Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home

Friday, April 3, 2009

New Improvements at Fenway - Video

Here's what they've been up to at America's most beloved ballpark during the offseason:

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Red Sox Twitter Away

As the popularity of twitter grows, more and more Red Sox are joining up. Boston Dirt Dogs pointed out that Terry Francona busy on twitter today. Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie also are on twitter.
UPDATE: The Sportslist has determined that the Tito, Ellsbury and Lowrie accounts are fake, but does show several real players on twitter like Barry Zito and C.C. Sabathia

Music of Summer

The Boston Pops Orchestra is releasing a The Red Sox Album on opening day. The album includes the following:

THE RED SOX ALBUM TO FEATURE NEW ARRANGEMENTS OF FENWAY’S FAN ANTHEM “SWEET CAROLINE,” THE DROPKICK MURPHYS’ “I’M SHIPPIN’ UP TO BOSTON,” AND “TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME;” “THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER” AND A MUSICAL VERSION OF BASEBALL’S FAMOUS HEART-WRENCHER, “CASEY AT THE BAT,” ALSO FEATURED

The album is part of a joint effort by the Boston Pops and the Red Sox:

“This CD marks the next exciting chapter in what continues to be a tremendous partnership between two of Boston’s most storied institutions,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “The Boston Pops and the Boston Symphony have provided the soundtrack for some of the most memorable moments at Fenway Park. With the release of ‘The Red Sox Album’, they are giving fans a new way to enjoy music that is inextricably linked with our team and our players. This one-of-a-kind album was produced by one of America’s favorite orchestras, led by one of America’s most talented conductors, for one of America’s most beloved teams.”

You can get a copy of the album beginning April 6 here: www.bostonpops.org/shop the album will also be sold at Fenway throughout the season.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Twins

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Jason Varitek, C

Brad Penny, SP

Pack up the Truck

As much fun as truck day is, today is the day people should be wishing for. After the game today the Red Sox will leave Florida and head to New York to play two games against the Mets at the brand new Citi Field. Brad Penny will get the start today in his final tuneup of the spring. Tomorrow's historic game will be on NESN.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

More on LOST (Yankee abuse inside)

I've been watching the ABC television show LOST since shortly after it started in September of 2004. (I was busy watching a lot of baseball that October if memory serves me correctly.) I researched the Red Sox references in the show and posted my opinion in January.

I found this LOST parody on youtube today, but before you watch it, I must briefly explain something for those who have not been following the show. There has been a set of numbers that keep showing up in different episodes for different reasons. 'Hurley' played these numbers in the lottery and won bazillions of dollars. However, as soon as he won the jackpot, bad, really bad things started happening.

Warning! Serious Yankee abuse ahead!

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Pirates

Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Chris Carter, 1b
Rocco Baldelli, dh
Jed Lowrie, ss
George Kottaras, c
Chip Ambres, lf
Ryan Kalish, rf
Gil Velazquez, 3b

Josh Beckett, sp

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Jeff Bailey Gets Sent Down

The roster is just about set with Rocco Baldelli, Nick Green, Chris Carter and George Kottaras making the team. Penny will round out the rotation with Buchholz heading to the PawSox. Jeff Bailey was beat out by Chris Carter after a close race all spring and sent down to minor league camp.

Buchholz's Ride Only Goes as Far North as Pawtucket

Clay Buchholz was shelled today but the team had already decided to use Brad Penny as the #5 starter. Today he got the news:

After the game, Buchholz was informed that he will most likely begin the season at Triple-A Pawtucket. But that had virtually nothing to do with the righty giving up nine hits and six runs over 5 1/3 innings in a Grapefruit League contest.

With the way he had been pitching before today's game it is likely that we will see him in Boston before the break.

He Almost Got a Darwin Award

To help you get through the slowly moving time until the ump yells out "Play Ball!" next week, I give you this story:

Police in Newark, Ohio say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower. Police say Kile Wygle was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph.

Rumor has it that Joba has just placed an order for his very own motorized bar stool.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A-Rod* Scandal of the Week- Hygiene Failure

For those keeping score at home we now have had cheating in baseball (hand slap and roids), cheating on wife, passing out in the delivery room, causing trouble in a parking lot, hookers, the details magazine shoot, and now we have this:

Alex Rodriquez soaked up the love in Aspen this weekend, but he didn't exactly give it back. The Yankees slugger was partying at the Caribou Club, enjoying the attention of "several cougars," a source said, when he went to the bathroom. A male source added, "When he was done, he walked out of his stall, went up to the sink, primped himself in the mirror and walked out -- without washing his hands. Nasty." A-Rod then went back to the adoration of the ladies, but left by himself. His rep declined to comment.

Check back next week for the continuation of this ongoing series.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Wake Struggles Again

The Red Sox may have jumped the gun in naming Tim Wakefield the fourth starter. Wake got shelled today by the Reds minor league squad. He gave up 5 earned runs including 3 homers. His ERA for spring is now 5.40

Fantasy Draft Gone Bad

A fellow Red Sox fan in my league could not make the live draft but set his draft list ahead of time and filled out a "Do Not Draft" list. Do to some kind of a glitch the computer drafted all the players on the "Do Not Draft List." The result: a team full of Yankees. He was forced to send this email to the league last night:

Make Me Offers

I wanted the system to follow my rankings and to
pick for me. Instead, the system picked everyone
on my "do not draft" list, including a crap-load
of Yankees. Open season on my roster. Please
make offers on Texeira, Sabathia, Nady, Wang and
anyone else on my roster. At this point, I don't
give a rat's ass.

He also has Damon and Swisher on his team.

Teams Want Delcarmen

Peter Gammons is reporting that several teams are interested in a trade for Manny Delcarmen. He speculates that dealing the Massachusetts native could help the Red Sox land a new catcher.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Braves

An interesting lineup today with Rocco at the top and DHing

Rocco Baldelli, dh
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Jason Bay, lf
Kevin Youkilis, 1b
Mike Lowell, 3b
Nick Green, 2b
Chip Ambres, cf
Dusty Brown, c
Che-Hsuan Lin, rf

Daisuke Matsuzaka, p

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Red Sox Prepare to Drop Wilkerson

The Brad Wilkerson signing has not gone as planned. After struggling at the plate this spring, Wilkerson may have bought himself a ticket out of town. The Red Sox are looking at Bailey or Carter to be the backup outfielder going into the season.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Josh Beckett Will Start Opening Day

Josh Beckett is still the ace of the staff and has been named the opening day starter despite Lester challenging him for the top spot. Much better news than we had last season where Beckett missed the trip to Japan for the opener.

Masterson Sent to Pen, Rotation Mostly In Place

Justin Masterson will be a reliever this season and most of the rotation is set. Beckett, Lester, Dice-K and Wake have all made the rotation with Penny and Buchholz competing for the 5th spot. It is Penny's job to lose according to Extra Bases:

The Red Sox are waiting on naming the fifth starter, who, because of a day off April 7, will not be needed until April 12. They need to see how Brad Penny, who is starting today against the Twins, comes through in his final two starts of the spring. Penny previously battled fatigue in his right shoulder, but he was stellar in his first start, in which he pitched three innings.

