|
Recent Comments
Rocko on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Bob L on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Gloree on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Caroline on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Mike on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Craig on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Steve on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary paul wright on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Here's Johnny on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary Mary on Ramirez apologizes after altercation with Sox' traveling secretary To comment on any posting, click on the word 'Comments' at the end of the item. |
 |
|
| OLD Projo SoxBlog DO NOT USE | |
|
|
Main page March 30, 2007
Baseball Today: Friday, March 30The world of baseball, as viewed through a local lens . . . WE PREDICT . . . Baseball Prospectus says the Red Sox will finish second to the Yankees with a 91-71 record. They have a 35 percent chance of winning the division and a 13 percent chance of winning the wild card (baseballprospectus.com) . . . Old friend Allan Wood is also beginning to piece together preseason projections on his Joy of Sox blog (joyofsox.blogspot.com) . . . As for the Journal's baseball staff, Steven Krasner already has made his calls. Check back in the next day or two for Sean McAdam and Joe McDonald (projo.com). EVERYTHING FOR A REASON: Those of you who say the Red Sox are gambling with Jonathan Papelbon's health and should just go out and get a closer -- the way you'd go out and get a carton of milk at the corner convenience store -- haven't been paying attention to the market for relief pitchers. One of the most sought-after last winter was Eric Gagne, and -- surprise, surprise! -- he's starting the season on the disabled list. (Dallas Morning News) STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: According to commissioner Bud Selig, the state of the union is strong. (foxsports.com) . . . And, according to Selig, the chances of the out-of-market Extra Innings cable TV package being anywhere other than on DirecTV are about equal to the Devil Rays' pennant chances (Associated Press) TRY THE VEAL, AND DON'T FORGET TO TIP YOUR WAITRESS: Pete Rose knows how to work a room, and he sure knows his audience. Or maybe you didn't know that, because of all the nice Red Sox fans he's met, he wishes Cincinnati had lost the 1975 World Series. (Hartford Courant) OLD FRIENDS: Some of Ugueth Urbina's old Marlins teammates are saddened by his recent conviction for attempted murder (Miami Herald) . . . Andy Marte will bat ninth for the Indians, and general manager Mark Shapiro hopes the hotshot prospect, acquired from the Red Sox in the Coco Crisp deal, will "be the beneficiary of low expectations" (mlb.com) . . . Rheal Cormier appears to be on the trading block (cincinnati.com) . . . The daily Byung-Hyun Kim update: The Orioles turned down the Rockies' proposal of a Kim-for-Todd Williams trade (foxsports.com). Imagine, B.K. back in the A.L. East. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 29, 2007
Red Sox tie . . . again!The Red Sox finished the Florida portion of their exhibition schedule by playing to their fourth tie of the year, 3-3 against Tampa Bay at Fort Myers. The Sox trailed, 3-1, heading into the bottom of the eighth, but got home runs from Alex Ochoa in the bottom of the eighth and Diaz in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. The teams did not play extra innings. Boston received quite a scare in the top of the ninth when Jonathan Papelbon appeared to be spiked while covering first base on a grounder to the right side. He limped noticeably after the play and was visited by the team's training staff, but remained in the game and struck out the last two hitters he faced. The Sox now are 13-12-4 in the exhibition season. They will conclude the preseason schedule with games in Philadelphia tomorrow night and Saturday afternoon, neither of which will be on either radio or television locally. After the Saturday game, they'll fly to Kansas City for a Sunday workout and then begin the 2007 regular season with a game against the Royals at 4 p.m. local time Monday afternoon.
Posted by Art Martone Baseball Today: Thursday, March 29Notes of local (and some not-so-local) interest from the baseball world . . . THE CARMINE HOSE: Curt Schilling breaks down his dominant performance against the Twins last night (38pitches.com) . . . Daisuke Matsuzaka had a sitdown with members of the traveling Red Sox media. In the Bet You Wouldn't Have Thought This department: Seems he got as much enjoyment out of Pedro Martinez' takedown of Don Zimmer as many Red Sox fans did. (projo.com). IBID: The new rite of spring: Roger Clemens is in no hurry to decide if, and where, he'll pitch this year. (New York Daily News) WE LOVE YOU A-ROD, OH YES WE DO: Are you tired of being against him? Are you tired of expecting him to fail, and standing up to boo when he does so? Are you tired of not feeling good about having Alex Rodriguez play third base for your favorite team? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you are ready. Welcome to The Movement. You see, this is the kind of stuff you just couldn't get in the days before the Internet. (project13a.com) AND SPEAKING OF THE INTERNET . . . You better not say bad things about the newest member of the Royals, Ben Hendrickson. His dad is watching. (aolsportsblog.com) WHAT A WAY TO LOSE A JOB: Steve Swindal won't be taking control of the Yankees in the post-George Steinbrenner Era, after all. (Newsday) OZZIE SWINGS AGAIN: And this time his target is, of all people, Jim Leyland. Say what you will, but in this era of bland, mealymouthed nothingness, Ozzie Guillen can sometimes be a breath of fresh air. Sometimes. (Detroit News) OLD FRIENDS: Adam Stern didn't make the cut in Baltimore. His pals in Pawtucket will be seeing him again this year when Norfolk comes to town. (Baltimore Sun) . . . Remember when the Red Sox were hot after Mariners center fielder Jeremy Reed? He, too, was sent to the minors yesterday (mlb.com) . . . Freddy Sanchez is beginning to work his way back into game shape, though it's still doubtful he'll be ready by Opening Day. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 28, 2007
