Catching up with old friends

Sometimes when players leave the Red Sox, fans are content; for whatever reason, sometimes it's just time for them to pack up and go. Other times, we wish they could stay, even if what we get in return is incredible.  No matter how players leave town, it's always fun to see where they end up.

As you all know, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez got traded to the Dodgers last season - the laid back style of LA seems to be suiting them, at least based on this photo tweeted from the Dodgers account:

Meanwhile, out in Houston, former Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie, who was always rather more cerebral than his fellows, is making a serious hobby of photography:

Outfielder Josh Reddick, now with the Oakland A's, has reportedly accepted a beard-growing challenge from WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan: 

And perhaps most hilariously of all, Manny Ramirez is currently playing professional baseball in Taiwan, for $25,000 a month.  For comparison's sake, Ramirez made nearly six times that PER GAME in the Red Sox Championship season of 2004.

Jason Varitek Celebrity Putt Putt

As any of you who follow me on Twitter know, my friend Soni and I attended Jason Varitek's Celebrity Putt Putt on Thursday evening.  Why am I just posting about this now? MY COMPUTER IS FINALLY FIXED [also, I love Apple for extending my warranty for no extra charge!].  So I hope to close out July with a lot more entries to make up for the terrible job I've been doing so far this summer.  So, without any further ado, I present a flurry of photos from the event, with a little bit of commentary:

  

The entire event was awesome - I only wish more players had come.  Those in attendance included Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jed Lowrie, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and, of course, Varitek himself.  Tek and Salty each signed two baseballs for me (well, one was for my brother-in-law).  Autograph seekers were aided and abetted by none other than Tek's fiance, Catherine Panagiotopoulos (bet she can't wait to change that name).

I really can't say enough nice things about Catherine: she was beyond friendly to everyone crowded around, and even carted armfuls of baseballs, photos, and memorabilia from the fans to Varitek, making it her personal mission to assure that everyone who wanted an autograph received one. (She's pictured above, signing a T-shirt for a staff member, and golfing.)

Overall, I would call the event a HUGE success - Soni and I certainly had a wonderful time - and it was extremely affordable, as Sox charity events go, at just $50 per person.  Proceeds from the event went to Journey Forward, an organization looking to improve the lives of people who have suffered spinal cord injuries through participation in sports. 

I'll close this post with a sentiment from Thursday night, which I stand by still, even three days later:

And he thanked me.

Five-minute Musings (Live from Buenos Aires!)

The Red Sox won again yesterday afternoon, and slowly but surely seem to be emerging from their funk.  Though the team is just 6-11, 4.5 games behind the firs-place Yankees, they seem to be coming to life.  So since I'm sitting in class on a day when the entire country of Argentina is on holiday (again, BEST STUDENT EVER), I'll leave you with five semi-related points:

1. Clay Buchholz notched his first win of the season.  Sadly, I forgot to put him in my fantasy league starting roster for yesterday, so I didn't profit from his fortune.  I was unable to catch the beginning of the game, so by the time I tuned in Clay was out, but from what I hear he was pretty good until the sixth inning, when he loaded the bases with one out, which leads us to...

2. Daniel Bard: The Stopper.  Saves are a wildly overrated statistic.  Without Bard's brilliance in the sixth and seventh innings yesterday, Jonathan Papelbon would not have had the chance to give us all heart palpitations getting the save.  Bard came in with the go-ahead run at the plate and one out - a much more high-pressure situation than the one Jonathan Papelbon dealt with (bases empty, 3-run lead, no outs).  Bard is clearly capable of being poised under pressure, and I'm glad he's on our side.

3. Jed Lowrie is a champion.  The 27-year-old is demanding that terry Francona find a way to put him into the lineup every day, with his .462 batting average, 3 homers, and 11 RBIs in just 13 games. The beauty of Lowrie is that he can play all four infield positions (though only 19 innings in his career at first base), and so Tito can utilize him at a variety of positions to get his potent bat in the lineup.  Clearly, this crazy hot streak can't continue, but if Lowrie continues to produce better than Scutaro, something's gotta give, so stay tuned for that.

