Bay Goes Boom

Posted by Mike Giardi September 9, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Okay, it wasn’t quite Carlton Fisk in the ‘75 Series, or even J.D. Drew going granny on us in the A.L.C.S., but the new guy, Jason Bay, continues to open eyes with how easily he’s transitioned into Boston and into a force in that lineup. His one-on, two-out home run tonight puts the Sox up 4-3 in the 8th. If they can hang on, they’re back in first place for the first time in a mighty long time (did I offend the grammar police with that sentence?).

Bay’s driven in 35 with the Sox, scored 30 and launched seven bombs. Yes, Manny’s numbers are better in L.A., but based on how badly he was tanking it here at various points this season, there’s no doubt in my mind the Sox would not be in the position. They are all but assured of a postseason spot as the Wild Card, and now perhaps as the A.L. East winner. Jason Bay has a lot to do with that. I repeat, a lot.

Media Movement All Over The Place

Posted by Bruce August 15, 2008 at 8:30 am

Last night we learned about the changes at the Globe, which included Tony Massarotti moving over from the Herald, and Chad Finn earning himself a sweet promotion.

This morning, David Scott has more on the move, but also reports on new hires at weei.com, which include Jeff Goodman, Alex Speier and wait for it…Ron Borges.

Ron Borges? 

Seriously? Ken Powers wasn’t available? Mike Barnicle turned them down? Patricia Smith wasn’t interested?

My interest and enthusiasm in their new venture just sunk considerably. They were doing things right all the way up until that point. Michael Felger, Rob Bradford, Goodman and Speier are all relatively young guys who understand how things work in the new age of sportswriting. For the most part they have a fresh perspective on things, and don’t stir up stuff just to get noticed (well, except for Felger.)

Borges throws all that out the window. The quotes from Dennis and Callahan in Scott’s piece are just nauseating. Yeah, I’m sure Bill Belichick is shaking in his shoes at the thought of Borges back in Foxboro. That’s provided of course that he knows how to get there. He hasn’t been seen down there in a long time, even before his (wink wink) retirement from the Globe.

I had high hopes for this new weei.com. Borges just about kills it for me. You hire him, you lose your credibility. Simple as that.

Bad move, guys.

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The Red Sox hitters are surely sorry to see the Texas Rangers pitchers leave town. Boston finished off the sweep of the Rangers with a 10-0 victory at Fenway Park last night. The Red Sox scored 37 runs in 3 games off the Rangers…

Globe beat reporter Amalie Benjamin has the game story. Jeff Horrigan has the Red Sox continuing their hot hitting since the Manny Ramirez trade. Paul Kenyon has the Red Sox finishing off their roundup of the Rangers. Jeff Goldberg has Daisuke Matsuzaka once again letting the runners on, and once again not letting them score. Bob Stern has the Red Sox pounding the Rangers one more time. Garry Brown has more on the demolition at Fenway. Phil O’Neill has another big inning leading the way for Boston.

Tony Massarotti has David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis proving to be a formidable 3-3 combination. Barbara Matson has Ortiz especially sorry to see the Rangers go. Ortiz has regain his power stroke in this series, and even enjoyed an early departure last night. Still, I can’t help but remember the reaction from the media when Pedro Martinez left the ballpark early after a start. I’ve got absolutely no problem with Ortiz (or Pedro) going home early, but it’s interesting to note the difference in reaction. Steven Krasner analyzes the lack of success by the Rangers pitching in this series. Massarotti says that the Blue Jays will provide a much stiffer test for the Boston bats.

Marty Dobrow has a minor league notebook in the Globe, and examines a rash of oblique strains in the Red Sox organization. Rich Thompson’s minor league notebook has Bartolo Colon on the road back to the majors.

Benjamin’s notebook has Jon Lester trying to help out Clay Buchholz. Horrigan’s notebook has Dice-K once again walking a tightrope last night. The ProJo notebook has more on Matsuzaka. Goldberg’s notebook says that Kevin Youkilis is making a case for league MVP. Brown’s notebook has Paul Byrd getting ready for his first Red Sox start tonight. O’Neill’s notebook also makes the case for Youkilis as AL MVP.

