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Colon update

Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon didn’t seem fazed by his sub-par performance against the Yankees today.

The newly-acquired right-hander allowed four runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning of work. He threw 41 pitches (21 strikes). In his first start against the Rays on March 13, Colon worked two solid innings, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout. He said the game that he actually felt stronger yesterday, it was just his command that was off.

Francona strongly agrees.

“That’s exactly what we saw,” said the manager. “We got to a point in the first inning where we started to worry about leaving him out there. We wanted to get him to 50 pitches, but not in the first 10 minutes of the game. His arm strength is good and his attitude is outstanding.”

Colon will remain in Florida when the team heads to Japan and pitch a minor-league. He will join and pitch for the Red Sox in Los Angeles when the team returns from Japan for a set of exhibition games against the Dodgers.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Hansen, others optioned to Pawtucket

Reliever Craig Hansen was optioned to Pawtucket following today's game. Francona said he wanted to see the hard-throwing right-hander pitch again this spring because pitching coach John Farrell has been very impressed with Hansen’s mound presence.

“We’ve got a kid who has had his ups and downs,” said Francona. “We think the ups are on their way. . . He’s going to be the Manny Delcarmen of this year; he’ll go back do great and then come back and help us.”

Hansen took the news rather well today.

“They told me they were proud of what I did this spring training,” Hansen said. “I came in here ready to compete, and they were proud of that. When I get to minor-league camp I just need to continue what I’ve been doing.”

Also optioned to Pawtucket was catcher George Kottaras, infielder/outfielder Chris Carter, and pitcher Lincoln Holdzkom.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Fans set record

The 11,036 in attendance today set a new record at Legends Field. The previous mark of 10,972 was set on Sunday against Cleveland.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Coco/Kielty update

Coco Crisp (groin) and Bobby Kielty (calf) both participated in a pair of minor-league games today in order to get some much-needed at-bats.

Terry Francona said Crisp felt “very good” but the team still doesn’t know if he'll will be able to make the trip to Japan. Crisp went 1-for-5 and Kielty went 1-for-4 during their at-bats, three in a Triple-A game and two in a Double-A game at the team’s minor-league complex in Fort Myers. The Red Sox have Tuesday off, so both will play in a camp game and face left-handers at the minor-league complex.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Colon finished

Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon was scheduled to work three innings against the Yankees today in Tampa, but the newly acquired right-hander was just given the hook with two outs in the bottom of the first inning with New York leading, 4-0. He threw 41 pitches and allowed four runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Julian Tavarez is now in the game.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Today's lineups

BOSTON
Julio Lugo, ss
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
David Ortiz, dh
Kevin Youkilis, 1b
Mike Lowell, 3b
Jason Varitek, c
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Chris Carter, lf
Brandon Moss, rf
Bartolo Colon, SP

NEW YORK
Johnny Damon, lf
Derek Jeter, ss
Bobby Abreu, rf
Jason Giambi, 1b
Jorge Posada, c
Hideki Matsui, dh
Robinson Cano, 2b
Wilson Betemit, 3b
Melky Cabrera, cf
Andy Pettitte, S:

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Good morning from Tampa

It's another beautiful day in Florida. The Red Sox just arrived in Tampa for their game against the Yankees at Legends Field.

With the amount of media outlets here today, one might think it was a regular-season game. Francona just finished his daily scrum with the local guys and actually had some news this morning.

Francona announced that Dice-K will officially be the team's Opening Day starter in Japan. Jon Lester will pitch the other regular-season game against the A's over there. Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz will start the two exhibition games.

Ailing center fielder Coco Crisp (groin) will play for the PawSox today in a rehab appearance. He's scheduled to get in at least four at-bats. Francona said this morning that Crisp had a good morning and now there's a chance he could make the trip to Japan. It's also possible he could play in the team's final spring training game in Florida on Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Pitcher Josh Beckett (back) played long toss this morning at 120 feet. Francona said the right-hander felt good. Beckett, who will not travel to Japan, will likely make a rehab start for the PawSox in Florida.

After the birth of his second child over the weekend, Dice-K returned to the spring training facility this morning and threw 58-pitch side session in preparation for his start in Japan.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Baseball Today: Monday, March 17

AP Photo

ALMOST HERE: As hard as it may be to believe, spring training ends in three days for the Red Sox. They leave for Japan on Wednesday night, the long-anticipated trip that everyone's been looking forward to/dreading. Sean McAdam has a primer on what to expect over the next two weeks, and Joe McDonald talks to the Sox about how they plan to keep focused during the trip, since two of the games will count in the standings. One thing that's no surprise: Josh Beckett (left, working out at Fort Myers yesterday) won't be going with them. McDonald has the details. SECRET OF SUCCESS: McDonald has an interesting feature on how the Red Sox go about their business these days. VIDEO: RED SOX-YANKEES IS A DIFFERENT WORLD: CNN's Larry Smith has a 2 1/2-minute video report, with interviews from players and fans, which deals with the shift of power in the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry. (yahoo.com) I'M UNHAPPY: Two days after the fact, Tim Wakefield weighed in on the release of Doug Mirabelli. (It's the second item down in McDonald's Saturday notebook.) Not surprisingly, he wasn't pleased. ME, TOO: Jason Varitek was also upset at Mirabelli's being let go. (Boston Herald)

SIMPLE ENOUGH: On his Hacks with Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty has a conversation with Peter Gammons. Gammons' answer when asked why the Sox cut Mirabelli: "They just didn’t think he could play anymore.''

