I had my first round of blog doldrums today for many reasons, which stretched from a bad gas card to trying to explain to my 8-year-old that the Kia Rio that I just picked up isn’t fancy just because it has a lever on the door. That, I explained to him, was a good old fashioned window crank. Talk about a reality check. I swear that Kia only stays in business because of the reliance people like me on renting their modern-day Chevettes.
Before I forget, I want to make another suggestion to anybody heading to Fort Myers. Check out the Fox Sports Tonight show over at the beach … it’s a wild and wacky scene, and it is a good chance to see a Sox player in a casual setting. And no this plug has nothing to do with the fact they just gave me a bottle of Moet with the face of Greg and Gary on it. Also, if you want autographs and the laid-back attitude of spring training, go across town to the Twins complex. Your chances there of accomplishing your goals are expodentially better.
News of the day was Julian being Julian and talking about his good friend Manny possibly showing up on March 1. Check out the story in the Eagle-Tribune papers tommorrow on a player on the Red Sox who lived the life of Manny, faced Daisuke Matsuzaka numerous times, and has a place in Boston baseball lore despite never have yet donned a Sox uniform. As they say in the business, what a tease …
On to some really stupendous questions:
- In the article from a few days ago where Beckett is talking about trusting Varitek more, he mentioned that he had gotten away from his change-up and was pretty much throwing just 4-seamers and curves. Has there been any mention at all of the 2-seamer that he used to throw when he was with the Marlins? I remember it being a pretty good pitch for himand anything that would help his GB:FB ratio could help him drop his ERA by at least half a run. Did he stop throwing because of the blister concerns?
When sitting down with Beckett I actually asked him about perhaps not throwing the two-seamer as much, because Terry Francona had made reference to it once this offseason. Beckett said that he wasn’t hindered in that respect and did throw his two-seamer quite a bit. It sounds as if he plans on using the band-aid again this year (again, on advice from Al Leiter) during side sessions. But I do think that maybe you will see more change-ups and two-seamers than last year, while probably getting a better grasp on how to keep his curve sharp despite the band-aid. I don’t think this is going to be Marion Butts continuously pounding into the line. Beckett genuinely seems to have a pretty good grasp on some adjustments heading into his second AL season.
I was wondering what you think the Red Sox outfield is looking like, both right now and down the road? It seems as though the Sox have a very strong yet very delicate group of guys out there, and they’re pretty weak defensively. With Manny’s “Manny-isms,” Coco’s Johnny Damon-esque arm, and Wily Mo’s dizzy spells, defense isn’t a strong spot. How are Murphy and Ellsbury defensively, and how close are they to actually contributing? Also, how are the Sox going to juggle Wily Mo: into that outfield? I thought the plan was for him to take over for Manny when the time comes.
You left out a key part of their outfield plan and that is J.D. Drew’s potential in right field. They had said that the goal was to have a center field-type athlete playing right in Fenway and they feel like that has been accomplished. Most agree that Ellsbury is a top-shelf major league defender right now. But with the spots taken up right now, he will have time to let his offense catch up in Pawtucket. Numbers suggest that there is no room for Murphy, but I can’t see him going through another entire year in Triple A. I think this similar to the closer situation in that there will be some sort of change by mid-season. Getting Pena at-bats will be a challenge (barring injuries), and he isn’t going to play first base. With Eric Hinske aboard to bounce between infield and outfield, I have to believe that they will carry just Ramirez, Coco, Drew, and Pena. Ellsbury will be someone to watch for, although I think they would probably be hoping that Pedroia is hitting when they ultimately do call up Jacoby just to keep their “lengthening the lineup” mantra intact.
I noticed that you made a comment about Erik Hinske looking fit and trim, having dropped a few pounds in the offseason. So how does Boston benefit from having him taking a roster spot? It sounds as though the Red Sox expect to use Wily Mo Peña as the backup first baseman in addition to a fourth outfielder in order to give him a minimum of 400 at-bats this season, so how many opportunities will the former Rookie of the Year get this season to showcase his skills? Has he been reduced to a fifth option off the bench in the outfield and a third-string infielder? Or does Boston foresee using him as trade bait, maybe to bring Todd Helton to town?
I don’t think using Hinske as trade bait is a priority. They see him as a valuable (and relatively inexpensive) piece of the puzzle, having him spell at first and third, and in the outfield if necessary. The thing about Hinske is that he is really good in certain match-ups. For example, remember his first game against Chien-Ming Wang? Three doubles. Right now against Wang Hinske is hitting .625 against Wang (10 for 16). This is something Francona does very well, spotting players at the right time, as was evidenced in June last season when he used Alex Cora and Alex Gonzalez well enough to have the No. 9 spot in the order hit better than .400 for the month.
Rob, do you get any feel from the players or management that there will be another shoe to drop this spring, like a trade? Also will the Sox carry 2 lefties in the bullpen?
Unless the closing situation falls apart and a potential candidate becomes available, I don’t see anything major. Then again, maybe somebody steps up and wants to pay 90 cents on the dollar for Manny and they listen. And the Helton thing bears watching up until Opening Day. As for two lefties, I think it’s a very real possibility with the presence of J.C. Romero and Hideki Okajima. Righty hitters did hit .382 off of Romero last season, so that is a concern if you are hoping to use him more than situationally. But he is making $1.6 million this season and, except for what could have been a World Baseball Classic-induced hiccup, has a solid track record. Okajima would seem to get the nod in any close competition because of the investment (2-year deal with an option) and comraderie with Matsuzaka.
In the offseason it was reported that part of Doug Mirabelli’s contract contained “conditioning incentives.” My question: Does he look any different? All the catcher media attention is on Tek and I want to know about Doug too.