Today's Lineup vs. the Twins

1. Rocco Baldelli, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Jed Lowrie, SS
8. George Kottaras, C
9. Nick Green, RF

Brad Penny, SP

Friday, March 27, 2009

Are Girardi's Day's Numbered?

The opening odds on Joe Girardi being the first manager fired this season are 5/1....sounds like easy money with Dumbass Hank calling the shots.

Lugo's Recovery Going Well

My guess of a post All-Star break return for Julio Lugo is looking way off the mark. Those of you who had the under could be in the money. Lugo returned to camp today and said:

Hopefully, in three weeks I'll be ready," Lugo said. "Probably three or four weeks, I'll be fine."

I see this as good news for the Red Sox and bad news for the majority of Sox fans....I'm still stickin' with him.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. St. Louis

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Bay, LF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Nick Green, SS

Josh Beckett, SP

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Ticketmaster Understands Yankee Fans

When Yankee fans want to buy tickets through ticketmaster they need to type in a security check. The system tries to use words a typical Yankee fan will understand. See below:

$7.00 Beer...Hooray!!

It's a tough economy and the fine folks at Fenway are freezing concession prices. So go spend your hard earned AIG bonuses on a frosty cup of suds at America's most beloved ballpark.

Tim Wakefield Sucks at Mini Golf

Tim Wakefield and his new catcher George Kottaras had a mini golf competition in Florida with the rookie coming out on top:

Tim hit first on No. 18, and his shot just missed the desired center cup at the top of the three-tier hole. So his ball came out on the second-tier green, while George hit the center hole and his ball stopped two feet from the final cup, and a sure victory.
Meanwhile Tim had some trouble making it into the hole on the second tier-green (in his defense, the cup was raised so the shot was nearly impossible). It took Tim five shots to make it into the hole and down to the bottom green. Unless George was going to five-putt from two feet, the win was his. He sunk the putt, and took the friendly competition.

The golf outing will be shown on NESN on April 1.

Has Buchholz Won a Spot in the Rotation?

I was one of those screaming for Buchholz to be sent down last season; constantly arguing that he was not ready. Well, I am now a believer that he is ready and should be in the rotation. Yesterday he went 6 innings with no earned runs and only gave up three hits. His ERA this spring is .046

"I've had a good spring," Buchholz said. "I know they have their eye on someone else, but even if I'm at Pawtucket, I'm still pitching and I'm a phone call away."

You know that Beckett, Lester, and Dice-K are in the rotation with Wake likely to be the number 4 guy. Penny has the experience and Smoltz will be good once he returns but they have to go with the guy who is hot right now or there is still the option of a 6 man rotation. It is nice to have problems like this one.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Smoltz Does Well in Session

John Smoltz was happy with his performance in a bullpen session today:

"By his own terms, he backed off the intensity. Just trying to follow the glove around a little bit. But I think he was real excited, felt real good about it," Francona said of Smoltz.

The team may now push up his return date to May 15 vs the previous date of June 1. Right now the Red Sox have an abundance of pitching but come mid May there should be an injured pitcher that needs to be replaced.

Red Sox Lineup vs. the Reds

Youk and Drew are back in there in this big start for Buchholz...can he keep it going and win a spot in the rotation?

1. Jason Bay, LF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. J.D. Drew, RF
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Chip Ambres, CF
8. Argenis Diaz, SS
9. Clay Buchholz, SP

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Red Sox Lineup vs. the Yankees

1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Jed Lowrie SS
3. David Ortiz DH
4. Chris Carter LF
5. Rocco Baldelli RF
6. George Kottaras C
7. Brad Wilkerson 1B
8. Nick Green 2B
9. Angel Chavez 3B

SP Tim Wakefield SP

Hall of Fame Questions

With Curt Schilling's retirement announcement comes questions on his Hall of Fame chances. The here are a few of the opinions from around the web:

The Bulletin - Philadelphia:

Based on his regular-season numbers, Schilling falls short of Cooperstown status. His 216 wins rank 80th on the all-time list. To put that in perspective, some of the names around him are Kenny Rogers (219), Charlie Hough (216) and Kevin Brown (211). Not exactly plaque-worthy, are they?......But Schilling’s career was about more than just statistics. It was about impact, how one pitcher influenced three different franchises in a major way....
He won’t be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’ll find his way into Cooperstown eventually. Because in baseball, more than any other sport, mediocre seasons here and there are forgotten over time.

True greatness, on the other hand, lives on forever

.

Washington Post:

But he was great theater any time he took the mound, and for a stretch of nearly a decade (roughly 1997-2006), he was one of the top half-dozen pitchers in the game. Take all that, and add the October heroics, and Schilling starts to look pretty Hall-worthy.

ESPN - Rob Neyer:

Two years I was lukewarm about Schilling's Hall of Fame candidacy. I wasn't against it, exactly. But neither was I for it. But during those two years, Schilling helped pitch the Red Sox to another championship and I got just a little bit smarter. Today I can't imagine a Hall of Fame without him.

Schilling brought hope to Boston the moment he started filming his Dunkin' Donuts commercials by wearing his "Why not us?" t-shirt. He was the keystone to the 2004 and 2007 seasons, without him the Red Sox Nation might still be talking about a curse. No matter what you think about his politics, he is the guy you wanted to have on the mound against the Yankees; he was no Pedro when it came to silencing opposing fans. He deserves a spot in the Hall and needs to be wearing a Sox cap when he goes.

Monday, March 23, 2009

CSI: NY - NY v. BOS

I recently caught a CSI: NY rerun that was originally broadcast May 11, 2005. This episode would be of most interest to Red Sox and Yankee fans, as a Boston baseball fan clad in a red shirt was found murdered in his car after a ball game in NY. With only 1 exception, there were no references to the ’Red Sox’ or the ‘Yankees’, just Boston and New York, no ‘Major League Baseball’ or ‘MLB’, just pro baseball in general. It did not appear that the stadium scenes were filmed at Yankee Stadium. The exception was during an interview, the CSI mentioned that a foul ball off the bat of A-Rod would be a hot commodity.

The detectives and CSI’s conduct their investigation starting with the ticket stub in his wallet and the ‘regulation baseball’ in his possession. It turns out that the ticket was a freebie given to him by a local radio shock jock who then gave another ticket to the NY baseball fan (an ex-con, no less, but that’s not surprising) who was arguing with the Boston baseball fan on air. At the game, the NY fan was heckling the Boston fan and spitting Cracker Jacks at the back of his head, sometimes missing his mark. A scuffle finally ensued, after which the NY fan was ejected (that part did surprise me- they always throw out the Sox fan first.) A foul ball lands in the mitt of the Boston fan. Television replays show the heckler behind him, and then later, the Boston fan catching the foul ball. He then brazenly gives the male fan next to him a big ol’ smooch on the lips, which was replayed on the jumbo screen, much to the dismay of Mr. Macho who was on the receiving end of the smooch (and an aspiring major leaguer himself.)

