So Late Why Am I Bothering to Write?

When I woke up this morning, I realized two things:

1. This week was finally, finally over.
2. I had yet to post an article on one of the biggest events in Boston sports over the last three years:

A-Rod opted out of his contract with the Yankees!

Oh yea, and the Sox, riding one of the most historic displays of offense in World Series history, brought home their seventh title and second in four years, beating the Colorado Rockies 4 games to none in the Fall Classic.

I know, right? Who'd have thought that we'd be this lucky? Not only did the Red Sox win, but we as fans got to see the classy franchise that is the New York Yankees turn into a bad episode of "Gossip Girl." The weirdest part is that even though I was joking about A-Rod being the bigger story, it was kinda true. Beginning with the revelation on FOX in the middle of Game 4 that A-Rod had copped, I mean opted out, and continuing with the hiring of Joe Girardi to replace Joe Torre who went to the Dodgers to replace Grady Little, the Red Sox World Championship was, well, second string. That's not to say that it's not important, because I know that I'm still riding a "pinch-me" glow after doing the lamest victory dance ever last Sunday night. It's just that the World Series win wasn't all that dramatic.

If you read any of the articles floating out there during the week, you'd realize the sentiment is universal: the Sox won because they were, are, the best team in baseball and had been all season. Their win capped off a postseason where only two series went beyond 4 game sweeps, and one of them was a 5 game series (Cleveland-New York, ALDS). The best, most intense baseball was played during the ALCS between Cleveland and Boston. Colorado didn't even show up for the World Series. This postseason merely demonstrated that baseball still has a long way to go to establish any sort of real parity. Sure, there was a lot more balance in each league this year, with the NL races coming down to the wire, but in the end the American League is still the reigning superpower, with the Senior Circuit turning into a Freshman Team All-Star Show.

If you give it 5 to 10 years, you might see the field start to level off, but until that happens the World Series will continue to be incredibly boring. The only people who love to watch the Sox sweep in 4 are me and the rest of Red Sox Nation. Everybody else wants to see good, competitive, championship-caliber baseball, and they haven't had it in a long time.

So, sure, I'm beyond happy that I have seen the second Boston championship, but there's still a very small part of me who, fully aware of all the voodoo I performed to make the win so easy, is looking for the Staples button so that I may hammer out a satisfying, "That was easy."

Congratulations, everybody.

2007 World Series Preview

The Red Sox will be playing in the World Series tomorrow night at Fenway Park, their second in four years. Though it may seem like a "pinch me" scenario, it is most certainly true, and it comes as just another affirmation of how could this team really is. We watched them all season, through the ups and the precarious downs of the final month, and somehow we managed to convince ourselves that maybe they weren't that good.

Well, they are, and when Josh Beckett toes the rubber tomorrow evening in his second Fall Classic appearance, he'll be facing a Colorado Rockies lineup that is nothing like the laughers of several years ago. Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe comprise the backbone of a lineup that posted a line of .280/.354/.437 only after the pitchers' ABs were included. Nothing to shake a stick at, but then again, you've all been listening to the radio the last few days, so you all know that already.

Here's where I think the money is going to be made: starting pitching. I know, it's groundbreaking, isn't it? The series is going to come down to whoever pitches best, nothing new under the sun, but lets see just exactly this one shakes down.

We all know the Sox

ERA W L IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA+
Daisuke Matsuzaka 4.40 15 12 204.7 191 100 100 25 80 201 108
Josh Beckett 3.27 20 7 200.7 189 76 73 17 40 194 145
Curt Schilling 3.87 9 8 151.0 165 68 65 21 23 101 122

All three, despite any inconsistencies throughout the year, are known commodities. Beckett needs to be Beckett, work his curveball and changeup effectively and keep the Mile High Mashers off balance.

The Rockies' playoff rotation, unlike the Sox, is not at as well known.

Jeff Francis 4.22 17 9 215.3 234 103 101 25 63 165 114
Ubaldo Jimenez 4.28 4 4 82.0 70 46 39 10 37 68 112
Franklin Morales 3.43 3 2 39.3 34 15 15 2 14 26 140


Jeff Francis is the only one we've seen before, earning himself a great season of 17 wins over 215 IP. The problem for Colorado is the number of hits he allowed, 234. That's 43 more than any of the Sox pitchers, meaning that Francis' success is due largely to the best defense in MLB history playing behind him. In a place like Fenway, where the outfield corners are more than a bit quirky and the field certainly can enter in as an unknown, a small but exploitable advantage for the Olde Towne Team.

The other two starters, Jimenez and Morales, were call ups who managed to pitch their tails off and help the Rockies into the Series despite an offense that batted an anemic .222 in the ALCS. They certainly don't have the experience, but both allowed a lot of hits and didn't pick up many K's. If the Sox can hold their own in the box and not get sucked into swinging at bad pitches (and, say, hitting into a record-setting number of double plays), they have a good chance at waiting out the starters and getting into the meat of the 'pen.

Unlike 2004, when the Sox were on the roll to end all rolls (like the Rockies today), the Cardinals didn't have the depth they needed to combat the overpowering pitching of Schilling and Pedro. They were also without their ace, Chris Carpenter. The 2007 Rockies are hampered by neither.

Expect this to be an exciting Series, and hold on to your hats. It could get stressful.

When I'm Angry I Count to 10

10. Cleveland won 96 games and tied for the best record in baseball... with us... and we won by default. It's kinda like beating the bully in gym-class wrestling because he has a violent asthma attack in the middle of the match. The only people stupid enough to think we were going to roll through them because they weren't the Yankees were Yankees fans and WEEI listeners.

