Who's To Blame for the Red Sox Loss? You Are!

The Red Sox lost, for the second time in history, when they were faced with an opportunity to advance to the World Series (the other time was in 2003 against the Yankees). Back to back World Series appearances would have been incredible to see, but that did not happen. Why? Was it because Terry Francona stubbornly stuck with Jason Varitek? Was it because Big Papi lost his mojo? Was it the loss of key members of the offense, like Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell (MVP's of the last 2 Red Sox Championships)? Was it too much pressure for some of the new guys (Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay)?

I think the real blame lies with one of you fans out there. Yes, you know who I am talking about. We all have our lucky traditions that always ensure a Red Sox victory. It might be the shirt you wear while watching the games, it might be where you watch the game. Maybe, between each inning you hop around the couch on one foot while singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".

Whatever it is, one of you did not stick with your tradition. Theo Epstein asked me to help him track you down, so make this easy on all of us and confess. Did you accidentally wash the socks you've worn throughout the series? What was it? These guys fought hard throughout these playoffs, and you go and forget your silly little tradition and now look what happened!

How about the game itself? Aside from the disgusting spitting going on out there, Matt Garza did a terrific job. Garza went 7 innings and only allowed 2 hits, one of them a first inning solo home run to Dustin Pedroia. When Pedroia hit that one, I thought Garza might be in for a long night. The problem was that he was afraid of the crowd. Garza came out with, what looked like, tissue crammed into each ear. I guess if you cannot mentally block out the crowd, you do it physically. What he needed to do was embrace the noise, which he did in the second inning, and rolled through the game after that.

You may be tempted to blame the Sox hitters, but, other than Pedroia's home run and Jason Bay's single, no one could put the bat on the ball. Batters were tentative and unsure. I've never seen so many check swings! Speaking of which, I flipped out when the home plate umpire called JD Drew out with bases loaded on a check swing. The ball was no where near the strike zone, and the check swing was borderline (Varitek later was given a ball for a worse check swing). At least check with the third base umpire! I hate seeing the umpire take the bat out of their hands, but at the same time, Drew did not know what to do with those pitches. Just wish he had another chance.

Also, what was with the mystery strike three on Mark Kotsay in the 9th inning? Clearly a ball, and replays showed it (even though the announcers glossed over that one). Yes, I'm unhappy about those calls, because each little thing matters at that stage of the game. But, that's not why they lost. They lost because the Rays stymied the Sox bats. The Sox pitched great; Jon Lester was terrific allowing only 3 runs in 7 innings. You cannot expect to win when you only score one run. That is the problem. The Rays' pitching did not succumb to the pressure. They shook it off, and pitched great. The umpires helped a bit, in the examples I cited, but that is all part of the game too.

It turned out to be a well done, well played, exciting series. The Rays had a great year, never let up, and managed to survive a classic Red Sox ALCS comeback. They deserve their place in the World Series. Now, get out there and make this an exciting WS for us, represent the American League well, and we'll be back to do it all again next year.

Red Sox Smell Blood

I'm still a little confused. Are the Rays named after a fish, or a beam of light? They have a fish tank in center field full of Rays, and yet they have a sunshine sort of symbol on their jerseys. If they are fish, I might quip, "the tide is going out fast on the Rays' first post-season", or I might say "the sun is setting on the Rays' brilliant season", or something like that. Either way, I cannot help but hum a Queen song in my mind as I think about their plight; "Under Pressure".

I think the Red Sox have made it clear, once and for all, that it is simply a waste of time to count out a playoff team, even when their back is to the wall. You cannot say, "it looks like it is all over for the Red Sox this year", or anything like that. Instead, you need to say things like, "the Red Sox are down 3 games to 1, and are in a perfect position to make this a truly exciting playoff series".

Yes, I was very nervous about Terry Francona's move to start Josh Beckett in yesterday's game. I knew Beckett would battle like a gladiator, but there is only so much a wounded soldier can do. In the end, Beckett was no where near his 2007 post-season brilliance, but he did pitch well, relying on spotting his fastball, and mixing in the curve ball more than usual. The result was that he lasted 5 innings, only allowing 2 solo home runs. The bullpen gave him incredible support with 4 shoutout innings from Hideki Okajima (2 innings), Justin Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon.

The Sox matched the Rays' solo home runs with 2 of their own, thanks to Kevin Youkilis and our very own captain, Jason Varitek. Tek had made us all groan in the second inning when the Sox looked like they were about to run Rays' starter, James Shields, out of the game. But runners at first and second with two outs, Varitek ended the inning with an easy fly out. The solo home run in the 6th inning made up for that nicely.

The Rays did not completely implode last night, but they look like they are feeling the pressure. The swagger has lost a touch of its swag, the head held high is drooping just a bit. This team has never faced this kind of heat. Playoffs are one thing, but getting bowled over in game 5 by an historic come-back team while standing directly in the bright hot light of the national media seems to be getting them nervous.

The largest crowd, by my estimation, ever to attend a Rays' home game was in the stands last night. 40,947 people came out and brought a real playoff atmosphere to the dome. I tip my hat to you all for that. Hopefully even more will turn out tonight. Regardless of the outcome, tonight's game will be a piece of baseball history. Either the Red Sox will have miraculously escaped, yet again, from the jaws of defeat, or the Rays will be on their way to their very first World Series.

Now, if the contest was to see who could spit the most times per inning, I'm afraid Jon Lester would have his work cut out for him. Matt Garza can spit with the very best players in history (just watch him tonight, and count how many times he spits in an inning). But, thankfully, spitting does not count, and a rested Lester should prove to be a hell of a challenge for the Rays tonight. My real concern is for Papelbon. He did a nice job last night, but his fastball was about 5 or 6 miles per hour slower than normal. I doubt that was intentional. If he was fatigued last night, he'll be more so tonight. If this game is close, I can't imagine being with an effective Papelbon. Keep you fingers crossed on that one.

Under Pressure!

Mistake-Prone Angels Can't Get it Done

You've heard that pitching and defense wins championships? The Angels brought their pitching to the ALDS, but not so much their defense. As the Angels learned, mistakes are incredibly costly in the post-season. Last night, in the bottom of the 5th inning, the Red Sox had runners at first and third with one out. Jacoby Ellbury hit a text book double play ground ball to Howie Kendrick at second base. A double play ends the inning, and keeps the game scoreless. However, Kendrick, perhaps worried about Ellsbury's speed, rushes the play, bobbles the ball, and only manages to get one out at first base, allowing Mark Kotsay to score from third base, and Jason Varitek to move up to second.

