Snow is/was predicted for Boston today. When I went to bed it was 2 to 4 inches which is excititing in a year with warmish temps and no snow, but now the forecast is for less than an inch. But whether or not we actually get any white stuff, this picture makes me feel all warm and happy.
Yes, it is the early arriving Red Sox at spring training.
I haven’t seen any robins yet, but this is almost as good. Time to wipe out memories of last year’s slide and see if Bobby Valentine can make me a fan.
On the day of the deadline for non-waiver trades, the Red Sox picked up a starting pitcher, Erick Bedard, from the Mariners. Does this mean that the outlook for Clay Buchholz returning this season is slim to none? According to MLB.com
The Red Sox traded four Minor Leaguers in two separate deals. Catcher Tim Federowicz, pitcher Stephen Fife and righty Juan Rodriguez were sent to the Dodgers for outfielder Trayvon Robinson. The Red Sox then dealt Robinson and outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang to the Mariners to complete the exchange for Bedard and Minor League reliever Josh Fields, a right-hander.
I think I agree with Nick Cafardo’s reaction in the blog posting soon after the news broke
Think Tim Federowicz and Chih-Hsien Chiang are going to be pretty good players. Federowicz was certainly the Sox’ most complete catcher. Chiang’s taken a while to get going, but now a pretty good player.
At least Sox didn’t have to give up third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who didn’t play for Portland today giving rise to speculation he might have been involved in a deal.
Still unclear as to why Erik Bedard cost them this much.
I have only had a chance to see Middlebrooks and Chiang when we got to a Portland Sea Dogs – New Hampshire Fisher Cats game a week ago. I remarked to Bob that Chiang had a good shot of making it. Middlebrooks didn’t stand out. So now he will, only for Seattle.
MLB.com had reaction from Kevin Youkilis
Bedard, 32, has made 16 starts, going 4-7 with a 3.45 ERA. In 91 1/3 innings, he has allowed 77 hits and opponents are hitting just .226 against him.
“He’s nasty,” Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis said of Bedard earlier this week. “I think he owns me. When he was pitching against us, when he was healthy, I don’t know if we beat him — he beat up on us. He’s good. He has a great slider. When he’s healthy and he locates pitches, he’s a pretty remarkable pitcher.”
When he’s healthy is the key. So the Sox will likely give Bedard Andrew Miller’s spot in the rotation. Andrew Miller struggled again today even though the Red Sox rallied to beat the White Sox again. His problem has been walks, but today he gave up 10 hits instead. The other pitcher who could be pulled out the rotation is Tim Wakefield who is actually having a pretty decent year for a guy who will be 45 in 2 days. He just got his 2000th strikeout and will probably get win 200 next time out. Yes, the knuckleball is unpredictable, but I can’t see replacing him with Bedard. You can call me sentimental, but let’s let Wake finish the year in the rotation.
And we also got a utility infielder, Mike Aviles. A sign perhaps that as optimistic as everyone is sounding about Jed Lowrie, they are worried about him staying healthy. He arrived in Chicago last night
Aviles, who was in Cleveland with the Royals, arrived in Chicago in the third inning, put on his new uniform with No. 3 on the back, and played the bottom of the ninth inning at third base.
The 30-year-old has played second base, third base, and shortstop this season. The righthanded-hitting Aviles is batting .222 this season, but is at .309 with a .944 OPS in 55 at-bats against lefthanded pitchers. He is a career .296 hitter against lefties.
Playing off the bench for the Red Sox, Aviles said, is not a problem.
“The situation here is completely different,’’ he said. “We’re in first place and we have an opportunity to win a world championship. It’s going to take more than 25 guys to do that. I’m more than happy to be one of those guys.’’
And the Red Sox are rolling.
Given the way the season began, the Sox are not in bad shape. At the halfway point (July 2), they were 47-34. Since then they have added a win and a loss and gained a game on the Yankees. As Nick Cafardo said, “The Red Sox are flawed, but many teams would love to have blemishes and still win 47 games.”
Blemishes? Mike Cameron just never could come back from his surgery last year. Theo Epstein, when he was releasing Mike, said it was one of his mistakes, a trade that didn’t work out. And J.D. Drew. I like the guy. He’s a pro. But we can’t count on him as we could in years past. I see retirement for J.D. at the end of the season. Carl Crawford. What to say. He has a terrific smile, but so far he hasn’t lived up to his promise. We hope he is just adjusting. I keep waiting for Darnell McDonald to start hitting. There are kids waiting in the wings, Darnell. But the big blemish is John Lackey. And I think it is an even bigger mistake than Mike Cameron that Theo has to deal with.
