Beantown Sports Guys

Lowell trade is thumbs down

It's looking more and more like Mike Lowell will be back in Boston this season unless they decide to waive him outright. After failing his physical (torn thumb ligament) that would have sent him to Texas to play for the Rangers, you can't expect for this to end well. You would have thought the Sox would have done a complete workup on Lowell before trying to trade him.

On the one hand, maybe this could be a good thing for the Sox - if Lowell didn't know he had a torn thumb ligament perhaps that is a big reason why his overall bat speed has slowed and his production has dipped. Hip and elbow problems aside, if you couple either of those injuries with a torn thumb ligament you aren't going to be able to produce no matter how good you are. Surgery could fix it, but will it mend the relationship between Lowell and the Sox?

It's a very long offseason and I am sure this isn't the end of the trade attempts as Theo tries to make another big move to shore up the infield situation.

Sox need to make a thoughtful splash

The winter meetings in Indianapolis have kicked off and one thing is certain: the Red Sox need to make a splash, albeit a smart and thoughtful splash.

Signing Marco Scutaro is not the kind of splash Red Sox Nation needs to get them excited about the prospects of the 2010 season. Trading for Hanley Ramirez would have been that kind of splash.

Signing Jason Bay to a long-term contract would be a move that is both smart and sexy - for one thing, he has been putting up numbers since he has joined the team. For another, it would mean he wouldn't be wearing pinstripes come spring training. 

Signing Roy Halladay would be a signing that most people want to see happen, but I don't and here is why: Halladay is a stud. Everyone knows that. But we have pitchers in our farm. We need to replace Lowell, we need to get a solid left fielder. You could take the money you would spend on Halladay and sign Bay and work a trade to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez. Maybe you give up Buchholz. Maybe you give up Bard. But our pitching in the farm is deep.

Theo and the rest of the front office cannot afford to be reactive to the Yankees this year. They need to make moves of their own and have the Yankees chase them. Have the Yankees try to make counter moves. Because if they don't, you could see them waving goodbye to Johnny Damon and introducing Jason Bay as their newest outfielder.

Yanks sign Texieria

Below are excerpts from four diehard Sox fans (most who have contributed to the blog) about the signing of Tiexieriaiairria or however you spell his name. Contrary to what the national media is reporting, most of Red Sox Nation is not pissed off at Theo and the Sox for not pulling the trigger. Enjoy.

Yanks sign Texieria

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Hyndsy
To: Steve, Wun
Free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has reached agreement with the New York Yankeeson an eight-year contract worth more than $170 million, a source involved in the negotiations tells ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. The Yankees swooped in on Teixeira on Tuesday when it was believed the Boston Red Soxor the Washington Nationals were the likeliest of his future employer. The Red Sox's offer was believed to be in the range of $170 million, and the Nationals reached out with an offer perhaps greater than that of Boston.

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Steven
To: Hyndsy, Wun
In all seriousness, for me, the only thing that sucked was Tex going to the Yanks.  If he chose the Nationals, that would have been perfect.  Personally I don't think Tex is worth that committment and money.  I don't think he is a sure thing for 8 seasons and I hate getting stuck with guys.  Yanks gave him a no-trade clause!  F that!  None of us have any idea what the guy is going to do after these next 2 seasons!!  What if he suddenly goes Travis Hafner or Victor Martinez and can't hit???  I think this could be a blessing in disguise.  Tex isn't that money!  30-35 HRs and 120 RBIs can be put up and will be put up by many up and coming guys.  Plenty of guys.  Longoria anyone??  Some young guys come out of nowhere and are suddenly the guy to have.  Someone will have a breakout year this year and be the next Tex.  I may be in the minority but I am glad the Sox held their ground and didn't give in to Boras ridiculous contract.    I agree Tex would have given us what we lost somewhat with Manny leaving as a big bat for the middle of our lineup and would have been nice for the short term.  And I do think for the short-term, the Yanks seriously upgraded with their signings and Tex is huge for them to balance those pitcher signings.  But Theo shouldn't be done.  Maybe he gets creative with a trade.  If he goes out and gets Peavy, that would be better than anything the Yanks did in my mind.  Take a chance on Sheets as well.  Put some money into extending Jason Bay.   2 seasons ago, Tex was a first round fantasy pick and he was a bust.  Last year he put up close to the same numbers as Youk.  He is not other-worldly.  I am hardly in mourning over this today.  It just sucks it was the Yanks who got him basically.

