If you're stumping for now dead-armed Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling as a Hall of Famer, you're overlooking a potload of more deserving candidates. Schilling gets plenty of publicity, none of which he tries to douse, for his "Bloody Sock" game in the 2004 American League Championship Series, for his sparkling postseason record of 10-2 (he was on three World Series champions) and for his 3,000-plus strikeouts.
But, in the ultimate sport of regular-season numbers, is Schilling's victory total of 216 more deserving than, say, the 254 of Jack Morris? Morris, if you watched Game 7 of the 1991 World Series when he pitched a 10-inning shutout for Minnesota, was a pretty good postseason pitcher, too, playing for two World Series champions. And how about Tommy John (288 wins), Bert Blyleven (287), Jim Kaat (283)? Or Orel Hershiser, a decade or so ahead of Schilling, who won 204 games and lost 149, which compares favorably to Schilling's 216-146 mark?
What all the aforementioned have in common is that none of them is in the Hall of Fame; only Blyleven, after many elections, came reasonably close at 61.9 percent of the vote (75 percent is needed for election) last winter. Morris garnered only 42.9 percent of the vote, and John was even lower at 29.1. Kaat's 15-year eligibility with the writers elapsed without him even getting a sniff.
And if Schilling's career is indeed over after he spends this entire season on the disabled list, there is no way he'll be a first-ballot choice. In 2014, you possibly could have John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and even Greg Maddux eligible for election if they all retire after this season. Schilling is not in that class, no matter what he or anybody says.
The year before that, when Schilling theoretically would be eligible because he didn't play this year, he wouldn't have any chance either. The year 2013 could feature these four names on the ballot: Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Sean reflects on the first 81 games of the season and considers what some of the big hurdles will be for the Red Sox in the second 81.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
The club's biggest concern:: "I think in the regular sseason it's going to be mostly about getting the seventh and eight inning in the bullpen taken care of. ... Certainly if they get more innings like they did out of Manny Delcarmen in the eighth last night, where he just overpowered people, some of those issues will go away."
On next week's stern test: "Starting Monday, seven road games against I think the two teams that they really are focused on, at least in the short term, for the division: the Rays and the Yankees. ... The Rays continue to hang with the Red Sox halfway through and show that they're a legitimate contender, and the Yankees -- although they have not had the best week -- have been able to creep a little closer and get above .500, and I think show people that they're still in the conversation for the second half. So playing those two teams back-to-back to kind of wind down the first half will go a long way I think in setting things up for post-All Star break."
BOSTON -- David Ortiz, on the disabled list because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, took 25 light swings off a tee today.
It was the first time Ortiz had swung a bat since he suffered the injury on May 31 in Baltimore and had to leave the game in the middle of an at-bat.
"It's not ready. It's just weak," said Ortiz a few minutes ago in the Red Sox clubhouse.
"There's a little bit of pain, but it's better than when I hurt it. Then I couldn't even hold onto the bat. I didn't take a full swing. It was very light. I was trying not to miss it," he said.
The session gave Ortiz and the Sox' medical staff a baseline for where he is in his recovery. That information will be helpful in determining at what pace Ortiz will be able to rehab the injured wrist. Ortiz said he thinks he's probably "a couple, three weeks away" from playing in a game, and he acknowledges that he will need some at-bats in rehab games in the minors before he'll be able to rejoin the Red Sox.
"We're pretty much where they expected," said Ortiz of his medical staff. "I was a little disappointed. I want to be playing. There's not too much I can do about it but wait. It's a healing process. It's better than what it was."
Ortiz is expected to join the Red Sox on their trip to Houston, Tampa Bay and New York, which begins with a night game against the Astros on Friday night. He was batting .252 with 13 homers and 43 RBI when he suffered the injury.
1912 Red Sox World Series trophy soon to be auctioned
June 25 (Bloomberg) -- A trophy commemorating the Boston Red Sox' 1912 World Series victory and bestowed to the manager by John F. Kennedy's grandfather will be auctioned in the next four months.
The 11-inch sterling silver piece was given to Jake Stahl, who managed the Red Sox and played first base, and is inscribed with his name. John Fitzgerald, the Boston mayor known as "Honey-Fitz," presented Stahl with the award and hosted a reception honoring the team at Faneuil Hall.
Boston capped its first year at Fenway Park by defeating the New York Giants to capture the championship, the second in franchise history. It's not an official World Series trophy because Major League Baseball didn't begin giving those out until 1967.
Arlan Ettinger, president of New York auction house Guernsey's, which is conducting the sale, said he's not sure how much the piece will sell for because there is nothing comparable from that era.
"It's impossible to say," Ettinger said in an interview. "For the team that gets the most fan interest up there, this is like the Holy Grail."
World Series trophies have sold for varying amounts at auction because prior to 2000, teams would produce replicas for owners, players and club executives. A Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series trophy from 1960 sold for $8,600 at auction, while the club's 1979 trophy went for $25,066.
Mike Heffner, president of the auction house Lelands Inc., said the Red Sox trophy has "a little more pizzazz to it," though it's not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Red Sox spokeswoman Abby DeCiccio didn't immediately comment.
A Second Trophy
The trophy was in the Stahl family's possession until 1996, when it was sold at an estate auction, said Ettinger, who is selling the piece for an unidentified collector. A second trophy awarded to Red Sox owner James McAleer is believed to be lost, he said. A photograph of the championship club featuring Hall of Fame players Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper accompanies the item.
Boston beat New York in eight games in the 1912 Series, with one of the contests ending in a tie due to darkness. The Red Sox defeated a Giants squad led by pitchers Christy Mathewson and Rube Marquard, who were both inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Mike Lowell's clutch-hitting prowess; Jason Varitek's slump-breaking, game-winning single; the slumping Drew brothers; and tonight's meeting with Randy Johnson.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Lowell: "While he missed essentially three weeks and didn't hit his first home run until the first week of May, he has made a number of his hits come at particularly critical times for the Red Sox, and last night was no exception."
On Varitek: "He has always been a very up-and-down guy at the plate. His swing tends to get a little long when he's not going well -- certainly 0 for 24, 4 for 47 is the very definition of not going well. But he's always working at it, even though it's sometimes difficult to find time for him to staighten things out at the plate because he has so many responsibilities behind the plate as a catcher, kind of calling the game, and preparing and looking at scouting reports. ... Then you add in the fact that he's a switch hitter and almost has to approach each side of the plate individually in terms of his swing, mechanics everything else. It's been a pattern throughout his career that when he gets into a free fall it lasts for a while, but the flipside of that is that he can get hot for an extended period, and maybe ... it is starting to turn around for Varitek."
On Johnson: "Even though he's 6-10, throwing in the 90s, that slider doesn't have the sharp break to it that it once did. The fastball has lost a few miles per hour on the radar gun. He's still, I would imagine, not very fun to hit against, but he's not the dominant guy that he was, and clearly were seeing the winding down of a Hall of Fame career."
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: whether the Red Sox are missing David Ortiz more now than a week ago, the odd situation at first base last night, and the prospects of a trade for a second starting pitcher.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On missing Ortiz: "I think it is starting to catch up to them. They seemed to be OK for the first couple of weeks. They were certainly riding J.D. Drew for the first couple of weeks of June, as he slid into that number-three spot and for a while at least there was no dropoff. But I suppose that it's inevitable that if you take a run producer of that magnitude out of the lineup for this long, it starts showing some effects, and I think we've seen it in the last week."
On the market for starting pitching: "Last year and the year before there was virtually no quality starting pitching available [at the trade deadline]. This year it looks like there's going to be a number of guys, including a number of left-handed guys, who are usually at even more of a premium. There will be some opportunities if the Red Sox want to upgrade. It will not be cheap of course. ... There will be plenty of teams looking -- the Yankees, Philadelphia, a number of teams are going to be in the market for starting pitching, and the Red Sox have to, like every other team, weigh the cost."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Red Sox work overtime to avoid sweep
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: yesterday's long afternoon at Fenway Park, Jonathan Papelbon's recent troubles, Daisuke Matsuzaka's disastrous start on Saturday, and the coming series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Papelbon: "I thought he threw the ball very well yesterday. He particularly overmatched the first two guys [he faced]. Ankiel was absolutely no match for Papelbon's fastball when he got it going. I'm more inclined to chalk up yesterday as a bit of an aberration, and perhaps a false first step on Coco Crisp's part to initially come in on Kennedy's ball and then have to scramble back and not get it. That doesn't change the fact that the ball was hit almost 400 feet, but I wouldn't be too concerned about Jonathan Papelbon."
On Matsuzaka: "Certainly when a guy who's been sidelined with shoulder problems comes back and is as ineffective as Matsuzaka was Saturday, it raises some eyebrows. So I think all eyes will be on him Friday night, when he makes his second start [in Houston].
On the Diamondbacks: "Arizona is where it is [first place in the NL West] because of starting pitching. The front two of [tonight's starter ] Dan Haren and Brandon Webb are as formidable as any two in the National League, and Randy Johnson has actually been pretty effective since coming back -- he'll go on Wednesday. ... They may be a typical National League team these days, where offense doesn't play much of a part, but their pitching makes them a team to be reckoned with."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Learning to love J.D. Drew
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning (before the news of Curt Schilling's surgery broke). The topics: J.D. Drew's terrific weekend in the place where he is hated the most, whether Drew can sustain his hot streak, Manny Delcarmen as the hot hand of the moment in the bullpen, and the Celtics-Red Sox bond.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Drew's big series at Citizens Bank Park: "He has always risen to the occasion playing in Philadelphia when he returns there. In fact his performance, or his history of success in Philadelphia, was one of the things the Red Sox looked at closely when they signed him to that landmark $70-million deal a few years ago. They saw that as evidence that if Drew could succeed in the face of people throwing batteries at him, as has happened in Philadelphia, then certainly he could withstand the rigors of playing in Boston."
More on Drew: "One thing you see him doing this month, that you haven't seen him do much of in his brief Red Sox career, is really drive the ball, whether it be to center field, where a lot of his home runs seem to go, or some doubles and extra-base hits that he's hit the other way off the ball at Fenway. He needs to use the whole ballpark, and he's been doing that more the last month."
On the Celtics and the Red Sox: "I think there is a bond. There's a lot of guys [on the Red Sox] who are basketball fans, they have enjoyed the run as much as the fans have, and I think there also is a bond between players who play in the same city. Even though you may not run into each other much because of conflicting schedules and seasons, but there's an identiy that's shared, that you kind of represent Boston. And I think there's some pride on the part of Red Sox players who are rooting for the Celtics, even though they may have grown up in other parts of the country, they now share Boston as their place of work."
Schilling says he will have surgery, not sure about future
Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, on this morning's edition of the WEEI radio show Dennis and Callahan, said that he will have shoulder surgery on Monday, ending his chances of pitching this season. The big right-hander went on to say that "there's a decent chance that I have thrown my last pitch, forever."
WEEI plans on posting the full audio of Schilling's comments later today on its Web site.
Former Sox player, oldest living former major leaguer, turns 100
From Scott Fowler, in the Charlotte Observer:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Happy birthday, Bill Werber.
The oldest living former major league baseball player turns 100 years old on Friday in a south Charlotte retirement community. In front of about 85 friends and family, with a plate of fried chicken and barbecue, he will celebrate hitting the century mark.
Check that.
“I’m not celebrating it,” Werber said. “I’m tolerating it.”
Werber is by turns merry and cantankerous. He boasts a full head of white hair, zips around in a motorized wheelchair and lives alone in an apartment at The Carriage Club retirement complex.
He remembers playing alongside Babe Ruth 75 years ago more easily than he remembers his daughter’s address. A conversation with Werber opens a fascinating window into a world most of us never experienced — a world where roads were unpaved, haircuts were 35 cents and baseball on the radio was king.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Running wild on the base paths
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Jon Lester's outstanding showing in Philly, Terry Francona's mild reprimand of Jacoby Ellsbury, Curt Schilling's setback, and the dismissal of Willie Randolph (which Sean saw coming months ago).
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Lester: "The top of that [Philadelphia] lineup is as formidable as any in the game right now, and an outing like last night's is another reminder of what Lester is capable of."
On Ellsbury, who was caught stealing last night: "It's funny, it was only a few days ago that Ellsbury was talking about how the team trusts him now more, in terms of when to go and when not to, than even at the beginning the year. But last night was a reminder that, as good as he is and as good a base runner he is and as fast as he is, sometimes he makes mistakes in judgment."
On firing Randolph: [The Mets] did it in a highly unorthodox and decidedly unclassy way -- making him fly across the country and then Omar Minaya flies out during the game and then waits for Randolph and a couple of coaches at the hotel after the game to dismiss them at about 3 o'clock in the morning Eastern time. It was highly unusual and I think it's kind of symptomatic of an organization that's really in a mess, and that's why I don't think changing from Willie Randolph to Jerry Manuel is going to change much there."
PHILADELPHIA -- Opting to err on the side of caution, manager Terry Francona elected not to put Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game.
Factoring into his decision was the Sox' regularly scheduled day off on Thursday, which in essence provides two days off for them.
Ramirez has been battling a hamstring problem that is low on his right leg, behind his knee. He aggravated the problem when he took a mighty cut and missed a pitch in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's game.
Francona asked him after the at-bat -- Ramirez flied to left -- how he was and Ramirez said he felt the hamstring tighten up. So Francona took Ramirez out of the game, replacing him in left field with Jacoby Ellsbury even though there was the possibility Ramirez might have gotten another at-bat in the game.
The Sox will be going home after Wednesday's game and will open a three-game series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ramirez likely will be back in the lineup, as the designated hitter.
Youkilis, meanwhile, is out for the third straight game because of a sore back. He felt spasms in the back Monday, and has been getting better, but Francona, using "common sense," is keeping him out of the lineup again Wednesday and expects him to be ready to play Friday, as well.
Red Sox aren't the only team that can't win on the road
By Rick Hummel
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS - The only three teams in the major leagues that had winning records on the road before last weekend all would be in the playoffs if they started today. The Los Angeles Angels (21-12) and the Philadelphia Phillies (19-15 entering last weekend) lead their divisions, and the Cardinals (19-15) lead in the early stages of the wild-card race in the National League.
For a team to have a winning record on the road - no mean feat these days - one of its star players generally leads the way. In the Angels' case, reliever Frankie "K-Rod" Rodriguez has been almost unbelievable with 17 saves in 18 road games, a 1.06 earned-run average and a 0.97 opponents' batting average against.
Philadelphia reliever Brad Lidge has been almost as good on the road, saving 11 games in 15 appearances on the road with a 0.60 ERA and .151 opponents' batting average.
Then there is the Cardinals' Ryan Ludwick, who, apparently, has reached star status now. He is hitting .333 away from home with 11 doubles, 12 homers, 36 runs batted in and a .746 slugging percentage.
Inasmuch as there are 30 big-league teams, you no doubt have surmised that there were a stunning 27 teams that didn't have a winning record on the road before the weekend, including the once proud Atlanta Braves, who had lost 17 of their last 20 road games and carried a dismal 7-24 road mark into Anaheim last weekend.
While there were 27 road non-warriors, 25 teams had winning records at home. Not surprisingly, four of the five defectors were last-place clubs - Washington, Kansas City, Seattle and Colorado - although Colorado is at least at .500 at 16-16.
Before this latest rash of interleague play, the home winning percentage this year was .576.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the highest since the era of the liveliest ball ever, 1931, when home teams were at. 582. The only year close to that was 1978 at .573.
The reasons?
"I've been asked this many times by people in baseball and people outside it," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. And? "No clue," he said.
Two of the three teams with the best records in baseball, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, have the best home records at 29-8 and 28-7, respectively. It would be easy to ascribe some of the advantage those teams have to the peculiarities of their own ancient parks except that the Cubs have had dozens of losing seasons at home in the long and storied history of Wrigley Field.
This theory doesn't hold water in Atlanta, where by-the-book Turner Field seemingly has no real home-field advantage, yet the Braves are 25-11 there.
In the Braves' case, notably, and perhaps in others, the methods in which managers use their closers may make a difference. Generally, a manager on the road won't use his closer until he gets ahead - even in extra innings - while at home he would use him in the ninth inning of a tie game.
The relief-strapped Braves are exhibit A of that theory because they entered last weekend with a ridiculous 3-18 record in one-run games and 21 straight one-run losses on the road dating to last August. No wonder oft-injured John Smoltz wanted to come back as a reliever and then got hurt again in the first game he pitched as he blew a lead.
Chipper Jones, who has hit .400 throughout all this, is as puzzled as everyone else. Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones said, "Everybody else executes. We don't."
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Bartolo Colon's swing-for-the-fences plate approach, the debate over whether the National League should adopt the designated hitter, and Cole Hamels' prediction that the Sox and the Phils will meet again in October.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Colon, and his injury: "I guess it could have been worse, if you're the Red Sox, because look at what happened to Chien-Ming Wang, who got on the bases and then ended up breaking his foot, and is going to be out until September at the earliest."
Will the NL go with the DH? "I think the only way this changes is if you get an influx of younger National League owners. As it is now there are teams and owners in particular who would I think fight to the death before adopting the designated hitter in their league."
On the Phillies' World Series hopes: "It just seems like offense has to carry so much of what they are and point them to success. But the National League is so wide open ... I would put the Cubs as probably the best National League team, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible for the Phillies to get in and perhaps knock them off."
Click here to watch the video of Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Bartolo Colon's 150th career win and the ball that struck him in the arm last night, the Red Sox' pitching depth and how it will help them rest starters for the rest of the season, Sean Casey appealing his suspension and Jay Gibbons appealing for a job.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
The ball that hit Colon: "I think it just stung him a little bit, got him right kind of on the back of the wrist as he tried to either field the ball or get out of the way; I'm not sure which. He took a couple of warmup tosses but seemed to be OK, and obviously finished out the rest of the start, so there don't seem to be any concerns."
On the Red Sox' philosophy of giving pitchers extra rest: "They can look down the road a little bit and perhaps not be so concerned with game number 70 on the schedule, but rather look at what benefits the team in the long run and make some decisions that way. It certainly I think helped Josh Beckett last year that he ended up missing a couple of starts with the avulsion on the finger. I think those were, you know, 15 to 17 innings that he didn't have in October that benefitted him, and they'd like to do it with all their starters at some point."
Fenway Park food stands on opening day failed city health inspections on more than a dozen health and safety measurements, according to a report in today's Boston Globe. The violations were significant enough to cause potential food poisoning, and followed the discovery of similar violations and a demand for corrective action a week before opening day.
The City of Boston threatened to shut down the park's food stands at a municipal court hearing, and 19 home games went by until a subsequent inspection found the food stands to be in compliance.
Red Sox team officials told The Globe that the food services contractor for Fenway, Aramark, did not inform them of the violations and that they were unaware of them until contacted by a reporter.
The findings by health inspectors included sausages thawing in stagnant water, employees handling raw burgers without changing their gloves, and rodent droppings underneath service counters, The Globe reported.
BOSTON (AP) - A Red Sox Nation slugger has found a new nation to call home.
David Ortiz and 220 other immigrants became U.S. citizens Wednesday at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston.
The 32-year-old slugger from the Dominican Republic held an American flag in one hand as he recited the Pledge of Allegiance with the other new citizens. He was joined by many members of his family, including his father, Americo, who said in Spanish afterward he was proud of his son.
Ortiz has been out of the Red Sox's lineup since June 1, when he injured his wrist. He has been with the Red Sox since 2003, helping to power them to two World Series championships in the past five years.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Not everything's okey dokey
Click here to watch the video of Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Last night's loss, the struggling Hideki Okajima and his accountability issues, the improved state of the bullpen in general, and Kevin Millar's inability to cut the cord with Boston.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
Teammates' reactions to Okajima not answering questions about his poor outings: "I've got to believe that most of those guys in there -- who are standup guys, and who are around and are acountable for what they do and don't do -- take note of the fact that Okajima does not feel the same responsibility, and I think a number of them were struck and perhaps offput by Okajima's puzzlement a few weeks ago over why he still comes into games in the middle of innings. ... Rather than express frustration over his own inability to perform in such situations, he seemed kind of angry that he was put in them in the first place, and that seems to be misplacing the problem there and blaming it on someone else."
On Millar's continuing affection for the Red Sox: "If I'm an Orioles fan, I'm wondering what side is this guy on. I don't think he means any harm by it. He clearly enjoyed his few years here in Boston and has a hard time letting go, but if I'm a teammate or a fan, I'm probably looking at it differently in Baltimore."
Jacoby Ellsbury, who suffered a sprained right wrist last Thursday and missed the three-game series against Seattle, is penciled in to start tonight's series opener against the Orioles.
Manager Terry Francona said he spoke to Ellsbury this morning and was confident that his rookie outfielder would be able to play. Francona also said, though, that if ElIsbury felt "any hesitancy" during batting practice, he would sit him out and start Brandon Moss.
Ellsbury is slated to play in left field, with Coco Crisp in center, because Manny Ramirez (right knee/hamstring) still is ready to play in the field. Ramirez will serves as the Sox' designated hitter, as he has in each of his last eight starts.
Curt Schilling threw 40 pitches off the mound today, and while there didn't seem to be any physical problems, the veteran right-hander was not happy with his command, said manager Terry Francona.
"The good news is he's ramping it up," said Francona.
The plan for Schilling is to for him to throw again off the mound on Friday in Cincinnati, and the step after that, if all was progressing as the Sox hope, would be for him to face hitters.
Daisuke Matsuzaka did some throwing Monday on the Red Sox' day off. He'll throw a side session Wednesday and then another side session a few days after that one, presuming everything has been going well.
Then, said Francona, the Sox will figure out what to do next with Matsuzaka, options that could include a rehab stint in the minors, though that plan has not been set in stone.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Clay Buchholz's mission in Pawtucket, the Red Sox' ability so far to overcome injuries, Josh Beckett's streak of good outings, and Ken Griffey Jr.'s 600th home run.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
Buchholz in Pawtucket: "They sent him there because they wanted him to get back to relying primarily on his fastball, which he has gotten away from. ... They wanted some mechanical adjustments to his delivery with his fastball to get him back sort of in sync a little bit and not relying on the secondary pitches too much. So I don't know if I'd read too much into the results here, he is working on some things and changing his delivery and his arm slot a little on his fastball, and that may have resulted in him getting hit around a little bit [last night]."
On Griffey: "I started covering baseball full-time in 1989, and I can say without fear of contradiction that Ken Griffey Jr. is the best player I've seen on a regular basis in that 20-year span. ... There's no question in my mind that, had the injuries not taken their toll, last night would have been home run number 700, if not a higher number."
That's what King Kaufman of salon.com thinks, saying that Coco might have helped save the Rays' season when he ducked away from James Shields' big punch after charging the mound on Thursday night. Shields may be getting a suspension as a result of the big brawl, but thanks to Coco, the excellent young pitcher won't be spending time on the disabled list because of an injured pitching hand -- as he might be already had his punch actually made contact.
In a lengthy post on his 38 Pitches blog, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling strays from baseball and sinks his teeth into the NBA Finals (he was able to watch Game Two from "ridiculously good" seats at TDBanknorth Garden).
Schilling has flattering things to say about Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, says he's become a fan of Lamar Odom (he obviously enjoyed watching Odom more than Lakers coach Phil Jackson did) and he rips into the officials and Kobe Bryant. Here's a small sampling of his observations about Kobe:
"From the first tip until about 4 minutes left in the game I saw and heard this guy bitch at his teammates. Every TO he came to the bench pissed, and a few of them he went to other guys and yelled about something they weren’t doing, or something they did wrong. No dialog about “hey let’s go, let’s get after it” or whatever. He spent the better part of 3.5 quarters pissed off and ranting at the non-execution or lack of, of his team. ... Let me reiterate that this is from a complete basketball newbie, so for all I know this could be exactly how these guys play this game and interact with each other."
Clay Buchholz just finished a difficult night as he pitched for Pawtucket against Buffalo at McCoy Stadium.
The rangy right-hander, who had clearance to go to 100 pitches, was removed after three innings. He allowed six hits and two runs as his team trailed, 2-0. He walked two and struck out three. Buchholz needed 73 pitches (49 strikes) to get through the three innings. He threw 36 in the third inning alone, the inning in which Buffalo scored its two runs.
The Bisons scored when Aaron Herr lofted a broken bat single to center with two on and two outs. Brad Snyder followed with another soft single, this one to left, to make it 2-0
Buchholz is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA in eight starts for Boston this season. He was sent to Pawtucket after injuring a finger on his pitching hand. Tonight was his fourth start for the PawSox. It followed an outing in which Buchholz pitched five shutout as Charlotte last Wednesday.
Several Boston officials, including pitching coach John Farrell, are at McCoy for the game. Farrell took in the game from the stands behind home plate with Jason McLeod, Boston’s director of amateur scouting.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: J.D. is as hot as the weather
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: J.D. Drew's hot streak, John McLaren's ill-fated decision to pull Erik Bedard after five innings of work, whether Dustin Pedroia is primed to break out of his slump, and Justin Masterson's continued good work.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Drew: "Drew's numbers historically, or over his career, in the number-three spot have been far better than any other spot in that batting order. He has more power, more homers, more RBIs, higher OPS -- whatever way you want to measure. There's something about the number-three spot that agrees with J.D. Drew."
On Masterson: "It's been a remarkable debut when you think that, before [his first big-league] start, he had not pitched above Double-A, and he has come up and filled in a couple of spot starts, and now that Buchholz and Matsuzaka are both down, he has just stepped in very nicely and given them everything they could hope for and more."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A wild night at the Fens
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: the big brawl and the ramifications, concerns about Jacoby Ellsbury and Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox' draft picks and the shell of a team that is coming into town this weekend.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the fight: "That was not your run-of-the mill, half-jog-out-to-the-mound, everyone-grabs-a-dance-partner-and-tugs-on-a-jersey-for-a-little-while, there were some real punches thrown and some real intent behind some of them, and I'm sure there will be significant ramifications in the next couple of days from Major League Baseball."
On the mounting injury problems: "Certainly there's availability issues coming in the next few days. ... On top of that is Coco Crisp ... certainly there will be a suspension for him somewhere down the line, and you have the issue of Ellsbury and the wrist and Manny's hamstring, so they may need some reinforcements in there."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Beating all comers at Fenway
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: the Red Sox' 12-game home winning streak, the need for instant replay in baseball, Coco Crisp's injured thumb and Curt Schilling's rehab progress.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
The Crisp injury: "It comes at a time when they are somewhat short in the outfield to begin, with given Manny Ramirez's hamstring issues, which don't appear to be great, but the last couple of nights they've taken advantage of the vacancy in the DH spot to get him out of the field and not have him run around as much as he might ordinarily. If Crisp is unable to play the outfield that would require either Manny to go back to left field, or perhaps even a roster move where Crisp goes on the DL and Brandon Moss or someone else with the ability to play the outfield would be summoned. They really can't afford to be too short-handed."