Bob Ryan writes this morning in the Boston Globe
John Lackey once led the American League in earned run average
John Lackey once won 19 games.
John Lackey once gave up a leadoff double and then retired 27 Oakland A’s in succession, a performance that came in the middle of a stretch in which he threw 30 2/3 scoreless innings.
John Lackey once pitched and won a World Series Game 7.
John Lackey once was deemed worthy of a five-year, $82.5 million contract by the Boston Red Sox, who certainly were not bidding against themselves when they made the offer.
Where has that guy gone?
After yesterday, his ERA is 7.47. And even if Theo didn’t know this, he could never pitch at Fenway where his ERA is now, get this, 9.17. I feel a little bad piling on when he was injured and his wife is sick, but baseball – particularly in Boston- is serious business. We are in a tight race right now and when Lackey is scheduled to pitch, one has to pencil in a loss. Here is Bob Ryan again
But it’s really not funny. It’s a gigantic hole in the middle of a starting rotation that really needs to get to the All-Star break without something disastrous taking place. No one knows when we’ll next see Clay Buchholz, who is being sent to North Carolina for further examination of his back, and who, according to the manager, won’t be sent out there “until we know he’s not hurting himself.’’
Meanwhile, what do you say in a circumstance such as this, when a guy in whom you have invested an enormous sum of money, and who arrived with the reputation of being both a talented pitcher and a highly competitive one, has presented himself in such a horrendous manner? There really is no way to exaggerate how big a catch Lackey was supposed to be.
Here is what respected Baseball Prospectus had to say on the subject of Lackey’s impending free agency at the conclusion of the 2009 season: “Lackey stands alone as one of the best, a relatively young righty who carries significantly less risk than the other high-upside hurlers.’’
…
He has become the ultimate Mystery Guest when he takes the mound, especially at Fenway. A 9.17 ERA in his home ballpark speaks rather eloquently.
As recently as two years ago, John Lackey was an honored and respected pitcher. Now his numbers identify him as the worst starter in major league baseball. Baseball Prospectus probably would like a do-over. Theo, too.
But there is lots going well. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are back for one. Nick Cafardo writes
They found a new starter in 6-foot-7-inch Andrew Miller that they’re excited about.
They tested the versatility of Alfredo Aceves and he succeeded in every role he was used in.
Josh Beckett returned to be a dominant pitcher. Jon Lester has continued his development into elite status among lefties. Jonathan Papelbon, who recorded his 16th save last night, has answered the challenge of pitching well in his walk year and Daniel Bard continues to show why he’s ready for the next step in his career – to be a closer. He appears ready if the Sox cut ties with Papelbon after this season.
Adrian Gonzalez is the team and league’s MVP so far. He’s an RBI machine (73), who knocked in the winning runs last night and has come to the American League and conquered.
And the last word goes to David Ortiz
“This team has a chance to do some things,’’ Ortiz said. “When we get our lineup healthy and together and the weather gets nice and hot, we’re going to be fine here. We’re going to put up some runs. It’s going to be fun.’’
Go Sox! And congratulations to the All Stars: Beckett, Ortiz, Gonzalez and Ellsbury!
I am not, as I have said before, a hockey fan. But I did watch the ceremony at Fenway during which the Red Sox honored the Bruins. This is my favorite picture of the event: All the the Bruins throwing the first pitch to all the Sox.
And this has to be my next favorite.
The Stanley Cup on the mound.
I know that Boston sports fans, particularly Red Sox fans, run the risk of become the New Yankees – the team that everyone loves to hate, but we can’t seem to help glowing with pride.
I thought about writing about poor Anthony Weiner, but am not quite sure what to say and I haven’t figured out yet if I think he should have been forced to resign. As I heard Al Sharpton say in some commentary, “I’m confused about where the line is now.” I could write about the Bruins but I know nothing about hockey so I can only say, “congratulations!” I do know that Boston is the only city to have championships in the four major sports in a decade. (Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins). So that leaves Sal DeMasi and the Red Sox as possible topics for this Saturday morning. Sal – maybe later.
The Red Sox won again last night. making their record 9-1 including the recent road trip. If my math is correct, they are 12 and 2 for June. What to make of all this? Here is Nick Cafardo in Friday’s Boston Globe.
What do you dream about when you embark on a nine-game trip against your top American League East rivals?
First, you dream about nine wins. Short of that, 8-1 is a good alternative. And that’s exactly what the Red Sox completed last night, matching the franchise’s best nine-game trip accomplished in 1977.
Oh what messages the Sox sent their rivals over the past 10 days.
