Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved the All Star Game. I know that there are baseball fans out there who don't agree, but it used to be the part of the season I looked forward to the most. That was back when the Red Sox were not very good. Indeed, when I started watching the team, the Red Sox were actually losing more than they won. The first All Star game I remember really watching was in 1993 when Scott Cooper was the team's only All Star. Yes, the immortal Scott Cooper. He would also be the team's only All Star in 1994, making him quite possibly the worst player in MLB history to be an All Star twice.
In my years of watching the event, I have seen All Star MVPs go to Pedro Martinez and J.D. Drew for the Red Sox, and home runs from David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Drew. I have seen some impressive performances, Martinez was absolutely electrifying in 1999. The players that have represented the team in the years I have been watching have been: Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Jeff Reardon, Scott Cooper, Mo Vaughn, Erik Hanson, Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, Tom Gordon, Jose Offerman, Carl Everett, Derek Lowe, Manny Ramirez, Shea Hillenbrand, Johnny Damon, Ugueth Urbina, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Matt Clement, Mark Loretta, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, Hideki Okajima, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew, Jason Bay, and Tim Wakefield.
So last night's game was pretty good. It was definitely short, barely over two and a half hours. The Red Sox performances were pretty decent: Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis each had base hits and Jonathan Papelbon had a 1-2-3 inning. My major disappointment though was that Tim Wakefield was not put in the game. He was certainly well-rested. It was disappointing because Wakefield is 42, soon to be 43, and this was his first time. He probably will not have another chance. It's too bad. Josh Beckett and Dustin Pedroia also failed to get in the game, although Pedroia was not present, choosing to be with his wife.
Showing posts with label red sox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label red sox. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Red Sox vs. Yankees Pt. 3
This is really late, because I forgot about it. I watched the games, I just forgot to write anything. The rivalry resumed last week at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Sox rotation was lined up with Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and Brad Penny going up against A.J. Burnett, Chien Ming Wang, and C.C. Sabathia. The Yankees came in to this series feeling pretty good about themselves, despite being 0-5 against the Red Sox. They were in first place, Alex Rodriguez was back from injury, their pitching staff was effective, and Mark Teixeira had begun hammering the ball. It wouldn't last.
The first game was an utterly dominating performance by the Red Sox and by Josh Beckett in particular. Beckett looked like the 2007 model when he nearly won the Cy Young Award. Burnett, who was partially signed by the Yankees because of his success against the Red Sox, and in Boston in particular, was bombed. He was knocked out of the game after only 2 2/3 innings. David Ortiz provided a little offense, hitting a home run and the team took care of business, winning 8-0.
In the second game, the Yankees sent embattled starter Wang to the mound to try to regain form. He wouldn't and was pulled again after only 2 2/3 innings as the Red Sox were staked to an early lead. Phil Hughes came on for the Yankees and provided an impressive relief stint, but despite attempting to claw their way back, the damage was done. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis each provided home runs. The Yankees came within one run but could not tie the score thanks to the effective relief work from the duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. The Red Sox won 6-5.
The Yankees felt the third game was theirs. Their new ace Sabathia would take the mound against Boston's Brad Penny. Sabathia was rough early, allowing another home run to David Ortiz. He settled down though and pitched like the ace the Yankees wanted. However, he started to get fatigued and manager Joe Girardi left him in too long since he wanted to rest his overworked bullpen. Boston was patient, Dustin Pedroia worked a ten pitch walk which lead to J.D. Drew getting a base hit up the middle. Sabathia was done, but the Red Sox were not. They came all the way back and won 4-3. The Red Sox are now 8-0 against the Yankees this year.
The real stories mostly came after the games were played. David Ortiz has started to hit, finally. He will be needed. After the series, Red Sox owner John Henry sent out the following message on Twitter: "The MT curse?", possibly referring to Mark Teixeira, who Boston has long coveted but has spurned the Red Sox twice. Teixeira was not happy and said he would not engage in a war of words with a 70-something year old man. Henry is 59 actually. It was a little childish of Henry, Twitter has lead to people making some stream-of-consciousness type statements that the public can read. I would prefer that people think before they speak personally, especially when it comes to the owner of my favorite team. Oh well.
