Corny, Wily, and Sory

Been a little bit since my last post, but we all know what's happened. Bronson "Hometown" Arroyo got shipped to that oldest of baseball towns with a last place team, Cincinnatti, for Dominican uruk-kai (see: Saruman, Orcs, Ricky Williams) Wily Mo Peña. Everybody was upset, we lost one of our boys, one of the 25, the rail-thin rockstar. As sad as it was to see someone I liked as much as Arroyo, I was also thrilled about the ability to turn a pitcher with base-jumping peripherals into a player with the potential for 40 home runs. At least Bronson had the class to not say he was 'disrespected' (cough, Johnny, cough).

After seeing last night's game against the Yankees, it really is true what they say. Wily's bat is a freaking CANNON. Every ball he hit last night looked like it was shot out of a gun. It could've just been my imagination, but with some plate discipline (which he looks to be aiming to gain), Peña could be hauling around some serious lumber in the Red Sox lineup.

On a completely non-Sox note, there has been a lot of discussion and controversy surrounding Alfonso Soriano these days. On Monday, Friend of the Hot Corner Frank Robinson penciled Fonsie's name in at left field, but when game time arrived he was sitting in the dugout doing his best Nomar impression. The Nats announced they would give Fonsie until Thursday to play the outfield, at which point they would file an official motion to place him on the disqualified list, depriving him of his money and his upcoming free agency. Fonsie played left on Wednesday, showing that he's not too proud to refuse a hefty paycheck. You could hear the sigh of relief flying out of DC from all the way up here.

Still, does Alfonso Soriano make the Nationals better? The prevalent opinion on talk radio is that it does, but really, I'm not sure. I'm so unsure that I spent 50 minutes on hold while waiting to call into XM's Baseball This Morning show to enlighten them, but eventually the bell to first period rang and I had to hang up. They're a fun bunch, but the best they seem to offer as far as insight is "Well, he sure does look good, and he's got a fastball that will surprise a lot of hitters. This could really be t he year he turns it around. His experience as a veteran makes him valuable" (speaking of Al Leiter before the WBC).

Here's the thing about Fonsie: he's been riding a sweet statistical slide for the last number of years, having peaked with the Yankees in 2002 (.300/.338/.525). He's known as being a power threat, which is a relative truth since he's been at second base most of his career, but now as a LF he's little more than average. We know he's the Error King at second, and his short stint in LF with New York (so short most don't remember it) was terrible. But that's ok, because he's a legit hitter isn't he.

No. He's not.

To the likelihood of Soriano hitting his wait in DC, look no further than his home/road splits from last year:

HOME: .315/.355/.656
AWAY: .224/.265/.374

Yikes. Even with a good-hitting lineup like Texas' Soriano was absolutely rank in his away appearance. And with him, K's are the name of the game (125 Ks vs 33 BBs in '05). Aside from some empty power and some stolen bases, Soriano is just going to continue to get worse. The Nationals can't provide him with protection of any sort beyond Nick Johnson, so you can bet he'll see a lot of breaking balls low and away. This whole fiasco, the questionable logic, all of it brings us back to a question I've asked several times before:

Why is Jim Bowden still allowed to be a general manager?

Is Wily Mo The Next Big Thing?

Bronson had to be one of my personal favorite players, and was one of "The Twenty Five." He'll be remembered for having guts, stuff, and one of the best attitudes we've seen. The Jason Varitek/Alex Rodriguez fight? Started by Bronson. Pitched a bit in Game 4 of the World Series. Today, Bronson was traded. It's a good thing Theo knows what he's doing. Wily Mo Pena comes to Boston in return for Bronson and cash in Theo's latest deal. What Wily Mo can bring to the team is intriguing--he's always been a good power stick, and is right handed. His immediate future, more than likely, is as Trot Nixon's platoon partner. Career, he's had much more success against left handers (.276 average, .347 on base percentage, 18 homers, 11 doubles in 250 at bats as opposed to a .237 average, .286 OBP, 32 home runs, 22 doubles in 562 AB right handed split). He's dominican and has spent lots of time with David Ortiz at the World Baseball Classic. He'll no doubt he able to learn from one of the best right handed sluggers in the business in Manny Ramirez.

There is no question that Wily Mo fits in.

But what about Bronson?

His Boston career totalled 401.3 innings, posting 24 wins. He was one of our most consistant and relilable guys and was one heck of a guy to have in that clubhouse.

But everything has to come to an end. Theo knows what he's doing and just netted a guy who could end up being a 30-40 home run middle-of-the-order threat for a middle reliever. Sure, we may have all liked the middle reliever, but if Wily works out, none of us will mind this deal. Dustin Mohr is likely to be traded, to Philadelphia some say. Trot is likely seeing his last days in Boston, as his contract is up and if Wily does his job and develops, theres no reason for the organization not to let Wily take over. Juan Gonzalez--WHY DO WE HAVE JUAN GONZALEZ IN CAMP?!

...In Theo We Trust.

This n' That

David Wells can't stay out of the news. This time, it had nothing to do with a trade demand, Barry Bonds, Bud Selig, frosted mini donuts, or the "I'll take that back" over his trade demand...it was about his spot on the team.

Oh, how I wish it was about his spot on the roster itself (lets face it, RedSox Nation would rather see Bronson Arroyo or Jonathan Papelbon every fifth day), but instead we are talking about his place in the rotation.

It appears that David wants to be, or expect(ed?) to be the second pitcher in the rotation. This led to a confrontation during a meeting between the pitchers and Terry.

"He's going to have to be able to be a little flexible," Francona said. "That's all he has to do, just be a little flexible and we'll make this work. But again, if there's not flexibility on his part, too, we're probably going to bump heads a little bit."

For the record, it appears that Terry is looking to use Wakefield as the second starter between Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett--hoping that the knuckleball in between two power pitchers can maximize the abilities of all parties involved. He tried a similar thing with Pedro and Curt in 2004, but it didn't stick.

Terry Francona recieved a contract extension today that will run through the 2008 season. Alright, alright. I'll admit it...when he was hired, I thought it was nothing more than the front office trying to lure Curt Schilling to Boston by hiring a manager who he is good pals with--and hey, maybe he'll listen to Theo, too!

I was wrong. Props to Terry. A World Championship, a calming influence in the clubhouse and the ability to handle the pressure of Boston...good job. This is money well earned.

Anybody who missed one of the sickest "bat-flips after a home run" in history, try to catch the highlight of Papi going deep last night. It's worth it.

I'm not one to rag on other people's writing, but Dayn Perry really dropped the ball. Perry, a FoxSports.com regular, released his official "Power Rankings" for the pre-season. There are several questionable calls on this list, among them the Detroit Tigers ranked above the Cleveland Indians, the L.A. DodgerSox at 14, and the granddaddy of them all: THE BOSTON REDSOX AT #1.

I am a RedSox fan. Love the team, always have and always will. Being a RedSox fan has taught me to be realistic and conservative when making predictions, especially this early in the year but I think it can be said with a good amount of certianty that the Boston RedSox will not be the best team in baseball next year.

Are they good? Of course. Will they contend? Yes. Will they have the best team in baseball taking the field at Fenway every night all summer? I hope so...but no.

John Flaherty Retires

Recent Red Sox signee and one-time draft choice John Flaherty has announced his retirement from the game of baseball. Flaherty, who played the last few seasons with the New York Yankees, signed with the Sox in the offseason as a potential replacement for Doug Mirabelli. He caught Wakefield a few days ago in a spring training game and had a hard time of it. With his retirement, Josh Bard becomes the primary catcher over the next couple days, as well as the leading candidate to start the season in Boston, over journeyman Ken Huckaby.