True story. I'm watching the game by myself and as Dustin Pedroia steps up the the plate, hitless so far in the playoffs, I look him in the eye while adopting my best Vito Corleone voice and say to the television, "Pedroia, I told you one day you would owe me a favor. Today is that day. Do this for me." Moments later, I leapt off the couch as Dustin lofted a shot off the Green Monster, sending Varitek home to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Kendrick's mistake turned a scoreless inning into a 2-0 lead for the Sox, much to the obvious dismay of his starting pitcher, John Lackey. Favor repaid, Dustin!

Jon Lester was amazing, yet again. I am always concerned when a team faces the same pitcher twice in such a short span, but Varitek and Lester worked a plan that kept the Angels guessing. I had my eye on the pitch count, not wanting to go to the bullpen at all if possible. Lester had thrown 96 pitches through 6 innings. Not great. But, Lester breezed through the 7th on 13 pitches, bringing his count to 109. Mid-season, that would be all. Give the shoulder a rest, and get your 8th inning guy out there. But, this is the playoffs, and the bullpen was gassed. So, I was shocked that he did not come out to at least get the 8th inning going. Lester had just retired 8 straight batters, and had shut down the Angels all night. A pit of dread settled into what had been elation only moments before, as I saw Hideki Okajima come in to face the top of the Angels order.

Okajima got the first two outs, but walked Mark Teixeira. With the Angel's big righties coming up, Francona played the odds and brought in Justin Masterson. This worried me even more. Masterson tried to stay away from Guerrero too much, and somehow walked the free swinger. A wild pitch then put runners on 2nd and 3rd, all set up for Tori Hunter's single to right to tie the game at 2. Images of 2004 flashed through my mind, recalling the Red Sox finally exorcising their demons with a huge come from behind rally over their nemesis, the Yankees. Were we witnessing the same for the Angels? Was this the hit that would ignite them? (I thought it was funny later when Masterson, in discussing his contributions, claimed credit for setting up the situation for Lowrie to hit the game winner).

No. Why? Mistakes! Masterson, not being very effective, came back out for the 9th and promptly gave up a double to Kendry Morales. Francona left him out there, correctly guessing the next batter was bunting anyway. Sure enough, a perfect bunt sent Morales to third base with one out, and Manny Delcarmen came in for Masterson. Now it gets fun. The Angles, loving to put pressure on a defense (unfortunately for them, the Sox defense was not making mistakes), decided to go for one of the most exciting plays in baseball, the suicide squeeze.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the suicide squeeze, here's what happens. The batter is told to bunt to score the runner from third. With a bunt, the ball will be close to home plate, so the runner is heading directly at the ball, thus the "suicide" part. In order for this to work, the runner has to take off with the pitch to get as big of a jump as possible, also part of the "suicide". If the batter fails to lay down the bunt, the runner is dead. Well, that last sentence just gave away the ending. Delcarmen threw a nasty 96 mph fastball right into Erick Aybar's gut. Aybar would love to bunt towards first, but that pitch is impossible to do that with. Regardless, the play is on and the runner is on his way, so Aybar takes a swipe at it and misses. The runner, Morales, was dead meat, halfway down the third base line. Jason Varitek caught the pitch cleanly and charged down the third base line like a mother rhino protecting her young. After a fake throw to third, 'Tek dove towards Morales, tagged him cleanly and landed on his chest in the dirt. The ball, after the glove contacted the ground, skipped away, but too late. The tag had been applied, the bases were clear, the threat was erased. Man, talk about exciting playoff ball.

Now I thought, maybe we can win this. Maybe the Angels are just too tense, too nervous, thinking too much about their own demons to win. Ninth inning. JD Drew strikes out - not his night to be a hero. Jason Bay then sends a shot down the right field line. Another Angels mistake. The right fielder, Reggie Willits, tries to be a hero and dives at the ball, but he never stood a chance. He landed on his face as the ball shot past. He did catch a break when the ball bounced up into the stands for a ground rule double. Had the ball stayed fair, he would have had a long run to chase it down, and Bay would surely have ended the series with an inside the park home run! But, alas, Bay was forced to stop at second base.

Up steps Mark Kotsay. Now, Mark's wife's grandmother has just passed away, and Mark is in Boston, fighting for his team, but missing the funeral. He has had a terrific night, making two terrific outfield-like defensive plays at first base, and scoring the first run of the game. This one felt right. Another true story. I looked to the sky and implored to his wife's grandmother. I said, "Grammy, you know he wanted to be there for you. Help him honor your memory, help him put some power into his bat". Sure enough, Grammy sends a jolt of spiritual energy shooting into the bat (you could see the blue flame on high-def), and Kotsay rips a shot down the 1st base line heading towards the corner, sure to score Bay from second easily. But, using angels to battle the Angels does not work. Mark Teixeira must have an angel of his own, because his body lunged with cobra-like speed to his left, and with his body fully stretched, the ball somehow snapped into his glove for out number two. Luckily the play happened so fast that Jason Bay had no time to take off from second.

Remember Hank Steinbrenner whining that the Yankees failure this year was all due to injury? All that money apparently cannot allow them to buy enough depth to overcome that. Hopefully he watched last night as the Sox moved ahead to the ALCS, even though they had to suffer through injuries. Mike Lowell has been officially put on the injured list and is out for the next series too. The starting shortstop, Julio Lugo, has been out for months and will miss the playoffs. JD Drew missed most of September, Josh Beckett was reduces to one start in the ALDS from an oblique injury. How'd that work with the Sox missing the 2007 ALCS MVP at full strength, and their starting left side of the infield out? It worked pretty well.

Jed Lowrie, a minor league call-up, filling in at shortstop, and playing in his first post-season, stepped up to the plate in the 9th inning, two outs, and Jason Bay at second. Lowrie did not carry a bat to the plate. He carried a pen, and he used that pen to write his name on the pages of Red Sox lore. The Angles were still pumped up from Teixeira's terrific catch (finally, some clutch defense) when Lowrie's sharp ground ball found the hole between first and second base. Jason Bay was waved home, running faster with each step. In what took a split second to us mere mortals, must have lasted minutes to Bay. Like in those dreams when you are trying to run, but never seem to get closer, that's what home plate must have looked like to Bay. But, run he did, and as he approached, he dove with every ounce of power in his body, slapped the plate with his left hand, and flew into the arms of his new, proud, teammates.

I felt all along that, if the Sox were to have hopes of repeating, they'd have to go through the Angels at some point. I'm glad it was in a short 5 games series. The big 7 game series is looming now, and it is against our very own AL East Rays! Can you believe it?

