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.
A Look At The Rooks
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.
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."
Random Sox Theatre: Top 10
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:
video courtesy of NESN
Casey At The Bat
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?'"
and:
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.
Closer Look At The Mayor
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.
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."
My favorite is a July 15, 2007 article in the Detroit Free Press, which isn't online, so I've quoted it here in its entirety:
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.
Manny Ramireztotally swears he'll be reporting to spring training on time this year. Promise. Honest. This offseason, he's been working out at Athletes Performance in Arizona, with Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Kyle Snyder and other major leaguers. He spoke with the Boston Herald during one of those workouts, and said:
I'll be there on the 21st (of February).
I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing. What will everyone have to freak out about if Manny reports on time and in perfect shape? Never fear, he's destined to continue to give the media "controversial" soundbites they can blow out of proportion and flip out over.
Case in point - Manny's television interview with Comcast New England on Friday.
video courtesy of Comcast New England
Manny, you really need to dial back that enthusiasm about spring training. Just chill out a little, relax. And this quote about his future with the Red Sox?
I want to stay in Boston. But I got two options, you know. And, like, in '09, if I don't get a deal... I don't think I'm coming back. [starts to sip coke] Right- [if I don't get an extension] in '09, I'm not coming back. [sips Coke]
Stuff like that is guaranteed to freak out the sensitive Boston media. Even though, really, what he's saying is pretty much true- if he has a strong season and they exercise his option but don't end up signing him to a contract extension, of COURSE he's going say he wants to move on and go elsewhere, because he's going to continue the same song and dance in the media he always has. He said something similar in the Herald article:
"Every year is the same," Ramirez added when asked if he was excited about heading to spring training. "I look forward to '08, '09 and maybe move on."
He sees himself as a long-term player- he mentioned in the Herald article he "wants to be like Julio Franco and play until he's 48." So I suppose if the Sox don't pony up and give him an extension so he can live out that long-term dream, he'll be wanting to hit the highway.
I also find it hilarious that even though he was given tickets to the Super Bowl by the Patriots, and he's already right there in Arizona, he's not going to the game. He gave the tickets away. And the Comcast guys are pretty sure Manny doesn't even know who the Pats are playing in the Super Bowl.
photos credit: Matt Stone
King Of The Hill
The Sox are the defending World Champions- and are also favored by Las Vegas to win it all again in 2008. Time to watch everyone else play a rousing game of "King Of The Hill" and try and knock the Sox off the top. The latest addition of Santana to the Mets roster pushes them ahead of the Yankees to take the #3 spot -- with the Angels and Tigers rounding out the Top Five. In the bottom five? The Orioles, Royals, Pirates and Rays are tied, but the Nationals take the worst odds crown.
The current odds, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which advises casino sports books on odds for sporting events.
Boston Red Sox 9-2
New York Mets 5-1
New York Yankees 11-2
Los Angeles Angels 15-2
Detroit Tigers 8-1
Cleveland Indians 10-1
Chicago Cubs 10-1
Atlanta Braves 16-1
Milwaukee Brewers 18-1
Arizona Diamondbacks 18-1
Philadelphia Phillies 20-1
Toronto Blue Jays 20-1
Colorado Rockies 22-1
San Diego Padres 22-1
Los Angeles Dodgers 22-1
St. Louis Cardinals 28-1
Seattle Mariners 35-1
Minnesota Twins 40-1
Houston Astros 40-1
Cincinnati Reds 55-1
Chicago White Sox 60-1
Oakland Athletics 65-1
San Francisco Giants 85-1
Texas Rangers 100-1
Florida Marlins 125-1
Baltimore Orioles 150-1
Kansas City Royals 150-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 150-1
Tampa Bay Rays 150-1
Washington Nationals 200-1
If the teams were ranked based on their odds of winning the World Series, from #1 (Red Sox) to #30 (Nationals), and then the rankings of the teams in each division were averaged (I know, questionable method of ranking them- but fun to look at nonetheless): the AL East comes out on top with an average ranking of 13.5, and the AL West is the bottom division with a 16.75 average ranking. The AL East and NL East each have three of their five teams in the Top 11; the AL West has just one team in the top 11.