Flaherty's retirement is a good and bad thing. It's good because it means that a younger catcher, Bard, will be able to give Varitek the time off he'll need. A younger set of legs will be able to do more than a vet like Flaherty.

The downside, however, is that Flaherty's intelligence as a catcher will no longer be available to the Sox. Catching a knuckleball is a difficult task (remember Tek's "chopsticks" quote?). Flaherty is known for his malleability as a battery mate and for his ability to handle a staff. Recall that Randy Johnson used Flaherty as his personal catcher, which was less a commentary of the shortcomings of Jorge Posada than on the abilities of Flaherty.

It'll be nice to see a younger face behind the plate from time to time, and Bard's age has to, by default, increase his upside, limited though it may be.

Though his career was far short of the Hall of Fame, John Flaherty was widely respected in the baseball world. Hopefully he'll show up someplace as a coach or manager, and keep his knowledge about being a backstop in the game.

Of Manny and Motormouth

Manny Ramirez arrived in Red Sox camp yesterday morning at 9:02 am, sporting a Raiders jersey and looking considerably slimmer, lending legitimacy to the reports he was finishing a workout regimen with one of the toughest personal trainers around. When asked about the trade rumors and whether or not he was happy to be back in Boston, Manny just gave ambiguous responses or deferred to his agent, Greg Genske. The fact that Ramirez is so vague about his happiness in Boston says a lot, but the fact that he showed up on time and when he said he would says even more. As a fan, you'd like for Manny to be happy to be where he is, but we all know that to most of the players (save the Arroyos and Ortizes) this is just a job, and as long as you can go out, play, compete, and get paid, it really doesn't matter all too much where you are. Manny knows he signed a contract and knows he is obliged to play, and so he will. It's good to see him in such great shape, and hopefully it'll be a nice, full season of the #24 v. 2 in left field.

Elsewhere in the baseball world, specifically up the road from City of Palms Park, a man is digging a hole. A very. Big. Hole. Johnny Damon continues to spout off to the media about the death of "The Idiots" and the decline of the Red Sox franchise.

Christ, Johnny, get over it for God's sake.

His latest remarks are about Manny and his desire to leave Beantown, and Johnny just continues to tell anyone with a set of ears that he's sure everybody he liked on the Sox would just love to play in pinstripes. Personally, I was ok when Damon left. It was a surprise to be sure, especially after he stated on May 5 that he could never play for the Yankees and that top dollar wasn't the most important thing for him. But I was ok. He did what he needed to do, and the FO at that point in time was in such seeming disarray that nobody could really argue with the claims of disrespect.

But then, Damon started talking about "we" and "us" and "the Yankee Way"... and that was before he had even had his physical. More and more, Johnny sounds like a jaded girlfriend, one that keeps trying to tell everyone around her that she's better off without the guy who dumped her. He's talking so much that it's getting under the skin of even the Yankee fans. Yap, yap, yap, all he's doing is making himself sound like a dumber version of Gary Sheffield. I wonder how he's going to fare once the season starts and those runners score easily from second on the base hit to center field.

Johnny, in the words of the ever-entertaining Mike and Mike: Just shut up.

NOTE: MLB '06: The Show is without a doubt the absolute best baseball game I've ever played. It combines the minor league/organizational depth of MVP Baseball with the best graphics I've ever seen on a PS2. I'll never play MVP again.

I Am Theo Epstein

Yet another off the field post, this time concerning the release of MLB '06: The Show on PS2 and PSP. If you're a videogame dweeb like me, this holds a lot of promise. Summer 2005 was the last stand for EA Sports' MVP franchise, as MLB signed an exclusive agreement with Take Two Entertainment, the company that produces the stunningly unimpressive 2K series. I've had The Show on reserve for some time now, and I've been playing the demo to keep myself jazzed up for it's arrival, and all I can say is that it promises to make up for what I've been missing and more.

MVP Baseball 2005, the crown prince of baseball games, was outstanding in it's ability to mimic the depth and detail of running a baseball franchise, from every minor league filler signing to the retention of my minor league hitting instructor. I saw players I drafted go from Single A All-Star to MLB superstar. It's downside, however, was the presentation. The graphics were OK, acceptable only because of the game depth, but the presentation was terrible. The announcers, who will go unnamed because of their awfulness, did nothing but add "Look at the stellar diagonal patterns on the grass!" to their repetoire between 2003 and 2005. It got old REAL fast.

2k% is the inverse of that. The team of John Miller and Joe Morgan from ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball are just as classy and engaging as they are in TV, making playing every game far more believable and ejoyable. ESPN's graphics, which will not be with 06 version due to ESPN's signing with EA, make it look just like Sunday Night Baseball too. The game graphics, however, were terrible.

The Show looks to combine the two. Rex Hudler, Dave Campbell, and Max Vasgersian provide life-like commentary to run the play-by-play, and the graphics are probably some of the most realistic I've seen, definitely the best I've seen on PS2. Anyways, I can't wait to get out of work and hunker down in front of the TV and get into the season.

On The Bookshelves

The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia was released today. As always, it's edited by Gary Gilette and Pete Palmer, with an introduction by Peter Gammons. I don't really know why ESPN has it's name tagged to it, though maybe it has something to do with funding or something. You'd think Major League Baseball would want to publish an official book of statistics. Then again, the Keeping Of The Official Statistics has always been an interesting and contradictory thing. If you're interested, I'd recommend a stellar book called The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination With Statistics, by Alan Schwarz and forward by, you guessed it, Peter Gammons. It should really be required reading for anyone with an interest in baseball history, as it demonstrates how complicated the history of our great game really is.

Sox Wallpapers

Nothing too important, just wanted to let anyone who didn't already know that they can find pretty nice Red Sox wallpapers taken by Globe photographers here. They're updated with some regularity.

Specialty: Sox Slayer

How many of you guys remember all those series we had against the Toronto Blue Jays last year? Now, quick! Name the one player who single-handedly ruined the Sox on multiple occasions! If you guessed Greg Zaun, you'd be wrong, though he did have a knack for hitting most of his home runs against Boston. No, the player I'm referring to is Frank Catalanotto. Catalanotto was particulary effective in the final Sox/Jays series September 27-29 at Fenway, when we were dogfighting the Yankees for the AL East. Have a look:

AB H 1B 2B 3B HR BB IBB SO R RBI SB CS FB GB LD
9/27 8 4 3 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 4 1
9/28 5 3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 3 2 0
9/29 5 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 2 2 0

So maybe he's not the greatest player in the world. After all, he's somewhat of a journeyman, and at 32, he's not likely to get better. Still, I once made the mistake of underestimating his numbers. Won't do that again.



Is Frankie an All-Star? No. But is he a total scrub? Well, it's tought to call anybod\y who posts .301/.367/.451 a scrub. Still, he's not all that exceptional. What's his secret? If you take a look at Catalanotto's BABIP (Batting Average for Balls In Play), he only occasionally dips below the.300 mark. With the exception of a few dramatic spikes, his BABIP remains at or above average. This could be attributed to a couple of things, not the least of which is the generally atrocious defense in the AL East.

He also struck out just barely over 10% of the time. However, he walked less than 10% of the time as well. What does that tell us? Right, that he puts the bat on the ball, which would explain the high BABIP and support the argument that he was helped by two things: 1. hitting them where they weren't, and 2. poor defense. (SIDENOTE: Very good article today at The Hardball Times by David Appelman called "Dissecting Plate Discipline". Check it out.)