I know, everyone is wondering, "is Josh Beckett hurting, or is he truly healthy, like they want us to believe?". Well, here is how you can tell. The first game of the ALCS is this Friday. Josh Beckett is the Red Sox ace (apologies to Lester who has become at least a co-ace). Beckett pitched on Sunday, and his next regular start on 4 days rest would be Friday. Having your ace start in the first game of a series is the best possible scenario. So, here's how you tell if Beckett is truly healthy. If he gets the start Friday, he's healthy (or has fooled the Sox medical staff). If he is not healthy, and would benefit from more rest and rehab, then he won't get the start. Simple as that.

I love this time of year! What a series - thank you LAA Angels! You made this tough, fun, and incredibly entertaining. Head home, heads held high, and get ready to do it again next year. By the way, don't be foolish and let Teixeira get away - you need him.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Varitek and Lester Put Sox Back in the Win Column

It was not that long ago that when the Sox went on a big swing through the west coast, everyone crossed their fingers and prayed to win half the games. It is a big trip, on the road, 3 hour time zone difference, and some tough competition. Since 2004, Sox fans have gotten a little too used to winning more often than not, and have put their fear of the West Coast Trip behind them. Maybe that fear was put away a little too soon, as the Angels managed to swipe 3 straight games from the Sox and knocked them back to second place.

Luckily, this West Coast Trip is only going through two visiting cities, and the second one is home to the AL team with the worst record, the Seattle Mariners. So, a 3 game sweep of the Mariners would be just what the doctor ordered to allow the Sox to return to friendly Fenway Park with an even 3-3 road trip record. This is no guarantee, but is well within reach.

Last night, Jon Lester continued a superb season, again pitching late into the game (7 1/3 innings) and holding the Mariners scoreless. Lester was dominating the entire night, and at one point looked like he might be headed for a complete game shutout. But, in the 8th inning he appeared to be tiring, and got himself into a jam. Bases loaded, 1 out, and a 4-0 lead. One meatball pitch could tie the game. Terry Francona opted to send Jonathan Papelbon in to get out of the jam. It only took Paps 2 pitches to do so as he induced Raul Ibanez to hit into a game saving, and inning ending double play. Thankfully, Francona opted to send in Papelbon and not Hideki Okajima, who was a sure thing last season, but this year has been struggling when coming into an inning with runners on base.

While Manny Ramirez did what we could to get rallies going, his three singles were all harmless as he was sandwiched between JD Drew and Mike Lowell who went a combined 0-9 last night. But fear not, when help was needed, out of the dugout with cape flapping in the wind came Captain Varitek! Jason Varitek got a hold of a sweet pitch with one runner on in the 5th inning for a 2 run home run. Tek could have had a huge night, but that was all the damage he could muster (and thanks to Lester, all the damage they needed). Varitek came up in the 6th inning with bases loaded and 2 outs, but struck out swinging on a foul tip. Then, in the 9th inning he again found himself in a bases loaded, 2 out situation. This time he connected, only to fly harmlessly out.

The Sox also loaded the bases in the 8 inning (Varitek drew a walk to load them). The Sox really had the Mariners against the ropes in the late innings, and this time it was Jed Lowrie at the plate. Lowrie came through with a nice single to plate the Sox' final 2 runs en route to a 4-0 victory.

The next two games will feature Dice-K Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz. Dice-K will be looking for his 11th win, and should have a good shot at it. Clay, on the other hand, has yet to find himself a good game since returning to the Sox from Pawtucket. Personally, I'm happy he gets the third game of the Mariners series, rather than opening the Yankees series. Let's hope Clay pulls it together and is able to give Boston a quality start. The Sox do have Bartolo Colon back on the mend. Colon has been out since hurting his back while swinging at a pitch during interleague play. He should be ready to rejoin the club in August, so the clock is ticking for Clay.

When the Yankees come to town on Friday, the Sox will be unveiling the new and recently recovered David Ortiz. Big Papi is still swinging well, going 2-3 with the Portland Seadogs yesterday. He claims he is pain free and nearly 100% ready. When he launches a home run in his first at bat Friday night against Joba Chamberlain, the Fenway crowd will go crazy. Thankfully, I will be in that very crowd!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Offense Explodes to Sweep Twins

Now, that's entertainment! As crazy as the final 18-5 score is, this was actually a tough, close game until the bottom of the 7th inning came around. Josh Beckett had a rough start, giving up 3 runs in the first inning, but settled down to hold the Twins scoreless until the 6th inning. By the 6th, Beckett's pitch count was getting too high, and when he started off the inning by giving up a solo home run followed by a double, Terry Francona gave him the hook. The Sox had put 6 runs on the board, but Javier Lopez gave up an RBI single to score that run from second, and the Twins pulled to within 6-5.

By the bottom of the 7th, the Sox were holding on to, what felt like, a 7-5 lead, but it was a strange day and it seemed like anything could happen, and it pretty much did. The bottom of the 7th started off with Mike Lowell walking, followed by a ground rule double by Sean Casey to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Then, Jason Varitek hits a sinking line drive to center field, and Denard Span dove to make the catch. The ball ends up in his glove, and the initial ruling is that the ball was caught for an out. Both runners had taken off, and the Twins tagged both bases for what appeared to be an inning ending triple play. It should not have been a triple play as it appeared that Lowell had tagged up before running home. However, the umpires conferred on the play, and reversed the initial call, ruling that the ball had hit the ground and bounced into the glove. Replays confirmed the ruling was correct, and the Sox caught a break that the umpires were willing to confer and get the call right. Had the umpire stubbornly decided to stick with the initial ruling, we would have headed to the 8th inning of a close game.

Instead, here's what happened to the Twins. Have you ever been working out in the yard on a hot summer day and find yourself hot, sweaty, and dying of thirst? So, you go over to the water hose and point the end at your face and then spin the valve to turn on the water. At first, nothing happens, and you realize there is a kink in the hose. So, you straighten out the kink, and suddenly the water erupts from the hose, drenching you from head to toe and the surprise of the blast causes you to stumble and fall on your butt, right in the rapidly filling puddle around you! Well, that's pretty much what happened to the Twins right there. Reversing the triple play call was the same as fixing the kink in the hose.

By the time the Twins got the water turned back off, the Sox had scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, increasing their lead to 14-5. Another 4 runs in the 8th just added insult to injury leading to a final score of 18-5. It was as if the Sox offense had been trapped but bursting to get free. Once it broke free, there was no stopping it. Every single starter in the Sox lineup had at least 2 hits (except for Brandon Moss who only had one), every single starter scored at least once, and every starter (other than Moss) drove in at least one run. Geez, what the heck was with Moss, is he in some kind of slump or something? Even Kevin Cash belted a solo home run pinch hitting for Varitek to lead off the 8th inning.