Urbina sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted murderCARACAS, Venezuela -- Former Red Sox reliever Ugueth Urbina was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch, the Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday. Urbina, a former pitcher with the Expos, Marlins, Tigers and Phillies in addition to the red Sox, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office. The 32-year-old free agent was accused of joining a group of men in attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch, located about 25 miles south of Caracas. “The ruling was too severe,” said Jose Antonio Baez, a former attorney who represented Urbina. Urbina repeatedly has denied involvement with the violence, saying he was sleeping at the time of the attack. The pitcher's lawyer, Jose Luis Tamayo, has said that Urbina surprised the workers by showing up at his ranch that night while they were bathing in the pool without permission. Urbina spoke sharply to them, but later left and went to sleep, according to Tamayo. Urbina, a two-time All-Star, last pitched in the major leagues with the Phillies in 2005. He's 30th on the all-time saves list with 237. He had two saves in the 2003 World Series for the victorious Marlins. -- ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted by Art Martone Projo Sports Talk with Art MartoneClick here to hear the first edition of projo SportsTalk with Art Martone. This new weekly feature will usually appear on Mondays at noon. In this week's edition, sports editor Art Martone, baseball writer Joe McDonald and sports department assistant Bob McGarry discuss the state of the Red Sox bullpen, particularly the decision to move Jonathan Papelbon to closer and the struggles of young Craig Hansen. The MP3 file is about three minutes long. Enjoy!
Posted by Art Martone Baseball Today: Wednesday, March 28Not a whole lot going on locally around the baseball world . . ONCE AND FOR ALL: Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci gets the definitive word on whether or not Daisuke Matsuzaka throws a 'gyroball'. (SI.com) OH MY PAPI: In an excerpt from his upcoming book (written with Boston Herald columnist Tony Massarotti), David Ortiz talks about last summer's heart scare, why he's called Big Papi, the fact that he's in much better shape than people seem to think, and what he and his teammates really think about the Yankees. (Note: If you're a Yankee-hater, you'll be disappointed. (Boston Magazine) CHANGING TIMES: Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says the Sugar Daddy Era is over; most wealthy teams, including his, are now hanging onto their prospects (Washington Post, registration required) . . . The Black Athlete Sports Network is urging fans to boycott the Yankees because they won't have an African-American on their 2006 roster . (Derek Jeter is biracial, and Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano are Latino) They counter the logical argument -- that very few teams have African-Americans (the Red Sox for instance, have only Coco Crisp) because blacks no longer play baseball in large numbers -- by saying blacks are being denied opportunities at the youth level. OLD FRIENDS: The Todd Walker saga may not be over. It appears the players union may file a grievance, arguing the Padres released him as a monetary, rather than competitive, move (San Diego Union Tribune) . . . Tony Graffanino is suffering from back spasms (mlb.com) . . . Byung-Hyun Kim is waiting to be traded (Denver Post) . . . LOCALLY: A week late but worth the wait: A Denver Post feature on Chris Iannetta, who is taking over as the Rockies' starting catcher (Denver Post) . . . When will Rocco Baldelli make it back into the Devil Rays lineup? No one seems to know (Tampa Tribune). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 27, 2007
Sox trade Castillo to OriolesThe Red Sox traded non-roster catcher Alberto Castillo to the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Cory Keylor. Keylor, 27, who was a non-roster invitee in Baltimore’s major league camp earlier this spring, was selected as the 2006 Orioles Minor League Player of the Year. The lefthanded batter hit.294 with ten homers and 68 RBI in 124 games at Double-A Bowie last season. He has been assigned to Boston’s minor-league camp.
Posted by Art Martone Projo SportsTalk with Art Martone: The state of the 'penClick here to hear the first edition of projo SportsTalk with Art Martone. This new weekly feature will usually appear on Mondays at noon. In this week's edition, sports editor Art Martone, baseball writer Joe McDonald and sports department assistant Bob McGarry discuss the state of the Red Sox bullpen, particularly the decision to move Jonathan Papelbon to closer and the struggles of young Craig Hansen. The MP3 file is about three minutes long. Enjoy!
Posted by Mike McDermott Snyder's in; Hansen and Corey are outBY SEAN McADAM FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox announced this morning that reliever Craig Hansen, who struggled to the tune of a 15.43 ERA this spring, has been optioned to Pawtucket (International League). Fellow reliever Bryan Corey, a non-roster invitee who pitched well (1.50 ERA in 10 appearances), was returned to the minor-league camp. Kyle Snyder was told he's made the team and will be part of the pitching staff when the season starts. Snyder will pitch out of the bullpen.