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Hyndsy
To: Steve Cc: Wun, Thomas
You know what sucks? The Yanks swooped in and stole KEVIN CASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, if we protect Bay and put people around him I think he can put up similar numbers. I mean it.  I agree 100%. I am not upset about it. What I am upset about is Cash AND the fact that the country thinks that all of us Boston fans are pissed about the non-signing and that they STOLE him. They didnt. If you check out the Globe, 54% of the people in the poll said they didnt want him for that kind of money and commitment and they backed Theo. 23% said they should have upped the ante. Boo hoo.

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Steve
To: Hyndsy Cc: Wun, Thomas
I know, love how the national media thinks we all wanted him.  UM, sorry, but he is not worth all that!  Yanks beat the Sox??  Haha, that's fine.    I totally agree about Jason Bay... I seriously think he could EASILY match Tex's production!  He should be more comfortable going into this season also.  Sox should lock him up now in my opinion with a contract similar to Pedroia and Ortiz and Beckett.  Give him some money and security now but don't break the bank on him like Tex would have.   I want our pitching rotation to look like this: Beckett, Peavy, DiceK, Lester, Sheets   Trade Bucholtz and Bowden to get Peavy and his managable contract for the next few years.  Sign Sheets to a 1-2 year deal which won't be too high since no team is going to be willing to over-extend for his services so he will come cheap.

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Hyndsy
To: Steven Cc: Wun, Thomas
Honestly, I feel bad for Yankees fans. They needed something like this to feel good after missing the playoffs and being relatively insignificant over the past few years. You heard it here first - AJ Burnett will do well...until he gets hurt aka Carl Pavano. They spent WAY too much on him. I would much rather make a trade for a Peavy or Sheets that dont have a long history of injuries than him!!! I wonder if Cash's agent is Boras...you know, have him sign with the Yankees and then make the Sox overpay for Tek...sounds like him

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Steven
To: Hyndsy Cc: Wun, Thomas
sad part is we do need Tek

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Thomas
To: Steven Cc: Hyndsy, Wun
i don't know about sheets and peavy in our rotation. i think the sox will sign some stud pitcher this year or next in the event the beckett is out of here (i have no proof of it, but i just feel it). i'm more inclined to pursue peavy but i don't know about giving up two stud pitching prospects.  i'd do buch or bowden and a hitting prospect (san diego can't hit for shit) not named lars anderson or chris carter.

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Hyndsy
To: Thomas Cc: Steven, Wun
Brewers might be willing to part with Sheets, Peavy is on the market for sure, they just want the right combo of guys I think. I thought Chris Carter was working on ANOTHER X-Files movie or is that just hearsay?

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Steven
To: Hyndsy Cc: Wun, Thomas

To my knowledge, Peavy would need to be traded for but Sheets is a free agent right now.  Brewers have no say I don't think.  So to sign Sheets would be free, just money, whereas Peavy is tougher since it requires players to be dealt.  BUT Peavy is way better and way worth it.  We have no room for Buch and Bowden anyway.

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Hyndsy
To: Thomas Cc: Steven, Wun

True! I forgot he is a FA....man, I'd love to have Sheets if we can't get Peavy.

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Steven To: Hyndsy Cc: Wun, Thomas
Peavy is the real prize though   Landing him could almost trump all the Yankees signings

The magic ran out

For the first time in a long time, I am content with the Sox not winning. Sure, it was Game 7, but by many accounts they shouldn't have even been there and been gone in 5 games. But they hung in there.

After we squandered bases loaded in the 8^th I just had a sense that the magic for the Sox had run out. And I was fine with it. Does it make me any less of a Sox fan? No, and here is why:

1. The Sox made me proud getting that far without Manny (always comes back to ManRam, doesn't it?). We got there with solid pitching, timely hitting, and that Dirt Dog mentality. We lost some close games, but at the same time Tampa won those close ones just as much as we lost them.
   
   
2. No one said it would be easy. We got past the Angels and broke their hearts again and knew we were up against a wall against Tampa (funny to still hear that…), but my rally cap is off to them. They didn't want it more than the Sox, they just got the hits they needed when they needed them. Not to mention they had solid pitching overall.
   