Things were so easy for the Sox, that Manny Ramirez had to take a break and call all of his friends and tell them to turn the game on and check it out (this is an actual game photo)!

With the Yankees beating the Rays again yesterday, the Sox are now a mere 2 games behind the Rays for first place. The Sox get a day off today to rest their exhausted swinging muscles, before hosting the Orioles for a three game series at Fenway. Clay Buchholz will be recalled to start that series off. It will be interesting to see if we can notice any difference in his delivery, or pitch selection, after working on improving things down in Pawtucket. If the Sox can keep their momentum going, they should be in good position heading in to the All Star break.

(Photos Courtesy of Boston.Com)

Red Sox Out-Pitched and Out-Managed in Loss to Rays

Do you miss Big Papi yet? The Red Sox sure do. Last night they were once again unable to get any real offense going in a 3-1 loss to the surging Rays. They are batting like zombies up there! Either Tampa Bay pitching is better than advertised, or the Sox need a rest. For the second night in a row, Rays pitching retired each batter in the Red Sox lineup in order the first time through. Two nights in a row the first 3 innings go 1-2-3. Last night, there were no solo home runs to tease us into thinking the offense was about to get going. As the key was turned in the ignition to get it started, the offensive engine sputtered, choked, coughed, and let out a sigh as it collapsed, refusing to start.

Even JD Drew, the hottest batter this past month for the Sox, was unable to get it going. JD went 0-3 with 2 strike outs, the worse of those coming in the 8th inning. With one out and runners on first and second, the Red Sox had the makings of a rally started, but JD stood there and watched three straight pitches go by, each one of them called a strike. JD, wake up - you have to swing at least once! To JD's credit, he was credited with the Sox' only RBI of the night in the 4th inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had singled advanced all the way to third base when he hit a dribbler that catcher, Dioner Navarro, threw past first base for an error. JD Drew managed to hit a sacrifice fly to score Ellsbury from third, and that ended the Sox' offense for the evening.

Manny Ramirez remained silent at the plate, also going 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Even Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were cold, both of them going 0-4. In games like this, the manager will try to shake things up with a timely pinch hitter. Terry Francona tried to shake things up, but failed in two ways. First, he fell for a little bait and switch by Rays' manager, Joe Maddon. Joe sent starter, Matt Garza, who had already thrown 102 pitches, back out to the mound to start the 8th inning. Joe knew that Tim Wakefield was most likely done for the evening, and that meant that the lead off batter for the Red Sox that inning, catcher Kevin Cash, was likely to be pinch hit for. He played Francona like a fiddle. Terry went for the bait and sent in left handed hitting Sean Casey to bat for Cash. As soon as he saw the move, Maddon marched to the mound and made the move he was planning all along. Maddon sent in the left handed reliever, JP Howell, in to replace Garza.


Then, Tito proceeded to make his second mistake. The Sox had only 3 players on the bench last night with Coco Crisp serving his suspension. That left Sean Casey, Jason Varitek, and Julio Lugo, who was getting a night off. We all love Varitek, but he has been mired in a slump lately and looks terrible at the plate. Meanwhile, Sean Casey is batting .358. But, Casey bats left handed, so shouldn't that favor NOT sending him up to face Howell? It might, but Casey is batting .350 this season against left handed pitching! So, who gives the Sox a bigger chance to create a spark for the offense? You say Sean Casey? Terry did not think so, and he pulled Casey, now ineligible to return to the game, and sent Varitek up to bat right handed. Varitek watched the first pitch go by for a strike, then swung at and missed the next two pitches. Then, in the 9th inning, with two outs and Alex Cora on second base with a double, the batter was again Jason Varitek, facing the right handed Grant Balfour. This would have been a sweet spot to have Casey batting, but alas, we again got to see Varitek strike out on three straight pitches to end the game.

Meanwhile, poor Tim Wakefield, who went 7 innings, allowing only 2 runs (one of them unearned), got saddled with the loss. It is nights like that when you realize how meaningless wins and losses can be as a meaningful statistic on the effectiveness of a pitcher. Wakefield pitched even better than we could have expected, and not only doe not get the win, but adds another loss to his name. Has to be frustrating.

The Red Sox have yet to win a game in Tampa this season. Can they break that streak tonight with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing off against Scott Kazmir? Kazmir is a tough lefty that will cause trouble for the Sox who have largely left handed outfield and bench. Ellsbury, Moss, and Drew will all have their work cut out for them, and Casey will be forced to ride the pine again. it would be a nice time for Manny Ramirez to get his fire going again, and for the Dice Man to keep them in the game long enough to get past Kazmir and start working on the bullpen. A loss would send the Sox on to face the Yankees trailing the Rays by 3 1/2 games. A win would cut the Rays' lead to only 1 1/2. Let's work on a win!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Just a Hellacious Game

The title is a direct quote from St. Louis Cardinals' manager, Tony La Russa. He may have a point there. Both teams had opportunities to win yesterday's game, but time and time again failed to get it done. Jon Lester had yet another superb outing, lasting into the 8th inning, and only allowing 2 runs in the 6th inning. The 6th inning was the only inning Lester really got into any trouble at all, facing no more than 4 batters in any other inning.

Unfortunately for Lester, the Red Sox offense just could not get it done yesterday, and when he exited the game, the Sox were down 2-1, their only run coming off of a solo home run from Kevin Youkilis, the game's eventual hero. The Sox did threaten to blow the game open in the 8th inning. Coco Crisp lead of the inning with a triple and Julio Lugo brought him home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2. Then, with 2 outs, Dustin Pedroia singled and stole second base. Cardinals' reliever, Chris Perez, then had a meltdown walking the next 3 batters in a row to allow the go ahead run to score, and earning himself a blown save. At this point, Manny Ramirez was at second base, and Terry Francona made a very logical move. Manny's hamstring has been bothering him, and Terry envisioned a single and Manny trying to score from second and aggravating the nagging hammy. So, with the Sox holding a 3-2 lead, and knowing Jonathan Papelbon would be pitching the 9th, Terry sent Brandon Moss in to pinch run for Manny. Nothing would come of that move, as the next batter, Kevin Youkilis, would strike out to end the inning. But, once the game went into extra innings, I bet Terry regretted not having his star slugger in the lineup.