The Yankees then had a childish moment. Brad Penny plunked Alex Rodriguez with a pitch in the final game, despite having good command most of the time. The Yankees asked the MLB commissioner's office to suspend Penny for intentionally hitting Rodriguez. The teams were warned at the time, but Penny was not ejected. The problem here is that the Yankees are assuming Penny hit A-Rod intentionally which cannot be proven. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Yankees pitchers have hit Red Sox batters nine times this season. The Red Sox have not complained. Joba Chamberlain seems to enjoy throwing at Kevin Youkilis's head. The Red Sox have not complained to the commissioner's office.
The first game was an utterly dominating performance by the Red Sox and by Josh Beckett in particular. Beckett looked like the 2007 model when he nearly won the Cy Young Award. Burnett, who was partially signed by the Yankees because of his success against the Red Sox, and in Boston in particular, was bombed. He was knocked out of the game after only 2 2/3 innings. David Ortiz provided a little offense, hitting a home run and the team took care of business, winning 8-0.
In the second game, the Yankees sent embattled starter Wang to the mound to try to regain form. He wouldn't and was pulled again after only 2 2/3 innings as the Red Sox were staked to an early lead. Phil Hughes came on for the Yankees and provided an impressive relief stint, but despite attempting to claw their way back, the damage was done. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis each provided home runs. The Yankees came within one run but could not tie the score thanks to the effective relief work from the duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. The Red Sox won 6-5.
The Yankees felt the third game was theirs. Their new ace Sabathia would take the mound against Boston's Brad Penny. Sabathia was rough early, allowing another home run to David Ortiz. He settled down though and pitched like the ace the Yankees wanted. However, he started to get fatigued and manager Joe Girardi left him in too long since he wanted to rest his overworked bullpen. Boston was patient, Dustin Pedroia worked a ten pitch walk which lead to J.D. Drew getting a base hit up the middle. Sabathia was done, but the Red Sox were not. They came all the way back and won 4-3. The Red Sox are now 8-0 against the Yankees this year.
The real stories mostly came after the games were played. David Ortiz has started to hit, finally. He will be needed. After the series, Red Sox owner John Henry sent out the following message on Twitter: "The MT curse?", possibly referring to Mark Teixeira, who Boston has long coveted but has spurned the Red Sox twice. Teixeira was not happy and said he would not engage in a war of words with a 70-something year old man. Henry is 59 actually. It was a little childish of Henry, Twitter has lead to people making some stream-of-consciousness type statements that the public can read. I would prefer that people think before they speak personally, especially when it comes to the owner of my favorite team. Oh well.
The Yankees then had a childish moment. Brad Penny plunked Alex Rodriguez with a pitch in the final game, despite having good command most of the time. The Yankees asked the MLB commissioner's office to suspend Penny for intentionally hitting Rodriguez. The teams were warned at the time, but Penny was not ejected. The problem here is that the Yankees are assuming Penny hit A-Rod intentionally which cannot be proven. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Yankees pitchers have hit Red Sox batters nine times this season. The Red Sox have not complained. Joba Chamberlain seems to enjoy throwing at Kevin Youkilis's head. The Red Sox have not complained to the commissioner's office.
Friday, May 8, 2009
R.I.P. Dom DiMaggio
Sad day for Red Sox fans as Dom DiMaggio died today at 92. He played for the Red Sox his entire career, playing center field. He often lead the team in stolen bases and he owns the Red Sox record for longest hitting streak at 34 games. He played in seven All Star games. I always hoped he would one day join his brother Joe and his former teammates Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr in the Hall of Fame.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Manny Ramirez Suspended 50 Games for Violating Drug Policy
Oh shit. This is the highest profile suspension since MLB hardened its stance on performance-enhancing drugs. According to Manny, the drug was prescribed by his doctor who had no idea it would cause him to fail a drug test. This is bullshit. Other reports have it being either for sexual enhancement or for restarting the body's testosterone development after cycling on steroids. The latter is probably most likely.
I like Manny, even if he did phone it in to cause Boston to trade him. I hope that he has not been using anything for very long. Ultimately we will never know because HGH is undetectable. We do know he has not failed any tests between the time that the testing became stronger and earlier this year. So who knows? Maybe he just started this year, maybe not. I won't speculate because it drives me crazy when people do that.
