Drew Rumored to be Heading to Mets

Scot Boras & Stephen Drew still want a 4 year deal. The Mets are interested, but only if the asking price comes down. That's the stalemate on Stephen Drew. It's now a game of who blinks first. No big market out there for Stephen Drew as most teams have their shortstops in place for the coming year. If demands come down, Drew still has a possibility of re-signing with Boston, a team he rejected a $14.1 million deal with for one year. Not so smart on this one, Boras. Where are those multiple offers you mentioned at the winter meetings? Liar, liar, pants on fire!

What A Year!

Sports in New England were alive & well in 2013. The Patriots made it to the playoffs, but fell to the Baltimore Ravens in January. Not to be denied, & after suffering many injuries & a murder rap to Aaron Hernandez, the Pats finish this year 12-4 & they get ready for another playoff run in 2014. The Celtics saw the departures of Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce & Kevin Garnett as they rebuild for the future. The Bruins made another Stanley Cup run, only to be defeated in game 6 by a determined Chicago Blackhawks team. And we know the magical season of the 2013 Boston Red Sox, a team driven to the championship by the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings. No other city has as many competitive sports teams as those in the Boston area. It was a great 2013. Happy New Years! Get ready for a great 2014.

I Take Exception, Felger!

I guess you can tune into a number of talk shows & hear an opinion pro or con expressed on any topic. After all, in this electronic age, the norm is to share our lives & inner thoughts with everyone through pictures, Facebook, Twitter, etc. And I'm no different as I express my opinion about a game I love - baseball - & a team I love - the Boston Red Sox. Last night I'm flipping through the channels during an intermission of the Eagles-Cowboys game. I hear Michael Felger say that baseball is no longer "the" sport in Boston because Red Sox fans didn't riot when Jacoby Ellsbury signed with the Yankees. Really? Is that your criteria for judging the passion of Red Sox fans? I found that to be a stupid & uneducated statement, but Felger is entitled to his opinion because he has many gigs on TV. And he likes to be a contrarian who makes statements with no facts, just his personal judgments. No one is rioting, Felger, because we all knew this day was coming for over a year. The Yankees overpaid big time for too long a contract that the Red Sox were never going to match. No shock here, more that the long expected departure of Ellsbury happened. Don't worry, though. Ells will get booed mercilessly when he returns to Fenway, just like Johnny Damon. But don't say Red Sox fans don't care or have no passion. Baseball is alive & well in Beantown. That's my opinion.

Pats Run Blount to Victory

LeGarrette Blount had a game that no one will soon forget. Round numbers - 150 yards rushing, 150 yards in kickoff returns, 300 all-purpose yards, 2 TD's. Blount was a one-man wrecking crew on the defense of the Buffalo Bills. Pats defeat Bills 34-20 to lock up the #2 seed & a much-needed & well-deserved bye next week. Pouring rain all day limited the pass attack, so the 3-headed monster of Blount, Ridley & Vereen took the ball & ran with it the great majority of offensive possessions. The Bills offense shot themselves in the foot most of the day. A missed 4th & 1 by the Bills was a turning point in the game. Patriots finish 12-4 during a season after suffering major injuries to Wilfork, Mayo, Gronk, Smith & others. It was a nice job of younger guys stepping in & stepping up to give their best effort this year, more times than not resulting in a win. Nice job by Belichick & Brady to adapt & adjust to different personnel, almost on a week-to-week basis. Whether they go far or not in the playoffs, the Pats have overachieved enough for me this year. Teams like the Giants, Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, Bears & Texans couldn't repeat a trip to the playoffs. We are spoiled here in New England. Don't count the Pats out, though.

NFL Playoff Spots On Line

The NFL has once again achieved it goal of having 13 out of 16 games in the final week count for something. This is a league where a number of 8-7 & 7-8 teams still have a chance to make it to the playoffs. Parity rules. There are no super teams with records of 14-1 or 15-0. So, having said that, don't the New England Patriots have as good a chance to be Super Bowl Champs as any other team? Sure they do! Today's game at home against Buffalo is a needed win for a bye in the 1st round. Many other teams are jockeying for playoff position or just trying to get into the playoffs period. There are 4 games on TV today, so get your popcorn bowl out & enjoy the final week of the regular season. The NFL wins its ratings game again.