Yes, the game went into extra innings on a somewhat rare blown save by Jonathan Papelbon. Paps looked great to start the 9th, striking out the first two batters he faced. However, he walked the third batter of the inning, which so often results in bad news. It did yesterday when Papelbon took a little something off of his fastball with the count 0-2, and Adam Kennedy rifled the 92 mph offering into center field for a long double that scored Chris Duncan from first base, tying the game at 3.

Extra innings were quite eventful. The Cardinals had runners at first and second base in the 10th, but Hideki Okajima struck out Rick Ankiel to end the threat. In the 11th inning, Okajima got into a jam with 2 outs and bases loaded. Francona called on Craig Hansen for help, and he delivered a strikeout to end tinning, and kept up the good work with a 1-2-3 12th inning. The Red Sox also had opportunities. In the 10th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury lead off with a double, and Dustin Pedroia bunted him to third base. But, JD Drew, cooled off for one day, struck out and Sean Casey flied out to strand Ellsbury 90 feet from a win. In the 11th inning, the Sox had runners at 1st and 2nd with one out, but Jason Isringhausen got both Alex Cora and Ellsbury to strike out swinging. Pedroia lead off the 12th inning with a double, but Drew's grounder to the pitcher allowed the Cardinals to trap Pedroia off second for the first out, and Sean Casey hit into a double play.

Tough game so far, but if you stuck with it through all the frustration, you were rewarded with a thrilling 13th inning. With one out in the top of the 13th, Javier Lopez allowed a double to Chris Duncan. The next batter, Adam Kennedy, hit a sharp ground ball to right field directly to JD Drew. The Cardinals were clearly desperate to score, and sent Duncan around third to home. JD Drew was not able to contribute with his bat yesterday, but he sure helped with the perfect throw he fired in to Jason Varitek. The throw took a friendly hop into Tek's glove, then Tek turned to see Duncan still three strides away, but lowering his shoulder knowing his only chance would be to plow Varitek over and hope the ball jars loose. Varitek braced himself for the collision, and then, at the last second he dropped low and Duncan's lunge passed too high rolling harmlessly over Tek as he applied the tag to prevent the run. Terrific play by the Captain to not only ensure the out but to also avoid possible injury.

So, Manny Ramirez is out of the game, and time is running out as well. The Cardinals had used every position player on their bench, and the Red Sox only had Kevin Cash left. Bullpens were down to their last pitcher or two. It was time to end this, but who could get it done? Kevin Youkilis, that's who. Mike Lowell lead off the inning with a single, and Youk launched a 3-1 fastball over the Green Monster to end the game with a 5-3 victory and end a two game losing streak.

Things won't get any easier for the Sox today as the first place Arizona Diamondbacks come to town. Josh Beckett gets the start on an extra day of rest. With the Sox bullpen being emptied out yesterday, this would be perfect timing for Beckett to pitch deep into the game! The Cardinals came to Boston just having suffered a 3 game sweep at the hands of the Royals only to take 2 of 3 from Boston. The Diamondback are coming to Boston just having suffered a 3 game sweep from the Minnesota Twins. Sound familiar? Let's hope the results are different this time!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Colon Strong as Red Sox Beat Orioles 6-3

Bartolo Colon bounced back from a mediocre outing in his last start with a very nice outing last night. He needed 93 pitches to get through 6 innings, allowing only one run on a solo home run to Luke Scott to lead off the 5th inning. Otherwise, he held the Orioles in check all night, striking out 7 batters while only giving up 5 hits and 1 walk. Colon is now 4-1 for the Red Sox and it is becoming more and more apparent that Theo Epstein scored the steal of the off-season by having confidence that Colon would be able to bounce back from prior injuries and regain his Cy Young Award form. When we look back on the 2008 season, this may very well stand out as a key strategic move that put the Sox over the top.

The Orioles had Garrett Olsen pitching last night, and Garrett is a tough starter. The Sox were fortunate that Olsen seemed to need an inning to get settled in. They took advantage of that, and quickly jumped on Olson, scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning, before Olson settled down and held serve the rest of the way. In the 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second, and advanced to third on an errant throw. The red hot JD Drew wasted no time, and drilled a double to bring in Ellsbury. Manny Ramirez grounded out, moving Drew up to third base. Drew would score on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning. Olsen remained shaky, walking both Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis to set the stage for Jason Varitek, who hit a monster shot high over the Green Monster, giving the Sox an early 5-0 lead. Mike Lowell contributed the 6th run from a solo homer of his own in the 6th inning.

The win last night was well timed, as every other team in the AL East lost last night. So, when the leader told all the teams to take one step forward, only the Red Sox remembered to say, "Mother, may I?", and now hold a 2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Dirty Rays, and a 7 game lead over the rest of the division. Tonight, the Sox and Orioles wrap up their three game series with Jon Lester shooting for his 5th win of the season. I'll tell you right now, put this one in the win column.

Then, get ready for the National League. Tomorrow the Sox hit the road for 3 games in Cincinnati, where recent 500 home run hitter, Manny Ramirez, can mingle with recent 600 home run hitter, Ken Griffey, Jr. Then the Sox head to Philadelphia for 3 games. The timing of these NL road games is pretty good for the Sox. Interleague rules dictate that the rules of the home team are used. Therefore, there will be no designated hitter for the next 6 games. Well, wouldn't you know, our designated hitter is currently on the disabled list? So, we don't have to stress about whether to bench David Ortiz for a few games, or play him at first base. The only hope is that Manny Ramirez resolves his hamstring issues by then so that he can head back out to left field.

Meanwhile, Daisuke Matsuzaka is making good headway in his recovery from a shoulder strain. He's throwing aggressive side sessions, and the Sox will decide tomorrow on his next step, which could be a start in Pawtucket, or they could have him jump right back into the rotation, which I'd prefer them to do. He hasn't been out very long, and can probably contribute right away, providing the shoulder feels good. In this case, it might be prudent not to waste good innings in Pawtucket.

One final note. Please congratulate David Ortiz, who took the oath to become an American citizen yesterday at the JFK Library along with 226 other immigrants. Welcome to America Papi! Now, Papi has a few additional things to worry about, like who to vote for in November!

(Big Papi photo Courtesy of Boston.Com)
(Game Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Colon Looks Sharp Earning First Win for Red Sox

Bartolo Colon made his much anticipated first start for the Boston Red Sox last night, and walked away with his first win of the season as the Sox defeated the Royals 6-3. As anticipated, Terry Francona planned to limit Colon to 80 or so pitches while he continues to build up his strength. Colon lasting 5 innings, throwing 74 pitches (60 fastballs, 12 sliders, and 2 change ups). The grounds crew had to continually reinforce the pitcher's mound as Colon's imposing size kept packing it down (just kidding), but Colon was able to put his weight behind his pitches, regularly keeping his fastball in the low 90's, but topping out at 96 mph. For a guy who relies on power to overwhelm batters, this is a good sign - he has the strength to still throw with power, and if he is fortunate enough to suffer no physical setbacks, he'll only get stronger, and the Sox will continue tightening their hold on first place (currently 2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays).


