Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home: 2/24/08 - 3/2/08

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Is Wake 100%? We Find Out Sunday

Tim Wakefield will pitch his first game since going on the DL for the World Series. Game time is 1:05 Eastern. How will we know if Wake has fully recovered from the shoulder injury...will his fastball hit 78? He sometimes starts slow and settles in but he will only go 2 innings so it will be difficult to see where he's at.

On another note, how much does MLB.com suck? They constantly have the wrong info (yesterday they sad Tek was not making the road-trip and then he played and homered, today they have a picture with a caption that says Ellsbury is running to first after a single...he went 0-3. When you try to sign on to listen to the game you have to go through 8 pages of ads telling you why you should sign up. Enough bitching for one day...the Sox are 4-0 in the spring.

Sox Pitchers Can't Find the Plate Against the Twins

Jon Lester struggled in his first outing since game 4 of the World Series giving up 2 hits and 4 walks in 1 inning against Minnesota. Tejera walked 3 more batters in 2 innings. Ellsbury is 0-3 giving Coco the early lead in the battle for center. You can look at the live box score here.
Casey goes 1 for 1 with and error (Youk would have had it)...Moss and 4th string catcher Brown hit long balls (can Brown catch a knuckle ball?) Pauley goes 2 scoreless and is still in the hunt for spot #5. Sox win 7-6,

Yankee Hat

Got this in an email today...you may have seen it before but if not enjoy.

Blue Jay's GM Trashes Fenway

Toronto Blue Jay's General Manager J.P. Ricciardi told the Toronto Sun his view of Fenway Park:

"I'm waiting for the day somebody leans on a brick and the whole place falls down"

This from a guys who's team plays in the SkyDome. Seems like an appropriate time to listen to the Arrogant Worm's song Toronto Sucks:

Dumbass Hank Keeps Saying Stupid Things

Here's the latest brilliant remark from Hank Steinbrenner:

"baseball's not as complicated as football, so I don't know that a manager means as much in baseball as he does in other sports."

Of course when the Yankees start losing again, who do you think Hank is going to fire? Jeter?

Friday, February 29, 2008

Twins Game Recap

In his first game of the spring Dice-K gave up 2 hits in 2.2 innings with no earned runs but no K's. The runs were hard to come by until the 4th when the Sox put 3 runs on the board. Items of note: Coco was 8th in the order with Lugo leading off, Youk and Tek go yard, Coco proves he wants the starting job by going 2-2 with a RBI and a SB.

In the battle of the pen: Oki, Timlin and Aardsma don't give up a hit in 1 inning each. Kolb gives up one hit. Tavarez gives up a tater.

Sox win 8-3....all is well in the Nation

Lineup for 2/29 vs.Twins

The official lineup has not yet been announced but the following players will start: Kevin Youkilis, Pedroia, Julio Lugo, Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and Bobby Kielty.

Ellsbury and J.D. are not making the trip.

Quote of The Day

"If you're in New England and you're sitting in the snow, there's nothing better to watch than the palm trees, and what is a beautiful area here, and the thought that baseball at Fenway isn't that far away." -Don Orsillo

NESN will broadcast tonight's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. Dice-K will be on the mound. First pitch 7:05 Eastern.

Hank Is A Dumbass

Hank Steinbrenner had the following to say about Red Sox Nation to the New York Times:
“Red Sox Nation?” Hank says. “What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.”

Was that the Red Sox I saw on the news at the White House this week Hank? I guess this website does not exist because there are no Sox fans outside of Boston.

Manny Being Manny No Excuse For Dissing Veterans

Everyone seems to have a take on Manny missing the trip to Washington.

Jim Donaldson sports writer for the ProJo was unforgiving:

"He doesn't want to visit with the president? Fine. That's his prerogative. It's not inconceivable that a few of those wounded veterans might not want to shake hands with the president, either.
And, while it's interesting that Ramirez clearly considers himself to be special, that he obviously believes his obligations to the team are not the same as those of his teammates, that's a problem for the Red Sox to deal with in the clubhouse, and as an organization. But turning his back on hospitalized veterans? That's inexcusable and unforgivable. "

The satirical newspaper The Onion says, Manny actually was in DC, he just missed the big events: "Although Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez was present for the official team visit to the White House, he did not meet the president due to being preoccupied with rolling on the Rose Garden lawn and playing tug-of-war with Barney, the Bush family's Scottish terrier.