AL East = 13.5 average ranking
1 Boston Red Sox
3 New York Yankees
t11 Toronto Blue Jays
t26 Baltimore Orioles
t26 Tampa Bay Rays
NL West = 14.2 average ranking
t9 Arizona Diamondbacks
t13 Colorado Rockies
t13 San Diego Padres
t13 Los Angeles Dodgers
23 San Francisco Giants
NL East = 15.2 average ranking
2 New York Mets
8 Atlanta Braves
t11 Philadelphia Phillies
25 Florida Marlins
30 Washington Nationals
AL Central = 15.2 average ranking
5 Detroit Tigers
t6 Cleveland Indians
t18 Minnesota Twins
21 Chicago White Sox
t26 Kansas City Royals
NL Central = 15.83 average ranking
t6 Chicago Cubs
t9 Milwaukee Brewers
16 St. Louis Cardinals
t18 Houston Astros
20 Cincinnati Reds
t26 Pittsburgh Pirates
AL West = 16.75 average ranking
4 Los Angeles Angels 15-2
17 Seattle Mariners 35-1
22 Oakland Athletics 65-1
24 Texas Rangers 100-1
Don't anybody dare say that word that rhymes with "Prepeat"- there will be no jinxing allowed on these premises!
What A Sellout
The Red Sox spring training game against the Dodgers in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 29th sold out all 90,505 tickets within one hour on Saturday.
The Coliseum was the home of the Dodgers after they arrived from Brooklyn in 1958, and the Sox-Dodgers game will be the first time baseball has been played in there since the Dodgers departed for Dodger Stadium after the 1961 season. Well, make that the first time real baseball has been played there -- the Coliseum was set up in various configurations to play the role of Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.'s Griffith Stadium and even Fenway Park for the 2001 HBO film 61*.
There were a whole host of peculiarities about the Coliseum- which was converted from an Olympic venue to accommodate baseball. From ballparkwatch:
Dugouts, three banks of lights and a press box were added. Because of the orientation of the diamond, there was a ton of space in foul ground down the left-field line, but very little space between the right-field line and the bleachers.
The baseball diamond was crammed into one end of the stadium, resulting in a left-field line measuring only 250 feet. A 40-foot screen was constructed to counter the intimate dimensions, but it didn't do that much good: the balls flew out of the park because of the intimate dimensions. In fact, the disparity between home runs hit to left and home runs hit to right field was staggering. In 1958, 193 home runs were hit in the Coliseum -- 182 to left, 3 to center, and 8 to right.
Below is a photo of the Coliseum showing the funky outfield fence- and here's a little more on that fence:
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ordered the Dodgers to erect a screen in left field to prevent pop flies from becoming home runs. At its highest point at the foul pole, the fence was 42 feet high. The cables, towers, girders and wires were in play. Frick originally wanted the Dodgers to build a second screen in the stands, 333 feet from the plate. A ball hit to left would have to clear both screens to be a home run. However, the state's earthquake laws barred construction of a second screen.
Unable to compel the Dodgers to fix the situation, the major leagues passed a note to Rule 1.04 stating that any ball field constructed after June 1, 1958, must provide a minimum distance of 325 feet down each foul line.
Tangentially Related To Football
I hear there's some sort of football game going on today. Which gives me the perfect excuse to post about Kelley Washington - special teams standout for the Patriots... and former roommate of Josh Beckett.
Back in 2000, Kelley was a fourth-year minor leaguer for the Marlins organization, playing 3B for the Kane County Cougars in the Midwest League. Josh had just been drafted in 1999 by the Marlins, and was also playing for Kane County. Kelley was in his last minor league year -- he was struggling and would leave for college football in 2001; Josh was in his first minor league season and about to rocket up through the minors. And the two were thrown together as roomies, and still remain friends now.
'[Josh] was intense,'' the New England Patriots wide receiver recalled between Tuesday's double sessions at the team's Gillette Stadium training camp. ''He knows what he wants and he's a real tough competitor. That's what's got him to this point in his career.''
'A lot of the players I played against are playing in the major leagues now,'' said Washington. ''It's gratifying to me just to see that they've made it.''
The two have traveled different routes - Washington makes his living with his hands, Beckett with his right arm - but as teammates on the Kane County Cougars they shared a number of similarities.
''I haven't talked to Josh Beckett probably in about a year,'' said Washington, ''but it seems like every time we see each other we catch up just because we were roommates and spent a lot of time together when we did play baseball together.''
Beckett said Washington stood out in more than two sports.