Facing the Kansas City Royals at home may be helping the Sox' pitching look even more imposing, but in 3 games against the Royals, the Sox have only given up a total of 4 runs. Last night Colon gave up only 2 runs in 5 innings and walked off the mound with the Sox behind by a score of 2-1, Jacoby Ellsbury providing the one run with a lead off homer in the first inning. In the bottom of the 5th, Jason Varitek got things rolling with solo home run of his own, and by the time the inning was over, the Sox had put 4 runs on the board for a 5-2 lead that would provide Colon with the win. The Red Sox bullpen had a terrific night. Craig Hanson, Javier Lopez, and Manny Delcarmen each pitched a scoreless inning to get to the ninth, where Mike Timlin came in to wrap things up. With a 6-2 lead heading into the ninth, this was not a save opportunity, so Papelbon got the night off. Timlin preserved the win, allowing a single run resulting from a walk, stolen base, and a single, all with two outs.

So, for now, Bartolo Colon is an official part of the Red Sox starting rotation. He will be pitching every fifth game for the near future at least. If he continues to improve, the Red Sox will clearly have the most imposing rotation in the AL. If anyone goes down, Clay Buchholz will be able to quickly step right in. With the success that Justin Masterson has had, the red Sox pitching talent goes even deeper. Right now, you have to feel real good about the Red Sox starting pitching.

Speaking of starting pitching, the NY Yankees are not only jealous of the Red Sox, and regretting not securing Johan Santana in the off season, they are also starting to take some desperate measures to improve theirs. Specifically, they are officially beginning to alter Joba Chamberlain's workouts to get him ready to move from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Prior to spring training they were leaning towards a starting role for Joba, but he ended up in the bullpen. Brian Cashman wanted him there, Hank Steinbrenner wanted him as a starter. Hank ranted about it in April when the Yankees obviously needed to improve their starting rotation, Cashman held his ground. Well, the boss won! It could be a good move for NY, whose young starters have not come close to the success that Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have achieved. It is nice to see the Yankees squirming, and it will be interesting to see how well, and how quickly, Joba can make the switch. I think the biggest concern is whether he is ready to handle the load of pitching a full season yet. But, by waiting until June to make the switch, it may have shortened the season enough for him to last just fine.

This afternoon, Daisuke Matsuzaka will be gunning for his 8th win. Manny Ramirez will still be gunning for his 499th home run. I think they need to remove the "498" countdown from left field. It feels like he has not hit one (at least at home) since they put it up. Baseball jinxes are alive and well you know.

If Red Sox fans don't already have enough to smile about, take a look at the cover of this month's Sports Illustrated! Derek Jeter getting clobbered by a hefty Rays player in a comic book spoof cover.

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Deja Vu for Red Sox

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his best game of 2008 last night as the Red Sox treated fans to a near identical game as the one the night before. Does this sound familiar? Low scoring pitching duel, game is tied, last of the ninth inning, Papelbon has just preserved the tie in the top of the inning, Big Papi is on second base, Manny Ramirez is on first base, the batter hits a single to center field...

The night before, the batter was Kevin Youkilis, and Vernon Wells bobbled the ball to let Papi score from second to end the game in walk-off fashion. Last night was a bit different, but not a lot. Last night, Terry Francona pinch ran Jed Lowrie for David Ortiz (thank you Terry), and Brandon Moss hit the single to center. But, this time Wells did not bobble the ball and he threw a strike to home nailing Lowrie for the second out of the inning. That brought Jason Varitek to the plate with Manny now on second, and Moss at first, with two outs. The Captain proceeded to rip a single to center, Vernon Wells fielded it cleanly and fired home. This time his throw was a little up the first base line, pulling the catcher away from the plate and Manny took advantage and slid in for the walk off run.

David Ortiz belted his 5th home run of the season in the 7th inning to give the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima combined to allow the Jays to tie it at one in the eighth inning, setting up the drama in the ninth.

I still say the cold weather has slowed down the bats, allowing the pitchers to get a slight edge. Nothing wrong with that, and it was fun to see Dice-K submit a masterful performance, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits to go with 4 strike outs and 2 walks. This is the fourth such pitching start for the Red Sox in a row. The last four starters went as follows:

Buchholz : 8 innings, 3H, 2R, 9K, 1BB
Beckett: 7 innings, 4H, 2R, 13K, 1BB
Lester: 8 innings, 1H, 0R, 6K, 4BB
Matsuzaka: 7 innings, 2H, 0R, 4K, 2BB

Before you get too excited about that, remember that you need at least a little bit of offense to win a game. Over the last 45 innings that the Red Sox have played, they have ONLY SCORED 5 RUNS! If you are a math expert, you already know this is an average of one run per 9 inning game. If I recall, Albert Einstein had identified that as the classic formula for a losing streak. Luckily for the Red Sox, they have won 2 games in those 45 innings.

Tonight, all the pressure is on for Tim Wakefield to match the feats of his fellow starters. My recollection is that cold weather does not create the best conditions for the knuckle ball. The Jays send potential ace, AJ Burnett to the mount to face Wakefield, and in my book, the pitching match up leans in favor of Toronto. The one thing to hope for is that the law of averages is enforced, and the runs once again start flowing.

Are you worried about injuries? You should be. Last night the Red Sox had NO extra outfielder available for the game. Julio Lugo would have been recruited had there been an emergency need. Let's hope Jacoby Ellsbury is available tonight off the bench at least. JD Drew will probably need a couple more days.

I leave you with a joke my daughter made up tonight...

"Why did Jason Varitek suffer with a such bad case of the flu?"

"Because he catches everything!!!"

Sox Re-Take the Lead

Another thriller in Cleveland last night! Indians fans must be getting pretty sick of the Red Sox beating them in last minute drama. The feature of the night was the debut of hot shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie (who played third base interestingly enough). Lowrie looked sharp on defense with a gun for an arm. He did not have a great night batting, but made the most it. He struck out twice, and in the fifth he grounded into what looked like an inning ending double play, but as a switch hitter he was batting lefty and the extra step allowed him to just barely beat out the relay to first. That allowed Jacoby Ellsbury to score from third for the Red Sox first run. So, what was almost a disaster turned into a memorable at-bat. His at-bat in the 7th was better. With bases loaded, no outs, he was able to bat right handed (his natural side) against lefty reliever Rafael Perez. He made the most of it hitting a ground ball single through the infield into left, scoring two runs. Not a bad night. The three RBI were the most by a Red Sox player in his debut appearance since Merl Combs did the same in 1947.