After the game, the Boston fan was found dead, cause of death determined to be a ruptured spleen due to blunt force trauma, in this case, from a 94 mph fastball. A few hours later on the other side of town, a woman runs into the street seemingly from out of nowhere and gets hit by a truck. Her hair was found on the ball that was in the Boston fan’s post mortem possession. The CSI’s do their forensic DNA voodoo and determine that Mr. Macho (who was still quite PO’d) grabbed the ball from the Boston fan in the parking lot after the game and threw it at him with his 94 mph fastball, thus rupturing his spleen. Later back home with his GF who was sitting next to him at the game, which was how her hair ended up on the ball, he is still visibly upset over the raspberry back at the game. He explodes at his GF, scaring the snot out of her, and chasing her into the street.

I’m guessing that there must be a Sox writer on the staff of CSI: NY. And, I suppose, this story could also have taken place in Oakland after a Patriots-Raiders game.

Penny Makes a Statement...and So Do Sox Bats

Brad Penny showed why he needs to be considered for a spot in the rotation by his performance in his first GFL game. He went three no-hit innings giving up just a walk with 3 K's in today's game.

After he left the game the Red Sox bats came alive with Lowell-Bay-Carter-Ochoa all hitting homers back to back.

Schilling is Done

Curt Schilling announced his retirement today. On twitter he posted that he was out here on the West Coast attending a meeting with his gaming company showing he has fully embraced his new career.

Dice-K Leads Japan over Team USA

With Youk, Pedroia, Big Papi, and Bay all back in Fort Myers the only member of the Red Sox left to watch in the World Baseball was Matsuzaka. Dice-K is going for his second WBC MVP and has a shot after another victory last night. He struggled early giving up a leadoff homer to Brian Roberts but then settled down going 4 2/3 innings and giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits. Team USA was eliminated in the 9-4 loss. Team Japan faces Korea in the final game tonight.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

A-Rod* Scandal of the Week- Hookers

The American public is getting scandal fatigue and not from AIG but from A-Rod*. We have seen cheating on his wife with Madonna, steroids, parking lot incidents, fainting in the delivery room, and now we have a new one:

A former Manhattan madam who supplied Eliot Spitzer with hookers also counted Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez as a customer - and found him so charming she dated him herself for free, former employees of the call-girl agency tell the Daily News.

Batting Stance Guy in Fort Myers - Video

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. Philadelphia

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Rocco Baldelli, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Paul McAnulty, 1B

Josh Beckett, SP

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Today's Lineup vs. the Marlins

1. Jeff Bailey, RF
2. Jason Bay, LF
3. Brad Wilkerson, CF
4. Chris Carter, 1B
5. George Kottaras, C
6. Nick Green, 2B
7. Angel Chavez, 3B
8. Gil Velazquez, SS
9. Michael Bowden, SP

Things Are Looking Good

Clay Buchholz is a different pitcher than he was last spring, Jason Varitek is starting to hit, Penny and Smoltz are ready to pitch, and Lowell looks like he is back. The Red Sox needed things to fall into place after they lost out on Teixeira and it looks like they have. Granted not one regular season game has been played but there are many reasons to be confident in the Sox chances to win the East.

Friday, March 20, 2009

New Injury for Drew

J.D. Drew was hit by a pitch in today's game and is now having an X-Ray on his hand to see if anything is broken.

UPDATE: The X-Rays have come back negative.

Today's Lineup vs. the Pirates

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Paul McAnulty, 1B

Clay Buchholz, SP

Red Sox License Plates in RI?

You can show your team support in Massachusetts with a Red Sox license plate and soon may be able to in Rhode Island.

The Providence Journal reports that a House committee on Thursday approved bills that would allow the state to create license plates bearing either the Boston Red Sox or New England Patriots logos.

They now go to the full House. Similar legislation is moving through the Senate.
The plates would benefit both the state and charities. Drivers could purchase the plates for a $40 charge on top of the standard registration fee. Half the additional fee would go to the state and half to charity—either the Jimmy Fund

Now if we could just get Arnold to do the same out here in California.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

WBC Did Not Cause Youk's Ankle Injury

Don't blame the WBC for Youk's ankle. According to the Projo:

his left ankle problems are related to a flare up of plantar fasciitis, and are not an injury he sustained in the World Baseball Classic.

Now in case you are not a doctor and have never heard of "plantar fasciitis," here is the definition from the Mayo Clinic:

Most commonly, heel pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia — the tissue along the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. The condition is called plantar fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis).

Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing or burning pain that's usually worse in the morning because the fascia tightens (contracts) overnight. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.

In most cases, you can overcome the pain of plantar fasciitis without surgery or other invasive treatments. And you can take steps to prevent plantar fasciitis from recurring.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Jimmy Fallon As A-Rod*

A picture is worth a thousand words:
I was talking to a Yankee fan friend of mine the other day and he was saying how sick he was of A-Rod* and as soon as one issue goes away another arises. It is almost too easy to make fun of him anymore.

hat tip to The Huffington Post

That Was A Wicked Googly - Manny Style

The tricycle is gone...now for some Cricket

Manny Being Manny: Cricket Edition from Big League Stew on Vimeo.

Down Goes Youk

First it was Pedroia, now it's Youk who's injured and out of the WBC. Kevin Youkilis will not return to Team USA for the remainder of the Classic:

"a mild left ankle sprain, as well as mild Achilles tendonitis in his left foot."
MRIs taken on both problems were negative. The Sox said Youkilis "will wear a walking boot for the next several days but is not expected to miss significant time."

This should add a little fuel to the "is the WBC worth it?" fire.

Red Sox Cut Josh Bard

Quick, somebody call Doug Mirabelli; Josh Bard has been cut by the Red Sox. No word on who will catch Wake.

Sox/WBC Roundup

Youk helped out team USA with a home run early yesterday's comeback victory over Puerto Rico. He also drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 9th as part of the rally. The team avoided elimination with the victory.

The Green Sox used the long ball to beat the Twins yesterday. Big Papi, Tek, Ellsbury, and Bay all went yard. Beckett earned the win even though he was not great. He gave up 3 earned runs in 4 innings of work. A blister problem of sorts also arose:

A callus on his toe that softened throughout the game, finally ripping in the third inning. And the result was an open wound that Beckett ignored as best he could, but upon which he put unexpected pressure while fielding Carlos Gomez's bunt.
"He probably knocked some skin off it, that's all," Francona said after the Red Sox's 9-5 win against the Twins.
"It's just a cut," Beckett added.

Good thing its not one of those blisters on his pitching hand.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

This is Not Dustin Pedroia

Lugo Out At Least a Month

Lugo underwent the knife today, here are the results from Extra Bases:

Doctors repaired a torn meniscus, which is what they expected to find. Lugo will miss 3-4 weeks, almost certainly sidelining him for Opening Day April 6, which is 20 days away.