In no particular order:
1. We’re back.
2. We’re good.
3. We’re ready to kick anyone’s behind.
4. Try stopping us.
5. We may be the best team in baseball.
And with those messages comes the reality that the Yankees are still winning, the Rays are very pesky, the Jays will make your life miserable if you let them, and there are no guarantees in baseball.
And there really are no guarantees. Last night Carl Crawford left with a hamstring injury, Jed Lowrie has a bad shoulder, and Clay Buckholtz has a back issue. So all of us Sox fans need to not get ahead of ourselves.
But there is no harm in dreaming.
Michael Vega in this morning’s Globe:
As newcomers relatively unfamiliar with Duck Boat parades, perhaps Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford should consider witnessing first-hand how Boston fetes its champions.
After all, isn’t this why they wanted to come to Boston?
The Dallas Mavericks are winners! They defeated Miami and “King James” for the rest of us.
Two interesting posts from the New York Times live blog of the game.
10:42 P.M. |This one is over.
The Dallas Grown-Ups will surely finish this one, as the Miami Children continue to run around without any direction or purpose, much like I do in regards to my entire life. I empathize.
10:43 P.M. |Long Summer
It’s going to be a long summer for LeBron, D-Wade, and the rest of the Heat.
Classy move by LeBron untucking his shirt with a minute to go, too. Someone get him a life coach. Shotgun not it.
I also heard on the radio that LeBron shook a few hands and left the court almost immediately after the game was over. What a classy guy – not!
The Heat will likely win a championship sometime, but for right now, I’m happy that it wasn’t this year.
Earlier the Red Sox who finished in such a disappointing way last year, started the seaon 0-6 and then 2-10 and seemed to take forever to get to .500. won their 9th in a row – and I think, the 3rd sweep in a row.
Carl Crawford has had his moments since coming to the Red Soxs, but Adrian Gonzalez is just as amazing as advertised. And he – or something has Big Papi on a tear that has lasted for weeks now. But recently it is not just the wins, it is the number of runs being scored and most of all it is the pitchers stepping up. And speaking of pitching, it seems likely that Daisuke Matsuzaka had pitched his last game for the Sos and possibly the last in this country and he heads for Tommy John surgery.
Congratulations, Mavs! Go Sox!
I have not done a good job of keeping my new year resolution to post at least once a week, but life is busy and exhausting – which is all an excuse. So as spring fades to summer here in New England I am trying to revive by resolution.
So here are the questions I’ve been saving up. I will likely write about some of them in time.
Will the Democrats lose control of the Senate because the Republicans have made it dysfunctional? I mean how can they not confirm a Nobel Prize winning economist?
How in the world can Anthony Weiner think that no one thought he was lying all along? And his credibility is shot not because of what he did, but because he lied about it.
How can historians really defend Sarah Palin’s story of Paul Revere? OK, we weren’t American’s back then, we were British and we were trying to protect our cache of arms, but Paul Revere rang no bells and he and the other riders told people the regulars were coming. This had nothing to do with gun control or the 2nd amendment which hadn’t even been written.
When will people wake up and realize that Barack Obama has an extraordinary first two years as President?
Along the same lines: Will the Democrats blow their Medicare advantage? And will people realize that we can’t keep cutting stuff without raising taxes on those making over $300,000 or even $500,000 a year. We extended those tax cuts once and I don’t see the private sector creating lots and lots of new jobs.
How can people believe that laying off all those public employees does not impact the rise in unemployment?
Will the Red Sox find consistency on the upcoming road trip playing the AL East contenders and at a minimum stay in contention?
Can the Mavericks beat the Heat? And how about Nadal?
I’ve broken the ice now and there will be more posts to come.
Yesterday was a great day in my long baseball fandom: I got to see a great game pitched by a guy who is 6 months older than me and I got an autographed baseball from one of my all time favorite Brockton Rox, first baseman Melvin Falu. The only bad thing about the game was that Falu (Pronounced FAH-loo with lots of ooo’s when he comes up to bat) was injured and couldn’t play.
One of the great things about being in a small independent league ball park is that you are very close to the action. The other is that fans are generally really friendly. I had struck up a conversation with two young women sitting behind us. They were clearly fans, and they commented on the game in both English and Spanish. We talked a little about Bill Lee‘s appearance while Bob was off finding us a beer. Then later in the game they started talking about Melvin Falu and how he couldn’t play. I turned and asked them if he were hurt as I had wondered by he wasn’t playing. The one of the woman answered that he hurt his knee and had had a cortisone shot, but would be OK. I asked if he would be able to play in the the play-off and she said yes. I said I hoped to see him in a play-off game as he was one of my favorite players.