Alex Cora has been nursing an ailing elbow, and may be headed to the 15 day DL. This could extend Lowrie's stay with the big club. However, he is not the type of player you want wasting on the bench. He is best served doing some spot duty this season to get experience, but should do most all of his playing in Pawtucket until the Sox have a starting spot for him (watch out Julio Lugo).

The drama built up in the 9th inning. With the score tied, Terry Francona, trying to give Jason Varitek the night off, caved in and sent him up to pinch hit for Kevin Cash with one out and the bases empty. The Captain earned his title, clubbing a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence, giving Boston a 4-3 lead. Kevin Youkilis provided an insurance run with two out and bases loaded. The Indians had wisely walked Manny Ramirez with runners on second and third, but Youk still made them pay with a single to left, which easily scored Coco Crisp from third. Dustin Pedroia, ever full of energy, tried to be aggressive and score behind Crisp, but was gunned down at home to end the inning.

It is nice to write about offense for a change, but, the pitching held their own too. Tim Wakefield started and only allowed 3 runs through 6 innings, but came out of the game down 2-1, so was not able to get the win. Javier Lopez started the 7th inning with two easy outs, but got in a jam putting two runners on with a hit-by-pitch and a single. Terry Francona called down to the bullpen and told Manny Delcarmen to grab a bucket of water and come put out the fire. Unfortunately, Manny grabbed the bucket of kerosene by mistake, and only added to the fire while earning his first blown save of the season. Delcarmen was sloppy, walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, and then hitting his second batter to force in the tying run for Cleveland.

Francona, clearly preferring to save Jonathan Papelbon for the Yankees, went to Hideki Okajima to sew up the game. Unlike Delcarmen, Okajima brought his best thread and needle, striking out the first two batters he faced.

Now, did I say drama? You know the saying "fight fire with fire"? To wrap up the game, the Red Sox fought the Indians with an Indian (sorry, couldn't resist). With two outs in the ninth, Jhonny Peralta, who still can't spell his first name right, sent a long fly ball slicing foul to right field. Jacoby Ellsbury, who is part Navajo Indian, tore after the ball and managed to crash, leap, and stretch in the stands to snag the ball away from a fan who thought he had caught the ball. Jacoby showed the ball to the ump - game over.

Next up - round two with the Yankees, this time on their home turf. If everything works out the way you might expect, you'd have to give the edge to the Yankees tonight with Chien-Ming Wang going up against Clay Buchholz, who is still trying to find his best stuff. Wang was stellar against the Sox last week, but maybe seeing him a second time will help. Tomorrow, the pendulum swings back Boston's way as Red Sox ace Josh Beckett squares off against softball pitcher Mike Mussina, who probably won't be trying to sneak any more 84 mph fastballs past Manny Ramirez.

Anemic Offense - where's the bullpen?

I'm going to presume you watched the game. If so - you saw the Sox are not playing like a Champion caliber team right now. Josh Beckett looked very good, better than Roy Halladay, until he began to tire a bit in the fifth inning. When I say he tired, I do not mean basic arm strength. What I mean is that there are a lot of intricate mechanics involved in throwing a pitch not only 98 miles per hour, but also within an inch or two of where you want it to go. In the 5th, he was still throwing strong (his changeup was effective at 91 mph), but he was starting to lose his location - that was mostly due to his conditioning needing to stretch out a little more to get him over 100 pitches while maintaining all the necessary mechanics. With two outs, he gave up a single, followed by two walks. Now, this puts Terry Francona in a tough spot. It is early in the season, your ace is coming off of a back injury and has not gone too deep yet. He just walked two straight batters, and Frank Thomas is coming to the plate. On the one hand, Beckett is such a competitor, he may bear down and get that last out (that might have been my guess). On the other hand, his control may be done, and Thomas will kill him. Terry decided to go with a fresh arm, and on one pitch, Manny Delcarmen left a pitch out over the plate, and Thomas ended the game with his 11th career grand slam.

Yes, that ended the game. Again, the Sox (other than JD Drew!) are having a tough time hitting right now. What does the box score tell you? There are two things that should jump out at you. First, the Sox had 10 hits, but only 4 runs. The Blue Jays had 5 hits and 7 runs. Without even seeing the game, you can see the Sox are not stringing together enough hits to generate a rally. They are getting a hit here, and a hit there. The only reason they even had four runs was that 3 of their hits were solo homers. Yes, all three were solo. Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, and JD Drew all went deep, but with no one on base. Now, against a pitcher like Halladay, you should be happy with that. But, the grand slam took that luxury away.

David Ortiz finally got another hit, his thrid of the season, and it was an RIB double. Love to see that.

Oh, I forgot. I said there were two things that should jump out at you in the box score. If you have been screaming, "what about the four errors!", then yes, you got it. Now, let's not run out and lynch the guy, but Julio Lugo had the worst day I've seen for him on a Sox uniform. Well, that happens. These guys are human, and some days they go home and wonder why they play this game. Tonight is like that for him. That's not the reason why we lost the game, and that's why I'm not making a big deal out of it. Chances are, a guy with his talent will not make another error for a week or two. He did not cost us the game, but he does need to tighten up.

Lastly, I am simply NOT on the same page as Terry Francona yet this year. I love the guy, don't get me wrong, but a manager has to not only read the numbers, but also get in a groove and fell out what will work. Taking out Beckett when he did, did not work. Now, of course, a rational fan knows why he did it. Beckett is in his first outing coming off an injury, and starting to lose control. But, on the other hand, his middle relief has been terrible. When I looked into Josh's eyes (in HD) I saw determination. His pitch count was not so high that one more batter would have mattered. Just let him get out of the jam himself. Instead, Francona turned it over to the bullpen, and in one pitch it was over. I know - 20/20 hindsight. But, that is how I felt as it went down. The other thing I disagreed with was no pinch hitting for Lugo in the 9th. Lugo was clearly not having a sharp day - that happens. So, bottom of the ninth, two men on, and the tying run at the plate - isn't that the kind of situation we have Sean Casey for? That was supposed to be the point of a guy like Casey - to hit in those kinds of situations. Now, surely Casey may have struck out. But, Lugo was having an off night, Lugo is not likely to hit a home run. So...