Posted by Art Martone Baseball Today: Tuesday, March 27A locally tinged spin around the baseball world . . THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: What's better than the last week of spring training? As long as your team is relatively healthy, you can revel in its March successes, dismiss its failures as exhibition gobbledegook, rave about the young studs who made a good impression and dismiss as unnecessary the ones who didn't. (Like, say, Craig Hansen for instance.) But Seth Mnookin, whose insights on the Red Sox aren't limited to his blog, tells us why we should be excited with a detailed and cogent analysis of how the Red Sox traveled from the last week of September to the last week of March in this month's Boston Magazine. In the midst of it all, though, one line shot out at me: All it took was one World Series win for the Fenway Faithful’s mindset to shift from one that always expected disaster to one that felt entitled to perpetual success. While I wouldn't argue its not true, local reaction to the playoff loss to the Colts convinced me this winter that that sentence would be far more accurate if you substitued "three Super Bowl championships" for "one World Series win" and "Fenway" to "Gillette" . . . Also pumped and jacked about the upcoming season is our old friend Bill Simmons, who talks about the Sox in the ninth question of his mailbag. CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: Strange, isn't it? After their playoff loss to the Tigers last October, Joe Torre appeared to be a dead man walking . . . at least as far as continuing as Yankee manager was concerned. Now he's letting it be known he wants to stay in the job. WORDS OF WISDOM: Want to know why I love Bill James? Read the last answer in this interview with the Shea Faithful blog, which starts off as a defense of the wild card but quickly shifts to a greater philosophical point. Quick nugget: That's the real problem with the NBA . . . the best team is going to win in the long run, and everybody knows it . . . therefore, why play hard, why dive for the ball on the floor, why fight for the rebound, why sacrifice your body to score a point, when you ultimately can't win. No sport can survive if the best team always wins. Read the whole quote to keep it in context, but he's absolutely right. OLD FRIENDS: Looks like Todd Walker is out of a job in San Diego. He was a key member of the 2003 Sox that took us on a wild ride, broke our hearts in the end, but laid the groundwork for the glories of 2004; I, for one, will always remember him fondly. Not that he's finished by any stretch, because he's still a good left-handed bat and someone will probably pick him up . . . Guillermo Mota is back. If you're wondering where he's been, you haven't been paying attention to baseball's burgeoning drug scandal . . . There are no fond memories locally of Jay Payton, not after the crass and calculated way he schemed to escape Boston in 2005, so, cold as it sounds, there aren't many tears being shed for his latest piece of misfortune. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 26, 2007
Matsuzaka puts up more zeroes; Hansen strugglesDaisuke Matsuzaka threw five no-hit, shutout innings in Sarasota, Fla., today against the Cincinnati Reds. Coming off his most impressive outing of the spring, last week against Pittsburgh, Matsuzaka struck out six Cincinnati batters. But he also had control problems, walking five. Jonathan Papelbon added a perfect sixth, but reliever Craig Hansen had a rough day. He gave up five runs while getting only two outs in the seventh inning. Boston trails Cincinnati, 5-0, in the eighth inning.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball today: Monday, March 26A locally tinged spin around the baseball world . . . BLOGDOM AT ITS BEST: Say what you will about Curt Schilling's entry into the blogosphere -- the Globe's Dan Shaughnessy did just that today -- but there'll be items there that real fans will find absolutely fascinating. Skip down to the March 23 entry to read Kevin Millar's response to Schilling's earlier pitch-by-pitch account of Millar's at-bat against Schilling in last week's exhibition game. Beyond the jokes and good humor, they both give great insights into the pitcher-hitter battle. And may give you pause the next time you're ready to scream in frustration when a hitter never takes the bat off his shoulder as he looks at strike three right down the middle of the plate. HOW LUCKY CAN YOU GET? If your names are Manny Ramirez and Bobby Abreu, plenty. (Well, maybe more like a little instead of plenty.) Protrade.com has determined, based on context neutral statistics, which players hit better than would have been expected in 2006 and Ramirez and Abreu are among them. So is ex-Red Sox prospect Hanley Ramirez (protrade.com) . . . They've also figured out who the unluckiest players in '06 were. The only Red Sox or Yankee on the list is Jason Giambi (mlb.com). GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES: Kevin Kernan is first out of the box in the race to see who can start the building of public pressue on the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros to go get Roger Clemens. (New York Post) He won't be the last. AILING EMPIRE: Suddenly, the Yankees are woefully short of starting pitching (New York Daily News), at least for the moment, which leads to a phrase that was unthinkable just a few days ago: Carl Pavano, potential Opening Day starter. (New York Post) MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY: Mariano Rivera responds to Jonathan Papelbon's kind words with some kudos of his own (New York Daily News) GET IT RIGHT: After straightening out the Red Sox, Virginia-based author Howard W. Rosenberg now attempts to get the Yankees to fix an error regarding the number of captains they've had down through the years. (New York Times) Let's see if the Yankees are as gracious as the Sox were in accepting Rosenberg's findings. OLD FRIENDS: Aaron Sele will start the year in the Mets bullpen (mlb.com) . . . David Wells is happy in San Diego, and unworried about the recent diagnosis that he suffers from adult-onset diabetes (San Diego Union Tribune). . . It's only a line in a Houston Chronicle notebook and not worth a whole link, but Scott Sauerbeck, who spent two unproductive months as a member of the 2003 Red Sox, has accepted a minor-league assignment from the Astros . . . Similarly, a line in a Tampa Tribune notebook says that Rhode Island's Rocco Baldelli should be sufficiently recovered from his hamstring injury to be back in the lineup Tuesday . . . The news isn't as good for ex-Sox farmhand Freddy Sanchez, who'll be starting the season on the disabled list (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Worth reading: A Chronicle story on Astros shortstop Adam Everett, Sox property oh so many years ago, who thinks he can take the no-hit out of the good-field/no-hit tag (Houston Chroncle) . . . Byung-Hyun Kim is back in the bullpen (mlb.com) . . . Wade Miller will be the Cubs' fifth starter. (Chicago Tribune) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 23, 2007
Sox demote Murphy and BaileyThe Red Sox today optioned outfielder David Murphy to Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League, and assigned infielder Jeff Bailey, a non-roster invitee, to the minor-league camp. With today’s moves, Boston has 38 players remaining in the major league camp.