On Schilling's rehab: "I think at this point it's going well until it doesn't go well, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure [the Red Sox] knew exatcly what they were going to get from him physically this season given what he's had to overcome. People should keep in mind that even though it was an encouraging first step [Schilling throwing off a mound yesterday], he's not throwing any breaking balls; he's throwing probably three-quarter speed fastballs at this point. So there is a long, long way to go. ... A best-case scenario would have Schilling ready some time in August. So we're at least two months out from him being able to contribute at any level, and unfortunately there are a number of stops on the road back at which he could run into some problems. But so far so good."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Eleven straight wins at home
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Coco Crisp and Craig Hansen rising to the occasion, David Ortiz's rehabilitation plan, and why the Sox will never, ever sign Barry Bonds.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Hansen: "Not only are [the Red Sox] looking for someone to work the seventh, but given the unpredictability and poor work by Okajima of late, the eighth inning is sort of up for grabs, too, and last night Hansen seized that, coming in and getting three guys right in a row with two on and the potential tying run at the plate with no outs. Certainly a big confidence booster for him, you would think, and also one that would provide more confidence by the Red Sox in him."
Why not go for Bonds? "I'd say that that has no chance of happening. There are all sorts of issues associated with that. The guy hasn't hit since last September, and his physical condition and shape would probably be about sevennth on the list. First would be the fact that he's got all sorts of perjury indictments hanging over his head. Second is his association with performance-enhancing drugs that I don't think the Red Sox would want to associate themselves with. Thirdly is his reputation for being a pretty distant and egotistical personality that could disrupt things in the clubhouse. Fourth would be ownership's connection with commissioner Bud Selig, who I would bet would not look kindly upon some team giving Bonds an opportunity to get back into the game, given all the mud that he's brought to the game in the last couple of years. We could go on and on."
Bob Breidenbach shot these amusing photos of a fan at Fenway Park who ran out onto the field in the eighth inning and managed to elude security personnel long enough to jump back into the stands. You can't disappaear from the law, though, when you're wearing a (Delonte West?) Celtics jersey and you have that hair -- so the speedy guy was escorted out in due course.
Garnett eighth on list of top-earning U.S. athletes, Manny 20th
June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods has made almost $128 million in prize money and endorsements over the past year, more than twice as much as any other U.S. professional athlete, according to Sports Illustrated.
The world's No. 1 golfer tops SI.com's "Fortunate 50" list of the highest-earning U.S. athletes, raking in $22.9 million in winnings and another $105 million in endorsements. Woods, 32, has earned almost $800 million over his 13-year career and may become the first billion-dollar athlete, according to SI.com.
Fellow golfer Phil Mickelson is second at $62.4 million, followed by basketball player LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. James made almost $40.5 million in the past year, including $28 million from endorsement deals, and is one of 26 National Basketball Association players in the "Fortunate 50," the most of any sport.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather ranks fourth with $40.3 million in earnings, followed by NBA players Kobe Bryant ($35.5 million) and Shaquille O'Neal ($35 million).
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is the top- earning Major League Baseball player and ranks seventh on SI.com's list at $35 million.
Kevin Garnett, whose Boston Celtics are playing Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, is eighth with $31 million, while Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is ninth and the highest-earning National Football League player at $30.5 million. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter completes the top 10 with $30 million in salary and endorsements.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the top earning racecar driver among U.S. athletes and ranks 11th overall with $27.2 million -- $5.2 million from winnings and $22 million from endorsements. His total was almost $20 million less than the winnings and sponsorship money received by Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, who ranks second in SI.com's list of top-earning athletes from outside the U.S., with $46 million, after soccer player David Beckham.
Boston athletes on the SI Fortunate 50 list
8. Kevin Garnett: $31 million
20. Manny Ramirez: $22.5 million
32. Tom Brady: $18 million
34. Paul Pierce: $17.86 million
38. Ray Allen: $16.75 million
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Chris Carter takes a breather alongside J.D. Drew after a conditioning run during spring training at Fort Myers, Fla.
By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer
BALTIMORE -- The Red Sox have recalled Chris Carter from Pawtucket. The outfielder left Charlotte this morning and is headed to Fenway Park today.
The 25-year-old is in his first full season with the Red Sox organization. Boston acquired the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder from Washington last August to complete the trade that sent Wily Mo Pena to the Nationals.
Carter is hitting .316 with 10 homers and 35 RBI for the PawSox in 56 games this season. After the Red Sox acquired him last summer, he hit .234 with one home run and four RBI in 12 games for Pawtucket.
He was devastated last September when he was told he would not be a late-season call up for the Red Sox. Now he's getting his chance to make major-league debut.
There was some thought that Red Sox prospect Brandon Moss would be recalled after the club placed slugger David Ortiz on the disabled list Monday with a torn tendon sheath in the left wrist. Moss was named the International League Batter of the Week yesterday after hitting four home runs, including three in one game last Saturday. He also recorded a .400 average.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A big hole in the heart of the order
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Hideki Okajima's meltdown in Baltimore, David Ortiz's wrist injury, how the Red Sox will shuffle their lineup and who needs to step up, and setting the stage for the coming visit by Tampa Bay.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On losing Ortiz: "Even with his struggles in the first couple of weeks, he was leading the team in home runs and RBI; he has with Manny Ramirez formed I think inarguably the best three-four combination in the game the last four, five seasons; and he's possibly the best run producer in baseball. So even a month out of the lineup is going to be a signficiant loss for the Red Sox. I think short term, they can probably cover themselves and move some people around and have Ellsbury play left field on a more regular basis, and have have Manny DH. There's a number of things they can do, but none of those things is going to be able to replace David Ortiz."
Who needs to step up: "I think the Red Sox woud like to see J.D. Drew step up a little bit. If you keep Lowell at the fifth spot and take Youkilis out [moving him to third in place of Ortiz], that moves Drew up probably to sixth in the lineup, and he'll be asked to provide some protection for Lowell and Ramirez, and the Red Sox have to hope that he can respond and knock some runs in on his own."
On this week's series: "I think it's going to be a good test for the Rays, because this will be an opportunity where teams and the rest of baseball will be looking to see how they respond to this. I think they've snuck up on some people the first couple of months as the young upstart team, but now here they are, coming in, in the lead in the division, playing the team that's chasing them, a team that's won two World Series in the last four years and is far more experienced about big games, and I think it will be interesting to see how Tampa
Bay responds to this."
All-Star Game: Red Sox remain ahead at five positions
Kevin Youkilis (first base), Dustin Pedroia (second base), Manny Ramirez (outfield), Jason Varitek (catcher) and David Ortiz (designated hitter) remain in the lead at their positions in the latest tally of fan balloting for the All-Star Game. Meanwhile, Texas' Josh Hamilton has moved ahead of Vladimir Guerrero to take one of the three top outfield spots, along with Ramirez and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. Two Yankees -- shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- are comfortably ahead at their positions.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Back on track in Baltimore
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning in Seattle. The topics: Boston's bullpen on a hot streak, Manny's 500th home run, David Ortiz's injured wrist and the fantastic debut of Cincinnati's Jay Bruce.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the weekend series: "If you had said a week ago that the Red Sox were going to come home with a .500 record [on the current road trip -- something that hasn't been decided quite yet] and do it on the strength of a bullpen and an offense that suddenly was very much in gear, I think people would have had a pretty hearty laugh over that. You look at how the trip started: 1-5 in Oakland and Seattle, where the offense was almost nonexistent, and the bullpen wasn't very trustworthy, and then they got to Baltimore, had the day off, and it was like someone flipped a switch. They start cranking out the runs and getting very good relief from a number of guys in the bullpen, and turned the trip around."
On Ramirez: "I don't think there's any question, having seen him the last couple of weeks, he would joke about it before the games and with his teammates in the clubhouse, but I think it was wearing on him, the fact that it took so long to get not only 500 but 499. He hit three home runs I think in the span of 25 or so games -- that's certainly not usual and normal production for Manny. So the fact that he got 500 on Saturday night I think does remove some pressure from him, whether it be self-induced or not, and the fact that he hit one yesterday indicates that, you know, he might be able to cut loose now. Everybody has stopped watching and stopped anticipating every at-bat, and things can return to normal for him."
Manny Ramirez hit his 500th career home run in the seventh inning of tonight's game at Baltimore. The solo shot off former Red Sox reliever Chad Bradford put the Sox on top, 5-3. Ramirez is the 24th member of baseball's 500-home-run club.
PawSox first baseman/outfielder Jeff Bailey has been called up to Boston. He's expected to join the team in Baltimore today. It's likely he'll remain with the Red Sox through this four-game series against the Orioles and then be sent back to Pawtucket come Tuesday when Boston will need to call up a pitcher.
Bailey is hitting .318 with 16 homers and 44 RBI for the PawSox. He's second on the team with 27 walks. He's been on a tear of late. Twice on the team's last home stand he produced a two-homer game.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: What impresses us about Masterson
Click here to listen to Sean's daily audio report, which is audio only today (if we get someone freed up later today, we might be able to add pictures later). The topics: What impresses Sean about Justin Masterson, teams' inability to catch Jacoby Ellsbury clean on stolen-base attempts, fan voting for the All-Star Game, and Sean's favorite road stops.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Masterson: "I think he's remarkably poised and mature. That's one of the things I think that impressed the Red Sox so much even from the first start, where he didn't seemed rattled at all in making his major-league debut, having not pitched above Double-A for more than half a season, on the mound at Fenway against a pretty good team in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It was like he was facing another team in the Eastern League, and it was the same thing when he made his second start. So I think the poise and composure and maturity -- all those things, and you know, those things are fine, but you have to be able to get hitters out, and he can do that too. He's got that three-quarter kind of whip-it-like delivery that reminds some people of Dennis Eckersley, and he's got a nice heavy sink to his fastball that makes him very tough, combined with his delivery, on right-handed hitters, and gets him a lot of groundballs. So there's not much not to like about Justin Masterson."
On the All-Star voting by fans: "I think we can go through this and do go through this every summer, where we point to some player who's deserving of an All-Star starting bid and who doesn't get one. You mentioned Josh Hamilton and some guys on the Rays. Certainly Carlos Quentin of the Chicago White Sox would be another person in there. There's some guys in the National League having surprise seasons. Those kind of things you can't anticipate. I think in general, you know, fans are going to vote for players who they recognize, and who have established themselves a little bit. And furthermore, they're going to vote for guys who are on high-profile teams. That's why the Yankees dominated so much of the balloting in the '90s, when they won four World Series in five years, and now that the Red Sox have sort of perhaps eclipsed them as the national team, if you will, with two World Series wins in the last four seasons, their players are benefiting from that. It's never going to be perfect. I think even if the players or coaches and managers did the selecting, there'd be some oversights there. So I think that in general this is a game for the fans, and they get to determine who they want to see, and I think that there's nothing wrong with that."
AP photo / Charles Krupa
Craig Breslow pitches for the Sox in 2006.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Minnesota Twins claimed left-handed reliever Craig Breslow, formerly of the Red Sox, off waivers, a week after he was let go by the Cleveland Indians.
Breslow posted a 3.24 ERA in seven appearances for the Indians, allowing 10 hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in 8 1-3 innings. The Indians let him go when closer Joe Borowski came off the disabled list on May 23.
Breslow was expected to join the team before Friday's game against the New York Yankees. It's his fourth team in four years.
Right-hander Pat Neshek, who is probably out for the season with an elbow injury, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old Breslow graduated from Yale with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He split time with the Boston Red Sox and their Triple-A team the last two seasons.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: They forgot to bring their bats
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning in Seattle. The topics: Boston's offensive slump, Erik Bedard, Tim Wakefield, the potential return of Justin Masterson, and whether Kevin Youkilis can get the offense going again.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
"Something's happened to the offense, and it can't all be the opposing pitching, although there's been some good guys that they've faced on this trip, Erik Bedard being the perfect example last night two-hitting them through seven innings. But two of those five losses have been shutouts, in those losses they have combined for a grand total of three hits."
"Wakefield has made some adjustments mechanically since his last start. He had given up 17 runs in 14 innings in the three outings prior to last night and, you know, one of the hallmarks of his career has been that he is notoriously streaky up or down. So I think the thing that the Red Sox can perhaps take out of last night is that that outing may have been the beginning of the turnaround and they can expect him to maybe get on one of his rolls, which they could use."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A painful night for Dice-K
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning from Seattle. the topics: Daisuke Matsuzaka's injury, the ejections of Terry Francona and Julio Lugo, and encouraging signs from Manny Ramirez.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
Matsuzaka's postgame remarks re: his injury: "They were trying to leave the impression that, while it was up in the air and there was nothing definitive, that [the injury] wasn't anything terribly serious. Dice-K had his translator convey at the end the conversation with reporters that he wasn't overly concerned. If it is indeed just shoulder fatigue, then there really is nothing, you would not think, long-term to be too concerned about. But anytime you're talking about a pitcher in the prime of his career, as Matsuzaka is, to have either elbow or shoulder issues is significant in and of itself."
On Terry Francona's confrontation with umpire Angel Hernandez: "[Francona] initially went out just to sort of diffuse the situation and try to get Lugo out of the way before there was more trouble. But the longer he stayed, the angrier he got, because of comments that Hernandez gave him in response to some questions. Of course, [Francona] didn't get into any of that [in his comments after the game]. One thing that we sort of found comical in the press box -- and we're only ascribing it in our own interpretation -- but there was a point right after he was run, or maybe it was right before, when Francona, talking to Hernandez, signaled to all the people in the ball park, sort of gesturing wildly with his arm. And knowing managers as we do, and some things that get said in the heat of conversation, we could almost bet that it was something to the effect of, 'Hey, all these people didn't come here to see you perform,' which is often something that is said to umpires who get a little too big for their britches."
Baseball Legends author finds holes in classic Fisk-Munson story
One book I'm planning on checking out soon is Rob Neyer's "Big Book of Baseball Legends." ESPN.com this month posted an excerpt from the book, in which Neyer checks out a story about the bitter rivalry between Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk and Yankee backstop Thurmon Munson. According to the various twists on the legend, Munson discovered late one season that he was trailing Fisk for the lead in assists by a catcher, and so he set out to intentionally drop third strikes in order to throw the batter out at first, enough times to surpass Fisk in assists.
Click here to read the ESPN excerpt, in which Neyer describes his plunging through the now-available statisical references and discovering that the story is either false or vastly exaggerated -- much to the dismay of the author himself.
There could be a lot of red in the Yankee Stadium infield for the All-Star Game.
In early fan voting for the July 15 midsummer classic, Red Sox players lead the way at first base (first-time-on-the-ballot Kevin Youkilis), second base (Dustin Pedroia), designated hitter (David Ortiz), catcher (Jason Varitek) and one outfield spot (Manny Ramirez). Ortiz is the overall leader among American League vote recipients, with 556,567 votes.
The other four leaders: Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero.
The Milwaukee Brewers finalized a deal with Julian Tavarez, and he will be in uniform for Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves.
The 35-year-old right-hander, cut loose by Boston earlier this month after going 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in nine relief appearances, worked out for the Brewers' staff in Washington on Sunday. He traveled back to Milwaukee with the team to take a physical.
The Brewers are looking to bolster a pitching staff that has been struggling with injuries and inconsistency all season.
To make room for Tavarez on the 25-man roster, Milwaukee optioned left-hander Zach Jackson to Triple-A Nashville.
The Brewers will be Tavarez's ninth team. He has pitched for Cleveland, San Francisco, Colorado, the Chicago Cubs, Florida, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Boston in his 16-year career.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester and Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordoñez have been named the Bank of America Presents the American League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending Sunday, May 25, it was announced today.
On May 19, Lester became the 18th pitcher in Red Sox history to throw a no-hitter, accomplishing the feat against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed two walks and fanned nine batters, throwing 130 pitches on the night en route to both his first complete game and shutout. Overall last week, he went 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14.0 IP. In 12 starts in 2008, Lester is 3-3 with a 3.55 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 71.0 innings. This marks his first career weekly award.
Lester is the third Red Sox player honored with the A.L.’s weekly award this season, joining Manny Ramirez (April 14-20; shared with Miguel Cabrera) and Kevin Youkilis (May 5-11).
Last week, Ordoñez hit .478 (11-23) with four doubles, three home runs and nine RBI. The 34-year-old outfielder posted a 1.043 slugging percentage along with a .500 on-base percentage. On the season, he is batting .323 with nine home runs and 35 RBI. This marks his eighth career weekly award.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ortiz raises the Yankees' ire again
Click here to listen to Sean's daily audio report, which is audio only today. The topics include the weekend debacle in Oakland, last night's win over the free-falling Mariners, Kevin Youkilis' mysterious hand injury, and the controversy over David Ortiz's "called shot" promotion, set to take place at Yankee Stadium to the dismay of the regular tenants.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, who won 11 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1997 and played for the Boston Red Sox in 2005, was killed by a lightning strike in his native Venezuela on Sunday. He was 33.
Emergency management official Herman Bracho said Monday that Gonzalez was struck by lightning at a beach.
Gonzalez pitched for five major league teams from 1997-06. The right-hander appeared in 131 games with 83 starts, compiling a 30-35 record.
Gonzalez also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He made a combined 24 appearances for the Mets and Brewers in his final major league season in 2006.
Gonzalez appeared in 28 games for Boston in 2005, compiling a 2-1 record with a 6.11 ERA. He made one appearance in the American League Division Championship that year, allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. Gonzalez also pitched for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2005 going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA.
“I heard about it. He'd take the ball every day. I'm shocked. You don't expect to hear something like that,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said.
The Toronto Blue Jays released him during spring training last year. Gonzalez then moved to Japan and pitched in five games for the Yomiuri Giants.
“The Chicago Cubs are very saddened today to learn of Geremi Gonzalez’s sudden passing,” general manager Jim Hendry said in a statement.
Clay Buchholz has just completed a solid, if not spectacular, rehab appearance with the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Working for the first time since tearing the nail on his right middle finger while pitching for Boston on May 12th, Buchholz went four innings plus one batter in the fifth against Rochester. He allowed three hits and one run, walked two and struck out three.
He threw 63 pitches, 38 strikes. Red Sox management had set 65 pitches as his target for the night. When Buchholz completed the fourth with 55 pitches, he was allowed to go out for the fifth. However, Garrett Jones worked an eight-pitch at-bat that ended with a double down the line in right for Jones. Buchholz was removed in favor of reliever Hunter Jones, who got out of the inning without allowing the runner to score.
Buchholz did not show any aftereffects from the finger problem. He threw regularly in the mid 90s. He relied heavily on his fastball early on, but then mixed in a number of breaking balls toward the end. He also was helped by the fact that Rochester had two runners thrown out on the bases, one trying to steal, another trying to advance on a bobbled ball.
Pawtucket leads the game, 6-1. Chris Carter, who has been red-hot, and Brandon Moss, who also is in Pawtucket on rehab assignment, both have two-run homers.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as Sean was just getting his day started in California. The topics: the Red Sox' remarkable 7-0 homestand, the rarity of two grand slams in one game, Daisuke Matsuzaka's latest walk-a-rama, and the Red Sox' next two opponents: Oakland and Seattle.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Bartolo Colon, maybe the deal of the year (we'll see); Jason Varitek's hot hitting; Brandon Moss returning to the PawSox after an emergency appendectomy; and your American League All-Star starting pitcher -- Daisuke Matsuzaka?
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another young star shines
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. The topics: Justin Masterson -- his performance last night and his possible future in the bullpen -- what to look for from Bartolo Colon tonight, and whether Manny Ramirez is letting his stalled pursuit of 500 home runs get under his skin.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Lester writes Red Sox history
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's edition is all about Jon Lester's no-hitter, including a review of the many memorable starts in Lester's career so far, how the Sox might try to manage Lester's workload after he threwing so many pitches last night, and how much impact Jason Varitek has had on the Sox' remarkable wealth of no-nos.
Red Sox fan may have buried more surprises at Yankee Stadium
Construction worker Gino Castignoli, who gained notoriety when he buried a David Ortiz jersey at the site of the new Yankee Stadium in an effort to "curse" the Bombers (he may have actually cursed Ortiz, who broke out of his horrendous season-opening slump almost as soon as the Yanks paid to have the shirt dug up), now says that he also left a scorecard from the 2004 American League Championship Series, when the Sox came back from three games down to beat the Yankees.
Is he telling the truth? Who knows. But if he is, as someone here said this morning, we'd like this guy to consider running for president of Red Sox Nation?
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Jon Lester deals in the first inning of his historic start tonight.
Jon Lester has thrown a no-hitter tonight in the Red Sox' 7-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. For more as the night goes on, go to our SoxBlog.
It was the fourth no-hitter for a Red Sox pitcher in this decade, a decade in which there have been only six no-hitters in the entire American League. It was the 18th no-hitter in franchise history, and the eighth since World War II.
It was the first no-hitter for a Red Sox left-handed pitcher in more than 50 years; the last was Mel Parnell's in July 1956.
Here is the full list of no-hitters for the franchise:
May 19, 2008: Jon Lester, vs. Kansas City
Sept. 1, 2007: Clay Buchholz, vs. Baltimore
April 27, 2002: Derek Lowe, vs. Tampa Bay
April 4, 2001: Hideo Nomo, at Baltimore
Sept. 16, 1965: Dave Morehead, vs. Cleveland
Aug. 1, 1962: Bill Monbouquette, at Chicago
June 26, 1962: Earl Wilson, vs. Los Angeles
July 14, 1956: Mel Parnell, vs. Chicago
Sept. 7, 1923: Howard Ehmke, at Philadelphia
June 3, 1918: Hub Leonard, at Detroit
June 23, 1917: Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore, vs. Washington
Aug. 30, 1916: Hub Leonard, vs. St. Louis
June 16, 1916: Rube Foster, vs. New York
July 19, 1911: Smokey Joe Wood, vs. St. Louis
June 30, 1908: Cy Young, at New York
Sept. 27, 1905: Bill Dinneen, vs. Chicago
Aug. 17, 1904: Jesse Tannehill, vs. Chicago
May 5, 1904: Cy Young, vs. Philadelphia
Royals believe young closer is one to count on for years to come
MIAMI (AP) - The curve from Joakim Soria lacked its usual bite and stayed a little higher than he wanted, which is why it came to rest beyond the center-field wall.
Jeremy Hermida's two-run homer cut the Kansas City Royals' lead over Florida to 7-6. The runs were the first allowed by Soria this season.
"It was coming someday," the young closer said later Friday night. "Someday someone was going to hit me. It's OK. It's no big deal."
If Soria didn't sound flustered, he didn't pitch that way, either. He struck out the next two batters, both on curves, for his 11th save in as many chances.
The performance showed why the Royals want Soria to remain with them for years to come.
"He's very calm," Royals pitching coach Bob McClure said. "He doesn't panic. He's just an old-time baseball player playing a game. You feel confident that when he comes in, the game is going to be over."
Soria's hiccup sent his ERA skyrocketing to 1.04. The Royals weren't exactly alarmed - on Saturday they gave him an $8.75 million, three-year contract extension, a deal that includes three club options that could raise the value to at least $30.75 million.
Soria has come a long way from the winter league in his native Mexico, where he pitched after the 2006 season. At that point he had yet to climb above Class A.
"I don't want to think about that," Soria said with a smile. "That was a long time ago."
Actually, his emergence as one of the game's top relievers happened quickly, and before he turned 24 Sunday.
Acquired when the San Diego Padres left him unprotected in the 2006 winter meeting draft, Soria won a job last season in the Royals' bullpen and pitched so well closer Octavio Dotel became expendable. Soria went 17-for-21 in save chances and had an ERA of 2.48, third among major league rookies.
This year he has been even better. He began the week with 20 strikeouts while allowing only five hits and two walks in 17 1-3 innings. Opponents were batting .088 against the right-hander.
He threw 16 2-3 scoreless innings to start the season, one-third of an inning shy of the Royals record. His 11-for-11 start in saves matches Al Hrabosky's 1978 team record to begin a season.
The Royals have finished last in the AL Central the past four years, but they began this week within a game of .500 and in the thick of this year's race thanks in large part to the contribution of their closer.
"No matter how much I say, it's still going to understate it," manager Trey Hillman said. "I like the calmness with which he goes about his business. For the comfort level of the club, with our youth, I think it helps to have a guy who takes the mound in that situation be a calm guy, rather than a guy who has a lot of moving parts and 'Wild Thing' playing on the speaker system when he comes in."
At home Soria enters games to "Welcome to the Jungle." He grew a beard before this season but still looks boyish, especially when he smiles and flashes his braces.
But to hitters he's plenty intimidating, throwing four pitches with excellent command.
"The guy's amazing," teammate Jose Guillen said. "He's not going to blow you away with a 95-mph fastball, but he's a smart guy who knows what he's doing."
Soria's hero growing up was Greg Maddux, and like his idol, he gets hitters out by keeping them off balance and staying ahead in the count.
Soria throws a curve, slider, fastball and changeup - a large repertoire for a closer. He was a starter in the Mexican winter league and said he would be happy to join the Royals rotation.
"If the Royals need as a starter, I don't have any problem with that," he said. "I have fun being a closer, so maybe I would have fun being a starter, too."
His new contract was structured to account for such a change.
Soria, who's making $426,500 this season, will be paid $1 million in 2009, $3 million in 2010 and $4 million in 2011. The club options are $6 million for 2012, $8 million for 2013 and $8.75 million for 2014, with a $750,000 buyout for each. "It's a big deal for me, for my career and my family," Soria said.
Starting or closing, the Royals figure he'll be worth it.
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have installed solar water heaters at Fenway Park, as part of an effort to make the ballpark more environmentally friendly.
The Red Sox formally unveiled the rooftop system Monday. They say the heaters will generate enough heat to replace 37 percent of the gas traditionally used to heat water at Fenway Park.
The nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation says the system will help avoid 18 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. That's the equivalent of planting 4.86 acres of trees or not driving a car for 43,611 miles.
The club is working on other "green" initiatives, including installing solar-powered trash compactors and collecting plastic soda and water bottles from fans during games.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the Red Sox' interleague dominance, Josh Beckett's recent problems, Manny Delcarmen's increased responsibilities in the bullpen, and the coming starts by Justin Masterson and Bartolo Colon.
Joe McDonald, at Fenway Park, says that the tarp was put on the field earlier this hour, but the team is expecting at the moment to get the game in on time, despite forecasted showers. It looks like the heavier stuff will arrive late at night. For more updates later, go to the SoxBlog.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Interleague play begins
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: a chance for the Red Sox to make a move at home, the return of Gabe Kapler and Eric Gagne, Kapler's return to the big leagues, and who the Red Sox start Tuesday in place of Clay Buchholz.