"Even as a baseball player, he was a good basketball player. He always had that urge to play basketball, and I thought that's what he'd do," Beckett said last week in the Red Sox clubhouse. "He has all of the tools and he's an unbelievable athlete. I guess when you're that good, you can do whatever you want."
Washington was likewise impressed with Beckett when they played together from 1998-99 for the Marlins Single-A affiliate.
"I knew from actually the first day I met him that he had some type of presence about him," Washington said. "Once he got on the mound it was just like, wow, give him a couple of years and he's going to make it.
You roomed with Josh Beckett as a minor leaguer. Do you still keep up with him?
Yeah, I just saw Josh at his "Beckett Bowl" event. Every time we see each other, it's like you never left because we spent so much time together.
Did you ever get to face Beckett in batting practice?
Oh yeah. It's tough. Even in the minors, anybody can hit a fastball, even if it's 95 miles per hour, but his curveball is just basically unstoppable. He's just doing the same thing now that he did back in the minor leagues. I always knew that one day he'd be performing like he does at the Major League level. He hasn't disappointed anybody. You always knew he was going to be great.
My favorite question, though, is from this piece in the Sporting News from yesterday- from February 2008:
As for Josh Beckett, your old roommate: Cocky player or the most cocky player ever? You can only pick one.
(Laughs) Cocky player. Cocky, confident player. In a good way.
What was your take on Beckett when you first met him?
I knew he was a high school phenom. He was a first-round pick and I knew he was going to make it one day. He carried himself in a manner where he knew he was good and it was just a matter of time for him to make the majors. It was a good opportunity for me to meet him and be roommates with him and get to know him.
Eye Of The Beholder
There was an interesting mini-interview quoted over in the Royal Rooters forum back at the end of November. Ten coaches and infielders (including three current Red Sox players) were asked where their eyes are trained -- and should be trained -- from the time the pitcher looks in for his sign until the ball reaches the hitting zone. Their answers were similar, but also indicative of the fact that no two people look at things in exactly the same way.
Alex Cora:
I'm looking at the pitcher to get my timing, then, at his delivery, I'm looking at the strike zone to see where the pitch is. Before that, I always want to know what pitch was called, and the location, so I check the signs. The first time through the order usually dictates how guys are reacting to pitches, so I look for that. But even if I'm anticipating where the ball might be hit, I'm not leaning with my body. That gets you in trouble if the ball is hit to your other side. I am leaning with my mind, though.
Julio Lugo:
I watch the strike zone, because that's where the ball is coming at you from. If there's a man on base, I'm looking at both the runner and the pitcher before he delivers the ball. Before that I'm looking at what pitch is coming. You always want to know the signs. And you want to stay still. You don't want to be moving when the pitch is delivered.
Dustin Pedroia:
I look at the sign, but I'm not sure I can tell you if my eyes usually go back to the pitcher or stay at home plate. For me, defense is basically awareness, and the ball off the bat is a reaction play.
It would be even more interesting to ask Dustin this same question again in five years, and see if (and how) his answer changes.
The Sky Is Falling!
Since the Super Bowl passed us by yesterday (I know certain fans are trying to avoid mention of that event right now), we've officially entered The Lull- the period when there is next-to-nothing going on in the sports world except random basketball games and fake sports like "soccer" and "hockey".* *Kidding!**
** Sort of.
I guess that also means it's time for everyone to start dreaming up stuff to freak out over, since there's no actual baseball news and P&C is still 10 days away. Things like a tiny little tidbit in Peter Gammons' latest article, which has apparently caused several writers to start wringing their hands with worry:
We'd better enjoy Josh Beckett the next three years. Because we won't be able to sign him after his deal is up after 2010.
Why? Why wouldn't we be able to sign him? I can think of three reasons:
1. He is injured or sucks - in which case, why would the Sox want him?
2. He develops a hatred for Boston - in which case, why would the Sox want him?
3. The Sox can't afford him - which is a preposterous load of bull.
The Sox are not poor orphans in rags with no money to spend. They operate under the second-highest payroll in baseball, and have demonstrated that when there's a player they want (Manny, Dice-K), they are more than willing to pony up the cash. If this is Gammons trying to dredge up the old "POOR SOX!" routine, it makes no sense-- and no one can seriously work themselves up into a tizzy worrying that the Red Sox can't afford to bring Beckett back (especially considering Manny's salary will be off the books by then). I find it extremely hard to believe anyone in the front office is operating under this kind of thinking, either; it's a holdover woe-is-me attitude that is neither accurate nor becoming on the new era Sox. This is not the Way Of The Theo.