3-4 weeks is very optimistic for a torn meniscus, I would be surprised if he sees any action before the All-Star break

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Twins

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
3B Mike Lowell
DH David Ortiz
RF Rocco Baldelli
LF Jason Bay
C Jason Varitek
1B Brad Wilkerson
SS Jed Lowrie
2B Nick Green

SP Josh Beckett

Lars Gets Cut

Lars Anderson was sent to minor league camp today. There was really not much chance for Lars making the team but people were expecting him to shine in spring training. He was a disappointing 4-22 at the plate this spring but is still considered the top prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Today's Lineup vs. Toronto

1. Ellsbury CF
2. Lowrie SS
3. Drew RF
4. Carter 1B
5. Bard DH
6. Bailey LF
7. Chavez 3B
8. Nick Green 2B
9. Dusty Brown C

Masterson SP

Bay Wants To Explore the F.A. Market

News broke yesterday that talks between the Red Sox and Jason Bay have been halted for the time being. Rob Bradford sheds some light at what caused this at WEEI.com:

“I don’t think anybody in my situation wants to play for six years and then you earn the right to be a free agent and on some levels sell yourself short, and that doesn’t mean there doesn’t have to be some concessions,” Bay said. “But you put yourself in this position and I think it’s in my best interest to kind of explore. Not to say we’re ever going to go that far, but I definitely want to make sure it’s the right fit.

Theo does not want to rush into a long term deal with Bay until the current market for outfielders has more clarity. Look at the money Manny got vs what he expected.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

WBC/Sox Roundup

Dice-K is looking to win another WBC MVP after shutting down Cuba in 6 scoreless innings allowing 5 hits while striking out 8.

Youk is 0-3 with 1 RBI in tonight's game against The Netherlands.

The Red Sox lost again to Baltimore 6-2. Buchholz pitched well again and is looking to get a spot in the rotation after going 3 2/3 innings giving up just 1 run. It is starting to look like Ramon Ramirez is a bust and the Royals took Theo for a ride on the deal. He was handed his second loss of spring and now has an ERA of 7.50. Papelbon had his first bad outing of spring today.

In contract news the Sox locked up Lester but talks with Bay have stalled.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. Baltimore

Interesting lineup with Lowell batting second.

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Mike Lowell, 3B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. J.D. Drew, RF
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Brad Wilkerson, 1B
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Gil Velazquez, 2B

Clay Buchholz, SP

Pedroia Injury Update

The injury is a strained abdominal muscle and not an oblique injury like originally thought.

The team dodged a bullet with Pedroia having a strained abdominal muscle rather than an oblique, “which really had us concerned,” said Francona. “The good news is it’s not an oblique. That originally had us scared so we’re relieved about that.”

Francona said “I don’t think it will be terribly long” before Pedroia is back in action, and he sounded hopeful that it would resolve itself before the end of spring training. Three or four days of down time in order to have the injury settle down appears to be the short-term course of action for Pedroia.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pedroia Heads Back to the Fort

After being a scratch for tonight's game, Dustin Pedroia is headed back to Fort Myers. He is said to have a minor oblique strain and will miss the remainder of the WBC. With injuries to Lugo and Pedroia, Nick Green's value has suddenly gone way up.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. Baltimore

1 .Josh Reddick, CF
2. Jed Lowrie, SS
3. Rocco Baldelli, DH
4. Chris Carter, 1B
5. Josh Bard, C
6. Jeff Bailey, RF
7. Paul McAnulty, LF
8. Nick Green, 2B
9. Angel Chavez, 3B

Adam Mills, SP

Should Wake Be In the Rotation?

Tim Wakefield struggled again last night. When you consider his injury from last season you have to question whether he is healthy enough to be a starter. Nobody has been willing to do what the team needs as much as Wake, and it would be hard to see him coming out of the pen for long relief but he may not have what it takes to be in the rotation. Buchholz has had a great spring and could fill the spot. The rotation at the start of the season could be Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Masterson, and Buchholz, with Penny and Wake ready to fill in for injuries. When Smotz comes back it will make it even harder for Wakefield to stay in the rotation. Wake deserves the benefit of the doubt as a starter and should be in the rotation for the start of the season and given at least two regular season starts to see if he is OK. He will let Tito know if something is wrong but it is starting to look like he may be reaching the end of the line as a Red Sox starter.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Game On! Red Sox Top Yanks in GFL

Mikey and Papi silenced the critics today as they both went yard in a 7 run 2nd inning, sending Yankee ace Wang to the showers early. Wakefield had a rough 2+ innings, but the bullpen was excellent for the remaining innings, allowing 4 hits and 3 walks while registering 9 strikeouts. Julio Lugo, who has been having an great spring training hitting .450 so far, left with a knee injury in the first inning.

SOX 8 Yankees 4 BOX SCORE

The SS Competition May Have Just Been Won

Julio Lugo was looking like he was going to be the starting shortstop on opening day but things may have just changed:

Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo left Friday night's game against the Yankees with a sore right knee. There was no immediate word on how the injury occurred.

Lugo played the top of the first inning on defense and didn't see any action, but manager Terry Francona sent Ivan Ochoa up to pinch-hit for Lugo in the bottom of the inning.

Lowrie and most of Red Sox Nation are trying to hide their smiles right now, I still like Lugo even after last year but am glad the Sox have options at the 6 postition.

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Yankees

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Julio Lugo, SS
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Brad Wilkerson, 1B
8. George Kottaras, C
9. Angel Chavez

Tim Wakefield, SP

Scott Boras Hates Bloggers

In an interview for Men's Journal Scott Boras lets his opinion on the internet be known:

You haven’t seen angry until you see Scott Boras ambushed by an internet story in which an unnamed source claims that Boras’s would-be $200 million slugger is damaged goods.
Boras sighed and said the internet should have a new name. “It should be the intersuck.”

I don't think he is going to find much sympathy; most people like it when there is some light shined on his shady negotiation tactics.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Ace is Back

Last spring was filled with struggles and injuries for Josh Beckett, 2009 is different. With Jon Lester knocking on the door for opening day starter the pressure was on for Beckett to regain is '07 form. So far this spring he has delivered. Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell breaks down his spring so far:

"First and foremost, he's come in throwing the ball with power, with command," said Farrell. "The nagging injuries that plagued him a year ago have not been evident at any one point and time. I think we're seeing him not only build arm strength but build endurance. Again, he was pitching ahead in the count -- 13 out of 15 first-pitch strikes. I thought he did a great job doubling up with his curveball and his changeup. Some of the goals and objectives that we've set out for this camp, he's accomplishing."

If Beckett has an '07 like season for the Sox this year the AL East better look out because the rotation is looking good with pitchers like Masterson, Penny, Buchholz, and Smoltz ready to step up when they are needed. Now if we could get Wake back to form.....

