Larger Point

Posted by Mike Giardi August 2, 2008 (3 weeks ago) at 7:23 pm

I beg to differ with intrepid Internet guru Ted McEnroe, a true Sox fan, but obviously drinking whatever beverage they’ve been serving on Yawkey Way. I’m fairly certain it might contain a little something-something that blurs your vision, internally and externally*.

Never, ever dismiss an arm that can bring it at 97 miles per hour. Never, ever dismiss an arm that possess a mind-bending slider (however inconsistent that may be). Yes, Craig Hansen rarely delivered on his promise here in Boston, but its fairly important to remember he’s just 24-years old. I suspect he’ll find the stuff that made him a first-round draft pick eventually. Then McEnroe will probably be one of those guys saying, “How come we can’t get guys like that?”

Speaking to a larger point, doesn’t it seem like the Sox were so hell-bent on getting Manny out of here that - in the end - they missed an opportunity to help the bullpen? Essentially, they’ve taken Hansen - who pitched some important innings this year to mixed results - out of the equation and added who? Justin Masterson is now the key link, and while you know how I feel about this guy, we’ve already seen the same inconsistencies that plagued the man he replaced, at least in a small sample size. He’s allowed runs in each of his last three appearances. Not the definition of savior, not in my book.

There will be other opportunities here, with the possibility of making a waiver-wire trade, of which we’ve seen more of in recent years. Perhaps that’s where Theo can find some help for a group that looks like they could still use it**.

* Before you go thinking we have a brewing Internet feud, Teddy and I get along. Actually, I don’t want to speak for him. I think he’s a good guy, albeit a little confused about the state of his Soxs right now!

** To prove that I’m not one of those reporters who won’t report/skew the facts if they don’t go along with his argument, I would like to note - according to my hard work on Al Gore’s invention in the last hour - that the Sox pen has allowed just 6 earned runs over their last 33.2 innings pitched (1.60 ERA).

Theo, Tito say Bay is a great fit

Posted by NECN - Sports August 1, 2008 (3 weeks ago) at 4:22 pm

(NECN) - Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and GM Theo Epstein held a press conference to discuss the recent block buster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It also sent Sox outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the three team-deal, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates. Bay will be introduced Friday night against the Oakland A's. Bay will be hitting in the number 5 spot, behind Mike Lowell.

read more

Epstein: Now we feel like a team

Posted by NECN - Sports August 1, 2008 (3 weeks ago) at 4:07 pm

(NECN) - Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and GM Theo Epstein held a press conference to discuss the recent block buster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It also sent Sox outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the three team-deal, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates. Bay will be introduced Friday night against the Oakland A's. Bay will be hitting in the number 5 spot, behind Mike Lowell.

read more

Best of a bad situation…

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 31, 2008 (3 weeks ago) at 5:27 pm

Sometimes, it’s addition by subtraction.

If you had said to Boston fans at the All-Star break that the Red Sox would be shipping Manny Ramirez out of town at the trade deadline, people would have thought you were nuts. We had Teixeira, Holliday and Bay in the rumors, but for prospects, not Hall-of-Famers.

But Manny forced management’s hand, and today the Sox gave up a guy who gave up on them this week.

That said - JASON BAY WILL BE A BIG CONTRIBUTOR FOR THE SOX. He has two more homers than Manny so far this year, turning in a .282-22-64-7 line for the Pirates. And 64 RBIs in Pittsburgh is a heck of a lot harder than 68 RBIs in Boston.

He’s a decent leftfielder, with a mediocre arm, but he has his head on straight, and because of that, he doesn’t make a ton of errors/ At the plate, he had a lousy 2007 — .247 avg., just 21 HR and 84 RBI (of course, Manny had just 20 HRs and 88 RBI), but otherwise, he’s shown 30-homer, 100 RBI power, a .280-.290 average and double-digit steals.

We may miss Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen may get it together - but without Manny, the Sox have a chance to get their heads back on straight and make a run. With Manny, this could have been a very talented, very unfocused, third-place ballclub.

Its Too Damn Hot…

Posted by Mike Giardi July 19, 2008 at 7:22 pm

Milk was a bad choice.

Thoughts while admiring the way Thom Brennaman says “Jose Arredondo.” That, to me, is what separates the chumps (yes, I’m looking at myself) from the big dogs.

- I can’t buy, for a single second, that Manny Ramirez would tank an at bat, as was suggested by Bob Lobel on WEEI yesterday. I understand why one could let their mind drift that way, considering the allegations levied against the Sox slugger in 2006. But Manny takes the art of hitting seriously, and regardless of how he feels about the organization, to lay down against Mariano Rivera, in Yankee Stadium, with the game on the line, doesn’t seem to fit his M.O.

