the Yankees - or that he'll be worse than the man he's replacing. The truth is, you don't know: and that's why sabermaticians and instinctive fans alike love the gambling game of baseball.

Momentum issues?

2004-05-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile. I apologize. A lot of things have kept me busy and distracted. But the Sox! I'm curious if the entire year will be such a rollercoaster: six wins, five losses, four wins, now two losses... I know this is a dreaded intangible, but I'm curious about the psychological effect of "momentum" on our team. It seems to me that it might be easier to win with the adrenaline, optimism, and positive energy of a win, and easier to lose with the negative feelings of a loss weighing your team down. I don't think most teams are like that, and this might be a fluke, but it will be something interesting to follow all year.

We're Always Involved in a Sweep...

2004-05-02T23:20:00.000-05:00

...and this time it was not to our advantage. Enough said. Our offense is still paltry, and at this point RSN is waiting on the edge of its seat for the return of Trot and Nomar, hoping that either of them might jumpstart our bats to life.

Enough said, really.

Count Me As One Not Scared

2004-05-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

It's not that I trust the gms and owners of this world implicitly. It's not that I underrate our ace. But I must say I'm not as scared as most of the Sox Nation seems to be about Pedro's decision to test the market. Why? Because as much as I love Pedro and really want him on our team next year, I don't think we should overpay him or grant him more than three years just to keep New York from talking to him. I think it is still possible we could sign him to a contract in the way we signed Keith Foulke, though I think it's wise to see his performance this year anyhow.

Of course, he leveled quite a few "low" accusations. I don't like his railing on the approach of the management to the others in contract years. He might be right, in which case it makes me uncomfortable about the approaches Theo and co. are employing -but his speaking out like that makes me unhappy with his attitude.

In other free-agent-potentials news, it appears Ortiz may not be THAT close to signing an extension - though this article doesn't entirely rule it out.

Finally, our bullpen is no longer carrying its scoreless streak. It makes sense it's against hardhitting Texas that we lost it, though. I just hope we don't lose this game.

Be it free agency, personal records, and anything else in the world of baseball, everything pales in comparison with the almighty W - like it or not.

Smooth Sailing

2004-04-29T18:39:00.000-05:00

This afternoon was our second shutout in a row: on Kim's first game of the season. Rumor has it Ortiz has a contract on the way (though the only article anyone seems to have found is in Spanish. Sorry). The bullpen has 30 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Despite a shaky start for Lowe, the Sox had a 7-run first inning off the Devil Rays to boost us a bit closer to our second straight series sweep. There's not much to say except... this is the kind of streak Sox fans live for.

Burks on DL

2004-04-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

Burks has just been placed on the DL because he needs knee surgery. The obvious question is how this will affect our bench. Assuming our typical Nomar-Trot-DL lineup, our bench right now has been Crespo, McCarty, Mirabelli, and Burks. I am not much of a fan of this bench as it stands, so maybe this is what we need to shake it up. I think the obvious choice is to bring up Daubach (and reconcile ourselves to Ortiz batting a lot of LHPs). I still don't think this is enough; neither Crespo nor McCarty have impressed me despite their hot spring training records. Should we trade for a new utility infielder/ph? Should we bring up Dominique, who has also been hot? Should we just stick it out as is until at least Trot is here and we can send McCarty down?

It will seem like heaven when our bench is Kapler, Reese/Bellhorn, 'Belli, and someone else decent. Daubach seems likeliest.

Sweet Sweep!

2004-04-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Better even than the Red Sox sweeping the Yankees in this series, better even than the fact that this happened in the Bronx, is the fact that we are now 6-1 against the Yankees this year. It's funny, I used to fear playing the Yankees, and most of the players seemed like threats coming up to the plate. Now their batting lineup is even better than ever before in the books, but I have no real fear facing them... it's like they have become this year's Tigers.

It's early yet... very early... but it feels nice.

You know you've been watching a lot of Sox when...

2004-04-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

...you start talking about the same things as the broadcasters. It was funny; tonight was this uncanny situation where I would remark some statistic or observation about the Sox, and within a minute, the telecasters would comment on the same person or situation.

And I started to really notice the negatives about the tv too. That "Foxwoods" commercial, the minivan ad... I'm just glad they have stopped that baby shower McDonalds commercial. And the other thing that bothered me tonight was how they started showing brief ads during the commentating, and then they'd play the background music for about 20 seconds and covered up a few sentences of our announcers. It happened over and over again, and I am pretty sure that's the first time this season it's happened like that. I hope it's the last - but I suppose I should never expect a TV broadcast to become less commercial all of a sudden.

A few notes about the game itself:
What about that error? Charged to the second baseman Wilson, though it was clearly Sheffield's own fault that he dropped the ball. Apparently the scorer thought that it was because Wilson charged over there that Sheffield made the mistake. Uh-huh. Well, MLB.com shows the error to Sheffield, so I am suspecting that got corrected after the fact.
Contreras had another shoddy showing against the club that tried to buy him once. Last year he was 7-0 against all the other clubs, but 0-2 against the Sox. That seems to be a habit he's continuing in the first part of this year.
Lowe too is continuing a trend, albeit one he can't really control: run support. He has 7.7 runs per outing this year, similar to his over-7-runs of support for last year. If he brings down his ERA though, I'll be more willing to ignore this huge advantage when I evaluate him as a pitcher.
A-Rod got some boos tonight. Let's hope the offensive start-of-the-year slump for the Yankees lasts a while - at least for the rest of the series. And I wouldn't be too upset if A-Rod's lasted all year. Of course, he might just be following the valiant lead of Captain Jeetah, who is doing even worse.
Our defense really had it tonight - let's hope it stays that way, shall we? Bellhorn, Reese, and Damon all significantly contributed to the fact that we kept the Yankees to two runs.

And before I leave you, I will mention that Vasquez is going to start on Sunday. *laughs* No no, the Yankees aren't feeling any pressure at alllll....

Rematch match...

2004-04-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

Lowe vs Contreras: slight advantage to Lowe, though whichever one improves more on their last shoddy performance has the real advantage.

Arroyo vs Brown: large advantage to Brown, though of course this is only "in the books," since clearly Arroyo won out last time. I am skeptical of the possibility of that happening again, but I can dream.

Martinez vs...?...: I think in any of the possible scenarios, the advantage is to Pedro. It's either to a very tired Vasquez on three days' rest, a Lieber rushed early out of the DL, an Osborne out of the 'pen, or a Graman who apparently is just awful. I'm curious what takes shape; it would be just like the Yankees - who have been abominably reactive this year - to put a guy they "trust" on after a short rest. In April.

I think the question is whether either team's offense is finally going to heat up to potential, really. Pitching beats hitting most of the time, but then both teams' offense seem to be caged beasts thus far, and all any starter needs is to be surprised by an offensive outbreak.

AL East Thoughts

2004-04-21T16:30:00.000-05:00

The Sox have climbed to the top of the AL East, so I thought might be an appropriate point to offer a few thoughts about the others in the division...

