I see Hank is picking up right where his dad left off:

Don't make any mistake about it: Our team in the late 90s beat everybody, and we beat everybody because we were that much better than everybody. And they had just as many players doing stuff - all the teams. I guarantee you go through every team in baseball, and they all have the same basic percentage of players doing stuff. They just weren't as good as us. You think the Red Sox didn't have players doing stuff back then? Give me a [expletive] break. They just weren't as good as us, and neither was anybody else.

There are a whole bunch of small news tidbits to share- so rather than post a bunch of tiny posts, or skip posting them at all, I'm rounding them up all together in one post.

Terry Francona was in Charlottesville, VA this weekend to speak at the UVa Baseball's Step Up to the Plate banquet. Tito advised the team "to respect the game, treat people in the game with respect and to take advantage of the chance to get a great education." Others in attendance as part of the reported "pro-Boston crowd"? Coach John Farrell, Javier Lopez, Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and dozens of other former Cavaliers. Coach Farrell's son Jeremy plays for UVa, and is such a little cutie, I thought I'd post his picture here and show him some love. He looks a lot like his dad (or Nick Lachey).

Sox prospect Brandon Moss had his jersey retired by his former high school, Loganville in Georgia, on Tuesday during halftime of Loganville's basketball game. Brandon "holds virtually every offensive and pitching record in LHS history. Single season marks include batting average (.541), doubles (15), home runs (17), runs scored (44) and RBIs (48)." And his high school coach had a bunch of great things to say about him:

"Brandon's work ethic on the field, in the batting cage and in the weight room is what separates him from other players," said Jeff Segars, his high school coach. "I have never seen a player with as much drive as Brandon. It is no surprise that he has made it this far in professional baseball."

Meanwhile, free agent Bobby Kielty was back at his former elementary school, Midland Elementary School in Moreno Valley. Bobby spoke to two jam-packed assemblies of gradeschool kids, and took questions from the kids- including whether he had ever struck out (yes, a lot), how many home runs he hit (53), what sports he played as a child (baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and swimming), how much money he made (2007 salary: $2.1 million) and what was his favorite fruit (pineapple). Love the kid who asked Bobby how much money he made.

Principal Todd Flowers gave Kielty a Midland school sweat shirt at the second assembly. Kielty stripped off his Red Sox jersey and pulled the blue sweat shirt over his head. But before he changed, Kielty called [his fifth-grade teacher, Chuck Orr,] to the front of the multipurpose room. Orr, who has been a Dodgers fan since he was a small boy, wore a Dodgers jacket. Kielty delighted the young audience when he made his former teacher take off the jacket and put on the red and white Red Sox jersey.

"Boys and girls, I hope this doesn't mean the Dodgers are going to have a bad year," Orr said as he straightened the jersey's hem.

I love the handmade decorations, with the little Sox in the corner

Buster Olney may have reported that the Sox pulled Jon Lester off the table (therefore implying that the Sox offer was now solely centered around Jacoby Ellsbury), but the Star Tribune reported tonight that Twins officials dispute Buster's report and say Jon has not been pulled off the table.

Lots of love for Tim Wakefield down in Melbourne, Florida this weekend - where he helped open the Space Coast Early Intervention Center (a pre-school for disabled children) and hosted his annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic tournament to benefit the SCEIC. I posted about Tim's involvement with the SCEIC before, but there can never be too many heartwarming Wake tidbits:

Through the years, Wakefield has written checks into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and likely more than a million dollars when you add it all up, to help fund the school and, more specifically, to aid disabled children.

"This is our 21st year," Shinn says, "but I doubt we'd have made it beyond three if not for Tim Wakefield."

Wakefield's tanned face flushes at the words. He is uncomfortable with the attention.

"I do it because I care," he says later. And then, speaking about professional athletes in general, he adds, "I think more happens, good things, than people realize. A lot goes unnoticed. But we want it to be unnoticed."