Posted by Art Martone Baseball today: Friday, March 23A local look around the baseball world . . . PAPELBON: I'm sure most of you have read just about everything there is to read on yesterday's decision to move Jonathan Papelbon back to the bullpen (and the subsequent move of replacing him in the starting rotation with Julian Tavarez). Reaction falls into two main categories, one strain stated by the Globe's Nick Cafardo ("[The] best guy available [to close games for the Red Sox] -- and maybe the best, period -- is Papelbon.") and the other by FoxSport's Ken Rosenthal ("They wouldn't be doing this if they didn't have to," or words to that effect.) You can voice your opionion, and read those of others, here. Me? I think it was the only sensible thing to do for the team. It would have been nigh impossible for Terry Francona to stitch together any kind of consistently effective relief corps with the pieces he had, and it would have taken maybe two blown saves -- maybe -- for hysteria to overflow in these parts. If Papelbon can handle it physically, and I trust the Sox wouldn't have done it if he couldn't, it's the only move to make. One last note: The take from the good folks at Baseball Prospectus. G38: One of the most interesting aspects of yesterday's news was how it came out. And one of the first to weigh in was none other than Curt Schilling, on his 38Pitches blog. Interesting note: Schilling had earlier said that Papelbon was more valuable throwing 200 innings as a starter than 80 innings as a reliever -- something I agree with philosophically, though in practice I think this is probably the best move for the team -- but he doesn't get into that here. Instead he basically defends the decision. Schilling as blogger is fascinating, unchartered territory. You can get some insights into his thinking in this terrfic Q and A with SI.com's Alex Belth. ELSEWHERE: Carl Pavano's numbers (4 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 3 runs) didn't look too good, but the Yankees say they're encouraged . . . Steven Goldman, writing again for The Pinstriped Bible, takes a couple of gentle shots at the Red Sox and Boston -- writing for the domestic audience, don't you know -- but also explains why Bobby Abreu is the real deal . . . A little more on Rocco Baldelli's hamstring injury, which the Devil Rays now say will sideline him until early next week . . . Remember Hee Sop Choi, who spent most of last summer doing not much of anything at Pawtucket? Looks like he'll get to spend this summer doing not much of anything at Durham after the Devil Rays sent him down . . . Good thing the Sox found a closer. Last time they needed one, they traded for Byung-Hyung Kim, and, coincidences of coincidences, he's on the market again. Not that it had any chance of happening, but you know what they say about removing all temptations. AND FINALLY: I'll read any interviews with Bill James, even those in which he doesn't say much of anything. This part, though, I love: Having been interviewed many times myself, I can say there's always some pressure to have an answer for everything you're asked, even when it's something you can't speak about with any sense of authority. (It's these answers, incidentally, which usually come back to haunt you.) Not Bill, though. Any question about what he thinks will happen in the future -- who'll win the pennant, how will such-and-such player do, anything -- he basically says, "I have no idea." He used to try to come up with something in the past, even though, as he once wrote, the only true answer is: "How the hell do I know?" Now? He doesn't even make the pretense. And you know what? He's right. When it comes to predicting the future, none of us have any idea. No matter how firmly or loudly we may say it. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 22, 2007
Papelbon and Francona react to the decision to put Papelbon back in the bullpenBY SEAN McADAM CLEARWATER, Fla. -- What Terry Francona and Jonathan Papelbon had to say about the decision to move Papelbon back to the closer's role: Francona: On what was said at the end of last season, about the health risks to Papelbon if he continued relieveing: "I know what was said at the end of last season. I was there.'' On how the Sox came to change their minds: ''When we got to camp, he went through a barrage of medical updates. The more I watched, the more I asked a lot of questions. He's off the charts with his strength.'' Papelbon: On whether or not the team is forcing the move: ''This was a decision I made. This had nothing to do with (Mike) Timlin being healthy or us not having (an established) closer.'' On his endurance in the role: ''There's no reason I can't pitch into October, from my standpoint or a physical standpoint.'' On how he feels about the role: ''It all boiled down to the simple fact that I broke into the league as a closer. Basically, my heart is as a closer. In my heart I still had feelings for going to close. I want to do this rest of the career. I want to be Mariano Rivera.''
