Noooooo!

Posted by Adam Hart Yesterday at 8:05 am

Please don’t let this happen. Please don’t let this happen. Please don’t let this happen… Read more

Oh, the Possibilities…

Posted by Adam Hart November 18, 2008 (2 days ago) at 6:49 pm

Last week I mocked the Yankees and their ‘throw money at the wall of free agents and see what sticks’ approach. I also said that the Red Sox should limit the moves they make, since they were a couple injuries away from the World Series. But I don’t want to leave Theo hangin’. Read more

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.

read more

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."

read more

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

Still Feels the Same

Posted by Mike Giardi August 1, 2008 at 8:07 am

So I’ve had a night to sleep on what the Sox did late yesterday afternoon. And my gut feeling now is the same as then: Theo had to do it, but boy, this deal sure reeks of desperation and looks not lopsided, but at least heavily listing in the Dodgers and Pirates favor.

At what point during all of this did you think the Sox would have to include two Major Leaguers (Hansen and Moss), and two draft picks that would have been in the top 40 (when the Sox offered Manny arbitration at the end of the season) and the 7 million dollars all to make sure Manny wasn’t in that clubhouse this afternoon?

You keep hearing addition by subtraction, and having been in that locker room this last week, there’s no question there’s validity to that comment. But now there are no more excuses, except for that inconsistent bullpen. The onus shifts directly onto the players, their manager, and - if this goes poorly - GM Theo Epstein and the ownership that green-lighted such a move. Not a comfortable spot to be in, especially in this ravenous region, but that’s why they get paid the big bucks. As I wrote sometime in the last 36 hours, this is another career-making trade for Theo, and despite the discontent with Manny over these last two months, fans and some in the media will write revisionist history should the season continue to go south.

Me, I continue to believe that the Sox may not be as talented an offensive team as they were the last time Francona wrote out the lineup card, but at least the clubhouse won’t have that festering stench caused by the sullen slugger. That could be huge, mentally, going forward. No more wondering if Manny will ask out of the lineup, or, like he did last Friday, ask to go on the DL with knees that checked out a-okay. No more having to look the other way when he jakes it down the first base line on a ground ball, like he did during Lackey’s near no-no. That almost caused both Dustin Pedroia and Terry Francona’s heads to simultaneously implode.

But the flip side is losing one of the best hitters in franchise - in baseball - history. Jason Bay can’t replace that, can he? Bay and Manny’s numbers are comparable, but until we see how the former Buc responds in this atmosphere, we still can’t answer the question: just how desperate was this deal?

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.

Kielty has surgery, out 4 to 6 weeks

Posted by Extra Bases April 25, 2008 at 1:08 am

The Coco Crisp trade watch, such as it is, probably can be called off for the time being.
Bobby Kielty, the veteran center fielder in waiting in Pawtucket, underwent surgery on his left hand and is expected to be out from four to six weeks. Kielty, who was placed on the Pawtucket DL on the 19th with what was described as soreness in the hand, told club officials he is uncertain of how he hurt the hand. He did not respond to a message yesterday afternoon.
"He had a bone spur or something on top of his hand that was causing the ligament to snap back and forth,'' general manager Theo Epstein said, confirming the timetable for Kielty's return.
With Kielty out of the mix, the Sox have even less incentive to try and move Crisp, who yesterday returned to the lineup for the first time since April 15 (tight right hamstring) and had a big day, hitting two doubles, stealing third twice, driving in three runs and scoring another.
Until Crisp was hurt, he had started five of the previous six games in center field. His injury allowed rookie Jacoby Ellsbury to start eight in a row in center until yesterday, when he started in right field in place of J.D. Drew. Ellsbury made the most of his opportunity while Crisp was out. He went hitless in eight at-bats in two games in New York, but still jump-started two rallies by getting hit by a pitch and then stealing second. In his next six games, Ellsbury batted .417 (10 for 24), with a double, triple, two home runs, four RBIs, five walks and four more stolen bases. He had an on-base percentage of .417 and a slugging percentage of .517, before going 1 for 5 yesterday.
Drew was 2 for 20 on the homestand, but Francona said prior to yesterday's game that he had told Drew four days earlier that he'd have yesterday's game off against Angels left-hander Joe Saunders, whom Drew had never faced. Ordinarily, the switch-hitting Crisp likely would have led off against Saunders, but Francona noted the extended layoff factored into his decision to leave Ellsbury in the top spot.
The Sox are scheduled to face three right-handers in Tropicana Field against the Rays--Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and James Shields--so it will be interesting to see how Francona divvies up the playing time among his center-fielders. While Ellsbury has been hot--Tuesday, he became the first Sox rookie to go deep twice in a game since Kevin Youkilis on Aug. 8, 2004--Crisp has been no slouch, batting (11 for 27, .407) in his last seven games with an at-bat.
And while much has been made of the fact that Ellsbury has yet to be caught stealing in the big leagues--he has yet to be caught in 17 attempts, the most successful attempts without being caught by a Sox rookie since 1920--Crisp has been caught only once in his last 18 attempts, going back to last July 6, and overall, his success rate of 84.4 percent (54 for 64) is the highest in club history for any player with 50 or more attempts.
Crisp said he had no idea how the playing time will shake out.
"He (Ellsbury) is playing well, I'm playing well, J.D. and Manny (Ramirez) are playing well--I wish it was softball,'' Crisp said. "We'll see what happens. It was a little different story about five days ago. Hopefully we'll continue to play well and make it a tough decision.''
Asked how Kielty's injury affects his situation, Crisp said: "It doesn't do anything to my situation. We have two different names. There are other minor league guys. JT (Joe Thurston) will be back. He's a good player.''