9. Even God seems to want the Indians to win, as He sent an Old Testament plague to smite the Bombers.

8. Travis Hafner is like Shrek during a bad acid trip. When he hits the ball, it goes far.

7. Grady Sizemore is almost unanimously considered the best all-around player in the American League.

6. Lebron James is a bigger jackass than Tom Brady, so Cleveland has to win so they can rub it in his spoiled little nose.

5. Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd are like short bus twins: alone they're weak, but together they're frightening and nigh-unstoppable... despite the fact that Byrd's OBA was over .300.

4. Did you catch the last line in #5? If you didn't, go back and read it again, and think about our offense.

3. Eric n'a pas gagné. Not once, not any of his appearances with the Sox (save the day after he was traded.)

2. Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia combined for 38 wins between the two of them. Both are probably going to get more Cy Young votes than Josh Beckett because of Cleveland's payroll.

1. Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo, Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia. They're probably all going to Sandals after the postseason ends.

The series is likely over, so let's all be honest with ourselves. Josh Beckett has a solid chance of winning tonight, but only because his track record says he's going to go 6 or 7 innings and allow like 2 runs. Problem is, that might not be enough considering the offensive production of the majority of the lineup. That same production is the reason that, if we win Game 5, we'll likely struggle to win 6 and 7.

I'm not being a naysayer, just honest. I want more than anything for the Sox to come back and move on to the World Series, but I just don't think they can do it. This lineup is anemic in three of the nine slots, and the manager (whom I like most of the time) refuses to mix things up out of loyalty to hitters who aren't performing the way they're supposed to.

But once more, if you're trying to find some sort of comfort, just remember that Cleveland won 96 games, swept their division rival Tigers going into the postseason, and that Boston barely made it to the finish line with their lead intact.

Curtis Leskanic said something interesting during an interview on XM Radio's Home Plate last night that made perfect sense: "You can't beat destiny." We already know about the Rockies, but maybe it really is Cleveland's time for a shot as well.

Man, I really hope not. I would love to go to the World Series.

Onward and Upward!

Prepared? Yea, I think we all witnessed just how prepared Curt Schilling was for his Game 3 start in the American League Division Series. The Sox were tight today, a well-oiled machine working its way through a limping but still dangerous Angels lineup. With Jered Weaver on the hill and the Halos looking like they were ready to slug it out in a grudge match, the Boston nine really came out on top. Heck, even Eric Gagné was able to pitch without causing half the New England population to have a stroke.The sad part about sweeping the Division Series is that we have to wait until Friday night to get to more Sox baseball.

I wasn't really sure how I felt about the best-record series choice the Commissioner's office provided this season, especially considering the way a playoff series tends to feed off of momentum. I will now admit, though, that the longer series really is a great thing for the pitching staffs.

Now that the Yankees have forced a Game 4, let's hope it goes back to Cleveland for a Game 5, and that we can get some wear and tear on those opposing hurlers before the start of the the Championship Series.

And to anyone who's been around as a Corner reader from the beginning, this is the 200th post. Thanks for sticking around and making my obsession feel legit.

Best. Record. In Baseball.

'Nuff ced.

First!

Last night was, for Red Sox fans across New England, an appropriate way to celebrate the return of autumn. As the temperature finally fell and brought the crisp air into Boston lungs, the Red Sox looked sharp as they've ever been, dropping the Minnesota Twins 5-2. The win reduced the Sox's magic number to a surmountable single game, but with the Yankees winning in Baltimore as the final out was recorded at Fenway clinching looked like it was going to wait.

Just like the fans, who huddled down in the cold ballpark seats to watch the end of the Yankee game. Lucky for them and lucky for the fans at home, the Birds mounted quite a comeback, knotting the game at 9 with a bases-clearing triple from former Sox Jay Payton. In the bottom of the 10th, with the bases once again juiced, Melvin Mora dropped the bunt to end all bunts and the players and remaining fans partied like it was 1995 in the old ballpark.

After the stress and exhaustion of the last two weeks, seeing the Sox clinch the division title before the last game was a fantastic feeling. It is, to be certain, just a small step on the way to what I hope will be a World Series trophy, but it represents much more than that. It represents, for the first time in a long while, the ability to succeed without utter failure as a prerequisite. The Sox had held the lead in the East from April 18 on out, and despite the fact that the Yankees were as many as ten games out, nobody with half a brain once believed the Bombers were truly out if it. Not when they had an All-Star at almost every position.

So sure, the division crown isn't the World Series, but it sure is swell.

F!#cking Yankees...

You know what I can't stand? People who proclaim extremes.

"The Sox have the division locked up in June," they crowed.

"This is 1978 all over again. What's the score of the Bruins game?" they cried.

This has certainly been a season of ups and downs, but no matter how hard one tries it has been definitely more of the former and much less of the latter. Up until recently the team has been healthy. Kevin "Pincushion" Youkilis managed to avoid any serious time on the sideline until this weekend's series against New York, Manny's offense was replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury's defense... oh yea, and his offense, too. David Ortiz, despite battling leg and back pain since the start of the season, has managed to catapult his numbers from the below average to somewhere near their normal levels. The starting staff, despite Curt Schilling's tendency to hang just one, game-deciding bad pitch, Matsuzaka's uncanny ability to turn pitching magic into pitching mayhem in the span of one at-bat, and Tim Wakefield's balky back, has kept the Red Sox in first place in the AL East while the Yankees set the planet on fire and swept up the ashes with a thunderous attack since the All-Star Break.

