Five Minute Musings

(1) It was almost warm enough today in Hartford [45 degrees!] for me to believe that the snow will eventually melt, spring will come, and there will be baseball in Boston again.  Is it bad that this thought made me feel almost as optimistic as I did during the inauguration?  Not in the same way, but I am SO over this whole "offseason" thing.  Especially on years like this one when the so-called "Hot Stove" is colder than January in Maine [from experience, that's freezing, literally... and to add to the metaphor, Maine in January is boring, too. But I digress...].

(2)  Rocco Baldelli is a class act, huh?  I mean, can you imagine any other player making a gesture like that?  Especially since the fans in Tampa Bay have been, shall we say, unenthusiastic [and that's charitable].  I can't wait to see him play up close next year: here's hoping his illness is the most minor of inconveniences for him.

(3)  I think I'm suffering withdrawal from the MLB Network.  Apparently, Trinity College only gets the most basic of cable packages, which I guess is understandable, but after spending my Winter Break being spoiled by 24/7 baseball coverage, I feel like there's a tangible void in my life without it.  Studying the Federalist Papers just can't fill the emptiness.

(4) I'm a big fan of the Sox Front Office using the $20 million they saved on Manny/Marky Mark to sign Paps, Youk, and Pedroia, especially the latter two.  I expect you'll get tired of hearing it, but I hold the right side of the Sox infield in the highest esteem: what's not to like?  And there's still payroll left to sign Jason Varitek, should he decide to swallow his pride and put his money where his mouth is [so to speak], with all that "loyalty" talk .

(5) I got Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample for Christmas, and in skimming through it, have to admit that it contains more insight than I initially expected.  Hample does a good job of making the book simple enough for the most casual fan, and still informative and entertaining enough to hold the attention of a diehard.  I definitely recommend it.

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!

Baldelli?

The Boston Globe is reporting speculation that former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli is close to signing with the Sox.  The Rhode Island native has undergone extensive medical testing this offseason, which led to the conclusion that Baldelli will be able to play more in the upcoming year than he has in the past.

Here's the link.  For the record, I think this [and the potential Smoltz signing] would be a great signing for the Sox.