4. Despite struggles, the Red Sox CAN be successful against lefties.  Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez is a southpaw, and yet the Sox managed to score four runs off of him.  Notable lefthanded hitter David Ortiz was sitting, though part of that was the shuffling required to get red-hot Lowrie into the game (Youkilis DHed, Lowrie played at third).  However, lefties Carl Crawford, JD Drew, Adrian Gonzalez, and Jacoby Ellsbury were in the lineup, and they managed three hits and two RBIs between them. However...

5. ...Looking ahead, the Sox have a lot of right-handed opponents.  The Angels have four right-handed starters on the docket for this weekend, according to the match-ups just posted on Boston.com's extra bases Blog, and the Sox have Josh Beckett, John Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and John Lackey ready to go.  With the wealth of good left-handed batters on the Sox' roster, this weekend could be a slugfest - hopefully our pitchers can build off the success they had during the last turn through the rotation.

I see good things ahead for the Red Sox.  Sadly, I won't be watching much, as I'm still an hour ahead of Eastern Standard time, so today's and tomorrow's games won't end until after 2am for me... Hopefully Saturday and Sunday will find me watching some baseball.

The Red Sox are turning things around...

Buenos noches, amigos!  No, that's not my Jerry Remy impersonation - this blog post is coming to you from Argentina - my homestay in Buenos Aires requires that I speak exclusively Spanish, so I thought I would practice on you.

But enough about me [though I'm happy to share travel stories via Twitter, Facebook, or email if any of you are curious] - this is a Red Sox blog.  Since I was last able to post, the Red Sox have won three straight, and actually look as though they WANT to win.  So what's been the difference?  What's making everything click?

1. The renaissance of Joshua Patrick Beckett.  Coming into 2011, countless journalists, bloggers, and sportscasters (including yours truly) predcited that Beckett would be the key to the season.  If we could get the vintage Beckett circa 2007 it would mean big things, but if we got the Beckett of 2008 and 2009 it would be a long haul.  Of course, there's a lot of games left to play, but Beckett's last two starts have been downright dominating.

2. The continuation of the Daisuke Matsuzaka roller coaster.  Two starts ago Matsuzaka gave up an ungodly amount of runs, and it was the last straw for a number of commentators.  There was more than one piece online calling for Matsuzaka to be traded, even if the owners need to eat a ton of money and get only middling prospects in return.  In his last start, Daisuke was brilliant - and in the Patriots' Day spotlight, no less.  Now, if only we could be somehwta sure he could show us that level of expertise on a semi-regular basis... dare to dream.

3. Jed Lowrie is an absolute BEAST.  The man is totally raking this season, and it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.  It's easy to forget the trials of Jed Lowrie in the exciting acquisitions that came this past offseason, but the 27-year-old was a highly regarded prospect (and a former 1st round pick) for a number of years.  Then, of course, the plague struck: first it was the wrist injury, which then recurred.  Last year, the poor man was struck down by mono, and out until the end of the summer.  Now he's looking to make up for lost time... I for one have capitalized on his ambition by adding him to my fantasy roster.

Of course, there are other reasons as well - some of this is simple dumb luck, and some of it is the fact that things seem to finally be clicking.  I'm not going to analyze this any more now - the Sox are playing and I can ATUALLY WATCH THEM, so I'm going to do that - but updates should be more frequent now that I have reliable internet at my homestay.  Adios!

Off day thoughts...

Since I've last blogged, a lot has gone down in Red Sox Nation, most of it bad (I'm sorry for neglecting my duties here, but I'm on Spring Break on a beach in Africa, and internet is hard to come by). The Sox have yet to win their third game, and they currently have the worst record in baseball.  I know we all keep saying that they're too good for this, that something's gotta give eventually... but when is "eventually"? And how do we get it to come faster?

Sadly, I don't have any answers for you (other than this fantastic list of suggestions compiled by Peter Abraham over at the Boston Globe), but at this point we have no other recourse but to keep believing in this team.  We know they're better than this. THEY know they're better than this.

What needs to happen immediately, though, is for everyone to start hitting.  Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, JD Drew, David Ortiz, and, strangely enough, Jed Lowrie, are all hitting at an acceptable clip (Lowrie is leading the team at .438 in 7 games).  As for the other members of the team? They need to get their act together - soon, and preferably with runners in scoring position.

Champion.