Bartolo Colon, in his second Triple-A start since a stint on the disabled list, threw six innings of one-hit, shutout ball as the Pawtucket Red Sox beat the Buffalo Bisons, 2-0, today in Buffalo. The game was only seven innings under Triple-A rules, because it is part of a double header. Colon struck out four batters, all of them looking, did not walk anyone and needed only 64 pitches to get through the six innings.
The PawSox scored both of their runs in the first, on an RBI single by George Kottaras and a sacrifice fly by Sandy Madera.
As Steve Krasner reported today, Colon could be a candidate to start for the Red Sox against Kansas City on Tuesday, now that Clay Buchholz has been placed on the disabled list.
Red Sox' Lester pitching free ice coffees in Warwick
Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is tossing free ice coffees today to customers of the Dunkin' Donuts on 1678 Post Road, Warwick. A company spokeswoman said Lester is there now and probably will leave by noon.
Lester is pitching in on a Dunkin' Donuts promotion that gives customers a free 16-ounce (small) iced coffee from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at participating shops nationwide.
Two customers in Warwick will win a pair of Red Sox tickets each to an upcoming Red Sox home game.
Steve Krasner reviews Sox' problems at quarter-point of season
The Boston Red Sox have basically completed one-quarter of the season.
They had yesterday off as an opportunity to lick their wounds and assess their M*A*S*H issues after a disappointing 4-6 trip through Detroit, Minnesota and Baltimore that finished with four losses in a row and five in the last six games.
Tonight they will open up the interleague portion of their schedule when the Milwaukee Brewers, featuring embattled closer Eric Gagne (remember him?) and ex-Sox player and minor-league manager Gabe Kapler, will visit Fenway Park for a three-game set.
Check around the baseball world and experts still consider the Red Sox to be the class of the American League and a good bet to make it back to the World Series with a chance to claim back-to-back World Championships, even if they are a half-game behind the surprising Tampa Bay Rays in the A.L. East.
But no team is perfect. The Sox aren't going to waltz to the A.L. crown just by showing up and throwing their gloves on the field.
This interlude in the schedule provides an opportunity to discuss some concerns facing the Red Sox at the quarter-pole.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Hideki Okajima's ineffectiveness with runners on base, and what the Red Sox have to do about it, the team's hot-and-cold nature in the early part of the season, and Manny Ramirez's endless entertainment value.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A very bad day in Baltimore
Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk (audio only today). Sean discusses the Red Sox' harrowing day yesterday, Josh Beckett's surprising inability to retire the Orioles' usually inept lineup, the Terry Francona-Brad Mills relationship, and the Red Sox' meeting this afternoon with Daniel Cabrera, the guy who sparked a bench-clearing incident with the Sox last September.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Clay Buchholz's troubles on the road, and how it makes the club's decision about Bartolo Colon easier, looking to deal Julian Tavarez and giving Craig Hansen a vote of confidence, Josh Beckett's assignment tonight in Baltimore, Alex Rodriguez's injury and the Rays' run for first place.
The Sox' Kevin Youkilis was named the American League's Player of the Week for the period May 5-11.
Over that stretch, Youkilis batted .375 (12 for 32) with three doubles, five homers and 10 homers for a slugging percentage of .938. He led the league in extra-base hits and total bases for the week.
Youkilis had five multiple-hit games in the seven games for the period, with at least one extra-base hit in five of the games.
This is the first time Youkilis has been honored as a Player of the Week.
Right-hander Julian Tavarez has been designated for assignment to make room for Sean Casey on the roster.
The Sox now have 10 days to trade Tavarez, release him or outright assign him to the minors, an assignment Tavarez can veto because of his service time. Tavarez was the forgotten man in the Boston bullpen this season, appearing in only nine games, including a 1 1/3-inning stint against the Twins on Sunday night. He was 0-1 with a 6.39 earned-run average.
The move spared Craig Hansen an option to Pawtucket. The Red Sox have been impressed by Hansen's performances in Pawtucket this season, and have seen enough good things out of him in three outings with Boston over two brief periods with the big-league club to forego the easy move -- optioning him to the PawSox.
The roster move cuts the number of Red Sox pitchers to 12, adding to a position player to the very thin bench. Casey had been on the disabled list since April 26 because of a right hip strain. Casey was hitting .346 (18 for 52) when he suffered the injury.
Farnsworth's suspension for throwing at Manny reduced
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Farnsworth’s suspension was cut from three games to one Friday by Major League Baseball following an appeal by the New York Yankees reliever.
Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president in charge of discipline, announced the original penalty April 19, two days after Farnsworth threw a fastball behind the neck of Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez. Farnsworth wasn’t ejected and said the ball slipped.
John McHale Jr., executive vice president for administration in the commissioner’s office, heard Farnsworth’s appeal Tuesday.
Farnsworth was to serve the suspension Friday, baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: That hot-starting Youkilis
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Kevin Youkilis' hot start -- can he make it last? -- Josh Beckett's steady improvement, Manny Ramirez's quest for 500 home runs -- and is 600 a realistic goal? -- and the Minnesota Twins, who are hanging in there despite the loss of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter.
Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey (hip sprain) and infielder Alex Cora (elbow strain) are playing for the PawSox this afternoon as both continue their rehab assignments.
Cora, who went 2-for-4 in his first appearance on Wednesday, is batting second and will play second base again today against the Durham Bulls. He will play shortstop on Friday and will rejoin the Red Sox this weekend. He said this morning that he's 100 percent. He grounded out in his first at-bat.
Casey is serving as the PawSox' DH today and will play first base on Friday. He singled in his first at-bat.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: a tough, tough way to lose a game, Julio Lugo's channeling of Edgar Renteria, whether there's a market for Julian Tavarez, and the struggles of tonight's Tigers starter, Justin Verlander.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports today that David Sanborn, a Red Sox fan from Oceanside, Calif., has been ordered to pay about $25,000 for his role in a bar fight in 2006 with Mario Melendez, a Yankee fan. Melendez sued for damages because he injured his hand when he punched Sanborn (Melendez said the punch was in self-defense). No criminal charges were filed in the incident, but a Superior Court jury on Tuesday awarded Melendez $15,297 for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering; and $10,000 in additional punitive damages.
Sanborn, a Massachusetts native, claimed that Melendez challenged him to a fight and then sucker-punched him.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The old guys can still pitch
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the combined shutout by 41-year-old Tim Wakefield and 42-year-old Mike Timlin; the first throwing session of the year for 41-year-old Curt Schilling; Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz becoming a force in the middle again; and the MLB Players Association's investigation of the owners' failure for not finding a job for Barry Bonds.
Curt Schilling made 25 tosses from a distance of 60 feet from 1:43 to 1:49 this afternoon at Comerica Park, the first time he has thrown a baseball this spring as he continues to rehabilitate his right shoulder.
The session went well. He will repeat the workout on Thursday.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Daisuke Matsuzaka's inability to control his pitches, Craig Hansen's inability so far to seize the opportunity handed to him, Mike Lowell's first RBIs of the season, and the inconsistency of the Detroit Tigers.
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- A woman accused of running down a man in her car after a Red Sox-Yankees argument in a bar never hit her brakes as she accelerated toward the small group he was in, a prosecutor said today.
"She never braked, and she accelerated at a high speed for about 200 feet. She went directly at this group of people," prosecutor Susan Morrell said of Ivonne Hernandez, who is charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death early Friday of Matthew Beaudoin, 29.
Authorities won't describe the argument beforehand in Slade's Food & Spirits, but witnesses said it heated up when Hernandez identified herself as a New York Yankees fan. Like the rest of New Hampshire, Nashua, 45 miles northwest of Boston, is Red Sox country.
Bartender Tanya Moran said the argument spilled outside, and at least one person in a group that included Beaudoin began chanting "Yankees suck!" when they saw a Yankees sticker on Hernandez's car.
Hernandez, 43, allegedly gunned her car and struck Beaudoin and his friend Maria Hughes, 21. Hughes had only minor injuries, which Beaudoin's sister Faith said was because her brother shielded his friend.
Hernandez, of Nashua, was arrested at the scene. She acknowledged she had been drinking and refused to take a breath-alcohol test, said Morrell, a senior assistant attorney general. Hernandez said she had been in an argument with the group.
"She indicated to police that she wanted to scare this group of people. She thought they would get out of the way," Morrell said.
Hernandez was ordered held without bail after being arraigned toay in Nashua District Court. The charges, including aggravated drunken driving, are felonies, so Hernandez could not enter a plea.
Her public defender, James Quay, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Beaudoin died of massive head trauma at a hospital, Morrell said.
Moran told The Telegraph of Nashua during the weekend that Beaudoin came to the bar regularly to socialize, sing karaoke and have fun.
"He came to hang out. He didn't really drink much," she said.
Chris Lovett, a disc jockey at Slade's, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that Beaudoin kept to himself and "wasn't an instigator."
Faith Beaudoin said her brother, who lived in Nashua, was a 1997 graduate of Nashua High School who worked dealing poker at Sharky's in Manchester and Nashua. She said his organs, including his heart, live and kidneys, were donated in hopes of saving other people's lives.
"He was always helping people when he was alive, and he's still saving lives," she said, choking back tears during the weekend.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the bizarre balk call that prolonged last night's game (I had already turned the thing off...); the Red Sox' abysmal offensive showing this week; a showdown series against ... Tampa Bay; and the injury problems down in the Bronx.
For the month of April, plus the two games played against Oakland in Japan, the Red Sox have won eight games in which they scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning or later. That compares to just three such victories last season, when the Red Sox were a little less dramatic and more methodical in roaring out of the gate on their World Series championship season.
We've put together a photo gallery looking back on the eight dramatic wins, plus the equally dramatic rain-soaked game in Boston in which the Sox held off a Yankee comeback. Click here to view the gallery.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another dramatic victory
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: A fourth consecutive fine pitching performance offsetting the general offensive futility, Toronto's penchant for beating itself, the latest injury news and the advantages of a potential spring-training move to Sarasota.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Last night's ninth-inning victory, Dustin Pedroia as a danger to his own health, up-and-down Jon Lester very much up last night, and Roy Halladay's frustrating world.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's 17-for-17 stolen-base streak, Bartolo Colon's path back to the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays struggling early in the season, and the latest Roger Clemens scandal.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Swept Away in Tampa Bay
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the five-game losing streak, Tampa Bay's prospects to compete down the road, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz giving good outings, and the coming return of Mike Lowell.
Red Sox 'curse' jersey fetches $175,100 for charity
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox jersey secretly buried under the new Yankee Stadium in a failed curse attempt sold Thursday for $175,100 in a charity auction.
The bid was the highest of 282 for the battered No. 34 David Ortiz jersey, which the Yankees jackhammered out from under two feet of concrete earlier this month.
The Jimmy Fund, the cancer charity that sold the shirt, did not immediately reveal the name of the winning bidder after the weeklong eBay auction ended at 12:30 p.m.
That person, whose screen name is 2004carman, did not immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment. The winner also will receive a new Ortiz jersey and two tickets to a Red Sox game.
Mike Andrews, The Jimmy Fund chairman and former Red Sox second baseman, said the charity was "absolutely thrilled."
"We are grateful for the generous bid, and extend our deep gratitude to the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for coming together again in the fight against cancer," he said in a statement.
Construction worker Gino Castignoli, a Red Sox fan from the Bronx, dropped the jersey in wet concrete, hoping to hex the Yankees.
New York found the jersey after receiving information from anonymous tipsters. The Yankees then decided to donate it to the Jimmy Fund, the Red Sox's official charity that is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the illness that is messing up the Red Sox' plans, what to expect from Justin Masterson, and Craig Hansen's 2008 debut.
Josh Beckett, who missed his scheduled start on Tuesday night because of a stiff neck, was able to throw a bullpen session this morning. That puts him in line to be able to make his next scheduled start, which will be on the road Sunday against Tampa Bay
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who missed his scheduled start on Wednesday night, is being examined this morning by Red Sox doctors to determine how contagious he is.
The likely plan is for Matsuzaka to remain in Boston while the Red Sox spend the weekend on the road, playing the Rays. Manager Terry Francona said he didn't see any sense in taking Dice-K along on the trip given the severity of his illness.
If the right-hander feels strong enough while Boston is on the road, the Red Sox will make whatever arrangements are necessary to make sure Matsuzaka can throw in Fenway Park. His next scheduled start would be Tuesday at home against Toronto, but there's no guarantee he'll be healthy enough to pitch that night.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury shines vs. L.A.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's terrific night against the Angels, the Ellsbury-Dustin Pedroia duo looking great, David Pauley's future with the team, and the roster move to come later today.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Happy stories all around
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. All's right for the Red Sox fans of the world, as our conversation topics suggest: the team's fast start (same record through 21 games as they had en route to the World Series last year), Jacoby Ellsbury's standout play of late and Julio Lugo responding to the challenge from young Jed Lowrie. Also, Sean provides a briefing on the L.A. Angels, who hit Fenway for three games beginning tonight.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Earning the split in New York
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as from New York. He discusses Manny Ramirez's mastery of Mike Mussina, Kyle Farnsworth's brush-back pitch and possible repercussions down the road, Josh Beckett, similarities between the current editions of the Sox and the Yanks, and why Jonathan Papelbon struggles when the game is not on the line.
Ortiz jersey buried in Bronx will be auctioned for Jimmy Fund
BOSTON (AP) - Some might call it a curse, others might call it a cure for cancer.
The Boston Red Sox's official charity, the Jimmy Fund, is auctioning off the David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the New York Yankees' new stadium by a Boston fan trying to curse its American League rivals.
The auction began Thursday on eBay Inc. and lasts for one week. The starting bid is $500.
All proceeds will go to the children's cancer charity, which is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Construction worker Gino Castignoli had dropped the jersey in wet concrete, apparently hoping to hex the archrival Yankees.
Anonymous tipsters led the Yankees to the jersey's location, and it was dug up Sunday.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A long and fruitless night
Last night's was a pretty ugly game, so I guess it's appropriate that today's edition of SoxTalk is sound only, with no pictures. Sean discusses Clay Buchholz's tough night, Chien-Ming Wang's inability to follow up on Friday's excellent effort, Kevin Youkilis' injured foot and the strange scheduling decision by Major League Baseball to have the Yankees finish this season on the road.
Reversing practice so far during the NHL playoffs, NESN will be carrying the Red Sox-Yankees game tomorrow night -- meaning that the game will also be available on high definition -- while the Bruins-Canadiens game 5 will be pushed to Cox.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another ninth-inning win
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning from as he was en route to the Cleveland airport and a morning flight to New York. He discusses the motivation teams get from late-inning wins, Jason Varitek's early-season power surge, Jed Lowrie's debut, Alex Cora's injured elbow and tonight's Clay Buchholz vs. Chien-Ming Wang matchup.
Radio report: Cora on DL; Thurston likely replacement
WEEI is reporting this morning that, as anticipated in today's Providence Journal, utility infielder Alex Cora has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury, and that Pawtucket infielder Joe Thurston will probably take his place on the Boston roster. Thurston, 28, has had previous big-league stints with the Dodgers and the Phillies. Click here to read a profile of Thurston by Joe McDonald.
CLEVELAND (AP) - Indians closer Joe Borowski was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a day after blowing a save and giving up a two-run homer in the ninth inning to Boston's Manny Ramirez in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.
The club said Borowski, who led the AL with 45 saves last season, has a strained triceps. He had been puzzled and frustrated by a significant loss in his velocity.
The club recalled right-hander Tom Mastny from Triple-A Buffalo.
With Borowski out, Indians manager Eric Wedge likely will turn to Rafael Betancourt as his new closer. Betancourt was one of baseball's top set-up men last season. He had three saves last season and has 12 career saves.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Yankees go home, and now we're off to Cleveland
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as he was on his way to Cleveland. He discusses the Red Sox bullpen, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox' ability to capitalize on Phil Hughes' mistakes, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and the continued difficult schedule.
Yankees want to pursue charges against Ortiz jersey guy
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees could seek criminal charges against a Boston Red Sox-loving construction worker who buried a jersey of his favorite team in the new stadium.
But Gino Castignoli, the Red Sox fan who said he intended to curse the Yankees by planting the jersey, said he did it in jest.
"Anybody with half a brain knows it was all done in fun," Castignoli said in Monday editions of The New York Post.
About possible legal actions the Yankees may pursue, the Bronx-born Local 780 cement mason told the Boston Herald in Monday editions: "It's typical Yankees... It's not like I snuck in there. It didn't do any structural damage. I didn't put anyone in harm's way."
But maybe his bad vibes got to the Yankees anyway: The pinstripes fell Sunday to Boston, 8-5, in the series finale Sunday night.
Castignoli's bid to curse the Yankees was foiled earlier that day when the home team removed the offending shirt from its burial spot.
After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the concrete Sunday and pulled it out.
The team said it learned that a Sox-rooting construction worker had buried a shirt in the new Bronx stadium, which will open next year across the street from the current ballpark, from a report in the New York Post on Friday.
Yankees President Randy Levine said team officials at first considered leaving the shirt where it was.
"The first thought was, you know, it's never a good thing to be buried in cement when you're in New York," Levine said. "But then we decided, why reward somebody who had really bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing?"
On Saturday, construction workers who remembered the employee, Gino Castignoli, phoned in tips about the shirt's location.
"We had anonymous people come tell us where it was, and we were able to find it," said Frank Gramarossa, a project executive with Turner Construction, the general contractor on the site.
It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete, he said.
On Sunday, Levine and Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost watched as Gramarossa and foreman Rich Corrado finished the job and pulled the shirt from the rubble.
In shreds from the jackhammers, the shirt still bore the letters "Red Sox" on the front. It was a David Ortiz jersey, No. 34.
Trost said the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney's office.
"We will take appropriate action since fortunately we do know the name of the individual," he said.
A spokesman for Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said Sunday he did not know whether any criminal charges might apply.
Levine said the shirt would be cleaned up and sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
"Hopefully the Jimmy Fund will auction it off and we'll take the act that was a very, very bad act and turn it into something beautiful," he said.
Last night: "They were able to score runs in bunches, had three different innings where they scored four runs, and kind of broke out a little bit offensively. That's something they haven't been able to do."
Ortiz: "It may only be 10 games, but ... he really seems lost up there. Some of it may be the surgically repaired knee is not yet 100 percent. He has traditionally been a slow starter, who has said that it usually takes him a little while to find his swing, and it's pretty obvious right now that he hasn't found it yet. And until he does, there are going to have to be others who come through and pick up the slack a little bit."
Cash: "He's very solid fundamentally and defensively. He's not going to provide a lot of offense, but then again neither was [Doug] Mirabelli, and I think they're very happy with the way that Cash not only catches the knuckleball and handles Wakefield, but is available and pretty sound to contribute in other ways when he's behind the plate."
The Yankees: "They are a little banged up. They just got [Jorge] Posada back, and [Derek] Jeter looks like he's going to be out for a few more days. And as a result of a couple of those injuries, the offense really hasn't clicked. ... No one doubts that the Yankees are going to be able to score runs in bunches. They haven't yet ... and maybe the Red Sox are catching the Yankees at the right time this weekend, if they're able to get these games in."
Last night: "They were able to score runs in bunches, had three different innings where they scored four runs, and kind of broke out a little bit offensively. That's something they haven't been able to do."
Ortiz: "It may only be 10 games, but ... he really seems lost up there. Some of it may be the surgically repaired knee is not yet 100 percent. He has traditionally been a slow starter, who has said that it usually takes him a little while to find his swing, and it's pretty obvious right now that he hasn't found it yet. And until he does, there are going to have to be others who come through and pick up the slack a little bit."
Cash: "He's very solid fundamentally and defensively. He's not going to provide a lot of offense, but then again neither was [Doug] Mirabelli, and I think they're very happy with the way that Cash not only catches the knuckleball and handles Wakefield, but is available and pretty sound to contribute in other ways when he's behind the plate."
The Yankees: "They are a little banged up. They just got [Jorge] Posada back, and [Derek] Jeter looks like he's going to be out for a few more days. And as a result of a couple of those injuries, the offense really hasn't clicked. ... No one doubts that the Yankees are going to be able to score runs in bunches. They haven't yet ... and maybe the Red Sox are catching the Yankees at the right time this weekend, if they're able to get these games in."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: An ugly loss to Detroit
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses last night's game, Mike Lowell's injury, possible roster replacements for Lowell, the bullpen dilemma and Edgar Renteria, who has hit .342 against the Sox since being booed out of town after the 2005 season.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
Last night's game: "It was not the best showing for the Red Sox on either side. Jon Lester had control problems, walked four, and that directly cost him. And after geting Bonderman on the ropes early, the offense wasn't able to take much advantage after that; the attack was pretty nonexistent after the third inning."
On Lowell: "He was pretty uncomfortable last night. In fact he needed some help getting his jacket on over his hand and that sprained thumb. ... He'll be reevaluated today, but I think it's clear that were not going to see Mike Lowell for the next few days. I guess for the Red Sox the best case scenario at this point is to stay away from a D.L. visit early in the season, and hope that it can maybe calm down in the next four to five days."
Call-ups if Lowell goes on the DL? "It's not going to be [Chris] Carter, because they do not see him as a first base candidate -- he's had real difficulties over there. [Brandon] Moss could be a possibility to come up, and have Youkilis play third base every day. Another option would be essentially what they did last night, with Casey taking over at first, Youkilis at third and then maybe bringing in somebody like Jed Lowrie to give them some flexiblility; Lowrie can play third as well [as shortstop]."
Aardsma vs. Corey vs. Lopez: "I would have said a week ago that Corey was the guy who probably was going to be kept. ... But he's not helped himself in the last week, either with his showing Saturday in Toronto, or last night when he had a bad inning. For that matter, neither Aardsma nor Lopez have looked sharp of late. So I'm not sure what decisions are going to be made here, but it seems as though neither one of these guys is stepping up and claiming this job for himself."
Renteria, a target of Boston fans: "It seems as if he has used that as some sort of motivation in coming back here, either with Detroit, or playing pretty well against them as a member of the Atlanta Braves. I think it's more evidence that the year he had here was essentially a fluke and that ... hes been a pretty good major league shortstop for 10 years."
Cox Communications today announced that it will broadcast 21 New England Revolution soccer games on Cox Sports (Cox channel 3) for the 2008 season. In addition, Cox will televise tomorrow's Red Sox-Tigers game, which will not be shown on NESN. The Red Sox' usual broadcast network will show the Bruins-Canadiens playoff game.
Brad Feldman and former Revolution defender Greg Lalas will provide play-by-plays or the Revs, while head coach Steve Nicol will be on hand for in-game reaction.
Coverage will include innovative side-by-side replays, and exclusive halftime features will give viewers an inside look at the team.
The 2008 New England Revolution broadcast schedule is as follows. (All games are live except where noted otherwise.)
Wednesday, April 9, 8 p.m. - at Kansas City Wizards
Saturday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Colorado Rapids
Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. - at New York Red Bulls
Saturday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Chicago Fire
Sunday, May 11, 9 p.m. - at CD Chivas USA (tape delayed)
Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. - vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Sunday, June 8, 3 p.m. - vs. FC Dallas
Wednesday, June 18, 7:30 p.m. - vs. New York Red Bulls
Saturday, June 21, 9:30 p.m. - at Real Salt Lake
Saturday, June 28, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Toronto FC
Friday, July 4, 10:30 p.m. - at Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Chicago Fire
Saturday, August 16, 10 p.m. - at San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday, August 20, 7:30 p.m. - vs. D.C. United
Saturday, August 30, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m. - at Columbus Crew
Saturday, September 20, 9 p.m. - at Colorado Rapids
Saturday, September 27, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Columbus Crew
Saturday, October 4, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Real Salt Lake
Saturday, October 11, 8 p.m. - at Kansas City Wizards
Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Kansas City Wizards
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The opening day victory
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the struggling Tigers, Daisuke Matsuzaka, J.D. Drew and Bill Buckner.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the Tigers: "I think it's O.K. to get worried now, if you're Jim Leyland. When you go more than a week into the season and are still without your first win, then that spells trouble, particularly when you're in a division with a team that came within a few outs of the pennant last year -- the Indians -- and other teams that are kind of upstarts, like the Royals."
Matsuzaka attacking the hitters: "I think the problem last year came when he got himself in a situation where he fell behind so often that he was throwing the fastball on hitter's counts, and of course that spells trouble for a pitcher. But they clearly seem to try [this year] to get ahead more with the fastball and let other pitches do the work once he does that."
J.D. Drew's fast start: "If you go back and look at his April last year, the first two or three weeks were pretty good. And the hope if you're the Red Sox is that he continues that hot start this season, and doesn't dip the way he did last year."
On the Buckner tribute: "I thought the time to have Buckner back would have been for the 2005 ceremony, when you're trying to wash away all the sins of the past and put all the curse stuff behind you. To me, yesterday, it seemed out of place. I think the 2007 world championship that they were celebrating yesterday, and I don't want to classify it as just another championship, but it seemed to me that the time for that would have been a few years ago. And I think people forget that Buckner has already been forgiven, back in 1990 when he returned as a player for the second part of his career with the Red Sox. I thought it was a little bit of wallowing in the Red Sox' tragic past, when they should have put all of that behind them."
BOSTON -- Those tears he wiped away were real. Bill Buckner admitted that his suprise appearance today at Fenway Park touched him deeply, and that he was indeed teary-eyed as the fans cheered while he made his way in from left field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
"It was about as emotional as it could get," Buckner told a group of reporters in the Fenway Park interview room immediately after the ceremony. "A lot of things were going through my mind" as he walked in from left field. "Just good things . . . which is a good thing.
"I appreciate all the thought behind [the invitation from the Red Sox organization]. It was hard to do for me."
Here is the official Red Sox pregame release on the Opening Day ceremonies:
Some quick highlights: The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by former Red Sox Bill Buckner. Along with the World Series trophy, the Stanley Cup, Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Lombardi Trophy (NFL) will be on hand today.
The Boston Red Sox celebrated their 108th Home Opener, and the 96th for Fenway Park, on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 with a pre-game ceremony that celebrated the Club’s 7th World Championship Title and ushered in the 2008 season at home. The ceremony featured the presentation of the 2007 World Championship Rings, the hoisting of the 2007 World Championship Banner, a parade of flags from 62 countries representing the breadth and diversity of Red Sox Nation, a flyover of F-16 jets, and a Ceremonial First Pitch from a Red Sox Alumnus making his long-awaited return to Fenway Park.
The following is a detailed description of each aspect of the pre-game ceremonies.
Videos of Memorable Moments from 2007: The ceremonies were kicked off with three videos recapping the most memorable moments from the 2007 season. The first video featured game clips from the 2007 regular season that ended with the Sox winning their first American League East Championship since 1995. The second video showcased clips from the 2007 American League Division and Championship Series, the last video highlighted clips from the 2007 World Series where the Red Sox swept the National League Champion Colorado Rockies in four straight games to win their seventh World Championship title.