Blue Jays: I admit, they are not yet the threat that I imagined they would be. Things could certainly shape up for them, but right now is one of those times when I start to shake my head in wonder. On paper, these guys are damn good. Pitchers who are expected to shine (like CY young winner Halladay), batters who are consistently strong from year to year... but it's not happening. Yet.

Orioles: These guys have been off to a better start than I predicted. Oh, I expected their batting to be dominant and consistent, but I am surprised by the pretty decent quality of their pitchers thus far. I think that in addition to that they've been quite lucky, but who would have thought Javy Lopez would start out the season THIS strong? Not this watcher.

Devil Rays: These guys have done about as predicted (whew, that's one at least). I figured it would take a while for them to sink down in the AL East, and it has. They're not doing anything spectacular, but they have been pretty consistent and solid. They should give the lower part of our division a run for their money - they will likely end up last, but if this small sample is any indication, that's no guarentee.

Yankees: I admit that despite my occasional skepticism for the high A-Rod hopes, despite the logic that tells me it only makes sense he'd start out slowly, I have been a little surprised by just how slowly. Like the Jays, the Yankees have not yet met the potential they are granted on paper - but then, there are a lot of intangibles that might be bringing them down. And even the Captain of Intangibles (IE Jeter) might not be enough to bolster up his team right yet. Smarmy-smiling egotistical jerk.

I hate Fox TV...

2004-04-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

...and tonight I remember why. They are obviously of the opinion that the Yankees are a better team, which leaks through constantly in their broadcasting. They played "Should I Stay or Should I Go Now" by the Clash during a lovely replay of Pedro's mistakes in The Game last year. They were rude to Tim Wakefield (who, I admit, is a favorite), though he took it well. They implied that the Sox would want Joe Torre if the Yankees let him go (er, we do have a manager, you know...). They called the game a game of mistakes - but I bet if the Yankees won, it would have been allllll skill.

Of course, we did have two guys drop routine fly outs... but those were made overly ridiculous.

Bah.

I am angry, despite the fact the Sox beat the Yankees. That's saying something.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast...

2004-04-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

There was something about Ortiz' walkoff homerun the other day that brought back my dormant hopes for this year. They're back. Even if logic and history oppose me, I must say that I feel like there's something that is going to carry us this year.

Damn, I am talking about intangibles... and the last thing I want to be is like New Yorkers talking about Jeter. I am also talking about the opposite of a curse, something more like a kind hand of fate that will carry us, despite our plethora of injuries and uncertainties, to the playoffs. Once we get there, I am not going to hazard a belief in much, but I would take our team (healthy, we hope, by that point) against anyone. Anyone.

...I've been away for a few days so I haven't been able to post. I'll be better now, I promise!

Pitcher's duel or homerun derby?

2004-04-10T22:57:00.000-05:00

Pedro looked pretty vintage tonight, I'd say. Not his velocity - that I have stopped really considering - but in his command. 7 and 2/3 with 106 pitches; 7 ponchados and one earned run. I'm really happy. It certainly took a while for our bats to heat up, though - I am curious if this will be our problem over the course of this spring, while several of our regulars are either out or warming their way back in. LOBs weren't such a problem, but then, we weren't able to get many men on base at all. Still, we were batting against last year's CY; Halladay's legitimately a good pitcher that should be able to be at least a little dominant against any team.

A few random plusses: Bellhorn, Manny, and Ortiz picking up some home runs; Crespo's two infield hits, and Kapler's wonderful running catch early in the game. All in all, a game to be happy with.

A Win, A loss, a few notes...

2004-04-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

Wednesday as you know was a commanding win, yesterday was a painful, slow loss. We could blame Bobby Jones, or we could blame our bats for barely coming alive and not producing runs when they did. Most notable yesterday was our painful offensive lineup, methinks. That and the failed bunt-on-the-third strike by Crespo - something I would call Francona's fault more than I would call it his. (Note to self: do not jump down new manager's throat. yet.)

Today is Arroyo against the Jays. Though the Blue Jays have been poor so far this season, I think they will be an interesting challenge for most of it - so today's game should be an interesting opportunity to gauge their prowess. I know that so far they've lost to Detroit of all teams... but count me one who's a little scared of their role in the AL east...

That's More Like It...

2004-04-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

We still left a load of men on base - proof we're not getting RBIs when we should yet -but I was happy overall with today's performance. Timlin did better (though he seemed to be throwing an unusual number of balls still) and Foulke and Embree were wonderful, and Schilling had a solid, shining first start in our uniform. I'm a bit worried about Millar - the last thing we need is one more injury - but otherwise, good game.

Wanted to note that everyone should check out this roundtable discussion at Red Sox Haven, of which I am a part. It reminded me that I never said anything about where I got the name for this blog. It came out of irritation with the old Yankee fallback joke:

"What's the difference between Fenway hotdogs and Yankee Hotdogs?"
"What?"
"You can get Yankee hotdogs in October."

I am so used to hearing this tired joke that I have always pretended not to hear it and have come up with offputting, not always politically correct responses to the question in order to catch the dumb Yankee fans by surprise. And I thought I'd preempt the joke for once by naming my site after Fenway Hotdogs - which will, as Sox fans believe every year, be available this time in October.

1 down...

2004-04-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

Well, Pedro's had his token shaky start of the year, and it just happened to be the first. Call me crazy, but I'm not panicking about his performance. I think the rest of the year will find him getting back to his more Pedro-y self - it won't always be so cold, and it won't always be the first start of the year.

If I were to call anything alarming, I think it would be the high LOB rate of 14. I remember a few years ago that that was one of the Sox's biggest problems: not producing runs out of our men on base. Still, I have to say that offense was in general better than I had feared even if it was worse than I had hoped. Other premature worries, though: the fact that Pokey bunted when he did - hopefully not the manager's call - which was just plain silly, and the extremely shaky outing by Timlin (43.something era...). Things to be glad about: Manny's very strong start, the generally good defense we saw, and the fact that this was the first game, all.

Opening Day

2004-04-04T13:58:00.000-05:00

What is there to say beyond "only 5 hours"? Not so much. I do think tonight will be interesting because it will be a test of pitching vs batting, since clearly the Orioles are going into the game with a better lineup tonight and we are going in with a superior pitcher.

Let's hope good pitching really does beat good batting.

Rivalries are Easy.

2004-04-02T15:09:00.000-05:00

I am understanding why SI would try the spin that they did in the article I posted yesterday. While it was a piece of trash meant mostly to elicit a response, it gained its ability to stand out particularly because so many other sources are driving the "rivalry" talk to death. You can't mention the Yankees without mentioning the Red Sox, nor the Sox without the Yankees. An example of this is a roundup of today's most notable media:

First we have Klapisch's article on the Sox-Yanks rivalry. Then Providence calls NY and Boston evenly matched teams, an easy position to take for a town between the "rivals," but I appreciate that the guy actually breaks it down position-by-position. Then, the Globe rehashes the rivalry without any real originality. At least there is some originality in creating a Blog that juxtaposes a Sox fan and a Yankees fan - an interesting read that capitalizes on this overdone tendency. But that's not all. People try to add a unique spin to an overdone theme; there's even an article specifically about Kevin Brown and Curt Schilling's supposed personal rivalry.

