Eagle-Tribune Blogs: Burt Talks Sports

The Red Sox announced Mike Lowell has been removed from the playoff roster and replaced with Gil Velazquez. Who is Gil Velazquez? He’s almost 29 and a career minor leaguer. He got eight at bats with the Sox in September.
The move with Lowell is interesting because it seems like it was a long time coming. He couldn’t run and lately he couldn’t hit either. The Sox called it a right strained hip, which we’re not sure is the same thing as a torn labrum, which has already been documented. But this move means Lowell can’t play in the ALCS if the Red Sox advance. He could be back for a potential World Series.
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Who is available in the Red Sox bullpen tonight? Well, hell, everybody. That’s according to Sox manager Terry Francona who said this a few hours ago: “Well, I think everybody’s available. But, again, the guys are going out right now to throw down the right field line and if any pitcher says, hey, I feel this or that, we shut them down. Saying that, it’s October 6th or whatever, you know. They understand what we’re playing for. I’m sure the Angels do, too. They’re in the same boat.”
That seems to go against what he has done for two years. When Papelbon goes more than an inning (he pitched two last night), he is always given the day off. He threw 31 pitches.
This is not surprising, though. The Red Sox don’t want to go back to hope on a jet in six hours to travel six more hours to LAX Airport.
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On Dustin Pedroia’s “slump” and obvious frustration, Francona said: “When he was hitting about .400 this summer for about two months, when he would make an out, he was mad. When he makes an out during a playoff game, he gets mad. He takes a lot of responsibility on helping us win. I think there is a difference between being mad and being either frustrated or panicked. I don’t see those last two. He likes to play a big part in having us win, when we don’t win, he gets mad. That is the way he’s been his whole life.”

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