Yankees Waste No Time

The New York Yankees have already contacted the agent for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Reportedly, Tanaka is looking for a minimum of $17 million per year & at least 6 years. Do the math & that's over $100 million for a guy who has never thrown a pitch in the majors. Big risk. Maybe a big reward for the 25 year old who "experts" predict could be a #1 or #2 starter. Good luck, Hal! Haven't you learned that throwing money at a problem doesn't cure it? Your dad is rolling in his grave. Didn't these same "experts" pick the Red Sox to finish last too?

Post-Christmas Shopping for Tanaka

Get your wallets out. All it takes is $20,000,000 for a posting fee to put in a bid on Masahiro Tanaka. Which teams have money left? Supposedly, the Dodgers, Cubs & our Red Sox are all interested in the Japanese phenom who went 24-0 last year. Didn't we learn our lesson with Dice-K? And don't we have tons of young pitchers along with 6 starters under contract for 2014? I just can't see the Red Sox being truly interested, other than driving the price up on Tanaka for a team like the Yankees. Let another team take the risk.

Pats Host Buffalo

There are no easy games in the NFL this year. The motto of "any given Sunday" certainly applies after the Pats stomped the Ravens in Baltimore last Sunday. So no one should think that this week's finale against the Bills will be a cake walk. It all comes down to the "D" in my book. If the Pats D plays like last Sunday, there is no reason to think that New England can't beat any team. But we have seen games where the defense become very porous against the run & they give up big chunks of yards in the secondary. Which defense shows up on Sunday? Your guess is as good as mine. Regardless of the outcome of the rest of the season & playoffs, the Patriots have overachieved this year - just like the team on Causeway Street did. Maybe the outcome will end the same way, maybe not.

Pats Crush Ravens 41-7

I was wrong. Freddy Smerlas was right. The Patriots proved a lot of naysayers wrong with a dominant performance on the road against the Super Bowl champs Baltimore Ravens, handing them their worst defeat at home ever. It was an excellent game by New England on all sides of the ball from start to finish. It reminded me of Lackey beating Verlander in game 3. No matter how undermanned this team is, the moral of the story is don't count them out. Even Belichick gave his team high praise in his usually dull post-game press conference. Good in all 3 facets of the game. 2 TD's late by the defense. Total domination. Terrell Suggs, see you later! I had to laugh when Brady went down & Suggs just touched him, then Suggs went on a personal rah-rah even though his team was down 20-0. No "I" in team. I also thought that Jacoby Jones trying to run a kick out of the end zone with no chance of reaching the 20 yard line was so shellfish. He got tackled on the 2, but lucky for him his foot was out of bounce when he caught it. Obviously, Jones wanted to get his yards & screw the team by taking time off the clock. Very selfish. Baltimore laid an egg in front of their hometown fans. It may cost them a spot in the playoffs. Any yes, this was the biggest win of the year for the New England Patriots. T-E-A-M wins!

Sox Signings To Date

A.J. Pierzinski. Brad Badenhop. Edward Mujica. Jonathan Herrara. Mike Napoli. Ben has signed the guys that he needed to. Starting the season with the team as composed now would be OK. Projected lineup is Victorino RF, Pedroia 2B, Ortiz DH, Napoli 1B, Nava/Gomes LF, Bogaerts SS, Pierzinski C, Middlebrooks 3B, Bradley CF. Plenty of starting pitchers, in fact too many. Bullpen starting backwards is Uehara, Tazawa, Breslow, Mujica, Workman, Miller & Badenhop. On the bench is Herrara, Ross, Gomes/Nava, Carp. Not a bad club to start the season. And think of the top prospects perculating through Portland & Pawtucket. At the trading deadline the Sox can evaluate if they need a more veteran presence to backup Bradley & Bogaerts or any other position. Every deal doesn't have to be made before spring training.