I hate the Yankees. Half of my entries, come to think of it, have mentioned them, and I don't want to be a hypocrit and bash the practice. I don't want to laud shotty journalism like yesterday's posted SI article. But if I were a journalist - I would be looking for a new spin. Quickly. If for no other reason than that I don't want to be caught in the crossfire.

2004-04-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

Next week, this article will be in Sports Illustrated. I think it's a piece of journalistic trash written entirely to bash on a particular fan base in order to get money.

Maybe that's just me, but I don't think so.

I mean, I can see people contesting that Yankees and Red Sox rivalries consume too much media coverage. But asserting that it's no rivalry at all by digging in the number of times the Yankees have won is just ridiculous.

Tell me what you think.

DL Party Time!

2004-03-31T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well, Nomar will be on the DL for the month of April in order that Trot won't get lonely. Mueller might join the party too. Everyone's panicking of course. Not much to say about that, and that's about all that's going on.

Oh! We had out last home game of the spring today and lost 8-8. I mean, we won 8-8. Wait a second... didn't someone say there are no ties in baseball? All right, so it's not that ridiculous for us to grant the Pirates' request to call the game because they were out of pitchers - in Spring training. The Pirates did get one more pitcher back at the end of the day, though - Sox returned rule 5 acquisition Brooks to the Bucs in a gesture of good will. Or at least that Spring-trainings-almost-over "make decisions" spirit.

Speaking of such... Shumpert released - by his own request? Oh well, didn't really see him contributing anyways.

Most of the above information can surprisingly be found right here

[edit: added link, corrected mistake]

Yankees in AL East Last Place

2004-03-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry, that headline was too nice to pass up.

The current standings are:

Rays 0 gb
Sox .5 gb
Jays .5 gb
Orioles .5 gb
Yanks 1 gb

All right, so the Devil Rays do a pretty good job beating teams on opening day. Still, it's nice to know that Mussina got beaten up.

I wouldn't be surprised if those of us competing for the AL East title found the 'Rays to be a big spoiler. I remember a few years ago, the Devil Rays were downright awful but for whatever reason, they seemed to beat the Yankees and Red Sox better than a lot of superior teams. I am not predicting that particularly, but I am saying that with a load of games against them for both us and the Yanks, we might find them to be an important - and not always easy - win.

Pitcher Report

2004-03-28T00:58:00.000-05:00

On my opinion (must add that disclaimer)...

Pedro is not as strong as he thinks he is, but stronger than other people think he is. He'll have a very good year this year, but I would be shocked to see him throw over 93, just because I don't think he wants to ruin his arm for life.

Schilling is getting better every outing, I think, reading peoples' reports and using some logic. Tonight's outing, when he struck out ten and generally dominated (just allowing 2 earned runs in the almost-seven innings he pitched) was a really encouraging, get-me-the-season-now sign.

Lowe has had some really solid nights and a lackluster appearence or two. Nothing really terrible. Because this is spring training, I think that is a sign that he might have a great, almost-2002-type year. I think the better he does, the less likely he'll be with the Sox (barring another year of a big home-road split, that is).

Wakey has been a typical knuckleballer, even during the spring training. I don't think we can expect his shining moments (like his playoff wins) to last all year, but I think we can expect a typical Wakey year - where he will give everything he can to the team. He should be good, occasionally great, and never dull.

Kim is still on the injured list. I think he has the potential to do some great things this year, but I think that it's possible he'll be off and on the DL for a great part of the season. Shoulder aches are likely to come back with intense pitching. I hope I'm wrong.

Arroyo has been generally good this spring, discluding a few less-stellar moments and a few more-stellar moments. I think he would make one of the best fifth-starters out there because I don't think we'll see him do terribly very frequently at all. I hope he becomes our sixth man, because I think he's improving over time and we would do well to wait until he really comes into his full stride, but until Kim returns he is more than acceptable

Timlin has been blown away by his batters a few times. I don't see Timlin being anywhere near as dependable and solid as he was in the playoffs, but I wouldn't mind (or be surprised) seeing him be a little better than he is now before the season begins. I'm sure he'll get in more work and probably work out the kinks.

Mendoza has been astoundingly good, considering all of his troubles. The fates seem conspiring against him to keep him from being a reliable player on our team (curse of the Bambino(?) some say, but I would be more likely to say it's the karma of taking an ex-Yank), but I am crossing my fingers he goes out there and has a monsterly dominating season.

Foulke seems to be getting his feel for being on our team and for pitching this year. He hasn't had a lot of work, yet, and most of what he's done so far has been dubiously passable. I am not expecting another huge save total nor am I expecting his ERA so low; I think the move and the pressure will get to him a bit. But I think he will be solid, and a positive addition to the team.

Embree has been under the radar a lot this spring. Based on the stats I've read, I think we'll find him a bit more dependable this year, but he won't be the Embree we thought we might get a few years ago. Still, I like what I see his potential to be this year.

Williamson has been mediocre this spring. I think he will be in much better form come the season, but I expect him to be considerably less than he was last Fall. I remember him being less dependable in the summertime; I expect we'll see something in-between. I think he might become a good starter a la Derek Lowe for 2005, but it's a litttttle too early for that to matter.

There are others, but I am not yet sure who else will be with us. I'm not even sure about Mendoza, but I thought that his good return was noteworthy. I am not going to give a lot of opinions on the other guys, since until we know who's with us, some of the predictions would necessarily be futile ones. I am focusing my attention on Brooks and Hamulack and Malaska, but I am not sure about this at all.

Counting down...

2004-03-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

We were counting down to spring training, and now we're counting down to the regular season. Trust Sox fans - or baseball fans in general- to always look ahead.

I have been refraining from updating my blog with highlights from all the games. Everyone else has been doing enough of that. But I will say a few overall observations. The first is that I think our starting pitching staff should be all right, even if Kim is injured and Arroyo is less than brilliant at times. It appears that Lowe is perfectly capable of pitching in his 2002 form. I'm not saying he will, but I am saying he should be much better than last year. Wakey, Pedro, and Schilling appear to be essentially like themselves. If all we have to worry about is a possibly-not-way-above-average pitcher in our fifth slot, I think we should be happy.

Our propensity for injury this spring is worrying me a little, though, I must admit. Last year, part of the reason that we were so successful is that we had a relatively healthy team for the season. I don't like the fact that Trot has back problems, that Nomar's in a walking cast, that Kim's back is a worry -- although, I can't think of many people who do. The problem is, the way that we were all dealing with the Yankees this spring was to laugh at how quickly several of them will be hurt. Yes, their squad is a liability... but when it comes down to it, you can never predict who will be hurt and who won't. I am hoping that this is the worst of our injury reports for the year, but I hope that our team has enough non-regulars who are able to step up if there come some more long-term problems.

I am almost tired of this...