The pitching rotation can take a lesson from Mr. Joshua Patrick Beckett on how to be a badass who beats CC Sabathia by stymieing a Yankees lineup that might be aging but is still formidable.  Jon Lester did a passable job the other night, holding the Rays to just three runs, but if the bats aren't going to get it done, three runs is too many.  Perhaps a rainout and day off will get things back in order: John Lackey will be skipped this time through the rotation, so he has extra time to get his act together while the other hurlers stay (mostly) on schedule.

They will snap out of this skid. They HAVE to snap out of this skid.  If it were possible to will a team to victory, Boston's devoted fans would make sure the Red Sox never lost a game, but we live in the real world.  The games have to be played, and the players have to prove themselves.  We're 4.5 games out of first with 151 left to play. I'd day it's definitely doable.

10 minute musings [Live from Delhi!]

A free morning for me = a blog update for you:


1. Indian cricket fans are just as crazy as Red Sox Nation. I know I said in the last post that the match I went to was poorly attended - and it was. However, it was the West Indies playing the Netherlands, in Delhi, so it wasn't surprising that there weren't too many Dutch or West Indian fans in attendance... it's sort of a long trip from Europe or the Caribbean. There were lots of India fans there, chanting "IN-DIA! IN-DIA!" and it sort of reminded me of Red Sox fans chanting "Yankees suck!" while we're playing the Blue Jays.

2. I'm very heartened by David Ortiz's spring thus far. I know it's silly to count spring performances as indicators of what's to come, since many players have torn up Spring Training only to flop over the course of the season, and vice versa. But it still seems like a good sign that he's swinging the bat well, especially given how lost he looked in the opening months of 2009 and 2010. Here's hoping we skip the struggle this year - though if Papi falters, we have a few more big bats to fall back on.

3. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez seem to be adjusting well. Though it's possible that Crawford is still creeped out by the whole private investigator/due diligence/much ado about nothing fiasco of a few weeks back, he seems to be at home with the rest of his teammates thus far. Quick to assure the media that no, he and Jacoby Ellsbury are NOT in competition, that they'll be great TOGETHER, Crawford is a team player (who wouldn't bet against himself in a footrace). Gonzalez is ahead of his schedule for recovery after last season's shoulder surgery, but in his case I think no news is good news... I can't wait to see them both in a game.

4. The Lester-Buchholz show is back - hopefully with some more reinforcements. Jon Lester is giving a strong showing so far this spring, and Clay Buchholz is determined to replicate (or surpass) his last season's results. Besides the little hiccup when Josh Beckett got nailed in the head shagging fly balls, the pitching staff looks to be gearing up for a strong season. They have a lot to prove after last year's poor performances - and they know it. Here's hoping they're up to the challenge.

5. I very much admire Jed Lowrie. This is a bit off-topic, since it's hardly baseball-related, but Lowrie is doggedly completing the last few requirements for his degree in political science from Stanford. Lowrie left in 2005 to play baseball, and though it would be easy to decide that he could go back when his playing career is over, he's opting to get it done now, even as he's fighting for playing time in a camp full of All-Stars. Full disclosure: one of my majors is poli-sci, so I have a soft spot for fellow students of politics.

6. I don't buy the whole "Yankees are the underdogs" thing. No, the Yankees did not have the high-profile acquisitions that the Sox did this offseason, but they are NEVER the underdogs. All you need to do is read their lineup to understand that, and though they are most definitely getting old, they are also a roster full of superstars. Add to that the ever-present potential for Brian Cashman to go out and make a big splash with Yankee dollars and prospects, and I'll most definitely be keeping an eye on the Bronx Bombers this season (hopefully in the rear-view mirror).

7. The kids are alright. Okay, so I didn't much like that movie, but the Sox prospects are performing well this spring. Though Lars Anderson is most likely trade bait, and Felix Doubront is destined for the bullpen for the time being, I'm always excited to see some young kids do well. Jose Iglesias is making me long for 2012 despite the enormous potential for this season's squad. According to more than a few people, he has the potential to be a star AND the solution to the revolving door at shortstop.

8. I'm [more than] slightly concerned about Daisuke Matsuzaka. Hardly groundbreaking news, but Matsuzaka's spring has been less than inspiring, and he's as much of an enigma as ever. Luckily, no one is counting on him to be anything more than a serviceable fifth starter - hopefully he can live up to that, at least.

9. No news is good news on Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. I was always a believer in the Sox last season, but when Pedey and Youk were officially down for the count I started to lose hope. Both are back for 2011 with no limitations, and we haven't heard much from them, which to me must mean that they are going to be A-OK - hopefully that's the case.