Yankees fans are getting their opinions heard though, claiming that Boston's two World Series wins with Manny are now tainted. Again, I have no idea, and until some hard evidence comes out showing that he was in fact using PEDs at that time, it will not affect my opinion of those two victories.
I like Manny, even if he did phone it in to cause Boston to trade him. I hope that he has not been using anything for very long. Ultimately we will never know because HGH is undetectable. We do know he has not failed any tests between the time that the testing became stronger and earlier this year. So who knows? Maybe he just started this year, maybe not. I won't speculate because it drives me crazy when people do that.
Yankees fans are getting their opinions heard though, claiming that Boston's two World Series wins with Manny are now tainted. Again, I have no idea, and until some hard evidence comes out showing that he was in fact using PEDs at that time, it will not affect my opinion of those two victories.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Red Sox vs. Yankees 2009 Pt. 1
Well, the Red Sox and Yankees had their first three game series of the 2009 season over the weekend at Fenway Park. This is always a huge series and it proved to be quite an interesting one. The Red Sox did come away with the sweep, which they always seem to do well in the first series against the Yankees but have trouble later.
On Friday night, the Red Sox were down by two in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and a runner on. The Yankees pitcher was Mariano Rivera, a surefire Hall of Famer. Jason Bay was at the plate and he drilled a Rivera cutter into the center field bleachers, the deepest part of the ballpark to tie the game. Welcome to the rivalry, Bay. I find myself more and more impressed with Jason Bay all the time. He is a quiet player, but he does pretty much everything well. He can hit for average, power, make the occasional stolen base, play good defense, and he has a decent arm. Later in the 11th inning, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run off Damaso Marte out of the ballpark to win it. Youkilis has quickly become one of my favorite players. He is a true gritty player and plays hard day in and day out. He has also become one of the best hitters in the league. Jon Lester did not have his best stuff on Friday but he kept the game close and the bullpen stepped up at the end with Ramon Ramirez, acquired in the Coco Crisp trade, getting the win and Jonathan Papelbon getting the save.
Saturday was a messy game. Josh Beckett did not have very good command and the Red Sox fell behind early 6-0. A.J. Burnett, one of the Yankees huge free agent signings in the offseason, looked unstoppable, but somehow the Red Sox came back. This game became a seesaw battle. The lead shifted back and forth several times. Jason Varitek, who has a horrible batting average with the bases loaded, launched a grand slam from the left side of the plate to get the Red Sox close. Varitek's power looks to be back this year, hopefully he can get to be a little more consistent at the plate and raise his average. Later, Jacoby Ellsbury tied it with his first home run of the year. That leaves David Ortiz as the only Red Sox regular without a home run this year. Hard to believe since Ortiz is a good bet to end up as the team leader. Later on, after a crucial Dustin Pedroia error, the Red Sox were behind again 10-9. The Mike Lowell launched a three run home run to put the Red Sox ahead for good. He would later blast a three-run double to put the game out of reach for the Yankees. The pitching in this game was worrisome, Beckett was awful and the bullpen, tired from the previous night, couldn't keep the Yankees off the bases.
Sunday night was amazing. Justin Masterson pitched very well. He will make it difficult for Terry Francona to put back in the bullpen when Daisuke Matsuzaka comes back from his injury. Masterson was just one of the vaunted, young Red Sox players on display. Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden both came out to pitch great in relief. Hunter Jones looks like a very talented young bullpen arm, further adding to the depth. Bowden will be a starter someday. Of course, the biggest story of the day was Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury came into the game with eight stolen bases and added two more. His steal of second early in the game led to the tying run after the Yankees took a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and Andy Pettitte apparently not paying attention, Ellsbury took off from third and stole home on a straight steal, sliding in ahead of the pitch. I have seen highlights of this happening, but had never seen it happen live on TV. I was shocked. My jaw dropped open and I stood there in awe. Ellsbury has game-changing speed. I have seen him beat out routine ground balls and saw him score from second base on a wild pitch. He stole 50 bases last year and looks like he is aiming for 70 this year. I just hope he can be a more consistent hitter so he can be on base. Last summer he slumped for a long time. He probably would have stolen a lot more but he became flustered with his inability to hit and didn't steal for a long period of time. Hopefully he will not go through that again. I love having a bona fide base stealer on this team.