The Parade of Nations: The recap videos were followed by a parade of flags in front of the Green Monster from 62 different countries that represented the wide-spread appeal of the Red Sox throughout the globe. The nations represented by these flags either count Red Sox Nation members as its residents or have citizens who have been in touch with the Red Sox Front Offices via letters and emails professing their love for the ‘Olde’ Towne Team’. The countries represented were: Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela and Vietnam.
The Banners: All seven World Championship banners were ceremoniously unfurled on the Green Monster to the Theme from Jurassic Park, composed by John Williams, which was chosen because of its gentle yet celebratory grandeur. The 2004 and 2007 championship banners spanned the length of the entire left field wall. The Sox are the only Major League Baseball team to win two World Championships in the 21st century. The large 2004 and 2007 banners were all hand-stitched and created by Heritage Flag of South Boston, MA. The swallow-tail banners representing championships in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918 were made by Flag Graphics of Somerville, MA. All flag and banner related logistics were handled on Opening Day by John Coyne of USA Sign in Boston, MA.
Champions of Boston: The pre-game ceremony featured an impressive array of athletes from the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. The ‘Champions of Boston’ ceremoniously carried the World Championship Rings to be presented to the 2007 Red Sox and handed them over to Red Sox Ownership for presentation.
From the Boston Bruins
Left Wing John ‘Johnny’ Bucyk
Left Wing Ken Hodge
Left Wing Donald ‘Don’ Marcotte
Right Wing John ‘Johnny’ McKenzie
Defenseman Bobby Orr
From the Boston Celtics
Guard/Current Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge
Guard/Forward M.L. Carr
Guard/Forward John Havlicek
Guard K.C. Jones
Center Bill Russell
Guard/Current Director of Special Projects Jo Jo White
From the New England Patriots
Linebacker Tedy Bruschi
Running Back Kevin Faulk
Linebacker Larry Izzo
Long Snapper Lonnie Paxton
The 2004 Boston Red Sox
Infielder Brian Daubach
Pitcher Curtis Leskanic
Infielder/Pitcher Dave McCarty
The Championship Trophies: The Champions from each of the four Boston sports franchises were accompanied by one of the Championship trophies that each of those franchises won.
The Stanley Cup: National Hockey League
The Larry O’Brien Trophy: National Basketball Association
The Lombardi Trophy: National Football League
The Commissioner’s Trophy: Major League Baseball
By our research, this is the first time that all four trophies have been in one location at the same time.
The 2007 World Championship Rings: The 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship ring is cast in brilliant white gold. The top of the ring has twenty-eight round brilliant-cut diamonds channel-set around the bottom of the bezel. On the top of the bezel, recessed in black letters, are the words “World Champions”.
Centered on top of the ring is the Red Sox logo, (a pair of red socks) cast in brilliant white gold each set with four custom fitted natural rubies mounted on a diamond base crest depicting a baseball diamond. The diamond base crest is inlaid with fourteen princess-cut diamonds. The baseball diamond overhangs an inner bezel and is set on a field of four custom faceted synthetic blue sapphires.
The left side of the ring has “7th World Series Championship” in raised relief on a black background. Underneath is a depiction of Fenway Park with “4-0 Sweep” at the bottom of the panel.
There are two versions of the right side of the ring. For those players’ who played on both the 2004 and 2007 World Championship teams, their rings have a panel with the recipient’s name in raised relief on a black background above a maroon-enameled initial “B” between two World Series Trophies. For those players who played only on the 2007 team, their rings have one trophy on the right and a maroon-enameled initial “B” on the left. For all rings, at the bottom of the panel in raised relief is the recipient’s uniform number with the year “2007”.
The inside of the ring is engraved with: “Boston Red Sox” and “10-28-07”.
The ring features a total of 42 diamonds with a total weight of 2.33 carats. The total weight of the ring is 50 dwt.
"The ring is stunning! Clearly reflecting the great care the Red Sox take in recognizing their organization,” said Tim Larson, president and CEO, Jostens. "Jostens is honored to work with Red Sox on the entire process that culminates in the delivery of the World Championship rings for today's historic ceremony."
The Ring Presentation: The rings were presented in nine distinct groups in order: Manager and Coaches; Trainers and Clubhouse Staff; Catchers; Starting Pitchers; Infield; Outfield; Bullpen; Closer; and the Designated Hitter.
The rings for the Manager and the Coaches were given out as the Boston Pops played the Main Theme to the Magnificent Seven, originally composed by Elmer Bernstein, chosen to collectively represent Manager Terry Francona and his team of six coaches.
When the Saints Go Marching In was played during the distribution of rings for the Trainers and Clubhouse Staff.
The Main Theme to Superman, composed by John Williams, was performed by the Boston Pops when Captain and Catcher Jason Varitek, Catcher Kevin Cash and former Catcher Doug Mirabelli received their rings to represent Varitek’s signature at-bat song Kryptonite by the band 3 Doors Down.
The Main Theme to Raiders of the Lost Ark, composed by John Williams, was played as the starting pitchers received their rings. The song was chosen to embody the ‘go-getter’ spirit of the pitching staff that was best embodied by the Indiana Jones character.
The 2007 Infield received their World Championship rings to the tune of the popular James Bond Theme, originally composed by Monty Norman, representing their slick defensive and dashing offensive capabilities.
The 2007 Outfield received their rings to the strains of the John Williams masterpiece The Throne and End Titles in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which was selected because of its regality and splendor reflecting the myriad personalities of the Red Sox’ spectacular outfield last season.
The Bullpen from last season received their rings to the tune of He’s a Pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, which was chosen to appropriately represent the ‘pirate’ theme that the bullpen went by the entire season last year.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon received his ring to his signature song, Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys
Designated Hitter David Ortiz, responsible for so many exciting walk-off wins during his tenure here in Boston, received his ring to the Red Sox’ victory song at Fenway Park, Dirty Water by the Standells.
2007 World Championship Flag: Created by Flag Graphics of Somerville, MA, the 2007 World Championship Flag was hoisted on the centerfield banner. The flag went up as the Boston Pops played A Hymn To New England, composed by John Williams and played as a tribute to New England, its people and Red Sox fans who have stuck with the team through the good times and bad.
Flag Military: Members of the Electronic Systems Center and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA assisted with the giant United States Flag draped on the Green Monster. They were led by Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds.
National Anthem: The National Anthem was performed by members of the Boston Pops Brass Ensemble led by James Orent.
Flyover: The Flyover was presented by the 158 Fighter Wing ‘Green Mountain Boys’ of the Vermont Air National Guard. Four F-16 ‘Fighting Falcon’ jets flew in and out of Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA for the Opening Day presentation.
Ceremonial First Pitch: The Ceremonial First Pitch was delivered by former Red Sox First Baseman Bill Buckner. Buckner amassed 2715 hits and 1208 RBI in a 21-year career in which he wore the uniform of five different Major League teams. He won the National League batting title with the Chicago Cubs in 1980 with an average of .324 and was named to the National League All-Star Team in 1981. He recorded only 453 strikeouts in 2,517 games and had one of the best at bats-per-strikeout rates in the history of the game. In 1986 he drove in 102 RBI during the regular season to help the Red Sox win the American League Pennant. In Game 6 of the World Series, Mookie Wilson’s grounder through his legs led to Ray Knight scoring the winning run for the Mets, capping a 3-run rally, and pushing the series to a 7th game in which the Sox once again surrendered a 3-0 lead. Marty Barrett made the last out for the Sox with Buckner on-deck as the Mets won the World Series. Buckner played part of the 1987 season before being released on July 23, 1987.
Buckner made a return to the Red Sox in 1990 and played in 22 games before retiring from baseball. Buckner makes his first visit to Boston since September 1997 when was at Fenway as a Hitting Coach with the Chicago White Sox.
Buckner walked out to the Closing Credits theme from the movie Glory, composed by James Horner. The movie is based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War and was one of the first formal units of the U.S. Army to be made up entirely of African American soldiers.
Play Ball: The ceremonial pronouncement of “Play Ball” was made by 88-year old Johnny Pesky, who first donned a Red Sox uniform on April 14, 1942, almost 66 years ago.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as he was driving to Fenway Park. He discusses the plan for opening day, Bartolo Colon's trip to the disabled list and the continued challenges of juggling Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On today's pregame ceremonies: "The bar has been set pretty high from past pregame extravaganzas, specifically in '05 -- they'll be hardpressed I think to top that from an emotional standpoint, given that that was the first [championship celebration] in 86 years -- but I don't think Red Sox ffans are tired of the ceremonies yet."
On changes at Fenway: "They've done the best with a less than optimum situation. ... I still think -- and maybe this makes me a heretic among Red Sox fans -- but I still think they'd be better off with a new ballpark. But I think financially, they decided that was not viable, so they decided to do the best they can with this, and indeed they have. ... For the first time, this year we can assume that the Red Sox will draw more than 3 million fans, and that's something I think that few people ever imagined possible at Fenway."
On Colon: "I think people got a little too amped up when he had a couple good performances, both for the Red Sox in Los Angeles and, more recently, opening Pawtucket's season. ... I don't think it's going to be much of a setback. I think that it's still quite possible that Colon will be in the rotation by the end of the month."
On Crisp and Ellsbury -- will they continue to get equal playing time? "I don't think it will be equal. I still think that they envision Ellsbury as the guy who is going to take over the job sooner rather than later, but I think early in the year it's smart to keep both of them sharp. It's also not a bad idea to showcase Crisp for some scouts who might be interested in dealing for him. ... Given that Crisp missed so much time in spring training, that sort of made it more difficult to move him, as did the whole Japan and travel and timing issues. So i think eventually they'll get to that, but until they do, they've got to find a way to work it out."
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the Red Sox' sorry showing in Toronto as well as the coming series with the 0-6 Detroit Tigers.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the team's travel fatigue: "I think it was inevitable that it would catch up with them at some point. I think the combination of a pretty good team to beat, and maybe the Red Sox sort of collectively hitting the wall right before they got home, combined to result in those three losses."
On Josh Beckett "It's worth remembering that Beckett did not have a traditional spring training. He faced a college team in his first actual start down in Fort Myers at the end of February, and then when he took the mound the next time, that's when the back spasms happened, and he had to scratch himself from what would have been his first real Grapefruit League start. And then everything after that was either in a camp game, a simulated game, a minor-league game -- he never really faced major-league hitters. ... So they understood that he was not going to be at 100 percent [yesterday]. He hadn't maxed out on his arm strength or thrown as many pitches as he normally would have before facing major-league hitters in a regular-season game. So I think that's the explanation for tiring in the fifth inning and having some difficulty, and that resulted in leaving the bases loaded, and things unraveled after that."
On the bullpen: "One of the things I thought was interesting was that you have the fifth inning yesterday, which is hardly the time when you would ordinarily bring in one of your power setup guys that might otherwise be used in the seventh or eighth, and Terry Francona felt compelled to go to him in the fifth. To me that spoke to some issues about perhaps not having a lot of faith right now in the middle guys, and sort of having to use a guy like that far earlier in the game than you might otherwise do."
On the Tigers: "They're not 100-percent healthy ... they're without both Gary Sheffield and Curtis Granderson, so that affects that lineup that everyone knows is going to be pretty fearsome when it gets clicking. And it just seems like they came out of the gate and had everything bad happen to them at once. Bullpen blew a couple of games late ... really nothing has gone very well for them."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: On Colon, Hansen, Wakefield and the Blue Jays
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He puts last night's events in Pawtucket into context and looks ahead to the weekend series in Toronto.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
What's next for Colon: "I would think, and this is just conjecture on my part, that they would want at least one more Triple A start for him, if only to build up that pitch count a little bit. ... I would think they would want him to crack that 90-pitch threshold somewhere else other than the big leagues for the first time, and that would translate into at least one more start, and then you're looking at probably the 16th, 17th, 18th of April where he's ready to make his [Boston] debut.
Craig Hansen -- this year's Manny Delcarmen? "I think that's exactly how they envision him. ... They have not given up on this guy, and that's understandable. They invested a lot of money in their number-one pick, signed him to a major league deal to get him signed, rushed him to the big leagues to their detriment -- and his, now it would seem. But anyone who can throw in the mid 90s the way he can, and has the kind of arm and raw ability that he has; they believe he's still salvagable."
Wakefield on the eve of his 14th Red Sox season: "He had a great spring and there are no physical worries on the Red Sox part at all."
Can the Blue Jays contend? "It seems every year we think that this is going to be the year they break through that glass ceiling in the American League East and give the top two teams a real run for their money, and unfortunately for the Blue Jays it seems like every year something happens to derail them. A lot of times it's been injuries, and already they've got Scott Rolen sidelined for a month and [closer B.J.] Ryan not quite ready to go. ... I think Dustin McGowan is going to be one of the guys to keep an eye on in the American League; I really think he could break through into a 15- to 18-game winner this year, and that would give them some additional pitching depth. But the key is keeping everybody healthy. ... If they do, I think they can hang in there at least for a while. Even with their injuries the last couple of years, they've given the Red Sox all they can handle."
BOSTON (AP) - A 13-year-old girl touring Fenway Park on a school trip was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from her scalp.
She wasn't seriously hurt, but some observers saw an omen for a certain New York Yankees slugger in the attack Thursday at the home of the Boston Red Sox. The girl's name is Alexa Rodriguez.
Vice Jenetta, a teacher who chaperoned her class trip from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., told The Boston Globe that Alexa is "a little shaken, but OK."
The hawk perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate as the group toured the stadium. The hawk took flight and swooped at the girl with its talons extended, scratching the her scalp.
A single egg lay in the hawk's nearby nest in an overhang near the stadium's press booth.
The nest and egg were removed at the direction of state wildlife officials.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Wrapping up the Oakland trip
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning, as he was headed for the San Francisco airport and a cross-country flight back to New England. (Steve Krasner will pick up our Red Sox coverage this weekend in Toronto.) Sean discusses Jon Lester, David Ortiz, the Oakland A's future and Bartolo Colon.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Lester:"Even though he did walk three, he did get ahead of most of the hitters and put himself in control to sort of dictate what was going to happen in the at-bats, and you can do that when you can throw strikes with multiple pitches."
On Ortiz: "He did not feel great in Japan -- kind of battled the bug, or a flu, or something -- and wasn't at full strength, in addition to all the demands of the travel. And then you factor in the fact that Ortiz has traditionally been a slow starter; by his own admission it usually takes him a little while to get his swing together when the season starts. So all those things conspired to get him off to a slow start. ... But to be able to knock the first one out and have it be the hit that gave the Red Sox their first two runs yesterday in the seventh inning, must have been something of a relief for him."
On the state of the A's: "They made an awful lot of moves in the offseason, trading Danny Haren, Swisher, Kotsay, and it's clear that they are in a rebuilding mode. When you talk to people in the game, they maintain that Billy Beane did a good job in getting a good inventory of prospects back for those guys, particularly the Haren deal ... and those are the kinds of guys that are going to dictate how good this franchise is going to be in another two, three or four years."
What to expect from Colon tonight: "His velocity was pretty good at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. He was up pretty regularly at 91-92, which is certainly enough for him to be effective at the big-league level. In terms of workload and pitch count, I think they want him to get up to about 75, maybe 80 pitches maximum."
Joe McDonald will have an inning-by-inning blog of tonight's start by Bartolo Colon in the Pawtucket Red Sox' season opener against the Indianapolis Indians. Colon, who could be destined for Boston in the near future, is a former Cy Young Award winner trying to make his way back to stardom following an injury-plagued 2007 season. You can find Joe's reports tonight on our SoxBlog.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from Oakland
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kevin Youkilis' errorless streak, Jason Varitek, and the latest injury to former Sox ace Pedro Martinez.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the the Red Sox' challenges in the month of April, Clay Buchholz's tenuous hold on the fifth starter job, and J.D. Drew's health questions.
NEW YORK (AP) - The beginning of the end will have to wait.
The final opening day at Yankee Stadium was postponed because of rain Monday, pushing back New York's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The game was rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, previously an off day in the series. Chien-Ming Wang had been slated to pitch for the Yankees on his 28th birthday against Toronto ace Roy Halladay.
New York owner George Steinbrenner showed up around noon for the 84th opening day at Yankee Stadium, but history was put on hold by a steady rain that washed away batting practice and the planned festivities.
The tarp remained on the field until the game was called at about 2:30 p.m. after a delay of approximately 85 minutes. Players never were introduced.
Next year, the Bronx Bombers will move into a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium, under construction just across 161st Street.
"You see the new stadium, but it still seems like that's years away, even though it's only one," Derek Jeter said. "Just 100 yards away? That's not too far for the ghosts to go."
The rain also delayed Joe Girardi's debut as Yankees manager. Girardi is taking over this season from his mentor, Joe Torre, who spent the past 12 years in charge.
Torre guided New York to the playoffs every season from 1996-2007 and won four World Series rings in his first five years. He walked away in the offseason when the club offered him just a one-year contract with a pay cut, then quickly was hired to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Yankees have won 10 consecutive home openers, the best run in franchise history and the longest active streak in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"There's so many memories here that go beyond baseball," Jeter said.
The rainout means there still has never been a regular-season game in March at Yankee Stadium, christened by Babe Ruth's homer before 74,200 fans on opening day in 1923. The Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, from 1974-75 while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled.
Notes: Shannon Stewart was penciled in to start in left field for Toronto instead of Matt Stairs, who has a left hip flexor. Stairs was supposed to be available off the bench, and the Blue Jays said they don't plan to put him on the disabled list. "He feels really well right now so we'll see how he feels after he takes batting practice in the cage," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Just go day to day right now." Stairs, who tested his sore hip during the team's workout Sunday, also had a hip problem last season. "This one might be a little bit more intense than the one last year," he said Sunday. "I just want to get that little clicking out of there that's catching when I run sometimes. It doesn't bother me on any swing, just running and lifting that leg up. You get a pinch once in a while." ... The Yankees have won 15 of their past 16 home openers and 21 of 24.
World Series trophies coming to Rhode Island on Sunday
Both the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series trophies will make a Rhode Island appearance on Sunday.
They will be at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket before and during the Pawtucket Red Sox game scheduled that day for 1:05 p.m., Governor Carcieri's office announced today. The PawSox will host the Indianapolis Indians.
Gates open at 11 a.m. and Pawtucket Red Sox ticket holders can have photos taken with the two most famous pieces of hardware in Red Sox lore. The photos will later be available at pawsox.com, where they can be downloaded.
"As Rhode Island is the heart of Red Sox Nation, it is truly an honor to have the first presentation of both World Series Trophies here at McCoy Stadium," Carcieri said in a statement. "The Pawtucket Red Sox organization provided the foundation for both the 2004 and 2007 World Series teams and all Rhode Islanders are proud to share in their accomplishments. It is fitting that we kick off the 2008 season with the good fortunes of the past."
The first 4,000 fans coming into McCoy Stadium Sunday will get a commemorative Red Sox World Series pennant.
The PawSox' season opener is this Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at McCoy.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from Los Angeles
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the rocky first outings by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester in Japan, Manny Ramirez's new attitude, and Saturday night's freak-show exhibition game at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, Monday, March 24
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded today from Tokyo. The topics include the Red Sox' decision to bat Dustin Pedroia leadoff, Mike Timlin's health and what it means for the bullpen, and some lasting memories of Japan.
TOKYO -- The Red Sox charter landed about two hours ago in Tokyo and I thought I would catch you up a bit on the team's long day's journey into night . . . day . . . then night again.
Some highlights from the journey, which took about 18 hours from departure in Fort Myers to arrival here.
-- A police motorcade escorted the Red Sox through Fort Myers, with traffic stopped at intersections to allow the four busloads of personnel and equipment through. It was astounding to see the ease with which the team got from City of Palms Park to Southwest Florida International Airport.
Ordinarily, most beat writers -- myself included -- make our own travel arrangements and fly commercially, dealing with the same airport, traffic and security issues that everyone else experiences. This was a completely different -- and more convenient -- way of travel.
Traffic actually came to a standstill on Interstate 75 as the Sox' motorcade got on the highway, creating a snarl of backed-up cars.
At the airport, the buses went directly onto the tarmac, where we exited the buses, went through an ad hoc security checkpoint and boarded the plane.
-- The charter plane the Red Sox used was a 747 with an upstairs cabin.
Players, team officials and support staff -- and some family members -- had use of the main cabin, which featured an expanded first-class section, many business-class seats and a mostly empty coach section.
Upstairs sat the media -- print, radio and TV people -- along with Red Sox public-relations officials.
During the course of the flight, a few curious members of the Sox traveling party came upstairs to inspect our accomodations. Wandering through were Jason Varitek, Alex Cora, Terry Francona and principal owner John Henry.
-- By his own recollection, Henry has been to Japan "about four or five times" previous to this trip, mostly for business purposes.
Standing in the aisle, Henry gave his view of the current recession, how long it might last and what might happen as a result. Naturally, much of this was completely over my head, but I listened politely.
-- The Japan Air Lines staff couldn't have been more helpful or solicitious. Throughout the flight, they offered refreshments and a seemingly endless array of food choices -- some Japanese and some Westernized choices.
We had a brief stayover in Chicago as the plane changed crew and spent an hour in a hospitality lounge at O'Hare, where still more food was offered and everyone got a chance to walk around.
It seemed incredible that, as we re-boarded shortly after 9 p.m Central time, we still had another 13 or so hours of travel time before arriving in Tokyo.
-- As the night wore on, some in the traveling party took brief naps. Red Sox staff internist Larry Ronan had advised players and team personnel to sleep as little as possible to help with the jet lag and to ease the adjustment to Tokyo time when we landed.
I slept a little more than three hours, which seemed like the right amount -- enough to rest, but no so much that I threw my body clock out of whack.
Dr. Ronan also passed out special socks which are designed to help circulation. The key, he added, was to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration; I lost track of the number of bottled waters I went through.
-- The plane had a special feature on the video screen that enabled us to watch the takeoff and landings, thanks to a camera mounted somewhere on the nose of the plane. If you so chose, you could also watch that on a smaller screen in the seatback directly in front of you.
-- Manny Delcarmen and his wife brought their six-month-old son on the trip. I think a few players were a bit concerned about the being seated near an infant on an 18-hour trip, but by all accounts, the baby was remarkably well-behaved and quiet for most of the flight.
-- Upon arrival in Tokyo, we were herded rather quickly and efficiently through customs, then sent outside to board buses for the trip to the hotel.
Needless to say, it wasn't hard to determine when Daisuke Matsuzaka went through the door. The camera flashes made it seem like high noon when it was actually just after midnight here.
The Japanese media took pictures and filmed the Sox coming out of the airport and boarding the buses and a small group of fans called out for autographs from players.
-- Following a 30-minute bus ride to our downtown hotel, everyone scattered in the hotel lobby and checked in. The hotel was prepared for the arrival, with security and extra help on hand, making the process quick and painless.
-- In the morning, some Sox players will be touring a nearby U.S. military base and doing a meet-and-greet with American soldiers stationed here. Then, it's on to the Tokyo Dome for a press conference and a workout, the details of which we'll bring you.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- An agreement has apparently been reached between the Red Sox and Major League Baseball; today's spring training game against the Blue Jays will be played about an hour late at 1:10 p.m..
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox have not taken the field for the start of today's exhibition game against the Blue Jays, meaning the -- at the very least -- the first pitch will be delayed.
Red Sox threaten to boycott today's game unless coaches' pay addressed
By JOE McDONALD
and SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox players today voted unanimously in a closed-door meeting that they will not take the field today against the Toronto Blue Jays unless major league baseball agrees to compensate coaches for the coming trip to Japan. The game, the last before the team leaves on its season-opening trip to the Far East, is scheduled to be televised at noon on ESPN.
The controversy arose Tuesday morning when manager Terry Francona found out that the coaching staffs from both Boston and Oakland would not be paid the extra $40,000 that the players and managers will get for traveling to Japan.
There has been a lot of confusion between Major League Baseball and MLBPA in the last 24 hours, and Francona is still waiting for answers.
“I was promised some answers yesterday and I didn’t receive them,” said the manager. “We’re trying to get ready to play a game and I spent the morning apologizing to the coaches and being humiliated. The players are pretty adamant that something be done.
“This is a touchy situation for me,” added Francona. “It’s a big deal. I don’t appreciate that coaches are [viewed as] second-class citizens. That has never sat well with me. We’re over there representing Major League Baseball, and we’ve talked about doing it with class, but this is disheartening. This is hard to understand. We were told [they would be paid] and the players believed it to. I double-checked on this this winter. This isn’t something I take for granted.”
Blue Jays shortstop David Eckstein said his teammates would understand if the Red Sox did not take the field.
"They have to do what they have to do. They are one [united] team," Eckstein said.
Francona said he is embarrassed by the entire situation.
The Red Sox players are, too.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff in this game, but this is unbelievable,” said Red Sox player rep Kevin Youkilis prior to the team meeting this morning. “It was brought to my attention (Tuesday) and it was something I thought would never even be a problem. To have this as a problem is embarrassing. For what these coaches do for baseball, I mean, the players play but in order to have order and run these teams, they put all the hardest work in. They deserve as much as much as the players. . . For them not to be getting paid for this trip is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to the game.”
No matter if the issue is resolved before the team leaves this afternoon, Youkilis said the coaches will be taken care of internally by the players.
“But for Major League Baseball not to step up . . . this is unbelievable,” added Youkilis. “It’s wrong. We all get a per diem and all that, but I thought we were all under the same thing.”
Youkilis is also under the impression that when the Yankees and Rays made a similar trip to Japan to start the 2004 season, players voted on who would be compensated and he believes everyone was, including the coaching staffs.
“This time around it’s not like that,” he said. “We didn’t know that, so for us it’s very tough. We had meetings about going over there, and obviously [MLB] is not living up to their word. I don’t know who exactly is not living up to their words, but the players’ association can’t intervene in matters like this.”
The MLBPA does not represent coaches other than pensions and postseason compensation.
“This is a time where we wish we could help,” said Youkilis. “Tito is going to fight and battle and that’s his personality. And, he’s doing the right thing by fighting for his coaches. It’s ridiculous because these guys are the ones who make it happen and they need to reap the benefits. There is a lot of money to be made on this trip, in a lot of different aspects, so everyone who is involved should be handled in the proper way. Hopefully we can get this resolved.”
Youkilis talked to the players this morning. If MLB doesn’t settle the situation, then the players would take care of it in house.
“This isn’t a good thing,” he said. “We’re going to Japan and we don’t want to deal with all of this. We’ll make it work because we have great players.”
Joe McDonald will be online from noon to 1 p.m. from Fort Myers to take your questions about the team as it gets ready to depart for Japan and the early start to the regular season.
You can send in your questions now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, choose a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the red sox chat room. Remember not to press enter or click send until you have finished typing your question. Questions will display to the room as Joe answers them.
Baldelli to begin season on DL with condition causing extreme fatigue
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli will begin the season on the disabled list because of a condition that the 26-year-old outfielder says leaves him extremely fatigued after short workouts.