Things could be worse.

All though the box scores and the standings don't reflect it (and although they count the most) the weekend series against the Bombers was really a good showing. The offense came to life in the first two games, and the starters were better than expected against the best offense (in every category, mind you) in baseball this year. It sucks to see the lead buzzed down to 3 1/2 games with only one week to go, but given all the holes the Sox are trying to plug in the race to the finish, it really isn't all that bad.

If the lead gets to lower than where it stands now (and that's certainly likely given the remaining schedule for the Yanks), it's definitely going to be panic central here in Boston. But really, let's just focus on what's really important:

We're still in first place, and we want to make the playoffs come hell or high water.

Buchholz One Better (Than Schilling)

The first Red Sox rookie and only the third pitcher to do it in his first two starts, 23 year old Buchholz threw his first major league no-hitter for his second big league win. It was the 17th no-hitter in Red Sox history, and the 20th no-hitter thrown by a rookie in the history of organized ball.

Buchholz needed only 115 pitches to put down the sorry Baltimore Orioles, racking up nine strikeouts along the way. The difference-maker tonight was Buchholz's changeup, dropping from a directly overhead arm slot and hidden release point to hit the dirt and make even experienced hitters look foolish.

The only other pitchers to toss a no-no within their first two starts were Bobo Holloman in 1953 with the St. Louis Browns and Wilson Alvarez in 1991 with the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, the early successes of both pitchers didn't necessarily punch the tickets to Cooperstown for them. Holloman had only one season in the bigs, going 3-7 with a 5.23 ERA. Alvarez was certainly better, a 14 year career ending in 2005 with a 102-92 career record and 3.96 career ERA. With any luck, Buchholz will have a long, successful career in Boston.

Talk About Timing

This is the way it goes, right? The Red Sox go into Yankee Stadium with an eight game lead in the American League East, get swept away in three games, scoring only six runs in response to the Yankees' fourteen, and then give up nine more in a home loss to the Orioles? What's more, Manny Ramirez is out with that phantom of phantom injuries, the strained oblique, David Ortiz is still hurting, J.D. Drew (despite miserable production) leaves the game with a bad foot, and his replacement Bobby Kielty is nursing an injury as well.

Timing is certainly everything.

First of all, let's get one thing clear: the sky is not falling. Yet.

The Sox still have a five game lead thanks to Tampa Bay's absolute pounding of New York, 9-1. In my opinion they still have the best pitching staff in the AL East at the very least, regardless their recent record. Their offense, though strangely quiet, can still put together some runs, but they really need to start coming out of their funk. My solution? Start at the top.

It has to start with Terry Francona. Nobody was more upset than I was over the whole "Shirtgate" incident at the Stadium this week, but sob stories aside, Francona needs a stern talking to. His lineup use is absolutely awful and has been all season. Any fan worth their salt can tell you that Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo should never be put north of the sixth spot in the order, yet Francona, valuing the speed of both players, manages to consistently ignore their lack of on-base ability and place them up top from time to time. J.D. Drew, for his part, shouldn't be in the game with as much consistency as he has been lately. Against Andy Pettitte, a soft-tossing lefty, I would have much preferred Kielty's right-handed swing to Drew's long, loopy (albeit beautiful) left-handed one. This has really got to stop. Find a lineup that works and stick with it with only minor alterations. Keep Youkilis and Pedroia up top in front of Ortiz and Ramirez (when he can play) and just deal, end of story.

The interesting thing about all these injuries is that they're hitting just as the rosters expand for September, meaning Jacoby Ellsbury and his pals will hopefully be seeing more playing time. For my part, I'd love to see Ellsbury in centerfield, Crisp put in left, and then keep Kielty in right (assuming Drew takes a few days off). I think that would allow for Coco to get a little bit of a break by playing in front of the Wall, and give Ellsbury a chance to show off his chops just a bit more. In Pawtucket this year Jacoby has managed to post .298/.360/.380. His power is disappointing to be sure, but he's a player with just enough guts and brains to make a difference in the injury-ridden interim.

Let's hope we can just plug the holes in the lineup long enough to get our heavy hitters hitting again.

Bobby Kielty's Wily Mo Valuable than Pena

The Oakland A's released outfielder Bobby Kielty today, meaning the Red Sox can help plug some of the leaks in their rickety offensive consistency even after coming up aces at the deadline this afternoon for the bullpen. Kielty isn't an All-Star and he isn't going to be a great everyday player. What he will be, though, is better than Wily Mo Peña.

Peña has been a disaster all year as a platoon player in all of the outfield positions. He's an adventure defensively, and at the plate he can't hit anything besides mid-90s, arrow-straight fastballs. He's rockin' a pretty stellar .229/.294/.407 line after showing some decency in 2006. The knock on him in Cincinnati was a lack of plate discipline, and while he claims to have rectified the situation I'm pretty sure he just goes up to the plate and alternates swinging and taking pitches. Wily Mo has managed to strike out so much (54 K in 140 AB vs. 12 BB) so frequently that he's become an automatic out. Even pitchers with average to below-average breaking and offspeed pitches can fool him.

Given that this lineup can be shut down by solid pitching, it makes sense to try and upgrade (however marginally) Peña's spot on the roster. When the big guns aren't firing, you need someone to go to the plate with some sort of approach. I honestly think Wily Mo is too dim to perform such an act.