Bill Burt writes in the Gloucester Daily Times that Manny being Manny is good enough for him:

"The only place Manny is expected to be is the No. 4 spot in the Red Sox lineup from late March through late October. He can leave trips to Washington, D.C., to the important people. "

I have to say that I agree with Donaldson. Missing the White House visit is one thing, but slighting the veterans is really disappointing. That's Manny being Manny. Sometimes it makes you laugh, sometimes it pisses you off.

Beckett Shows No Mercy to College Hitters

Ace Josh Beckett spoke to Rob Duca of the Cape Cod Times about pitching against college hitters.

A guy said, 'Are you going to at least let somebody hit it?' 'No, I'm not going to let 'em hit it,' " Beckett said after the Red Sox rolled to a 24-0 triumph. "I'm out there trying to do my job and my job right now is to get in shape for the season. If I'm facing a college team and I'm messing around, I might take that into another game. That's not what you're trying to do."

Beckett retired 6 batters in a row with only 25 pitches, 18 for strikes. It looks like Beckett is starting from where he left off last year. Given the Schillng situation, we need our Ace to be dominant. Sure it was only BC, but you have to like how he pitched, and more importantly, you have to like his attitude.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Red Sox Pummel Northeastern

The Red Sox swept today's doubleheader against amateur teams by beating Northeastern University 15-0 in 7 innings. Even though they were facing college teams the Sox outscored their opponents by a combined score of 39-0 and gave up a total of 4 hits in the 2 games. Masterson pitched well giving up 1 hit with one K in 2 innings. Coco went 1-1 with a walk winning the day over Jacoby and even J.D. got a hit. It is really way to early to worry about hitting but it is nice to see the Sox playing so well in their first 2 spring games.

Sox Destroy BC

The Red Sox had no sympathy for their neighbors from Chestnut Hill. B.C. only got one hit off of the Red Sox staff and lost the game 24-0. Ellsbury did not get a hit but scored a run after being walked. Pedroia had a hit and a 2 RBI's, Papi also drove one in with one hit. The minor league players were the ones who ran up the score with 9 runs in the 5th. Beckett pitched 2 innings with 4 K's and no hits. You can check out the box score here. You can take your hand off of the panic button (unless you are a BC baseball fan)...things look good in the Nation.

Feds to Investigate Clemens*

The Associated Press is reporting that the FBI has opened an investigation into whether Roger* lied to Congress when he denied taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

Roger needs to learn the cardinal rule of holes: "when you're in one, stop digging."

Timlin Talks About White House Visit

Reliever Mike Timlin spoke to WBZ Radio about yesterday's visit to the White House.

Listen to him here.

Masterson to Show His Stuff

Sox 2006 second round pick Justin Masterson will start tonight's game in Ft. Myers.

“It’s exciting, just making the first start (of the spring),” Masterson told the ProJo. “It’s good to face a college team and sort of get my feet wet before I face some major-league hitters.”

Masterson pitched for AA Portand last year. He throws a high speed sinker (95 MPH), and has a decent changeup). Masterson may be used in the bullpen in the Sox farm system this year.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Video Of Red Sox Ceremony At The White House

RemDawg Sworn in as Prez of the Nation

Today in Washington, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer issued the oath of office to Jerry Remy to become the official President of Red Sox Nation.

"I, Jerry Remy, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of Red Sox Nation. I pledge to be true to the game, true to our fans and, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and promote all that is great about the beloved sport of baseball and the Boston Red Sox."

God Bless America. God Bless the Nation.

Let's Hope the Mound Holds Up

The Red Sox ground crew will have a little more to handle next month. Bartolo Colon is scheduled to make his first spring training appearance on March 9th. We can only hope that the mound will be able to sustain the weight.

Keep an eye on your hot dogs, fans.