This is what we've come to? People are going to go all Chicken Little on Josh Beckett THREE YEARS in advance? Perhaps a giant pill of chill is in order.
Also, I wish Gammons would let go of this ridiculous notion that Josh is bitter about his contract, and looking to get out at any available opportunity. Josh is not an idiot- coming off of a rather mediocre year for him, he got an extension that offered him security and a very nice paycheck, and he signed the deal with eyes wide open. Josh has also never demonstrated himself to be some kind of greed-filled person, and has specifically refuted any notion of being unsatisfied with his place or with his contract. Josh and the rest of these guys want to get paid, no doubt-- but he's not sitting around in a dark room plotting how to escape the clutches of the Sox.
So as a matter of fact I will enjoy Josh Beckett the next three years. I will enjoy having a killer ace on the staff during the prime of his career, and at a price that is FAR under his market value. If he gets hurt or starts to suck or becomes a clubhouse cancer, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But any goofball who is going to run around screaming that the sky is going to fall on our heads in three years is (1) a masochist, (2) an idiot, (3) wrong.
Fat Tuesday, Y'all
A big fat Happy Mardi Gras to everyone on this big Fat Tuesday. Also, a slice of virtual King Cake for each person (question is: who gets the baby?) - I plan on getting some in person soon, because I'll be back in New Orleans on Friday after several years away. Enjoy this last day of crazy overindulgence before the Lenten season of restraint... and don't forget to vote if you're in a Super Tuesday state!
Giuliani Joins The Sox
Rudy Giuliani is finally going to get his heart's desire... he's going to be a part of the Boston Red Sox.
The folks at Topps baseball card company are making Mr. New Yorker the subject of a small practical joke following on the heels of his bandwagon jumping to the Sox during the 2007 World Series. Topps is issuing a very limited edition form of the Red Sox team card- which shows the Sox jumping around mid-celebration... but with a little something extra.
Big Apple-based Topps designed the special card to promote the 2008 season collection - due in stores tomorrow.
"We read about Rudy rooting for the Red Sox and we thought - why not put him in the middle of the celebration," said Clay Luraschi, baseball brand manager for Topps.
Jonny B. Goode
Seems like someone is awful excited to get the 2008 baseball season underway...
Jon Lester is already in Ft. Myers-- he reported for spring training a full ten days in advance of the official date for Sox pitchers and catchers to report. A bulked-up Jon (he's now up to 225 pounds (!) after reporting at 190 last year) was at the Sox spring training complex yesterday, and threw a bullpen session of about 35 pitches.
"It's been a habit for me since probably about '04. It just feels weird not getting down here early. I like to get a head start and get used to the sun and get used to running outside and the grass and getting up early and all that stuff."
And unlike last year at this time -- when Lester's comeback from cancer was one of the biggest stories of camp -- the left-hander is a story for baseball reasons only this spring.
"I had a full offseason this year to work out and didn't have any [chemotherapy] drugs going through me," said Lester. "I feel good. I just put on a little weight -- I'm about 225 now. Hopefully, I can maintain it and not lose it the first week I'm down here in the sun. Maybe [I'll] be a little stronger for the long haul this year."
I know I just named Sean Casey my Baseball Boyfriend of the Day back on Friday, but any player who is as jazzed as I am to get rolling on '08 snatches away Baseball Boyfriend honors automatically.
Tuesday Curveball
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 Three What is the most embarrassing piece of Red Sox memorabilia you own? Don't tell us about your most treasured memorabilia- the dirt from Busch Stadium after game 4, the autographed Yaz jersey... I want to hear about the dorky, lame or otherwise embarassing Sox stuff you've got.
As always, if you're a fan of another team, substitute your team for "Red Sox" in the question above.
Welcome Back, Red
Our own World Series Game 4 homerun-hitting, outfield wall-hitting, troll doll lookalike (and I mean that with nothing but affection) will be back in the outfield for the Sox in 2008.
Bobby Kielty and the Red Sox have agreed to a (nonguaranteed) one-year contract for 2008, to the tune of $800,000 if he makes the Sox roster with up to $300,000 in incentives based on games played and at-bats. Bobby had similar offers from other (unnamed) clubs - but he wanted back on the defending World Champion roster.