Posted by Art Martone Reassuring words from SchillAlmost as soon as the news broke about Jonathan Papelbon's move to the bullpen, Curt Schilling had published his take on his blog. Schilling, whose 38 Pitches blog has become very popular this offseason, defends the organization's move and says that Papelbon is just fine with everything. "No it wasn’t a rash decision brought about by uncertainty. I can promise you there were many meetings involving many people that occurred before this took place," Schilling writes. "Paps wanted to close because that’s where he felt he helped the team best, but he had no issues or problems being a starter either. He was going to do whatever role they asked of him."
Posted by Mike McDermott Papelbon on deck as Sox' closerBY SEAN McADAM CLEARWATER, Fla. -- After spending the first five weeks of spring training insisting they had no plans to move Jonathan Papelbon back to the bullpen, the Red Sox today did just that. The Sox announced after today's 4-4 tie with the Phillies here that Papelbon -- one of the best relievers in baseball in 2006 -- was being reinstated as the team's closer. His spot in the starting rotation will be taken by Julian Tavarez, who pitched three innings in Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Orioles and four innings in a minor-league game today. In retrospect, Tavarez' increased workload should have served as a tipoff to the team's plans. As a middle to late reliever, Tavarez would have no call to pitch as much as he has in recent days unless he was being stretched out for greater in-game responsibilities. Papelbon, conversely, was the Sox' second pitcher today after having been the starter in his last several appearances. He had started the exhibition season pitching on the same day as Tim Wakefield, but they were separated a week or so into the schedule, ostensibly because they would be pitching on different days during the season. The fact that were back together today, and that Papelbon was not starting, was another red flag. Papelbon worked three innings and allowed two hits and a run, with one walk and three strikeouts. On the one hand, the move solves a huge problem for the Red Sox. Unable to sign or trade for an established closer during the offseason, they had planned to give the job to 41-year-old Mike Timlin. When Timlin was suffered a strained oblique muscle early in camp, an injury that will force him to start the season on the disabled list, they had to turn to Plan B. Although they made no public pronouncements, it was believed Tavarez would be the choice, the reasoning being he had the best mental makeup for the role. The Sox didn't want to place the immense pressure of closing in a market like Boston on Joel Piniero, who is new to the position, and none of the other relievers -- Brendan Donnelly, J.C. Romero, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, Hideki Okajima -- had the experience or the skills for the job. Papelbon, of course, was absolutely dominant in the role last year. He was 4-2 with 35 saves and an 0.92 ERA in 59 games, made the American League All-Star team and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. On the other hand, however, the stress of relieving led to a shoulder injury that sidelined Papelbon for the final month of the season and the team's medical staff recommended he return to starting to avoid further problems. The Sox, however, say they will carefully monitor his health and not do anything to invite further problems. The Sox were strong, but never unequivocal, in their insistence that Papelbon would not relieve this season. Still, they repeated over and over that Papelbon would be a starter and once became very angry with media members who continued to speculate that the Sox would, in the end, return him to the closer's role. Which is exactly what they wound up doing.
Posted by Pam Cotter Red Sox-Phillies press notesIf you have Adobe 6.0 or higher, click here to see today's Red Sox-Phillies media notes.
Posted by Art Martone Around the majors, locally . . .Stories -- some national, some not -- with a local twist: RED SOX: The Pirates were impressed by what they saw from Daisuke Matsuzaka. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Note, however, the semi-wet-blanket statement from the unnamed scout at the end of the item . . . A must read: Tom Verducci's profile of Matsuzaka in Sports Illustrated (both in print on the Web), which examines not only the pitcher himself but the seemingly counterproductive American strategy of overprotecting pitcher's arms. You'll gasp -- or at least I did -- at the work habits of Matsuzaka and most Japanese pitchers, and gasp again when you realize that Matsuzaka, who doesn't even ice down his arm after starts, seems absolutely none the worse for wear by it all. And you'll worry what coming to the United States, with its different schedule (Matsuzaka, for instance, pitched only once a week in Japan) and vastly different athletic culture, will mean for him. MY FAVORITE BLOGGERS: Speaking of unnamed scouts, one of them gives Joe Posnanski the most honest preseason assessment of a division race you're likely to find anywhere. Posnanski, a columnist for the Kansas City Star by day, has started a must-read baseball blog entitled "The Soul of Baseball," based on his friendship with the late Buck O'Neil and named after the book Posnanski just completed on O'Neil. He's a great reporter and an even better writer, and stopping at his blog is one of the joys of my day . . . As are my stops at Seth Mnookin's "Feeding The Monster" blog, named after his book on the Red Sox. Today Seth gives some valuable -- and unexpected -- insight into just how STATS Inc. gets the initial information on its defensive metrics . . . THE ENEMY: Steven Goldman, who earned his Internet chops writing "The Pinstripe Bible" on the YES Network's Web site and who now also works for Baseball Prospectus, writes a story in the New York Sun that the Yankees could be sabotaging themselves with their plan to give so much playing time to Doug Mientkiewicz, whom he thinks just might be the worst first baseman in franchise history . . . More and more, it's looking like this is Alex Rodriguez' last year in the Bronx (New York Post) . . . OLD FRIEND: Pedro Martinez talks about his health, his future, and his past (with the Red Sox) in a fascinating Boston Herald piece . . . WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: A Rocky Mountain News sitdown with Todd Helton . . . AND FINALLY: Rocco Baldelli doesn't sound nearly as optimistic as his manager when discussing how long his hamstring tweak with keep him out of the lineup (St. Petersburg Times) . . . Yet more bad news for those hoping that the Extra Innings package of out-of-market games will somehow remain available on cable television (New York Times) . . . -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 21, 2007
More local stuffQuick hits at the end of the day . . . Cla Meredith, the former Red Sox reliever who pitched so well for San Diego after being traded (along with Josh Bard) for Doug Mirabelli last April, is struggling mightily this spring . . . Remember Debbie Wrobleski, who worked for years on NESN? She's now Debbie Taylor, and has a job similar on the Washington Nationals' broadcasts to the one Tina Cervasio currently holds on NESN.