It was an exhausting weekend, but it ended well. I have seen Yankees fans on forums trying to shrug it off by saying any of those games could have gone the other way. Of course they could have, any game COULD go the other way. That's the nature of the sport, anything can happen at any time. The fact of the matter is, they didn't and the Yankees were humiliated in Boston. Their Hall of Fame closer blew what should have been an easy win, they couldn't hold a 6-0 lead, and Ellsbury stole home, something that should NEVER happen. That about sums up the three game series.
On Friday night, the Red Sox were down by two in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and a runner on. The Yankees pitcher was Mariano Rivera, a surefire Hall of Famer. Jason Bay was at the plate and he drilled a Rivera cutter into the center field bleachers, the deepest part of the ballpark to tie the game. Welcome to the rivalry, Bay. I find myself more and more impressed with Jason Bay all the time. He is a quiet player, but he does pretty much everything well. He can hit for average, power, make the occasional stolen base, play good defense, and he has a decent arm. Later in the 11th inning, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run off Damaso Marte out of the ballpark to win it. Youkilis has quickly become one of my favorite players. He is a true gritty player and plays hard day in and day out. He has also become one of the best hitters in the league. Jon Lester did not have his best stuff on Friday but he kept the game close and the bullpen stepped up at the end with Ramon Ramirez, acquired in the Coco Crisp trade, getting the win and Jonathan Papelbon getting the save.
Saturday was a messy game. Josh Beckett did not have very good command and the Red Sox fell behind early 6-0. A.J. Burnett, one of the Yankees huge free agent signings in the offseason, looked unstoppable, but somehow the Red Sox came back. This game became a seesaw battle. The lead shifted back and forth several times. Jason Varitek, who has a horrible batting average with the bases loaded, launched a grand slam from the left side of the plate to get the Red Sox close. Varitek's power looks to be back this year, hopefully he can get to be a little more consistent at the plate and raise his average. Later, Jacoby Ellsbury tied it with his first home run of the year. That leaves David Ortiz as the only Red Sox regular without a home run this year. Hard to believe since Ortiz is a good bet to end up as the team leader. Later on, after a crucial Dustin Pedroia error, the Red Sox were behind again 10-9. The Mike Lowell launched a three run home run to put the Red Sox ahead for good. He would later blast a three-run double to put the game out of reach for the Yankees. The pitching in this game was worrisome, Beckett was awful and the bullpen, tired from the previous night, couldn't keep the Yankees off the bases.
Sunday night was amazing. Justin Masterson pitched very well. He will make it difficult for Terry Francona to put back in the bullpen when Daisuke Matsuzaka comes back from his injury. Masterson was just one of the vaunted, young Red Sox players on display. Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden both came out to pitch great in relief. Hunter Jones looks like a very talented young bullpen arm, further adding to the depth. Bowden will be a starter someday. Of course, the biggest story of the day was Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury came into the game with eight stolen bases and added two more. His steal of second early in the game led to the tying run after the Yankees took a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and Andy Pettitte apparently not paying attention, Ellsbury took off from third and stole home on a straight steal, sliding in ahead of the pitch. I have seen highlights of this happening, but had never seen it happen live on TV. I was shocked. My jaw dropped open and I stood there in awe. Ellsbury has game-changing speed. I have seen him beat out routine ground balls and saw him score from second base on a wild pitch. He stole 50 bases last year and looks like he is aiming for 70 this year. I just hope he can be a more consistent hitter so he can be on base. Last summer he slumped for a long time. He probably would have stolen a lot more but he became flustered with his inability to hit and didn't steal for a long period of time. Hopefully he will not go through that again. I love having a bona fide base stealer on this team.