In the case of the Red Sox, we can probably chalk up his insanely clutch success (the numbers don't really do him justice as a Sox killer, save that last Fenway series) to poor pitching and poor defense. No two ways about it.

He's not a superstar, but he's not a slouch. He'll put the bat on the ball and make you work for the out, something the Red Sox have not been so good at as of late.

Sox Strike A Pose

This is just too good to pass up. Every wonder what your favorite ballplayers would look like in model-esque photo shoots? Me either. Still, these images from Red Sox Photo Day are, um, interesting to say the least. This picture of Tito is just a taste of what's in store.

This One's No Idiot

In today's Boston Globe you'll find a very interesting article on Craig Breslow, just one of the many pitchers in camp with minor league deals and longshot hopes of cracking the big league roster. What makes Breslow different is his Yale education and his background in RNA research. An interesting read. I recommend it if you're tired of reading about how David Wells doesn't want to talk to the media and Curt Schilling is teaching the young ones to stay away from Dan Shaughnessy.

NESN Spring Schedule

As we move forward into the month of March, the fans across New England will finally be able to watch their beloved Sox on their television screens with NESN's coverage of select Spring Training games. Here's the schedule this far:

Saturday March 4 Pittsburgh at Ft. Myers 1:00 PM
Saturday March 11 Pittsburgh at Bradenton 1:00 PM
Sunday March 12 Minnesota at Ft. Myers 1:00 PM
Sunday March 19 Baltimore at Ft. Myers 1:00 PM
Wednesday March 22 New York (A) at Tampa 7:00 PM
Saturday March 25 Toronto at Ft. Myers 1:00 PM
Sunday March 26 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:00 PM
Saturday April 1 Philadelphia at Philadelphia 1:00 PM
Sunday April 2 Philadelphia at Philadelphia 1:00 PM

Make sure to mark your calendars and get your viewing gear ready!

Concern over new pitchers

With the surgery and subsequent hospitalization of Dave Wallace for what looks like a good chunk of the 2006 season, and Jason Varitek leaving for the World Baseball Classic this week, numerous individuals have expressed some concern over the effectiveness of the Sox' staff coming out of the April gates. In all honesty, I think they really have no need to worry. Al Nipper, who pitched for the Sox for several years, has been named interim pitching coach after having spent a little bit of time around the staff in '05 and serving as bullpen coach. Though he doesn't have the same comfort level around Terry Francona, and the younger pitchers lose some of the cushion provided by Wallace's 2.5 years of continuity, Nipper has been lauded as being intelligent and confident as a coach in his own right. And as far as Varitek, we all know how hard he works. He's been doing his part to catch the guys he needs to catch before his departure with Team USA, and if anything his absence is going to allow his backup (whomever that may be) to jell with the new staff. The pitchers will be fine. What we should all be concerned about is Wallace's health. Get well soon, Dave.

2006 Red Sox Prospects

Prospects, prospects, prospects. It seems all we hear about during the offseason is this guy or that guy, tearing it up in low A ball, putting up killer numbers in Portland, or racking up the K's in Pawtucket. We love them, we hate to trade them, but we don't really know them, do we? Sure, we all heard about how good a prospect Hanley Ramirez was, but not many of us actually witnessed it. So when we dealt him away for Josh Beckett, we got over him relatively quickly. Again, we all heard about how Andy Marte was one of the top prospects in all of baseball, that we had to pay an All-Star caliber shortstop and $11 million to pry him away from the Braves' breeding grounds. But then we saw him escape the crush of Boston hype for the relative calm of Ohio and the Midwest. The fact of the matter is that for the average fan prospects are little more than names dropped by journalists and baseball geeks to salt discussions and articles with the legitimacy of depth of knowledge. Who are these guys? Where do they come from? I'm gonna stack up the top 10 prospects for you here, taking both my order and a significant about of info from a fantastic website, www.soxprospects.com. I'm in St. Louis right now, and one of my freakishly OCD habits is the desire to take with me on a trip only what I can fit in 1 large messenger bag, so most of my baseball reference books bit the dust in the face of necessary clothing. So I'm only packing the Hardball Times with me, but a good book to get if you're at all interested in prospects is the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, or if you're really dedicated, check out www.minorleagueball.com for good articles and the way to pick up a copy of author John Sickels' latest Baseball Prospect Book 2006. And now let's move on to the prospects:

1. Jonathan Papelbon, SP
2. Jon Lester, SP
3. Craig Hansen, RP
4. Dustin Pedroia, SS/2B
5. Manny Delcarmen, RP
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF
7. David Murphy, OF
8. Brandon Moss, OF
9. Jed Lowrie, SS/2B
10. Clay Buchholz, SP

WILD CARD: Jeff Natale, 2B

Pitching and defense, pitching and defense. This is the mantra of the Red Sox FO (front office). What the Sox have been preaching for the last 3 years is finally starting to manifest itself in the farm system ratings, and we're just now beginning to reap the rewards of successful drafts and a growing development system. As the organization moves to better understand how to handle prospects so as to avoid someone like Cla Meredith coming up again and giving up a grand slam in his first appearance (Meredith has a good shot at rebounding this year, given the time off as a way to refocus), the fans are going to see a franchise that doesn't need to constantly overpay in cash or prospects for marquee players and aging superstars.

NAME/DRAFTED
1. Jonathan Papelbon: 4th Rnd 2003: Papelbon got his callup in mid to late 2005, and achieved a level of success that did not go unnoticed by both the management, the coaches, and the fans. His demeanor on the mound endeared him as a potentially dominant pitcher, though it remains to be seen whether that dominance will be asserted in the first or last inning. Says SoxProspects.com,

Good pitcher's build with a live arm and solid delivery. Fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph, typically hitting the low-90s with great command. Very good slider and changeup, as well as a slurve curveball. All can be thrown for strikes, and Papelbon has improved his consistency with these pitches. Papelbon also added a splitter to his arsenal in the spring of 2005, after some tutoring from Curt Schilling. Projects as a frontline starter.

Theo has confirmed that Paps will be working in Ft. Myers as a starter, though the success of Keith Foulke as he comes back from offseason surgeries will determine the necessity of someone with Papelbon's mentality in the closer role.

2. Jon Lester: 2nd Rnd 2002: Lester is a lefty, a talented lefty, and that is something very tough to find. For AA Portland in 2005 he went 11-6 with a 2.61 ERA and 163 Ks in 143 innings.

Very athletic lefty. 2-seam and 4-seam fastballs sit in the low 90's, top out in the mid-90s, and have good movement. Lester also utilizes an above-average change-up, an 11-to-5 curveball which sits in the low 70s, and in 2005 worked on developing a cutter. Easy delivery motion with good explosion, similar to Andy Pettitte. Power strikeout pitcher, uses his fastball and occasionally his curve as his out pitch. While Lester typically has top notch control, occasionally he will have games where his control of certain pitchers is off. Very hard worker, prepares will for each game. Has also been compared to Mark Mulder. Great pickoff move.

Yikes. Lester looks to start off in AAA Pawtucket, but could potentially crack the major league roster late in 2006, depending on how the pitching, and consequently the season, shapes up.

3. Craig Hansen: 1st Rnd 2005: Craig Hansen was a holdout, a fluke, a player that shouldn't have dropped to the Red Sox in the first round of last summer's draft. But the fact that his agent was Scott Boras took him off many teams' lists. When Theo & Co. had the chance to nab him, they did, and as a result spent all summer negotiating his contract. When he signed, though, he struck out 10 batters in 9 innings of work before being called up to the bigs for an unimpressive cup of coffee.