10. I'm both excited for and dreading April 1st. I'm going to be in Dakar, Senegal when the Red Sox open up their season against the Texas Rangers, and internet there is a great unknown. If I have a fast, reliable connection (and time - unlikely, but I'll try to make some) I'm going to buy MLB.tv and try to watch as many games as possible. If not, I'll be reliant on sporadic emails and access to internet cafes. Here's hoping it's the former!

[All factual info in this post was gathered from boston.com - fantastic coverge, especially for a baseball-starved student stranded in Delhi, India.]

2011 Bill James Projections - Red Sox Lineup

I know, I know, this is what you've all been waiting for - and I have kept you waiting. In my defense, had I done this any sooner, I wouldn't have been able to include Adrian Gonzalez or Carl Crawford, and their presence certainly changes things in a big way. Two weeks ago, I presented the Bill James projections for the rotation (58-48 from the front five), and it's high time I did the same for the lineup. Keep in mind, this batting order is just my guess - I'm sure it will change based on who the other team has pitching, who needs rest, and how everyone is doing, so take it with a grain of salt.

CENTER FIELD: Jacoby Ellsbury: 2010: 18 games, .192 BA, .241 OBP, .244 SLG, 0 HR, 5 RBI
2011 projection: 157 games, .300 BA, .355 OBP, .409 SLG, 8 HR, 58 RBI

If Goldenboy lives up to these numbers, I promise to stop calling him D-Ellsbury, and maybe even become a fan. In all seriousness, you could ask for more form a leadoff hitter, but it would be pretty demanding. I could definitely live with this line from Ells.

SECOND BASE:Dustin Pedroia: 2010: 75 games, .288 BA, .367 OBP, .493 SLG, 12 HR, 41 RBI
2011 projection: 158 games, .297 BA, .372 OBP, .462 SLG, 17 HR, 77 RBI

Hubby is expected to be back to his old voracious, impressive, and loudmouth self in 2011, after a season that was a wash due to injury. Pedey hits best when he's batting second, and he seems to like it, so I expect Tito to keep him there.
LEFT FIELD:Carl Crawford: 2010: 154 games, .307 BA, .356 OBP, .495 SLG, 19 HR, 90 RBI
2011 projection: 149 games, .300 BA, .350 OBP, .453 SLG, 14 HR, 93 RBI

Let's deal with the elephant in the room first: is Crawford worth $20+ million a year? Probably not, but I'm thrilled he's coming to Boston at any cost. I REALLY wish he was willing to bat leadoff, but apparently he hates it, and Tito's not one to go against a player's wishes, but he'll definitely be somewhere near the top. His numbers might be slightly better at Fenway than the Trop, but the difference won't be anything crazy.

THIRD BASE:Kevin Youkilis: 2010: 102 games, .307 BA, .411 OBP, .564 SLG, 19 HR, 62 RBI
2011 projection: 151 games, .294 BA, .398 OBP, .507 SLG, 25 HR, 95 RBI

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Kevin Youkilis is under-appreciated by this fanbase - and that's hard to do. He's wildly consistent, and his willingness and ability to slide across the diamond to third base next year is huge.
FIRST BASE:Adrian Gonzalez: 2010: 160 games, .298 BA, .393 OBP, .511 SLG, 31 HR, 101 RBI
2011 projection: 161 games, .285 BA, .378 OBP, .512 SLG, 33 HR, 102 RBI

Keep in mind that Gonzo's numbers are likely to improve due to the Fenway effect. He spent last season playing in Petco Park, where doubles go to die, but even if we only (ONLY!) get the numbers predicted by James, I'll be happy.

DESIGNATED HITTER:David Ortiz: 2010: 145 games, .270 BA, .370 OBP, .529 SLG, 32 HR, 102 RBI
2011 projection: 151 games, .261 BA, .366 OBP, .509 SLG, 33 HR, 112 RBI

Expect the usual from Papi: he'll struggle mightily in April, and then find his stroke sometime in May, just as the howling about his $12.5 million salary reaches fever pitch. In the end, he'll produce what we've come to expect from him, which isn't too shabby when you really look at it.

