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A word at third (and more moves)

Mar 27th, 2007 by Rob Bradford

In the on-going Bradford On Baseball speaker series - there were some good Dayton Moore questions which will be answered before the opener - Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell has agreed to answer some educated questions. Get them in now …

Updated: Jon Lester will begin the season at Single A Greenville, technically on a rehab assignment. He will make four starts there to increase his pitch count and then a decision will be made from there.

Elsewhere, Manny Delcarmen is headed to Pawtucket along with Kevin Cash. Catcher Alberto Castillo was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Cory Keylor. This from the Red Sox press release: The 27-year-old Keylor, who was a non-roster invitee in Baltimoreâ??s major league camp earlier this spring, was selected as the 2006 Orioles Minor League Player of the Year. The lefthanded batter hit.294 with ten homers and 68 RBI in 124 games at Double-A Bowie last season. He has been assigned to Bostonâ??s minor league camp.

Speaking of Lowell, I was curious about how he became so adept at fielding the in-between hop. It was one of the things that really impressed me about Lowell’s game last year and figured there was a secret. There isn’t.

“There’s going to be 10 to 15 balls when you are playing third and there will be an in-between hop and there’s not anything you can do about it,” he said. “I just take a good, educated guess and try and get my hands in the right position.”

I did learn some interesting about Lowell, however. As a junior on his high school team in Coral Gables (Fla.) he hit ninth in the batting order, and only had one double before his senior season. He then went on to play second base throughout his college career at Florida International before finally being moved to third upon entering the New York Yankees’ minor league system.

“That’s why I don’t get wrapped up in home runs,” he said, “because I hit 12 in three years with an aluminum bat in college.

“I was always good defensively, but it was a big transition moving to third in the minor leagues. I needed to learn how to set my feet and how to react, because when I played in the middle I could play the ball more.”

Tim Wakefield is ready to go. In fact he was ready to go last week. This time against Pittsburgh the knuckleballer threw 88 pitches, went six innings (giving up 3 runs on 6 hits) and, according to him, still had “gas in the tank.”

Wakefield will next pitch in a minor league game in Fort Myers Sunday before making his debut in Boston’s fourth game of the year in Texas. For a point of reference, Ameriquest Field hasn’t been kind to Wakefield in the past, with the hurler compiling a 5.95 ERA in 15 games over his career.

“It’s not my favorite park to pitch in,” he said. “But I feel confident going there. I feel my ball moves good there.”

Posted in Red Sox | Comments

  • Anonymous

    Hey Rob,


    While we're covering this subject could you also find out how those homeless kittens voted on the polartec union vote?



    Meow.

  • Stacia

    Hi Rob,
    I enjoy your blog and when you are on FSN, I think you may be the best baseball writer we have for the sox. You also seem to enjoy Mike Lowell and his game as much as I do. If you could please pass these few questions to Mike I would really appreciate it. Thank You both for your time.

    Mike, what do you do in your spare time to escape from the grind of a season? Your father has played a huge role in your life, what tools would you say he instilled, baseball wise, to make you one of the truly classy guys in the game who plays it the right way? Thanks again. Stacia

  • tom

    Questions for Lowell -


    After playing alongside Alex Gonzalez for so many years, what's your impression of Lugo's defense? And how does playing with a new shortstop affect your defensive approach?

  • tom

    What's with the kittens guy? Is their an inside joke I'm missing? A slam at the Eagle Tribune, perhaps?

  • Anonymous

    Question for Mike Lowell-


    Are you involved with any charities? What are your personal goals for this season?

  • Questions for Miguel:


    Hardest pitcher you've ever faced

    Pitcher you have most success with

    Best teammate you've ever had

    Best team you've ever been on

    Best moment on the field

  • Griffin

    There's such a difference between playing for the Marlins and the Red Sox, as far as pressure and expectations go. Could you ask Mr. Lowell why, in his opinion, some players blossom under that pressure, and others wilt? How does he deal with it himself?