Posted by Art Martone Red Sox 7, Pirates 3: The story via blogIt's over. Final score: Red Sox 7, Pirates 3. Check the box score, courtesy of mlb.com. We'll post a story as soon as it becomes available. --- He waved his cap to the fans who gave him a nice ovation as he left the mound. The final line: 5 2/3 innings And Drew came within a whisker of catching the only Pirates hit with a sliding dive in the first inning. (See below.) Manny Delcarmen is on in relief. We'll let you know how he does. --- IP H R ER BB SO ''I don't think he had his best stuff today,'' third baseman Mike Lowell said in an on-air, in-game interview on ESPN, ''but when you can go out there and give up one run in five innings without your best stuff . . . that's pretty good.'' --- Dustin Pedroia 2b
Posted by Art Martone Baseball news with a local tingeToday's baseball news, with a Rhode Island tinge . . . Rhode Island's Rocco Baldelli may be injured again. The St. Petersburg Times reports that Baldelli, who recently was inserted into the No. 3 spot in the Devil Rays' batting order, had to leave Tuesday's game because of a potential hamstring injury . . . Sad news from Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon Journal, who reports that Gomer Hodge, who served as the Pawtucket Red Sox' batting coach in 2001, is "in the final stages of Lou Gehrig's disease and dementia". The story focuses on Hodge's days as a player with the early 1970s Indians, but people locally may remember him from his year in Pawtucket . . . Buried at the bottom of a Pittsburgh Post-Gazetta notebook leading with Daisuke Matsuzaka's appearance in Bradenton today is a note on ex-Red Sox minor-leaguer Freddy Sanchez, who is recovering from a strained right knee . . .
Posted by Art Martone Manny's grill saga reaches new heights of absurdityIf somehow you haven't heard about the Jenn-Air Grill that Manny Ramirez is hawking on eBay, here's the link. What started as a strange enough story when the ad went up on the online auction site, complete with pictures of Ramirez and the message, "Hi, I`m Manny Ramirez. I bought this AMAZING grill for about $4,000 and I used it once... But I never have the time to use it because I am always on the road. I would love to sell it and you will get an autographed ball signed by me =] Enjoy it, Manny Ramirez," has predictably become a complete farce, with "bidders" posting $99 million offers as of this morning. The usually reticent Ramirez actually spoke to the media yesterday, telling the Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin that the grill is, in fact, not really his. Meanwhile, Manny and the grill are the hot topic of conversation this morning on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show. There is much speculation about whether Ramirez is breaking eBay rules by trying to represent something as his when it is, apparently, not. Earlier this morning, the same radio show featured an interview with one Steve Mandl, Ramirez's coach at George Washington High School in New York City, who laments that he is constantly seeking donations to equip his players, who largely come from low-income families, while the fabulously wealthy Ramirez has become a nonentity. He says he expects that Ramirez will some day make his return and solve all of the baseball program's financial problems. But if that doesn't happen, Mandl says he has made sure that his current prospects understand the importance of giving back.
Posted by Mike McDermott More on MIA CrispFrom redsox.com, here's more on the status of outfielder Coco Crisp, who is once again experiencing problems with early-season injuries. This time it's his shoulder, not his finger.
Posted by Mike McDermott March 16, 2007
Red Sox-Dodgers: Game called because of rain with Sox leading, 5-1
2:10 p.m.: Well, that didn't take long. The game has been called because of rain. It won't count in the standings, but it wasn't a bad day for the Sox, who were leading 5-1 when the game was stopped with one out in the top of the third. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched two innings and allowed three hits and a run, with no walks and three strikeouts. Wily Mo Pena, Jason Varitek and Eric Hinske all homered. The Sox return to Fort Myers tomorrow for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Reds. --- 1:50 p.m.: It can't rain hard enough for the Dodgers. After Youkilis struck out for the second time, Eric Hinske hit one of the longest home runs of the spring. It flew over the right-field fence and landed near the Dodger offices. The Sox' third homer of the day, coming as it did with Matsuzaka and Ellsbury on base, made it 5-1 Boston. And that's it. With the count 1-and-2 on Pena, the umpires have called a halt to the proceedings in a driving, pouring rain. It seems unlikely the teams will be able to continue. Check back here for more information, which we'll post when it becomes available. --- He walked! Hong-Chih Kuo poured over two quick strikes, and then missed with four consecutive pitches (even though Matsuzaka thought the third pitch was over the plate and started back to the dugout). The inning got worse for Kuo when he hit Ellsbury on the wrist with a pitch, putting runners at first and second. Bad news for both teams: It has begun to rain. --- Daisuke Matsuzaka is taking the mound for the Sox as we speak.
