Take a Stand on Teixeira

Posted by Adam Hart November 25, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Signing him would be nice. Or maybe it would be not nice. See, niceness is in the eye of the beholder. You are the beholder. So start beholding. Read more

Sox going to playoffs: Will Lowell and Drew be ready?

Posted by Chris Collins September 24, 2008 at 10:35 pm

The pressure is off as far as winning goes with the wild card clinched — but the pressure is on big time for the Red Sox to get healthy quickly.

Big day today for a pair of Sox. Before the game, I witnessed Mike Lowell taking some pretty serious hacks in the batting cage. There is no question in my mind that not only will Lowell be active in the postseason — he will be effective, early.

Whether or not he can maintain that high level of play if the Sox go deep into the party certainly is a question.

Also today, the return of JD Drew to the Red Sox line up.

Drew had missed 33 games with a bad back, and anyone who has had a bad back can tell you this type of thing can linger, but after batting practice yesterday, manager Terry Francona said Drew put on a clinic.

So tonight he was in the lineup,  and went 1-for-2 (he also did commit an error but that’s not the real issue). The question is, can this guy stay in the lineup and can he be counted on? The Sox will test that back all weekend and wait until the last possible second to determine if Drew makes the playoff roster for the first round.

Beckett Banged Up

Posted by Mike Giardi August 19, 2008 at 6:30 pm

You want to know why Terry Francona sometimes looks pale, almost gray? It’s days like these my friends. Ace Josh Beckett has been pushed back from his next scheduled start from Saturday to Tuesday in Yankee Stadium, and even that’s tentative.

“It’s still seven days away, so we’ll see,” Beckett said from Baltimore.

Apparently, Beckett’s been dealing with numbness in his right ring finger and pinky on and off for the entire season.

“I have some numbness in fingers I’m not used to having,” he said. “It’s just that we’ve got to figure out what the hell it was … It’s something we’ve dealt with but I’ve never had to deal with it on that level.”

Beckett’s last outing was an epic disaster. He didn’t escape of the third inning, getting tagged for 8 hits and 8 runs. It was his worst start since 2006, when he got bombed in the Bronx. This has been very uneven campaign for Beckett, who has flirted with the form he flashed a season ago, but has not consistently delivered on that excellence. Perhaps now we know why.

The Sox have survived injuries to Daisuke, Mike Lowell (twice), Ortiz and Julio Lugo, but I find it hard to believe they could handle any prolonged absence from Beckett. That starting rotation has been stretched thin, and there don’t appear to be any options available that could make people forget baseball’s only 20-game winner from 2007.

 

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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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

Big Papi and Big Hoops

Posted by Mike Giardi June 3, 2008 at 7:15 pm

Before I get on to the Celtics, let me just say that the David Ortiz injury worries me, but I won’t get panicky unless the wrist won’t get right. Right away you worry about Manny. Unless J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell and Chris Carter (no, not that one. He spells it Cris…and he’’s an idiot) rake, there is absolutely no reason to ever throw Manny a strike again. And the Sox slugger is such a patient hitter, he’ll take walks. I say if Ortiz misses a month, Manny will take between 35 and 40 base on balls during this stretch. Its great for the OBP, but dudes below him better swing big bats or you might be talking about a couple of walks per game.

The only reason I don’t get crazy is because the Sox are better built to manufacture runs then they’ve ever been in my lifetime, even more so if Coco could get on base every once in a blue moon. Jacoby Elllsbury has a chance to be a very special player, and I wasn’t convinced that would be the case 7 or 8 months ago.

As for the Celtics, another busy day at the team’s practice facility in Waltham. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce held court for a second day, basically repeating their takes from a day ago. I get the feeling that Ray may have a good series now that his confidence has been restored. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind if Kobe tortures him for 40. Hey, I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.

Other bits and pieces…Kendrick Perkins thinks that Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess got him well prepared for Pau Gasol. In fact, I think Perk thinks this will be an easier task. You know what? I think he’s right.

Sam Cassell thinks there’s very little pressure on Rajon Rondo. He said it was similar to his situation in his rookie season with Houston, when he didn’t have any plays designed for him, and didn’t need to carry the offense. Cassell noted he had Hakeem and Clyde Drexler - 2 Hall of Famers - and Rondo plays with 3 future HOf’ers. The late-season acquisition also noted that nothing prepares you for the NBA Finals. The atmosphere is “crazy.”

James Posey wouldn’t reveal just how much time he’ll get matching up with Kobe (see my one-on-one interview with him on NECN.com), but says that its all about “team defense,” again a theme that has been very prevalent these last couple days (and all season, of course). It will be crucial for the C’s to make sure Kobe has to work defensively as well, something they did a nice job with in the two regular season meetings.

Doc Rivers is a huge fan of Derek Fisher, citing his character and basketball smarts. The C’s tried to get Fish this offseason, but he was no dummy, sticking to his West Coast roots and Kobe. Can’t blame a guy for that.

Paul Pierce thinks Kobe has great trust not just in Gasol, but all his teammates, and Doc feels like Phil Jackson has loaded up on shooters when those two are on the floor, making life easier for both, and Lamar Odom.

More tomorrow….

A Moment to Remember

Posted by Mike Giardi May 20, 2008 at 10:27 am

Jon Lester doesn’t want me to think about that dark day a couple of summers ago, the day when we all learned he had cancer. He claims its not anything he preoccupies himself with, so why should I? Or any of you? Good in theory, but hard to accomplish.

Last year, it was impossible to not think about his diagnosis and subsequent recovery. It was too soon. And that was before the quiet southpaw capped a 2007 comeback by earning a win in the deciding game of the World Series. How could we not frame that evening in the back-story?  It was just too fitting; perhaps a reminder from the baseball gods that Jon Lester deserved that moment, deserved to feel that good just a year removed from such a dark period in his young life.  I felt good for him. All of baseball did.

There were rumors in the months that followed of a possible trade to Minnesota for Johan Santana. Lester was definitely on the table, and that was hard for some in Red Sox Nation to fathom. They had such a tie to him, wanted so much to see the Washington native become a finished product and help anchor the rotation for years to come. Fans got their wish when the Mets finally sealed the deal for the established ace, but there’s been more than one reference to Santana this April and May, and the typical second-guessing, “Why did Theo hang on to Lester?’

At the start of spring training, Lester was different. 20 pounds heavier, and oh how the staff and brass raved. If I heard that the Sox were “bullish” on Jon and his talents, well, you know…Perhaps that was as I sign that at least I was moving on. But even then, almost every story written about the kid had some link to his diagnosis in 2006. When could we - the media, the fans - let it go?

I didn’t know the answer. Until last night. Sometime after 10 o’clock. Jon Lester threw the last of his 130 pitches. It went past Kansas City’s Alberto Callaspo, into catcher Jason Varitek’s mitt, and that was it. A fresh new chapter in this tale, one that sent chills racing up and down the arms of all 38-thousand crammed into those seats at Fenway, and to the millions watching at home, on the couch, or chair, or lying on the floor with their dog (that was me).

Jon Lester had pitched the game of his life, a no-hitter. He turned into the pitcher we had all heard about during his run through stops like Portland, Maine, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island; the pitcher we had seen flashes of as a rookie in 2006 and - on a couple of occasions - in 2007. Jon Lester is finally where he wants to be, not just in his body and mind, but in the hearts and souls of a rabid fan base. Said Mike Lowell, “It shows his ability has come full circle. Besides the no-hitter, he shows he can really shut down a team, because he has that kind of stuff.” Yes, Mike, yes he does. I just saw it with my own eyes.