Throughout the offseason I received a couple of similar offers but I really wanted to get back to the Red Sox. I enjoyed my time there. They like me hitting from the right side and I should see a lot of at-bats from there. (Manager Terry Francona) wants me to hit against some left-handed pitching.
The contract's not guaranteed, so that means he's not assured of making the 25-man-- but signing a fifth outfielder also likely means there's a trade for Coco Crisp in the works.
"I think their focus now is that Coco and Jacoby will compete for a job," [Bobby] said from his California home. "I don't think they'd tell me anything of their plans but I think even with Coco there, I'd still get right-handed at-bats against left-handed pitching."
Total wishful thinking - but a Crisp for Taylor Teagarden trade would be great. I'd love to get Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but that ain't happening - and Teagarden would fulfill the catching prospect role we need badly. I don't think the Rangers are necessarily in the market for a CF, though - so it would take some serious wheeling and dealing.
Sox Are Old And Short (But Not Fat)
ESPN has a handy-dandy little tool comparing the rosters of all 30 major league baseball teams - from which I must point out that:
1. The Sox are the oldest team in the league, with an average age of 29.8 (Schil, Wake & Timlin)
2. The Sox are fairly short, with an average height of 6'1" (Dustin)
However:
3. The Sox are reporting in at an average of 202 pounds, so at least they're trim.
I'd expect that to go up slightly once the rosters are updated to reflect reporting at Spring Training - Lester weighs 35 pounds more than last year, Buchholz has put on about 20 pounds of muscle, too... although some of that will be offset because Schilling will report in at a significantly smaller weight than last year. I won't even try to hazard a guess what Manny will report in at.
Fattest team in the league? The Yankees - at 217 pounds (Giambi, Chamberlain). The question is: which team has the fattest craniums from the biggest egos swelling their heads?
hat tip to Boston Dirt Dogs with the link
Truck Day! Truck Day!
It's almost time, kiddies... Saturday is TRUCK DAY!
That means the big-ass 18-wheeler that carries all the Sox equipment and other assorted doohickies, thingamajigs and dealiebobs to spring training down in Ft. Myers will be heading out from Fenway Park in Boston to make the almost 1,500 mile journey.
It also means spring training and baseball are now officially upon us. I think this calls for a SQUEEEEE!
Things that The Truck cannot forget to bring down to Ft. Myers:
cribbage board
Parlay the parrot
watercoolers for kicking when angry
life-size cardboard Manny... just in case he doesn't show
Bud Light
empty Bud Light cases
notepad for Schilling to hunch over
jerseys for new guys Casey and Aardsma
WORLD SERIES TROPHY
The Mind: It Is Blown
Regular readers around here know of my (embarrassing) devotion to Fire Joe Morgan. I've written about their work several times, and even named them a collective Baseball Boyfriend of the Day for their hilarious ripping to shreds of shitty arguments baseball writers use to support their Cooperstown nominations. I have yet to read a post over there that didn't cause me to nearly pee my pants with laughter- and I am not exaggerating there. The fact that the guys who write FJM are all Red Sox fans just made them that much cooler.
Up until now, though, the writers have all been completely anonymous. No one knew who they were or where they were or what they did.
But now, consider my mind officially blown because they revealed their identities this week... and Ken Tremendous, FJM writer extraordinaire (and Sox fan), is Mose from The Office. That's right, the writer behind my favorite blog is a the co-executive producer and writer on my favorite show on television.
It's like the universe suddenly all seems to make sense. Of course my favorite blog and my favorite TV show and my favorite team are all connected. Of course!
Seriously- if my previous proselytizing hasn't gotten you over to read FJM before now, I'm making one last empassioned plea: You must read Fire Joe Morgan. If you are a baseball fan, you need FJM like the desert needs the rain. Trust me on this.
Buchholz Retires
Never fear- Clay Buchholz isn't retiring from baseball... but his jersey number was retired by Angelina College last night in Lufkin, Texas.
click on picture for full-size version
Clay pitched for the Roadrunners of Angelina College in 2004 and 2005 while wearing the number 11, and set several records along the way-- including season ERA (1.05) and season strikeouts (29). In addition, Buchholz hit .362 with six homers, 24 RBIs and 10 stolen bases as a sophomore.
During halftime of last night's basketball game at Angelina College, his former coach presented him with a framed commemorative #11 jersey and spoke about Clay's accomplishments as a Roadrunner and for the Red Sox.