2004-03-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

It only makes sense that this spring would be the time that everyone is discussing trades, contract extensions, and other items on the business side of baseball. It also makes sense that at this point I would be among the many fans just plumb tired of talk, talk, talk.

Yesterday, Gammons told us that he doesn't think Pedro or Nomar will be back. All of a sudden it's everyone's business: ESPN mentions the rumors that Nomar will be traded for Cabrera (why the hell would we try to get him NOW?) and Silverman at the Herald informs us that talks with Pedro have resumed.

I can't help myself from reading every detail of this! I can't! I might just take something to put me to sleep until opening day. Some one wake me up when they sign one of these guys? Bah.

Ortiz and Mueller

2004-03-15T23:28:00.000-05:00

I can't imagine Ortiz this year being much worse than the amazing Ortiz of last year. He's slugging away already during spring training (see this article about him) and he is approaching the peak of his career (agewise), as opposed to many Sox about whom we worry because they're past it.

I haven't heard squat about Mueller this spring. Good or bad. I know, he didn't have a very high average for the batting champion. But eegads! he was the batting champion, and damn good at the whole "hitting" thing. Some Sox fans think he's lacking in defense, and naysayers suggest he'll decline this year. But there is not much media on him at all. Personally, I say that he will likely decline a little from his career year, but not in a really terrible way. He was, though people don't really think about this, a good hitter before the year that he was a very good hitter.

A lot of this year's results rests in players like Mueller and Ortiz, who sometimes fly under the radar because they're not one of the superstars whose contracts are almost expired, and yet whose contributions helped bring us to the playoffs last year.

3:00 game?

2004-03-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Was anyone wondering why the opening game of the Red Sox had such an odd start time of 3pm?

Turns out it was because the game falls on good Friday. Read this article of the game to find out more about that. And apparently this is something that the whole league is being sensitive to - except for Texas, whose game starts at 2:05.

Onion

2004-03-10T23:56:00.000-05:00

The Onion has a brief article this week poking fun at the Sox fans. I recommend you check it out if only to become depressed. They have a point, but man, way to kick us while we're down...

Sox and Yanks Meet - and Greet.

2004-03-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

Well, the Sox lost our preseason match against the Yankees. I would be a hypocrite if I chose now to assert that the scores to the games in Spring training hold no value - but still, I will feel all right if I hear reports afterward from observant fans (I could only moniter the scores online today) about how various players performed: who on the Sox gave up 11 runs, for instance.

I saw a picture on ESPN.com of A-Rod and Nomar shaking hands before the Game. Something tells me that will be in every newspaper on the planet tomorrow. The headlines will be different. Some people will like to point out how they appeared friendly as potential teammates should, some will mention that there was a layer of ice underneath Nomar's friendliness, some people will say that A-Rod looks regretfully at Nomar's uniform...

And the games... begin!

2004-03-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

Every year, I pay more attention to individual performances during spring training games than to overall scores, since every team is playing around with players, batting orders, strategies... but despite all that, I can't help but feel like gloating to every Yankees fan in sight that the Sox beat Minnesota 5-1 while the Yankees lost in their first game. I can still gloat if I ignore the end results and focus on performances: Lowe was in great shape during his two perfect innings, as Sean McAdam reports and Nomar got a hit, certainly to bode well for the year. However, the Yankees only got three hits at all, and none of them were from regulars.

Today the Sox play with a split squad against BC and Northeastern; tomorrow, however, will include perhaps the only time during the regular season when we see Pedro and Schilling pitch in the same game - certainly worth a view. And Sunday we play the Yankees, who according to MLB. com, are possibly unstoppable. My favorite dumb quote from the article? "The Bronx is the seat of baseball royalty." Pfft.

Steroids to Superstars? For sooth...

2004-03-02T11:59:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to read this less-than credible-seeming article about how it was "discovered" that Barry Bonds, Sheffield, Giambi etc had been using steroids. I didn't think it was anything groundbreaking so much as a reporter picking up on the rumors and taking a few sketchy "inside sources." But then, I checked out the article about it at MLB.com, which referred to one at the San Francisco Chronicle, and these seemed both credible and identical in information to the first. What's remarkable is how little of a surprise this is to baseball fans. Oh, the players are still denying everything, but what else do you expect from these guys?
A former player, Valentine, said of Bonds,

"Barry Bonds does something at the plate that no other human does, and it has nothing to do with steroids. He has superior baseball skills. He's superior with his eyes and his ability to recognize pitches."

This brings up another issue than who does steroids - the feelings of the players who don't use them about testing and other related issues. Expect to hear from the players' union some more. Expect some more guys from throughout baseball to air their opinions. One thing not to expect: Bonds, Sheffield, Giambi et al to admit this anytime soon. Even if it becomes absolutely clear to everyone else.

Three Days til Spring Training Games...

2004-03-01T23:19:00.000-05:00

I finally read the entirety of Gammons' latest article from Sunday, and I have to say: I can't disclude him from my list of BSM (Boston Sports Mediots). His article is grammatically incorrect, containing little new information, and it ignores some alternate possibilities conveniently. It was interesting, however, to hear about how optimistic he is that better defense behind Lowe translates into a MUCH lower ERA, how Nomar has started being the league leader in swinging at the first pitch over time, and how the Orioles think they will contend in our division.

I can't wait til we all have tangible things to write about. Let the games begin... please?

Cashman is Crazy

2004-02-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

It appears Cashman may have inherited the same disease that made Yankees owner Steinbrenner call Theo Epstein "Esposito." Apparently Cashman just caught wind of four month old rumors that the Sox were hoping to trade Trot for Randy Johnson, and decided to be all Yankee-style reactionary and call Arizona desperately begging that he had a chance at the Unit before the Sox got him. Read about it here, since I imagine it sounds too funny to be true. But true, my friends, it is.

Something else funny: apparently Ortiz has been bringing a valet into the clubhouse to hold his clothes for him while he changes. Years ago they'd call this a sign of the "nouveau riche" or something. As if the paranoid Yankee tactics weren't enough to make me laugh today, that would throw me over the edge.

Boston Sports Mediots

2004-02-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

...BSM, as I will call them, will be hounding each and every unsigned player all year until he is actually signed or until there is a definitive statement that he won't be (and I don't see that happening). Some players will sail through that, but I am worried about Nomar. He's never been a fan of speaking to the press, and I think that now the distraction of the billion questions he'll be getting every day could be really harmful. In this article on RedSox.com, Nomar seems decently comfortable with the press. But come on, this is the guy who has a ritual every Sox fan's memorized before each and every pitch -- he is not, shall we say, a stranger to pressure. Normally, when players are unsigned and possible Free Agents, they have a good chance of having a career year. I do think that Nomar could likely have a MUCH better year than last year, but I am worried that he'll implode due to all the outside pressure and distractions.

It's awful that as Sox fans, we are also necessarily addicted to reading all the press that we can't stand. I mean, sometimes it gives us legitimate news, but even when it doesn't, everyone still reads/watches because, when it comes down to it, there's not much else for most Sox fans to do in the preseason.

Sox management could help us all out by having a few signings in the near future, but I don't expect that will be enough to quell the BSM - no, I don't think they'll be quiet until each and every decision is made, and by then it will be time to start over next year.

Spring has Sprung in Florida

2004-02-21T16:20:00.000-05:00

Curt's throwing and hinting at a new pitch, McCarty's throwing in a last-ditch attempt to make the team, Pedro's throwing on Monday, baseball betters are throwing their lot in with the Yankees for this year's AL east, and some flimsier Sox fans are throwing in the towel.

Players have a right to be throwing. Fans on the other hand should not panic. No amount of speculation will really get us prepared for what this season will have in store. Really. I admit to making my predictions (see below, heh) as much as anyone else, and I admit to being deadly curious about who will be signed. But getting overheated in arguments about who's more important, Nomar or Varitek (or any variation of that) is really silly because in the end, we'll have to wait and see what Theo and the boys have in store.

Spring training has begun. Let's just sit back and cheer for our boys.

We are NOT the Yankees.

2004-02-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

The Red Sox are not the Yankees. It's times like this when we are most reminded of that fact, and it's times like this when we NEED to remind ourselves of that.

We do not have an unlimited budget. People who say the Sox "flubbed up" our possible deal with A-Rod are not remembering how we did all that was within our means to make it happen. We are just not quite as monetarily-endowed as Steinbrenner.

We are NOT reactionary. Articles like this one try to portray the Sox like desperate crybabies who are all about trying to stop the Big Bad Yanks from getting A-Rod and anything else. It makes me sick.

We are not going to buy everyone available and just pay our way to a title. Some would argue this was a bad thing, but it only takes a read through the Onion's article I posted in my last entry to remember how pathetic it is that a team stops trying to be a team and working for character and all the things we should value as baseball fans.

And in the same article linked above, there is a rumor that the Yankees are going for Maddux. Personally, I think it's hogwash, but it MIGHT be true. Even so, I am not waiting to see it happen; I'm pretty sure he's going to be with the Cubs in the end, because of his commitment to the NL and avoiding the east coast. I think that the article seems shady anyways, to be honest. We need a really good piece of journalism every now and then.

I hate the Yankees.

2004-02-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are hating the Yankees more than ever, read this article to cheer you up.

A-Rod in PINSTRIPES??

2004-02-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

Now, the big news earlier today was about the distant possibility of A-Rod joining the Yankees here.

But things have changed. Now it is no longer a distant possibility. It's a very real possibility. You know something is in an advanced stage when MLB.com feels safe enough to float the story. For those of you who don't want to read three or four articles, this is the most recent report, just released at about 4:15 this afternoon.

I wasn't too upset that the Red Sox weren't getting A-Rod. He was such a distant threat, being on a team that seems destined to get last in their division, and after all we were keeping two very good players. But A-Rod on the Yankees is enough to make me sick. They wouldn't even be giving up people who were arguably as valueble. Just Soriano and the money they'd need to pay A-Rod.

I'm just praying that something happens to sabotage this. I really don't want to have to change my predictions for next year. I was so ready for the Red Sox to do so well....

Predictions

2004-02-11T01:33:00.000-05:00

I might as well use this dead waiting-time to make my predictions about the Red Sox. Keep in mind these are based on some facts and intelligent guesses, not really on statistics. For those, you can check out plenty of other predictions. And there's no way my guesses could be less well-founded than some others that I've read (not on blogs so much as "official" guesses), even.

Re-signings
We already have Trot locked up. I think we should have one more signing before the summer is in full "swing," based on a comment of Theo's. My guess is that this is Pedro Martinez, for about $13/3 years
Varitek: It depends on how Shoppach does, but I guess they don't sign him for a long contract, if any. It would be ideal if we just had him for one more year, but things aren't that easy to plan in advance.
Lowe: Everyone's saying he's gone because of Boras. It's certainly most likely. I think, however, that if he has another year with terrible road splits and a lower gpa/lower wins to make his record more balanced, it's possible the Sox would want him and that he would be inclined to stick around. I give it 50/50.
Nomar: I think it's 50/50 here, too. Let's put it this way: the Sox will have Nomar or A-Rod as our shortstop next year, unless there's a miracle kid we don't know about. Whether a long-term agreement goes along with this, I don't know.
Ortiz: Here's one who I predict will sign a 2-year contract at the end of the year, unless he declines a lot.

Players
1) Our rotation will be as planned for a while, with Arroyo thrown in during some injury midseason and used semi-frequently afterward.
2) Williamson will not be as reliable as last year, and Embree will be moreso.
3) Kim does something shocking, like throw a no-hitter or have a tiny GPA or something.
4) Nomar's average will go up, though not as high as his vintage ones. . . ~.320
5) Second base is a batting headache all year, with everyone who plays there hitting ~.200. However, we lead the AL east in lowest errors for a while.
6) Nixon and Ortiz continue their good numbers, while Millar improves (or, is consistent through the year) and Mueller slightly goes down.

Wins
I predict the Sox win the AL East by a small margin over the Yankees and 'Jays, with about 100 wins.

We'll see how very, very wrong I am come October. And - no, I'm not going to predict postseason anything. Don't even think about it.

Trot

2004-02-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Trot now has a newly-signed contract that entitles him to three years more with the Red Sox. The article at RedSox.com doesn't mention any dollar amounts, but elsewhere reports are saying that the contract's value is 19.5 overall, 6.5 a year. In my humble opinion, this is a very good value. We were going to be paying more than 6.5 this year - 6.6 - and Trot is a good hitter and outfielder in the prime of his career. He'd be amazing if he could fix his ability to hit against lefties, but if the Francona is intelligent about his platoons, his overall average might get even better because of it.

I hope the renewal contracts keep coming in, but I have a hard time imagining the Sox will have an easy time negotiating with the others. In the second link above, Luccino admits of course that the Sox will not be able, in all likelihood, to retain everyone they want to, but I am crossing my fingers for as many as possible.

Burks is Back

2004-02-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

Well, the Red Sox aren't short on veterans, but now we're about to add one, unless this article by Edes is being way too optimistic. Burks, who started in the Sox organization as a top prospect, is back, despite a rocky road between then and now. He has been plagued by injuries and there is talk about how a few years back, Boston was on his no-trade list, but all in all I would say he will be a wonderful hitter to have on our bench against lefties. We're getting to have a bench, now, that is too full, but that's better than skimpy. Many of the players on our 40-man still have options and/or minor league contracts, so we'll be all right sending them back to Pawtucket to get hot for September.

We do have a lot of veterans (though, we're not an old a team as New York) but one good thing about that is that we also have a lot of returning Sox, be it from this year or the past. I will refrain from mentioning the reasons I like this, but hint: it has to do with my optimism for this season. I will say, however, that there are no guarantees. The best team on paper (and that is, in itself, debatable) does not always go the farthest in the playoffs. But I can hope.

Not soon enough...

2004-02-02T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I admit to not watching the Superbowl. I am vicariously a fan of the Patriots, I guess, since they're the Red Sox citymates and all, but can you blame me for just preferring baseball?

Now it's officially the opening of the baseball season. We diehards didn't need any such official beginning, but it's nice to feel like the world is paying attention to America's pastime again. As predicted, Detroit and IRod stole the spotlight from the superbowl as quickly as possible by announcing the signing. MLB has been posting various articles previewing and promoting Spring training, and Sox bloggers have, for the most part, taken a day off in order to breathe and prepare for when things begin to get REALLY interesting. And they will... not soon enough for me...

Who's getting resigned?

2004-01-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest questions this offseason is, "who's getting resigned?" In this article, Martinez' good health this offseason is explored, but it also contains the possibility that this may be his last season with the Sox. It arose the question in my mind about who is going to be around for 2005.

Thinking purely the superstars who are coming off long contracts...
We keep hearing about discussions with Martinez, but nothing is solidifying. It appears he'd be willing to have a contract less than his last time's, but the question is how much less. Lowe appears likely to leave, with his agent being the aggrivating Boras, but there could be a surprise there. Others are speculating that Varitek is on his way out, especially if we feel like Shoppach has been primed for the majors, but if Lowe goes we may have the money to keep him if we want him back. Nomar of course is the biggest question mark, whose time seems most certainly wearing to an end, but nothing is completely certain til next winter. Of all those up, I would be most surprised if his contract gets extended before this season.

The question of course is who can we best afford to lose? Because while the irrational part of me and every fan might say "resign all the good guys," that clearly is not usually a possibility.

Byebye Boone!

2004-01-26T19:44:00.000-05:00

Anyone who watched the playoffs remembers Aaron Boone. Despite the obvious, he was also brothers with one of the announcers, and we Sox fans were suspicious of just how frequently the words "third base" were thrown subtly into comments.

Now Aaron Boone has an ACL injury , putting an unexpected spin into the AL East right before Spring training. Now, having had an ACL injury myself, I can put a wee bit of sympathy for the pain, but I have no sympathy for the Yankees. Even on the official website, the article mentions how the Yankees are getting put into a tight spot because of this unexpected incident, forced either to promote a prospect who's nowhere near ready, or else trade for a third-baseman and undoubtedly give someone up.

Except there's this one thing. A-Rod, although recently declared "captain" of the Rangers, was, in the past, interested in trades to both Boston and New York. Several websites, including this guy's, pointed out the possibility that the Yankees, aka the moneybags, would sweep in and try a Soriano-for-Rodriguez trade. Since this news broke, there's a little more credence to such a paranoid rumor. I was and am still happy for the Sox that we got to keep Nomar and Ramirez, but I would be quite the angry person if Jeter moves to third and paves the way for A-Rod at shortstop.

The Yankees need to do something. They could also try to grab old Shea Hillenbrand from the Diamondbacks, trade for someone on one of the west-coast teams, or actually make this move happen. I am not proposing that A-Rod in pinstripes is precisely likely, but nothing strikes me as likely in this situation, so all bets are off.

Leave me a comment below on your opinion!

Sunday Updates

2004-01-25T14:26:00.000-05:00

Tony Massarotti had an interesting article that claims, among other things, that good pitching is more valueble than good hitting, that the Blue Jays will not be a challenge to the Sox and the Yankees this year, and that there's a possibility that the sale of the Dodgers to a Boston businessman means they'll be moving to Boston Harbor. Despite what many people say, I don't think that the Boston area (or New England for that matter) would be able to handle a second baseball team. Oh, we have some die-hard fans, but I think a lot of that is just because of the storied Red Sox. When we win the World Series again, some less emphatic fans might find a place in their hearts for a different club, but until then, it's never going to work.

Around the baseball world currently, the only interesting subject seems to be who's new that's coming, and who's not coming back. It appears that Mo Vaughan is not coming back to the world of baseball, while people are heavily discussing the possibility of an M-Rod coming to the MLB, along with his Cuban defector cohorts. Unfortunately or fortunately for the Sox (depending on whether we consider him a serious possibility) reports are saying that his fastball didn't break 90, something quite lackluster on an audition-of-sorts.

Oh, there are a few last-minute signings people are watching. Where Maddux and I-Rod end up is always interesting, because those players pack a punch. Halladay's signing with the Jays was the biggest solid news of last week, and everyone's trying to figure out the final pieces to add to their team's bench or bullpen. Unfortunately, this week became another attempt for everyone to analyze the possibility of an A-Rod trade. At this point, my desire for a good team and my desire to keep our stars both have been completely superseded by my desire to LET IT DIE. This sort of sensational drama could only hit the forefront now, when everyone's dying of boredom in the baseball world. Although, I must admit, this article about UUU getting arrested was not entirely without interest. Anything to spark the deadness of a January afternoon.

January Tidbits

2004-01-21T23:44:00.000-05:00

January, in the baseball world, is all about waiting and overanalyzing details. True to this habit, the baseball world has been overanalyzing the Red Sox silence and declaring that it means the A-Rod trade is revived. This despite Theo's adament denial of the same. Boswell has a particular claim about this:
"Just yesterday reports surfaced that the complex trade of Alex Rodriguez to the Red Sox was being discussed again. Why? At this point, the main reason may be to avoid just such bad karma. The Red Sox disrespected the great Nomar Garciaparra in their lust for the greater A-Rod. Add to the mix the Red Sox's raw hatred of the Yankees, whom they seem to resemble more and more. As for Rodriguez, would he be welcomed fully in the Rangers' clubhouse after making it so clear he would go to the Pope for a dispensation if it would help him blow town?"
It makes sense...well, except for one sentence, which I'll get to later... but the fact that Nomar was treated so shoddily, the fact that he was shoved aside, could as easily be used to support the idea that when Theo says "we're not doing this trade," he is not lying. Because if we find out in a couple of weeks that talks are revived and a new proposal has been issued to the Union or something, Nomar is going to be permanently lost to us - finally unable to believe any Red Sox reassurances about ANYTHING. Now, obviously this would not be the case if the trade was quietly completed, but what kind of PR would that be for Theo in the New England fand base, to be thought of as the GM who blatantly lies?
Now, for my complaint about the quote: you guessed it, the part about how the Sox are "more and more" resembling the Yankees. Now, I hate the Yankees even if they were our twin, but thankfully they're not. I won't try too hard to prove my point, but I think most Sox fans would agree. And the simplest proof (also most relevent to the above) is that Theo is not a Yankees-style GM.
Unless he's lying. And because of all of this, I just don't think he is.

Signings

2004-01-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

It seems that it's the last hurrah of free agent signings, wrapping up just before pitchers/catchers time (and don't tell me you're not excited!). Palmiero to the Orioles, Guerrero to the - Angels !, and other clubs are making their last minute tweaks, like Arizona working at their Hillenbrand contract and the Giants nabbing Tomko (who, incidentally, was seriously dating my sister's friend). What's interesting is that Ivan Rodriguez is the only major free agent who's really still in the dark. Now, there are rumors that the Orioles will go for I-Rod and platoon him with Javy Lopez, but I HOPE not. Of course it wastes both of their abilities to some degree, but I am also not too happy about the lineup we'll be facing in Baltimore. I'm glad that they have no pitching (and can't really compete with us for the playoffs) but they won't be so fun to face on the road either.

Any picks for what will happen in the AL West? I don't see the Mariners becoming too competitive, and while the A's have lost a lot, I still see them bouncing haphazardly into the top half of their division. Texas should be pretty bad, all in all, and I think the Angels have improved themselves. I'm not saying I'd want their lineup, but I think they can beat up decently on their neighbors. Tentatively, I would guess Angels-A's-Mariners-Rangers in that division, though to me it seems quite likely the Wild Card will come from the AL East.

M-Rod?

2004-01-10T02:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated lately. Oh, there's been a plethora of rumors in the baseball world but nothing so earth-shattering that would serve to make my drivel interesting.

However, I did read today a lot about Maels Rodriguez, a 24-year-old righty who recently defected from Cuba to El Salvador. Apparently the Sox are giving him a workout. Back when we were pursuing Schilling heavily, there were a lot of rumors of Yankee interest in "M-Rod" but nothing panned out. This pitcher is hot stuff when he's on: he's pitched what seems to be the only perfect game in Cuban history, his fastball has reached over 100mph, and he's still really young. However, concerns about his health have been a trouble for him this offseason. He was left of Cuba's national team for the Pan American games and Olypics because of arm/back troubles. Still, Rodriguez insists he can still throw 100 miles an hour and his agent calls him a bargain at about $2.5 million.

Is this a "bargain" for the Sox? I doubt it, because of how close our payroll is to the Luxury threshold. But it's an interesting rumor, at least.

Dau-back?

2003-12-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

Brian Daubach, a fan favorite in his stint with the Sox, is heading back to his favorite team this spring with a minor league contract in hopes of earning himself a spot on the club. Check it out here.
I think it will be great to have the fellow around again. My one concern is that he seems to do his best work when he's a starter, and I'm not sure that's what we need right now. Weren't we looking for benchmen? Well, who knows. He could surprise us. Ortiz did. And the emotional factor of having him back is great. Check out the pathos, from the article above:
"One of the most bittersweet moments of Daubach's disappointing season occurred when he hit a decisive double June 9 to beat the Sox, 3-1, in Chicago, spoiling a strong outing by his friend Tim Wakefield. Daubach fought back tears afterward as he tried to describe the emotion of beating a team he never wanted to leave."
Welcome to the Sox again, Daubach.

Ah, those Yankees

2003-12-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

Despite his fainting fit the other day, Steinbrenner was checked out of the asylum *cough* er, I mean hospital.

He's perfectly healthy, they say. Does this mean he is no longer going to make reactive, abrupt, all-around BAD moves this offseason? All I can say is, I hope he keeps on being crazy, because I like this Sox team and I think the Yanks have done much less to improve themselves.

No A-Rod Under the Tree

2003-12-24T02:02:00.000-05:00

The deal seems really dead this time. Seems. Who knows what's happening under the radar, but speculation on that point is worthless. I hope we get started now on Nomar's contract negotiations... I know, we've tried that, eh? I still feel like it's possible. If not... well, he's got one more year with us.

We signed the Reese, in other news. Pokey Reese is pretty good second base solution considering our remaining options. I have always liked this guy, since back when he was in the minors. He may not be an offensive Walker, but he's the kind of player that will always be helpful on defense and a wonderful addition to the bench whenever Francona decides to start Bellhorn.

I would be happy to walk into Spring Training with our team as it is; no additions and no deletions.

"Final" deadline Tuesday

2003-12-22T01:20:00.000-05:00

While Larry Luccino's statement was not taken as Gospel by anyone, the A-Rod/Manny trade seemed a lot less likely these last few days until tonight. The fact that Hicks has set a final deadline for the talks (4pm Tuesday) indicates both that talks have been continuing (something most people knew anyway) and that we will finally know - supposedly - on that day.

Unless something catastrophic happens before then, that might be the next time I update.

Deal is dead?

2003-12-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

According to this statement by Larry Luccino, the deal between the Sox and Rangers is "dead." Now, whether it is permanently deceased remains to be seen, but I think that it's clear that Theo, Larry, and John have some decisions to make. I don't see them wanting to enter next season without a shortstop on ink for many years, which means that if this deal really is gone, they will likely retry the Nomar front. Will Nomar be too disgruntled to accept a decent offer? Will Sox fans be too disappointed to accept him back in the fold? I don't think so: enough New Englanders are feeling relief that the deal died; Nomar himself seems to genuinely like Boston at least enough that a deal is possible. I didn't say probable.

In a state of suspense...

2003-12-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

The first restructuring of A-Rod's contract was rejected by the union. However, the fact that it reached the union means it is only a matter of time and effort before Alex Rodriguez will be our new short stop. There are still a lot of questions: where will Nomar end up? For whom will we trade him? We should find this all out in the next few days.

The Big Deal is Imminent

2003-12-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

Every source under the sun is saying that the deal with Garciaparra, Ramirez, Rodriguez et al is close to being completed as of today. I won't hypothesize as to the other players included because that report changes by the minute.

Tejada's signing was for about 12 million a year, and Nomar apparently still wanted another 25% (for $15 mil a year) - an amount which our ownership does not feel comfortable shelling. I hate this. I really hate this... but, it seems like that's all we have as options now.

First I hear of a done deal will be relayed.

Folks, Meet Foulke... Our New Closer

2003-12-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

The title about says it all. Foulke has accepted the Red Sox' offer for a 3-year, $21 million contract (with a fourth-year option). It's now looking like we not only have the best starting rotation in the majors, but perhaps the best bullpen too... I might be biased, but not that biased. This is GOOD. In addition, we have the possibilities of using Williamson or Kim as bargaining chips for a second baseman.

The frosting on the cake of course is the tabling of the A-Rod for Manny trade talks. Apparently the Sox' first priority is at least trying to resign Nomar. Hey, if it doesn't happen... at least we'll know that we tried to keep our star shortstop before we try for a new one. This feels good.

Changes in the East

2003-12-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

A few knowns: Pettite is in Houston. Translates: Yankees lost a solid starter, giving the Sox a clear advantage in the starting rotation. Toronto has Miguel Batista now, with a solid rotation evolving.

A few good bets: The Yankees picking up Brown looks like a strong possibility. If he stays healthy, then he might be better than Pettite was. Boston's advantage would shrink considerably in that case. Of course, Boston's still pursuing the whole Rodriguez deal, which would change things - though how positively really depends on who we'd get for Nomar.

A few random possibilities: Baltimore bidding on Nomar seems a possibility - and we'd likely just leave it a possibility, because of the negative effects of having our ex-star in the AL east, but still. Foulke, now, seems merely a possibility, despite the Red Sox altering their offer for him to include a fourth year - because sentimentality seems to be pushing for Oakland. Leaving... who to close? Williamson? or do we include a closer in the Nomar trade possibility?

All the sources are voting for the Sox to lead the AL East as things currently stand... but if things get shaken up / stay stagnant / evolve in just the right way... all bets could be off.

Wheeling and Dealing

2003-12-10T15:32:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm not the only one who feels like this is a particularly fierce Hot Stove Year... check out Boswell's Column in the Washington Post.

The latest news is that Pettite has agreed to Houston's offer. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the MFY (Yankees, for the uninitiated) had a pitching rotation consisting of Mussina, Vasquez, nada, nada, nada? I've never been this unintimidated by the Yankees in years!

And finally, back to the fiercest thread of them all in the baseball world: ARod? Nomar? Manny? ...I have to say that this whole deal is finally making sense to me. It seems pretty indisputable now that as much as Nomar says on the radio he'd love to stay with the Sox, the price isn't right. I mean, last spring he apparently turned down a four-year, $60 million offer - that's $15 million a year. So all the wishful thinkers who imagined that if only Henry would offer Nomar $12 million he'd stay... are wishful thinkers. Of course, we really can't blame this on Nomar because we have no idea how much is his agent. One thing I have to say is: I want this figured out soon. If I have to get used to A-Rod on our team and Nomar out west, I want to get acclimated well before the season.

Malaska

2003-12-08T18:34:00.000-05:00

In their continued attempt to bolster our pitching staff, the Red Sox acquired lefty Malaska from the Tampa Bay Rays' waivers. He only played a bit for the team last year (16.0 innings, in 22 appearances), having been quickly promoted from AA to AAA to the majors, but his numbers were quite impressive: a 2.81 era and a .232 opposing batting average.

It appears that with or without Foulke, we should have a solid pitching squad next year. I only hope that we don't focus on pitching at the expense of our league-best offense.

Walker et al

2003-12-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, Walker's officially parting ways with our Red Sox, and he's taking with him five other free agents. I'm not surprised by any of them really, and he's the only one I'm going to regret losing. Walker wasn't a stellar defenseman, but he was a solid hitter and he was someone who wants that spot and can at least play second base for us. Adam Kennedy seems the most likely replacement, and that will only happen if we deal Nomar.

According to the Dallas News, it seems clear that Texas wants A-Rod out of there. The newspaper had an article about the possible trade, a column that bashed A-Rod and even remarked that Manny might be transacted from Texas to New York (!!), and an opinion poll on whether their star player actually deserved his MVP. Their owner is being less upfront to the media, saying that he still expects Rodriguez to be the shortstop next year... but another article says that the deal should be completed, if it is, by the end of the Winter Meetings that begin friday. So we don't have long to wait.

If this happens, who do we get in centerfield? Now, I'd just love to nab Guerrero after he was unceremoniously dumped by the silly, silly Montreal Expos *cough*MLB*cough* but the 15ish million he should earn doesn't seem to be in our budget. I might be surprised, but it just doesn't seem possible. I hope Theo has a plan for all of this.

Second Base and Other Problems

2003-12-08T00:24:00.000-05:00

In the shadow of the prospect of the A-Rod trade, the Sox still have some key issues. Namely, the one that is an issue regardless of what the trade is: second base.

Of course, the trade possibility is INVOLVED in this issue, because we would always have the possibility of trading for a second-baseman with either Manny or Nomar's transaction. And, as the Nomar-loving world would have it, there are always the persistent pleaders for a Nomar-to-second-base move. Since gaining A-Rod means gaining a lot of salary, this "possibility" seems idyllic but impossible. Who then are our options?

We'll find out Monday if Chicago White Sox offered arbitration to either Roberto Alomar or Graffanino. Detroit is close to a deal with Vina. Other possibilities, if all of these prove impossible grabs, there's possibilities of trying to nab Rey Sanchez, Pokey Reese, or any of a number of less noteworthy infielders. I'm honestly not very happy with any of the options, after having read all the stats on every free agent second basemen and ones who are in prime "trading" range. Not one seems to hold a candle to our own Walker... who, it appears, will not be "our own" after all.

What's Theo got up his sleeve? I can't believe he's letting the second-baseman issue slide in favor of other trades; the only possibility is that he already knows who he wants and is taking steps to get him. Now, a few risky people have offered the possibility that the Red Sox put in a bid for Kaz Matsui, but latest reports at MLB.com continue to favor the Mets although there is the clause that he's been communicating with "four other clubs." I don't really think that Matsui is "it," however. All I can imagine is that the second baseman is going to come from a trade that Theo's manufacturing with Manny and/or Nomar.

What's interesting is that while the A-Rod-Manny rumors are intensifying, little is intensifying about anybody's interest in Nomar. Obviously, that trade is highly dependent on the former, but you would imagine someone out west would be expressing more than lukewarm interest in one of the game's premier shortstops. Anaheim was the team that seemed most likely, but they certainly haven't made any public leap about it. In addition, their second-baseman Kennedy is "all right" but not really even as interesting as Walker, even after his ALCS MVP in 2002.

Sigh.

We'll just have to wait through this long December to find out what Henry and Epstein decide. That, and watch the sites and blogs. I'll keep you posted.

Hot Stove: Shortstops Simmering

2003-12-06T23:03:00.000-05:00

As if getting a new star pitcher in Schilling and a brand-new manager in Francona was not enough excitement in the Red Sox Nation for a week, it seems talks are heating up between Henry and Rangers' shortstop Garciaparra.

A deal of this magnitude could not, it seems, depend on anyone but the owner. It's really too bad we weren't dealing with the Rangers owner from a while back *cough*Bush*cough* because negotiations might have been a little more interesting what with the creative language and all, but things have enough weight anyways to keep us riveted.

I must admit, Nomar has always been my favorite Red Sox player, because he was homegrown, because of all his quirky rituals, because even though he's not as smooth as other shortstops, he also makes these fantastic plays you can't imagine anyone else pulling off. My heart pulls for keeping him with the team that watched him grow from Rookie of the Year to batting champion to All-Star.

However, to be a real Red Sox fan, you have to be flexible in your loves. When we lost Roger, we were ready to curse him with the rest of the Yankees; we were just as ready to accept the fantastic foursome (Ortiz, Walker, Millar, Mueller) that sparkled for us last year. Rodriguez, reputed as the best shortstop and perhaps the best player in baseball, might be just the player we need to turn "1918" into a number of no significance. And he did deign to include the Sox as one of only two teams on whom he'd be willing to bestow his presence.

That's just the problem though. We all cringed when Manny had his hissyfits last year, and we were mostly offended when he said his dream was wearing the pinstripes in the Bronx. How much of an improvement will it be to gain a fellow who wants to be either on the Yankees or the Red Sox - either one, likely, because he wants a good chance to win a World Series - and in the end, will probably regret his choice if something goes wrong. He got the royal treatment in Texas, yet he still found a way to clash with his current manager. We'll get a fellow whose numbers might just beat Nomar again - but who might just ruin the clubhouse of comrades that brought us into October last year.

I just thought I'd get this out now - because if next week, Rodriguez finds his way to Fenway Park, he will become a man newly Baptized into Bostondom, and then I'll open up to him. But now - while the minds of Red Sox nation are weighing the odds and the advantages... I thought I'd say my piece.

2003-12-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

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