RIGHT FIELD: JD Drew: 2010: 139 games, .255 BA, .341 OBP, .452 SLG, 22 HR, 68 RBI
2011 projection: 145 games, .263 BA, .370 OBP, .460 SLG, 22 HR, 77 RBI

Mike Cameron: 2010: 48 games, .259 BA, .328 OBP, .401 SLG, 4 HR, 15 RBI
2011 projection: 121 games, .239 BA, .327 OBP, .425 SLG, 18 HR, 58 RBI

Because the outfield is so lefty-heavy, I expect Cameron to get more than enough playing time. I'm coupling him with Drew for the purpose of these projections simply because Drew tends to miss significant time with injuries each year. On the other hand, it is a contract year for Drew, so maybe he'll surprise us.
SHORTSTOP:Marco Scutaro: 2010: 150 games, .275 BA, .333 OBP, .388 SLG, 11 HR, 56 RBI
2011 projection: 153 games, .266 BA, .339 OBP, .374 SLG, 10 HR, 60 RBI
Jed Lowrie: 2010: 55 games, .287 BA, .381 OBP, .526 SLG, 9 HR, 24 RBI
2011 projection: 144 games, .270 BA, .361 OBP, .467 SLG, 17 HR, 75 RBI

Either James is predicting that Lowrie will be a utility guy and get a lot of games at other positions, or he's guessing one of these two will be traded. Either way, both players have respectable lines - though Lowrie's are a bit better across the board. If Lowrie can manage to keep himself healthy (I know that's a big "if" given the history) he'll probably play more, but let's face it: they're both just place-holders until Jose Iglesias is ready.
CATCHER:Jason Varitek: 2010: 39 games, .232 BA, .293 OBP, .473 SLG, 7 HR, 16 RBI
2011 projection: 72 games, .228 BA, .324 OBP, .386 SLG, 33 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia:
2010: 12 games, .167 BA, .333 OBP, .292 SLG, 0 HR, 2 RBI
2011 projection: 110 games, .249 BA, .323 OBP, .422 SLG, 12 HR, 43 RBI

Not the best thing you've ever seen, but if Salty can come into his own defensively while Tek shows him the ropes, I think we can deal with this line. One more note: Salty hits righthanders better, while Tek is pretty good against lefties - I think that's what we'll see.


The very fact that I can plausibly design a lineup that has David Ortiz hitting sixth and JD Drew seventh makes me very excited. I'm sure Tito will figure things out, and his lineup will be fantastic - if we can just keep healthy (PLEASE?!?) this should be a fantastic team to watch.

The fan gets what the fan wants...

While watching the intro to the ESPY's (hey, it's an off-day), host Samuel L. Jackson said something intriguing, namely, "This is all about the fans. The fan gets what the fan wants." How often do we hear owners/managers/athletes say something to that effect, and how often does it actually happen? Of course, Jackson is talking about the winners in his awards show, which are actually voted on by fans, but even within the ESPY's, if the fans got what they truly wanted, there would be more highlights and fewer commercials. Of course, there's no way that every fan could physically get what they want, as everyone has their own opinions about what would make their team better. Below are the events that would take place if the sports world oriented itself around THIS fan's fancy (most are Red Sox related - there's a shocker!).

• JP Ricciardi decides that what he really needs to do is trade Roy Halladay and Marco Scutaro to Boston for Julio Lugo and a packet of grape flavored Big League Chew. Merci!
• Brian Cashman decides that instead of overpaying for yet another free agent, he'll donate the money to a small yet overwhelmingly deserving charity. The Yankees fall out of first place when CC Sabathia eats himself into a coma at one of New York's fine restaurants.
• Ticket prices at Fenway Park suddenly find themselves within the realm of possibility for a college student with a limited income. Trinity College consequently decides that Major League Baseball games qualify as excused absences.
• Dustin Pedroia realizes his love for me. We live happily ever after.
• NESN releases the footage of the beatings Josh Beckett handed down to the Sox offense following the epic FAIL on Tuesday night. Special attention is given to the post-game swirly awarded to Lowrie, and the atomic wedgie suffered by JD "I don't care that my underwear is up my ass" Drew.
• Heidi Watney gets a clue, or, failing that, NESN hires someone with tact and passion to do her job.
  
• Jacoby Ellsbury learns to take a walk, and produces in the leadoff spot. Actually, I won't even wish for that. It's impossible.

Feel free to add your wildest sports wishes in the comments!