It was an exhausting weekend, but it ended well. I have seen Yankees fans on forums trying to shrug it off by saying any of those games could have gone the other way. Of course they could have, any game COULD go the other way. That's the nature of the sport, anything can happen at any time. The fact of the matter is, they didn't and the Yankees were humiliated in Boston. Their Hall of Fame closer blew what should have been an easy win, they couldn't hold a 6-0 lead, and Ellsbury stole home, something that should NEVER happen. That about sums up the three game series.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Boston Red Sox 2009 Preview
Now, for my other major interest outside of work: The Boston Red Sox.
CATCHER: Jason Varitek
Varitek is my favorite player. That being said, he is not the same player he used to be. He is getting older and his bat speed is diminishing. Last year was a terrible year but he looked okay this Spring. He provided a home run in the first game of the season last night. I would expect him to have a better year this year, but maybe not as good as in previous years. He will still provide solid defense and continue calling a good game.
FIRST BASE: Kevin Youkilis
Last year, Youkilis continued developing into one of the more consistent hitters in the game. He is in the prime of his career so I don't expect him to improve much but he should be good for another .325-30-100 season while getting on base at a good clip. His defense is great and he should be considered a candidate for a Gold Glove as well as MVP.
SECOND BASE: Dustin Pedroia
The breakout star of the team, Pedroia has been with the Red Sox for two full years and in that time won Rookie of the Year, MVP, a Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove. He will continue to improve. He is a ton of fun to watch and very intense. We are witnessing the beginning of a great career.
SHORTSTOP: Jed Lowrie
Lowrie reminds me a lot of Pedroia, but with a little more power. He is an exceptional defender and a potential All Star. He won't be as good as Pedroia, but he will be a very good player.
THIRD BASE: Mike Lowell
Lowell is on the downturn of his career. He was injured for much of the season last year but will continue to be an effective player for the short term. He has lost a step on defense and may need to be substituted for occasionally but he should improve on last year's numbers. 2007 is in the distant past though.
RIGHT FIELD: J.D. Drew
You never know what you will get with Drew. If he stays healthy, he makes the game look incredibly easy. When he's hurt, he's maddening. I think he will be healthy for the greater part of the season and will turn in similar numbers to last year.
CENTER FIELD: Jacoby Ellsbury
I hope he improves on last year. He just needs to be more consistent at the plate. He is one of the most exciting players in the game on the base paths and in the field. He just needs to get on more often. He should break the Red Sox stolen bases record this year.
LEFT FIELD: Jason Bay
A full season in Boston should do him well. He is a good hitter but is not as flashy as the man he replaced, Manny Ramirez. No matter, Bay is professional and plays the game with respect. He will easily hit .280-30-100.
DESIGNATED HITTER: David Ortiz
With any luck, he is healthy and dangerous again. If so, Boston will have a very good season and challenge for the AL pennant. If not, they will have to rely heavily on their pitching.
BENCH: George Kottaras, Nick Green, Chris Carter, Rocco Baldelli
Outfield depth is pretty deep, but Kottaras and Carter do not have much major league experience. Kottaras is there to give Varitek the occasional day off. Green had a great spring but has not performed well in the majors. Baldelli, if healthy, will be a great addition to the team.
STARTING ROTATION: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny
Beckett should be back to his 2007 form when he almost won the Cy Young Award. Lester has developed into one of the top left-handers in the game. Matsuzaka is unhittable when his command is on. He just needs to stop nibbling at the corners so much and throw his hard stuff. Wakefield will continue to give league-average results. Penny, if healthy, is a huge boost to the rotation and he looked healthy this Spring. If not, John Smoltz will be ready midseason to add another boost.
MIDDLE RELIEF: Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Justin Masterson, Takashi Saito
One of the deepest bullpens I have seen in the Red Sox. All of them are hard-throwers with consistent command. This will be a very strong bullpen.
CLOSER: Jonathan Papelbon
The enigmatic closer returns. Papelbon is one of the best in the game. Hopefully they will keep him around.
OVERALL:
The AL East is a tough division with the Yankees and Rays both stocking up. The Red Sox will be in the thick of it all year as long as injuries do not slow them down. If Penny and/or Smoltz pitch to their history, the starting rotation is one of the best in the big leagues. The bullpen is deep. Defense is a big strength. The only issue is whether they will miss Manny Ramirez on offense. My gut says a little.