  • Piney

    Two Lowell questions:


    1) What was the greatest bit of advice you have ever gotten when in your playing career?



    2) How much of a role do you think the dimensions of Fenway Park plays in terms of you hitting and in terms of your fielding?



    Good luck this season both Lowell AND Rob Bradford.

  • btp

    Questions for Mike:
    -Any idea why your numbers on the road were better than your numbers at Fenway? Did you change your approach or was it just luck?

    -Do you think you could have ever made it as a catcher?

    -Who's the best DJ in the clubhouse?

  • brando

    Question for Mike.


    Entering your second year with the Red Sox, has there been any change with your comfort level both with the team and with the city of Boston.



    Who impressed you the most in the Red Sox spring training camp?

  • btf

    Thanks for the time Rob and Mike,


    Who is your favorite current teammate?

    Outside of baseball, your favorite athlete?team?

    Random thing that no one would ever guess about you?(i.e. special talent, superstition, strange like or dislike)

  • Anonymous

    RB:
    I'd love to hear Mike's thoughts on the possibility of MLB in Havana, Cuba. Does he think the idea is viable, economically and otherwise, and does he think it could happen in his lifetime?



    Chris Nelson

    Batavia, Ill.

  • bones

    Questions for Lowell.


    Why do you think that baseball never really took off in South Florida. With a large latin community, I would have thought it would have for sure. Could it be b/c there is so much more to do down there, than say in, here in Boston? Or is it more simply the fact that the Marlins is not a football team.

  • Anonymous

    Question for Mike Lowell,


    The Red Sox 2006 arguably had the best defensive left side in baseball. What was it like playing next to Gonzales, and how good was his range? Did you do anything different on balls in the gap with a fielder of his caliber?

  • I know it's a minor move, but I'm puzzled about trading catcher Alberto Castillo for outfielder Cory Keylor. I thought the Red Sox farm system was thin on catchers? It's not that we don't have good OF prospects (Murphy and Ellsbury). As someone knowledgeable about Sox minor league players, Rob, can you explain the reasoning behind the trade?

  • Anonymous

    Questions for Mike,


    We know the player, how about a bit about the man behind the game?

    fav actor? movie? musician? tv show? off field activity?

  • Mo

    The ballpark in Arlington has been renamed, it is no longer Ameriquest. Thanks for the recent mortgage lending industry problems.

  • Anonymous

    Mike,


    If Tito needed you to do so, would you play another position? Where would you feel most comfortable? Any position you would refuse and why?

  • mez

    Hi Rob,


    This isn't related to Dayton Moore or Mike L, but I was wondering if you or other readers had noticed the Bank of America sign on the eastbound side of the Masspike just before the Allston tolls?



    It debuted last year and during the 2006 season it was a mock-up of the Fenway scoreboard with actually pretty clever and astute sayings in place of the inning by inning score. It was changed last year, practically on a weekly basis, and whomever came up with the phrases obviously has a very up-to-date knowledge of the Olde Towne Team.



    The board always has "Offical Sponsor of" written above it, and the sayings play into this. Some favorites from last year were "Rookies on the hill" when Lester made his debut vs TEX, and "MVP DHs" in late July. Right now it says Official Sponsor of...1 week and counting."



    I never read anything about it last year, but I am impressed that in such a baseball crazy town someone was able to come up with such an original concept. Any chance you can find out who is responsible for the idea and sayings?



    Thanks, and great job.

  • To be honest, in response to the question about Castillo for Keylor, I think it was simply a move made where a 35 year old player we probably weren't going to use was traded for a 28 year old player we probably aren't going to use.


    The move was about age. Or something else. Anyway. Not sure what use there was, though Castillo wouldn't have been a callup for more than a couple days this season. Could've been a decision made out of professional courtesy to Castillo, given that he's a veteran and that the Orioles are currently going with Paul Bako as their backup, who shows no skills (special or otherwise) in his "set".



    Keylor is a very poor man's Ryan Church. Ask a Nationals fan what that means.

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