Patriots

Over on Patriots Daily, Scott Benson examines whether the Patriots can or will carry five running backs on their roster.

Christopher L. Gasper has a look at the Patriots signing of veteran safety John Lynch. Christopher Price has more on the Lynch signing. Carolyn Thornton says that Lynch could end up being a big presence in the Patriots secondary. Eric McHugh thinks Lynch should fit well here. Jennifer Toland writes that Lynch could fill the void left by Tank Williams being placed on IR. Mark Farinella looks at this year’s carbon-dated addition to the Patriots roster.

Karen Guregian says that adding Dom Capers to the coaching staff might be the best move the Patriots made in the offseason. Thornton has rookie QB Kevin O’Connell doing all he can to learn from Tom Brady. Guregian has more on the rookie learning how to play the position in his first NFL camp. Farinella has a look at Kenny Smith, who gets a feature written about him for the second day in a row. Thompson has punter Chris Hanson secure in his role with the team.

Price tells us what to watch for during Sunday night’s game. Ian M. Clark has a Ruud family reunion on tap for Sunday night. Mike McMahon looks at former Boston Patriot Daryl Johnson going into the Morgan State Hall of Fame.

Gasper’s notebook has Jason Webster getting close to returning to action for the Patriots. Guregian’s notebook has more on the signing of Lynch. Toland’s notebook has Dean Pees talking about some of his young players on defense. McHugh’s notebook examines the impact on he safety depth chart that the Lynch signing will have.

Misc

Steve Bulpett and Marc J. Spears report on the Celtics signing first round pick J.R. Giddens.

Spears also has the United States’ men’s basketball team taking care of business with Greece yesterday.

Mark Blaudschun has a media column on NBC Sports reporter Bob Neumeier. Neumy mentions that WEEI wasn’t “fair” in their contract offer to him, which is why he left his show with Dale Arnold.  

Larger Point

Posted by Mike Giardi August 2, 2008 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 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.

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Bay: ‘I’m not going to be Manny’

Posted by NECN - Sports August 1, 2008 at 4:12 pm

(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - "Fire away."

With those two words, Jason Bay met the Boston media for the first time in a Fenway Park news conference as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Bay says he arrived in Boston after a "sleepless" night, finding out only after the trade deadline passed at 4 p.m. that he had actually been shipped to Boston.

"I didn't know anything more than what everyone was writing," Bay told reporters about how he followed a day that had him reportedly shipped to Tampa at mid-afternoon, before the Boston trade was finalized.

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Francona: Team already looking ahead after trade

Posted by NECN - Sports August 1, 2008 at 4:09 pm

(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - Prior to introducing jason bay as the newest member of the Boston Red Sox, Theo Epstein and Terry Francona met the media, and for the first time, Frnacona acknowledged that his team had lost its focus before the trade of Manny Ramirez. But he said the team was already looking ahead in a Friday afternoon team meeting.

"We discussed how we're going to go forward," Francona said of the meeting. "I thought it was an exciting time to stand in fromt of your players and feel like that."

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Epstein: Now we feel like a team

Posted by NECN - Sports August 1, 2008 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

Source Tells Me…

Posted by Mike Giardi July 31, 2008 at 12:49 am

Just got off the phone on my ride home and I can tell you this, a source within the Red Sox organization says there’s much ground to be covered for this 3-way deal to happen with Pittsburgh and Florida. One of the problems from the Boston standpoint is that they think highly of Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida, so much so, they might not willing to turn around and flop Hermida to the Pittsburgh as part of the deal. No Hermida means no Jason Bay from the Pirates. Bay seems a better fit for the Sox lineup being a righty who could give protection for Ortiz or Drew depending on where he’s hitting the lineup..

Gammons: Manny deal complicated

Posted by MLB Trade Deadline July 30, 2008 at 11:11 pm As midnight approached Wednesday night on the East Coast, officials from the Marlins and Red Sox said a deal involving Manny Ramirez was not done. Indications from Pittsburgh were that the Pirates wer...

Gammons: Manny talks ongoing

Posted by MLB Trade Deadline July 30, 2008 at 9:55 pm The Manny Ramirez trade conversations are expected to continue into Thursday, according to a source. Because it's a very complicated deal, involving a player who has the right to veto the trade and ot...

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