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. St. Louis

Josh Reddick-LF
Julio Lugo-SS
Jason Varitek-C
Brad Wilkerson-RF
Chris Carter-1B
Jed Lowrie-3B
Paul McAnulty-DH
Nick Green-2B
Jonathan Van Every-CF

Josh Beckett-SP

Papelbon Backs Sox Manny Decision

Yes, I know it is time to move on from the Manny stories but we still have not heard from many of the players on their opinion of what went down. Papelbon told Esquire Magazine what he thought:

"He was on a different train!" Paplebon said. "And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we moved on without him. That comes from the manager, and it comes from guys like Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz.
"So Manny was tough for us. You have somebody like him, you know at any point in the ball game, he can dictate the outcome of the game. And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man!"

Paps seems to say the entire team was behind the move, which is what the press had been saying at the time. Some people thought the press pushed Manny out of town but that does not seem to be the case.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Mike Lowell Discusses First Hit

SOX Analyst

While not in need of employment at this time, I still do peruse the job boards on occasion and just today found this position posted on craigslist:

SOX Analyst (novato)
Reply to: gwright@ffic.com
Date: 2009-02-26, 4:55PM PST

At Fireman's Fund, you're building a challenging career at the same time as bringing a sense of stability to people's lives. You're also contributing to our success and our reputation as a leader in the field with your skills and expertise. For this you are appreciated, acknowledged, and rewarded. We believe that if you hold on to great people, everyone wins. Just more proof that a career with Fireman's Fund, isn't just a good idea. It's a smart move.

Responsibilities:
• Develop documentation and guidance for Risk Management and Compliance
projects (Solvency II, SOX, and internal control improvement projects)
• Monitor compliance with the Risk Management and Compliance policies and
procedures
• Coordinate Compliance projects within assigned departments/divisions
• Assist business partners in identifying, documenting and optimizing their
system of internal control
• Identify internal control issues and develop recommendations
• Quality Assurance of Risk Management and Compliance documentation
• Develop education and training
• Track, report and facilitate remediation of control deficiencies
• Coordinate and manage Internal and External Audit’s testing of controls,
training and customer service
• Have an advanced understanding of various lines of business, assigned
assessment units
• Build and manage relationships with process, control owners and
management and track changes in the processes and risks
• Develop and maintain risk management and insurance expertise through
continuing education within financial reporting and risk management field Work
Experience Required:
• 3+ years of professional experience in risk management, audit,
accounting, financial reporting, finance, IT or other related fields Preferred:
• Insurance Experience
• Public Accounting / Big 4 experience preferred
• Certification such as CPA, CIA, FRM, MBA, CISA or other applicable
• Risk management or actuarial background a plus Core Competencies
• Advanced understanding of risk and controls, including the ability to
identify risks and evaluate the design and operational effectiveness of controls
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and proven presentation
skills, including the ability to communicate messages
• Ability to influence work of others and work with all levels of
management
• Proven project management and time management skills, including
coordination of resources and timelines and the ability to prioritize,
coordinate and complete multiple projects of varying sizes
• Expert knowledge of Word, Excel; sound knowledge of Visio strong plus
• Problem solving, negotiation skills and decision making skills
• Demonstrate complete ownership of assigned projects from start to a
positive completion, willingness and ability to take initiative and operate with
appropriate sense of urgency
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Comfortable working in a flexible environment where priorities frequently
change, flexibility to work hours as necessary to meet deadlines

Compensation: Negotiable
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial
interests.
PostingID: 1052124359

Despite currently not needing employment, I decided to apply for the position anyhow. How could one turn down an opportunity to become a SOX analyst?! This is what I wrote in response:

Dear G Wright,

I am very interested in becoming a SOX analyst for FFIC.

I live here in Novato, so getting to FFIC would be no problem. I have been a SOX fan ever since 1967, the Impossible Dream year, when they won the American League pennant, and have been following them ever since. I am currently writing for a Red Sox blog out of Sebastopol called Fenway West (I go by the name of 'Red Sox Sonoma.') This blog is the #1 West Coast blog for Red Sox fans and averages well over 100 hits/day, and has had as many as 4300 hits in one day. You can see my work there, or at my archives of just my posts at my Red Sox Sonoma blog.

I also have extensive accounting and management experience, as well as experience with MS Word, Excel, and Outlook. Being a SOX fan has always had it's risks, which I have managed well over the years. I have analyzed the Big 4 of the AL East (Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, and Toronto) and can account for all proficiencies and deficiencies in those arenas. I have a thourough understanding of Jamesian statistics and sabermetrics, including ERA, ERA+, WHIP, AB/RSP, BABIP, GIDP, OBP, and OPS, as well as the Runs Created, Range Factor, Defensive Efficiency Rating, Pythagorean Winning Percentage, Major League Equivalency, Secondary Average, Power/Speed Number statistics categories.

I feel I am the most qualified SOX analyst that FFIC could find in Novato or the SF Bay area. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kindest Regards,

David Maciel

Think I'll get the job?

WBC/Sox Roundup

Big Papi had a double in yesterday's game going 1-4 for the Dominican Republic. His effort was not enough as the Netherlands pulled off another upset and sent Ortiz packing for Fort Myers.

Venezuela crushed Italy yesterday so they will play Team USA today at 3:30 Pacific to determine the pool winner.

The Red Sox lost to the O's 5-1 in Grapefruit League action but the team had some good news: Clay Buchholz pitche three innings of no-hit ball and Mike Lowell returned to the lineup going 1-3.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A-Rod* Makes it Into Dickipedia

Alex Rodriguez* is now profiled in Dickipedia. The best part of the entry is quoted below:

Accomplishments*
As a short stop, he set single season records for most runs in a season*, most extra base hits*, most total bases*, and most home runs*. He went on to hit the most home runs by a third basemen in a season* and to become the youngest player to hit 500 home runs*. He is in the top 15 home run hitters of all time*.
He is a 3-time MVP* and a 10-time Silver Slugger*. He is also considered one of the great players of all time* and a shoe-in for the hall of fame*. He is also a good father*, role-model*, and Scores customer.

Dustin & Derek Sittin' in a Tree....

These guys at the WBC are having just way too much fun! And it looks like Dustin Pedroia is getting the best of Mr. Jeter. First off, Jeter has quite an interesting array of infield teammates around him: Youk & Pedroia to his left on the diamond, and to his right at 3rd base, he has David Wright of the Mets.

Anthony McCaron of the NY Times reports that Pedroia ripped a Jeter deodorant ad out of a magazine and taped it to his locker in Toronto at the WBC. In the ad, the Yankee captain is depicted keeping cool despite being in a hostile environment- outside [of] Fenway.

"That was pretty funny," Jeter said, laughing. "He's pretty fun to be around....It's all in good fun and I enjoy it."

Chipper Jones added:

"They go at it constantly. It's fun when Yankees and Red Sox go at each other, because you know they're going to hate each other in a month."