The Pedroia Effect

The New York Times has an interesting piece today about the shrinking waistlines of Major League players.  The piece cites such players as Ryan Howard (Phillies), Brian Bruney (Yankees), and Marlon Anderson (Mets) as having lost weight during the offseason in the hopes that it will allow them to be fleet of foot and injury free.

Interestingly enough, most Red Sox players looking to tweak their physique looked to gain weight over the winter (Julio Lugo, Jacoby Ellsbury), and only Big Papi looks significantly slimmer.  This is probably a reflection of the relative youth of the team, as most players (and men in general) in their twenties aren't keeping close tabs on their waistlines.  However, the Sox had a significant number of players work out at API this offseason (Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Kevin Youkilis) and more than a few worked on adding muscle, while not tampering much with their weight (and as we all know, the media guide isn't exactly factual: Pedroia might weigh 180 in his uniform and spikes, soaking wet... maybe).

I just thought I would cite this article as the phenomenon of shrinking ballplayers is being referred to as the Pedroia Effect by writer Greg Lalas, as players saw his remarkable success as a smaller-than-average MVP and perhaps decided to take a leaf out of his book.

Around the Horn: Jacoby Ellsbury

For all of the female fans who cite Ellsbury as their favorite player because "he's, like, so dreamy," there are those of us who rank him somewhat lower, mostly for his inability to hit inside fastballs.  Seriously.  As petty as it seems, I admit to judging young women who call themselves fans and can only name one player on the entire team, and then often don't even know that he plays center field [and occasionally the other outfield positions].  Sorry... just had to get that pet peeve out there...

Anyway, in spite of Ellsbury's aforementioned problems with pitches in tight, I think his sophomore season will be an improvement over the 2008 campaign.  He has been working out at API with teammates Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Jed Lowrie, which means that at the very least he'll show up in twenty-six days [TWENTY-SIX DAYS!!!!] in great shape.  He has also said in interviews that he has been doing more baseball-specific training then he has in the past [hopefully this translates to spending the majority of each day in the cage].  Ellsbury's defense, while not normally as lauded as Coco Crisp's, has been very impressive thus far.  The man has yet to make an error in the major leagues, and has made some highlight reel catches, my personal favorite being that September game in Toronto when he made the catch and ran into the bullpen fence, knocking out his contact lens and delaying the game for several minutes [photo at top].

Despite flinging himself all over the field with such reckless abandon, Ellsbury played in more games [145] than anyone on the team except Pedroia [157] and Youk [145].  That said, Ellsbury's batting stats leave something to be desired: the .280 BA is respectable, but the OBP of .336 is lower than expected, as was the OPS of 87.  It was easy to forget that Ellsbury was a rookie in 2008, since he was such a big part of Boston's playoff success in 2007, hitting .438 in the World Series.

The most exciting thing about the young outfielder is, of course, his speed.  Ellsbury led the American League in stolen bases in 2008, with fifty, six more than BJ Upton, who came in second.  Just think what Ellsbury could do of he raised his OBP just 30 points [a reachable goal].  One of the most dynamic young outfielders in the game, Ellsbury looks to be entertaining the Fenway Faithful for the near future.

Five Minute Musings

(1) I LOVE the new MLB Network. Happy birthday to me, they've been showing the 2007 World Series all day. I also immensely enjoy the ads for their lineup of shows, especially the one for Prime 9. About halfway through the promo, they show a clip of Dustin Pedroia being caught stealing: as he dives into second base you see him mouth, "Safe," the umpire signals "out," and Pedroia yells "NO!" Keep in mind, that would have been the only time all year he was caught [20-for-21]. As discussed in this space before, failure is a foreign concept for #15. I am SO looking forward to watching him in a Sox uniform for the foreseeable future.

(2) While watching the aforementioned programming on the MLB Network [Game 2, to be exact], I noticed that Jason Varitek was inadvertently showing the fans what we would be getting for all of 2008. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning, grounded out weakly several times, and just all around choked in the clutch. Though Varitek's hitting game is clearly on the decline, I would not be altogether opposed to him returning for a year with an incentive-laden contract, especially if the Sox could acquire a young catcher to be his protege [Saltalamacchia from the Rangers, or Montero form the Diamondbacks].