With a full crowd of former teammates, fans, college instructors and coaches on hand, Buchholz thanked all those who, he said, "gave him a chance."
"There were teachers and coaches here who just kept pushing me to do the best I could do in the classroom and on the field," Buchholz said. "They never allowed me to believe anything else except that I could become successful.
"I'm very grateful for what they did for me here.
photo credit: Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News
Farewell
The Red Sox added Sean Casey, David Aardsma and reacquired Bobby Kielty, and "lost" Eric Gagne (good riddance!) and Matt Clement. Now it's time to also officially say farewell to Eric Hinske and Brendan Donnelly.
Eric signed a minor league contract with the Devil Rays, which will get him an invite to spring training. The contract will pay him a base of $800,000 if he makes the major league roster, with up to $250,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. Poor guy doesn't sound exactly thrilled with the move from the World Champions to the bottom-dwelling Devil Rays... but grateful that he at least has employment.
"I'm excited to join the Rays," said Hinske in a telephone interview. "After talking to [Andrew Friedman, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations], I thought it was the best fit for me. Obviously I wanted a Major League contract, but I didn't have any offers. So I'm excited to be a Ray."
While a lot of Sox writers, commentators and bloggers were busy earlier this week freaking out about the non-existent Josh Beckett issue, apparently there was an actual, real, live rotation issue that they would have been better served freaking out about.
The Boston Herald is reportingCurt Schilling could be lost for the 2008 season to a "significant" shoulder injury.
While the precise nature of Schilling's injury is not known, it is believed that the right-hander is suffering from an injury to the rotator cuff and/or labrum that might require surgery.
If Schilling has surgery on his shoulder, it is almost certain that he would be unable to pitch this season.
Not only does that result in an automatic hole in the rotation (so much for those pipe dreams of a six-man!), it also apparently is causing major friction between Schilling and the Sox front office, most likely centered around (a) when and how did he injure the shoulder? presuming he was OK during any pre-contractual physical back in November; and (b) can the Sox void his 2008 contract?
While neither Schilling nor Sox officials could be reached for comment, baseball sources have indicated that the club has at least inquired about the possibility of voiding the one-year, $8 million contract Schilling signed last November. It is not known to what lengths the Sox have gone on the matter, but their threat has been serious enough to create a conflict between Schilling and the Red Sox.
Julian Tavarez could step in to fill the fifth starter's role, leaving Clay Buchholz with the (assumed) planned extra time in Pawtucket -- but the insane Sox schedule in April makes the thought of seeing Julian every five days scary, to say the least. Maybe the Sox will jump in the FA market or make a trade for another viable SP.
EDIT:
When reached via e-mail by the Globe's Amalie Benjamin today, Schilling declined to comment on this story about his ailing shoulder, writing "I cannot comment right now on any of this, sorry!"
EDIT 2:
Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling will not have shoulder surgery for what appears to be a partial tear of his rotator cuff, despite the recommendation of the doctor who operated on the shoulder in 1995, and will follow the more conservative course recommended by Sox medical director Thomas Gill, after the club and player agreed to submit to today's recommendation by an outside medical expert.
Even without surgery, the 41-year-old Schilling is not expected to be ready to pitch until the All-Star break, according to several sources familiar with his condition.
According to one source, the Sox raised the possibility that Schilling would forfeit his contract if he proceeded to have surgery without their permission, and there were indications that the dispute has led to strained feelings between the parties.
There is a provision contained in an attachment to the new collective bargaining agreement that sets out a process in which the club and player ask for a third medical expert to intervene. In this case, the parties turned to Dr. David Altchek, the medical director of the New York Mets, who sided with the club, according to sources.
Cajun Flavor
I'm headed out the door for the weekend to New Orleans- and given my past experiences in that city, I doubt I'll have any time to update 'round these parts. But never say never- I'm bringing my laptop, so maybe I'll have some time in the airports. I'm way behind on answering emails and getting some planned posts up -- I'll catch up once I'm back home.
If y'all want to use this as a random open thread while I'm gone, to discuss any news - please do!
Now it's off to the Crescent City for some of my favorite food in the whole world- crawfish... yummy. I've got a hankering for a hurricane like you wouldn't believe!