On top of that, Pedroia, who is now blogging for WEEI, (thanks to Bottom Line Rob for pointing that out to me), says Jeter can't do push ups. During batting practice, some team USA players played a game. According to Pedroia:

So this is how the game went during Monday’s workout: Each of us taking batting practice can’t hit a ball foul or it will cost five push-ups. Then if we hit a ball we think is going out you have to call it, but if it doesn’t go out then that will cost you five push-ups. I end up hitting a couple of line-drives that hit the top of the fence that I thought were gone. So I did my push-ups … real push-ups. Derek Jeter? Well, he didn’t really go down all the way. I’m not a trainer or anything, but those weren’t push-ups.

Or as 'Ah-nold' the governator of CA might say, 'girly-man' push-ups?

Lowell is Back

Mike Lowell took the field for the first time since he was sidelined in the ALCS due to his hip injury. From Extra Bases:

With runners on second and third, Lowell struck out swinging on three pitches. He took the first pitch from Brian Bass for a strike, fouled the second one off, then reached out on an awkward swing for a low and outside pitch that couldn't sniff the strike zone. The plan was for him to get two at bats in this game.

The Red Sox really need Mike Lowell to be at full strength when the season starts, he has plenty of time to get his swing worked out before opening day.

Red Sox/WBC Roundup

Jason Bay played yesterday going 2-2 with 3 RBI's but his good effort at the plate did not help Canada as they were eliminated from the tourney with a 6-2 loss to Italy. Team USA will play the winner of the Italy/Venezuela game on Wednesday. Big Papi will play tonight in a rematch with the Netherlands.

The Red Sox played a 4 hour game against the Pirates winning 15-14. Lester gave up 4 runs (1 earned) in 2 1/3 innings of work. Manny Delcarmen gave up 2 runs in 1 inning. Jeff Bailey went 3-4 and Josh Bard had two hits in the game. Nick Green continued swing a hot bat with a homer in the game.

Mike Lowell returns to action today against Baltimore.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Dustin Pedroia Commercial

Red Sox Look to the Future

Watch Chad Finn from Touching All The Bases analyze the Red Sox plans for the future.

Red Sox/WBC Roundup

Youk continues to own the world with another tater yesterday. He went 2-6 with 2 RBI's and 4 runs.

Pedroia had a bases loaded double in the game and went 1-6 with 2 RBI's in Team USA's 15-6 victory over Venezuela.

Ortiz went 1-2 with a RBI and a walk as the Dominican Republic avoided elimination.

Jason Bay will be in action later today for Team Canada.

Back in Fort Myers the Red Sox beat the Rays 8-2. Masterson started the game and pitched 3 shutout innings only giving up 1 hit. Lugo went 3-3 with 2 RBI's and Green had another homer.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Lester Gets a 5 Year Deal

The Red Sox locked up Jon Lester for 5 more years with a team option for a 6th year. The deal is worth $30 million with the option at $13 million.

Hat tip to The Bottom Line for spotting this.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Rays

1. Julio Lugo, SS
2. Rocco Baldelli, DH
3. Jason Varitek, C
4. J.D. Drew, RF
5. Lars Anderson, 1B
6. Chip Ambres, LF
7. Jonathan Van Every, 8
8. Nick Green, 3B
9. Ivan Ochoa, 2B

Justin Masterson SP

Ellsbury now has a hamstring issue:

Jacoby Ellsbury, however, has a slight discomfort in his hamstring, and probably won't be making the trip to Bradenton tomorrow to play the Pirates. Francona stressed that it was no big deal, however.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

WBC/Sox Roundup

Today was a busy day for following all of the baseball action with Red Sox players scattered around for the World Baseball Classic and spring training. Here's a breakdown of how things went:

Dice-K - got the W for Team Japan but was not great
Youk- scored three runs for team USA with two walks and a homer.
Pedroia- 1-5 4LOB
Bay 0-2 3BB 1 run scored for Team Canada
Big Papi 0-2 2BB for DR

In the Grapefruit League the Red Sox lost to the Rays 15-7. Wake gave up 4 runs in 3 innings (2 earned) and Hansack gave up 5 in 1 2/3 (none earned). Kottaras and Van Every both had home runs in the game.

New Injury for Baldelli

Rocco Baldelli has a new reason for being out, he missed today's game and may miss tomorrow's as well:

"Maybe. We ll see," said Francona. "He's a little tight in his groin, so I really didn't want to push that. It's been the last couple days. So it makes sense to stay away until he's not feeling it anymore."

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Rays

Ellsbury, CF
Lowrie 3B
Carter, 1B
Wilkerson, RF
Bailey, LF
McAnulty, DH
Bard, C
Green, 2B
Diaz, SS

Wakefield, SP

Dice-K Gets the Win for Team Japan

Defending World Baseball Classic Team Japan earned a win last night by beating South Korea 14-2. Dice-K went four innings giving up 4 hits and two runs. Not a great outing for Matsuzaka as he had two walks and gave up a homer, but he did get the win.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Where Are They Now: Dave Roberts

Every real Red Sox fan knows who Dave Roberts is. Just the mere mention of his name makes a Sox fan giddy with glee.

Roberts spent 2 seasons with the Padres, hitting .293 and stealing 49 bases in 2006. He then signed a lucrative 3 year contract with the Giants, but only managed to play in 166 games for them in two years. Sadly for Roberts, in the Giants pursuit of youth, he was released yesterday in a move that may cost the them over 6 million.

While this move may cost the Giant's some long scratch, it does give Roberts time to hook up with another team. However, should this not come to pass, this scribe thinks it would be a most befitting honor were Theo to sign Roberts to a 1 day contract. It has been suggested that Theo is not a GM prone to give out such deals, but this is Dave Roberts we're talking about! His name will live on in Red Sox history forever, with or without such a contract. He changed the course of Red Sox history. If he decides to hang up his cleats, his last game without a doubt should be in a Red Sox uniform. Give him one more chance, one last chance to steal one last base. Against the Yankees.

What a Difference a Year Makes

One year ago Josh Beckett came up with a strange injury that seemed to dog him all year long. In his third start of spring he has shown that the injuries are behind him and he is ready to regain the spot as the ace of the Red Sox staff. Beckett spoke with reporters after the game:

"I felt good today," said Beckett. "When you go into those games, I think sometimes, especially in the first inning, it's always been a problem for me whenever I have a lot of energy. I have to kind of harness it and remember the things I need to do on those days. One of those things I try to remember is that less is more.
"It's going to be easier to locate the ball if maybe I don't try as hard. Sometimes that's one of the tough things for me, because I do consider myself a max-effort guy. There's not a whole lot of pitches I've ever thrown that I went 80 percent at."

Beckett pitched three scoreless innings giving up three hits in today's win against the Marlins.

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Marlins

J.D. Drew is back in action.