Posted by Art Martone Red Sox vs. Dodgers game notesIf you have Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher, click here for a version of today's Red Sox media notes.
Posted by Mike McDermott What's Tito trying to say here?Here's Terry Francona on backup Eric Hinske, from a story on redsox.com by Maureen Mullen. Notice how the manager can really stay on message: "He has swung the bat really well," Francona said. "He's a great guy, a great team guy. Last year he probably didn't play as much as he wanted. Going into this year, he probably knows that there's not a lot of at-bats. But he's a good team guy. He'll be playing a little third, a little first. "He's got that left-handed bat that's got some sock in it. He can win us some games. And I'm sure there's going to be some times where that frustrates him, but he's a good team guy. His attitude is outstanding. He came into camp in great shape. He has had a good spring. I don't think he likes it. [Alex] Cora, guys like that, find ways to put the team ahead of their own personal desires, and it really helps you make it work. That's our responsibility to them -- to let them know that we appreciate him. We respect him."
Posted by Mike McDermott Trade possibilitiesIn today's baseball column, Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Hagen lists three relief pitchers the Red Sox continue to court: Scott Linebrink (San Diego), Chad Cordero (Washington) and Akinori Otsuka (Texas).
Posted by Mike McDermott AP: Closer? Burger King?PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) - The sign outside the restaurant on the road from the Red Sox home on Florida's west coast to the game on the east coast had a simple message: "HIRING CLOSERS." The team isn't advertising for one - like the Burger King in LaBelle 30 miles east of Fort Myers - but the vacancy in that role hasn't been filled with about two weeks left in spring training. Was that closer already on Boston's roster entering Thursday night's game against the New York Mets? "It's too early to tell, but, yeah, I would expect so," general manager Theo Epstein said. "I don't anticipate anything big. We don't have anything going right now with any other team, so I anticipate we'll figure something out with the guys we have here." The fast-food franchise already has a place - and not a very pleasant one - in the history of Red Sox closers. Keith Foulke, who finished all four games in the Red Sox sweep of St. Louis in the 2004 World Series, allowed a game-winning grand slam to Cleveland's Travis Hafner on June 29, 2005. "It was a bad day of work," Foulke said right after the game. "I've always said the hardest thing is to come in here and face my teammates (rather) than worry about Johnny from Burger King booing me." Foulke was criticized for the remark, interpreted as a slap at fans. In spring training last year, he struggled with knee problems as he tried to get ready for the season. In the third game of the regular season, Jonathan Papelbon took over as closer and finished with 35 saves and a 0.92 ERA. Foulke became a setup man when he was healthy, signed with Cleveland as a free agent after the season, then retired last month. With Papelbon now in the rotation, the Red Sox need someone to fill that role. The top candidates entering spring training were right-handers Joel Pineiro, Brendan Donnelly, Julian Tavarez and Mike Timlin. But Timlin hasn't pitched because of a strained side muscle and is unlikely to be ready for the season opener on April 2. "It's not just the closer," manager Terry Francona said. "We need to set up our bullpen where we have a chance to win every night. It doesn't work where you have a chance to win one night and if you use (all) your guys, the next night you're in trouble." The Red Sox plan to open the season with 12 pitchers. Five starters plus Pineiro, Donnelly, Tavarez and left-handers Hideki Okajima and J.C. Romero appear to be locks. Kyle Snyder has the edge as a long reliever and Timlin would get the final spot if he's not on the disabled list. Pineiro, signed as a free agent from Seattle, appears to have the inside track on the closer's job if he pitches well. "It seems like each outing with Pineiro he's thrown more good pitches," Francona said. "He's got to keep going." In their last outings Wednesday, Tavarez allowed two runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman before Donnelly gave up two hits in his only inning. But Epstein didn't seem worried. "Julian Tavarez is getting ready for the season. I don't even think he knows how many base runners he gave up. He's going to be fine," Epstein said. "Brendan Donnelly is working on things. He's throwing the ball well. He's throwing pitches that he wouldn't throw in normal circumstances." Young right-handers Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen have major-league experience buy may need more seasoning in the minors. Hansen, a first-round draft pick in 2005 who was rushed to the majors last year because of injuries, was seen by fans as the closer of the future, but Francona said that's not his view. "I don't think you've ever heard me say that," Francona said. "We drafted him as a a reliever that we think can impact our bullpen. How that happens is up to him." "If we knew exactly where everybody was situated right now, I'd probably sleep a little better," Francona said, "but we have some questions we still need to answer. " "When you got him in the game, you didn't see anybody else out there warming up," Francona said, "and if we lost, it's not good to lose, but you didn't see a team panicking because that's the guy who's supposed to be doing it and he could handle it."