There is something about the way his parents, Stephen and Judy Wakefield, raised him that was right. That stuck.

Lots more cute pictures of Wakefield golfing and with the kiddies after the jump.

Continue reading »

Though there was discussion earlier in the offseason the the Red Sox might seize the chance to utilize a six-man rotation, it appears that is not going to happen.

Boston pitching coach John Farrell said he didn't feel it was practical, given the number of off days in the early part of the schedule and the desire to have Josh Beckett pitch on his normal days of rest, which worked so well last season.

That might not bode well for Clay Buchholz breaking camp with the team, unless there's an injury to a starter or the Sox use him out of the bullpen, which appears unlikely.

We already know Dontrelle Willis hearts Mike Lowell. And it turns out D-Train also loves him some Josh Beckett. Dontrelle has his own blog (which is GENIUS, by the way - and a ton of fun), and his latest post talks about baseball players that he would pay to watch.

In the game, for me, there are some guys that I would pay to see play. Of course it's a little easier for me to get a ticket, but fans talk to me about this all the time, and I like to hear about it 'cause everyone is their guy. Here are some of my guys and why.

2. Josh Beckett
man he might be one of the best I've seen on the mound. strong, smart and tough on the mound. plus now his finger is on point and the sky is the limit for him.

Sounds like someone has been reading up - since we just had almost this exact same discussion on Tuesday. Since I picked Dontrelle as one of my Top 5, I suppose it's only fitting he picked Josh in his Top 5.

In a short and sweet Q&A with the Globe's Nick Cafardo, Trot Nixon revealed that he's had his agents contact the Red Sox about coming back to the Fens again.

Q: Did you ever think about trying to get back to the Red Sox?

TN: Sure. I saw recently where they needed a lefthanded bat. Someone who can play first and maybe the outfield. That fits for me. I know my representative has contacted them, but I have no idea what their plans are and who they're considering. I would always love to come back and play in Boston. I still have so many friends there. But the important thing now is to play again, no matter where it is.

I suppose that if the Brad Wilkerson interest doesn't pan out, the Red Sox might consider reciprocating Trot's interest... at the right price.

The Sox acquired 26 year-old RHP David Aardsma from the Chicago White Sox, in return for RHPs Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich (both were A-prospects in the Sox farm system). Aardsma split his time last year between the White Sox and AAA - after roaring out of the gate at the beginning of the season (he was 2-0, 1.31 with 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings in his first 14 appearances through May 12), he hit a wall, and had a handful of really bad outings. He finished up the year fairly strong in AAA- but was DFA'ed when the White Sox acquired Octavio Dotel, to free up a roster slot on the 40-man.

The tricky thing with Aardsma is that he is out of options. So he'll need to make the Red Sox 40-man roster-- or he'll be DFA'ed by the Red Sox in order to be assigned to the minor leagues (and every club would have a chance to claim him). Then again, he was DFA'ed by the White Sox, and fell all the way down to the Red Sox, so chances are he wouldn't be claimed the second time around, either. Word on the street from my White Sox buds is that his fall off this past year was mostly due to a confidence problem - not a stuff problem. Which gives me some hope that Farrell and co. might be able to fix him back up. He'd likely be competing Bryan Corey and Kyle Snyder for the final bullpen roster spot.

Fun fact: Look at the alphabetical listing of all baseball players in the major leagues (see: Baseball Almanac or Baseball Reference, for example)... David Aardsma is number one. When he broke into the show in 2004, he displaced Hank Aaron off the top of the list.