1. Josh Reddick, RF
2. Julio Lugo, SS
3. Jason Varitek, C
4. J.D. Drew, DH
5. Jeff Bailey, 1B
6. Jed Lowrie, 3B
7. Zach Daeges, LF
8. Chip Ambres, CF
9. Ivan Ochoa, 2B

Josh Beckett, SP

Youk and Pedroia on Letterman

Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia participated in the Top Ten list on Letterman last night. View the video here.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

PLAY BALL

Ok, so as most Red Sox fans do as the start of the season nears, I find myself comparing what we’ve got to what the Yanks have. This year, as we all know, with the Yanks adding possibly the two best free agents (CC and Tex) and then some, I find myself in a position that I haven’t been since 2002. I think the Yankees are better. Please don’t yell. Let’s just think about it OK? Who doesn’t think the Yankees under-achieved last year?
Be honest. So, this year, what if Wang stays healthy and Cano remembers how to hit. Sure both the SOX and the Yanks have a lot of questions going into the year, but, and I HATE TO SAY THIS, I fear the Yanks have more answers.

C - Tek vs. Jorge : I love Tek, his defense leaves no doubt, but he just can't hit anymore and Jorge hits like a madman, if he is healthy. Bard has the ability to tip this in our favor a bit, but not enough
Edge Yanks
1B - Youk vs. Tex: Again, love Youk and his sweat glands, but are we supposed to think he is going to hit 30 HRs? We KNOW Tex will (at least), and they are a wash in the field (except Youk's versatility to go to 3rd)
Edge Yanks, but not by much, almost a push but the power number tilt this one.
2B - The Destroya vs. Cano: Cano can be good, but with no indication that Dusty is going to slow down and Cano's recent struggles.....
Edge - SOX
SS - Lugo/Lowrie vs. Jeter: As much as I love the POTENTIAL of Lowrie and the fact that Jeter is getting older, no one comes through more when the Yanks need a hit than Jeter.
Edge - Yanks
3B - Lowell vs AROID: This really isn't fair to Lowell, he is great and defensively he gets the nod, but come on, AROID going to hit 40+ HRs and we don't know if Lowell is even going to be healthy......
Edge - Yanks
LF - Bay vs. Damon/Matsui: Bay is younger and more comfortable in the clubhouse now, I think he has a great year at the plate, he may approach 35 HR and 110 RBI’s depending where he hits in the lineup. Defensively - he is better all around than both of the Yanks, plus I wouldn’t give the traitor an edge in anything.
Edge SOX
CF- Ellsbury vs. Swisher/Cabrera: Swisher has power and Cabrera is really good, but Ellsbury beefed up in the off season putting on some muscle, I don't even think this one is close
Edge -SOX
RF - Drew vs Nady: - If Drew is healthy, Drew is better, but that is a HUGE IF. Drew is better defensively and they are close at the plate.
Edge - SOX
SP - Beckett vs. CC: #1 and #2 from Cy Young two years ago. CC struggled a bit in the AL first half last year and was a stud in the NL. Becks struggled with injuries. I’m predicting an injury or arm fatigue for CC and a comeback year for Josh, but since that is just a prediction.
Edge - Push
SP - Lester vs. Wang: Lester was AWESOME last year, but a career high in innings could affect him this year, lets hope not. Wang is very, very good.
Edge - Push
SP - Dice K vs. Burnett: Health is always a question with Burnett, but we saw what he did with the Blue Jays last year, now give him what should be a very good Yankees offense and he could have a career high in wins, IF HEALTHY. Dice K pitching in the WBC worries me, remember two years ago?
Edge - Push
SP - Wake vs. Chamberlain: Look, I know we can pencil Wake in for 15 wins, but it is the 15 or so losses and his ERA in those losses that worry me. Joba is unproven, but could be very good.
Edge - Yanks
SP - Penny/Buchholz/Smoltz/Masterson vs Pettitte: Again, health is huge here. Penny is good when he wants to be, Smoltz was a stud, Buchholz and Masterson, we’ll see. Pettitte is Pettitte.

CP - Paps vs Rivera: I'd say dead even, unless Rivera decides to get old this year, but haven't we been waiting for that for years? Both of these guys are great.
Edge - Push
Bullpen: After Marte, the Yanks do not have much proven talent there, and the Sox may have the best pen in baseball
Edge - SOX
Bench: They look pretty even, both will have some veterans, but the key in this whole thing is Baldelli. If he is healthy, he tips the edge to the SOX
Edge – SOX
Manager – Tito vs Giradi: Tito has his challenges with in-game decisions and when in doubt, I always go with a former catcher.
Edge – Yanks
So what does any of this mean???? NOTHING. That is why they play the game. Who would have thought that the Rays would win the division last year (put your hands down, I mean, would you have put money on it, come on)? This year has the potential to be very special. When I look at the SOX, I think that they are capable of winning it all again, but that will require some luck and good fortune. All I can say now is, PLAY BALL.

A-Rod* To Miss First Month of Season

Looks like those steroid injuries are starting to surface; A-Rod* will miss April.

Good News on Smoltz, Bad News on Penny

We all know you can never have too much pitching, and the old adage rings true today. The Red Sox had to move Brad Penny's first start of spring back due to shoulder fatigue:

“I just don’t think the shoulder strength is quite where it needed to be yet,” Penny said. “It was better to take it easy right now rather than have it flare up on me. I’m staying on the shoulder program and I’m still going to play catch to build shoulder strength.”

Great, he is going to play catch....see you in July.

The news is much better for John Smoltz:

Smoltz had surgery on his shoulder last June and his rehab has gone very well to a point where the Red Sox have had to put the reins on the veteran right-hander so he doesn't push it too much.
But there's a chance he could be ready before the originally scheduled return date of June 1.
"If he's ready to pitch we're not going to hold him back," said Francona. "It's going to end up being pretty close."

With all of this it looks like Masterson could end up in the starting rotation on opening day.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Rolling Green Monster Update

Rocky Rhodes & his 'Rolling Green Monster' (RGM) have arrived in California. He's been travelling XC in his rolling monument to the Red Sox, while raising awareness for The Jimmy Fund and cancer research. He's currently in San Jose and will be visiting San Francisco Thursday, albeit without the RGM. Current plans have him returning to The City on Friday or Saturday in the RGM for a visit to CT Yankee Sports Bar & Grill at 17th & Connecticut. I will see him tomorrow and will update here with more details of his Northern CA itinerary.

Red Sox National Games on Fox TV

For those of you without NESN or MLB Extra Innings, here are the date the Red Sox will be on Fox in the upcoming season. Unfortunately McCarver and Buck are still on the broadcast team.

Saturday, April 11, 2009
Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Saturday, April 25, 2009
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Saturday, May 9, 2009 (*3:30 PM ET)
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – 8:00 PM ET
2009 MLB All-Star Game
Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO

Saturday, August 22, 2009
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Saturday, September 5, 2009
Boston Red Sox at Chicago White Sox

Red Sox Sonoma

Introduction time, folks! Entering my second season writing for Fenway West, I thought I'd introduce myself, and give you a little background into my Red Sox history. Last year I discovered Sawxheads.com, a social networking site for Red Sox fans, not unlike myspace, except that it's devoted totally to all affairs Red Sox. Someone there questioned my fandom? fanhood? so in response, I wrote my Red Sox bio, as it were. I've already written about my father and his baseball history, so here goes my story as we find ourselves about to start a new season!