Banner Day in Beantown

First, the news on the court: the Celtics picked up Kevin Garnett to put themselves far ahead of where they used to be in the Eastern Conference.

On the field, the Sox picked up Eric Gagné from Texas in exchange for Kason Gabbard, David Murphy, and Engel Beltre. his deal is, essentially a tour de magie in the vein of "win now without sacrificing the future."

In limited service with the Red Sox Gabbard has managed to pick up 4 wins over his seven starts, holding down a 3.73 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over those 41 innings. With the return of Curt Schilling to the rotation after his final AAA rehab start tonight, the Sox rotation had some fat able to be trimmed. Gabbard, as the latest "lightning in a bottle" AAAA starter to grab wins for the big club, will be of value to Texas as a groundball pitcher in that hellish rotation, but is definitely not carrying enough overall stuff to regret too much.

David Murphy, a left-handed outfielder who posted forgettable numbers with the Sox last year, was posting .283/.348/.429 at Pawtucket. His best upside is likely along the lines of David Dellucci with more defensive promise.

Engel Beltre, a seventeen year old outfield prospect with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, will assume a similar position inside the Ranger system. In rookie ball he's only hitting .215 and getting on base at a .314 clip, but Beltre has such a physical presence that his upside (granted 4 or 5 years from now) could be very significant.

Together these three players managed to net the top closer in the National League from 2002-2004, and one who was able to reconstruct the foundation of his career in Texas after two years out with injury. Gagné proved me and a number of other pundits who thought Texas would be his final resting place. He's averaging almost eight strikeouts per nine innings, and his WHIP is barely over one (1.05). That Gagné has been able to translate his abilities from the National League (and Dodgers Stadium) to the American League and the worst pitcher's park in baseball is, I feel, indicative of how far he has come from the injured pitcher that weighed on the Dodger payroll for two years.

Theo managed to bolster what was already one of the top bullpens in the American League by turning some glorified spare parts into a premier closer-turned-setup-man. And for those of you who are scared that every member of the Sox staff could be struck by lightning, leaving the club to limp into October behind Devern Hansack and a rehab-rushed Matt Clement, fear not: we'll always have Kyle Snyder.

Dye-ing to Know Why

ESPN's Jayson Stark and other media outlets have the Red Sox looking very intently at White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye, in hopes that the addition of his bat will give the offense the extra thump it's been looking for. For the record, I don't think Boston is going to pay Chicago's reportedly high asking price (likely Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester or Clay Bucholz), and I don't blame them.

Dye has a whole boatload of negatives dragging down his value. First of all, he's 32 years young. Additionally, he's not quite as good as everybody thinks he is. 2006 was by far Dye's best year, posting .315/.382/.622 and swatting 44 home runs for what was every fantasy player's wet dream of a successful season. Unfortunately, his next best season came with fewer power at .321/.390/.561 back in 2000 with Kansas City.

Any one of the top three prospects in the Sox system is more valuable in the long run than Dye as a plug for a righthanded outfield platoon player.

Here's hoping for an inexpensive Mark Kotsay.

Manny Being Anything but Helpful

This really is one of those times where criticism is deserved. A lot of the time the bloggers, the writers, the Joe Fans out there dish it out without any true gripe. This time Manny deserves it, and Coco, too. In a 1-0 game, when your staff ace is holding off one of the best teams in baseball, you do what you have to for the win.

They didn't.

Manny's responsibility as the on-deck hitter is to make sure anyone coming in from third base has a report on the action in the field. It was his job to make sure Coco knew to run hard, right? Right. Then again, shouldn't baseball players and athletes in general always try their hardest? Of course they should, but they don't. When they do they endear themselves to the same Joe Fans and bloggers spending their hard earned money on merchandise, tickets, and webspace to follow their favorite team. Youkilis, Pedroia, Wakefield, Varitek, Lowell, Papelbon, Ellsbury... every one has permanently won over the hearts of Red Sox Nation by leaving it all on the field. When we win, it's fantastic, but when we lose, there (I believe, at least, though some may disagree) is less agony because there is comfort in knowing it was all left out on the field, that they tried their hardest.

But when you lose a 1-0 game behind your ace because your speedy centerfielder jogs home and your star space cadet decided not to signal from home plate, there is nothing but heartache.

The One-Fingered Salute: Rocket to the Bronx

In the middle of today's Yankees/Mariners game, a strange voice came over the loudspeaker and made a divine proclamation: Roger Clemens is returning to Yankees pinstripes.

In Red Sox Nation, it was worth less air time than the stain Don Orsillo had on his shirt last week.

The next two innings of YES Network audio was dedicated to a conversation between Michael Kay, Al Leiter, and Clemens, and all the usual references to duty and camaraderie made their appearances. "Jete" kept calling, all of his teammates kept texting, emailing, pressuring him to come back. The Yankees needed Roger Clemens to get World Series rings for all the great players down in the dugout that didn't have them yet: Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Mike Mussina... legends in this great pasttime of ours who sent up the call. And Roger? Roger answered...

...for a prorated $28 million over the remaining 4 months of the season. How noble.

Despite our most nostalgic, sepia-toned desires to see number 21 touch down in the place he launched from, we all knew it would never come to pass in Boston. In the first place, it's hard to imagine the front office that has placed such a high value on each and every dollar it spends dropping Matt Clement's entire 3 year contract value onto an aging pitcher in his mid-forties who's been pitching in the National League for the last three seasons. That money is much better spent elsewhere, to be sure.