Hansen's fastball (the best in the system) has topped out in the high 90s, and he consistently hits the mid-90s. He also possesses an excellent high-80s slider, which also was voted best in the system by Baseball America. A fierce competitor who has an excellent closer mentality. Does not walk many batters. Named "closest to the majors" of all players in the 2005 draft.

Hansen definitely has the potential to be dominant out of the gate this year, possibly in AAA but likely to begin in AA. His arm was fatigued from the college season, and his lack of success in the bigs was probably more a result of that than anything mechanical.

4. Dustin Pedroia: 2nd Rnd 2004: As a shortstop at the University of Arizona, Pedroia proved himself a legit everyday player despite his small size (he's listed at 5'8"). He moved to second base to accomodate Hanley Ramirez in the minors, but with Ramirez's departure could potentially move back to SS as the franchise's top prospect at that position. Built on the model of David Eckstein, Pedroia is one of my personal favorites. He was rated Defensive Player of the Year in the Eastern League, and plays the game with the kind of hustle needed to succeed, impress, and endear. The fact that he's got great hand-eye coordination doesn't hurt either, as he likely would've cracked the big club in 2005 if not for a wrist injury suffered in Pawtucket.

Small infielder had a tremendous career at Arizona State. Average power for a middle infielder, with good bat speed and excellent plate discipline. Loves the game and has fantastic instincts. Plays top-notch defense up the middle, named the 2003 National Defensive Player of the Year. Very scrappy; a great teammate. Moved to second base prior to the start of the 2005 season; Boston hasn't ruled out moving Pedroia back to shortstop.

Although the Sox signed Alex Gonzalez to a 1 year deal, that deal contains a buyout option should they decide not to bring him with them out of camp. This option says to me that there is the strong possibility we could see Pedroia at SS sometime in 2006, possible around the All-Star Break, with Alex Cora keeping his seat warm until it's time. Let's all hope.

5. Manny Delcarmen: 2nd Rnd 2000: Ever dream about what it would be like to be grow up a Sox fan in the shadow of Fenway Park, be drafed by the Sox, and be good enough to be considered one of their top prospects and crack the big club? Well, Manny Delcarmen is living that dream. This West Roxbury, MA native is everybody's hometown hero, bringing the gas after undergoing Tommy John surfery in 2003. In his cup of coffee he punched out 10 batters in a mere 9 IP, and throughout the entirety of the summer posted very good numbers in both double and triple A.

Boston native always dreamed of playing for the Sox. His career was on the fast track with a mid 90s fastball, and an outstanding curveball - until he injured himself in May 2003. Delcarmen had Tommy John surgery in May 2003, but returned to the mound a year later in May 2004. Post-surgery, Delcarmen's fastball may have actually gained velocity, as he has topped out in the high 90s. Delcarmen has average control, with decent changeup and a very good curve which he uses as his out pitch. Delcarmen's father played in the Phillies Organization.

Delcarmen spent a decent amount of time with Boston last year, but I think is a candidate to come out of Pawtucket later in the season. Should somebody like Rudy Seanez or Julian Tavarez suck it up, we could see him Opening Day. It's' fun to watch someone who knows what it's all about. Good thing we didn't ship him to Cleveland...

*NOTE: This is where my prospect knowledge starts to get pretty shallow, so from here on out I'll just toss out the SoxProspects report and maybe a comment or two.

6. Jacoby Ellsbury: 1st Rnd 2005: Ellsbury posted an .850 OPS in 139 games at A Lowell last summer, and half of that number was his OBP (.418). Though he's not going to cannon blasts at the flagpole in center field, Ellsbury is gifted defensively with speed and decent hands.

Ellsbury was on of the best players in the NCAA in 2005. He is very fast, plays excellent defense, and has shown a great ability to get on base. Decent gap power for a centerfielder who projects as a lead-off hitter. Has often been compared to Johnny Damon. Also said to be a team leader.

Ellsbury will likely not see action in the bigs until 2008.

7. David Murphy: 1st Rnd 2003: Though drafted earlier, Murphy seems to be in a similar vein with Ellsbury.

Murphy is a tall, athletic lefty with a sweet swing. Pulls a lot of pitches, and displays excellent patience at the plate. Loves the game, and displays excellent leadership skills. Needs to work on adding more power. Accurate arm with decent range. Average speed. Injury-plagued 2004 season showed mediocre stats.

8. Brandon Moss: 8th Rnd 2002:

Athletic outfielder with a good arm. Excellent approach at the plate - good swing with a raw power. Moss is a competitor. He didn't show much at the plate in his first two professional seasons, but put in a good amount of work in the off-season prior to 2004, producing an outstanding 2004 season in all respects.

9. Jed Lowrie: 1st Rnd 2005: This guy definitely looks like he could be a character on "Hey, Arnold!" on Nickolodeon, but apparently he can play baseball. Weird.

Excellent fielder with a strong arm and above average range. Above average speed on the basepaths with great power for a middle infielder. Hits equally from both sides of the plate. Smart and athletic.

10. Clay Buchholz: 1st Rnd 2005: Just about my brother's age...

Buchholz has a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, curveball, and a circle change. Also played outfield at Angelina College after transferring from McNeese State.

Last but not least, let's take a look at our Wild Card:

BA's #32 in the Boston organization:

Jeff Natale: 32nd Rnd 2005: Why am I putting Natale here, you ask? Well first of all, he was rated as one of the biggest surprises in 2005 by Baseball America, who noted that he has uncanny hand-eye coordination. He ripped Lowell and Greenville to shreds, and looks to continue. It also doesn't hurt that I went to college with him and was acquaintances with him. And when I say acquaintance, read that as I had lunch with him a few times and I think played him once or twice in beer pong. Saw him last week at a lecture/discussion with Buster Olney the day before he shipped out to Ft. Myers. Nice guy.

Hard worker who dominated competition in the NESCAC. Shows a great hitting eye and good speed. Team captain in college.

Hope you've enjoyed this romp through the minors. Again, SoxProspects.com, MinorLeagueBaseball.com and Baseball America are all great places to scope out the latest prospect news and insight.

2006 Position Analysis: SP

"You can never have enough starting pitching," is how the old adage goes, and as the success of the 2005 White Sox and Astros demonstrated, some of those old sayings really do ring true. Coupled with a miserable bullpen, the Sox starters in 2005 did nothing to help the cause of a championship defense. This year, things look to be a bit different. The familiar faces (Schilling, Wakefield, Arroyo, Clement, Wells) have been supplemented by a few new ones (Beckett, Papelbon). Whereas the Bosont pitching depth in 2005 hinged on players who were given fliers, the depth in 2006 appears legit.

(Let's try a different format for this article, shall we? I'm kinda getting tired of copying and pasting the stats from Baseball Reference and The Baseball Cube, so from here on out I'll just link you the pages for each respective player.)

Curt Schilling. Will he or won't he be able to pitch at the level required of the man who saved the 2004 season? Ankle surgery in the '04 offseason more or less ensured that hhe would be ineffective in 2005, and though he tried several times to come back, he was mainly unsuccessful.

Behind him, we've got that man, the myth, the legend: Tim Wakefield. When he's on, his knucleball will float and flutter with the most acrobatic of butterflies, but when it's off, you might as well put a scoreboard up on at the edge of each dugout to keep track of the trucks opposing batters will hit on the Mass Pike. You pretty much know what you're going to get from Wake. Despite his age, he's likely good for around 200 innings, 100+ strikeouts, and somewhere around 12 or 13 wins. The longest tenured player on the Sox roster, he will probably be smarted at the outset by the transition from the Mirabelli Era.