- You may or may not have made it to the 8th inning of Friday night’s game in Anaheim, but that’s why Craig Hansen’s name will be mentioned prominently in trade rumors over the next two weeks. Hansen’s stuff last night was filthy. If only he could just harness that potential…

- Do you think Tom Brady’s going to go through Giselle withdrawal when training camp starts Thursday? I mean, where would you rather be, at Giselle’s vacation home in Costa Rica, or Foxboro? I like Gillette Stadium as much as the next guy, but I’m taking Costa Rica any day of the week…at least if Giselle is prominently involved.

- Boy, how can the Green Bay Packers legitimately say that Brett Favre has to come into camp as Aaron Rodgers backup? Listen, I get the fact that Favre really messed up this franchise’s offseason, but he was better than Rodgers last year and I assume, until proven otherwise, that he will be again. Good luck with that Mike McCarthy. I do, however, feel bad for Rodgers. He’s not going to get a real chance, unless he sets the world on fire. And that’s all Favre’s fault.

- What would you do if you saw a naked guy on your airplane, mumbling gibberish? Hopefully you’d do exactly what the New England Revolution’s brass did. Tremendous job by them.

- On that note, congrats to Michael Parkhurt of the Revs. He’s made the Olympic team. That’s an unbelievable honor for a kid who wasn’t highly decorated during his junior and collegiate career. Plus, the kid’s first MLS goal was one to remember.

- “She was like a little kid after you tell them there’s no Santa Claus.”

What Would You Do If You Were Theo?

Posted by Mike Giardi July 16, 2008 at 1:49 pm

I couldn’t make it to he 15th inning last night, no matter how hard I tried. Further proof that I am old. Not good times. Not good times at all. Anyway…

We’re just 15 days from the July 31st trade deadline. Already you’re hearing rumors about the Sox making a run at a big bat, which means either a) this is just a bunch of hooey or b) they’re as concerned about David Ortiz’s left wrist as the rest of us are. The problem here is the Sox are hamstrung by Big Papi’s return date, July 25th. That doesn’t give the team much time to evaluate his health and his potential for the final two months and a possible playoff appearance. So what will Theo do?

Well, for starters, the Sox’s GM has rejected a reported offer for Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen. In return, the Sox would get Mark Teixeira. Tex is one of a few big bats rumored to be on the market, along with Matt Holliday of Colorado and the Cincy’s Adam Dunn. But with Scott Boras as his agent, the word is he’s looking for 24 million per season. 24! Tex isn’t that kind of player. Heck, few are. Throw in the talk that he grew up an Oriole fan, and you wonder if giving Youk and Hansen up for a possible rental is worth it. Actually, I don’t wonder at all. I wouldn’t do that deal.

Of course, there’s a downside to all this. There are very few well-rounded sluggers out there, and Teixeira is one of them. At the age of 28, he should be in the prime of his career. And if the Sox are going to walk away from Manny at season’s end, they’ll need a replacement. Of course, it would be better to acquire an outfielder to slide into that hole, which leads me to Holliday.

The kid can hit. And while his career home and away splits are stunning, he’s been better away from Coors this year, hitting at a .301 clip with 5 homers in 146 ABs. But those still don’t compare to what he does at home (.368, 9 HRs, 37 RBI in 163 ABs). So that begs the question, could he thrive in the American League, away from the humidor? I’ve wavered on this, but now I’m ready to dive in and make this deal. Holliday’s 28, also entering the prime of his career, and I think he’s capable of doing a reasonable impression of Manny for the next few seasons. Plus, he’s under contract for one more year, which means if it doesn’t work, you’re not making the long-term investment that would be necessary for someone like Teixeira.

So what do you give up? Our friend Joe Haggerty at Hacks with Haggs quotes Tracy Ringolsby as saying the Rockies want two Major League ready players now and a prospect. Would Hansen, Brandon Moss and someone like Lars Anderson get it done? Or perhaps flop Justin Masterson with Hansen? Considering Moss appears to be blocked here, and Hansen clearly could use a change of scenery, I wouldn’t be opposed to making that kind of swap. Including Masterson instead would be more difficult, because I think he can really help out of the pen during this final stretch. If Masterson goes, Theo then might be forced to make another move for a reliever, and that means depleting the farm system even more. See, and you thought being the GM of a baseball team is easy. Not by a long shot, but Sox fans should feel like they’re in good hands. Theo’s already got two titles on his resume, and apears poised to add a third. All he needs is that magic touch.

Hideki’s Not Ok…

Posted by Mike Giardi June 29, 2008 at 6:50 pm

Safe to say that after another poor performance from Hideki Okajima, that confidence in the Sox’s primo setup guy from a year ago is at an all-time low. Friend of “Sports Late Night” Lou Merloni made a great point in the postgame today, remarking that Okie isn’t threatening any righthanded hitters on the inner-half of the plate. Then they just sit there on the soft stuff and - for about a month now - have just been feasting on it. Righties were hiting .298 against the 32-year old coming into the day. It just wasn’t that way during his 2007 run.