Sox Visit White House...Manny Misses It Again

The Red Sox were in Washington today to show off the World Series Trophy to President Bush at the White House. For the second time in 4 years Manny Ramirez did not make the trip. Bush even made a joke about Manny not being there:
"Manny Ramirez isn't here, I guess it's because his grandmother died again."

Lineups For First 2 Games

Here are the lineups for Thursday's games:

PROBABLE RED SOX LINEUPS

vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
Ellsbury, cf
Pedroia, 2b
Ortiz, dh
Lowell, 3b
Varitek, c
Youkilis, 1b
Lugo, ss
Kielty, rf
Moss, lf

Vs. NORTHEASTERN
Crisp, cf
Cora, 2b
Drew, rf
Ramirez, dh
Casey, 1b
Carter, lf
Mirabelli, c
Lowrie, ss
Ginter, 3b

Ellsbury gets the start in game 1...does it mean anything?....also Crisp and Ellsbury are in the lead-off spots.

Sox Take A Look At Freddy Garcia

Freddy Garcia was in Fort Myers for an evaluation today, usually a step when teams are interested in signing a player. Garcia pitched for the Phils last year earning $10 million and getting just one win. He only pitched in 11 games and had 5 loses and a 5.90 ERA with batters hitting .319 against him. He like many of the other pitchers the Sox have signed this off-season are players coming off of injuries and bad years but have had success in the past. The Red Sox have not signed him but if they do he will be even more insurance for the rotation. He will most likely come cheap and have good upside, similar to Colon, give or take 80 lbs. This move would just be another example of Theo being Theo.

Should the Sox Sign Jenny Craig?

It works for celebrities, why not ballplayers?

Everyone agrees that you can never have too much pitching. Sox fans reacted favorably to the news that Bartolo Colon had been signed. There's just one problem. He's gotta drop some lbs.

Pitching coach John Farrell spoke with the Associated Press about Colon yesterday:

"There's really no timetable on when he's going to get in a game," Farrell said. "Without having really picked up a ball over the past three weeks, it's going to take him a little time to get back in shape. But he's a guy that definitely provides us some depth as a starter. To answer any more questions about that, it's too early to tell."

"I don't know the exact number of pounds that might have to be lost," Farrell said, "but I think there's some self-acknowledgment on his part that he is a little bit overweight right now."

Colon will talk to reporters today. Remember, Bartolo, don't talk with your mouth full.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Who Will Lead-Off This Season?

One of the ignored topics so far this spring is who is going to be the lead-off hitter. The Sox have employed several players at the top of the order for the past few years so lets take a look at the options:

Ellsbury- a perfect lead-guy; can create trouble for defenses when he is on base...but will he start?

Coco- good speed but no bat during the last 2 seasons and a pretty low .330 OBP

Pedroia- only 7 SB's last year but an OBP of .380..... an OK choice but not great

Youk- walks were down last year but a .390 OBP.......not exactly a threat to steal

Lugo- weak OBP of . 294 but 33 SB....if he can bat this year he might be OK

The spring games start Thursday and should shed some light on to who's number Tito will pencil in at the top of the order

Me Llamo Jonathan Papelbon

After some lessons from Julian Tavarez, Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon has been working on his espanol. Check out the video:

Where's Colon?

According to the Boston Globe, Bartolo Colon is not yet in camp and is said to be driving across the state. With the large number of Waffle Houses he will pass on the way it may be a while.

Update: Colon arrives at camp....sorry about the maple syrup on the hand.

Are Sox Playing a Game of "Respect" With Coco?

Bill Burt of the North Andover Eagle Tribune thinks Coco isn't going to be the Sox Opening Day starter. He argues in his column:
"...and for the other handful of people who believe general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona when they say Crisp is still the starter in center, I've got two more words. White lie. The Red Sox are playing this game of "respect" because they are not willing to give Crisp away — at least not today."
Burt believes that Coco won't be with the Sox come mid-March.