Dustin Pedroia was in New York yesterday evening at the NY Baseball Writers Association Awards dinner, to finally claim the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year trophy he won awhile back. Others in attendance include Denny McLain, Ryan Braun, Bob Melvin, Jake Peavy, Jimmy Rollins, Johnny Damon, Joe Girardi, Joba Chamberlain, Omar Minaya, Brian Cashman, Bobby Murcer, Alex Rodriguez, Yogi Berra, Craig Biggio, Goose Gossage, Billy Wagner, Jeff Wilpon, Dick Williams, Willie Randolph, Dustin Pedroia, C.C. Sabathia and Luis Tiant. Jonathan Papelbon was not on hand to pick up his Deliveryman of the Year award- but the NY crowd continued the tradition of booing him anyway (he was booed at last year's ceremony) when his highlight film was shown on the screen.

My first baseball boyfriend, Craig Biggio, was on hand and presented Dustin with his award. Gorden Edes refers to Biggio as "another hard-nosed little guy"-- but there's little... and then there's Dusty P little. Craig is 5'11"- which probably makes him a good 4+ inches taller than Dustin. At least no one recycled the tired (and not at all accurate) comparisons to David Eckstein. Craig had some great things to say about Dustin:

What is there not to like about the guy? His last name ends in a vowel, and Tommy Lasorda always said you always had to love a guy whose name ended in a vowel. He was obviously the cream of the crop. The thing that epitomizes him the most, is that every time I flipped on SportsCenter, the man's uniform is dirty. From what everybody tells me, he plays the game right, runs through first base every time, doesn't dog it...

"That's awesome, man,'' he said to Biggio. "I've loved watching you play forever.''

Unlike Papelbon, Dustin wasn't booed by the New Yorkers. Per Edes' report:

"Thank you guys for not booing me,'' said Pedroia to the assemblage of roughly 1,000 fans, the vast majority of whom were Yankee fans. Pedroia had mentioned earlier in the day that he expected to be booed, the way Jonathan Papelbon had been at last year's event.

Pedroia thanked his wife, Kelli, and his parents, Guy and Debbie, who were sitting together at a table at the New York Hilton, along with one of Pedroia's agents, Bobby Witt, the former big leaguer from Canton, Mass., who remarked on how apt it was for Biggio to be the one giving the award to Pedroia, who takes a similar approach to the game.

Yes, it's true. For 11 games at the end of 1974 season and 12 games at the beginning of the 1975 season, Tim "Awesomest Broadcaster Ever" McCarver was a member of the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox purchased McCarver's contract from the Cardinals for a very modest amount on September 1, 1974, with the intent to use him as a backup catcher (they already had Bob Montgomery and Carlton Fisk- but Fisk suffered a knee injury that ended his '74 season). McCarver managed to get 12 games worth of playing time in over the final weeks of 1974. But the following season, McCarver played in just 11 games during the first 3 months of the '75 season. Then at the end of June, the day before Carlton Fisk (6 years his junior) returned from the DL, McCarver was unconditionally released by the Sox. I suppose it's no surprise then he developed his odd anti-Sox slant - an unconditional and unceremonious release must have been pretty embarrassing. The Phillies ended up signing him as a free agent at the beginning of July 1975 (at the behest of his woobie, Steve Carlton). McCarver is totally the Mirabelli to Carlton's Wakefield, except that no one wants to rip the ears off their head after listening to Mirabelli.

The only good thing I have to say about McCarver is that he gave us the awesome phrase "cobra in a basket". That's it. Please don't say I have to somehow give him some small measure of credit for the Sox appearance in the '75 Series... I refuse.

Thanks to Meredith for the card scan!

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Two Other than the Red Sox, what one major league team do you most enjoy watching or root for? Other than the Yankees, what one major league team do you most dislike and root against? Pick just one of each, and tell us why that team is your favorite or your least favorite.

Is our long national nightmare finally over? Bob Nightengale of USA Today thinks so- he's reporting that Johan Santana is on his way to the Mets, in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey. His sources are "two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana".

Santana needs to pass a physical, and then come to terms on a contract extension with the Mets, and the deal will (reportedly) be done. The Mets have 48-72 hours to get this all wrapped up, and then we can FINALLY quit talking about this after 3 solid months of "will they or won't they?" Thank goodness - as you can tell, I quit posting about the daily nonsense rumor mill around Santana back in December because it was reaching unequaled levels of ridiculousness.