David Wells is the other established veteran on this starting staff, and though he pitched very well for a man pushing his mid 40's, he has requested a trade to the West Coast so as to finish his career close to his family. Theo and the front office have promised to do everything possible to get him out there, but his experience and ability, not to mention the depth he brings to rotation, are far too valuable to be replaced by a bag of balls and some Chesapeake Mud.

Getting younger as we move on, you've got Matt Clement, Bronson Arroyo, and our big offseason acquisition, Josh Beckett.Clement needs to come in and prove to everybody that the spurts of dominance and just filthy stuff he showed off at the beginning of 2005 were not flukes, and that despite his declining stats (particularly in the second half) he is worth the $18 million dollars that are still his due from John Henry. Arroyo started off last season with a bang, but when he served his suspension for his part in the beanball war in Tampa Bay he came back a different pitcher. His spot in the rotation is probably the most vulnerable because of his mechanics and his almost rubber arm. Beckett, of course, is most famous for his contributions to the cause of the 2003 World Series-winning Florida Marlins and his WS MVP, but he's just as well known for an incredible average away ERA and recurring blister problems. The fact that he's never once pitched 200 innings in a season and the rumors of a terrifying shoulder MRI continue to haunt him, and though he is potentially the best pitcher to have moved this offseason, he is going to be surrounded by questions. Fenway isn't known as the friendliest place for pitching there if you're not familiar with it, don't ya know? Still, with the depth the Sox are bringing into camp this week, it's hard to see them not see some measure of improvement over last year's rotation.

The one man we have yet to look at, however, could possibly be the most influential of all the starting pitching question marks. I'm talking, of course, of everyone's favorite prospect golden boy Jonathan Papelbon. He's young, he throws smoke, and he was a jolt of life when the Sox needed it down the stretch last summer. He's drawn comparisons to Roger Clemens, and though he has been referenced as a potentially dominant closer, he's being groomed as a starter, and that's the way it should be. Should the Sox trade away David Wells sometime before the beginning of the season, I would see Papelbon as most likely to take his spot in the rotation, with Arroyo remaining in the 'pen. This guy has made every attempt in the offseason to brush aside the comparisons with the Rocket in all but one respect: his workout routine. Gearing up early in his career to make his physical well-being priority number one, Paps could make some serious noise going out.

So despite the question mark and doubts, the Red Sox seem to have taken that old baseball saying to heart, helping take some of the false "Moneyball" shine applied by the media off the front office and proving that "You really can't have enough starting pitching."

2006 Position Analysis: RP

The 2005Red Sox had one of the worst bullpens in all of Major League Baseball, and what had been a relative strength in the 2004 postseason just slit its wrists and bled all over the the schedule. If not for the overwhelming offense the Sox would've dropped like a stone and stayed there, unable to hold onto leads past the sixth inning. The trouble started at the back, with closer Keith Foulke, and continued right on down the line. The 'pen in 2006 holds a slew of new faces and significantly fewer years. The hope is that Terry Francona won't have to worry when he takes the ball from his starters. David Riske, Julian Tavarez, Lenny DiNardo, Mike Timlin, and Rudy Seanez, not to mention either Jonathan Papelbon or Bronson Arroyo, will keep the seats warm just shy of the right field bleachers, and let's all hope they do the job well.

CLOSER:
KEITH FOULKE
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
1997 24 TOT 4 5 27 8 0 0 5 3 73.3 88 52 52 13 23 54 4 1 326 2 0 6.38 4.23 66 1.514
SFG NL 1 5 11 8 0 0 0 0 44.7 60 41 41 9 18 33 4 1 209 1 0 8.26 4.12 50 1.746
CHW AL 3 0 16 0 0 0 5 3 28.7 28 11 11 4 5 21 0 0 117 1 0 3.45 4.39 127 1.151
1998 25 CHW AL 3 2 54 0 0 0 18 1 65.3 51 31 30 9 20 57 4 3 267 3 1 4.13 4.56 110 1.087
1999 26 CHW AL 3 3 67 0 0 0 31 9 105.3 72 28 26 11 21 123 3 1 411 4 0 2.22 4.77 215 0.883
2000 27 CHW AL 3 1 72 0 0 0 58 34 88.0 66 31 29 9 22 91 2 1 350 2 0 2.97 5.17 174 1.000
2001 28 CHW AL 4 9 72 0 0 0 69 42 81.0 57 21 21 3 22 75 8 1 322 1 0 2.33 4.62 198 0.975
2002 29 CHW AL 2 4 65 0 0 0 35 11 77.7 65 26 25 7 13 58 2 1 306 2 0 2.90 4.60 159 1.004
2003 30 OAK AL 9 1 72 0 0 0 67 43 86.7 57 21 20 10 20 88 7 0 338 2 1 2.08 4.26 205 0.888
2004 31 BOS AL 5 3 72 0 0 0 61 32 83.0 63 22 20 8 15 79 6 3 333 5 0 2.17 4.87 225 0.940
2005 32 BOS AL 5 5 43 0 0 0 37 15 45.7 53 30 30 8 18 34 5 0 210 1 0 5.91 4.40 75 1.555
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
9 Years 33 8 0 190 572 253 174 41 11 2863 22 2 3.23 4.63 144 1.057
WL%= .535 38 544 0 381 706.0 262 78 659
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 4 4 67 0 0 0 46 23 86.7 70 32 31 9 21 81 5 1 352 2 0 3.23 4.63 144 1.057
Career High 9 9 72 8 0 0 69 43 105.3 88 52 52 13 23 123 8 3 411 5 1 2.08 5.17 225 0.883

Foulke had a miserable 2005, due to both personal, off-field problems and physical injury. His fastball lost several mph, and when your fastball and changeup both range in the mid 80s, you know you're in trouble. He allowed 30 earned runs in just over 40 innings pitched. Yikes. He had both of his knees scoped and worked on a number of shoulder issues, during and after last season. He reported early to spring training and has already thrown his first side session. The expectation is that he will retain his closer's role until it has been proven he can no longer handle it.