Baldelli has been sidelined since last May because of lingering hamstring problems and has appeared in just 127 of 486 games the past three seasons because of an assortment of injuries. He has played in two games this spring, going 0-for-4 as a designated hitter.
Baldelli will be sidelined indefinitely, but said he is not retiring. He said there hasn't been an exact diagnosis but that doctors have told him he has "some type of metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities."
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Red Sox manager Terry Francona said today that Josh Beckett (back) was pretty sore last night and again this morning.
"He had a good day [Sunday] but a tough night," said the manager.
While the Red Sox are in Port St. Lucie to play the Mets, Beckett was back in Fort Myers getting treatment.
"He's resigned himself to do the right thing and not something silly," said Francona. "We'll be OK, we just have to get [Beckett's back] calmed down."
Beckett was scheduled to start against the Marlins on Saturday, but felt the spasms after throwing just one warmup pitch, and left the field.
Francona said the right-hander will not resume baseball activities until the spasms go away. Now that he's had a little bit of a setback, Beckett's availability for the Japan trip is in question.
"There's no reason to make that assessment today," said Francona. "It doesn't make sense. We just want to get him better."
Facing a 19-hour flight to Japan in just nine days would be difficult for someone with a back issue. Francona said the team will use caution with this.
Josh Beckett left the mound at City of Palms Park today, scrapping his scheduled start against the Florida Marlins. The Red Sox later announced that Beckett had lower back spasms, the result of landing funny on the follow-through to a warm-up pitch.
Beckett appeared to grab his lower back after completing a warmup toss. He summoned the umpire, manager Terry Francona and the training staff to the mound and after a brief consultation, Beckett walked off the mound and headed for the dugout.
There, Francona, pitching coach John Farrell, general manager Theo Epstein conferred briefly. Beckett then walked to the runway leading to the home clubhouse.
Today, Sean discusses Jonathan Papelbon's new contract, the general mood around the team this spring, Bartolo Colon's latest bullpen session and Joe Torre's challenges with the Dodgers.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jonathan Papelbon, who accepted $125,000 less than he had hoped for in his 2008 contract Thursday, nevertheless said he was happy with his one-year deal.
''I'm pleased,'' he said, ''because I feel like I was able to set a precedent for pitchers to come. That was definitely one of my goals and I feel like the Red Sox were on board with that.''
Papelbon's $775,000 salary, agreed to Thursday afternoon, represents the most money ever given to a non-arbitration eligible reliever, topping the mark set almost a decade ago by Mariano Rivera. Papelbon had hoped to match the $900,000 given to Ryan Howard in 2007, but in the end, took less.
''I feel like the Red Sox were very fair,'' he said, ''and I was fair. We can move forward and continue to have a good relationship. Rivera was the one that set the tone 10 years ago. Hopefully, I can follow in his footsteps for years to come.''
For a time, it seemed like Papelbon might have his deal renewed at the Red Sox' choosing, but they were able to reach a settlement.
''You always want to get things done,'' he said. ''It's all part of the process. No feelings were hurt. I don't think anybody wants to renew. It doesn't look good for the club and I didn't want to renew either. We wanted to maintain the good relationship we have.''
General manager Theo Epstein said Thursday that Papelbon understood the Sox' position when they provided him with some context.
''They were saying to me, 'We're putting you as the No. 1 two-year pitcher in history,' '' said Papelbon. ''That was their intent to recognize me. (They were saying,) 'This is pretty much all we can do.'
''I still feel like I deserved what Ryan Howard got, but at the same time, you've got to pick and choose your battles.''
Papelbon said he would listen to any overtures from the club about a multiyear extension. "But I don't think I'll take it into consideration unless it's very inviting.''
Today, Sean discusses the competition for the fifth starter spot, Bartolo Colon's role in the rotation and Jonathan Papelbon's contract dispute. For a transcript of Sean's comments, head over to the SoxBlog.
Today's Sox opponent is on the other side of the fence
Jim Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer recently wrote about the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that the Red Sox will meet today in spring training action. Pittsburgh, in case you didn't know, is one losing season away from tying a major-league record of 16 consecutive sub-.500 years. You can read the story by clicking the link below.
BRADENTON, Fla. - Remember last summer and how the Philadelphia Phillies constantly were reminded that they were approaching the ignominious distinction of becoming the first professional sports franchise to reach 10,000 losses?
Now it's the Pittsburgh Pirates' turn to deal with the friendly reminders that they have suffered more than a few losses, especially recently.
The Pirates are riding a streak of 15 consecutive losing seasons. One more and they will tie the major-league record set by, you guessed it, the Phillies from 1933 to 1948.
Last season, as the 10,000th loss approached, members of the Phillies organization, from the front office to the field, did their best to ignore all talk of the inglorious milestone. The loss came July 15 and quickly was forgotten as the team surged down the stretch to win the National League East for the first time in 14 years.
New Pirates president Frank Coonelly wants his team to take a similar approach in dealing with its streak of losing seasons.
"In my first meeting with the team, I told the players they don't own it, it's not their streak," Coonelly said last week. "They are the '08 Pittsburgh Pirates. The streak will be mentioned in newspapers, but they should not feel they are defined by it."
That said, breaking the streak of losing seasons is not necessarily the Pirates' goal this season.
"We want to build and sustain a championship-caliber team," Coonelly said Friday. "Winning 82 games is not going to make you a championship-caliber team. We're optimistic we can be a winning team this year, but our long-term goals are more important than simply snapping the streak this season."
Coonelly, 47, joined the Pirates late last season after nine years as Major League Baseball's senior vice president and general counsel of labor. From day one, the former high school hockey player has said he intends to change the culture of losing that has grabbed hold of one of baseball's oldest and most storied franchises.
It's a big job, and Coonelly intends to start at the bottom, by focusing on a farm system that was ranked 26th among 30 teams by Baseball America. Coonelly's seriousness about the farm system showed in his first hire. First-year general manager Neal Huntington has an extensive background in scouting and player development after spending a decade in the Cleveland Indians' front office.
"Building and sustaining a championship-caliber team starts with developing a broader and deeper farm system," he said. "There's no question it's not as broad as it needs to be."
Coonelly believes that his club can contend in the NL Central this season. If the Pirates don't, veterans such as outfielder Jason Bay could be dealt for young players who will help in the rebuilding. Otherwise, the Pirates will be reconstructed through the draft.
That raises a fascinating issue.
During his time in the commissioner's office, Coonelly regularly doled out economic advice to clubs, particularly when it came to player contracts and signing bonuses for drafted players.
Several years ago, in an effort to curb escalating draft costs, the commissioner's office instituted guidelines for signing bonuses. Each pick in the draft was assigned a value, and teams were encouraged to follow the guidelines, which became known as the slotting system. Coonelly and former MLB executive Sandy Alderson are the founding fathers of the slotting system.
While some teams, such as the Phillies, follow the slotting system religiously, others, such as the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers, aren't afraid to bust slot if it means signing a premium talent.
It will be interesting to monitor the Pirates' economic approach to the draft under Coonelly. They have the second overall pick in June. Would they bust slot?
"We'll pay attention to the slot, but we'll take the best available player that we believe we have a chance to sign," Coonelly said. "If we think a player's value is over the slot, we'd certainly consider it."
Coonelly was such a star and important cog in the commissioner's office that he occasionally was mentioned as a possible successor to commissioner Bud Selig, when and if he ever retires.
Why would Coonelly leave such a high-ranking baseball position to run a team that hasn't had a winning season since 1992, Barry Bonds' last season with the club?
"With the commissioner's office, I advised and serviced 30 teams," he said. "I thought it was time to join one club and try to help the Pirates become a winner. Pittsburgh is a great sports town. It's a great opportunity to have a positive impact."
And after 15 straight losing seasons, the Pirates are ready for something positive.
Bartolo Colon just finished an 11-minute, 42-pitch bullpen session on the back mound at City of Palms Park.
With Doug Mirabelli catching and pitching coach John Farrell, bullpen coach Gary Tuck and assitant GM Jed Hoyer watching, Colon warmed up for a few minutes, then threw an assortment of fastballs and changeups.
``All was positive today,'' said Farrell. ``For someone who hadn't been up on a mound for a few weeks, he worked both sides of the plate and followed the glove well.''
Though the Sox didn't have a radar gun on, Farrell estimated that a few pitches touched 90.
Next up for Colon will be another bullpen session Wednesday, and yet another Friday. Following two days off, Colon will throw his first batting practice against hitters.
Such a timetable would seem to wipe out any possibility of seeing his first game action March 9, as Colon has indicated last week, but Farrell said a game debut on March 15 -- the Sox' scheduled date all along -- was still within reach.
``He's making very solid progress, as far as the program we's outlined,'' said Farrell. ``In terms of pure arm strength, he's in a very good place. He was able to maintain his power and stamina through 40 pitches.''
Right now on our fantasy sports blog, you will find early-bird position-by-position player rankings and complete pitcher rankings, an analysis of rookies to watch in both leagues, and columns that predict how veterans who switched teams over the offseason will fare in their new surroundings.
The blog will be a great resource for fantasy owners all season long, so be sure to bookmark it.
Weather-permitting, we plan to have a live video feed of the ceremony on the South Lawn today, when the MLB champion Red Sox meet President Bush. Check this link today at 3 p.m., when the ceremony is scheduled to start, to access the feed.
Today, Sean discusses Terry Francona's new contract, the Bartolo Colon acquisition, and the prospects for Jed Lowrie. Click the play button below to see and hear the show; we'll post a transcript of Sean's comments later.
TRANSCRIPT
On Francona's extension: "Certainly it wasn't anyting that they wanted to have dragon once the seaon began, or even later into the exhibition season here, so they took the opportunity when it's a litte quieter in the first couple of weeks to get it taken care of. It was said to be a priority of ownership after the World Series win last October, and as these things tend to do, it got put off and really kind of came together over that last week, where they narrrowed some differences and were able to get it done first thing Sunday morning. I think everyone's glad that it's off the plate and they have Francona under control for as many as six more years, if they wish: the final year of the existing deal, three years that are guaranteed and then two additional team options. So it's conceivable that Terry Francona could be the manager of this team all the way through 2013, which would be quite a run for any franchise, but particularly this one."
What should we expect from Colon, and what are his chances of making the team at some point? " think that second one is very difficult to answer, Mike. He has not done a lot in the last three weeks since pitching in the Caribbean World Series, so they kind of have to start him from scratch, from long toss to bullpen sessions to live BP and then ultimately in some games later this month. But it's a project that they think is worthwhile, given that only three years ago this was the American Cy Young Award winner. The last two years he's been limited by injuries and ... I don't think his conditioning is probably going to be working in his favor here. The Red Sox are braced for the fact that he's going to be pretty big. I think the Red Sox have been told as much as a preemptive warning. But he's always been a guy, as Theo Epstein said yesterday, that pitches with a pretty big body and it hasn't affected him. My only comment to that would be, it gets a little difficult as you get into your mid to late 30s to carry that excessive weight. We've seen guys that have struggled with it, guys like Sid Fernandez with the Mets back in the 80s and early 90s, that got so big that he was putting additional stress on his knees, and you know, it becomes problematic. You can get away with that in your 20s; as you get older it makes it tougher."
What does Jed Lowrie need to do to get to the big leagues? "Well, I think it's really just playing time and experience. He's had a pretty quick rise through the organization, last year was at both Double A, then finished up in Triple A the last couple of months. I think the problem with him is that there is no obvious in the immediate future opening for him. You've got Dustin Pedroia, who was the Rookie of the Year last year, is going to be the second baseman for some time. You've got Julio Lugo, who's got three years left plus some options on his long-term deal, and you've got Mike Lowell, who just signed a three-year extension. So the three positions that Lowrie could conceivably help out in are spoken for for the time being, and so for that matter is the utility spot of Alex Cora, who the Red Sox love. He's got a two-year deal that is up after this year, but i think the Red Sox would be very much interested in bringing him back and having him fill that role, so you wonder if there's much of a future here for Lowrie, or if he gets put in a deal. His name certainly came up quite a bit in the offseason in the Johan Santana talks, so it will be interesting to see where he fits in, if at all. But the Red Sox like him; in fact francona the other day was making some comparisons to Dustin Pedroia: they both played at Pac-10 schools, they're both middle infielders and they're both pretty polished players. But the tough part, as I said, is figuring out where Lowrie fits in in the immediate future here."
The Red Sox Hall of Fame will induct eight new members at its next induction dinner, Nov. 7 at the Marriott Copley Hotel in Boston.
The inductees: outfielder Mike Greenwell, pitcher Bill Lee, pitcher Frank Sullivan, first baseman Mo Vaughn, pitcher Wes Ferrell, shortstop Everett Scott, scout George Digby and longtime executive Edward Kenney Sr.
The 2008 inductees were selected by a committee comprised of Red Sox executives and broadcasters, media members, and representatives of the New England Sports Museum and BoSox club.
The committee also selected its seventh Most Memorable Moment for Hall of Fame recognition: Ted Williams’ home run in his final major league at bat on Sept. 28, 1960, versus the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
The eight inductees bring the number of Red Sox Hall of Famers to 52. Click below to see bios on each of the inductees.
WES FERRELL: Pitched for the Red Sox from 1934-37 with a 62-40 overall record in that span…Led the A.L. in wins (25), starts (38), complete games (31), and innings (322.1) in 1935 and recorded 20 victories in 1936…Had a 193-128 overall record in a 15-year major league career…Holds the ML career record with 38 homers by a pitcher…Died in 1996.
MIKE GREENWELL: Played his entire career with the Red Sox from 1985-96, serving as the team’s regular left fielder for most of that period…Batted .303 with 130 homers and 726 RBI in 1269 games…Is among Boston’s all-time leaders in doubles (9th, 275), hits (10th, 1400), RBI (12th), and average (13th)…Hit over .300 5 times…Hit .325 and finished 2nd in A.L. MVP voting in 1998.
BILL LEE: Pitched for the Red Sox from 1969-78 with a 94-68 record and 3.64 ERA in 321 games/167 starts…Ranks 8th in club history in appearances and is 3rd among Sox lefthanders in wins…Recorded 17 wins each in 3 consecutive seasons from 1973-75…Had an overall career record of 119-90 in 14 major league seasons.
EVERETT SCOTT: Was Boston’s regular shortstop from 1914-21, playing on 3 World Series winners (1915-16-18)…Holds the Red Sox club record by playing in 832 consecutive games and leads all Boston shortstops with 2310 putouts and 3394 assists…Played in 1654 games in a 13-year career, including a them ML record 1307 straight contests from 1916-25…Died in 1960.
FRANK SULLIVAN: Posted a 90-80 record in 252 games/201 starts with the Red Sox from 1953-60…Won 13 or more games in 5 straight seasons from 1954-58 with a career high 18 victories and a 2.91 ERA in 1955…Was an A.L. All-Star in 1955 and 1956…Overall won 97 games in an 11-year major league career.
MO VAUGHN: Was one of the league’s top offensive players in his 8 seasons with Boston from 1991-98…Hit .304 with 230 homers and 752 RBI in 1046 games with the Red Sox…Ranks 6th in club history in homers and slugging (.542), 9th in RBI, and 12th in average…Was the 1995 A.L. MVP with 39 homers and 126 RBI…Hit .326 with 44 homers and 143 RBI in 1996 and .337 with 40 homers and 115 RBI in 1998…Won 3 straight Red Sox MVL Awards from 1994-96…Played in 3 All-Star Games…Had a .293 average with 328 homers and 1064 RBI in 1572 overall ML games.
GEORGE DIGBY: Served as a Red Sox amateur scout for 50 years from 1944-1994…Signed Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, newly elected Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell and Dalton Jones and Reid Nichols among others…Was the 1985 East Coast Scout of the Year…Served as a scouting consultant for the Red Sox through 2004.
EDWARD KENNEY SR.: Served as a Red Sox executive for over 40 years…Started in the Boston organization as a pitching prospect in 1946 but had arm problems and went to work in the ticket office…Joined the minor league department in 1948 and became farm director in 1966…Retired in 1991 after a stint as Vice President of Baseball Development…Died in 2006.
The Boston Red Sox have reached preliminary agreement on a minor league contract with right-hander Bartolo Colon, a source told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
If he makes the Opening Day roster, Colon would provide rotation insurance for Boston, which will be without Curt Schilling, who is working his way back from a shoulder injury.
The White Sox, Cardinals and Astros also had been rumored as possible suitors for Colon this offseason.
Colon suffered through an injury-marred 2007 for the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 6-8 record and a 6.34 ERA -- the worst of his career.
In his 11-year career, Colon is 146-95 with a 4.10 ERA. He is a two-time 20-game winner, and he won the Cy Young Award in 2005 with the Angels.
Multimedia: See and hear Manny speak to the media today
Today's file features audio of Manny Ramirez's remarks to reporters today (about five minutes) along with some sounds of him taking rips in the batting cage.
Ramirez says he wants to retire with Boston, but...
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Manny Ramirez says he wants to finish his career with the Boston Red Sox, but if they don't pick up his option for 2009 that's fine with him.
Ramirez spoke Thursday after leaving the batting cage at spring training in Fort Myers. He says he doesn't plan to ask the Red Sox for an extension since they hold his option and it's up to them to approach him.
He also says that once the season starts he'd prefer to wait until it ends to talk with the club about 2009.
The slugger is in the last year of an eight-year contract. Beyond that, the team has options for the next two seasons at $20 million each.
TOKYO (AP) - Tickets for baseball's season-opening series between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics in Japan have sold out.
Tickets for the March 25-26 games at the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome went on sale Feb. 9 and sold out in less than two weeks.
Organizers said Thursday some tickets remain for the preseason games the Red Sox and Athletics will play against the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers on March 22-23.
Boston and Oakland will be the third set of teams to open the regular season at the Tokyo Dome, following the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs (2000), and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004). A scheduled 2003 series between Oakland and Seattle at the Tokyo Dome was canceled because of the threat of war in Iraq.
Boston left-hander Hideki Okajima could be the lone Japanese pitcher for the World Series champions in the two-game series, as Daisuke Matsuzaka may miss the series because his wife is expecting to give birth around that time.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - David Ortiz says he's nearly fully recovered from knee surgery he had shortly after the Red Sox won the World Series last season.
Boston's designated hitter arrived at spring training on Tuesday and took some swings in the batting cage. The first official team workout for all players is scheduled for Friday.
Ortiz said he felt good after leaving the cage. In the postseason last year, he batted .370 with three homers, capped by Boston's sweep of the World Series.
The only regulars who haven't shown up in camp are Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo and Coco Crisp. Position players must report by Wednesday.
In our first edition of SoxTalk for the 2008 season, Sean discusses the handicap the Red Sox already face with Curt Schilling injured, just how much the team is paying attention to the Mitchell fallout, the Terry Francona contract talks and what is in store for the rest of this week. Click the play button below to hear and see the show.
Gagne, named in Mitchell report, apologizes to new teammates
MARYVILLE, Ariz. (AP) - Eric Gagne, identified as a user of illegal drugs in the Mitchell Report, apologized Monday to his new Milwaukee Brewers teammates for "a distraction that shouldn't be taking place."
Gagne also said he feels "bad" for what his family and friends went through in the offseason, and lauded baseball for its efforts to clean the game up from performance-enchancing drugs.
However, the 32-year-old closer, declined to answer questions, never addressed the specific accusations against him and only acknowledged the Mitchell Report once, in a separate statement in French to three visiting Canadian media outlets.
According to the Mitchell Report, steroids dealer Kirk Radomski told former senator George Mitchell he mailed two shipments of HGH directly to Gagne in 2004. According to the report, receipts of FedEx and USPS shipments indicate Radomski received at least one payment from Gagne and two from then Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Paul Lo Duca on Gagne's behalf.
Gagne declined to meet with Mitchell prior to the release of the report and refused to address it with the media until Monday.
"Since 2004, major league baseball has done everything in their power to clean up the game and I think they've done a great job," Gagne said before his first workout with the Brewers. "Right now I just want to go forward. I think major league baseball is ready to go forward and, hopefully, all the fans are ready to do that."
That remains to be seen a week after Congress spent four hours questioning Roger Clemens, one of the prominent stars listed along with Gagne in former Mitchell's Dec. 13 report to baseball on steroid use.
After a poor second half with the Boston Red Sox last season, Gagne signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Brewers three days after the Mitchell Report was announced.
"I'm here to let you know I feel bad for my family, what they had to go through, and all my friends, especially my teammates here with Milwaukee," Gagne said a statement. "That's a distraction that shouldn't be taking place. I'm just here to help the Milwaukee Brewers get to the World Series and playoffs, and that's all I really care about."
Veteran starter Jeff Suppan, whose locker in spring training is next to Gagne, said he didn't believe Gagne would create a distraction.
"Baseball is moving in the right direction. We have a good drug-testing policy. We're moving forward. But this report, people have to answer some questions," Suppan said.
Added third baseman Bill Hall: "Obviously, everybody wants to know the truth, but once you get the truth, stop digging."
Gagne's statement Monday closed the issue with manager Ned Yost.
"We're done with it," he said. We'll move on. It's not a distraction."
Gagne, the 2003 Cy Young winner with the Los Angeles Dodgers, joins the Brewers after struggling with the World Series champion Red Sox following a trade from the Texas Rangers July 31. As a setup man for closer Jonathan Papelbon, Gagne had a 9.00 earned run average with three blown saves and an opponent batting average of .350 in his first 15 appearances.
He was on the Red Sox playoff roster but was only used in one-sided games.
The Brewers signed him to replace closer Francisco Cordero, who bolted for division rival Cincinnati with the franchise record for saves.
"You have to understand the psyche of a closing pitcher," said Yost. "They are creatures of their routine and he was totally thrown out of his routine when he went to Boston. We feel he'll be a big pickup.
"We're a young team and it's of the utmost important that you have a solid closer. There is nothing more demoralizing than losing games late."
Today's file, which was recorded over the weekend in Fort Myers, captures the hubbub as the players march out for workouts, and as they sign autographs for fans. Click the play botton below to see and hear the show.
Click the play button below to see photos and hear audio from Jonathan Papelbon's meeting with the media today. Hear him talk about dancing, his relationship with Eli Manning, Dice-K's new haircut and why the Red Sox are looking good for 2008.
Dale Arnold will join play-by-play man Joe Castiglione for a number of Red Sox radio broadcasts this season, according to WEEI radio. Castiglione, who is entering his 26th season calling Boston baseball games, will be joined for at least 135 games by Dave O'Brien, who will be starting his second season with the club. O'Brien remains a national broadcaster for ESPN, and when he cannot attend Sox games because of those responsibilities, he will be spelled by Arnold or studio host Jon Rish.
First baseman Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox agreed Sunday to a $3 million, one-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing.
Youkilis had filed for $3.7 million and the Red Sox for $2,525,000 when the sides exchanged proposed salaries in arbitration last month. He made $424,500 last season, when he hit .288 with 16 homers and 83 RBIs.
Boston had previously reached agreements with its other two players in arbitration, pitchers Javier Lopez ($840,000) and Kyle Snyder ($835,000).
Report:: Schilling won't be ready for start of spring training
The Boston Globe is reporting today that shoulder problems will prevent Curt Schilling from opening spring training with the Red Sox. Citing unnamed sources, the Globe says that the problems Schilling is dealing with are similar to those that led the team to shut him down for several weeks in the middle of the 2007 season. The Globe says that Schilling's status for opening day is unknown at this point.
The Red Sox obtained reliever David Aardsma from the Chicago White Sox for Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich on Monday in a trade involving three right-handed pitchers.
Aardsma started last season with Chicago and went 2-1 with a 6.40 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32 1-3 innings over 25 relief outings. In the second half of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, Aardsma, 26, was 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA with 15 saves in 18 appearances.
He's made 81 relief appearances with the White Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, compiling a record of 6-1 with a 5.16 ERA.
Mota had 17 relief outings last year at Class-A Lowell, going 5-3 with a 2.60 ERA and one save. Socolovich pitched last year for two Class-A teams, Greenville and Lowell. He was 2-2 with a 6.65 ERA in 11 games with Greenville and 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 14 games with Lowell.
The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with righthanded pitcher Kyle Snyder on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the 2008 season. No further terms were disclosed.
The agreement was announced by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.
Snyder was 2-3 with a career best 3.81 ERA in 46 relief appearances with Boston in 2007, his first full major league season. The righthander limited the opposition to a .223 batting average and averaged 6.8 strikeouts per every nine innings of work.
Acquired on a waiver claim from Kansas City in June 2006, Snyder is 8-17, 5.45 in 91 games/29 starts with the Royals (2003; 2005-06) and Red Sox (2006-07) in his major league career.
With Snyder’s agreement, infielder Kevin Youkilis is the only remaining unsigned Red Sox player eligible for salary arbitration.
Single game tickets for most 2008 Boston Red Sox home games go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday via phone and internet. Fans will be allowed to purchase up to eight tickets by calling (617) 482-4769 or online at redsox.com. Fans with disabilities may call (877) 733-7699 to purchase accessible seating (while supplies last). The Red Sox’ TTY number for hearing-impaired fans is (617) 226-6644.
The World Series champion Boston Red Sox added insurance for their bullpen Tuesday, agreeing to minor league contracts with right-handers Dan Kolb and Dan Miceli.
Kolb would get $650,000 if he's added to the major league roster and $78,000 in the minors. Miceli would make $650,000 in the big leagues and $84,000 in the minors.
Both pitchers can earn performance bonuses as well.
Kolb was an NL All-Star with Milwaukee in 2004, when he saved 39 games with a 2.98 ERA. He appeared in three games last year for Pittsburgh, pitching three innings.
Miceli's last stint in the majors was with Tampa Bay in 2006, when he went 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA and four saves in 33 relief appearances. He is 43-52 with a 4.48 ERA and 39 saves in 14 major league seasons.
The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with lefthanded pitcher Javier Lopez on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the 2008 season. No further terms were disclosed.
The agreement was announced by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.
Lopez was 2-1 with a 3.10 earned run average in 61 relief appearances with Boston in 2007. The lefthander ranked second on the staff in appearances and holds (13). Lopez also was with Triple-A Pawtucket from April 9-May 11, going 2-1, 3.78 in 17 games.
Acquired from the Chicago White Sox organization in June 2006, Lopez is 9-5, 5.06 in 259 career major league appearances with Colorado, Arizona, and Boston.
With Lopez’ agreement, two unsigned Red Sox remain eligible for salary arbitration, righthanded pitcher Kyle Snyder and infielder Kevin Youkilis.
Live video of congressional steroid hearings at 9:30
AP Video will have live coverage of today's congressional hearings into steroids in baseball. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and players union president Donald Fehr will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Click here at 9:30 to watch the video.
The Red Sox have agreed to terms with Doug Mirabelli on a deal that would bring him back for another season as their backup catcher and the designated battery-mate of knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
The deal is pending a physical, a baseball official with knowledge of the agreement said Friday.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized.
