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April 13, 2006 »

Crisp, Red Sox reach contract extension

The Boston Red Sox will hold a press conference at 3:30 this afternoon to announce a three-year contract extension with center fielder Coco Crisp. The deal includes an option for the 2010 season. The club is not disclosing the terms of the agreement.

The Red Sox and Crisp agreed in February to a one-year, $2.75-million deal for 2006 that avoided arbitration. The club acquired the 26-year-old Crisp in a multiplayer deal with the Cleveland Indians; Boston gave up top prospect Andy Marte in the deal.

Crisp broke into the majors with the Indians in 2002. Last year, he hit .300 with 16 home runs, 86 runs scored and 69 RBIs. He hit .333 over five games this year before going on the disabled list with a fractured finger.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:38 PM | Permalink

The Red Sox' simple winning formula

Most of the following info is from today's official Red Sox game notes:

The Red Sox have received an average of 6.1 innings pitched per starter in their seven games this season, putting them alone in first place in the majors in that category. In six of the club's seven games, the starters have gone 7 innings or more, the first time that has happened in Boston since 1986. Only Tim Wakefield in the club's second game -- its only loss of the season -- did not last that long.

Already, the Red Sox have tied the best record in club history through seven games; it's the ninth time that a Red Sox team has been 6-1, and the first time since 1999 (a year Boston finished 92-70 and advanced to the ALCS as a Wild Card team). The team has been 7-1 just three times, and not since 1920; it has never been 8-1.

The Red Sox won only one out of six series with the Blue Jays in 2005; they can equal that mark with a win tonight or tomorrow.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:15 PM | Permalink

Mr. Pedro goes to Washington

It used to be great theater when Pedro Martinez pitched against the New York Yankees. Today, it is the Washington Nationals who have made Martinez public enemy number one, and Jose Guillen has assumed the role of Karim Garcia. Less than a week after Martinez hit Guillen twice, clearing the benches and chasing the home plate umpire (he got hit by the ricochet of one beanball) from the game, Martinez is scheduled to start for the Mets tonight in Washington. Both teams have been warned to be on their best behavior, but Guillen has already made clear that he won't forgive and forget. Martinez should actually just be looking to pitch better than he did in his first, shaky start at Shea Stadium.

On the same day that his replacement, Mike Lowell, collected four hits in his Fenway debut, former Red Sox third-sacker Bill Mueller had a career day of his own, collecting a personal-best four hits and two home runs as his Dodgers fell to the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

This might not be a surprise after their offseason fire sale (which may still be continuing, if the rumors are true), but the Florida Marlins' opening day was not much to celebrate. Attendance at Dolphin Stadium was 31,308, down from 57,405 last year, when the team was considered a contender to win the National League East. The smallish crowd saw the Marlins lose to San Diego, 9-3, and fall to 1-5 on the season.

The Yankees are on ESPN at 1:05 this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals. If these teams' awful middle relievers get involved, expect another high-scoring game; starters Jeremy Affeldt and Shawn Chacon will try to keep that from happening.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments 1