   
3. You can't win every time, right? That doesn't mean you don't want your team to win, but let's not become like Yankees fans and walk around like we have an air of "We should win every game, every time we suit up just because we are New York".
   
   
4. The Sox gave everything they could. It's as simple as that. The fact that they kept themselves in games with amazing defense, with a less than healthy Beckett and Ortiz, and an offense that just couldn't push guys around the bases (we must have left 100 on base in the series), I'm content with their effort.

The offseason will be quite interesting: Will Schilling come back? Will Wake retire? Will 'Tek take his money and run? Will  Theo get rid of Lugo (and how)? A lot of questions.

Great season, Sox. Thanks again.

How ‘bout that 1st inning?

Oh, you didn't see it either? Maybe TBS should have had a contingency plan for when they lose power down in Atlanta, causing the entire country part of Game 6 of the ALCS.

I had to watch a live boxscore feed from Boston.com to see what was going on. So I missed Coco bunting his way to first, only to get picked off, and the B.J. Upton hit another moon shot to go up 1-0.

Let's get serious for a second: this would never, ever, ever happen if this was the Super Bowl. EVER.

Unacceptable.

BoSox slam door shut on Halos, advance to ALCS

You can't point to one guy in this win and say he was the reason why they won. It was an all-around effort. On both sides.

The Angels hung in there for a while, while Lackey did what he could to keep the Sox at bay, his fielders behind him weren't at the top of their game (save Texieria).

Varitek's tag on a squeeze play that would have put the Angels up a run in the 9th was both controversial and pivotal. Tek tagged Reggie Willits as he was retreating to third base and after he tagged him out, he stumbled and the ball popped loose when he hit the ground. It was made clear by MLB that the right call was made by Umpire Tim Welke who noted that it was not a case where the ground can cause a fumble.

"That's the NFL," said Steve Palermo, the Major League supervisor of umpires, after the game. "We don't have that in baseball. He had possession of the ball when he made the tag."

Tek certainly had possession of the ball, and Welke signaled Willits was out even before the ball popped out.

In the bottom of the 9th Jason Bay hit a ground rule double that bounced into the stands as Willits dove for it. Had the ball not hopped into the stands, there was a good shot that Bay could have ended the game with a walk-off inside the park HR.

But he didn't need to.

Jed Lowrie came up to the plate and lined it to the outfield and Bay rounded third with a head of steam, diving headfirst into home and slapping home before jumping up and being mobbed by his teammates.

The Angels were arguably the team to beat in all of MLB, and the Red Sox took their best shot. But now they head to Tampa for what will surely be a series that goes to 7 games and will have it all: solid pitching, good hitting, and great fielding, from both clubs.

This is why we love October.

Bay, Lester come up big for Sox, shuts down Halos

Before things went south with Manny Ramirez this season, if you asked the Red Sox who they would rather have in their lineup: Ramirez or Jason Bay, who do you think they would have picked?

The answer was clear then and even more clear last night, but for different reasons.

Manny hit his 25^th playoff home run. Jason Bay's two-run home run in the sixth inning last night against the Angels is probably the biggest home run he has ever hit in his career.

Danny Moloshok/Reuters

Bay hustled all over the field last night, but Manny got an infield single. I cannot remember the last time Manny sprinted down the first base line.

So who would I rather have in the lineup in the postseason, where it matters most?

Jason Bay.

Not because Manny left Boston on such a sour note, but because Bay has shown he can handle Boston and Boston loves him for it. Boston loved Manny when he was doing things we would chastise other clubs for letting players get away with. Bay plays hard every single game for the Sox. Did Manny? Not even close. I don't care what he says, he was like Clemens, finding a way out of Boston, claiming injuries. As soon as he leaves, he's hitting over .400, has almost as many HRs in a couple months than he did the entire season and he could be the NL MVP. What does that say about Manny's character? It tells me he isn't someone I respect as a person. As a player? Sure. But you get the whole package of an individual when they play for you.

The media went crazy when Francona pushed Beckett to start the 3^rd game, rather than the first. Red Sox Nation didn't bat an eye. Lester has been spot on, and last night he showed that the Sox don't have just one ace, they arguably have 2, maybe 3. Allowing only one unearned run on an muffed lazy grounder to Jed Lowrie, Lester shut down the bats of the Angels giving up only 1 walk, 6 hits, and striking out 7 in 7 innings of work. Masterson gave up a pair of hits in the 8^th, but he got out of the inning unscathed to give way to Papelbon who gave up a hit and struckout all three to secure the save.

