Shortstop of the future - for somebody else

I'll admit it: I was one of those people howling in rage and sadness when I heard Jose Iglesias was getting shipped off to the Tigers. I didn't want Peavy, and I didn't want to lose Iglesias. Late last night, I didn't immediately see the wisdom of Ben Cherington's latest move.

Though I am still somewhat sad to see Iglesias go, I'm on board with the Jake Peavy trade. By all accounts, Peavy is a fighter. He's competitive and talented, and when he can keep himself healthy, he's a guy you want on your side.

As the inimitable Chad Finn put it, between Peavy and Clay Buchholz, we're getting a "heck of a pitcher for 32 starts."

But despite my acceptance (and even happiness) with having Peavy join the Red Sox, I'm sorry to see Iglesias go. I know his batting average has been falling faster than investment in his new home city. I know that same average is partly due to flukey infield hits. I know Xander Bogaerts is waiting in the wings. None of that changes how I feel about seeing Iglesias go - emotions don't care about logic.

Iglesias is fun to watch, and he'll continue to be fun to watch, but spectacular plays are never as great when they're made by a guy in another team's uniform. Jose Iglesias is going to win a Gold Glove someday, and it's going to be for some other team, in some other city. Is it possible to feel nostalgic for something that hasn't even happened yet?

Irate Ortiz explodes in Baltimore

Via @TheScore

Last night, David Ortiz was ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing balls and strikes, and took out his frustrations on a seemingly indestructible dugout phone.

Despite the fact that Ortiz's frustration was legitimate, his behavior was not. I'm perfectly aware that ejected players and coaches often unleash their anger on inanimate objects - but it usually happens down in the tunnel, away from the prying eyes of television cameras and eliminating the risk that a teammate might become collateral damage.

You can see Dustin Pedroia leaning away from Papi's display of rage, covering his head in an attempt to protect himself from flying shards of shattered bat. After three coaches kept Ortiz from reapproaching Timmons, Pedroia gave the irate DH a piece of his mind.

Via @TheScore

Despite some Twitter speculation of a suspension, I suspect that Papi's punishment will be limited to a fine of an undisclosed amount, and perhaps a public apology for the bad example he set for all the kids out there.

But there's another issue being overlooked in all the drama over Ortiz's outburst: Tim Timmons WAS TERRIBLE last night. There needs to be a system of accountability for MLB umpires, because Timmons' poor performance wasn't a matter of a few close missed calls, but rather a constantly fluctuating strikezone.

David Ortiz's behavior was certainly inappropriate, but Timmons umpiring job was nothing less than embarrassing.

Pedroia extension the right move

© Kayla Chadwick 2012

I could spend weeks waxing poetic about what Dustin Pedroia means to the Red Sox organization, the city of Boston, and the fans, so to say I was thrilled when I found out about his new contract extension would be an understatement for the ages.

Yes, I understand why some people have reservations about the length of the deal. One of Pedroia's greatest strengths is also one of his biggest risk factors: the man puts his body on the line every single play. Perhaps the best example of this dedication came during the very first game of the 2013 season, when Pedey dove headfirst into first base in the ninth inning - with the Red Sox already up by six runs.

He was out, which makes sense given that diving headfirst into first base nearly always slows you down much more than running through the bag, and he stood up with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. But the injury that might have sent a different player to the bench for two months of recovery was described by Pedroia as being "nicked up."

No one who pays attention to the Red Sox could claim that Pedroia isn't an injury risk: the all-in style of play fans love so much also makes us worry that any moment could bring on a season ending injury for the scrappy second baseman.

But I don't think Pedroia's value will deteriorate as quickly as some doomsayers are predicting. This is a guy whose game is based on getting on base and scoring runs by any means necessary. His career isn't built on raw speed or power, but on hard work and baseball smarts, two things that fade much more slowly than other skills.

If nothing else, Pedroia is the kind of player you want in your clubhouse, both to mentor young players coming up through the minors and to show incoming free agents how things work in Boston.

This deal is what Pedroia deserves. It's what fans want. I personally don't think I could handle seeing Dustin Pedroia come into Fenway Park wearing another team's uniform. Even if he's a shadow of his youthful self in the final season of his deal, I still want this guy in my corner in 2021.