One game, One win

Doesn't it feel great to have baseball back? Red Sox win in extra innings. The game started off fairly sluggish, but got exciting as it went along. I think opening in Japan is interesting, but all-in-all, I don't like it. It does absolutely nothing to help either team, throws their spring training into turmoil, and after two games, they go back to playing exhibition games. That just doesn't make sense. Their ONLY point to playing these games in Japan is money and marketing. Someone needs to think these through better.

So, let me run you through some thoughts I collected while watching opening day. Got to get these out before game two starts in a couple hours.

I have to admit, I missed most of the first two innings, and apparently Dice-K did not start off well. However, after the 2nd, he settled down pretty well. It it wasn't for a high pitch count by then, combined with the game being so early on, he looked like he could have cruised another inning or two.

The A's really helped the Sox out quite a bit. In the 6th inning, Dustin Pedroia's double should have been an out. Not the easiest catch in the world, but the right fielder was there, had a bead on it, and should have grabbed it. If you ask him, I bet he agrees. That miss helped set up Manny's double, driving in the first 2 RBI of the year for the Sox. Manny started off slow last year, but so far so good this year. Then, Brandon Moss strokes a nice single to right, and Manny is waved home from second. Manny scores, but the throw is terrible. If they had A real major league arm in right field (like Dewey Evans), Manny would have been held to third, or gunned down. It would have taken a good throw, but the throw they got was terrible.

I know, you want to send Karl Snyder to the minors. If you think that, please go home. He made, and I count, ONE bad pitch. It was a bad one, but there was only one. The first batter hit a single, but it was a poorly hit ball that found its way up the middle. Those things happen. The home run pitch to the next batter was bad. Varitek called for a fastball outside, and Snyder threw it inside, right in the lefty wheelhouse. Tip your hat to Snyder for getting the next three outs in a row in fine fashion. That is the sign of a good professional. He did not fall apart, he sucked it up, knowing he just blew the lead, and did his job. That's what we need in a middle reliever.

Other good pitching - Javier Lopez great job, and Okajima picked up right where he left off. For the competition, old friends Embree, Foulke and DiNardo all looked good.

If you've been reading, you know my one complaint about Ellsbury is his hesitation going up for balls against the wall. While tonight's terrific catch does not quite fit into that category (it was enough in front of the wall to create a different situation for the outfielder), it was a wonderful catch, worthy of Coco Crisp. And let's all tip our hats to Brandon Moss' first career home run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Amazing!

Then, another gift from Oakland when Brown somehow decides he wants to go to third on a double that already drove in a run in the 10th. What he was thinking was that the throw was going home, giving him time to get to third. But, Youk cut the throw off, and Brown was dead.

Papelbon looked good, not great. But, it is early, and it is Asia. Let's give them a chance to settle in. The A's could have easily won that game, but mistakes cost them the game.

Manny is the hero, and goat, of the game. Great hitting, and he looks in tip top shape. His failure to run hard on a hit he thought was a home run in the 10th is terrible. In the end, it made no difference. He would never had made it tho third, and the winning runs scored. But, he's luck he made it to second.

So, good start, lots of heart, lots of damage from the middle of the order, and with Papi's bat cold, Manny stepped up. Nice start.

Game On!

It is here at last - opening day! By the time you read this, the game may very well be over. But heading into the game, let me give you something to chew on.

The batting order that has been communicated at this point is as follows:

Pedroia
Youk
Papi
Manny
Lowell
JD Drew
Varitek
Ellsbury
Lugo

If it does not jump out at you, let me give you a hint. Look at the top of the order. Wouldn't you expect Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off? He did a great job of getting on base last season, and when he gets on base he creates all kinds of trouble for the defense. With his speed he can practically score from first on a sacrifice fly! While that is an exaggeration, he DID score from second base on a wild pitch last year.

So, what gives? Pedroia is a fine batter, but a s...l...o...w runner. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure exactly why the order is the way it is. You may hear that they don't want to put Ellsbury right in the spotlight to start off his "official" rookie season. Well, I would not give that theory much credit. They put Jacoby in the lead off spot as a replacement for the injured Coco Crisp in the World Series! There is no bigger stage than that. If they are willing to bat him lead off in the World Series, then opening day is not a big deal.

Here the real (most likely) reason. Jacoby has not had a great spring offensively. He is not their regular lead off batter (ala Johnny Damon for a few years). So, they are playing him relative to how he is playing right now. I guarantee he will not spend much time batting 8th this season. Terry Francona is simply putting him in a low pressure part of the order while he is looking for his groove at the plate and letting him get his stroke back with less urgency than if he was batting lead off.

Look for Dice-K to have a great game. He is at home, in comfortable surroundings, playing in front of an adoring home crowd. This should be a great game for him. The one thing to watch there is removing a starter during a game is a bigger deal than in the US. I'm sure that won't sway Francona, but I wonder how the Japanese fans will react to it. This time of year, I don't expect starters to go more than 6 innings.

Game On!

Sox almost boycott Japan

Interesting story developing today about the Sox almost boycotting the trip to Japan. Apparently, during negotiations leading up to the players agreeing to the trip, it was agreed that the coaches and staff would receive a stipend of roughly $40,000 for making the trip. However, yesterday Terry Francona found out that the stipend was being given to the players, but it was not being extended to the coaches and staff. The coaches and staff are not part of the players union and have very little leverage in negotiating these types of issues.

You should be proud, Sox fans, that our players stepped up. They took a vote, and it was unanimously agreed that they would sit out today's spring training game against the Blue Jays, and would boycott tonight's flight unless MLB stepped up and paid the stipend as originally promised. This was confirmed, and most likely instigated, by our very own Captain, Jason Varitek. Well, it seems to have worked - the game got played, and the flight is on.

All I can say is, way to go Sox! Most of the players' salaries are high enough where the stipend will not make a huge difference for them. But, to the coaches and staff, this stipend is significant, and was promised. Past team trips to Japan have provided this stipend, so I'm not sure where MLB missed this.

To me, this is a good sign of a unified team who are all looking out for each other - no 25 players and 25 cabs these days. I can tell you, a tight, unified team will always have more success. We are off on a good foot. Next stop....Tokyo.