Super 7

Posted by Mike Giardi April 19, 2008 at 5:49 pm

In the middle of prepping for an evening of channel surfing as I sit here in our plush NECN sports row. Its so plush, I have two trash cans within 15 feet of me, and yet there’s trash everywhere. Safe to say there’s been an errant jumper or three by yours truly. That’s true to form. I was deadly around the tin, and from beyond the arc, but I never did have a mid-range game. 

Time for the Super 7:

1) I’m positively Pete Carroll-esque right now: jacked and pumped for Game 6 of the Bruins/Canadiens playoff series. For starters, I won bets with everyone at work on the length of this series, so I have much coffee coming my way. Secondly, this has been a terrific matchup, full of everything that makes the Stanley Cup playoffs the second-best postseason in sports, behind only the NFL’s second season. I’m still not sure the B’s have enough to pull of a 3-1 comeback, much like the Habs did to them a several years back, but I’ve enjoyed seeing the Black and Gold represent so many thing that I loved about that franchise growing up. Plus, the Cam Neely high-5 to GM Peter Chiarelli after Game 3 was must-see TV.

2) After a 66-win regular season, the Celtics have placed a heavy burden on themselves. Expectations are sky-high, and I think anything less than a trip to the Finals means they’ve underachieved. I know all the Detroit apologists are out there, but that team has gakked in the postseason 2 of the last 3 years. Why should C’s fans fear that?

3) On that front, I fully expect Ray Allen to be shopped at season’s end. He’s been a true pro, but being 3rd in the pecking order has not be an easy thing for someone used to having everything built around him. That said, I have no idea how the C’s get anything close to full value for a 30-something shooting guard. In fact, I’d say its impossible.

4) This Spurs/Suns series has the potential to be one of the best first-round matchups since the league expanded to its current format. I mean, both of these clubs could win a championship, and they’re playing in the opening round?!?! That’s eye-opening. I still think the NBA needs to go to an open format for the postseason, with teams seeded 1-16.  Ditto for the NHL.

5) I heard a couple of callers complain about the Sox’s trade at the deadline last year. I love the revisionist history. Murphy and Gabbard for Eric Gagne was about as close to a no-brainer as you can get in late July. The ceiling on Murphy is 4th outfielder. Gabbard 4th starter. The Sox’s bullpen needed one more reliable arm, and Gagne was suppose to be it. How could they have known that he wouldn’t be able to adjust to the 8th inning role? I still think that’s a bunch of bunk anyway, but Gagne never got his head right, and consequently, stunk. Still didn’t stop the Sox from winning it all, and hopefully didn’t discourage Theo Epstein from doing something similar this year.

6) Yankee reliever Kyle Farnsworth got suspended for 3 games and fined a laughable 2,000 dollars for throwing straight cheese behind Manny’s head Thursday. That’s brutal. I understand the code about protecting your players, or trying to cool off a hot hitter, but put the ball at the waist, not at the head. And you know what? If you can’t control your pitches to begin with, then you shouldn’t be the one doling out justice.

7) Condolences to the family of John Marzano. The former Sox catcher died of apparent heart attack. He was part of one of my favorite Sox teams growing up. The 1987 edition, which finished dead-last, 6 games under .500, but sold us on the kiddies that were coming: Sam Horn, Todd Benzinger, Ellis Burks, Jeff Sellers Rob Woodward and Jody Reed. For some reason, I bought it. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth