Like the ALDS and ALCS, we jumped on board with Red Sox Monster to be part of a Red Sox World Series roundtable, joining Red Sox Monster publisher Dan Lamothe (who kept his picks separate in a private podcast) and Red Sox Stats’ Guy’sMike Colluci.
Without further ado, here’s the the full roundtable piece on the Monster, with my direct answers below as always.
1. One of the appealing things about the World Series is that teams that rarely meet get the chance to go head-to-head. Break things down for me, will you? Where do the Sox have advantages in your eyes, and conversely, where can the Rockies exploit the Sox?
The relative anonymity of players on opposing teams is always part of the novelty that makes the World Series so fascinating. Still, with the advent of interleague play, that’s been mitigated some, never more so than this year, when the Sox and Rockies actually DID play each other back in June. We all know how that turned out (Rockies took 2 of 3 … in Fenway), and that series kind of started both the Red Sox’ and Rockies’ long string of regular season mediocrity.
Still, what we saw in that series is only slightly relevant to the World Series. Consider the fact that Boston has different spots throughout the lineup (Youk was still bouncing around and Pedroia hadn’t moved to leadoff yet, let alone Ellsbury), while Troy Tulowitzki was still struggling with expectations and half the Rockies rotation was still being groomed in the minor leagues.
So, if we look at this World Series with a new slate, it seems to shake down like this: 1) The Red Sox lineup looks more formidable, particularly coming off an overall pasting of Cleveland for three straight games. 2) The Red Sox bullpen is more battle tested. Colorado got by in the NLDS and NLCS with long outings from their starters before the entrance of the wet-shirted Manny Corpas (check YouTube for that terrific splash before his entrance in Game 1 against Philly). But the Sox lineup is likely to be a lot more patient than either Philly’s or Arizona’s. 3) Josh Beckett looks like a significant upgrade over Jeff Francis in Game 1 (or over anyone else, for that matter), but after that the pitching looks almost like a push.
2. Obviously, one of the first things that will come up in any preview of this series is the way the Rockies exploded against Boston in June, taking the last two games in a three game series with a combined score of 19-3. Is there anything we should be alarmed about those losses, especially since Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling lost them? Or should they be considered isolated incidents?
As stated above, they seem more like isolated incidents. Certainly the Beckett start shouldn’t be too concerning. Schilling’s is more frustrating. With his penchant for dropping gopher balls in that loss, there’s no telling if Colorado could do the same thing again. Meanwhile, the lone Boston winner from that series - Tim Wakefield - isn’t even on the roster. Go figure, and call it a scratch.
3. Talk about the Rockies lineup a little bit, if you would. What strategy should Boston be using to deal with it? Who scares you in that lineup, other than the obvious answer (Matt Holliday’s regular season: .340, 36 HR, 137 RBI, SLG .607)?
Todd Helton is still terrifying, and if you have any doubts about it, check out his power numbers, particularly slugging to left field. Meanwhile, there’s good speed at the top of the order (see Taveras and Matsui) and Tulowitzki has been an absolute terror in the second half. That, of course, doesn’t even take Adkins into account, so there’s enough fear to go around. The leadoff tandem of Taveras and Matsui alone is enough reason to be happy Wakefield isn’t starting a game in the series (his ERA at Coors Field is another compelling one, but hey, we’ll stick with the speed).
4. Put yourself in Terry Francona’s shoes for a minute. How do you handle losing the designated hitter position during Game 3-5? Who should sit? Also, who do you think will sit?
This is perhaps the most brutal decision Francona has to make. Clearly, you can’t take Ortiz out of the lineup in the playoffs. Ever (unless you have a lead in the eighth or ninth inning, and you take him out for a defensive replacement). That leaves Youkilis and Lowell to platoon at third. Youkilis is on such a tear that it hurts to take him out of the lineup, but Lowell has better power, more RBI on the year and more experience at Coors Field. Put those two factors together, and it all seems to even out, doesn’t it? So, if we were Francona, we’d play the hot hand. If Youk is still batting .500, you’re not taking the man out of the lineup. If Lowell hits a homer and three doubles in Games 1 and 2, he’s your man. Now, here’s the real X-factor: What about Youk in right field? He played there down the stretch last year, and clearly you’d rather have Youk in the lineup than JD Drew, all recent heroics and solid hitting aside. Now, I don’t think Francona’s drastic enough to actually make that move, but it’s worth pointing out nonetheless.
That being said, it says here that Francona plays Lowell in Game 3, then checks his career numbers against Cook before deciding for Game 4. If they’re good, Mikey goes again. If they’re not, Youk comes in. And Papi stays in throughout, without question.
5. Alright, one last time: prediction time. Who ya got? It should be noted that no one has picked against the Sox in one of these roundtable discussions yet…. which means no one has been wrong yet, either.
Let it be known that it is EXTREMELY hard to pick against the Rockies the way they’ve been playing. They’re so hot it feels like they could melt right through the Colorado snow. And right now, everything manager Clint Hurdle touches seems to turn to gold. That being said, moving Aaron Cook into the starting rotation for Game 4 seems like a true twist and gamble. Why shake up the rotation now, when you’ve been rolling? Meanwhile, Terry Francona’s willingness to leave Wakefield off the roster, likely in favor of second-year rookie Jon Lester, should be applauded. It’s hard to leave a veteran and heart-and-soul guy like Wakefield off, but it’s clearly the right move with his health and track record.
Why am I prattling on this way? Because I think the series is so close that it could swing on two small decisions like that (conversely, who Francona plays at third in Games 3 and 4 could have the same affect). Game 1 is a must-win for the Sox, and - like the ALCS - I really think Game 2 is the key. If Boston wins the first two, they’re going to win this series. If they split, it could be trouble.
So what’s going to happen? Uggghhh, this one is brutal to predict. That being said, I’m going Sox. In six. Schilling closes it out. I think Beckett will win Games 1 and Game 5 in Colorado setting the stage. But like the ALCS, I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if the Rockies walked off with this one, even though Boston clearly has a more balanced and complete team, with the regular season record as ample evidence.
I’m perfect in the playoffs so far, so here’s hoping that continues for one more round. Otherwise we’re in for some painful postmortem. Here’s hopin’.
Just when you thought the Red Sox’ minor league system’s well had run dry of top pitching prospects, you turn around and notice Justin Masterson blazing his own trail.
Justin Masterson may be the next big Sox pitcher to make waves.
Like Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen and, most recently, Clay Buchholz before him, Masterson is turning the heads and radar guns of scouts who have been almost permanently camped in Portland for the past year.
The 2006 second-round pick out of San Diego State has built up a perfect 4-0 record with a nearly unthinkable 1.09 ERA for the Sea Dogs, mowing down batters at a shocking 32-5 pace (32 K’s, 5 BB’s).
So, how is the rangy righty doing it? Well, his size certainly doesn’t hurt. Masterson is listed conservatively at 6-6 and 245 pounds, and he uses his considerable physical assets to help him rear back for a full range of speed on his sinker, which is his clear A+, out pitch. His best sinkers have varied between 86 and 94 miles-per-hour, a wide enough range to keep any and all batters off balance.
Not to be outdone, Masterson’s slider sits in the low 80s but has phenomenal action, which is good enough to help him get out of jams. When combined with what has been described as a rapidly improving change-up, Masterson’s arsenal has made him a rapidly rising prospect for trade discussions and future projections.
Though Masterson is Oregon born and bred, he’s no stranger to New England. In 2005 he dominated the Cape Cod league. Now, he’s spent the past three summers in the region, finishing out a short 2006 session with A Lowell after a late signing.
So, will Masterston make a move to Pawtucket, or even Boston, in the not-too distant future? And will he pitch from the start or break through as a reliever? Those questions are clearly too far away, as Masterson himself as acknowledged in an interview with soxprospects.com.
In the meantime, it’s pretty clear that he’s figured out how to get things done in Portland. Here’s betting that won’t subside any time soon. But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s Amalie Benjamin’s piece in today’s Globe, which also leads with Masterson. Got to love it when the people who travel with the team agree with which prospect is turning the most heads.
HIT AND RUN
The Thursday signing of former big leaguer Brady Clark to a minor-league deal was a direct reaction to the minor groin injury suffered four days ago by top prospect Jacoby Ellsbury. There’s no official report on how much time the center fielder of the future might miss, but early expectations are that he still could be on track to earn a call-up to the big club come September. … Clay Buchholz is set to start again for Pawtucket tonight, and it’ll be interesting to see how he responds from his first outing, where he gave up three runs, one on a monster home run out of McCoy Stadium. He’ll be facing the Toledo Mud Hens, just as Curt Schilling did last night. … Michael Bowden is another arm who keeps coming up in prospective Sox trade talks, though most big fish (read: the Rangers in talks for Mark Teixeira) have requested two prospects from a list that includes Jon Lester, Ellsbury and Buchholz. Naturally, Theo Epstein and the Sox brass have said they won’t part with any of those names, which is bringing on much of the current stalemate in deals. …
Rapidly rising shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie was promoted from Portland to Pawtucket, a move which wasn’t entirely a shock (he was hitting .297 for the Sea Dogs). But, the shift that was surprising was the Rhode Island move-up of right-handed pitcher Lincoln Holdzom. PawSox infielder Zach Borowiak and pitcher Barry Hertzler took the bus ride up to Maine to make room for the new duo. …
According to Benjamin’s weekly notebook, Class A Lowell center fielder Ryan Kalish, who was hitting a preposterous .368, will miss the rest of the season with a broken hamate bone in his right hand. You’ll recall that Big Papi and Wily Coyote both had that bone removed from their right hands after being similarly struck by pitches in recent years. Doctors haven’t determined if Kalish will have to lose the bone altogether, or whether he can hold off and let it heal on it’s own. Here’s betting he does whatever the tell him will least affect his sweet swing.
Someone had to go to make room for the call up of starting pitcher Jon Lester. It wasn’t going to be Julian Tavarez. Old Big Lebowski has been too versatile as a starter and reliever. Too multifaceted an arm to throw on the garbage heap.
Hereeeee’s Jonny!
So, one of the relievers had to go. The logical choice would have been to send left-handed specialist Javier Lopez back to Pawtucket. He still has options, and with his recent hit-and-miss appearances, a second round of ‘07 seasoning might have done him some good.
Evidently Terry Francona like his lefties even more than Sox fans thought he did. He just made a $3 million pledge to keep one who started in AAA this spring.
That’s because Joel Pineiro, the ill-fated closer experiment gone awry, will soon be a former Red Sox. The reliever never truly found a regular role, languishing at the bench with a hefty contract, bridging mediocre performances with clutch strikeouts, then dousing the flames of those optimistic hopes with a game in which he’d toss 2/3 of an inning and give up two long balls.
Evidently, in an era where Theo Epstein is clearly not hamstrung by lack of cash, that’s not good enough to keep you on the staff, even when your salary is north of $3 mill after incentives.
Lester time: It’s finally come.
All of this will probably serve two tangential purposes as well: 1) it will cement the err of promoting Allard Baird, the former Kansas City GM who is now a Boston assistant GM, and is batting a firm 0-for-2 in “players he’s explicitly told the Sox to sign.” But, more significantly still, 2) it will detract from some of the focus and hype surrounding Lester’s first start since his cancer diagnosis. And with the overpowering fastball and curve that Lester has flashed at times this season - for what it’s worth he struggled at times in his last start, yielding three runs - he can dominate a game by just playing it without losing his focus. Perhaps, just perhaps, putting some of the focus on a front office error instead of Lester’s physical and mental fitness will take the strain off his highly-touted left arm.
And if it does dim that spotlight a bit, and if that helps earn a win, then maybe the entire failed Pineiro experiment wasn’t a multi-million dollar mistake. At least, that’s what Theo has to hope for.
Because we’re all avid baseball fans, the most dreadful (and probably least fun) part of going to a game is pulling out your wallet (or purse!) and having to pay money for your baseball tickets. You and I both know that tickets can go for outrageous prices, and sometimes it makes it difficult for us to enjoy the past time that we like most. It seems that every day the major league is getting more and more corporate. I guess that’s the price we pay (to afford Dice-K anyway).
So when ExcellentSeat asked us to review their site through SponsoredReviews, we knew that it’d be a great opportunity for us to reach out to our readers and let them know of another site to buy tickets from. ExcellentSeat is a ticket vendor who’s main focus is on broadway and baseball tickets, though they do offer tickets for pretty much everything.
A quick search for Red Sox Tickets for Sunday’s game against the Orioles revealed that they range from afford $50.00 to the more hardcore $400.00. Hey, if you’ve got the bucks to spend, why not? I took a look at StubHub’s prices, and they were significantly higher then ExcellentSeat’s.
Out of curiosity, I also searched for Yankees Tickets.  Monday’s game against us at Yankee Stadium are going for a measly $9.00 to about $400.00 as well. This makes me tempted to enter Yankee Stadium decked out in Red Sox gear. Maybe our resident writer, Diane Garnick will continue to stay behind enemy lines.
If anyone decides to give ExcellentSeat a try, I’d love to hear how it works out for you.
I started writing this as a baseball article but quickly began getting into other situations on April 16, 2007. As you can imagine this writers head is clouded with doubt and sorrow for everyone involved in the shooting that took place at Virginia Tech.
Sox win!
Beckett takes care of business for the Red Sox in a delayed but finally played game starting at noon. Beckett is now 3-0 and is on his way to becoming the heir to the thrown atop the Boston pitching staff. I didn’t totally believe Manager Terry Francona when he said that Wily Mo Pena would back-up all three outfield spots but he did it today though I didn’t see the game in person, in the stat line, Pena was credited with an Outfield Assist throwing out Howie Kendrick at 2nd base. Okajima had another inning in relief striking out two and cruising this year with a 1.59 ERA on only nine pitches thrown today. David Ortiz is getting the stroke as he knocked his fourth homer in the 4th inning with two outs.
Virginia Tech in the news for all the wrong reasons
The great feeling of having the tribute to Jackie Robinson on the 15th has quickly subsided as we have been struck back to real life and situations beyond our control. Virginia Tech has been has made history for all the wrong reasons as it is now in the record books as the biggest Mass Shooting at a University in US history. The early numbers are thirty-plus have been killed with numerous students injured, a truly sad day, which shows a growing trend of violent outbursts that sting many lives and don’t seem to want to stop any time soon.
At times like these I feel like things little or otherwise don’t matter as much and you just feel grateful that you have your family and friends by your side. But then time passes on and you fall in the same rut and need an event like this you bring you together again. I am guessing or blaming this on human nature but we do need to sit up and realize what is causing these outbursts by a select few that affects so many lives. It definitely boils down to the way people treat one another and continue to and will keep on as selfishness leads to just not being able to pay attention to the little things and cherish everything people offer to one another the good, bad and ugly. Because these people were innocent little children once too, no one is born evil, to do evil things.
Get your own MLBlogs!
I am compelled to tell everyone about some new opportunities for you to get your stuff read by a lot of readers on a reputable site. MLB has decided to launch, PS already launched but for those who don’t know famed actress Alyssa Milano is even taking part, writing about her beloved Dodgers. She has found and heard from the haters out there and this girl is responding and I feel she will be sticking it out as a blogger at MLB. You have to pay a small fee monthly but the exposure is worth it to have your words read by a monster amount of baseball fans. I thought about it but I fancy myself more of a writer than a fan blogger so I will be keeping my position at SoxNest.
Word out of the Big Apple
Fans of baseball are slightly embarrassed, while non-baseball people can’t get enough of the sing along time. What am I talking about; well the New York Mets have decided to use the song “Sweet Caroline†in the eighth inning of every game. In which I say for shame Mets brass as that song is undoubtedly a staple of Red Sox Nation not to mention it is featured prominently in the Red Sox associated movie Fever Pitch where it is used as a musical number throughout the stands. A truly great song that every Sox fan belts proudly at every chance I am sure.
Sox @ Jays
No weather issues for the next upcoming series at the retractable Rogers Centre. Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Gustavo Chacin. They are both the number three guys on their respective staff’s and have a lot to prove this upcoming year though Dice-k has a mountain of pressure compared to Chacin’s mole hill. I am looking forward to this series as I will be seeing every game. As should everyone else as east is king.
1st part consists of updates on your Red Sox thus far. The 2nd part has happenings and debuts from around Major League Baseball.
All eleven players that batted have at least one strikeout with Big Papi comprising of six in fifteen at bats. He hasn’t even played in Cleveland where they continue to fight the outdoor elements and maintain trying to swing at a pitch that you can’t tell if it may be a big fluffy snowflake. Cleveland and Seattle have been postponed and look to play a doubleheader in their upcoming match up weather permitting as there had been numerous delays. They had a monster crew of snow blowers cleaning the field at every chance they received and they were one pitch away from a complete game being completed before it was halted for good. Seattle was losing 4-0 top of the fifth I believe and had a full count and bases loaded and two outs and Byrd (Indians pitcher) was in the windup and the batter stepped away from the plate with a snowflake in his eye. Truly a remarkable result, so if you sports bettors took the Indians or Mariners consider this a void bet and feel extremely fortunate if you selected Seattle.
Dustin Pedroia and JD Drew are hitting well over .300 and Kevin Youkilis is the only one to hit one deep this year. Ramirez, Lugo and maybe even Lowell have been hitting at least respectable as it comes down to the numbers. As I had feared the lineup featuring Big Papi and Man-Ram would not be able to pull its weight. Though it is truly early you may see some reshuffling of that lineup since no substitutions have really been made as only in the instance of a few pinch hits for Wily Mo and the guaranteed at bats for Tim Wakefield’s personal catcher Doug Mirabelli.
Eric Hinske has not seen any at bats so far this year and things may change for Kevin Youkilis as you can’t have numbers like his and win as the first baseman is batting less than .200 but does have the only homerun on the team. I still believe that Hinske will get more chances to hit than Wily Mo Pena as the manager Terry Francona was quoted as to say Pena will backup all outfield spots, which I believe to be a stretch especially in center. So he will have to look to spell Drew and Ramirez. Who don’t look to miss too many games as the Red Sox look to rely upon them heavily throughout the year and hopefully into the playoffs?
The defense isn’t bad, though predicted to be better than anticipated by myself in a previous article (you all still with me? Good) I have seen Manny Ramirez make reluctant runs for balls he normally doesn’t catch. Besides a tough game for Mike Lowell, giving him a quick three errors on the year Pedroia has the only other error.
The Boston Red Sox seem to just need to keep the game tight and close to keep their guys revved up for a quick impervious comeback. With the “game winner†Big Papi winning a bunch of games last year expect more of the same as it will truly be a rare occurrence for the BoSox to blast a team to take them out they will continue to be efficient picking their spots, which should garner them an adequate record if the pitching staff touted as one of the best in the major leagues just accomplishes what is to be expected, while seeing Papelbon shut her down in the end.(Which isn’t always that easy as can’t miss big BJ Ryan found losing in the ninth to the lowly underrated never appreciated Devil Rays).
Ranked starters go like this, Matsuzaka had a strong 7 innings pitched with ten strikeouts, it came at a good time as they needed a strong outing by one of their pitchers and it took till game three to get a dominant performance. Tim Wakefield gave a good performance but ended with the loss 2-0 anytime you don’t have to hit a monster number of runs when Tim’s on the mound you should win, as at this point he is hit or miss. Beckett had an average performance as expected from last year, Sox fans are still looking for Josh to take the rains and give Boston their next ace. Schilling was energized for opening day, though he struggled with his command and was out pitched by the newly signed Gil Meche, look for him to bounce back as he wouldn’t throw himself out there if he still didn’t have it, that I believe. From what I have seen the bullpen is solid and if and when they move another pitcher into the fifth spot or drop it altogether having Julian Tavarez in the pen would make it the best in baseball no contest in my eyes. Stealing Joel Pineiro out from under the Seattle Mariners was genius and JC Romero has impressed me as a solid lefty who isn’t just a lefty who is a situation type guy this guy can throw.
For the second part of my article, I will delve into the happenings on around the MLB. Plus I will be starting discussions in the dugout that I would to get some feedback on.
The Orioles stealing one from the Yankees only helps the Red Sox as they will keep cheering for the Orioles and Devil Rays to take out the Blue Jays and the Yanks all year.
Baltimore and Tampa Bay will continue to be cellar dwellers until they prove they belong.
Sammy Sosa returning puts a smile on my face as a fan of baseball. It may be the fact that second chances are fun to watch and the way he plays and the approach he has is infectious, as he rounds the bases and salutes the air with his signature chest peace-pounds/ kisses. Is their a name for that? So here is hoping he can overcome the steroid allegations and the corked bat incident and the fact that he left the Cubbies for the Orioles.
I am calling it now Brad Penny and I are related somehow, through some measly crack it is true maybe a third cousin twice removed as I am of the last name Penny and he has the look of half my family especially the guys (lol). The only difference is he is a monster at 6’4†265 lbs, just putting it out there.
In a nice twist Jackie Robinson has many MLB supporters who will wear is infamously retired league wide number 42. Ken Griffey Jr. approached Commissioner Bud Selig with the idea to wear #42 on April 15 this year. Which will be the 60th anniversary of that historic day, Selig liked the idea so much that he extended the offer to all Major League players. Expect to see numerous players wearing it on the 15th and also I have heard that their may not just be one player, their respective team reps are asking others to partake. Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. A truly historic day to remember and thus we will.
Here at SoxNest we have added a new archives section where you can look up all the content we have put up throughout the off-season and in the early season. So continue to let us inform you about your Red Sox and welcome to our Nest.
When you live outside of Red Sox Nation you have a certain responsibility to uphold. In many ways you become the ambassador of Red Sox fans everywhere and your actions are carefully monitored by others. When the Red Sox win and the Yankees are still playing, they will stare at you in confusion, wondering why you’re not celebrating yet. Other fans don’t understand that the Red Sox winning is a good day, but the Yankees simultaneously losing is a GREAT day. Even if it is only April.
As if living outside of New England isn’t hard enough, the powers that be at Major League Baseball are on the brink of deciding that DirecTV will be the sole provider of all out of market games. This means that one of the only Red Sox games you can watch on TV will be the one we all had to watch on opening day.
I happen to live in the middle of Manhattan, where millions of people from around the world look at the skyline every day. City representatives imagined a scenario where every apartment had DirecTV and they decided to make it next to impossible to have it installed. Today I looked for a 2 bedroom apartment with DirecTV in Manhattan. I decided not to spend more than $6,000 a month for rent. No luck. I increased the rent to $10,000 a month. Zero apartments. In a final move I looked for any sized apartment, at any price. Once again, no apartments were found at all. The bottom line is if I want to watch the Red Sox, I better move to the suburbs.
Like many members of Red Sox Nation I decided to take a deep breath, break out my credit card and subscribe to MLB TV. I love the game, so I even decided to treat myself to the more expensive, higher quality package. 15 minutes later I downloaded the MLB Mosaic and sat comfortably in front of my computer to watch the game. Manhattan apartments are small, so my computer is less than 15 feet away from the $5,000 TV I bought just to watch the Red Sox in the first place.
At long last the game began. This must be a mistake. Maybe something is wrong with the program. Last year I purchased a few games on line and I could see everything. This year I bought the more expensive package and the clarity is simply absent. I wanted to see how Beckett was throwing since he had such a tough last half of the season. The truth is I couldn’t even read the number on the back of his shirt. For all I know Beckett and Dice K have been together and Becket himself was throwing gyroballs.
Under normal circumstances I would have settled for half closing my eyes and listening to what Remdawg had to say about each player. Except this MLB TV has nothing to do with what fans want. It’s all about profit for them. Simply put this means I got to see the game as it broadcast on RSTN TV in Kansas City. I now know that the Royals are giving away free blankets in two weeks to all fans who come to the stadium, but I still have no idea what my reliable insiders, Jerry Remey and Don Orsillo, are thinking about the potential performance of the 2007 team.
Game One: Available on ESPN and in HD
Game Two: Available on RSTN and on a computer
Game Three: Please, somebody, anybody, let me know how Dice K does. I can’t see a thing from here. And to think, they call this the capital of the world.
If you haven’t had a chance, I’d suggest you guys check out our store. We’re featuring products found on Amazon.com through our partnership. Prices are cheap, and with a great season in store (woo hoo, goooooo Daisuke!) you should get your gear now.
Have some suggestions on items to feature? Please do suggest them! I’ll make my best effort to bring them to you.
Oh, and check out these random eBay auctions for Red Sox stuff:
Opening day has come for another season. Many are unaware of this as sports fans continue to look on as their respective clubs and teams chase down those all-important playoff spots in the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association.
Included in this most recent post are firstly, thoughts on and from General Manager Theo Epstein, a female umpire making her way to the big leagues, Boston making the final releases and send-downs to get their roster to 25, former red sox favorite Nomar father of twins. Dice-K a top-seller through the spring, baseball becoming a constant scene for the big screen, I will also profile the first game of the season for everyone to see, while also sharing what some have projected as Red Sox award winners.
I am classifying Theo Epstein as a statistical General Manager who relies on the philosophy of what have you done for me lately it seems. Epstein has been quoted in saying for his off-season acquisitions “I’m very happy with the transaction process,†Epstein said “The rest of our players deserve credit for taking something that could have been a distraction and turning it into a positive.†Comments directed for the most part at the Daisuke signing and how it has affected the team. Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia have struggled, to put it lightly, in the spring. Varitek has no doubt been distracted by all the attention from a huge number of reporters most being from outside the states. His manner and enthusiasm was felt when first approached about Matsuzaka, but as of the end of spring training he has been less forthcoming with encouraging comments of the upcoming season. So I will watch from a distance to see how the spotlight of one pitcher will affect the overall play of trusty old ‘Tek.