Good morning America how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
And just because... Wes Welker in a Sox hat!
image credit: Boston Herald
Rounding the Bases
Rounding up all the latest Red Sox news and notes in one post. This edition will cover everything that happened in Soxland while I was out of commission in sunny, warm, beautiful New Orleans over the weekend. Going from the 75 degree sunshine of NOLA to the -5 degree (real temp! not wind chill!) of Chicago in one day was brutal. Thank goodness I have baseball to come home to.
Clay Buchholz: Already in Ft. Myers sporting a "Season begins now" shirt, spent two months at the API in Pensacola (that's where he saw the Sox win the Series- sad panda!), but can't throw a video no-hitter to save his life.
Josh Beckett: Has arrived in Ft. Myers, and already threw a short session with his personal trainer (who also happens to be his girlfriend's brother).
Kevin Youkilis: Buffed himself up in Arizona and landed himself a one year contract.
Daisuke Matsuzaka & Hideki Okajima: Japan is representin' - both guys showed up early in Florida, and have started throwing.
Dustin Pedroia: Still officially has the biggest mouth (and ego) on the team - which is saying something. It's also why we heart him.
What are your own favorite things from the last few weeks of the offseason? Post your favorite photos in the comments.
Photos credit (in order): Charles Krupa, Marc Beaudin, Boston Herald and Anne (aka amh03).
Random Sox Theatre: Daily Show
Red Sox Chick posted her favorite Daily Show video, so I decided that I'd do another installment of Random Sox Theatre and post mine. This is Rob Corddry doin' his Boston thing, back in July of 2004. Granted, it's not exclusively Red Sox, but Fenway makes an appearance, so it counts.
Tuesday Curveball
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 Four
Since Lenten season is now upon us, it's time to give up some bad habits. What bad habit or behavior will you try to give up for this baseball season? Doesn't matter if you're Catholic or Protestant, Jewish, Muslim or atheist -- I know most of us have at least one or two bad behaviors we exhibit at the ballpark, or bad habits we follow when watching baseball games. This is your chance to try and fix one of those- what are you giving up for Baseballent? (see what I did there!)
As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.
Rounding the Bases
Rounding up all the latest Red Sox news and notes in one post.
Clay Buchholzworked hard in the offseason on his strength and conditioning -- and also on watching lots of the "Hostel" movies and playing PlayStation3. Oh to have been a fly on the wall in the apartment he shared with Michael Bowden down in Florida this offseason...
It also looks like it's going to be a tighter battle for that Number 5 spot in the rotation between Clay and Julian Tavarez.
Jon Lesterknows that being pencilled in to the rotation isn't good enough, he wants to prove he's ready to be written in the order in ink.
Daisuke Matsuzakaconfessed to some fatigue during the 2007 season-- he was used to some mid-season fatigue in Japan, but last year he felt tired from spring training all the way through October. He also has asked for privacy about where she will be for the birth of their first child in March, saying, "She's just in a very sort of delicate situation right now and I'd prefer not to answer any questions." Dice-K was out again throwing this morning, amid lightning and rain in Ft. Myers.
It seems a couple of our favorite pitchers have reported for duty down in Ft. Myers with a little something extra this year.
We already saw Daisuke Matsuzaka's creative faux-hawk/mullet combo I posted about back in January, and it seems the mullet-hawk has followed him down to Florida (and apparently is also big news for some Sox reporters). The mohawk he had last season was great -- and now he's taking it to the next level in '08.
One Mr. Josh Beckett has also brought a couple of new friends with him to Florida. Just a few weeks ago, the Beckett trademark chin hair was gone- he was looking all young and fresh-faced and happy. It's back to business for Josh, and he's got that all-business chin hair fully grown in again. The Inside Track girls (and some segments of the Boston media) are saying he's also got something else new this year:
Beckett, working out at the Sox' Minor League complex yesterday, looks like he spent the winter eating barbecue and drinking beer down there in South Texas.
But calm down, Red Sox Nation. Our Florida spies say that Josh hasn't gone Schilling, circa spring 2007, and he isn't actually as flabby as this photo makes him look.
In fact, Beckett arrived in camp with his personal trainer who helped build a gym for Josh inside his Texas compound and, word is, No. 19 is in better shape than he was last year at this time.
Even if there is a little extra beer belly there, I'd wager it's gone by this time next week. Or this time tomorrow.
Okajima's Got A Secret
It appears Hideki Okajima has a secret he's been keeping... a new pitch or two he's been working on in the offseason. He told reporters who asked him about techniques and pitches he'd tried over the winter workouts, and Okajima busted out the English "secret" to make sure nothing got lost in translation-- he wasn't going to tell.