You want to know how dominant he was against RH? Do you? Wait for it…wait for it…(I’m throwing in a drum roll for the heck of it):

.182.

That’s right. A piddly .182.  

Hard to say if the southpaw can get it back. We just don’t have enough history with Okie to begin with, and considering no one thought he’d be that much, you wonder if he just caught lightning in a bottle in 2007 and now has been exposed.

Me personally, I’ll take the glass is half-full approach. I still believe that Okie can bounce back. Now maybe not to the extent he dominated last year, but with a chance to be a valued and contributing member of the pen once again. And if he can’t…Craig Hansen or David Aardsma better become a heck of a lot more consistent than they’ve been.

Tweaking the System

Posted by Mike Giardi May 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm

Anyone else suspicious that the Red Sox disabled Clay Buchholz strictly to manage his innings? Hey, Theo will never admit it, but with the club trying to keep the slender righty around 175/180 IP’s, it not only is plausible, but intelligent. Plus, it lets you see what Bartolo Colon is all about, likely on Tuesday.

I said it before and I’ll repeat it here: I think the Sox would have preferred to start Buchholz in Triple-A and keep him there until at least June. So maybe camp didn’t break the way they wanted to, but you can still find the kid some quality bus riding time and have him back for when the games really matter later this summer. Hey, its just a thought…

- The big news lately is that Hideki Okajima can’t stop inherited runners from scoring. To me, the bigger news is that the Sox have no reliable third arm in that pen, and until they do, Okie will get overworked and, subsequently, overrun at times. To me, that falls squarely on the shoulders of Manny Delcarmen, who has yet to make “The Leap,” as we all expected. Craig Hansen may get a shot by default, and its already clear - to this point - that David Aardsma (15 BB’s in 20 IP) walks too many for Tito’s liking. That means MDC better elevate. Can’t make it any more simple than that.

- Thoughts and prayers go out to Anthony Rizzo and his family. The member of the Single-A Greenville Drive and a 6th Rounder in 2007, Rizzo has been diagnosed with Limited Stage Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He has begun outpatient treatment at MGH.

Gotta Be Starting Somewhere

Posted by Mike Giardi May 4, 2008 at 9:47 pm

I think that’s a Michael Jackson tune. Maybe not. I know this though. I’m not looking it up. Anyway…

Pitching, pitching and more pitching. That’s the story of the Red Sox’s just-completed 5-and-1 homestand. The starting rotation playing a solid game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” Just look at it.

Lester 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (1-0 W, ND)

Matsuzaka 7 IP, 2 H’s, 0 R, 4 K’s, 2 BB (2-1 W, ND)

Wakefield 7 IP, 6 H’s, 3 R’s, 0 K’s, 4 BB (3-0 L)

Buchholz 5.1 IP, 5 H’s, 1R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (7-3, W)

Beckett 8 IP, 7 H’s, 4 R’s, 5 K’s, 1 BB (12-4, W)

Lester 6 IP, 4 H’s, 1 R, 5 K’s, 3 BB (7-3, W)

When the worst outing they get from “The 5″ - statistically - is courtesy of Josh Beckett, life is awfully good.

There’s a tendency for Sox fans to obsess about what they don’t have. Those 80-some odd years of futility can have that kind of impact. But if we’ve learned anything from these two very recent championships, its that you can never have enough arms. Right now, with this group of starters, and the possibility of another Justin Masterson sighting (nevermind the potential of a healthy Colon), the Sox are in an enviable position as we get deeper into May, and get into real baseball.

The only real concerns through the first six weeks is David Ortiz’s knee (more at some point on this very blog) and that bullpen. Manny Delcarmen failing to get it done again today, forcing Okajima in quicker and sooner than Terry Francona would like. The MDC holds the key, but right now, he may get grounded until he regains last season’s sharpness. Actually, check that. He deserves to be put in a lesser role. For now.

In the meantime, Craig Hansen has been recalled from Pawtucket, and perhaps this is finally the year the former number one pick gets it. He’s got a spaghetti strand for a body, but that right arm can be electric. Truthfully, and I think Theo has admitted this on our air and elsewhere, Hansen getting rushed to the Bigs really stunted his growth, really played with his head. But he’s been fantastic in Pawtucket, and that one outing in Boston was pretty electric, save for the Kotchman bomb. No idea how long Hansen will stay here on his second tour of duty, but if he throws like that, he’ll be here through the playoffs and in a key role.

Wait. Did I just write playoffs? Good grief. We’re only in May…

Scouting pays off

Posted by Projo SoxBlog May 1, 2008 at 6:11 pm

The Red Sox have made no secret of their focus on developing their own players. The scouting department has a big reason to be smiling right now.

The team did research on what took place last week, when Craig Hansen was briefly recalled. He was drafted in 2005. So were Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie. They were all taken in the first four rounds.

According to the researchers, it marked the first time any team has ever had its top four draft choices in the majors together, and all appearing for at least one game, within three years of the draft.

Next Page »