SETUP:
MIKE TIMLIN
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
1991 25 TOR AL 11 6 63 3 0 0 17 3 108.3 94 43 38 6 50 85 1 5 463 11 0 3.16 4.23 134 1.329
1992 26 TOR AL 0 2 26 0 0 0 14 1 43.7 45 23 20 0 20 35 1 0 190 5 0 4.12 4.11 100 1.489
1993 27 TOR AL 4 2 54 0 0 0 27 1 55.7 63 32 29 7 27 49 1 1 254 3 0 4.69 4.38 93 1.617
1994 28 TOR AL 0 1 34 0 0 0 16 2 40.0 41 25 23 5 20 38 2 3 179 0 0 5.18 4.81 93 1.525
1995 29 TOR AL 4 3 31 0 0 0 19 5 42.0 38 13 10 1 17 36 2 3 179 5 1 2.14 4.72 220 1.310
1996 30 TOR AL 1 6 59 0 0 0 56 31 56.7 47 25 23 4 18 52 2 3 230 4 0 3.65 5.30 145 1.147
1997 31 TOT AL 6 4 64 0 0 0 31 10 72.7 69 30 26 8 20 45 1 1 297 5 1 3.22 4.59 142 1.225
TOR AL 3 2 38 0 0 0 26 9 47.0 41 17 15 6 15 36 1 1 190 4 1 2.87 4.62 161 1.191
SEA AL 3 2 26 0 0 0 5 1 25.7 28 13 11 2 5 9 0 0 107 1 0 3.86 4.53 117 1.286
1998 32 SEA AL 3 3 70 0 0 0 40 19 79.3 78 26 26 5 16 60 3 0 321 2 0 2.95 4.66 158 1.185
1999 33 BAL AL 3 9 62 0 0 0 52 27 63.0 51 30 25 9 23 50 5 1 261 3 0 3.57 4.82 135 1.175
2000 34 TOT 5 4 62 0 0 0 40 12 64.7 67 33 30 8 35 52 4 0 295 6 0 4.18 4.68 112 1.577
BAL AL 2 3 37 0 0 0 31 11 35.0 37 22 19 6 15 26 2 0 157 3 0 4.89 4.72 97 1.486
STL NL 3 1 25 0 0 0 9 1 29.7 30 11 11 2 20 26 2 0 138 3 0 3.34 4.64 139 1.685
2001 35 STL NL 4 5 67 0 0 0 19 3 72.7 78 35 33 6 19 47 3 3 307 4 1 4.09 4.32 106 1.335
2002 36 TOT NL 4 6 72 1 0 0 17 0 96.7 75 35 32 15 14 50 5 3 376 2 0 2.98 3.86 130 0.921
STL NL 1 3 42 1 0 0 10 0 61.0 48 19 17 9 7 35 4 1 236 2 0 2.51 3.91 156 0.902
PHI NL 3 3 30 0 0 0 7 0 35.7 27 16 15 6 7 15 1 2 140 0 0 3.79 3.79 100 0.953
2003 37 BOS AL 6 4 72 0 0 0 13 2 83.7 77 37 33 11 9 65 4 0 340 3 0 3.55 4.71 133 1.028
2004 38 BOS AL 5 4 76 0 0 0 12 1 76.3 75 35 35 8 19 56 5 1 320 3 0 4.13 4.87 118 1.231
2005 39 BOS AL 7 3 81 0 0 0 27 13 80.3 86 23 20 2 20 59 2 3 342 5 0 2.24 4.40 197 1.320
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
15 Years 62 4 0 130 984 403 327 41 27 4354 61 3 3.50 4.53 129 1.266
WL%= .504 63 893 0 400 1035.7 445 95 779
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 4 4 67 0 0 0 30 9 78.3 74 33 30 7 24 59 3 2 330 4 0 3.50 4.53 129 1.266
Career High 11 9 81 3 0 0 56 31 108.3 94 43 38 15 50 85 5 5 463 11 1 2.14 5.30 220 0.921
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP

**PAO: 342 BFP/ 17% K/ 6% BB/ 34% GB/ 19% OF/ 3% IF/ 20% LD/ 1% OTHER

Timlin led the league in appearances in 2005, with a whopping 80.3 innings of work. That be impressive if he were a rookie, but Timlin is entering his 16th season and goign on 40 years old. He was lights out much of the time, and helped solidify a tattered bullpen. Although his personal ERA is stellar for a 39 year old in the AL East, Timlin was miserable at keeping inherited runners from scoring. It would be foolish to expect an identical performance in 2006, but his work ethic and intensity are second to none. Let's just hope nothing happens to him while pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Lessening the load on Timlin, however, will be one of the front office's best pickups, in my opinion.

JULIAN TAVAREZ
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
1993 20 CLE AL 2 2 8 7 0 0 0 0 37.0 53 29 27 7 13 19 2 3 172 2 1 6.57 4.34 66 1.784
1994 21 CLE AL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.7 6 8 4 1 1 0 0 0 14 1 0 21.60 4.71 22 4.200
1995 22 CLE AL 10 2 57 0 0 0 15 0 85.0 76 36 23 7 21 68 3 3 350 0 2 2.44 4.63 190 1.141
1996 23 CLE AL 4 7 51 4 0 0 13 0 80.7 101 49 48 9 22 46 1 1 353 5 0 5.36 4.90 91 1.525
1997 24 SFG NL 6 4 89 0 0 0 13 0 88.3 91 43 38 6 34 38 4 4 378 5 0 3.87 4.12 106 1.415
1998 25 SFG NL 5 3 60 0 0 0 12 1 85.3 96 41 36 5 36 52 8 1 374 11 1 3.80 4.07 107 1.547
1999 26 SFG NL 2 0 47 0 0 0 12 0 54.7 65 38 36 7 25 33 8 4 258 3 1 5.93 4.11 69 1.646
2000 27 COL NL 11 5 51 12 1 0 8 1 120.0 124 68 59 11 53 62 7 2 530 9 1 4.42 5.94 134 1.475
2001 28 CHC NL 10 9 34 28 0 0 1 0 161.3 172 98 81 13 69 107 11 2 712 4 1 4.52 4.23 94 1.494
2002 29 FLA NL 10 12 29 27 0 0 1 0 153.7 188 100 92 9 74 67 15 7 714 7 2 5.39 3.99 74 1.705
2003 30 PIT NL 3 3 64 0 0 0 29 11 83.7 75 37 34 1 27 39 5 3 350 8 0 3.66 4.24 116 1.219
2004 31 STL NL 7 4 77 0 0 0 27 4 64.3 57 21 17 1 19 48 6 2 268 0 1 2.38 4.18 176 1.181
2005 32 STL NL 2 3 74 0 0 0 16 4 65.7 68 28 25 6 19 47 8 1 278 4 0 3.43 4.27 125 1.325
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
13 Yr WL% .567 72 55 642 79 1 0 147 21 1081.3 1172 596 520 83 413 626 78 33 4751 59 10 4.33 4.44 103 1.466
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 6 5 60 7 0 0 13 1 101.7 110 56 49 7 38 59 7 3 448 5 0 4.33 4.44 103 1.466
Career High 11 12 89 28 1 0 29 11 161.3 188 100 92 13 74 107 15 7 714 11 2 2.38 5.94 190 1.141

The biggest knock against Tavarez, who spent the last two years in St. Louis to the dismay of most Cardinal fans, is his attitude. Well, that and the fact that he looks like Freddy Krueger. He did relatively well with the Cards, and though he may not be the most dominant pitcher to ever don a uniform, he has an attitude that's just crazy enough to lend him success against the stiff AL competition. Interestingly, there hasn't been a single photo of Tavarez in the Globe's galleries, even though all pitchers and catchers were required to report to camp on Saturday.

GENERAL RELIEF:
DAVID RISKE
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
1999 22 CLE AL 1 1 12 0 0 0 3 0 14.0 20 15 13 2 6 16 0 0 68 0 0 8.36 5.02 60 1.857
2001 24 CLE AL 2 0 26 0 0 0 6 1 27.3 20 7 6 3 18 29 2 1 118 3 0 1.98 4.53 229 1.390
2002 25 CLE AL 2 2 51 0 0 0 17 1 51.3 49 32 30 8 35 65 4 1 237 4 0 5.26 4.51 86 1.636
2003 26 CLE AL 2 2 68 0 0 0 24 8 74.7 52 21 19 9 20 82 3 1 293 3 0 2.29 4.26 186 0.964
2004 27 CLE AL 7 3 72 0 0 0 27 5 77.3 69 32 32 11 41 78 2 3 336 4 0 3.72 4.54 122 1.422
2005 28 CLE AL 3 4 58 0 0 0 33 1 72.7 55 28 25 11 15 48 4 0 288 0 0 3.10 4.10 132 0.963
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
6 Yr WL% .586 17 12 287 0 0 0 110 16 317.3 265 135 125 44 135 318 15 6 1340 14 0 3.55 4.39 124 1.261
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 4 2 68 0 0 0 26 3 75.0 62 31 29 10 31 75 3 1 317 3 0 3.55 4.39 124 1.261
Career High 7 4 72 0 0 0 33 8 77.3 69 32 32 11 41 82 4 3 336 4 0 2.29 4.54 186 0.963

Acquired in the trade for Coco Crisp, Riske replaces the departing Guillermo Mota. His upside is great: he's going on 29, posted an ERA just over 3 for the Tribe in 2005, and in a bullpen devoid of left-handed relievers, Riske poses a serious threat to southpaw sluggers. He unfortunately fell out of favor with the Cleveland coaching staff after allowing some big hits in some key spots, but the hope is his intensity will serve him well in Boston, especially under a manager who tends to continue playing relievers regardless of how they're doing (see: Alan Embree in 2005). He could help anchor the bullpen for the next couple years.