Posted by Mike McDermott March 15, 2007
Red Sox vs. Mets game notesIf you have Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher, click here for a version of today's Red Sox media notes.
Posted by Mike McDermott A-Rod's future remains hot discussion in New YorkAlex Rodriguez says has no plans to opt out of his contract at the conclusion of this season. But earlier in the week, on radio station WFAN, he said that this was a "do-or-die" season for him. "Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option," Rodriguez said in the radio interview, according to today's New York Daily News. "Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.'" Click here to read the Daily News report, which quotes Joe Torre's feelings on his star third baseman's future.
Posted by Mike McDermott March 14, 2007
More upbeat report on TimlinThe Boston Herald reports today that Mike Timlin no longer feels pain in his left oblique, and that he is ready to begin throwing again on Thursday. The newspaper quotes pitching coach John Farrell as its source.
Posted by Mike McDermott New vocabulary word: SnoodI've heard people refer to that red thing that Manny Ramirez is wearing on his head as a "snood." (When commenting on said accessory during Monday's Red Sox-Yankees exhibition game, Jerry Remy said it looked like someone had complained about Manny to the Board of Health.) So I decided to look up snood on Wikipedia. Their entry says: "A snood is a type of headgear, worn by women over their long hair." This is, of course, now officially an incomplete definition. But check out the picture. Snoods have come in and out of style since their first wave of popularity, in the 19th century, Wikipedia notes. In Europe, they were a way to show support for the troops during World War II. If Manny keeps his snood during the season, it will be interesting to see if they become a way for New Englanders to show their support for their baseball team.
Posted by Mike McDermott March 13, 2007
Red Sox game notes for Tuesday, March 13If you have Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher, click here for a version of today's Red Sox media notes.
Posted by Art Martone March 9, 2007
Timlin sidelined for 10 daysFORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox' muddled bullpen situation got a little more clouded today when it was announced that veteran reliever Mike Timlin, who was on track to start the season as the team's closer, will be shut down for approximately 10 days because of a pulled oblique muscle. Timlin, who had suffered what was described as a bad back early in camp, threw off the mound Wednesday for the first time in a 40-pitch workout. On Thursday, however, he felt pain again, so he was sent for an MRI. The injury was diagnosed as a slight oblique pull and Timlin won't be allowed to throw for approximately 10 days. Timlin's absence makes it questionable whether or not he can be ready for the season opener on April 2, since he'd have less than two weeks to get in shape. -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Art Martone March 6, 2007
Matsuzaka throws three shutout inningsJUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Daisuke Matsuzaka reached to snare a line drive, then grinned and bowed to his shortstop. It turns out the rookie from Japan is a pretty good fielder. He can pitch, too: Matsuzaka threw three scoreless innings for the Boston Red Sox when he faced major league hitters for the first time Tuesday. Dice-K allowed two hits, walked one and struck out three against the Florida Marlins. The right-hander threw 47 pitches, 31 for strikes, including a first-pitch strike to 10 of 12 batters. He escaped a one-out jam in the second after giving up a walk and a double. Matsuzaka made the trip from the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers on Monday. That proved wise because the team bus got lost Tuesday and arrived more than an hour late for batting practice. Matsuzaka, meanwhile, remained right on schedule in his transition from Japan's Pacific League to the American League. He signed a $52 million, six-year contract after Boston agreed to pay the Seibu Lions $51 million for his rights. His Grapefruit League debut drew a sellout crowd and 150 members of the media, the majority of them Japanese. Because of the small press box at Roger Dean Stadium, some reporters watched from folding chairs set up three deep down the right-field line. Two dozen cameramen and photographers clustered on the field near the Red Sox bullpen to record Matsuzaka's pregame warmup. A security guard scolded them when they strayed too close to the foul line. The first batter Matsuzaka faced was Ramirez, a former Red Sox prospect, who took a fastball for a strike and was then retired on a one-hopper to the pitcher. Matsuzaka walked Joe Borchard on a 3-2 pitch to start the second, then gave up a one-out ground-rule double to John Gall. Borchard would have scored had the ball not bounced off the warning track and over the fence. When Scott Seabol worked the count to 2-2, catcher Jason Varitek went to the mound for a chat. Matsuzaka is apparently progressing well in the English lessons he's taking, because he covered his mouth with his glove to prevent the Marlins from reading his lips. The next pitch was a called strike three, and Eric Reed then popped out on a bunt to end the threat. Matsuzaka threw a bullpen session Monday, a rarity for a pitcher on the day before a start. The Red Sox gave the OK only because it's part of Matsuzaka's normal routine.
Posted by Mike McDermott |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
RSS feed
|
SIDE BLOGS  Krasner  Martone  McAdam  McDonald  McNamara  PawSox  Projo Mannybeingmanny  Projo Sox Crawl  Projo Sox Streakers  Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam  Sights and sounds of spring training  Thornton |