Mirabelli will get a $550,000 base salary. He can make $275,000 more in roster bonuses, $150,000 in conditioning bonuses and $1.25 million in performance bonuses based on games and games started.
Since batting a career-high .281 and playing a key role in Boston’s 2004 World Series title, Mirabelli has averaged just six homers and 20 RBIs with a .206 batting average while playing in just 30 games a season.
NEW YORK (AP) - Goose Gossage became only the fifth relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame, earning baseball's highest honor Tuesday on his ninth try on the ballot.
Known for his overpowering fastball, fiery temperament and bushy mustache, the Goose received 466 of 543 votes (85.8 percent) from 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Jim Rice was passed over yet again, getting 392 votes (72.2 percent), up from 346 (63.5 percent) last year and 16 short of the 75 percent needed. He will appear on the writers' ballot for the 15th and final time next year, when career steals leader Rickey Henderson will be among the newcomers.
Andre Dawson was third at 358 (65.9 percent), followed by Bert Blyleven at 336 (61.9 percent).
Mark McGwire, a casualty of the Steroids Era in some writers' minds, received just 128 votes - the exact total he had last year. His percentage increased slightly to 23.6 percent, up from 23.5 percent last year when he was on the ballot for the first time.
Gossage, who fell short by 21 votes last year, joins Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004) and Bruce Sutter (2006) in Cooperstown's bullpen.
Gossage was a nine-time All-Star who pitched for nine major league teams from 1972-94 and had 310 saves - 52 of them in which he got seven outs or more.
He will be inducted July 27 in Cooperstown, joined by five men elected last month by the revamped Veterans Committee: former commissioner Bowie Kuhn, former Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth and ex-Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss.
ESPN is reporting that, according to a source close to a former Yankees trainer, Roger Clemens will be among the major league players named in the Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
The report, from ESPN The Magazine's Shaun Assael, says that George Mitchell's source is Brian McNamee, who worked for the Yankees and as a personal trainer for Clemens and Andy Pettitte. The source told Assael that he supplied Clemens with steroids while Clemens was with the Yankees and prior to his joining the team.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam, at the Nashville meetings
Sean McAdam checks before he leaves the winter meetings in Nashville to tell us where the Red Sox are with Johan Santana, and to talk about other deals around baseball. Click the play button below to listen and watch the show.
Jon Lester, who returned to the Red Sox in 2007 after being cured from a form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, has been named this year's winner of the annual Tony Conigliaro Award, sponsored by the Boston Red Sox.
The criteria for selection is “that major league player who has overcome adversity through attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Tony C.” A panel of media members and baseball executives voted on the award.
This year's nominees were Lester, Dmitri Young of the Washington Nationals, Al Reyes of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Joe Borowski of the Cleveland Indians, Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins, Andy Phillips of the New York Yankees, Josh Hamilton of the Cincinnati Reds and Doug Brocail of the San Diego Padres.
Previous winners include Jim Eisenreich, Dickie Thon, Jim Abbott, Bo Jackson, Mark Leiter, Scott Radinsky, Curtis Pride, Eric Davis, Bret Saberhagen, Mike Lowell, Kent Mercker and Tony Saunders (co-winners), Jason Johnson and Graeme Lloyd (co-winners), Jose Rijo, Jim Mecir, Dewon Brazelton, Aaron Cook and Freddy Sanchez.
Lester will be honored at the annual Boston Baseball Writers’ Association dinner on January 17, 2007.
NEW YORK (AP) - A full World Series share was worth $308,236 for the Boston Red Sox, down from the record $362,173 set by the St. Louis Cardinals last year.
Boston's split of the postseason players' pool was $18.89 million, down from the $20.02 million the Cardinals shared when they won the title. The Red Sox voted 47 full shares, 14 partial shares and 11 cash awards.
NL champion Colorado, swept by the Red Sox, voted 44 full shares of $233,505, five partial shares and 45 cash awards. Mandy Coolbaugh, the widow of Rockies minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh, was voted a full share. Mike Coolbaugh was killed when struck by a foul ball during a game in July.
Last year, a full share on the Detroit Tigers was worth $291,668 after they lost to the Cardinals in the Series.
World Series ticket prices were basically unchanged this year, and revenue was down because of the success of the Red Sox - Fenway Park has the smallest capacity among major league ballparks.
The players' pool dropped to $52.46 million from a record $55.60 million. The pool includes 60 percent of ticket money from the first four games of the World Series, the first four games of each league championship series and the first three contests of each division series.
Full shares for the league championship series losers came to $139,460 for the Arizona Diamondbacks and $107,458 for the Cleveland Indians.
Among first-round losers, full shares were worth $31,594 for the Los Angeles Angels, $28,058 for the Philadelphia Phillies, $26,304 for the New York Yankees and $24,508 for the Chicago Cubs. For second-place teams that didn't make the playoffs, full shares were worth $11,404 for Milwaukee, $10,611 for Detroit, $9,411 for the New York Mets and $9,112 for Seattle.
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox are adding more than 800 new seats at Fenway Park as part of a slate of improvements planned for next season.
The new seats and standing room areas for about 60 people will be added to the pavilion level, which is the third level of seating above home plate. The pavilion area will be extended down the first base line and the third base line, where about three-quarters of the new seating will be located, the team announced.
The announcement comes the same week the team said 2008 ticket prices would increase an average of 9 percent. Prices at Fenway range from $12 for upper bleachers seats to $125 for field box seats. Lucchino said the added revenue was needed to keep the team competitive, particularly as the rival New York Yankees see a major revenue increase when they move into a new stadium in 2009.
The new seats and other improvements are part of the annual offseason renovations the team has undertaken at the league's oldest and smallest ballpark since the ownership group led by John Henry bought the Red Sox in 2002.
Among the major renovations were adding seats above the "Green Monster" in left field in 2003. Before last season, the team added a new bleacher section on the roof deck in right field.
"For decades, there was a presumption that Fenway Park had outlived its useful life and, sentiment aside, would have to be replaced by a modern facility in another location," Lucchino said. "We are eager to see, in 2012, this ballpark become the first ever to celebrate its 100th anniversary."
AP photo / Joe Giblin
Rhode Island's Raji El-Amin, right, and Matt Hansen tackle Tony Nelson of UMass in the first half.
The University of Rhode Island beat the University of Massachusetts in the wind and rain at South Kingstown today, picking up its first conference win of the season while handing the Minutemen their first loss. The final score was 12-6, with the Rams winning in overtime; UMass scored all six of its points on safeties.
UMass falls to 5-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference North Division (7-2 overall), while URI improves to 1-5 (2-7 overall).
The Boston Red Sox today recalled outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Brandon Moss, and pitcher Clay Buchholz from Pawtucket, and purchased the contracts of pitcher Bryan Corey and shortstop Royce Clayton from Pawtucket.
Ellsbury leaves one day after his PawSox franchise-record 25-game hitting streak was snapped when he went 0-for-4 on Friday. He also leaves in a three-way tie for the International League lead with 33 stolen bases. He started 87 games in the outfield (65 CF, 12 LF, 7 RF) and batted lead-off in every one of his starts.
Ellsbury began his 25-game hitting streak on July 21 (just before he went on the disabled list with a groin streak) and then continued it from Aug. 5-30. He bettered the franchise-record 19-game hitting streaks posted by Dave Stapleton in 1979 and Dave Berg in 2005. Ellsbury batted .377 during his streak (40-for-106) which was the second longest hitting streak in the International League this season (Brandon Watson of Columbus had a 43 game hitting streak).
Clayton was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent on Aug. 23 and added to the PawSox roster on Aug. 24. In seven games with the PawSox he hit .143 (4-for-28) with three doubles and four RBI. He began the season with Toronto and batted .254 in 69 game before being released by the Blue Jays in early August.
Moss was chosen as the PawSox MVP prior to Friday's game. In his rookie season with the PawSox he leads the team in games played (133 out of 138), hits (139), runs scored (66 tied with Ellsbury), doubles (41), home runs (16), and RBI (78). His 41 doubles currently leads the IL and are just two shy of the all-time PawSox club record.
Moss hit .282 and made just two errors in 127 games in the field.
Corey led the PawSox with 58 appearances (2nd most in the league) while posting a 6-8 record with a 3.69 ERA along with three saves. In his last 24 outings with the PawSox he was 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA (9 ER in 25.1 IP).
If you subtract his one bad outing (7/29, 4 ER, 1.1 IP), his ERA during that stretch becomes 1.88 (5 ER in 24 IP).
Buchholz was 1-3 with a 3.69 ERA in eight games started for the PawSox since joining the team in mid-July. He was 7-2 with a 1.77 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) for Double-A Portland to begin the season and led all minor league baseball with 116 strikeouts until his promotion to Pawtucket on July 12.
Pawtucket added Cory Keylor (OF) and John Barnes (pitcher) from Portland, and relief pitchers Blake Maxwell (from Single-A Lancaster) and Scott Lonergan (from short-season A Lowell). The PawSox also reinstated infielder Ed Rogers from the disabled list.
Projo SoxTalk: Frustrations are evident on the field
Art Martone and Sean McAdam are calling the Red Sox' post-All Star Game slide a slump, and say in spite of what the players say, their frustrations are evident on the field. It's all on today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file.
What's the answer? Our experts map out the options.
Is it officially a slump? Art Martone and Sean McAdam discuss the recent Red Sox slide on today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file.
Also, continuing to look at the upcoming Major League Baseball trade deadline, they discuss the now unlikely scenario that onetime trade target Jermaine Dye will trade his White Sox for red ones.
Art Martone and Sean McAdam take a look trade possibilities for the Red Sox on today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file. They discuss the Sox' apparent lack of interest in right-handed hitter Reggie Sanders of Kansas City, and the chatter surrounding a possible return of Kevin Millar to Boston.
Projo SoxTalk: Rookie pitcher Kason Gabbard steals the show
Art Martone and Sean McAdam take a look at last night's Red Sox win on today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file. They discuss what's likely to happen once Kurt Schilling returns from his injury break -- around Aug. 1 -- and future prospects for Julián Tavárez in light of Gabbard's strong start.
It's only two weeks until the trade deadline, so stay tuned.
Rod Beck, a relief pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox for three seasons and wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, was found dead Saturday. He was 38.
Head on over to the SoxBlog for today's Projo SoxTalk audio file, and for excerpts from the conversation. Today, Kevin McNamara, who is at McCoy Stadium for this afternoon's PawSox game after covering the big club at Fenway the past two nights, joins sports editor Art Martone. They talk about the improving PawSox, the impressive Justin Verlander and, of course, Josh Beckett.
Today on Projo SoxTalk, Steven Krasner joins Art Martone to talk about the Red Sox' nice victory last night over the Detroit Tigers. Go to the SoxBlog to listen to the full audio and read excerpts from the conversation. Krasner was impressed by Daisuke Matsuzaka, he's still unimpressed by Coco Crisp, and he's not overly optimistic about a quick return from Josh Beckett. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
Projo SoxTalk: Why Beckett's injury may be worse than you think
Head on over to the SoxBlog to hear the latest edition of Projo SoxTalk, this time with Art Martone and Joe McDonald, and to read an excerpt. It was a great win for the Red Sox against Baltimore, but we have some bad news to dwell on as well, and it involves Josh Beckett.
HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) - Despite a weak start, the New York Yankees still rule among fans in Connecticut.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday found that Connecticut fans prefer the Yankees to the Boston Red Sox 43-37 percent. Another 10 percent say they are New York Mets fans.
"The Red Sox may be first in the division but they are second in the hearts of Connecticut fans. These Yankees supporters show they are not fair-weather friends as they stick with the Bombers through tough times," said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz. (PROJO.COM EDITOR'S NOTE: Tough times? A slightly below-.500 record through mid-May?)
The Red Sox are 25-11 heading into Monday's games, with an eight-game lead over the 17-19 Yankees.
The university's poll results are similar to last year, when a Quinnipiac poll found that 42 percent of those surveyed were Yankees fans, 35 percent Red Sox fans and 12 percent support the Mets.
In a breakdown by county, the Yankees are still the big favorite in Fairfield County while the Red Sox rule in Hartford, Tolland, Windham and New London counties.
The survey of 1,653 adults was conducted May 2-7. It has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
Terry Francona, appearing as a guest on WEEI's Dale and Holley show (with Greg Dickerson filling in for Dale Arnold) today expressed his annoyance with the way Curt Schilling blasted Barry Bonds yesterday on the same radio station.
"For a guy who doesn't talk much to the media, he sure does talk to the media," Francona said. Schilling yesterday said fans should not embrace Bonds' pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record because, he said, Bonds had cheated on steroids, on his wife and on his taxes.
Here's more of what Francona said when asked about Schilling's comments by Michael Holley:
"I talked to Schill yesterday about it. He's never been short on opinions, and so many of them are insightful. I just thought that this was an area where you're better off just leaving it alone, and he didn't. And the problem is, it makes it tough for me, because then he comes to the ballpark and doesn't talk to the media, so I'm left to kind of clean up the mess, which I really don't feel like. But again, I've been with Schill a long time (in Boston and in Philadelphia), nobody's more crazy about Schill than me. I just kind of asked him to zip it a little bit, which I think he will."
Head over to the SoxBlog to listen to today's edition of Projo SoxTalk, with Art Martone and Sean McAdam, and to read an excerpt from the conversation. Today, possible bad blood between the Red Sox and the Blue Jays is a prime topic of the conversation.
Check the SoxBlog for today's edition of Projo SoxTalk audio, plus excerpts of the conversation with Art Martone and Sean McAdam. Today's topic is the return of the Rocket to New York.
We've just posted the latest edition of projo SoxTalk on the SoxBlog. Today, Art discusses the control problems dogging Daisuke Matsuzaka, Manny Ramirez's recent tear at the plate and Jacoby Ellsbury's rise through the system.
Sean McAdam is today's guest on projo SoxTalk with Art Martone. Today, McAdam discusses Josh Beckett's hot start, and the mild back injury he appeared to suffer last night. He also gives his take on the improving Coco Crisp and the amazing Hideki Okajima. Go to the SoxBlog to read excerpts from the conversation and hear the full audio file.
On the morning after a disappointing loss to Oakland, Art and Sean break down Jonathan Papelbon's performance, discuss Terry Francona's tough decision at second base, and examine trade rumors involving the Red Sox and pitcher Rich Harden. Go to the SoxBlog to find the full audio file and read excerpts of the conversation.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Today, Joe McDonald tells Art Martone that Jon Lester had an amazing outing in Pawtucket, and is "ready for the major leagues."
Projo SoxTalk: Krasner on the Joe Torre "death watch"
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Today, Steve Krasner addresses the panic in the Bronx, why Alex Cora might not be destined for the regular starting lineup, and Manny Ramirez's improving swing.
Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone: Yanks, Wily Mo, Beckett
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest edition of Projo SoxTalk. Today, Steve Krasner joins us to discuss the Yankees' pitching woes, Wily Mo Pena's one-night redemption and Josh Beckett's 5-0 start.
The TV play-by-play man for the Baltimore Orioles said during last night's broadcast that Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli told him that it was paint, not blood, on Curt Schilling's sock during Schilling's fabled Game 6 performance in Yankee Stadium during the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Gary Thorne, a broadcaster with a national reputation, said this to broadcast partner Jim Palmer, according to today's Boston Globe: "The great story we were talking about the other night was that famous red stocking that he wore when they finally won, the blood on his stocking."
"Nah," Thorne said. "It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR."
The Globe's Gordon Edes caught up with Mirabelli after last night's Red Sox win. Mirabelli said this when told of Thorne's remark: "What? Are you kidding me? He's [expletive] lying. A straight lie. I never said that. I know it was blood. Everybody knows it was blood." According to the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck, Mirabelli could be heard after the game saying he wouldn't know Thorne "if he walked in here."
Schilling also denied the story, offering to show reporters a nine-inch scar and adding: "There are some bad people in your line of work, man," Edes reported.
Former teammate Kevin Millar spoke up in Schilling's defense in the Baltimore clubhouse, while the Red Sox told Edes that they may seek a retraction.
Thorne is a newcomer to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts Orioles games, but he has spent seven years broadcasting the NHL for ABC; covered the Nagano Olympics in Japan for CBS; and has been a radio broadcaster for the New York Mets and a TV broadcaster to the Chicago White Sox, among many other listings on his broadcast resume.
It will be interesting to see if Schilling addresses this issue today on his 38Pitches blog.
Today's guest on Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone is baseball writer Steve Krasner. He talks about Jon Lester's rehab, Wily Mo Pena's struggles with the glove and at the plate, and what tonight's rainy forecast in Baltimore could mean for the coming weekend series in New York. You can find the audio and read excerpts from the conversation over on the SoxBlog.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted today's audio file. Baseball writer Joe McDonald joins Art today to preview tonight's Roy Halladay-Julian Tavarez matchup, and to talk about two people he knows well: Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester.
Over on the SoxBlog, we just posted the latest edition of projo SoxTalk with Art Martone, along with excerpts from the conversation. Today's guest, baseball writer Joe McDonald, talks about the Red Sox' reactions last night after completing the sweep of the Yankees, and he looks ahead to next weekend's rematch in the Bronx.
A 2004 Boston Red Sox World Championship ring is on auction on eBay, and as of this morning the bidding was near $16,000.
According to the posting, the ring was given to Cucho Rodriguez, a former team scout based in Puerto Rico. The ring contains 45 diamonds with a total weight of 1.89 carats, according to the eBay posting, and is cast in 18-carat white gold.
"The ring is the exact same ring that players such as Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Pedro Martinez, and Johnny Damon received," reads the posting. "This particular ring was given to a Red Sox Scout. It comes with the elegant display box that is beautifully designed to house the ring. It also comes with the official certificate of appraisal detailing the qualities of the jewels that make up this wonderfully designed ring."
The Red Sox scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, including two off of Mariano Rivera, and hang on for a 7-6 win Friday night at Fenway Park. Hideki Okajima came on in the ninth and didn't allow a hit for the save. Get all the details by visiting http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog
The Red Sox scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, including two off of Mariano Rivera, and hang on for a 7-6 win Friday night at Fenway Park. Hideki Okajima came on in the ninth and didn't allow a hit for the save. Get all the details by visiting http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog
The Red Sox today announced the appointment of Gary DiSarcina as the manager of the Single-A Lowell Spinners of the New York Penn League for the 2007 season.
The announcement was made by Director of Player Development Mike Hazen.
DiSarcina, who will be making his professional managing debut, was hired by the Red Sox as Baseball Operations Consultant in November. In that role, the former Angels shortstop assists Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein and the baseball operations department in the areas of major league transactions, professional and amateur player evaluation, and minor league instruction.
Jon Deeble, who was originally announced in January as Lowell’s 2007 manager, will continue to concentrate exclusively on his role as Boston’s Pacific Rim Scouting Coordinator.
“Gary DiSarcina has been a real asset to the Red Sox since joining the organization last fall, and we feel he will be a good fit with the Lowell Spinners,” commented Hazen. “With the major emphasis that the Red Sox place on international scouting, the decision was made to continue to allow Jon Deeble to concentrate in the Pacific Rim operation on a full-time basis.”
A native of Billerica, MA, DiSarcina had a career .258 batting average in 1086 games with the California/Anaheim Angels from 1989-2000. He was a two-time team MVP and a 1995 American League All-Star.
Since retiring as an active player, he has operated the DiSarcina Baseball Academy in Billerica and served as an analyst on NESN’s pre and post-game Red Sox coverage prior to joining the Boston organization. DiSarcina was also on the coaching staff for Team Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
DiSarcina will continue in his role as Baseball Operations Consultant prior to the opening of the 76-game New York Penn League season in June. Lowell opens its 2007 season by hosting Oneonta on Tuesday, June 19 at LeLacheur Park.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've posted the latest edition of Projo SoxTalk, along with excerpts of the conversation. Today, Art Martone and Steve Krasner break down Yankees-Red Sox.
On the SoxBlog, we just posted today's audio file. Steve Krasner calls from the Rogers Centre to preview this afternoon's series-concluding contest with the Blue Jays, and to discuss the recent performances of Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz, Doug Mirabelli and Dustin Pedroia.
Yankees will start two rookies this weekend against Red Sox
With the starting rotation hampered by injuries, the New York Yankees are forced to start two rookies this weekend in a three-game series in Boston. For a complete story, go to projo.com's Sox blog.
On the SoxBlog, we just posted today's edition of SoxTalk. Today from Toronto, Steve Krasner talks about Daisuke Matsuzaka's surprising troubles in the fourth inning.
Daisuke Matsuzaka walked three batters and allowed two runs during a shaky fourth inning and the Boston offense provided little run support as the Blue Jays defeated the Red Sox ,2-1. For complete details, visit projo.com's Sox blog.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest audio file. Today we check in with Steve Krasner in Toronto. The topics: the Blue Jays, the Red Sox offense, and Daisuke Matsuzaka take three.
The Red Sox have announced that this morning's original start time of 10:05 has been pushed back to 12:05.
I just arrived in the press box at Fenway Park and I can't believe that the Sox are going to try to play at some point today. The forecast looks pretty much the same for the rest of today. Even if there is this so-called "window" around noon, the field is soaked and the grounds crew is currently fixing puddles along the warning track.
On the drive up from Providence, the river along the Parkway on Jamicaway has flooded over. Branches are down all over the place, but there were a few runners warming up for today's 111th running of the Boston Marathon.
Believe me, I'm all for playing baseball in the rain. But, if conditions remain the way they are now, this game has to get banged.
Case in point: The grounds crew is working on the warning track and just soaked up a huge puddle in front of the Monster. The crew is now working in front of the bullpens, and the Monster area is already flooded, again.
First things first before we head down for Terry Francona's pre-game conference.
The price of visiting Fenway, believe it or not, has gone up. Again.
This has nothing to do with the game itself. Parking, which as all Sox fans know was scarce to begin with, is even harder to find this year because of construction around the park. Not surpisingly, the cost has gone up, especially for the lots nearest the park.
Two years ago, most charged $20. Last year, it went to $25 and $30. This year, it is up to $35 and $40 (I got one of the last in the $35 lot just now). That's for night games. Some of the lots have signs explaining how they have been given approval to charge $60 for day games on weekdays.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest edition of Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone. Today's guest, Joe McDonald, talks about Bill Russell and an inspiring, rainy day at Fenway, as well as tonight's Pawtucket Red Sox home opener.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest edition of Projo SoxTalk. Today, Steve Krasner looks at Felix Hernandez's tremendous effort on Daisuke Matsuzaka's big night.
Lester sharp in rehab start for Class-A Greenville
Jon Lester made his second rehab start Tuesday night and retired the first eight batters he faced in a start for Class-A Greenville. Lester threw 51 pitches and struck out five in four innings of work. Visit http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog/ for the story.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest installment of Projo SoxTalk. Joe McDonald is subbing for Sean McAdam, who is experiencing travel delays.
Schilling, Ortiz, Papelbon fuel Red Sox' win over Rangers
Curt Schilling got his first win of the season, giving up a run on four hits through seven innings; David Ortiz hit two home runs and Jonathan Papelbon got Boston out of an eighth inning jam and retired the side in the ninth as the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers, 3-2, Sunday night. For Sean McAdam's complete game story, visit http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog/
Boston got its hits Saturday night but it's the Red Sox' bullpen that didn't do the job in another loss to Texas, 8-4. Read Sean McAdam's game column and post-game reactions by visiting http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog/
Over on the SoxBlog, you can hear Sean McAdam's analysis of Daisuke Matsuzaka's dazzling debut and lets you know what you might look for in the coming series against the Texas Rangers. Sean will have reports from Texas during the day as the Red Sox prepare for a 2:05 game.
Over on the SoxBlog, we've just posted the latest edition of our weekly feature. This week, Art, sports writer Joe McDonald and sports department assistant Bob McGarry discuss the coming American League East race, and how they think the Red Sox stack up.
PHILADELPHIA — Jimmy Rollins is a believer in Dice-K and the mysterious gyroball.
“It’s a funky pitch, it definitely is,” said Rollins, the Phillies’ All-Star shortstop. “It’s something new in America.”
Well, get ready America. Here comes Matsuzaka mania.
Daisuke Matsuzaka struck out seven over four shaky innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 on Saturday. The Japanese star makes his first regular-season start Thursday at Kansas City.
“I didn’t feel particularly nervous, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to throw in a big league park before the beginning of the season,” Matsuzaka said through a translator.
He gave up three runs, four walks and two hits. Then he grinned after a lengthy question was asked in Japanese about the start of the season. His two-word answer: “I’m ready.”
The Red Sox invested $103 million in Matsuzaka and he’s given them a sparkling peek at what might come this season. He pitched five hitless innings in his previous start against the Cincinnati Reds, though he walked five in that one, leading to some minor concerns about his control.
“I feel like I have a good grasp of the major league strike zone,” he said.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Friday that he wanted Matsuzaka to throw about 40-60 pitches Saturday, but the right-hander threw 82 because Francona wanted him to finish the spring on a strong note.
“He was trying to use all his pitches and get a feel for things,” Francona said. “We wanted him to go into a start looking good, and it worked out pretty good.”
Matsuzaka’s only real blip was Pat Burrell’s two-run homer in the third. Greg Dobbs and Carlos Ruiz also connected for the Phillies.
David Ortiz and Jason Varitek homered for the Red Sox.
Matsuzaka was followed by the usual large swarm of media, some of whom snapped photos of the park from the open-air press box. And forget hot dogs and ice cream. The Phillies served sushi, and fish and rice in the press dining room.
Then Rollins got a taste of the gyroball, the Dice-K pitch that may or may not exist.
Rollins fouled off the pitch he described as a combination of a splitter and a changeup.
“It plays tricks with your eyes,” he said. “With it slightly knuckling, it kind of throws you off.”
It was hard to say for sure: the scoreboard doesn’t list gyroball among the possibilities above the pitch-speed reading.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he saw Matsuzaka pitch better on DVDs and was surprised he didn’t throw harder or have better command of his fastball.
It seems as though everyone has an opinion on Dice-K. The attention is now as much a part of his life as a ball and glove.
“The scrutiny’s not going away,” Francona said. “But it doesn’t bother him. All the other stuff he just takes in stride.”
Notes: Boston’s rotation is set for its series with Kansas City. Curt Schilling vs. Gil Meche on Monday; Josh Beckett vs. Odalis Perez on Wednesday; and Matsuzaka vs. Zack Greinke on Thursday.
A year ago, on this same weekend, from at this same ballpark, Julian Tavarez found himself in baseball purgatory.
Thanks to a spring training fistfight with Tampa Bay outfielder Joey Gathright, Tavarez, in his first season with the Red Sox, was set to begin a 10-game suspension.
This year, Tavarez leaves here slotted as the club’s No. 5 starter, an assignment Tavarez calls “a dream come true.’’