The Boston Herald outlines why dealing Coco is not going to get done until teams figure out what they have in spring training. The article breaks down the options in center for St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Chicago and shows why Coco is not a good fit anywhere right now.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Ellsbury Talks About His Speed and the Center Field Competiton

Is Ellsbury one of the 10 fastest players in the league? What does Manny D. think about the upcoming season? What is it like playing with Ortiz and Manny? Watch the clip and see what they have to say:

8 Players Named to Red Sox Hall of Fame

This year's inductees in the Red Sox Hall of Fame include pitchers Bill Lee, Wes Ferrell and Frank Sullivan, first baseman Mo Vaughn, outfielder Mike Greenwell and shortstop Everett Scott. Scout George Digby and the late Edward Kenney, Sr., a team official for more than 40 years, will also be inducted.

It's good to see that the Spaceman has reached the lofty heights.

Bruce Hurst Returns to Sox as Special Instuctor

The Sox brought back pitcher Bruce Hurst to serve as a special instructor for player development.

Hurst pitched for the Sox from '80-'88 including games in the '86 World Series.

He won 88 games for the Sox.

No Media Circus Surrounding Dice-K This Spring

Last year, every pitch thrown by Dice-K in Spring Training was dissected by the media. It's hard to imagine how hard it must have been for him to get ready for the season with the flock of reporters constantly around him.

This year is different. After a season in the majors where he was overshadowed by Josh Beckett, the bright lights have faded. While there is still media attention, it's nothing like last year, and that's a good thing.

"Most of the things that were a source of stress for me last season have disappeared," Dice-K told the AP"and now I'm just able to practice."

The Nashua Telegraph reports that he's off to a good stard, "Dice-K made a very positive move forward today," pitching coach John Farrell said. "He threw the ball again in the bottom of the strike zone. His fastball command was solid."Matsuzaka also made a slight adjustment on the release of his changeup, which makes it "a much more useable pitch. I think hitters will have to respect it. They won't be able to detect it so early upon it's release," Farrell said.

Progress on the changeup, however, began late last season."I was able to grasp a few points on my changeup that were really going to make a difference," Matsuzaka said. "I just hope that I can apply those right away early on in the season."

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sox Get A Whiff Of Bartolo Colon

According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, the Sox have inked right hander Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. Colon will attempt to make the Opening Day roster.

Colon was injured for much of last year, going 6-8 with a dismal 6.34 ERA. He has won 20 games twice in his carrer, and was the 2005 Cy Young Award winner.

It looks like Theo is trying to see if he can fill in the gaps left open by Schilling's injury. It will be interesting to see if the Sox get the Colon of old, or the Colon of last season.

I think it is a good gamble. If Colon rebounds from his injuries, he could be a major asset for the Sox.

Sox Take First Live Batting Practice

Rob Duca of the Cape Cod Times caught up with some of the Sox coaches and players following the first live batting practice yesterday.

As is usually the case, pitchers were ahead of hitters.

Tito told Duca, "This is probably the toughest day for hitters in camp. Any bit of confidence that they accrued over the winter is gone today. But when you take that screen out in front of the pitcher it will come back, for whatever reason."

Numerous pitchers took turns throwing, including Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Bryan Corey, Javier Lopez, Mike Timlin, Craig Hansen, David Aardsma and invitee Lee Gronkiewicz.

"What we want to get done is, since it's the first time they've seen hitters since last season, not to fear the swing of the bat, not to pitch away from contact, to take almost a more aggressive approach to inducing contact," pitching coach John Farrell said. "See the ball hit, see the ball hit the ground, because once we get in games they have to pitch to the strike zone early in the count. So that's the main key — as well as getting up their volume."

Papelbon told the Cape Cod Times, "I'm just trying to get my lower half and my legs underneath me and worry about my mechanics. My arm will catch up later. I'm not going out there trying to throw 95 right now."

Sox Give Tito 3-Year Extention

This morning Theo Epstein announced to the Red Sox players that the Red Sox had signed Terry Francona to a contract extention. Players cheered the news.

The three-year deal is reportedly in the $3 to $4 million range. This deal makes Tito among the highest paid managers in the game.

After leading the Sox to two World Series Championships, it's well deserved. The Sox will have the game's best skipper leading them to a bright future.

It's Photo Day....What Will Manny Do?

Today is photo day for the Red Sox and the early word is that the new Manny made it this time...he was wearing his red uniform when everyone else was wearing white so he had to change quickly. The new Manny can still be Manny.

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