Beyond that, there's the fact that the Red Sox have no need for Roger. Their starting rotation is more or less intact thus far. Want proof? Look no further than Julian Tavarez, a mopup starter if there ever was one, who managed to strike out seven batters in six innings against Johan Santana and the Twins. Even the bullpen has been good, with J.C. Romero suddenly remembering how to pitch, and the tag team of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon turning out the lights with great authority. No, the Red Sox don't need Roger, and for that reason, Roger doesn't want to need the Red Sox. He explicitly stated in the YES booth today that he's going to the Yankees because he gets to be The Man, to drive in with his white Hummer and shining armor to save the season of the vaunted Yankees.

To be sure, the addition of Clemens makes the Yankees better, but only on the condition that he can stay healthy. The Bombers have righted the ship lately, sweeping the hopeless Rangers and taking two of three from the pitching-starved Seattle Mariners. Really, there was no legitimate panic around the pinstripes. Their offense is so good that even with a staff ERA of close to 5.00, they would be able to win at least half of their games.

So if you detect a bit of bitterness in my writing this evening, you are not mistaken. I would have loved to see Roger in a Red Sox rotation that could blow away the rest of the league. In the end, though, it's one of those moves that is worth more for it's weight in the headlines than it is for it's weight on the field. Roger did nothing to help his image today, and managed to represent some of the worst tendencies of professional sport in one simple announcement.

And besides, now we can just claim the Yankees are buying the league again. It sure is good to have things back to normal, isn't it?

Good To Get This Out of the Way

In retrospect, tonight was a relief, in much the same way that David DeJesus' single and home run were each a release of collectively held breaths. Matsuzaka was bound to lose eventually, and better to lose by only allowing 3 earned runs in 7 full innings pitched, with 4 punchouts and only one walk. It's better still to lose when the winning pitcher has a no hitter going until the eighth inning, where he allowed his first and only hit on an infield dribbler just barely under the glove of a diving second baseman. Everybody spoke of the eventual matchup of Ichiro and Matsuzaka, but people in the know were looking at the real matchup between the two pitchers, as Hernandez was coming off a 12 K season debut against Oakland. The know-it-alls were right: pitching was the story.

Matsuzaka wasn't even bad, he just couldn't get his breaking balls to break the way he wanted them to. His fastball was there for most of the game, and he never let the game get away from him. It is there, in his ability to keep everything under control, that the ability of Matsuzaka shines through. Games like these frequently get away from pitchers in the big leagues, fluke doubles leading to opponents knocking down the door and breaking open a scoring rampage. That didn't happen tonight.

If there is any criticism to be dished out, it should go to the Sox batters. With the exception of Drew's single in the eighth, it was embarassing, like when I play MLB 07: The Show and swing at EVERY first pitch. All you end up with is a lot of quiet outs and an exceptionally low pitch count for the starter. Hendandez didn't crack 100 pitches until the ninth, meaning there was zero patience at the plate. He was lights out, no question, but in situations like that I firmly believe you have to just hang back and let the pitcher beat himself, which we failed to do. (Coco Crisp, I'm looking at you in particular.)

So the big offseason pickup lost his home opener, but he still pitched well. Let's hope the bats can wake up a little bit, so that good pitching performances like the one put in tonight don't go to waste.

Paps in the Days of Yore

Last night's 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers was both encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Curt Schilling buckled down after he was owned on a Frank Catalanotto home run in the bottom of the first inning, managing to go seven strong innings without alowing an additional run. David Ortiz, suffering from a serious power outage, managed to jack two long balls to right field off (never thought I'd say this) of a sizzling Vicente Padilla. Jonathan Papelbon, after only throwing once in the first five games, came into a bases-loaded no-out situation to save Joel Piñeiro's tail and the game, managing both velocity and location on his fastball, and disgusting bite to his splitter. All of those are the good things.

The bad thing is that the bats were as quiet as they have been all spring, as the Sox were unable to really muster any sort of team effort. The law of averages says that it won't last, but we can only hope they're right. Thankfully, the Sox will be able to get off the road and open at home tomorrow afternoon (and not tomorrow night). Here's hoping they return to form.

One word about Papelbon closing: I know that he was absolutely lights-out against the heart of the Rangers lineup. He had velocity in the mid to upper nineties, and he was spotting his fastballs beautifully on this outside half of the plate. Thing is, it's going to take me a while to watch him pitch and not worry about his shoulder on every toss. I still agree that he needs to be in the closer role in order to prevent games like yesterday's from getting away, but I just worry about the length of his career in that situation.

Unfortunately, I won't feel comfortable until the season is done with and he's still healthy. Here's hoping.

Matsuzaka-san.

(Photo: New York Times)

So, it's over, Matsuzaka's first official major league outing. It resulted in a 4-1 win and an increase in expectations for the young Japanese superstar. From the very beginning, Matsuzaka looked like he wanted to be there. The very first pitch, a fastball, ended up as a strike for David DeJesus, though the final result of the AB was a single to left center field. DeJesus would later leave the yard, plating the only run for Kansas City in their second loss of the season, a loss in which the Sox starter staked his claim to the pitcher's mound and validated his own hype.

The most impressive quality of the entire start was the way in which Matsuzaka approached hitters. On Wednesday night, Josh Beckett demonstrated the polar opposite of a Daisuke's start, relying heavily on his mid-nineties fastball to overpower batters, a tactic that typically results in a lot of foul balls, deep counts, and prolonged at-bats. Matsuzaka's style was more in line with the oft-preached but rarely heeded pitching adage of "Keep hitters off-balance," as his ability to mix in a variety of off-speed and breaking pitches from different deliveries and arm slots did exactly that. The resultant strikeout total (10) over his seven innings of work speaks volumes to his talent, and hopefully will serve as a sign of times to come.