Obviously, as a Phillies follower, I'm shitting my pants right now. As a Sox fan, I just say, "Whew."

While trawling through Dontrelle Willis's page on wikipedia earlier this week, I noticed this interesting little nugget of information:

Can be seen in Chappelle's Show Season 2 Episode 5 along with former Marlins friend and teammate Josh Beckett

There they are - in episode 5 of season 2, which aired back in February of 2004 and therefore must've been filmed shortly after the Marlins won the 2003 World Series. Josh and Dontrelle are not guests on the show, or even announced as being in the audience. The camera just pans across the front row, and there are two noticeably huge guys with their legs sprawled out that are hard to miss. I find it fascinating to learn that D-Train and Beckett are buds, hanging out together in their offseason. It's rather charming - because I adore them both.

And of course you know I have video for you - this was a great episode anyway, it's the one with the Prince playing basketball sketch. But I've just got the opening monologue and last few seconds of the show, when the guys are onscreen.

The things you can learn from Wikipedia!

Now that that's over, let's hear from some of the Red Sox players that have occupied the precarious and unenviable position of trade bait for the past 3 months. I imagine there there are five guys (Lowrie, Masterson, Bowden, Ellsbury and Lester) sleeping more soundly tonight.

Jacoby Ellsbury (via MLB.com):

I think when you have a pitcher of Johan's caliber, pretty much every prospect is going to be mentioned in a trade at some point in the talks. It was pretty flattering to be even considered in the trade, but I'm happy with what happened. I'm happy to be a Red Sock. I'm happy that I wasn't traded at his expense, and it's nice to know where I'm going heading into the season.

I talked to [manager] Terry Francona. He basically knew I was working hard in the offseason and he knew I wasn't really letting it get to me. I'm just going out and getting ready for Spring Training. I knew wherever I was going to end up, I'd give them 100 percent, but definitely I'm happy to be with the Boston Red Sox.

I think everybody is going to be happy all the way across. I think the Yankees are happy with what they have, with their young pitching, and we are as well. I think the Mets will be very happy with Johan.

I can't say I put serious thought into [the possibility of being traded]. But as soon as I heard my name being tossed around I thought about playing for the Twins. That's not a bad thing and I'm not saying I didn't want to be with the Red Sox, I'm just saying that was a distinct possibility and it was something I had to keep in mind. I'm glad to be with the Sox and obviously it's a first-class organization.

I was working out, and I said to a bunch of the guys I was working out with, 'I'm glad that guy is out of the American League.' And everyone started laughing except for the guys that are in the National League. That's definitely my first thought. That's great. Get him out of the American League. Obviously he's one of the best in the game.

We have everybody back. That's a great sign. I know we would have had to give up a ton to get [Santana] and plus trying to sign him to a long-term deal. Obviously that would have been a tough challenge. We have everybody back. Obviously, everybody is excited and ready to go. We're all familiar with each other and hopefully we can repeat the same thing we did last year. It's going to be a tough challenge but it's going to be exciting for us.

You build a strong relationship with your teammates. And it's not just those guys, if anybody else would have gone ... you build a bond with them, you trust them and it kind of brings home the point that the game is a business, and when you see guys get traded, you wish them the best except for when you play against them. But for this situation, for our case, I'm kind of happy that we have all of our guys and we're going to move forward.

ESPN's Jayson Stark has an interesting take on the Sox kicking off their 2008 season:

Anybody taken a good look at the Red Sox's early schedule? We'll sum it up for you. They open with a late-March visit to conveniently located Tokyo. Then it's back to L.A. for three more jet-lagged exhibition games. Followed by a leisurely Oakland-Toronto road trip. Followed by a homestand against the Tigers and Yankees. Followed by a pair of two-game road series in Cleveland and New York. Followed by a homestand that includes a visit by another AL powerhouse, the Angels. So that's 16 games against arguably the five best teams in the league by April 24. The Red Sox were 12-7, and four games up on the Yankees already, by last April 24. Think that will happen again?