YOU WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM: The Hideki Okajima who's returning to Japan with the Red Sox next week is far different than the one who left last year. (Boston Globe)

ONE, BUT NOT TWO: The Newark Star-Ledger's Dan Graziano says he's hearing that the Cubs will pull out of trade talks for Coco Crisp if they acquire Brian Roberts.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE: Say what you will about Johnny Damon, but he's always been the most honest of ballplayers. So it's not surprising to hear his self-assessment of his defensive skills in light of the Yankees switching him to left field: ''I'm probably [a] middle-of-the-pack [center fielder] now . . . I would say I'm probably an above-average left fielder now."

THE NUMBERS DON'T WORK: The Daily News' Bill Madden says that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, there has never been a World Series team with two rookies making a minimum of just 25 starts apiece. Since the Yanks plan to start the season with Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in the rotation, how this applies to them is pretty obvious.

OF MICE AND MEN: Hank Steinbrenner said being criticized by Jonathan Papelbon ''is like being attacked by a mouse.'' (New York Post) Papelbon's response was classic Papelbon . . . and, in fact, classic, period: ''Whatever, dude.'' (Hartford Courant) Our pals at Red Sox Monster think it's a case of ''Papel-Mouse winning again.''

C.C. OF DISCOURAGEMENT: Free agent-to-be C.C. Sabathia couldn't have pleased those New York folks who have him fitted for pinstripes next year -- a group that includes just about all of Yankee Universe -- when he answered, "It's all right,'' when asked if he liked New York. (mlb.com)

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: The good news is Chien-Ming Wang struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings against the Indians. The bad news is he wasn't particularly effective while doing so. (New York Daily News)

MORE OF THE SAME: The New York Post's Larry Brooks says the Yanks' allowing Jim Leyritz, who facing a felony DUI manslaughter charge, to visit their clubhouse is another reason why their reputation as a class organization is slipping.

LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, father of the Yankees' Shelley Duncan, a) doesn't see anything wrong with his son's waist-high, spikes-first slide into the Rays' Akinori Iwamura and b) is pretty upset with those who do. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) The Rays are among those who do, and the Post-Dispatch points out that St. Louis and Tampa Bay are interleague opponents this year.

THE CLOSER YOU LOOK . . . Baseball Musing's David Pinto says, more and more, Shelley Duncan comes off ''a typical meathead with the jock sense of entitlement.'' This is the guy, remember, who wrote "Red Sox Suck" when signing an autograph to a 10-year-old Red Sox fan.

APPEALING: Duncan and Melky Cabrera are appealing the suspensions they received for their actions in the brawl that followed Duncan's slide. (New York Post)

I DON'T SEE ANY OF THESE SEATS GOING EMPTY, THOUGH: The Biz of Baseball points out that a box seat which cost $3.50 at Yankee Stadium in 1967 is now going for $250, even though $3.50 in 2007 dollars is only $22.14. That's an inflation rate of 1,029%.

THE REST OF THE STORY: The New York Times' Murray Chass looks at the chances of the Blue Jays and Rays to break the Red Sox-Yankee stranglehold on the A.L. East. The Orioles? Fugheddaboutit.

SWAP, DON'T BUY: With Rocco Baldelli out, the Rays are more likely to trade for a fourth outfielder rather than sign a free agent. (Tampa Tribune)

BASEBALL'S VERSION OF WESTERN UNION: It looks as if the Twins are trying to send a message to Alexi Casilla as they've shipped him to Triple-A Rochester because of what the St. Paul Pioneer-Press calls his ''lack of attention to details in the field.''

THE WORST TRADES ARE THE ONES YOU DON'T MAKE: FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal thinks the Angels may regret not pursuing Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera this offseason.

REPLY HAZY, TRY AGAIN: Joe Posnanski says the annual Baseball Prospectus is his version of the Magic 8 ball, and he shakes it to try and get some answers. (One of the questions: "Will Dustin Pedroia continue to be the same kind of player he was in 2007?")

WHY WOULDN'T I BELIEVE HIM? White Sox GM Ken Williams says Ozzie Guillen was "probably serious" when he said the White Sox could tear up his contract if the team struggles again this year. (Chicago Sun-Times)

THE NEVER-ENDING STORY: SI.com's John Donovan reports on the latest Dusty Baker move that's sure to have heads spinning in the sabermetric community.

ORIENT EXPRESS: Yahoo.com's Steve Henson reports on the Dodgers-Padres trip to China.

HERE AND THERE: Jeff Conine apparently will sign a contract with Florida and then announce his retirement, so he can retire as a Marlin. (mlb.com) Question: Does anybody remember who a player retired with? . . . Scott Kazmir may start the season on the disabled list (Tampa Tribune) . . . Juan Pierre may be losing his job with the Dodgers (Orange County Register) . . . Kerry Wood is emerging as the favorite in the competition to be the Cubs' closer (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Braves' Jeff Francoeur escaped serious injury in a beaning by the Cardinals' Todd Wellemeyer (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . The Orioles' Ramon Hernandez says he was injured last year, not fat and out of shape like his critics claimed, and he's ready to prove them wrong (Baltimore Sun) . . . The Angels' John Lackey will be sidelined for at least a month. (mlb.com)

OLD FRIENDS: The New York Post reports Pedro Martinez had a "dazzling" spring debut for the Mets . . . Hideo Nomo is no longer in the running for a starting job with the Royals, but could still make their bullpen (Kansas City Star) . . . Tony Armas Jr. finally showed up in Mets' camp. (Newsday)

AND FINALLY . . . Congratulations to Chad Finn, whose excellent Touching All The Bases blog is moving uptown.

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments 0