Detractors of the start are going to mention one point in an effort to lessen the impact of the debut. It's the Kansas City Royals, not the New York Yankees. In my opinion, this point is moot. A major league team is a major league team, and while the Yankees strike fear into the heart of every opponent, the Royals have been one of those teams that has profited from an inability on the part of the Sox to beat lesser nines. The Yankees cause people to elevate their game, and so it appears we have a better record against them than the Royals in recent years. Additionally, the weather was so cold that a breaking ball pitcher like Matsuzaka should have been at the mercy of the hitters. He's already adjusting to balls using a slicker leather than those used in Japan, but add winter temperatures to that and he should have been toast. He wasn't.



All in all, it was a fantastic debut, one that will hopefully allow people to dissipate much of their nervous energy before his inaugural Fenway appearance next week. The first step is always the hardest.

Three To Watch: Coco Can't, Dustin Can, and J. D. Does His Thing

Coco Crisp's 2006 season was a forgettable one. A torrid spring and start to the season was capped off by a broken finger that never healed properly and a prolonged DL stint. He never quite got back into the swing of things, posting an embarassing line of .264/.317/.385 with 22 SB. His 2007 spring was a bad one, as he tried to put 2006 and the detachment of the fans behind him. The last couple games at Kauffman Stadium have been like playing a video game and swinging at every pitch for Crisp: fooled by the breaking balls, late on the fastballs, and under or on top of just about everything he puts wood on. Here's hoping he learns a little bit of plate discipline and puts his ego behind him, because his on-field performance and subsequent "Je m'en fous" attitude towards the fans and the city has him on the fast track to being obsolete.

Conversely, Red Sox rookie Dustin Pedroia is living up to his Ecksteinian comparisons, rapping out a .500/.545/.500 line in his first three games, with one walk and only one strikeout in his first 10 ABs. His defense is adequate to slightly above average, but his small stature and big league confidence have already begun to endear him to me and the rest of the Sox fans. The failure of Coco to do anything significant only puts Pedroia's small-sample-size success in a more flattering light.

Then, of course, is number 7. The Man Who Replaced Trot Nixon, J. D. Drew, is doing exactly what he was supposed to. An introductory line of .400/.500/.600 and some clutch defense in right field already has him on the upside of fan perception. Not much to say other than that it's been a pleasure to watch Drew's ABs, where his even-keeled, patient approach is like a drink of cold water after witness the hack-and-slash of players like Julio Lugo and the aforementioned Crisp.

In-Between Days

There isn't a lot to say about last night's season-opening loss to the Kansas City Royals, other than Schilling had neither velocity nor location, and everybody outside of J.D. Drew looked to be a bundle of nerves. From Pedroia's baserunning gaffe to some strange outfield play and a parade of bullpen pitchers, the Sox needed to get the juices flowing.

A bigger test of the team will come tonight, when Josh Beckett takes the mound against Odalis Perez. A few things to look for:

1. Beckett's off-speed pitches. He talked about them all throughout spring training, and his fastball was twice as effective, helping him pile up the strikeouts. Thing is, spring training is spring training, and he's running headlong into a Royals lineup bristling with up-and-comers named Ryan Shealy, Mark Teahen, Alex Gordon, and Tony Pena, Jr. Look for Beckett to dial it down in key situations.

2. Plate discipline. J.D. Drew looked the best out of everybody yesterday for his even-tempered approach at the plate. Most everybody else looked jumpy, with Dustin Pedroia being Exhibit A. Although Drew takes a lot of heat for his attitude (and I'll admit, when I heard the rumors I wanted no part of him), I've really come to appreciate his approach. He's patient and thoughtful, the kind of player we've gotten used to (at least as concerns their personality) in Mike Lowell and Tim Wakefield. Drew has the raw potential to be devastating to pitchers, so let's see if the rest of the lineup catches on to his approach and takes a few more pitches.

3. Terry Francona. It was discouraging to see a revolving bullpen door on the first game of the season. As much as I like Francona, he can sometimes be accused of overdoing matchups and overtaxing relievers in situations that seem out of reach. Joe Torre does the same thing. Yesterday's game would've been great to try and stretch out a reliever, but it feels just like the same old same old when you call for a new pitcher every two seconds.

Of course, we're all only waiting for two things: the first win of the season, and Matsuzaka's Thursday debut. Here's hoping we get one out of the way tomorrow night.

Beckett and Hinkse: Our Very Own Polar Opposites

This is going to be a big year for Josh Beckett, mark my words. Never mind that Beckett led the major leagues in home runs allowed last year, that his league-adjusted ERA was still 4.61 (his everyday ERA being 5.01), that his hits allowed jumped by almost 40, or that he allowed almost 50 more runs in only 30 more innings pitched; focus on his mentality.

Last year, Beckett was green, a National League hurler coming into the Pitcher's Nightmare Division, the American League East. He was trying to shake off accusations that he was incapable of reaching 200 IP, and that he would never be able to keep his blister problem under control. He's a Texan, and though it's a stereotype it's one we've seen repeatedly in pitchers from his neck of the woods, meaning that for a large part of last year he was grappling with his ego just as much as his pitching ability. This year, however, he's promised to be different.