A short time later, one of the women walked down the steps to the dugout and came back with an autographed ball which she handed me. Falu was standing up in the dugout waving at us. It was a great moment. Turns out she is a relative of his. He plays hard and well, clearly for the love of the game. He is one of the Can-Am league all-stars again this year.
So on to Bill Lee. The Spaceman. Lee last pitched for the Red Sox in 1978 and pitched his last professional game in 1982 for the Montreal Expos. According to NESN, the Rox had first asked him to throw out the first pitch and he agreed only if he could do more. So he did for 5 1/3 innings getting the win. Two runs, 5 hits, one strikeout and no walks. Pretty good for almost 64.
The Rox beat the Worcester Tornado who just happen to be managed by another Red Sox alum, Rich Gedman.
They are part of the Boston Red Sox alumni club, one player from the 1970s and the other from the 1980s.
Bill Lee’s stay with the Red Sox ended in 1978 and Rich Gedman made his debut in Boston late in the 1980 season, so they just missed being teammates.
On Sunday afternoon, though, their paths crossed in a Can-Am League game at Campanelli Stadium with the 63-year-old Lee pitching for the Brockton Rox against the Worcester Tornadoes, managed by the soon-to-be 51-year-old Gedman.
For Lee, the game meant a chance to venture into new territory, starting a professional game for the first time since being released by the Montreal Expos in 1982.
For Gedman, the game meant a chance for his team to stay alive in the race for the final playoff spot with the regular season ending today. [Monday]
With his team’s playoff hopes damaged, Gedman could only shake his head in amazement.
“I didn’t know whether to clap or be angry with him,’’ said Gedman. “I’m happy for him. There’s not a lot of people who can do what he did. First of all, they don’t think they can do it. That’s the thing that he has.
“How many people could pull that off? That’s what is special. He did it because he believed he could do it. He loves to play. That’s a wonderful tribute to him. Despite all the other stuff that people talk about, baseball is special to him and it’s fun to watch him.’’
According to the Yahoo sports story
I lift wood and make bats for a living,” he told reporters. “This is fun for me. It doesn’t take anything out of you to pitch.”
Yes, the “Spaceman” was otherworldly. Lee, who in his day job makes bats for David Ortiz(notes), among other major leaguers, is thought to be the oldest pitcher to appear in a professional game, let alone win one.
Satchel Paige was 59 when he pitched three innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. Another longtime Negro Leagues player, the legendary Buck O’Neal, batted twice in the Northern League All-Star Game in 2006 at age 94. He swung at one pitch and walked in both at-bats. Earlier that year, Jim Eriotes, 83, led off the game for the Sioux Falls Canaries and struck out. He did foul off a pitch.
…
His first pitch was an eephus, a slow blooper that the batter banged up the middle for a single. Was that all he had? The 6,126 in attendance had to wonder.
Then Lee got down to business. He got out of the first without giving up a run. Nick Salotti homered to lead off the second, but Lee allowed only three hits and a run the rest of the way. Perhaps after giving up the homer, he reminded himself of one his most famous quotes: “I think about the cosmic snowball theory. A few million years from now the sun will burn out and lose its gravitational pull. The earth will turn into a giant snowball and be hurled through space. When that happens it won’t matter if I get this guy out.”
The Spaceman was obviously having a great time and so were we. And he’s added another great quote to his collection:
“It felt good out there. Everything was where I wanted to be,” the 14-year big-leaguer said, believed to be the oldest pitcher to earn a victory in a professional game. “I got pulled before I could use all of my pitches today,” Lee added. “I was hoping to be able to break out my Juan Marichal screwball.”
Thanks to the Spaceman and Melvin Falu for a great day. For Lee, it is back to Vermont and making bats and for Falu and the Rox, it is play-off time.
The Sox are done. Maybe not officially, mathematically , but they are done. It is almost as if Dustin Pedroia’s surgery took the air out of the last tire. And I don’t think we can blame Hurricane Earl for the double header loss. I was hoping that they could stay close enough to the Rays and Yankees to take advantage of any collapse, but I don’t think that is to be.
They didn’t have a bad season, just a not so good a season for the Red Sox since they broke the Curse.
I know that everyone will blame Theo Epstein and management for not making trades, but deep down everyone knows that wouldn’t have been the answer. No one counted on all the injuries. (It is now reported that Mike Lowell has been playing with injured ribs.) Epstein is in it for the long term and the young kids, the Navas, McDonalds (even if he isn’t all that young he’s pretty much a rookie), and the guys in Pawtucket, Portland and Lowell are the future. Of course, in a couple of years if things don’t bounce back, then we can say Theo was wrong.