My name is Dave, & I am a Red Sox fanatic.

Can I remember the starting line-up of the ’79 Sox? No. The ’98 Sox? No. I don’t have the Green Monster painted on the wall in my living room, and I don’t have any Yankee TP (but I’d like to.) It’s been years since I’ve been to a game at Fenway Park. I can count the number of games I’ve been to there on one hand. (I have managed to go on a tour of the park since my last game.)

I do reme

mber, however, the sofa I was sitting on at the summer house as I watched in horror as Tony C. got beaned 41 years ago. Eight years later, I was sitting on the same sofa watching Fisk wave the ball fair. In 1978, I was driving up the Florida Turnpike listening to the radio when Bucky Fn Dent….

I found myself in a bar in Death Valley National Park in 1986, when Buckner…

I got so unbelievably shit faced that night after the game that I couldn’t get out of bed for the next three days. Not even to puke.

Could anyone ever forget the R-O-G-E-R chant in October of '99? I remember the look on Wake’s face after Boone hit his shot in ’03. The following October, I was home from work for 6 weeks after knee surgery, watching the whole post-season. That’s why I planned the surgery for mid-October! How about the pair of 17-1 games against the Yanks? And then of course there were the 4 back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs against the Yankees in 2007. I can still hear Jon Miller: "And that one's headed for New Hampshire!!!"

There were several years I didn’t pay much attention to the Sox and baseball. For many years I had been actively involved in competition water skiing at the amateur and intercollegiate levels, thus tying up all my summers during that time span. I also spent three summers in Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks, where there was no TV or radio. We considered ourselves lucky if we saw a 3 day old newspaper maybe twice a week. However, the box scores, recaps, and standings were read in every newspaper I ever did get my hands on in all those years.

Somew

here around 1966 or 1967, this dorky, unathletic, 8 or 9 year old kid growing up about 50 miles south of Fenway, tried to emulate his older brother who was playing Little League and high school ball. I picked up a bat and a glove, and played sandlot ball with the other neighborhood kids. I usually played right field as most of the hits went to left, and I usually was at the bottom of the order. The Sox had gone from worst in ’66 to first in ’67 and there was a baseball buzz in New England that hadn’t been felt in years, although I didn’t know it at the time. I remember sometime in the late ‘60’s laying on the aforementioned sofa not feeling too well watching the Sox win and then feeling better. Of course I attributed feeling better to the Sox winning and not to whatever medicine my mom might have given me. I was hooked. 40 years later, I’m still here, I’m still a Red Sox fan.

Yaz, Tony C., Reggie Smith, Joe Foy, Rico Petrocelli, Mike Andrews, George Scott, Jim Lonborg, and damn if I can’t remember the catcher’s name!* No, I did not look those names up. Flashy Hawk Harrelson came in to replace Tony C. Do you remember that rocket that Jose Tartabull fired into home from right field and got the runner out? I still have my old copy of "The Impossible Dream" vinyl LP.

Thanks again to Matt O’Donnell, owner of the FenwayWest.com blog for inviting me to be a contributor to his blog. I had been active in on-line music discussion groups, and started a small Red Sox group for Sox fans in the Sonoma (CA) area. Matt saw my writings in that forum and liked what I wrote. I’m home a lot these days and writing about the Sox has been very enjoyable and therapeutic during this uncertain time of change, as well as rewarding in its own right.

The Sox won’t win every World Series in 4 games, they won’t win every World Series, nor the pennant, not even their division. (Same goes for the Yankees. Get used to it, Evil Empire.) Who knows, we may even see Pittsburgh and Kansas City squaring off in the Series someday!

Someday the Sox may lose 90 games in a season, or experience the turmoil the Yankees are experiencing right now. Hopefully this will not happen in my lifetime, but if it does, I’ll still be a Red Sox fanatic.

*Russ Gibson (RIP) & Elston Howard

Manny Heads Back to La La Land

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

J.D. Drew's Back is Still a Problem

Not surprisingly J.D. Drew is in the news again with his reoccurring back problems. Yesterday he went to Boston for an injection:

"The reason we did it was kind of -- I want to explain this right -- kind of precautionary," Francona said. "We have some time right now because it's so early in March, and J.D., through getting looked at by some different people, though this could be a benefit to him. If it worked, we think we thought OK, good. If it didn't seem to do anything, OK, well it's March 3 or March 2.

The Red Sox have an injury clause in their contract with Drew so it will be interesting to see how they deal with him if he misses significant time this season.

Monday, March 2, 2009

O's Beat Red Sox

Baltimore got the best of the Red Sox in today's game but there was some solid play members of the Sox. Nick Green continued to swing a hot bat with two more hits and Lars Anderson had a solid game with a hit and a walk. Lowrie did not do himself any favors in winning the starting ss position by getting an ofer on the day. Masterson pitched 2 innings of one-hit ball.

Red Sox lose 5-3 BOX SCORE

It's All Working According to Manny's Plan

Think Manny Ramirez is in a major jam right now? Think again. Manny left Boston because he wanted more than the $20 million he would be getting for each of the next two years. He has already had offers for more than that and turned them down. If Ramirez would accept a 2 year deal at $27 mil per year he could be playing tomorrow but he is doing what he wants now. He gets to miss spring training, play hours of video games, go to a few car shows and arrive at camp when he is ready. Ramirez will sign with a team before opening day with a deal better than what he would have had if he stayed in Boston. Everyone who thinks Manny is crazy for not taking the last Dodger's offer doesn't realize that Manny is still being Manny and doing exactly what he wants.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Red Sox Pitchers Shut Down Twins

The Red Sox had a big advantage going into today's game with the Twins because they needed to get some work for the best pitchers on their staff. The advantage paid off as the Sox staff dominated the Twinkies holding them to 5 hits and 1 run. Beckett continued to show he is not longer bothered by the oblique injury by pitching two no-hit innings. Wake, Papelbon, Okajima, and Saito also looke good today. Youk went yard and Pedroia had the other RBI as the Red Sox won 2-1. BOX SCORE

Today's Red Sox Lineup vs. the Twins

Julio Lugo SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Rocco Baldelli RF
Paul McAnulty LF
Josh Bard C
Angel Chavez 3B
Jonathan Van Every CF

Josh Beckett SP

Red Sox Roll Over Northeastern and the Reds

The Red Sox crushed Northeastern 14-0 in the first of 2 split squad games yesterday. Angel Chavez had 2 homers and 6 RBI's in the game while Tazawa continues to impress everyone with two more scoreless innings. Lars Anderson showed patience at the plate with 3 walks. BOX SCORE

In the second game the Red Sox picked up their first Grapefruit League win by beating the Reds 16-5. Two much malagined players from last season helped get the team going; Buchholz pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, and Tek drove in 4 runs. Wilkerson had his first homer of spring in the game. BOX SCORE

Not a bad day when you can put up 30 runs.

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