As early as his arrival in Fort Myers, Beckett appeared a changed man. Gone is the sure-fire confidence in his own ability to lean on his talents, and in its stead is a maturity that sees no weakness in leaning on the game-calling abilities of Jason Varitek. Instead of throwing fastballs in trouble counts, Beckett has tuned in to the fact that his greatest strength is the ability to change speeds rapidly. When he beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series, Beckett went from blistering heat to crisp curveballs, then to embarassingly effective changeups and back again.

It is that dedication to changing speeds that we've seen all spring, and it's yielded very productive results, with a 3.04 ERA, averaging over a strikeout per inning and yielding only 4 walks in 23 2/3 IP. Along with his Texas-sized confidence and 4-seamed leanings, Beckett is also incredibly driven to succeed. The AL East is his challenge, he's motivated to overcome it. Look for big things.



Just as Beckett is poised to contribute greatly to the succcess of the Sox this season, pine-riding super-sub Eric Hinske is poised to jack squat. Carrying a pricetag of a hair less than $3 million, Hinske has all the game-changing qualities you can get when you're dragging around a line that looks like .260/.337/.437 (that's a .774 career OPS, for those of you keeping score at home). Sure, he bats left-handed, but even in the most optimistic eyes he's a nonfactor on defense. His offense is standing on the fragments of the foundation his 2002 Rookie of the Year award laid for him, and there aren't many fragments left. In my opinion, Hinske's acquisition was one of the worst of the 2006 campaign, ranking high on the list of Theo's Uh-Ohs over the last several seasons: Rudy Seanez, Wade Miller, Jason Johnson, Dustin Mohr, Willie Harris... need I continue?

Chances are the Sox are going to carry 12 pitchers, like most teams in the East, meaning that every bench spot is a valuable commodity. Alex Cora is solid with the glove and has patience enough at the plate to compensate for his lack of real hitting ability. He can play any position in the field except catcher, and that's only because we've never tried it out. Wily Mo Peña may strike out a lot, but he's big and scary. Hinske lacks Cora's versatility, and even lack's Wily Mo's indimidation factor, looking like no more than Rob Dibble with a bat. (Sidenote: Wily Mo Peña needs to carry around a cinderblock and in between innings should take it out of the dugout and just punch it repeatedly, grunting like a Neanderthal. It would scare the hell out of anyone within earshot and make for great television. But, I digress...) Hinske is taking up a valuable bench spot, one that, in my opinion, would be better utilised if it were occupied by someone like David Murphy or Jacoby Ellsbury. They'd be able to get some major league time without the pressures of everyday use (the downside, of course, being lack of significant at-bats). At the very least they should carry Alex Ochoa, so he can throw lasers from the rightfield fence through the top hole of Wily Mo's cinderblock positioned so carefully on home plate.

Anyways, there's my rant. I can't stand Eric Hinske. He just sticks out too much for me to ignore him, and he's not talented enough for me to feel any sort of affection towards him. What's he good for? Exactly, a trade. I officially give my permission to all of you poor fans who miss Bronson to call for his return now, however misguided such pining might be.

Papelbon in the 9th

As you've no doubt heard by this point, Jonathan Papelbon will be reprising his breakout 2006 role as Red Sox closer in 2007. Despite all of the public statements by both the pitcher and the club that number 58 was bound for the starting rotation because of health reasons, it appears that health is no longer enough of a concern to keep Paps out of the closer spot.

I'm very lukewarm about this move, to tell the truth. With Papelbon moving to the bullpen, Julian "Grooveball" Tavarez is going to be shifting over to the fifth spot in the rotation until Jon Lester or a pitcher of similar comportment establishes himself and takes over. A rotation that appeared to be one of the best going into the 2007 campaign now looks significantly weaker. Of course, I'm pretty sure there are a number of complicated charts and formulas Baseball Prospectus has put together recently that explains exactly just how a fifth starter looks when compared to a dominant closer, and I'm also pretty sure that a closer holds more value, regardless of innings pitched.

The biggest reason for my trepidation is the one we're all talking about: Papelbon's long-term health and career. Nobody wants to see the Red Sox sacrifice a potentially very good starting pitcher over 10 years for a short-sighted fix to the closer situation. Everybody and their mom has been saying that Pap's shoulder will be best served by regular, rhythmic usage and preparation, something the rotation can provide and the bullpen does it's best to avoid.

Still, if Papelbon is destined to be as lights-out in the first 21 outs as he is in the last 3, wouldn't it be better to hedge all bets and pursue the best option for the hurler's arm? In today's blog Peter Gammons addresses this with the kind of proof one only gets with the press pass:

"There is no legitimate bullpen help to be acquired right now," said another AL GM. "And what we saw in Papelbon this spring is that he'd start out at 92-94 mph and gradually fall down to 88. Our people feel that he may throw so many pitches as a starter he's a five-inning guy. And the Red Sox cannot afford to blow five leads in April with Papelbon sitting out there."

If that's the case, then the bullpen is the place to be. As long as the front office can have restrictions in place for Papelbon's usage (no eight-inning, non-playoff saves, par exemple) and can enforce them, then maybe he'll be able to keep his health and help the team.

Before I close this, the first substantial post in some time, let me offer one crazy, unfounded notion to the mix. If Papelbon is the closer, that potentially opens up a rotation spot for Roger Clemens, should he decide to come back, placing him in a powerful rotation, potent offense, and in front of a lights-out closer to boot. Hey, it could happen.

Checking In On Spring Training

Now several weeks into Spring Training and through the first week of Grapefruit League exhibition games, all I can think about is one thing: pitching.