“I feel much better,’’ said Tavarez last night after holding the Philadelphia Phillies to one run over 52/3 innings in a 6-5 Red Sox win. “I was embarrassed last year. It was my first year. I was more embarrassed than hurt, or worried about the money. I was embarrassed to face my teammates. I apologized to (manager Terry) Francona so many times. But it’s a lot different for me this year.’’
Instead of beginning the season on the sidelines, Tavarez finds himself in the starting rotation, filling the vacancy created when Jonathan Papelbon went back to the bullpen.
“At the time, I didn’t think it was going to happen,’’ said Tavarez of the transfer. “It was one inning, one inning. The only rumors I heard were about closing. I was very surprised when (Francona) came to be and said I was going to be the fifth starter. I was very excited.’’
Tavarez allowed six hits, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter in his first start against a major-league lineup this spring. His previous starts had come against minor-league opponents.
“He was efficient,’’ said Francona. “He did a good job. As long as he keeps the ball in the strike zone and stays down, he’s going to do that.’’
“I really appreciate that they gave me this job as a starter,’’ said Tavarez. “I’m very happy they’re counting on me.’’
Before last night’s game, the Red Sox had hit just 15 homers all spring, placing them 12th in the American League.
But, as if sensing that the games are about to start counting Monday, the Sox unleashed some power last night, belting four homers.
Manny Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew each hit solo shots while Kevin Youkilis added a two-run home run. For Ramirez, it was his first homer of the spring.
The Phils rallied for four runs off Kyle Snyder and Travis Hughes in the ninth, but with the tying run on second and the winning run on first, Hughes fanned Michael Bourne to end it.
Boston Red Sox icon Johnny Pesky will have to leave the dugout during games this season because of a major league rule that limits the number of coaches allowed in uniform.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the team was told by the commissioner's officer it will enforce the rule that limits uniformed personnel in the dugout to players, managers, and six coaches. Francona said the Red Sox received a stern letter from baseball threatening substantial fines.
“They warned us so many times, I think they got tired of it,” he said Friday before the Boston's exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies. “I've seen the letters in the past.”
Pesky took the news hard when Francona told him this week.
“I sat down with him and talked with him about, and he was hurt,” Francona said. “I understand. But the rules are what they are.”
“This is a major league baseball rule,” Red Sox spokesman John Blake said. “This is not the Boston Red Sox, and apparently major league baseball is very intent on enforcing the number of people and the various capacities that can be in the dugout this season.”
The rule also applies to non-baseball staff, including interpreters. The Red Sox will be allowed to use Masai Takahashi, a member of the training staff, to translate for Japanese pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, Blake said.
The 87-year-old Pesky has been with the ballclub for 57 years as a player, coach and manager.
He played for the Red Sox from 1942-52, missing three years during World War II, before brief stints with Detroit and Washington. He had a lifetime average of .307 and set the club record with 205 hits as a rookie that stood until Nomar Garciaparra had 209 in 1997.
The right-field foul pole at Fenway Park, which is just 302 feet from home plate, came to be known as “Pesky's Pole” for his ability to turn short line drives into home runs; the team made the name official last year.
Pesky also managed the team in 1963-64 and has served as a coach for decades. The previous Red Sox ownership banished him from the dugout in '97, but that policy was reversed when the group led by John Henry and Tom Werner took over in 2002.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston’s Curt Schilling outpitched Minnesota ace Johan Santana in a spring training matchup of two of the best pitchers in the major leagues.
Schilling allowed two hits in 4 2-3 shutout innings to help the Red Sox beat the Twins 5-4 Wednesday night. He struck out one and didn’t walk a batter, finishing a test run of his new changeup.
“It depends on the day,” Schilling said of how the changeup has been going. “How it feels. The hitters. The game plan. All of it.”
The Red Sox trotted out their opening-day lineup, and Santana said he noticed. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings.
“You know what?” Santana said. “I feel good. I was working on my changeup. I threw a lot of changeups, and that’s what they were looking for.
“They have one of the best lineups in the game, for sure. It puts you in a situation where you have to show where you are. When you go against a team like that, that’s the way it’s going to be. That’s the way it’s going to be after April 2.”
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Santana’s outing did not trouble him.
“All I know is, he’s ready to start on opening day,” Gardenhire said. Following Santana will be Boof Bonser, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson and Carlos Silva, although the order has yet to be announced by Gardenhire.
The Twins gave Silva a spot in their rotation Wednesday and sent Matt Garza to Triple-A Rochester.
Manny Ramirez hit a two-run double in the second for the Red Sox. Julio Lugo and Kevin Youkilis each hit run-scoring singles in the third as Boston built a 4-0 lead.
Notes: The Red Sox placed right-handers Matt Clement and Mike Timlin and left-hander Jon Lester on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 23. Timlin is recovering from an oblique strain and hopes to pitch in a minor league game this weekend. Lester is expected to start the season on a rehabilitation assignment at Single-A Greenville.
Roger Clemens was greeted by a group of autograph-seeking fans as he walked off the 18th green during a pro-am event at Redstone Golf Club on Wednesday.
“Are you coming back?” someone asked.
“I'll know in about a month,” Clemens answered.
The 44-year-old is no closer to deciding whether he'll return for a 23rd season. He set no timetable, but repeated that he'll choose among the Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Clemens said his agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, will let him know when he can't put off his decision any longer.
“They're great at what they do and they'll call me and say, 'Listen, it's time to either make a decision or not,'” the seven-time Cy Young Award winner said. “It could come next week, it could come in 2-3 months, who knows?”
Clemens hinted that he'll pick the team he thinks has the best chance to win the World Series.
“I need a solid reason to do this,” Clemens said. When asked what a solid reason would be, Clemens said, “To feel like I could contribute and to win, to know we have an outstanding chance to win and to be a part of something special.”
Clemens said he's healthy and ready to pitch, but still needs to mentally prepare for a season.
“My arm's not too far off, my body is not too far off,” he said. “My mind's just not there yet.”
During Wednesday's round with Lee Westwood, who's competing in this week's Houston Open, Clemens wore a white baseball cap with “World Series 2005” emblazoned on the front. Clemens said he's heard from Chris Burke and other former Houston teammates, urging him to come back.
The only firm plan Clemens has now is to follow his oldest son, Koby, a minor-leaguer in the Astros system.
Clemens also said he'll fly to New York in the coming weeks to see close friend Andy Pettitte pitch for the Yankees. Pettitte said Tuesday his sore back is feeling better and the Yankees are confident he'll make his first regular-season start.
Clemens and Pettitte spent four seasons together in New York and most of the last three in Houston.
“I told him he's getting older and he needs to use a weight belt on his squats,” Clemens said. “It's good for all of us.”
Former soccer star Mia Hamm, wife of Dodgers first baseman and ex-Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra, has delivered twin girls.
“Both are healthy and over 5 pounds,” Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said, adding the births took place late Tuesday in the Los Angeles area.
Rawitch said Garciaparra flew from Florida to witness the births, but was in the air when the babies were born.
“He was on a speaker phone with the delivery room speaking with Mia during the births,” Rawitch said.
Garciaparra went straight to the hospital upon arriving in Los Angeles to be with his wife.
Rawitch said he didn't know when Garciaparra would rejoin the Dodgers, who open the three-game Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. The team flies to Milwaukee on Sunday for Monday's season-opener against the Brewers.
“We expect to see him sometime this weekend,” Rawitch said.
Garciaparra, who won two AL batting championships while playing for the Boston Red Sox, joined the Dodgers last season and was the NL comeback player of the year. He signed with the Dodgers after playing 11/2 seasons for the Chicago Cubs.
Hamm led the U.S. women's team to two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals. She was a near-unanimous selection to the National Soccer Hall of Fame last month.
Tim Wakefield is showing no signs of slowing down as he begins his 13th year with the Boston Red Sox. Not much has changed for the right-hander, either.
His knuckleball still baffles hitters and he doesn't need much time to prepare for the regular season.
“Same old, same old,” Wakefield said after allowing three runs in six innings in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. “I was ready last week. I threw 88 pitches today (and) still felt like I had some gas in the tank.”
Wakefield, who had a brilliant rookie season with Pittsburgh in 1992, is working under a contract that allows the Red Sox to extend it one year at a time at $4 million.
Wakefield moved up from the fifth spot in the rotation to the fourth last week when the Red Sox abandoned their plans to make Jonathan Papelbon a starter and returned him to the closer's role he had last year when he had 35 saves and a 0.92 ERA.
“I feel really good about our team this year,” said Wakefield, who held Pittsburgh scoreless for his last four innings. “With Pap coming in closing the door, if (the starters) can go five, six or seven innings, hopefully it's a one- or two-inning game after that.”
A stress fracture in his rib cage kept Wakefield on the disabled list from July 22 to Sept. 13 last season. He ended up with a 7-11 record and 4.63 ERA.
Tony Armas has spent parts of the last four seasons on the disabled list and is slated to be the Pirates' fifth starter. Armas, who became a free agent after pitching for Washington last season, got the win Tuesday, allowing two runs and five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in 5 2-3 innings.
“He wasn't what he was in some previous starts this spring, but when a guy goes out there and pitches into the sixth, battles and makes pitches when he has to, that's what you love to see,” Pirates manager Jim Tracy said.
“That's one of the areas we were very weak at in the early part of last season. Games got away from us. We couldn't put innings down.”
Ronny Paulino continued his productive spring training with a two-run homer in the first, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. But his batting average dropped to .500. His .310 average last season left him and Mike Piazza, who hit .318 in 1993, as the only rookie catchers since 1969, when division play began, to hit at least .310 and catch at least 100 games.
Left fielder Andrew McCutcheon doubled in Pittsburgh's third run in the second and is hitting .327. He is the team's top prospect but was sent to the minors last weekend.
Boston cut Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1 in the third when Julio Lugo scored on Armas' wild pitch, and 3-2 in the fifth on an RBI single by David Ortiz. Last year's AL leader in RBIs, Ortiz is hitting just .196 with nine hits but has driven in a team-high 11 runs.
In this week's edition, sports editor Art Martone, baseball writer Joe McDonald and sports department assistant Bob McGarry discuss the state of the Red Sox bullpen, particularly the decision to move Jonathan Papelbon to closer and the struggles of young Craig Hansen.
A record crowd brimming with Red Sox fans saw Daisuke Matsuzaka throw a lot of pitches without giving up a hit during his last spring training appearance in Florida.
The Cincinnati Reds? They weren't quite sure what they saw.
Matsuzaka didn't give up a hit in his five innings on Monday, but walked five and used his full assortment of pitches — many of them far out of the strike zone — during Boston's 5-0 loss to the Reds.
“I don't think he had his best stuff today,” Reds outfielder Adam Dunn said, before stopping himself. “I don't know. What am I saying? I've never seen the guy before in my life. But today, he's as advertised.
“He didn't have very good location today, and that probably made it a little easier on us. But he still got out of there with no hits.”
With his slow, deliberate motion, the right-hander known as Dice-K needed 102 pitches to get through five innings against Cincinnati's starting lineup. Ken Griffey Jr., playing only his second spring game after recovering from a broken hand, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
“We didn't get no hits, so obviously he did something,” said Griffey, who faced him in all three at-bats. “The first time you see a guy, he has the advantage over you. He's a guy who thinks his way through the lineup.”
The Red Sox have invested $103 million in the Japanese star — a $51 million bid to negotiate with him, and a $52 million contract over six years. In his last start, Matsuzaka gave up only one hit during 5 2-3 innings against Pittsburgh.
He didn't want to discuss his wild outing on Monday. Manager Terry Francona thinks Matsuzaka, who has a 2.04 earned run average, is trying to be perfect.
“He even said the other day after he pitched he wasn't satisfied,” Francona said. “You probably have to get used to it. Some of the way is probably the way he pushes himself when he does pitch well, and probably gets mad at himself when he's not as good as he thinks he should be.”
Approximately 75 reporters and photographers — half the number who attended Griffey's inaugural 2000 news conference with the Reds in Sarasota — showed up to see it. There were so many Red Sox fans in the crowd that Matsuzaka got a louder ovation during pregame introductions than Griffey did.
A crowd of 7,663, the largest in Ed Smith Stadium's 19 years, watched a slow-moving game that was scoreless until the seventh, when struggling reliever Craig Hansen gave up Cincinnati's first two hits and then couldn't control his pitches. He hit Ryan Freel's left hand to load the bases, then hit Jeff Conine to force in a run. A pair of walks forced in two more, and Javier Valentin's single off Kyle Snyder made it 5-0.
Left-hander Bobby Livingston, competing for the last spot in Cincinnati's rotation, gave up one hit in five innings, lowering his earned run average to 1.23.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Hanley Ramirez quickly showed the Red Sox what they lost when they shipped him to the Marlins. Then Josh Beckett showed the deal was hardly one-sided.
Ramirez, traded for Beckett after the 2005 season, lined the right-hander’s first pitch through the middle to set up Florida’s first run Sunday. But Beckett allowed just two more hits and pitched seven innings as the Red Sox won 12-6.
“Anybody who can go up there and hit the first pitch of the game like that right back at somebody, he’s definitely got some athletic skills,” Beckett said.
The trade sent Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to Boston for Ramirez and right-hander Anibal Sanchez. Ramirez hit .292 with 17 homers and 51 stolen bases last season, winning NL Rookie of the Year. Sanchez pitched a no-hitter.
“I certainly think (the Red Sox) are happy that I’m here,” Beckett said. “I definitely think that it worked out for (the Marlins’) organization.”
Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez thinks so.
Ramirez “is an aggressive hitter,” he said. “He’s got all the tools. If he wouldn’t be playing baseball, he’d be playing, I think, cornerback for some NFL team.”
Beckett, the MVP of the 2003 World Series with the Marlins, pitched against them for the first time. Showing an outstanding curveball, he struck out seven and walked three. In 23 2-3 innings this spring, he has 24 strikeouts and four walks. He’s allowed just one homer after giving up a career-high 36 last year.
So far he’s accomplished his primary goal for spring training — staying healthy.
“I was reading some of the injuries that some of the teams have taken,” Beckett said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate.”
The Yankees are without Chien-Ming Wang, who will start the season on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Andy Pettitte has been bothered by back spasms.
Marlins starter Yusmeiro Petit walked four in 4 1-3 innings but didn’t jeopardize his status on the staff, Gonzalez said.
In the first, Petit allowed a single to Julio Lugo and a walk to Kevin Youkilis before Manny Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly. In the third, Petit walked Lugo and Youkilis before David Ortiz doubled both home.
“You walk those two guys at the top of the order, you’re going to get in trouble trying to face the big boppers,” Gonzalez said. “Those are the only guys that hurt him and those guys hurt a lot of people.”
Boston led 3-1 before two Florida relievers allowed nine runs in the eighth and Red Sox reliever J.C. Romero gave up five in the ninth.
Sunday morning, the Boston Red Sox made two roster moves, leaving them with 36 players still in camp.
The Sox returned pitcher Mike Burns to minor-league camp while optioning Devern Hansack to Pawtucket. The latter move, though hardly a surprise development, seemed to catcher Hansack unaware. Hansack was clearly emotional in the wake of his demotion and would not answer questions.
Hansack, who contributed three hitless innings Saturday against Tampa Bay, compiled a 2.08 ERA over five spring appearances.
“We want him to go start at Triple A,’’ said Francona. “Last year, he wasn’t even in camp (during spring training). This year, he’s disappointed he didn’t make the team. That’s an unbelievable jump. He’s got a bright future. He’s got a live, loose arm. He likes to compete. He’s a little excitable out there, but he’s a wonderful kid.’’
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Center fielder Coco Crisp was glad he was back after a two-week absence, and so were the Red Sox.
Crisp went 1-for-2, drew a walk, stole a base and scored the only Boston run in a 10 inning, 1-1 tie with Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Just being in the lineup was satisfying for Crisp, who had been sidelined since March 14 with stiffness in his left shoulder. He was hampered with a fractured left index finger most of his first season with the Red Sox.
“I felt fine,” Crisp said after playing five innings. “I had close to a couple of weeks off, so it feels good to get back in there and get some live at-bats instead of just BP.”
Red Sox starting pitcher Devern Hansack pitched three perfect innings against a Devil Rays team that had averaged more than nine runs in winning four straight games.
Hansack, a right-hander, joined the Red Sox last season after two years away from professional baseball. He likely will begin the season with Triple-A Pawtucket.
Devil Rays starter Edwin Jackson pitched well in another bid to earn the job of fifth starter. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits in 4 2-3 innings. He struck out six batters and walked two.
Jackson is competing with left-hander J.P. Howell, who owns a 1.80 ERA after limiting the Cincinnati Reds to one run through five innings Friday. Jackson’s ERA is 1.84.
Note:@ Devil Rays CF Rocco Baldelli (hamstring) has missed four consecutive games.
Erik Bedard's first outing since he was chosen to start on opening day for the Baltimore Orioles showed he was an excellent choice.
The left-hander held Boston hitless for 4 2-3 innings before Jason Varitek broke out of a slump with a solo homer that helped the Red Sox win 3-2 Friday.
Bedard allowed one hit, struck out eight and walked two but wasn't thrilled with his outing. Several balls were hit to the warning track for outs, including a leap by left fielder Freddie Bynum that robbed J.D. Drew of a possible homer.
“I got away with some homers that should have been,” Bedard said. “My location was fine.”
That didn't diminish the Red Sox praise for Bedard, who was 15-11 with a 4.52 ERA last year and has allowed nine hits in 19 exhibition innings with a 0.95 ERA.
“He's impressive,” manager Terry Francona said. “He's got some ways to attack a hitter.”
Varitek, who struck out in his other at bat against Bedard, said he “had some great stuff today, all his pitches and good velocity, good tilt, good sinkers, good cutters, everything.”
Boston also went with its opening day starter, and Curt Schilling pitched a solid seven innings. He allowed consecutive RBI doubles in the fourth to Jay Gibbons and Kevin Millar but finished with six strikeouts while giving up six hits and no walks.
“I feel very good about where I'm at,” Schilling said. “I certainly feel I'm far ahead of where I was last year.”
He has one more appearance, next Wednesday night against Minnesota, before pitching making the seventh opening day start of his career at Kansas City on April 2.
“It really is something that is much less of a big deal after opening day,” the 40-year-old Schilling said. “After opening day, it's irrelevant, but I've always looked at it as very much an honor. It's something I'm very proud to do.”
Bedard, 28, will be starting his first season opener April 2 against Minnesota's Cy Young award winner, Johan Santana.
“I'm glad, but it's only the first game of the season,” Bedard said. “Then you don't pitch against the other team's No. 1 after that, or rarely.”
Varitek finally swung the bat well after finishing last season with a career-low .238 batting average and coming into the game with just two singles in 25 spring training at bats.
“I took good swings today,” he said. “I think I'm going to be just fine.”
Boston tied the game in the eighth on Eric Hinske's RBI groundout and won it on Kevin Cash's run-scoring single in the ninth, one of the team's four hits.
The gas grill offered for sale by Manny Ramirez was removed from the eBay Web site because he could not be verified as its owner and the listing violated company policy, an eBay spokeswoman said Thursday.
The seller's contact information given to eBay when the item was listed was not that of the Boston Red Sox slugger, said Nichola Sharpe.
The bidding began with the minimum allowed, $3,000, at 1:11 p.m. EDT Tuesday and rose to the ridiculous throughout the day, reaching $99,999,999 by about midnight, the highest bid the Web site was technically capable of listing. The item was removed from the site Wednesday.
“Obviously, it was receiving a high level of interest, as you would expect,” Sharpe told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from eBay headquarters in San Jose, Calif. “We actually tried to proactively contact the seller.”
The customer support team called the phone number in the contact information and spoke several times with someone other than Ramirez, she said.
“We have requested additional verification,” Sharpe said. “If it's not officially from (Ramirez) it would disappoint his many fans.”
She suggested that if Ramirez is verified as the owner, he might want to list it on eBay's charity program that allows proceeds to go to the charity of the seller's choice. Ramirez is in the next to last year of a $160 million, eight-year contract.
“If I was his manager I would think that would be a great idea,” she said, referring to his representative.
Greg Genske, Ramirez's agent, did not return an e-mail seeking comment Thursday.
“The listing itself violated our listing policy,” Sharpe said. “As a seller, you need to be mindful of the policy.”
One violation, Sharpe said, was that the listing on the Web site said Ramirez bought the grill, but he told a reporter it belongs to a neighbor in Weston, Fla. The neighbor's involvement first was reported by The Boston Globe. Another violation was the offer of an autographed baseball, she said.
Just as “If you're driving a car, you need to have rules to drive safely,” she said, strict rules are required for selling items on eBay.
One of the playful offers was for $5,111.11, a reminder of the $51.11 million the Red Sox offered for the rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Sharpe said any bids would have been legally binding even if they were made frivolously.
Removing the item pending proof of ownership “shows we're being responsible,” Sharpe said.
The notice on eBay said: “This listing (120099426399) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number. If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled.”
The original listing included seven photos of the grill, two with Ramirez next to it, and the message: “Hi, I'm Manny Ramirez. I bought this AMAZING grill for about $4,000 and I used it once But I never have the time to use it because I am always on the road. I would love to sell it and you will get an autographed ball signed by me. Enjoy it, Manny Ramirez.”
Almost as soon as the news broke about Jonathan Papelbon's move to the bullpen, Curt Schilling had published his take on his blog. Schilling, whose 38 Pitches blog has become very popular this offseason, defends the organization's move and says that Papelbon is just fine with everything.
"No it wasn’t a rash decision brought about by uncertainty. I can promise you there were many meetings involving many people that occurred before this took place," Schilling writes. "Paps wanted to close because that’s where he felt he helped the team best, but he had no issues or problems being a starter either. He was going to do whatever role they asked of him."
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- After spending the first five weeks of spring training insisting they had no plans to move Jonathan Papelbon back to the bullpen, the Red Sox today did just that.
The Sox announced after today's 4-4 tie with the Phillies here that Papelbon -- one of the best relievers in baseball in 2006 -- was being reinstated as the team's closer. His spot in the starting rotation will be taken by Julian Tavarez, who pitched three innings in Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Orioles and four innings in a minor-league game today.
In retrospect, Tavarez' increased workload should have served as a tipoff to the team's plans. As a middle to late reliever, Tavarez would have no call to pitch as much as he has in recent days unless he was being stretched out for greater in-game responsibilities.
Papelbon, conversely, was the Sox' second pitcher today after having been the starter in his last several appearances. He had started the exhibition season pitching on the same day as Tim Wakefield, but they were separated a week or so into the schedule, ostensibly because they would be pitching on different days during the season. The fact that were back together today, and that Papelbon was not starting, was another red flag.
Papelbon worked three innings and allowed two hits and a run, with one walk and three strikeouts.
On the one hand, the move solves a huge problem for the Red Sox. Unable to sign or trade for an established closer during the offseason, they had planned to give the job to 41-year-old Mike Timlin. When Timlin was suffered a strained oblique muscle early in camp, an injury that will force him to start the season on the disabled list, they had to turn to Plan B.
Although they made no public pronouncements, it was believed Tavarez would be the choice, the reasoning being he had the best mental makeup for the role. The Sox didn't want to place the immense pressure of closing in a market like Boston on Joel Piniero, who is new to the position, and none of the other relievers -- Brendan Donnelly, J.C. Romero, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, Hideki Okajima -- had the experience or the skills for the job.
Papelbon, of course, was absolutely dominant in the role last year. He was 4-2 with 35 saves and an 0.92 ERA in 59 games, made the American League All-Star team and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.
On the other hand, however, the stress of relieving led to a shoulder injury that sidelined Papelbon for the final month of the season and the team's medical staff recommended he return to starting to avoid further problems. The Sox, however, say they will carefully monitor his health and not do anything to invite further problems.
The Sox were strong, but never unequivocal, in their insistence that Papelbon would not relieve this season. Still, they repeated over and over that Papelbon would be a starter and once became very angry with media members who continued to speculate that the Sox would, in the end, return him to the closer's role.
For 4 2/3 innings last night, Josh Beckett was nearly perfect, retiring 14 of the first 15 hitters he faced while piling up seven strikeouts.
But after getting the first two outs in the fifth, Beckett was hit around by the Minnesota Twins. Five straight hits produced four runs, though the Sox held off the Twins 6-5.
“I went away from my curve,’’ said Beckett, “and the wheels just fell off.’’
Earlier, the Sox had scored two runs each in the first, second and fourth innings. David Ortiz had a sacrifice fly in the second and added a two-run single off the wall in right in the fourth.
Mike Lowell chipped in with his third homer of the spring to lead off the second. J.D. Drew had two hits, including a run-scoring single in the first.
The victory gave the Sox a 2-1-1 edge in the race for the Mayor’s Cup, which is awarded annually to the team which win the head-to-head spring series between the two Fort Myers-based teams.
The Sox optioned lefty Kason Gabbard to Pawtucket, officially leaving the Sox with 40 players in camp.
Manager Terry Francona praised Gabbard’s work this spring – a 2.70 over four appearances – and said the club “really contemplated keeping him around’’ longer.
“But in fairness to him,’’ Francona said, “he really needs to get stretched out.’’
Francona also revealed yesterday that he spoke to non-roster invitees Joe McEwing and Bobby Scales that while they would be opening the season with the club, they would be taken to Philadelphia for the final two exhibition games of the spring.
Unofficially, then, the Sox are at 38 players with 12 days to go before the season-opener.
The Sox travel to Bradenton today to face the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Daisuke Matsuzaka scheduled to start, followed by Hideki Okajima and Kyle Snyder.
Matsuzaka will be allowed to throw 85-90 pitches today before being scaled back on Monday, his final Florida tuneup against the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota.
How much would you pay to cook up a few steaks on a fancy grill? If you buy it from Manny Ramirez, prepare to shell out more than $20,000 — but it comes with an autographed baseball.
The Red Sox quirky slugger with the $160 million contract is selling on eBay a JENN-AIR grill he said he bought for about $4,000.
“Manny, get over here now,” teammate David Ortiz bellowed when he saw a television report about Ramirez's move into the luxury appliance trade before Tuesday night's 6-5 win over Minnesota.
Moments later, a smiling Ramirez strolled into the clubhouse, carrying a salad from the players' kitchen.
“I'm a businessman,” he said with a laugh. “I need the money.”
By the time the game ended, the high bid was $6,200. One hour later, it was up to $20,201 and climbing. The bid reached $70,500 late Tuesday night.
One of the offers — apparently from a playful bidder — was for $5,111.11, a reminder of the $51.11 million the Red Sox offered for the rights to negotiate with Japanese star Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed with Boston.
On the first pitch Ramirez saw from Twins starter Glen Perkins, he grounded into a double play but there was some good news — the high bid at that moment, the 24th of the auction, was $4,950. That hadn't changed when he flied out to right field on the second pitch he saw in the second inning.