RUDY SEANEZ
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
1989 20 CLE AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 5.0 1 2 2 0 4 7 0 1 20 1 1 3.60 3.97 110 1.000
1990 21 CLE AL 2 1 24 0 0 0 12 0 27.3 22 17 17 2 25 24 1 5 127 1 0 5.60 3.92 70 1.720
1991 22 CLE AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 5.0 10 12 9 2 7 7 0 2 33 0 0 16.20 4.14 26 3.400
1993 24 SDP NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 3.3 8 6 5 1 2 1 0 0 20 0 0 13.50 4.17 31 3.000
1994 25 LAD NL 1 1 17 0 0 0 6 0 23.7 24 7 7 2 9 18 1 3 104 1 0 2.66 3.92 147 1.394
1995 26 LAD NL 1 3 37 0 0 0 12 3 34.7 39 27 26 5 18 29 1 0 159 3 0 6.75 3.81 56 1.644
1998 29 ATL NL 4 1 34 0 0 0 8 2 36.0 25 13 11 2 16 50 1 2 148 0 0 2.75 4.24 154 1.139
1999 30 ATL NL 6 1 56 0 0 0 13 3 53.7 47 21 20 3 21 41 1 3 225 1 0 3.35 4.34 129 1.267
2000 31 ATL NL 2 4 23 0 0 0 8 2 21.0 15 11 10 3 9 20 1 0 89 1 0 4.29 4.64 108 1.143
2001 32 TOT NL 0 2 38 0 0 0 8 1 36.0 23 12 11 4 19 41 1 4 150 0 0 2.75 4.14 151 1.167
SDP NL 0 2 26 0 0 0 8 1 24.0 15 8 7 3 15 24 1 1 102 0 0 2.62 4.01 153 1.250
ATL NL 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 12.0 8 4 4 1 4 17 0 3 48 0 0 3.00 4.41 147 1.000
2002 33 TEX AL 1 3 33 0 0 0 4 0 33.0 28 25 21 5 24 40 0 6 150 1 0 5.73 4.91 86 1.576
2003 34 BOS AL 0 1 9 0 0 0 4 0 8.7 11 7 6 2 6 9 0 3 44 1 0 6.23 4.71 76 1.962
2004 35 TOT 3 2 39 0 0 0 15 0 46.0 39 17 17 3 19 46 0 4 193 3 0 3.33 4.28 129 1.261
KCR AL 0 1 16 0 0 0 7 0 23.0 21 10 10 0 11 21 0 3 100 2 0 3.91 4.45 114 1.391
FLA NL 3 1 23 0 0 0 8 0 23.0 18 7 7 3 8 25 0 1 93 1 0 2.74 4.10 150 1.130
2005 36 SDP NL 7 1 57 0 0 0 9 0 60.3 49 19 18 4 22 84 2 4 248 4 0 2.69 3.85 143 1.177
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
14 Yr WL% .574 27 20 380 0 0 0 104 11 393.7 341 196 180 38 201 417 9 37 1710 17 1 4.12 4.19 102 1.377
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
162 Game Avg 4 3 68 0 0 0 18 1 70.3 61 35 32 6 35 74 1 6 306 3 0 4.12 4.19 102 1.377
Career High 7 4 57 0 0 0 15 3 60.3 49 27 26 5 25 84 2 6 248 4 1 2.69 4.34 143 1.177
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP

Seanez is something of a journeyman, and although his first stint in Boston was brief and ineffective, he posted some decent years after that, most notably in San Diego. Age here is a concern, as he'll be turning 37. When many relievers reach that age they lose the "stuff" and have to really begin to "pitch". He's done it elsewhere, but can he do it in the Fens.

LENNY DINARDO
Order Baseball Data
Year Team Name League Age Org. Level W L ERA G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO WP BK h9 hr9 w9 k9 whip
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002 Capital City SAL 22 Nym A 5 5 4.35 24 19 0 0 1 1 101.1 106 60 49 3 56 103 11 0 9.41 0.27 4.97 9.15 1.60
2003 St. Lucie FSL 23 Nym A 3 8 2.01 19 13 1 0 2 1 85.0 64 27 19 1 14 93 5 6.78 0.11 1.48 9.85 0.92
2003 Binghamton East 23 Nym AA 1 3 3.60 7 7 1 0 0 0 40.0 35 19 16 3 13 36 0 7.88 0.68 2.92 8.10 1.20
2004 GCL Red Sox GCL 24 Bos Rk 0 0 0.00 2 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 9.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 1.00
2004 Sarasota FSL 24 Bos A 0 0 0.00 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 6.00 0.00 0.00 6.00 0.67
2004 Portland East 24 Bos AA 1 0 9.53 3 0 0 0 0 0 5.2 8 6 6 1 1 4 1 12.71 1.59 1.59 6.35 1.59
2004 Pawtucket IL 24 Bos AAA 0 0 0.00 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 9.00 0.00 0.00 12.00 1.00
2004 Boston Red Sox AL 24 Bos MLB 0 0 4.23 22 0 0 0 6 0 27.2 34 17 13 1 12 21 1 0 11.06 0.33 3.90 6.83 1.66
2005 Pawtucket IL 26 Bos AAA 6 3 3.15 23 22 0 0 0 108.2 109 51 38 7 35 93 1 3 9.03 0.58 2.90 7.70 1.33
2005 Boston Red Sox AL 26 Bos MLB 0 1 1.84 8 1 0 0 3 0 14.2 13 6 3 1 5 15 1 0 7.98 0.61 3.07 9.20 1.23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MLB Totals: 2 years 0 1 3.40 30 1 0 0 0 42.1 47 23 16 2 17 36 2 0 9.99 0.43 3.61 7.65 1.51
Minor League Totals: 3 years 10 16 3.36 57 42 2 0 3 2 241.0 221 112 90 8 84 247 17 0 8.25 0.30 3.14 9.22 1.27
MLB Average: 2 years 0 0 3.40 15 0 0 0 0 21.0 23 11 8 1 8 18 1 0 9.99 0.43 3.61 7.65 1.51

Acquired via a Rule 5 pick from the Mets, Lenny DiNardo is the only lefty in the entire group of likely Sox relievers. He's young, has a decent curve and cutter, and although he started for Pawtucket, DiNardo pitched lights out for the Sox after his late-season callup. Tallying 15 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched, DiNardo may have simply found the confidence and capacity to pitch to big league hitters. Should he succeed, his youth would help the bullpen for the next several years.

The striking thing about the Sox bullpen in 2006 is that is very clearly in a state of flux. The older relievers are starting to phase out, and we're starting to see an influx of youth from the farm system. This ownership knows that pitching and defense win championships, and their commitment to developing talent as demonstrated and yielded results. Should any of the options currently mentioned fail to pan out, we could see pitchers like Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen in the big leagues before long. The 2006 bullpen may be full of question marks due to it's untested nature, but it certainly has some serious potential for success.