Rounding up all the latest Red Sox news and notes in one post.

Who's the better closer - Jonathan Papelbon or J.J. Putz? ESPN's Jerry Crasnick gives the edge to Papelbon, and dubs him "baseball's answer to Napoleon Dynamite".

Sean Deveney of the Sporting News thinks that after a spectacular 2007, things can only go downhill for Jacoby Ellsbury. Jacoby doesn't sound worried- and his mom emailed Gordon Edes and sounds positively ecstatic about him staying in Boston:

I'm glad it's finally settled, and our boys (Jacoby, Clay, Jed) got to stay in Boston. Since the boys are staying, I wore my Red Sox shirt to work today. GO RED SOX.

Curt Schilling and his son Gehrig paid a visit this past Saturday to GameJam, a 38-hour design marathon for aspiring video game developers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Apparently Curt is a Packers fan- but young Gehrig sticks with the Patriots. Cute Schilling picture alert!

Kyle Snyder and Royce Clayton were set to golf in the celebrity Pro-Am event today as part of the FBR Open in Scottsdale Arizona- but heavy rains forced the cancellation of today's tourney. Others on the Pro-Am roster include Joe Buck, Tom Candiotti, Marshall Faulk, J.J. Hardy, Paul Konerko, Anthony Munoz and Bob Uecker.

Snyder and Clayton aren't the only ones with Arizona events on their schedule-- Manny Ramirez is going to be at the Super Bowl this Sunday as a guest of the Patriots. I can only hope he'll somehow gain sideline access, and hilarity will ensue.

And Patriots coach Bill Belichick is returning the favor - after the Super Bowl, he'll be headed to Florida for some fishing and to attend Red Sox spring training in Ft. Myers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has definitely hit the big time. The Japan Post announced this week that Dice-K will be will be pictured on a set of ten different commemorative stamps, in honor of his debut in major league baseball and his victory in the 2007 World Series. " The stamps will bear 10 pictures including those showing the star pitcher posing at a press conference in December 2006 after joining the Red Sox, as well as an image when gaining his first win in a major league game and his club's victory parade after the World Series."

"An Evening with Terry Francona" reportedly went off without a hitch last night. The $100 per-plate fundraising reception and dinner for the University of Utah baseball program sold out of the 450 tickets available, as folks piled in to listen to Terry Francona's remarks to the group. Utah baseball coach Bill Kinneberg and Tito roomed together as baseball players at the University of Arizona, and Tito is the godfather of Kinneberg's son. Tito also spoke at the fundraiser after the Sox won in 2004 - so I say the Utes need to put him on the schedule every year if that means the Sox will win the title.

Craig Breslow is one smart cookie- this we already know. He graduated in 2002 from Yale with a B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry... I'd say that qualifies as smart. But who knew Josh Beckett knew a thing or two about math, too? Breslow spoke to a group of eighth graders from Rogers Park Middle School this Monday, and told a story about helping back up Josh's math superiority in a bet with Doug Mirabelli:

[Breslow] later helped a friend, Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, win a bet against catcher Doug Mirabelli. Breslow calculated how many times a baseball spins when it's thrown 90 miles an hour from the pitcher's mound to the home plate.

Tina Cervasio is out at NESN - but the Herald reports that there may be more to her departure than meets the eye. Tina's press release said her leaving was a mutual decision-- but Inside Track hears that Tina asked for more money than NESN wanted to pay.

And just because - a picture of Manny Delcarmen and his cute-as-a-button little baby.