I blame this squarely on the Keeping Up With the Joneses syndrome. Daisuke Matsuzaka has his gyroball. Jonathan Papelbon has his slutter. Okajima is just trying to keep up.
Happy Valentine's P&C Day!
Roses are red
Baseball's a sport
On Valentine's Day
Pitchers & catchers report!
It's finally here- the day we've waited for since October 29th, 2007. It's P&C time, y'all! Oh, yeah, and it's also Valentine's Day. But like I said at Ladies..., I'd much rather be treated to the boys of summer than yet another lame box of candy.
I upgraded the calendar display in the sidebar- now instead of displaying the full month (which had a tendency to cut event descriptions off, and there was that annoying mouseover window problem), the calendar now displays all the events happening today.
Thanks to Cubby Blue for the poetry.
Guess Who's Back?
Few days aren't improved by a Jonathan Papelbon press conference- and yesterday was no exception. The closer was back in fine form in Florida, reporting for duty to toss balls and answer reporters' questions. And given the fact that it was Valentine's Day, I can only assume Jonathan saved up some special soundbites just for the occasion.
Don't take my word for it- here's video of him holding court with reporters in Ft. Myers, talking about his spring training regimen plans, Roger Clemens and steroids, and his feelings on the trip to Japan:
video courtesy of NESN
And just in case you prefer to read the collected works of Jonathan Papelbon in print, here are some of yesterday's greatest hits:
On Spring Training:
Spring Training is always fun. Spring Training is the time to kind of relax and at the same time get ready for the season. I always get excited. Just on the way down here, driving, you think about what happened last year and going out there and doing it again. You turn the radio up loud and you're cruising. It's always a fun time of the year for me, that's for sure.
On his spring training regimen:
I'm gonna stick to closing, man. Last spring training I took a starter's approach and built up my arm strength. So I think for the first few weeks I'm going to be on the starter's throwing program again, so to speak, to build up my arm. It worked last year.
On the 2007 season:
I really didn't think about it a lot until I was on my way back here and thought what it meant. To me, to be a world champ is something you always remember.
Now, I'm kind of switching to the role of [hoping] to be remembered as a person who goes out there and repeats it. My whole goal now is to go out there and keep this ball rolling and pick up where we left off. It'll be tough. I know the challenges we've got ahead. I think if we stay healthy, like we did last year -- and that's going to be a big part of our training staff's [mission] and keep us on the programs that work -- hopefully we can keep chugging along and stay healthy.
On being recognized, and the patented Papeljig:
Back home in Mississippi and Jacksonville, [Fla.], when I'm going back and forth, a lot more people notice me. They give me this 'jig' [stuff]. I've got to come up with something new. Last year after we won it, I was in a hotel room partying, and Ortiz was there trying to show me how to do the breakdance. And he fell over, and he didn't know what he was doing. Either that or he was just too drunk. I don't know.
Some people said you're going out there and dancing and you're making a mockery. I didn't look at it like that. I looked at it like, 'I'm young, I'm doing what I want to do in life and I'm going to celebrate and do what I want to do, regardless of what anybody has to say.'
On the dog-ate-the-ball story that won't die:
If you believe it you believe it, if you don't you don't. What can I say?
On his duck-hunting buddy Eli Manning facing the Pats in the Super Bowl:
I was in the Bahamas when it happened. It was kind of a double-edged sword for me. You've got a friend as a quarterback who is trying to win a championship, and then you've got the Patriots, who are going to do something special, which you hope for them to do because they're in the same city and you want the city to be vibrant and full of life. But they fell short, and what can I say? They've got to go back to work, I guess.
On Joba Chamberlain starting the year in the bullpen
One thing I do know him staying in bullpen with Mariano going to help him (mentally). I think it's a good move.
On the Japan trip to open the season:
I'm not too excited about going to Japan, to be totally honest with you. I love my Japanese teammates and I love Japan -- let me say that, too. I'm not much of a traveler. I'm kind of a homebody; I like to stick to America. Hopefully, they have a McDonald's. We should be good.
On the Sox chances in 2008:
If we're not the team to beat, I'd like to know who is.
The true test of a team is: Can they do it again? Was it a fluke? Did they catch breaks? There's no reason we can't repeat as long as we stay healthy.