Mirabelli definitely looks in better shape than at any point last season. The weight loss can only help a balky back which appeared to affect his bad-speed at times last year. Yesterday he had a sit-down with Terry Francona and new bullpen coach Gary Tuck. (It is part of the Sox’s new series of one-on-one meetings.) I think Tuck can really help the entire catching corps. When you talk to people about him the words “world’s best catching instructor” has come up on more than one occasion.
Are the Sox anywhere close to getting younger at catcher, preferably one who can do something with the stick? (This isn’t a swipe at Tek - I believe there is lots of juice in that grape, but I still can’t get over the Sox dealing the somewhat solid-hitting Bard because
he couldn’t catch the aging Wakefield, who didn’t pitch most of last year.)
And 2. In his eponymous book, Salem native Jack Welch extols the benefits of treating high performers differently from the rest of the guys on “the pile.” With that in mind, what’s the big deal about Manny showing up a whole TWO DAYs after the mandatory reporting time. Yeah, he can be a pip, but hasn’t Manny’s performance earned a little springtime chill?
The catcher position is a tough spot for this organization. Although everybody really likes focusing on George Kottaras, the kid they got in the David Wells trade, too much shouldn’t be put at his feet. He is a solid prospect, but doesn’t project out to be a Varitek-caliber kind of player. The Red Sox first priority in that trade was trying to pry some of the Dodgers talent away, but were forced to haul in Kottaras. It was a good acquisition, especially considering probably Boston’s best catching prospect might be Luis Exposito, who hit .250 at Single A Lowell last season. Besides being hand-cuffed by the knuckleball thing, scouting director Jason McLeod has talked about in the past the difficutly of scouting catchers for the draft. Other than dealing with the Joe Mauer’s of the world, it is a very inexact science.
Former Sox manager Kevin Kennedy and Jack Welch must be cut from the same cloth. It think there is something to honoring the veterans and their accomplishments, but to go to the extremes Kennedy did with Canseco and his guys was something else entirely. As for Manny, it is more about respecting the dynamic of a club more than actually getting into shape. We saw he was able to be ready to go by working with his trainer in Boca Raton last year instead of spending the first week in Fort Myers. But a big part of spring training is also finding an identity as a team, and that’s where showing up on time would come in handy.
What happened to some of the guys, the fringe, Double-A-destined players who looked OK last spring - guys like Jed Lowrie, Tyler Minges, Trent Durrington. I didn’t see them on the Sox’ invitation roster. I guess I’m admitting ignorance about how the whole invitation thing works.
Also, in a related vein, who in your opinion is the oddest, or most surprising, spring training invitee this year? And what’s Kapler’s role as coach - is he going to be the skipper of one of the minor league clubs?
I really don’t think you should put Lowrie in with Minges and Durrington. Lowrie is still considered a prospect, having been taken in the first round of the ‘05 draft. After really impressing in spring training last season, filling the role of Pedroia after his injury, Lowrie battle injuries and never really broke out. He hit .262 with Single A Wilmington. Minges was signed as a minor league free agent before last season after breaking into pro ball in ‘98. He had an outstanding year at both Portland and Pawtucket, but doesn’t fit prospect status. Durrington is a 31-year-old journeyman, although has always showed the kind of versatility teams crave. I suspect Lowrie and Minges will be making appearances in big league spring training games, but I’m not sure the status of Durrington. I’ll find out. Sometimes players will not be in big league camp initially, but will be used for spot duty in games. For instance, I still remember the day Matt Murton walked into the City of Palms clubhouse in such awe at the fact he was going to get to play against real major leaguers. (Or maybe it was the joy exuded from getting big league per diem.)
As for the most surprising spring training invitee, I don’t know if this is a surprise as much as intrigue, but Alex Ochoa. The former Mets top prospect has always had great tools (few center fielders have his arm), and showed greater offensive maturity in his four-year stint in Japan. Gabe Kapler will manager the Single A Greenville Drive and will do an outstanding job … trust me. Nobody has worked harder in preparing for his job in baseball this season than Kapler.
Have you noticed if Theo has been wearing his Patriots’ hat or not?
No, he hasn’t. But I haven’t worn my Member’s Only fish-net tank-top either. In other words, patience. The spring has just sprung.
Just wondering, anyway we could convince the New England Media to do a 2:1 ratio on the Non-DiceK roster to Dice-K? I’m as excited about the kid as anyone, but there’s 24 other guys I’d like to see, too. Jon Lester spent 4 months kicking cancer’s butt, Pedroia lost 20 pounds, Pineiro is slated to be closer, Timlin is ready for a bounce-back season, and Manny Delcarmen screwed up his own highlights, but I’m getting nothing but pics of a guy who has yet to throw a major league pitch?
I think some people are losing sight that we’re, you know, baseball fans. It’s exciting to have a kid with plus-stuff who happens to be a national treasure, but there’s a lot of other exciting stuff going on as well.
I’m with you. This camp is teaming with intersting stories. By the way, I forgot to mention that I actually bowed to another human being for the first time today when introducing myself to Daisuke.
Are the BoSox red shirts and red hats just for spring training? They make me see red. I want the normal blue caps back.
Marketing, my friend. Just a spring training fad. But you know what is really weird about those caps? The adjustable part of it isn’t in the back, it is on the sides. The miracle of modern techology …
I love this blog stuff!! This is my first experience with it, are there other Red Sox blogs out there with similar access to yours. I love yours but I am a Red Sox info junkie so the more the better. Great job!
More and more newspapers which cover teams are linked up with blogs, so that’s a good place to start. Boston Dirt Dogs is always a favorite because of the originality and timely postings. In terms of tracking the pertinent stories Boston Sports Media Watch, Baseball Think Factory, and Baseball Musings are always worth a check. On most of those you can probably find links to more. Don’t stray too far, though.
Be better tomorrow, I promise …