Alex Cora turned himself into authorities in Martin County, Florida yesterday for violating the terms of his probation relating to a DUI charge from 1999. Back then, Alex played for the Dodgers and was living in Vero Beach for spring training when he was pulled over for speeding near Baker Road and U.S. 1 in Jensen Beach. Deputies arrested him and charged him with DUI after they said he smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests. Alex pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to probation. According to court records, he later failed to appear in court on a probation violation connected to the case.

According to the Herald, and "a source close to Cora", Alex "believed that the matter had been fully resolved no later than 2000. In the process of completing a legal transaction in Florida earlier this week, Cora's name popped up on a computer, and he discovered that it was not settled. Cora reported to the jail, posted a $20,000 bond and was immediately released. The source said the infielder expects the issue to be cleared up by next week."

There are few things that anger me more than someone who drives drunk. I'm hoping this incident was the last time Alex ever does something like that. Ever.

ESPN/Scouts Inc.'s Keith Law has released his rankings of the Top 100 major league baseball prospects for the 2008 season. Not surprisingly, several Red Sox made the list. The Tampa Bay Rays lead all teams with nine players in the top 100. Texas is second with six, and the Red Sox and the Dodgers each placed five players on the list. No team was shut out and five teams appear just once: Mets, White Sox, Tigers, Royals, and Phillies.

Sox Prospects in the Top 100
4. Clay Buchholz - RHP
19. Jacoby Ellsbury - OF
28. Lars Anderson - 1B
55. Jed Lowrie - 2B/SS
58. Justin Masterson - RHP

And just for the sake of interest, here are the rankings of the four prospects the Twins got for Johan Santana - compared to the Sox offered prospects' rankings above. Somebody got hosed...

35. Carlos Gomez - OF
80. Deolis Guerra - RHP
-- Phil Humber - RHP
-- Kevin Mulvey - RHP

More rookie news:

Here's a fabulous roundup discussion of all the various prospects in the Sox farm system- from the breakout stars Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz, all the way down to the newly-drafted guys.

Jed Lowrie (link):

I'm not concerned about who's ahead of me, who's behind me. I'm just concerned about what I am, the player that I can become.

I remember last year, the first week that I came to Pawtucket, you want to make a good impression, but it's tough to find a comfort level. You want to understand how the clubhouse is run." It didn't take long for Lowrie to make a favorable impression.

My feeling, my thoughts are that you can continue to improve as long as you're playing. There are so many different wants to approach that. The biggest thing for me in the offseason was to recoup mentally and physically, you get worn down. So you have to take a deep breath and clear everything and think about what you did well and what you can do better.

I can continue to improve as a shortstop, that's my No. 1 priority. That means refining my footwork, getting better jumps on the ball, taking more reps, seeing the balls off the bat better, getting good breaks on balls. At the plate, my No. 1 goal is to drive the ball, to try not to chase pitches.

"I was decent but I wasn't a star," Corsaletti said of his Little League career. "I was never a standout stud anywhere I played. But I always worked hard, and I worked a lot when nobody was watching."

The former Charlotte High School and University of Florida player hopes to follow the career path of good friend Jacoby Ellsbury this season. Red Sox position players will report for training camp Feb. 20 in Fort Myers. Corsaletti's game is somewhat similar to Ellsbury. Like Ellsbury, the 6-foot Corsaletti is a left-handed hitter who works the count and steals bases. Corsaletti hit .266 with six homers, 58 RBI and 20 stolen bases for Portland in 2007.

"He's a guy who is always on base," said pitcher Andrew Dobies, who played with Corsaletti at Portland. "He can take a pitcher out of his game. It's fun to watch."

It is probable that Bowden will open the regular season in Class AA, but a strong spring showing with and against major league players could vault him into Class AAA Pawtucket.

"Spring training really isn't a tryout, especially for guys in my situation," he said. "I'm going to work my butt off and do everything I can, but I'm not going to hurt myself. If I do perform very well I guess there could be a chance I could start in Triple A, which would be by far the best case scenario."

The Red Sox have been tracking Bowden's offseason closely, bringing him to Boston on three occasions and sending him to the team's facility in Pensacola, Fla. for five weeks.

"It feels good to feel like a priority," he said. "I know they think highly of me and you can't go wrong with that. It's a good feeling and I hope I can keep them thinking that way."

At the end of the 2007 regular season, right before the playoffs kicked off, NESN counted down the Top 10 greatest regular season moments of 2007.

10. Josh Beckett wins #20 - September 21st at Tampa Bay
9. Coco Crisp's walkoff single - August 14th vs. Devil Rays
8. Coco Crisp's crazy outfield catches
7. Red Sox come back against Yankees - April 20th
6. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers
5. David Ortiz walkoff homerun - September 12th vs. Devil Rays
4. Curt Schilling's 1-hitter - June 7th at Oakland
3. Mother's Day Miracle - May 13th vs. Orioles
2. Clay Buchholz's No-Hitter - September 1st vs. Orioles
1. Red Sox win 1st AL East title since 1995 - September 28th

Here's NESN's video clip highlight reel:

Detroit had a great commercial campaign in 2005 that asked fans "Who's Your Tiger?"

Now I finally can answer that question. Who's my Tiger? One Mr. Sean Casey. The Globe and Herald are both reporting Sean has agreed to a one-year contract with the Sox for $800,000, which will be officially announced once he passes a physical. That means Youk and Lowell will have a solid backup when they need to take a day off (Sean will always play 1st, and Youk could switch to 3rd to cover Mike)-- and he can even step in for Big Papi on occasion as well.

Sean is a gamer- and is known for being one of the classiest guys in the game and a great clubhouse asset. Just last year he was voted the friendliest guy in baseball by major league baseball players by a staggering margin, the vote wasn't even close. It sounds sort of hokey, except the ballplayers took their vote very seriously-- and no one was allowed to vote for a teammate (so that means everyone respects him, not just his fellow Tigers). He also gives a ton of his time and money to charity, and he and Sox fan Conan O'Brien even co-founded a charity together based out of Lawrence, MA.

Also, this guy below? Will fit in perfectly with our team.

Papelbon can always use some assistance with clubhouse celebrations.

EDIT: To add a link and quotes from a Jayson Stark story about various unemployed ballplayers who have had a hard time this offseason trying to get placed:

We've often observed that it's amazing how far away spring training seems on Dec. 31 -- and how close it seems on Jan. 1. But when you flip that calendar to February and you still don't have a job, let's just say the old nervous system can tend to act up.

Consider the example of another fellow who didn't have a team to call his own until Friday -- The Mayor himself, Sean Casey. On Friday morning, Casey agreed to a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Red Sox. But as late as Thursday afternoon, he was as frazzled as a relentlessly upbeat guy like him ever gets.

"In December, when I didn't have a job, I thought, 'Hey, that's all right. It's December,'" Casey said. "I figured by the beginning of January, we'd get something done. But then you look up and it's almost February. I talked to my agent the other day. He said, 'Just be patient.' I said, 'How much more patience do I need to have?'"

Why, for instance, would a 33-year-old, .301 lifetime hitter like Casey have found himself jobless all the way into February? True, he only hit 4 home runs last year. But after a slow start, he did basically what he always has done for a decade-- get his hits.

After May 1, Casey's stat line looked like this: .317 avg./.372 on-base/.424 slugging. Compare that to, say, J.D. Drew in the same period (.269/.373/.429). Or Jeff Francoeur (.290/.332/.426). Or Delmon Young (.294/.323/.410).

All those guys managed to stay employed. But of course, they were younger. Or under contract already. But Casey picked a rough winter to be a free agent- a winter full of suggestions like, "If you played another position besides just first base..."

"If I played some outfield or a little third base, I'd have signed two months ago," the Mayor told Rumblings the other day.

"Here's an idea," we told him. "Do you have a catcher's mask?"

"I could do that," he said. "I could catch. But my career would be over in about four innings."

Luckily for him, it never came to that. Luckily for him, the Red Sox finally figured out he was exactly the kind of supplemental left-handed bat they needed.

By request, here is a bunch more background information on the newest Sox signee, Sean Casey. I might as well go ahead and name him my Baseball Boyfriend of the Day, because it's basically impossible to find anyone who has anything bad at all to say about him.

Boston Globe - July 13, 2005: Reds star steps in with local priest to fight hunger in Lawrence

A communications major in college, Casey makes Kevin Millar of the Sox look bashful by comparison. His nickname on the Reds is the ''Mayor," because he has a word for everybody, including sportswriters, whom he stunned one spring at the Reds training facility in Sarasota, Fla., when he sauntered into the press room, introduced himself and welcomed them, all before even saying hello to his teammates.

The San Diego Union-Tribune once surveyed the Padres on which first baseman was the league's chattiest. Casey won going away. ''Casey takes it to a different level," Padres infielder Phil Nevin said at the time. ''He's like that guy in 'Seinfeld,' the close-to-your-face talker. You think Casey is going to lick your face."

Cappetta laughs when describing Casey's exuberance. ''Sean's an awesome guy," he said. ''An incredible extrovert, but very humble. He's definitely got his feet grounded."

Detroit's first baseman is the boy scout who outgrew his uniform, but not his pledge. He is baseball's best Samaritan, a genuine, honest-to-goodness, real-life George Bailey, only with much better bat speed.

He is the first ballplayer you would pick if you were selecting a son.

Sean Casey is one of those individuals who restore your faith in humanity and force you to confront your own failings. He is a .302 lifetime hitter who is hitting .333 in his first World Series, but his batting average is the least of his assets. Casey is virtue without sanctimony, charity without calculation. When we both worked in Cincinnati, I learned to limit my Casey columns so as to avoid fawning over him.

"He is the absolute best, he really is," Reds publicity director Rob Butcher said yesterday. "There probably isn't a more sincere person on the face of the earth. Of all the guys I've ever had, Sean's the most difficult for me to deal with because people ask him to do everything and they expect him to do everything. He's concerned about hurting people's feelings. He hates telling people no."

CHATTY CAT: Tigers' Casey plays, talks good game

BY SHAWN WINDSOR

Most major league first basemen offer at least some kind of greeting when opposing batters reach first. Then there is the Tigers' Sean Casey, a soft-handed, gap-hitting human Rolodex, capable of recalling minute details about the lives of nearly every player who enters his corner fiefdom.

Or at least it seems that way.

"I remember last year in Pittsburgh," recalled Tigers centerfielder Curtis Granderson when Casey was still playing for the Pirates. "I ended up at first. And he said, 'Man, you're a little guy. I didn't know you had as much power as you did.' Now, I had just gotten a single, so his comment didn't make sense. And then he told me he'd been watching highlights on TV."

Granderson was halfway into his first full season.

"I couldn't believe he even knew who I was," he said.

It is not an uncommon reaction around the sport, and it's part of the reason Casey was voted the friendliest guy in baseball in a Sports Illustrated poll in May. In fact, the vote wasn't close: More than 460 players were polled, and Casey took almost half the votes. The players who tied for second, Jim Thome of the White Sox and Mike Sweeney of the Royals, took roughly 30.

Last month, when the Tigers were in Washington playing the Nationals, Granderson toured Congress with Casey and a few other teammates.

"... And we are walking up when a security guard with a rifle spotted us. He looked intense. Until he saw Sean," Granderson said.

The guard and the chattiest player in baseball began talking. Then Casey slipped inside to watch the Senate vote, and Granderson heard whispers behind him, because a group of tourists recognized Casey. He knew them, too. They'd bumped into the loquacious first baseman a few years back.

And on it went.

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