The Sox turn to Dice-K tomorrow while the Angels how Ervin Santana can stop the bleeding. There is nothing the Sox want more than to leave Anaheim up 2 games with arguably October's best pitcher in baseball taking the mound on Sunday.

 

It’s on, like Donkey Kong

The tentative ALDS and NLDS schedule is ready (taken from my email):

TBS does a great job of covering the post season so I look forward to that. What I don't look forward to are the late, late, late nights. God I had playing West Coast teams.

Bring on the Angels?? I’ll take it

What a season this has been for the Red Sox. The regular season is over and the new season begins: playoffs.

For the first time since I personally can remember, the Yankees are at home already which is an impressive feat in itself. They did everything they could to hang in there, Mussina got his 20 wins finally, and they said goodbye to Yankee Stadium in grand fashion. My only question is why not close Yankee Stadium on the last series of the season, against the Red Sox? I think it would have been even better if the Sox were there. Win or lose, the Yankees gave the fans what they wanted when they said goodbye to the House that Ruth Built. And Red Sox fans said goodbye to them as they entered the post season and look to defend their World Series title.

This year more than any will be the toughest. The Sox are facing the best hitting team in baseball and arguably the best pitching team. They play small ball and are no strangers to the long ball. They play hard through every inning and have one of the best closers in baseball in K-Rod, who is now the proud owner of the most saves in a season category.

Here are just a few reasons I think the Sox have a shot at upsetting the Angels:

1. Psychological Edge – BoSox have bounced the Angels from the playoffs how many times in recent years?
2. Nothing to lose mentality – BoSox have been up and down all season and lost the division to the Rays.
3. Fenway – in October, Fenway is insane. If they come home with a 1-1 split, I think they have a good shot at winning.
4. Pitching matchups – They are fairly even, but Beckett (when healthy) is the best October pitcher in baseball. Lester is lights out and Dice-K can't seem to lose.
5. Ortiz – he's heating up at just the right time.

The Angels are a great team. They win close games, they have hitting, they have fantastic manager. This could be the year for them.

But don't bet against the Sox in October.

Pedroia: MVP?

When Manny left Boston everyone looked to Jason Bay to see if he would be able to fill his shoes. Comparing the two outright, it looks like the better hitter is playing elsewhere…

Bay:

G   PA  AB  R   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF GDP  SB CS   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS

+---+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+-----+-----+-----+-----+

29 132 118  24  36  7  2  4  29   9   1  30   2   0   3   3   3  0  .305  .356  .500  .856

 

Manny:

G   PA  AB  R   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF GDP  SB CS   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS

+---+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+-----+-----+-----+-----+

32 140 113  22  46  7  0 10  29  21  10  21   3   0   3   4   2  0  .407  .500  .735 1.235 

 

But getting Manny out of Boston wasn't just about one player because you can never replace a player like Manny's numbers in the lineup with one guy. He's a once in a generation player, he's THAT good.

What you can do though is hope other guys will rise to the occasion. What about these stats for a player since Manny left?

  G   PA  AB  R   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF GDP  SB CS   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS

+---+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+-----+-----+-----+-----+

 30 147 133  37  52 13  1  8  28  12   1   9   0   0   2   4   6  0  .391  .435  .684 1.119 

That's right, Pedroia's numbers are even better since Manny was bounced. In his last 8 games, he's had 5 games where he has had at least 3 or more hits. In two of those games he had 4 hits (back to back, first time a Sox player has done it since I was a 1 years old, back in 1981 when Wade Boggs did it).

People are saying Pedroia is the front runner to win the MVP. And he should. Bay has done a serviceable job, and Boston loves him. But Pedroia has really picked it up in the 2^nd half of the season and pulled the Sox out of major trouble time and time again. Tampa Bay Rays Evan Longoria was easily on pace to win it comfortably, and Pedroia will have some competition from Carlos Quentin and A-Rod, but if the Sox manage to steal the AL East from the Rays (funny I am even writing that at this point in the season, isn't it?) I think Pedroia has to get the nod.

Pedroia's defensive stats are as impressive as his offense numbers, and he's pushing his team into the playoffs. That's an MVP to me.