Here is Peter Abraham on the games that ended the season.
Well that was quite a day for the Red Sox.• First doubleheader sweep since dropping a twinbill to the Yankees on Aug. 18, 2006.
• Fewest runs in a doubleheader since losing 5-1 and 2-1 against Kansas City on July 16, 1976.
• They were 13 of 67 at the plate including 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
There will be much written about the season, but this picture kinda says it all.
We can only hope that the Sox stay professional and win a respectable number of the games remaining. Over .500 would be nice. But we know for sure that next year’s Sox will look very different.
Get healthy, guys! As they used to say in Brooklyn, “Wait until next year!”
The Red Sox wake up this morning only 4 and a half games out of first place. 4 1/2. Which when one looks at the players out for the season is pretty amazing. The injury list reads like the Sox line-up during a normal season: Pedroia, Ellsbury, Youklis, Veritek, Cameron.
This is the time for the Sox to make their move. The games with the Yankees and Tampa Bay are must win games. If they don’t, the season will be over. Last night things went their way. They were able to beat Tampa while the White Sox beat up on the Yankees and their pitcher, A. J. Burnette. Last night belonged to Jon Lester and Victor Martinez.
Amalie Benjamin writes in the Boston Globe this morning
Because while last night’s 3-1 win over the Rays was a monster game for Martinez, it was a strange one for Lester, who was wild (five walks, three wild pitches, one hit batter) and dominant (10 strikeouts, two hits allowed) by turn. But he was saved, sometimes from himself, by Martinez.
“I thought Victor caught the game of his life,’’ manager Terry Francona said after the Sox moved to within 4 1/2 games of the American League East and wild-card races. “He was all over the place tonight. He did a great job. There was a lot of good things that happened tonight.’’
Martinez, the only member of the Sox to have hit a home run off David Price entering last night’s game, hit two more — solo homers in the first and seventh — to provide the difference. Martinez went 3 for 4 against Price to raise his career mark against the Cy Young contender to .417 (5 for 12). Before last night, Martinez had hit just one home run in 118 at-bats since coming off the disabled list July 26.
Perhaps his performance shouldn’t have been surprising, as Martinez has a .371 average against the Rays and .407 average at Tropicana Field, the best among players with at least 100 at-bats.
But it wasn’t only that. Martinez called the right pitches at the right times, as Lester dominated with men on base. The Rays went 1 for 10 with men in scoring position against Lester (14-8), Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon (save No. 33), and stranded seven runners.
Tonight could be different with Sabathia pitching for the Yankees and a two great pitchers, Bucholtz and Garza, in the Red Sox-Rays game. This means that the odds favor a Yankee win which the Sox-Rays is a toss-up. But if the Sox are going to win 2 out of 3 , I think it rests on Bucholtz because Josh Beckett has not been very reliable and he pitches the 3rd game of the series on Sunday.
Tony Mazzarotti tells us what this all means
Rays sweep. No need to get too detailed here. Unless the Yankees similarly get swept by the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, the Red Sox will be all but dead come Monday. Even then, Boston will trail the Yankees by six in the loss column with 31 to play. Tampa will have a nine-game advantage over Boston in the loss column. [And we know this won’t happen.]
The obvious best-case scenario. If the Sox can win all three – as unlikely as that is, the Red Sox swept a three-game series at Tampa early this year – they will trail the Rays by three in the loss column. That would do a great deal to inspire interest in a Red Sox club that has been treading water for months. Game on, Garth.
Rays win 2 of 3. Again, unless the Yankees get swept, the Red Sox will be in dire straits. Boston would trail Tampa by seven in the loss column and New York by at least six with five weeks of baseball to go. Remember that rosters expand to 40 players next week and teams like the Yankees and Rays will have minor leaguers to take the bullet – thereby resting their starters – in any blowouts over the final month.
Red Sox win 2 of 3. While this sounds like a big series win, the gain for the Sox is relatively minimal. Again, there is always the chance the series could mean more depending on what happens with the Yankees. Still, winning 2 of 3 means the Sox would leave Tampa trailing by five games in the loss column, only magnifying the point that it can be hard to make up ground in head-to-head meetings unless you sweep. Simply put, too much time comes off the clock. The Rays really need to win just one game this weekend to ensure a five-game lead in the loss column with five weeks to play.
Just think of the great story that could be written of the 2010 season if the Sox manage to make the play-offs with a line up that should be playing in Pawtucket or maybe even Portland. But let me not get ahead of myself. Let’s sweep the Rays first.
FortLeft 