CATCHER: Jason Varitek
Varitek is my favorite player. That being said, he is not the same player he used to be. He is getting older and his bat speed is diminishing. Last year was a terrible year but he looked okay this Spring. He provided a home run in the first game of the season last night. I would expect him to have a better year this year, but maybe not as good as in previous years. He will still provide solid defense and continue calling a good game.
FIRST BASE: Kevin Youkilis
Last year, Youkilis continued developing into one of the more consistent hitters in the game. He is in the prime of his career so I don't expect him to improve much but he should be good for another .325-30-100 season while getting on base at a good clip. His defense is great and he should be considered a candidate for a Gold Glove as well as MVP.
SECOND BASE: Dustin Pedroia
The breakout star of the team, Pedroia has been with the Red Sox for two full years and in that time won Rookie of the Year, MVP, a Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove. He will continue to improve. He is a ton of fun to watch and very intense. We are witnessing the beginning of a great career.
SHORTSTOP: Jed Lowrie
Lowrie reminds me a lot of Pedroia, but with a little more power. He is an exceptional defender and a potential All Star. He won't be as good as Pedroia, but he will be a very good player.
THIRD BASE: Mike Lowell
Lowell is on the downturn of his career. He was injured for much of the season last year but will continue to be an effective player for the short term. He has lost a step on defense and may need to be substituted for occasionally but he should improve on last year's numbers. 2007 is in the distant past though.
RIGHT FIELD: J.D. Drew
You never know what you will get with Drew. If he stays healthy, he makes the game look incredibly easy. When he's hurt, he's maddening. I think he will be healthy for the greater part of the season and will turn in similar numbers to last year.
CENTER FIELD: Jacoby Ellsbury
I hope he improves on last year. He just needs to be more consistent at the plate. He is one of the most exciting players in the game on the base paths and in the field. He just needs to get on more often. He should break the Red Sox stolen bases record this year.
LEFT FIELD: Jason Bay
A full season in Boston should do him well. He is a good hitter but is not as flashy as the man he replaced, Manny Ramirez. No matter, Bay is professional and plays the game with respect. He will easily hit .280-30-100.
DESIGNATED HITTER: David Ortiz
With any luck, he is healthy and dangerous again. If so, Boston will have a very good season and challenge for the AL pennant. If not, they will have to rely heavily on their pitching.
BENCH: George Kottaras, Nick Green, Chris Carter, Rocco Baldelli
Outfield depth is pretty deep, but Kottaras and Carter do not have much major league experience. Kottaras is there to give Varitek the occasional day off. Green had a great spring but has not performed well in the majors. Baldelli, if healthy, will be a great addition to the team.
STARTING ROTATION: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny
Beckett should be back to his 2007 form when he almost won the Cy Young Award. Lester has developed into one of the top left-handers in the game. Matsuzaka is unhittable when his command is on. He just needs to stop nibbling at the corners so much and throw his hard stuff. Wakefield will continue to give league-average results. Penny, if healthy, is a huge boost to the rotation and he looked healthy this Spring. If not, John Smoltz will be ready midseason to add another boost.
MIDDLE RELIEF: Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Justin Masterson, Takashi Saito
One of the deepest bullpens I have seen in the Red Sox. All of them are hard-throwers with consistent command. This will be a very strong bullpen.
CLOSER: Jonathan Papelbon
The enigmatic closer returns. Papelbon is one of the best in the game. Hopefully they will keep him around.
OVERALL:
The AL East is a tough division with the Yankees and Rays both stocking up. The Red Sox will be in the thick of it all year as long as injuries do not slow them down. If Penny and/or Smoltz pitch to their history, the starting rotation is one of the best in the big leagues. The bullpen is deep. Defense is a big strength. The only issue is whether they will miss Manny Ramirez on offense. My gut says a little.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Spring Training
Well yesterday the first Red Sox Spring Training games were held and all I have to say is Thank God. This has seemed to be a longer offseason than usual. When the season gets closer, I may do a little preview.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Jason Varitek Re-Signs with Red Sox
Pretty good news yesterday. Jason Varitek has been my favorite player for several years now and I really think he needs to finish his career with the Red Sox. His numbers are slipping and he is getting older, but he is still the leader of the team and he handles the pitching staff very well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)