That's the key, isn't it? Outside the whole "Manny's-coming-late" story and the Schilling contract saga, there's not much to talk about. The offense is the offense, looking good for the most part with predictable producers in Lugo, Ortiz, Ramirez, and Drew making up the core group of what could potentially be one of the best offenses in the majors this year. The defense is going to be average, no big standouts outside of Varitek and Lowell, and (depending who you ask) Drew. Thing is, when you get to pitching, nobody knows what we're going to get.

Here's what we do know. The brightest upside of the Red Sox staff is going to be their starters. Curt Schilling promises to do his usual thing, winning upwards of 12 games and exuding confidence at the top of the rotation. On the other end, an older Tim Wakefield hopes to pencil in 200 innings and a decent number of wins as the guy everybody wants to lean on at the end of the rotation. In between, Josh Beckett will hopefully have learned his lesson and spent the winter months reflecting on his errors. He has professed a desire to listen to Jason Varitek more often this year, trusting his knowledge of lineups. Jonathan Papelbon, fresh off a rookie season full of giving New England fanboys a summer's worth of late-inning wet dreams, looks to transfer his poise and potential into a 7 inning tool. Even Daisuke Matsuzaka looks a bit more convincing in his role of savior from the East, after causing scouts, general managers, and the above-referenced fanboys to go slack-jawed in his appearance against the Marlins several days ago.

The real question, then, is the bullpen. Then again, when is it not? We're all making a huge deal out of the fact that Brendan Donnely, Joel Pineiro, Julian Tavarez, J.C. Romero, Hideki Okajima, et. al. are what we have to choose our closer from, but how much worse is it than last year? Keith Foulke, our "closer" was coming off a disastrous, injury-ridden 2005. Mike Timlin was 40 and had pitched in the World Baseball Classic, putting his arm in game situations weeks before he should've. Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez were known for their gopher-esque tendencies, and Manny Delcarmen was still a young lad. There was zero certainty going into 2006, only the positive thoughts being projected by the club and optimists.

Up until today, Mike Timlin was the guy being focused on for the closer role, but he's 41, and his back has done everything in it's power to make sure he doesn't get a proper look prior to Opening Day. Joel Pineiro, after a rough opener, has made some noise with several scoreless appearances, but his celebrated new arm slot is just as new to him as it is to the hitters and hangers-on. Hideki Okajima, as a curveball-tossing lefty, probably has no real chance at the job, and J. C. Romero never even entered the conversation.

Fact of the matter is, it's going to be the biggest question this team faces. There is no guarantee that they will be able to fill the role effectively, even if they put together a package for Washington's Chad Cordero, as his fly-ball tendencies have taken some of the shine off his talent.

Jonathan Papelbon's success in that role last year was a godsend. The most successful closers seem to have an innate talent for it. Despite the arguments it's not a position for which one can be groomed. So, despite the protestations of the medical staff and the trepidation of the ownership, it may make the most sense in the end to just put Papelbon back where he grew up: in the last three outs of the game.

Hurry Up and Wait For Schilling

Curt Schilling announced yesterday that he will become a free agent after the 2007 season, as the Red Sox have decided no to offer him a new contract before the season begins. Says Theo Epstein:

"Curt's going to be 41 and at that age we get a little more conservative," Epstein said. "That doesn't mean we don't want him back. We have all the confidence in the world that Curt wants to pitch in 2008, and if he pitches effectively as I expect he will, we'll find a way to keep him in a Red Sox uniform. It doesn't make sense from a business standpoint right now to guarantee that kind of money a year in advance to a 41-year-old. Again, that doesn't change how we feel about Curt, his place in the organization. No. 1, he's our Opening Day starter and we couldn't be happier about that."

I've already discussed the benefits associated with locking up a pitcher of Schilling's caliber before his declaration of free agency. It makes sense, financially, not lock $13 million into a 41 year old, husky pitcher, but there is always the sentimental attachement to Schill. Here's his take:

"Disappointing? Yeah, but it's something I understood coming in was a possibility. That's the way it happens sometimes. That's a decision they made. Whether you like it or not, it's the way things are."

I don't expect Schilling to make much of this during the season, though Lord knows the media will now have another card in their deck of stories to cover when there isn't actually a story. So, it's sad we won't have the emotional security, but makes perfect sense in this cold, cold world of ours.

Spring Is Here.

Spring Training. Those are the two words I've been seeking for over 4 months, and they're finally here. Tonight they're more striking than ever, as there's nothing like getting one's butt kicked in an indoor soccer game to bring out the need for a little bit of baseball.

The pop of the glove, the crack of the bat, the chatter of the players and the fans, all sounds that go along with the opening of camps in Florida and Arizona are starting to trickle across the airwaves and imaginations.

This week in Fort Myers has been marked by the arrival of the Asian Sensation, Daisuke Matsuzaka. I don't care what anybody says, I think this guy is going to do fantastic. Everything about his body language and his eyes say he is in complete control. I don't expect the stress of the major leagues or Boston to get to him at all. He's played catch, hosted several press conferences, and managed to charm the world. He may just be worth every penny we paid for him.

And with that, my little burst of a Spring Training opener post is finished. Let's get this show on the road.

Moving Day

This is it. This is the week we've all been waiting for since the last out at the beginning of October.

Kind of.

Moving Day is something of a twisted holiday amonst diehard baseball fans, simultaneously the first sign that camp is opening and an indication that you really have a problem. I mean, it's just a bunch of trucks and empty sunflower seed buckets. We're excited over