Now the Sox come home to friendly Fenway, where they will hopefully get a huge boost from us fans. Let's get these guys going! We are the tenth man - let's do our part.

Tune in tomorrow for some Yankee talk in the off day.

Captain to the Rescue

You've probably heard it before - it's all about pitching and defense. Last night's game was a perfect example of that. Matsuzaka had a terrific game! Great to see him so sharp, only allowing 1 run and 2 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Add to those numbers 9 strikeouts and no walks, and you are looking at a nice night. With a guy having such a nice night in such a close game, I thought it was a tough decision for Francona to pull him with 2 outs in the 7th. My guess is that Francona planned on pulling him after 7 no matter what, so it was only one batter different. And that one batter was Cust, who had hit a home run off a good pitch in the second inning, and is a lefty - all adding up to having Okajima face him. That plan kind of backfired when Okajima walked Cust, but he got the next batter on a pop-up, so no harm done.

If you are a regular reader, you recall prior to game one I said Ellsbury batting 8th would not last long - only until his bat started getting warmer. Last night he was back at the top of the order doing some nice damage. I also surmised that Papelbon's less than stellar performance against the Dodgers was likely due to him trying some new things in a meaningless game - like a new slider he's been developing. Last night, he threw nothing but fastballs and was his old dominating self. Great to see, although I hope the slider does improve, having more weapons is a good thing.

Defense was very sharp - no signs of fatigue after the day off. Crisp was diving all over center field, Lugo was a vacuum at short, and Youkilis tied ex-Dodger Steve Garvey's major league record of 193 consecutive errorless games games at first base. That is good company to be in.

The offense for the Sox was quiet, unfortunately. Youk scored from 2nd in the 6th with 2 outs on an extremely close play at home. The ump probably could have called it either way, but it think he got the call right - looked like the tag from A's catcher Suzuki just missed. The only other run also involved a close call against the Sox as Varitek's 2 out smash in the 6th appeared to barely clear the yellow line in right center for a home run, but the umps saw it as a double. Luckily Youk scored on the hit, and thanks to great pitching, the lost run was a non-factor.

While the Sox looked sharp, other than on offense, the A's, again, were a bit mistake-prone. Not a good thing against a team like the Red Sox. Suzuki got picked off stealing at a somewhat questionable moment in the 3rd - but I think they were trying to be aggressive. The Captain turned that threat back. In the 8th inning, with a runner on first and no outs, Jack Hannahan lays down an awful bunt right into Mike Lowell's hands allowing Lowell to easily throw out Bobby Crosby at second. Had the bunt gone towards first base, the sacrifice would have worked easily. In the 4th, first baseman Daric Bartman simply dropped an easy foul pop-up by Mike Lowell, but escaped damage when Lowell went on to strike out.

This afternoon, I'm not sure, with it being so early in the season, if Francona will go back to Okajima or Papelbon. So, we're going to need either a lot of offense, or a solid night from Lester and the rest of the bullpen. JD Drew will be back in the lineup, so I expect we'll see Ellsbury sit this one out. As much as we love him, he's the 4th outfielder as long as Crisp plays well.

Funny sight of the night...

Late in the game, the NESN cameras showed an A's fan happily holding up a nice big sign overhead proclaiming that they still believe! Unfortunately, the sign was upside down and created a very comic moment. Maybe when he looked up it looked right side up to him? Glad he's on their side!

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.

Surprised by Mirabelli's Release?

You should be. This is not earth shattering news, but if you are intrigued, then you are paying attention. Doug Mirabelli has been the Sox primary backup catcher since 2002. He is very competent defensively, and is better than most at handling the knuckle ball, which allows the Sox to get the most out of Tim Wakefield, while providing regular rest for Jason Varitek. Mirabelli has never been a great hitter, but has been occasionally clutch and does reasonably well for a part time player. He became a free agent after 2007, but was re-signed this winter to a one year $550,000 contract. So, what changed since they signed the new contract?

Well, Doug's batting has been slowly declining since 2004, but he batted a reasonable .273 in six games this spring. Also, his age has been slowly increasing. Doug is 37 years old this year. That is not ancient, but it makes sense that the Sox would want to get younger at catcher. With Varitek turning 36 next month, they clearly need to be grooming the catchers of the future. My guess is that is exactly what is happening, but I do wonder why they signed Mirabelli to a new contract - wouldn't that have already been apparent? Well, perhaps they wanted to make sure someone could catch Wakefield, and Doug was their guy until someone else stepped up. So, who's stepping up? Who is the guy that has proven to them that they no longer need Mirabelli? Tim Wakefield has started 3 games so far this spring. For every inning of those three starts, his catcher has been Doug Mirabelli. If someone is taking his place, wouldn't you want to see that person handle Wakefield in at least one game this spring?

You may have read and heard that his successor is apparently Kevin Cash. If that is true, that is nothing more than a short term fix. Kevin Cash is not the catcher of the future for the Sox. I like the guy, but he is 30 years old, and only occasionally has he shown big league potential. He failed to stick with the Blue Jays, playing with them from 2002 to 2004 when he went to Tampa Bay. He had one spotty year with the D-Rays in 2005 and spent all of 2006 in the minors. When you can't make it with the Devil Rays, you've got to wonder. He was a decent fill-in last year for the Sox when Mirabelli was injured. But, how many catchers suddenly become big league material starting in their 30's? So, if Kevin Cash starts the season in Boston, it will be purely to be a backup catcher for this year, and the Sox must feel that he'll give them a little more than Mirabelli would have.

But, look further. There are two other young catchers coming along in the Sox system, Dusty Brown and George Kottaras. These guys are young, 25 and 24 years old respectively, and are looking pretty good, both of then batting over .400 this spring. So, do the Sox have hopes that one of these guys will take Mirabelli's place? Not sure, especially since neither of them has caught Wakefield in a game this spring. More likely, these guys are potential guys to take over for Varitek as the starter in a couple years. If that's what they hope, they won't waste their playing time sitting on the bench and solely catching the knuckle ball. So, the more they like these guys, the more likely they'll be in Pawtucket this year.

So, like I said, if you are intrigued, you are paying attention. I think the most likely situation is that they simply felt Mirabelli's skills, mostly due to age, have declined, and they want to break the mold of having a knuckle ball specialist as a catcher. They want more flexibility than that, and are willing to sacrifice a few extra passed balls to get a younger, hotter catcher as a backup, and Kevin Cash may be able to provide that. There is one other possibility that would not surprise me. It is conceivable that there is a trade pending that could being a new catcher into the picture. But, you would think they'd hang on to Mirabelli until the ink was dry first.