The 25 is set!
(This is officially-unofficial but thank me for trying)
Starting Pitchers are as follows
1-Schilling 2-Beckett 3-Matsuzaka 4-Wakefield 5-Tavarez (the five spot may become interchangeable)
->The pen just got a heck of a lot better and bigger
Donnelly-Lopez-Okajima-Papelbon-Pineiro-Romero-Snyder (Timlin is injured at the moment but looks to return soon, so look for this list to be shuffled a bunch this year- with the big closer in Papelbon and the six-foot-eight hurler Snyder now guaranteed in the pen, it has truly gotten bigger and better.)
C-Varitek and Mirabelli no big surprises as Kevin wasn’t expected to “Cash†in.
1B-Youkilis and Hinske to share time
2B-Pedroia to start and hopefully excel in first full year otherwise Cora will gladly step in.
3B-Lowell getting older can he put up the numbers?
SS-Lugo an upgrade and solid with the bat, will his bat make up for throws he shouldn’t make for errors to first?
LF-Man-Ram still in need of DH spot as his defensive deficiencies haunt left field that is the biggest reason Manny doesn’t want to be a lifer in Bean town.
CF-Crisp check player profile for what I think. Pena is said to back-up as fourth fielder.
RF-Drew an upgrade, but can he stay healthy?
DH- Big Papi still the man will he get the pitches?
Dice-K merchandise has gotten out of hand as most Sox fans have been seen sporting Japanese Dice-K shirts and products throughout the Boston area. This trend is quickly going to spread through the Red Sox Nation as I can already feel it coming. This seems to be a second coming of the impact of a player of similar circumstance in center for the Houston Rockets Yao Ming.
I look on this year as a follower of baseball and the Red Sox with enthusiasm as some have predicted Dice-K as the American League Rookie of the Year and few even saying AL CY Young. But I even feel that is really far fetched in the first season of the mythical gyro ball. Big Papi David Ortiz has been pegged by several as the AL-MVP for a second consecutive season in the running.
Ria Cortesio has been making some noise ever so quietly as after umpping in exhibition games for Major League Baseball has remained unnoticeable during games as most umps tend to think is a good thing to be for any official.
The last female umpire to take part in an MLB game was in 1989 when Pam Postema made calls in a split-squad game. Ria has continued to make a name for herself, in hopes of getting to the triple-A level in this upcoming year as soon as a spot comes available. But for now she is on her way back to the Southern League.
Nomar Garciaparra has just been given twin Hamm’s for the upcoming season. Lots of luck to his wife Mia as she thought US soccer stardom was tough. Both twins are healthy and over five pounds, quoted from a Dodgers spokesman. Truly his life has come full circle from his younger days as the face of the Boston Red Sox.
I have been catching up on my baseball themed movies as I am looking forward to getting all jacked up for the upcoming ’07 season. I took in the classics and some new contenders for comical takes on the great pastime I love. The classic Major League series is always good viewing and I have even seen a commercial with “The Wild Thing†which is cool and shows that baseball is coming. The Rookie is not bad, *61 is a must see for any baseball fan, Mr. Baseball is a good look into life and baseball from other countries and a new Happy Madison production Bench Warmers. I have heard mixed reviews of Beer League so I will check it out soon I am sure.
Tonight’s opening game has an intriguing match up of last years hopefuls as the St.Louis Cardinals and Chris Carpenter take on the New York Mets and Tom Glavine. It will truly be an exciting opening night as the Cards do it right opening with excitement abound for the upcoming year and they are looking forward to rekindling the match up of last year.
It should be a good game of two of the games best but I do have to give the edge to the NL’s CY Young winner as the ace for the Mets is on the shelf as of now. Pedro Martinez would make me at least consider my pick a little harder. Am I the only one in baseball or otherwise that when they hear the name Pedro I think Martinez and World Series champ, rather than the Napoleon Dynamite movie and character, just a thought.
Also look for my pre-game and post-game summaries on game day, that being April 2nd. Feel free to comment on any or all articles as we at Sox Nest love the fans and feedback received.
This has been brought to you by your contributing editor Scott Penny