The minimum bid allowed was $3,000 and that was posted at 1:11 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
The listing shows seven photographs, two with Ramirez posing next to the large grill that appears to be located in a garage. The item is in Weston, Fla., where Ramirez has a home.
“Hi, I'm Manny Ramirez,” the listing said. “I bought this AMAZING grill for about $4,000 and I used it once. ... But I never have the time to use it because I am always on the road. I would love to sell it and you will get an autographed ball signed by me.
“Enjoy it, Manny Ramirez.”
The left fielder has had an eventful six full seasons with Boston — highlighted by numerous trade requests, 234 homers and a batting championship.
Earlier in spring training, Ramirez created a stir when he had a classic car for sale at an auction in Atlantic City, N.J. The event was two days after Red Sox position players reported and three days before the team gave Ramirez position to show up. He had planned to attend the sale but changed his mind.
No one came up with the minimum amount required and the car didn't sell.
Other Boston players can't get people to take their extra items off their hands either.
“Nobody'll buy anything of mine,” Boston center fielder Coco Crisp said before the game. “I throw away my garbage and people dig it up and say, 'yep,' and put it back.”
“Somebody said it was on there for 4,700 bucks. That's crazy,” right fielder J.D. Drew said before the bidding for the grill escalated. “I'm not buying it.”
If he changes his mind, there's still time. The bidding closes on March 28 at 2:57 p.m. EDT.
Dodgers send rock-rich, former Red Sox pitcher to minors
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who made more headlines for his rocks than his lobs during training camp this spring was reassigned to the team's minor league camp Monday.
Matt White, a 29-year-old left-hander, discovered a valuable rock quarry behind a house he bought from an aunt three years ago in western Massachusetts. But while everyone else wanted to talk about his possible fortune, White wanted to stay focused on baseball.
The attention the quarry received wasn't to blame for his reassignment, he said.
Talk of the rock fortune was strange for a week, “but it settled down and I was able to do my job on the mound and that's what they are looking at,” White said. “I don't even want to talk about rocks right now, but it wasn't a distraction to my pitching.”
The reliever allowed one earned run and two hits in 7 1-3 innings. He said he will be sent to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he is likely to be a situational left-hander.
San Diego pitcher and former Red Sox starter David Wells has Type 2, which the Padres say is controllable.
“It's something he'll have to manage and something we'll have to help him manage,” Padres chief executive officer Sandy Alderson said Monday. “It's not unprecedented by any means.”
Wells was diagnosed two weeks ago, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in Monday's editions.
Asked if he feels less energy at times, Wells said: “It depends.” He declined further comment on Monday.
Manager Bud Black said Wells needs to meet with doctors.
“From what I've been told, it'll be manageable,” Black said.
The 43-year-old old signed a one-year contract in January to return to his hometown Padres as the No. 5 starter. The 6-foot-3, 248-pound Wells has often battled his weight, and was scratched from a start late last season due to gout in his right foot.
Daniel Cabrera can be a dominant pitcher — when he throws strikes.
Cabrera walked five batters in five innings Sunday and Baltimore lost 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox.
Cabrera, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, allowed only one run in five innings despite having problems with overthrowing.
Cabrera, who walked three in nine innings over his previous three starts — struck out three in his longest outing of spring training. The only hits he gave up were consecutive doubles by Joe McEwing and Alberto Castillo that tied the score at 1 in the fifth.
Five Boston pitchers limited the Orioles to five hits, including an RBI single by Aubrey Huff.
Julian Tavarez pitched three scoreless innings of two-hit relief for Boston, and Mike Burns worked a perfect ninth for the save.
Red Sox starter Kason Gabbard pitched three shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
“It was a good day to pitch — the wind's blowing in. If you throw strikes, you should be OK,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “But I didn't see them hit a lot of balls. As long as Gabby's throwing strikes — the breaking ball's getting better, the changeup's getting better — he's going to have a lot of success. If he's down in the strike zone, he's got three good pitches.”
Curt Schilling pitched six effective innings and Jason Varitek had a two-run double leading the Pawtucket Red Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Louisville Bats today in Fort Myers, Fla.
The veteran right-hander mixed in all of his pitches during a 98-pitch effort over six solid innings in a game of mostly Triple-A players at Boston's minor league complex. He then proclaimed that his next start will prove to manager Terry Francona that he's prepared to go late in Boston's opener at Kansas City on April 2.
“The next outing for me is what makes Tito and (pitching coach) John (Farrell) not worry about my pitch count on opening day,” he said. “I don't want to be on a pitch count. I know I'm 40, but I don't think the ace of the staff should be on a pitch count.”
Schilling, who turned 40 in November and is in the last year of his contract, gave up one run — on a homer by Reds highly touted prospect Jay Bruce — and four hits. He also struck out six and didn't walk a batter in front of general manager Theo Epstein and about 100 others, many of them young Red Sox prospects at one of the back fields of the team's minor-league camp.
Schilling said he expects to reach 100 pitches in his next start.
His only mistakes seemed be a pair of high fastballs over the plate, one the homer to left-center by the left-handed swinging Bruce and the other an opposite-field double.
“I felt strong,” he said. “The only thing that was wrong was my fastball command. I thought I had a lot of life at the end.”
Schilling, the brunt of jokes in the Boston media over his weight when he entered camp, said his recent loss of nine pounds has him feeling better as he prepares for his 17th season in the majors, his fourth with the Red Sox.
During his outing Sunday, which included about a half dozen hard-breaking curveballs, Schilling felt his newest pitch, his changeup, is major-league ready.
“Today it finally felt like it was one of my pitches,” he said. “I can go out any given night (during the season) and throw like 120 pitches and throw 25 of them. If it gets me five extra outs in a game, it's worth it.”
But, he also understands that the location of one of his best two pitches — his fastball — will be the key this late in his career.
“Fastballs up,” he said of the homer and double. “That's the same thing that happened to me last year. You can do that when you're throwing 98 (miles per hour), but when you throw 93 you can't get away with it.”
Schilling, who likes to avoid division opponents in spring training games, is scheduled to make his next start against Baltimore Friday.
“It's not as big of a deal as you would think that I think it is,” he said of facing an AL East club during March.
Schilling started against the minor leaguers Sunday while Boston's major-leaguers faced Baltimore in Fort Lauderdale.
Varitek batted every inning that he played, going 2-for-6 with a homer and single.
If Roger Clemens decides to pitch this season, he won't announce his decision before May.
In an exclusive interview with MLB.com, Clemens also said that if he does pitch, it will only be for the Astros, Yankees or Red Sox.
"From what I understand, all three teams want to see where they are as far as their rotation ... and how their pitching lines up," Clemens told the Web site. "Not a one of them wanted an April or May [deal] anyways. All three teams look good as far as their pitching staffs go. My agents will let me know if and when they call."
Clemens also clarified his past contracts with the Astros as he thought his situation was being misconstrued in the media.
"The thing that's been misconstrued quite a bit is that I have a deal in Houston where I pitch and then don't show up," Clemens told the Web site. "I'm working more than I'm pitching down there. It's not like I'm pitching and then going home and sitting around."
However, the Astros might not be a lock to re-sign Clemens this time if he decides to come back. He admitted that he would have signed with the Yankees if Pettitte had never left -- and Pettitte is back in pinstripes for this season.
"I would have signed a similar deal with the Yankees had Andy stayed in New York," Clemens told MLB.com. "I thought he was a lifer there. I know when we were in the playoffs in 2003 and Andy's contract was coming up, he wasn't sure about what he was going to do because he knew I was retiring. He was like, 'I don't know what I want to do and if I want to stay here.' And I told him I'd come visit a couple times a month, play some golf and possibly work for some TV people."
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Kyle Lohse, who faced only six batters before leaving with a hamstring injury 15 days ago in his first spring outing, allowed three hits and no walks in five shutout innings in the Reds’ 2-1 win Saturday over the Boston Red Sox.
Pitching coach Dick Pole “gave me a mission to try to go out there and get first-pitch outs,” Lohse said. “Going out there with that mentality, you’re going to get ahead of guys and force them to put the ball in play early in the count.”
Of Boston’s first seven batters, four put the ball in play on the first pitch — three outs and a double by Wily Mo Pena, who was stranded at second.
“I felt really strong,” said Lohse, who struck out three. “I don’t even count that last time out as being an outing because it was short.”
In his last inning Saturday, Lohse hit Dustin Pedroia on the knuckle below his left pinky. Pedroia came out of the game but said he was fine.
“I get two strikes on guys and I think with me they look for sliders away and maybe that hurts their reaction time,” said Lohse, who threw a fastball inside to Pedroia. “You’ve got to pitch inside and every once in a while it gets away.”
Cincinnati’s runs came off Jonathan Papelbon, making his first start in his transition from dominant closer to No. 4 starter for Boston. He had pitched five relief innings in his first two outings then allowed three runs in 3 2-3 innings last Monday in a minor league game.
“I felt really, really good today,” he said. “The only thing today that I really am not pleased about is that I didn’t really pound the (strike) zone and get ahead of guys.”
Papelbon allowed a homer on his seventh pitch of the game to leadoff hitter Chris Denorfia. In the third, Denorfia singled and stole second. Papelbon struck out the next two batters before Adam Dunn singled Denorfia home.
“I actually thought today at the end of the game (was) one of the best fastballs he threw,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “The umpire actually stopped me and said the same thing.”
Boston scored in the eighth on Manny Ramirez’s double, his first extra-base hit of spring training, and Bobby Scales’ single.
Timlin gets a head start, Lester to start season in Pawtucket
Mike Timlin, who had been scheduled to resume throwing yesterday, got a jump start and played catch for 10 minutes Friday and reported no stiffness.
Timlin, who has battled an oblique strain since last month, was set to throw again yesterday and graduate to long toss in the next day or so. It will be another three or four days before he’s throwing on a mound.
It appears less and less likely that Timlin will be ready to go by April 2, Opening Day.
``We all get caught up with getting ready for Opening Day,’’ said Terry Francona. ``But there are still lots of games (after that).’’
It had been specualted that the Sox might have Jon Lester start the year in extended spring training, but the Sox have shifted their thinking and will have him open the season with Pawtucket.
``He continues to be nothing but encouraging,’’ said Francona. ``I think he trusts us (to bring him along at the proper pace); whether he likes it or not, he trusts us. We’re not trying to take his competitiveness. Eighty percent of Jon Lester is pretty good, but that’s not what we’re shooting for.’’
Lester pitched two scoreless innings (20 pitches) for Pawtucket Friday, allowing one hit while striking out two.
Tim Wakefield pitched a minor league game yesterday, tossing five shutout innings for Single A Lancaster.
Brendan Donnelly and J.C. Romero also worked in minor league games. Donnelly was hit hard, allowing five runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Romero had a nine-pitch inning with one hit allowed.
The team made a total of six more cuts, optioning lefty Craig Breslow, outfielder Brandon Moss and catcher George Kottaras to Pawtucket and returned infielder Ed Rogers and righthanders Runelvys Travis Hughes to minor league camp.
Those moves leave the Sox with 41 players remaining in camp.
Timlin gets a head start, Lester to start season in Pawtucket
Mike Timlin, who had been scheduled to resume throwing yesterday, got a jump start and played catch for 10 minutes Friday and reported no stiffness.
Timlin, who has battled an oblique strain since last month, was set to throw again yesterday and graduate to long toss in the next day or so. It will be another three or four days before he’s throwing on a mound.
It appears less and less likely that Timlin will be ready to go by April 2, Opening Day.
``We all get caught up with getting ready for Opening Day,’’ said Terry Francona. ``But there are still lots of games (after that).’’
It had been specualted that the Sox might have Jon Lester start the year in extended spring training, but the Sox have shifted their thinking and will have him open the season with Pawtucket.
``He continues to be nothing but encouraging,’’ said Francona. ``I think he trusts us (to bring him along at the proper pace); whether he likes it or not, he trusts us. We’re not trying to take his competitiveness. Eighty percent of Jon Lester is pretty good, but that’s not what we’re shooting for.’’
Lester pitched two scoreless innings (20 pitches) for Pawtucket Friday, allowing one hit while striking out two.
Tim Wakefield pitched a minor league game yesterday, tossing five shutout innings for Single A Lancaster.
Brendan Donnelly and J.C. Romero also worked in minor league games. Donnelly was hit hard, allowing five runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Romero had a nine-pitch inning with one hit allowed.
The team made a total of six more cuts, optioning lefty Craig Breslow, outfielder Brandon Moss and catcher George Kottaras to Pawtucket and returned infielder Ed Rogers and righthanders Runelvys Travis Hughes to minor league camp.
Those moves leave the Sox with 41 players remaining in camp.
The Sox were beaten by the New York Mets 4-1 tonight with Boston collecting just five hits. In the last three games, the Sox have scored a total of three runs and had just 15 hits after scoring 28 runs in the previous four games.
Mets starter Oliver Perez dominated the Sox over the first five innings, striking out nine.
''He might have the best stuff of any lefty in Major League Baseball,’’ said Red Sox starter Josh Beckett.
Beckett pitched well himself, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six.
Some sloppy play cost the Sox two runs in the second.
After center fielder David Murphy lost a ball from Shawn Green in the lights – it dropped two feet in front of him – he threw the ball back into the infield. Green took a big turn at first and Alex Cora threw over to try to catch him. But Cora’s throw sailed over the head of David Ortiz, allowing Green to move to third.
Following a run-scoring single from Jose Valentin, the Sox had David Newhan in a rundown, but Cora dropped the ball as Valentin scored from third and Newhan took second.
Beckett was touched for a solo homer by Green in the fourth. Ramon Castro added a solo homer off Craig Hansen in the eighth.
Jay Johnson singled home Boston's only run, off Mets closer Billy Wagner, in the ninth.
Mike Timlin was set to resume his throwing program today, but an examination by team physician Thomas Gill showed that Timlin’s oblique strain is still tender.
The medical staff prescribed two more days of rest. Timlin will be re-evaluated again Saturday and could throw then.
With less than three weeks to go before Opening Day, Timlin has yet to appear in a game, and it’s becoming increasingly doubtful that he’ll be ready on April. 2.
Red Sox prospect Kason Gabbard pitched three shutout innings in his third start of spring training.
“I thought it's the best arm speed he displayed yet,” manager Terry Francona said after the Boston Red Sox lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Wednesday. “He's getting better. I was really impressed.”
Gabbard had a 3.51 ERA in seven games for the Red Sox last season, when the rotation was rocked by injuries. Barring injuries, there's little chance of that happening out of spring training since the Red Sox rotation is set with Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jonathan Papelbon and Tim Wakefield.
“My confidence is through the roof right now,” Gabbard said. “I know I can pitch up here and I just need to work on some little things to obviously stay up here.”
He allowed one hit and struck out three.
“Obviously when you take the ball you go out there and try to do the best you can and work off that,” Gabbard said. “You can't really worry about too much stuff that happens with the ballclub because there's a lot of veteran guys in here and it's tough making this club.”
Pirates starter Zach Duke gave up four hits, including a two-run homer to Mike Lowell in the fourth.
“It was supposed to be a sinker down but it stayed up, and sinkers that stay up get hit hard,” Duke said.
Neil Walker hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh against J.C. Romero.
Notes: Besides Lowell's homer, Boston managed just three singles: by Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia. But Pedroia struck out against Josh Sharpless with a runner on third and two outs in the ninth. ... Potential Red Sox closer Julian Tavarez was roughed up in his two innings of work, allowing two hits, two earned runs a walk and he hit a batter.
DUNEDIN, Fla. — A.J. Burnett’s experiments were a success against the Boston Red Sox.
Mixing up his pitches, Burnett allowed one hit over four innings Tuesday in a 1-0 victory for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I threw a lot of changeups and fastballs during counts that I normally wouldn’t do,” Burnett said. “I’ll need the changeup on the days when my curveball isn’t working. It’s good to have something to lean on.”
Burnett struck out five and walked two, throwing 61 pitches.
“He was outstanding,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “He kept the ball down and was right there. He was dominating today.”
Boston starter Kyle Snyder allowed two hits in three innings, striking out two and walking two.
“He was pressed early on and had to pitch in tight situations,” pitching coach John Farrell said. “He used his stuff effectively, especially with what looked like a pretty tight zone. He kept his composure.”
John McDonald hit an RBI single in the fifth inning off Bryan Corey, driving in Jason Phillips, who caught all nine innings.
Matt Stairs had two hits and turned an unassisted double play.
Notes: Red Sox manager Terry Francona missed the game to attend the funeral of Philadelphia Phillies coach John Vukovich. Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson and pitching coach John Farrell handled the Red Sox. ... RHP Mike Timlin, sidelined by a strained oblique muscle, and can resume throwing on Thursday. “There is not a date that says he is going to be in games,” Farrell said.
In their first - and only - meeting of the exhibition season with the New York Yankees , the Red Sox edged the Yanks, 7-5.
The Yanks used four hits in the first to score three runs off starter Tim Wakefield and another in the fourth, but five Red Sox relievers combined to limit the Yanks to a single run over the final five innings.
Manager Terry Francona singled out J.C. Romero in particular (one inning, one strikeout) for his work.
Offensively, Doug Mirabelli lashed a two-run double off Carl Pavano. J.D. Drew homered and Dustin Pedroia chipped in with a run-scoring single in the sixth.
With the game tied at 4-4 in the seventh, the Sox got runs on sacrifice flies from David Ortiz and Jow McEwing and an RBI-single from Brandon Moss.
The Red Sox today made five roster moves to reduce their major league spring training roster to 47 players.
The Red Sox returned righthanded pitcher Nick Debarr to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Debarr was selected by Boston from Tampa Bay in the Dec. 2006 Rule 5 Draft.
Righthanded pitcher Kyle Jackson was optioned to Double-A Portland of the Eastern League. Three non-roster invitees, lefthanded pitcher Abe Alvarez, catcher Dusty Brown, and outfielder Kerry Robinson, were assigned to the minor league camp.
Boston's $103 million pitcher with the winning smile allowed homers to two non-roster players, struggled with his control and even threw away a potential double-play grounder against Baltimore on Sunday.
Daisuke Matsuzaka left after four innings in a game the Red Sox lost, 5-3.
There were no early signs that the Japanese right-hander would struggle against an Orioles lineup that had first-stringers in the first six spots.
He retired the side in order in the first — Brian Roberts on a fly ball to center and Melvin Mora and Jay Gibbons on strikeouts. In the second, he allowed a single off his glove to Ramon Hernandez, who was stranded at first.
Then Jon Knott led off the third with a homer to right-center field. Jason DuBois then hit a two-run shot in the fourth to left-center. After each batter swung, Matsuzaka turned around and stayed expressionless as he watched the ball fly over the fence.
Knott has played in 12 major-league games, all with San Diego, and led Triple-A Portland with 32 homers last season. DuBois had 10 homers in 86 games with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland in 2004 and 2005.
Matsuzaka signed a $52 million contract after Boston posted the winning $51 million bid to negotiate with the pitcher, who spent the past eight seasons with the Seibu Lions.
But on Sunday, Matsuzaka threw only nine first-pitch strikes to 18 batters. Of the 11 he faced in the third and fourth innings, only four saw strikes on the first pitch. In all, Matsuzaka threw 63 pitches, 40 for strikes.
He started the fourth by allowing a single to Miguel Tejada. Hernandez then broke his bat as he hit a hard grounder to the mound. Matsuzaka backhanded it then threw toward second. The ball sailed wide to the left of shortstop Julio Lugo, putting runners at first and third. Corey Patterson followed with a sacrifice fly.
With a 1-1 count, DuBois then hit a 90 mph fastball for his homer and a 4-2 lead. After Knott followed with a one-out single, Boston pitching coach John Farrell visited the mound and Matsuzaka retired Adam Stern on a fly ball before Knott was caught trying to steal.
It may have only been a spring training game, but that didn’t prevent tempers from getting inflamed yesterday between the Detroit Tigers and Red Sox.
Trouble started in the first when Sox starter Josh Beckett nicked Gary Sheffield either on the elbow or the ribs, drawing a long stare from the veteran slugger.
Two innings later, Beckett plunked Magglio Ordonez in the helmet with a breaking ball, sending Ordonez sprawling. He was later examined and found to have a contusion of the left ear.
Reliever Todd Jones, in apparent retribution, later threw two pitched in tight on J.D. Drew before throwing a third pitch behind him.
``Good thing I’m fleet of foot,’’ said Drew with a smile after the Sox had held on for a 7-6 victory at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Jones was summarily ejected by home plate umpire Larry Vanover. When Jim Leyland came out to the mound, the Tigers manager and third base coach DeMarlo Hale began jawing and Leyland walked toward the coaching box before being intercepted by umpires as players flooded from the dugouts and bullpens.
Order was soon restored.
``It just happens,’’ shrugged manager Terry Francona, downplaying the incident. ``It’s really not that big of a deal.
Hale, on his way to the team bus, declined to answers questions.
Reminded that he was involved in a spring training confrontation with Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard last spring, Beckett nodded, laughed and said: ``I told (Francona), `You can’t take me anywhere.’ ’’
CLEARWATER, Fla. — David Ortiz hit a long home run and the Boston Red Sox roughed up Cole Hamels in an 11-10 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Hamels gave up four runs in the first and lasted only two innings. He allowed three hits and walked four.
Julio Lugo led off the game with a long triple to center field for Boston. Kevin Youkilis and Ortiz followed with RBI hits, and Doug Mirabelli added a two-run double to cap the outburst.
“I’m glad to get that over with so I can see what I need to work on for the next four days,” Hamels said. “I just have to go out there and be myself. A lot of it was missed timing. It’s just something that guys go through. I think it’s good for guys, because if you go out there and have success, what did you learn in spring training?”
Hamels went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star break last season, finishing his rookie season 9-8 with a 4.08 ERA.
“You don’t want to have those types of first innings when the games actually matter,” he said.
Still, the left-hander was happy with some of his pitches.
“The thing I was pleased with was throwing the curveballs I did,” Hamels said. “I think I threw all four for strikes, but the umpire disagreed. I was pleased with that, because it’s been my main focus from last game to this game.”
The Red Sox scored six runs in the fifth, all off left-hander Matt Smith. Ortiz started the rally with a mammoth homer that left the ballpark and cleared a sign hanging high on one of the field’s light towers.
Red Sox starter Kason Gabbard allowed three runs in two innings, including a two-run homer by Wes Helms. Manny Delcarmen pitched two scoreless innings for Boston, which held on after the Phillies rallied for four runs in the ninth.
Abraham Nunez had two RBI, and Jayson Werth and Rod Barajas had two hits each for the Phillies.
Before the game, the Phillies held a ceremony honoring longtime player and coach John Vukovich, who died Thursday morning after a battle with cancer.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox' muddled bullpen situation got a little more clouded today when it was announced that veteran reliever Mike Timlin, who was on track to start the season as the team's closer, will be shut down for approximately 10 days because of a pulled oblique muscle.
Timlin, who had suffered what was described as a bad back early in camp, threw off the mound Wednesday for the first time in a 40-pitch workout. On Thursday, however, he felt pain again, so he was sent for an MRI.
The injury was diagnosed as a slight oblique pull and Timlin won't be allowed to throw for approximately 10 days.
Timlin's absence makes it questionable whether or not he can be ready for the season opener on April 2, since he'd have less than two weeks to get in shape.
Jeff Bailey's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon.
Kerry Robinson led off the ninth with a double, Brandon Moss then walked and Bailey followed with the game-winning hit to center field.
J.D. Drew led the Red Sox with two hits, including a RBI triple. Kyle Snyder started for Boston and allowed two runs on a pair of solo homer. Snyder gave up five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Edgar Martinez was the winning pitcher.
Curt Schilling became the first Red Sox starter to throw more than three innings this spring in a 1-0 loss to Minnesota this afternoon.
Schilling was sharp once again, allowing two hits, one run, a walk and striking out two. Torii Hunter drove in the game's only run with a RBI double in the first inning. Schilling retired the side in order in the second and third innings.
Boston managed just three hits off six Minnesota pitchers, which included ace Johan Santana. Kevin Youkilis had two of the three hits.
The Red Sox's non-roster infielder Ed Rogers made the most of his plate time after relieving Julio Lugo at shortstop, breaking open a 5-5 tie with the Mets and ending the game with a walkoff grand slam off Ambiorix Burgos in the ninth.
Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon each threw three innings of scoreless ball while the offense spotted them five runs. Wakefield started and spread four hits over three inings while Papelbon came on and allowed only one hit and struck out four.
After Papelbon left at the end of the sixth the Mets tied the score in the seventh with three runs coming on a Damion Easley home run off Hideki Okajima.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Daisuke Matsuzaka reached to snare a line drive, then grinned and bowed to his shortstop.
It turns out the rookie from Japan is a pretty good fielder.
He can pitch, too: Matsuzaka threw three scoreless innings for the Boston Red Sox when he faced major league hitters for the first time Tuesday.
Dice-K allowed two hits, walked one and struck out three against the Florida Marlins. The right-hander threw 47 pitches, 31 for strikes, including a first-pitch strike to 10 of 12 batters. He escaped a one-out jam in the second after giving up a walk and a double.
Matsuzaka made the trip from the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers on Monday. That proved wise because the team bus got lost Tuesday and arrived more than an hour late for batting practice.
Matsuzaka, meanwhile, remained right on schedule in his transition from Japan's Pacific League to the American League. He signed a $52 million, six-year contract after Boston agreed to pay the Seibu Lions $51 million for his rights.
His Grapefruit League debut drew a sellout crowd and 150 members of the media, the majority of them Japanese. Because of the small press box at Roger Dean Stadium, some reporters watched from folding chairs set up three deep down the right-field line.
The game was televised live in Japan, where the first pitch was at 3 a.m.
Two dozen cameramen and photographers clustered on the field near the Red Sox bullpen to record Matsuzaka's pregame warmup. A security guard scolded them when they strayed too close to the foul line.
The first batter Matsuzaka faced was Ramirez, a former Red Sox prospect, who took a fastball for a strike and was then retired on a one-hopper to the pitcher.
Matsuzaka walked Joe Borchard on a 3-2 pitch to start the second, then gave up a one-out ground-rule double to John Gall. Borchard would have scored had the ball not bounced off the warning track and over the fence.
When Scott Seabol worked the count to 2-2, catcher Jason Varitek went to the mound for a chat. Matsuzaka is apparently progressing well in the English lessons he's taking, because he covered his mouth with his glove to prevent the Marlins from reading his lips.
The next pitch was a called strike three, and Eric Reed then popped out on a bunt to end the threat.
Matsuzaka threw a bullpen session Monday, a rarity for a pitcher on the day before a start. The Red Sox gave the OK only because it's part of Matsuzaka's normal routine.
"It's a continual feeling-out process on both sides," manager Terry Francona said.
Marlins starter Yusmeiro Petit pitched three shutout innings, allowing one hit while striking out five.