(3) I can't wait to watch coverage of the World Baseball Classic. Unofficially, Sox players that will be participating include Daisuke Matsuzaka [Japan], Jason Bay [Canada], David Ortiz [the Dominican Republic], and Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis [United States]. Five players representing four different countries - how many MLB teams can make that claim? Also, five players is fewer [and therefore better] than the seven to nine that Terry Francona was estimating would participate. In case you forgot, Matsuzaka was the MVP of the inaugural Classic: hopefully he is more careful this time, yet just as effective.





(4) I couldn't be happier about Kevin Youkilis' new contract. The right side of the Red Sox infield is arguably now younger, cheaper, and more productive than any other Major League team. Youkilis and Pedroia are premier players at their positions. They have each won a Gold Glove, and finished in the top 3 of the MVP voting this year. Not to mention the fact that they are both home grown players. As Youkilis said during his press conference, the Sox minor league system was, until recently, decidedly underwhelming. Now, an impact player comes up just about every year. In 2006 Papelbon made a sensation of himself, in 2007 it was Pedroia and Ellsbury who tore up the postseason, and this year Jed Lowrie came up to replace the injured Julio Lugo and was a definite upgrade, despite a broken bone in his wrist. I could get used to this.

(5) Nick Cafardo has an interesting thought in his Boston Globe Baseball Notes column today. "This off season, the Yankees went wild with the signings of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett. Sabathia's postseason history is poor - 2-3. 7.92 ERA." This is potentially because he practically carries his team all season: in 2007, he pitched for 240 innings; this year, he pitched 253. If he has to shoulder that kind of load again, it might spell trouble for New York, but with A.J. Burnett's injury history, such an occurrence would not be out of the question. On a related note, it might be prudent for the Sox to limit Jon Lester's innings this season after he played for a career high 210 last year.

Around the Horn: Jed Lowrie

I'm just assuming that Mr. Lowrie is the heir presumptive to the revolving door that is the starting shortstop job in Boston. Who knows, Julio Lugo might show up to Spring Training having worked his butt off and win back the position, but I'm going to put that possibility in the "distinct long shot" category, at least for now.

What do any of us know about Jed Lowrie, really? Did you know, for instance, that his middle name is Carlson? Or that he hits more than a hundred points better at night (.288) than during the day (.184)? I think we can safely blame that last one on small sample size, but Lowrie just might be the biggest mystery in the Sox infield [beyond "Will Mike Lowell be 100%?"]. However, Mike Lowell's health affects his level of productivity, whereas we have yet to discover the potential ceiling for Lowrie. He had a broken bone in one of his hands down the stretch last season: was that part of the reason that his average versus left handed pitching was significantly worse than against right handed pitching, or is it more of an inherent weakness?

In 2007, while in the minor leagues [Pawtucket and Portland], Lowrie hit .250 against lefties, and .277 against righties: a difference, yes, but in this larger sample, it seems he hits better left handed than right handed, giving credence to the theory that his injured hand affected his hitting. If this is the case, Lowrie might even prove to be impressive, not simply an acceptable replacement for the injured Lugo.

And all of a sudden, the bench looks pretty good...

In the last week, the presumptive bench has improved enormously. Just for the sake of this post, I'm going to assume that Julio Lugo will be the utility infielder. This gives us a bench of Lugo, Rocco Baldelli (OF), Mark Kotsay - remember him? - (OF/1B), and a backup catcher, presumably Josh Bard.

As a starter, Julio Lugo was average at best, and excruciating at worst. In the 81 games he played at shortstop in 2008, Lugo committed sixteen errors, but at times, it felt like sixty.

http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Headline_Archives/BDD_JL_ny_4.27.07_bgjd.jpg

However, I'm alright with the prospect of him as a bench player. Say, for instance, that Mike
Lowell needs a day of rest at the beginning of the season (well within the realm of possibility). Jed Lowrie shifts to third base, and Lugo plays short. Or, if you don't like that, Lowrie keeps Lowell company on the bench, Lugo plays short, Youk slides to third, and Kotsay fills in at first.

The versatility that Kotsay demonstrated at the end of last year is a great boon to the Sox. Say JD Drew needs an epidural (crazy, right?). So far, it's unknown how much Baldelli will be able to play at a time. However, because Kotsay is an above-average outfielder who can play center, Baldelli's health is less of a problem. Keep in mind that Theo would not have signed Baldelli if his health was as bad as has been speculated.

Only one month and five days until pitchers and catchers!