2006 Position Analysis: DH

Yeah, yeah, I know. This one's somewhat pointless, but I'm gonna give all you naysayers out there the same line I give people who say that people who are primarily a DH during their career shouldn't be penalized for playing a position that is part of the rules of the American League. Sure, Charlie Finley was a crazy bastard and this rule is partly his love child, but it has given rise to some amazingly dramatic battles since it's inception in 1973. I mean cmon, are you trying to tell me you weren't the least bit interested when Boston's El Tiante walked New York's Ron Blomberg in the first plate appearance ever by a DH? The rule has extended careers of numerous big leaguers, and it has given men like Edgar Martinez and our very own David Artiz a comfortable home.

DAVID ORTIZ
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
1997 21 MIN AL 15 49 10 16 3 0 1 6 0 0 2 19 .327 .353 .449 22 0 0 0 0 1
1998 22 MIN AL 86 278 47 77 20 0 9 46 1 0 39 72 .277 .371 .446 124 0 4 3 5 8
1999 23 MIN AL 10 20 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 12 .000 .200 .000 0 0 0 0 0 2
2000 24 MIN AL 130 415 59 117 36 1 10 63 1 0 57 81 .282 .364 .446 185 0 6 2 0 13
2001 25 MIN AL 89 303 46 71 17 1 18 48 1 0 40 68 .234 .324 .475 144 1 2 8 1 6
2002 26 MIN AL 125 412 52 112 32 1 20 75 1 2 43 87 .272 .339 .500 206 0 8 0 3 5
2003 27 BOS AL 128 448 79 129 39 2 31 101 0 0 58 83 .288 .369 .592 265 0 2 8 1 9
2004 28 BOS AL 150 582 94 175 47 3 41 139 0 0 75 133 .301 .380 .603 351 0 8 8 4 12
2005 29 BOS AL 159 601 119 180 40 1 47 148 1 0 102 124 .300 .397 .604 363 0 9 9 1 13
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
9 Seasons 892 3108 507 877 234 9 177 626 5 2 421 679 .282 .366 .534 1660 1 39 38 15 69
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
162 Game Avg 564 92 159 42 2 32 114 1 0 76 123 .282 .366 .534 301 0 7 7 3 13
Career High 159 601 119 180 47 3 47 148 1 2 102 133 .301 .397 .604 363 1 9 9 5 13

**PAO: 713 AB/17% K/14% BB/21% GB/28% OF/3% IF/15% LD/ 0% OTHER

The Red Sox have this lineup slot all filled up for this season and 2007 (Ortiz has an option year in '07), and Ortiz has been talking rather vocally to the media about his desire to finish his career in Boston. I, for one, hope the front office learned something from the Theo debacle and will give Ortiz a contract extension either before the season gets underway or work with him through the entirety of the 2006 season.

Ortiz is a monster. His emergence from the relative unknown of Minnesota onto the big stage in the Northeast has created a baseball superstar in the span of only a few years. In my mind, it was Ortiz who was the MVP of the AL last year, because without his bat in the lineup, the Sox would've been much farther down in the standings (that's not a homer vote, either, since the MVP of the Yankees was really Mariano Rivera, but you didn't see him get the recognition he deserved, did you?). Unlike the winner last year, Ortiz is not only a solid regular season performer, but he shines in the postseason as well. We all remember how he singlehandedly carried the Red Sox on his back during the 2004 postseason, and how in 2003 it was Ortiz's double off of Keith Foulke that helped keep the Sox alive. Look at these numbers:

Postseason Batting

Year Round Tm Opp WLser G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG SB CS SH SF HBP
+------------------+-----+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+--+--+--+--+--+
2002 ALDS MIN OAK W 4 13 0 3 2 0 0 2 0 5 .231 .231 .385 0 0 0 0 0
ALCS MIN ANA L 5 16 0 5 1 0 0 2 0 5 .312 .312 .375 0 0 0 0 0
2003 ALDS BOS OAK W 5 21 0 2 1 0 0 2 2 7 .095 .174 .143 0 0 0 0 0
ALCS BOS NYY L 7 26 4 7 1 0 2 6 3 8 .269 .367 .538 0 0 0 0 1
2004 ALDS BOS ANA W 3 11 4 6 2 0 1 4 5 2 .545 .688 1.000 0 0 0 0 0
ALCS BOS NYY W 7 31 6 12 0 1 3 11 4 7 .387 .457 .742 0 1 0 0 0
WS BOS STL W 4 13 3 4 1 0 1 4 4 1 .308 .471 .615 0 0 0 0 0
2005 ALDS BOS CHW L 3 12 2 4 2 0 1 1 0 3 .333 .333 .750 0 0
+------------------+-----+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+--+--+--+--+--+
4 Lg Div Series 3-1 15 57 6 15 7 0 2 9 7 17 .263 .344 .491 0 0 0 0 0
3 Lg Champ Series 1-2 19 73 10 24 2 1 5 19 7 20 .329 .395 .589 0 1 0 0 1
8 Postseason Ser 5-3 38 143 19 43 10 1 8 32 18 38 .301 .383 .552 0 1 0 0 1
+------------------+-----+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+-----+-----+-----+--+--+--+--+--+

Anytime you have a batter who can post career postseason numbers that look like Papi's (.301/.383/.552) you hang onto him, because you know you've got a keeper. Of course, should David injure himself, the Sox would be hard-pressed to recover, as they don't really have any pure sluggers in their system. Roberto Petagine (who was dropped from the 40 man when Alex Gonzalez was signed) probably would've been the most logical choice as a fill-in. I guess now it could be George Lombard (.262/.357/.472 with 20 HR in 2005 at AAA Pawtucket) or maybe Justin Sherrod (.259/.331/.441 with 16 HR at AAA).

Why I wrote this, I don't even know. Really, I just wanted to tell you that David Ortiz is really freakin' good.

Final Prediction
STARTER: David Ortiz
BACKUPS: George Lombard, Justin Sherrod

2006 Position Analysis: OF

I know that all of you readers out there are starting to ask yourselves, "Why the heck does he keep changing around the formatting of the site? Well, boredom is a pretty big reason, but I've also been looking for just the right combination of personal touch, fidelity to the fact that this is a site dedicated specifically to the Red Sox, and the effective balance of colors and white spaces. So yea, boredom. Anyways, let's keep going with our positional analysis.
Spring has sprung, pitchers and catchers have been inside the Fort since Sunday, and the position players have started to trickle in the front gate. One of the foremost topics around the water coolers in Red Sox Nation has been the status of one Manuel Aristides Ramirez Onelcida, and whether or not he'll show his smiling face 'neath the Monster come April. Whether or not he does will not only affect the pop in the middle of the Sox' lineup but also the general makeup of the outfield. And that is where we will be focusing today, the green pastures of Fenway's outfield. Just a note: in addition to the career hitting stats from Baseball Reference and the scouting reports from The Sporting News (which will be added once I get back to New England and access my book) I’m going to be inserting the Plate Appearance Outcome percentages calculated by the good folks at The Hardball Times in their 2006 Annual. For batters with more than 300 AB in 2005 they break down the sum of those plate appearances into K% / BB% / GB% / OF% / IF% / LD% / OTHER%. And once get the 2006 Baseball Prospectus Guide at the end of this month, I’ll hopefully plug in PECOTA predictions (I could get them now, but I’ll just wait a little bit and save 20 bucks…).

STARTERS (LF/CF/RF):
MANNY RAMÍREZ [LF]
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
1993 21 CLE AL 22 53 5 9 1 0 2 5 0 0 2 8 .170 .200 .302 16 0 0 0 0 3
1994 22 CLE AL 9