Choo to Rangers for $130 Mil

Shin Soo Choo cashed in, just not as big as Jacoby Ellsbury. Choo goes to the Texas Rangers for 7 years, $130 million. Texas has now acquired to big lefty bats in Choo & Fielder. With Seattle making a move to contend with the signing of Cano Texas doesn't want to be left behind. The A's will be strong again next year & the Angels are acquiring pitching to go along with underperforming sluggers Pujols & Hamilton. The AL West will be an interesting race next year.

Pats Are Underdogs

Even the home grown team of New England football media are not predicting a Patriots win in Baltimore on Sunday. Only Freddy Smerlas is still waiving the Pats flag. Can you blame them? Baltimore is playing well over the past several weeks. The Pats keep losing more players & it finally caught up to them in Miami last weekend where they had to settle for red zone field goals versus TD's. And the Pats are 3-4 on the road this year where weird last-minute plays or calls or non-calls have effected the final outcome. Most think it will be a close game decided in the final 5 minutes. My crystal ball says that the Pats need to create turnovers on defense & special teams or I think the Ravens win this game handily. The Pats have a banged up "O" line & no Gronk in the red zone. And the defense gives up too many run & pass yards. If the Patriots can keep the game close, I think that will be a spectacular effort. But, sorry Freddy, I don't see how the beat-up Pats can pull out a win on the road this week.

Youk to Play in Japan

He gets hit by a lot of pitches. He plays hard & sacrifices his body. Over the past few major league seasons Kevin Youkilis has tried to catch on with the White Sox & Yankees. Neither has worked out well due to injuries. Youk played just 28 games for the pinstripes last year before undergoing back surgery that kept him out the rest of the year. Now the 30-something 1B/3B is taking his game to Japan in an effort to resurrect his career. Good luck, Youk! The mind may be willing, but the body may be saying "no mas." It may just be time to stay at home with Tom Brady's sister.

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa: Christmas came early this year when the Red Sox won the World Series in October. It was a perfect ending to an unbelievable story that began in April with the Boston Marathon bombings. What a wonderful outcome for a city that needed a team to cheer for! And it was all the more a miracle as the baseball experts had picked the Beantown bearded brothers to finish near last in their division. Not everything in sports is stats & sabermetrics. I remember a speech by Mike Eruzione, captain of the Miracle on Ice US Olympic hockey team, saying that no one can measure your heart, no one can measure your work ethic. And the 2013 Red Sox proved everyone wrong with their heart & effort leading to many exciting wins in their last at-bat. Sometimes there are forces at work that are bigger than the sport. This was one of those times. We won in 2004 to break the 86-year curse for past generations. We won in 2007 for the new generation of Red Sox fans. And we won in 2013 for a city & a country that did not give in to terror. As Big Papi so aptly said, this is our bleeping city & no one takes away our freedom. Thanks, Santa, for bringing us the gift of a such a meaningful championship. I will remember 2013 for a long, long time.

Sox Trade Morales for Utility Man

Franklin Morales had a few good moments in a Red Sox uniform. However, his time has now past & Morales returns to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for utility man Jonathan Herrara. Herrara is 29, makes less than $500,000 & can play all 3 infield positions. A switch hitter, Herrara has averaged .265 at the plate over 4+ seasons in the big leagues. A good, low-cost acquisition for 2 years for Ben until Herrara becomes a free agent. This gives prospects Cecchini & Betts more time to mature in the minors. It also may signal the end of a courtship with Scot Boras over the possibility of bringing back Stephen Drew. Hey Scot, go ahead & sign one of those several other deals you have for Drew.

Sox Top Prospects

The list of the top-ranked Red Sox prospects has appeared in several publications. In case you didn't see it, the top 10 are: SS Xander Bogaerts, LHP Henry Owens, OF Jackie Bradley, Jr., RHP Allen Webster, C Blake Swihart, 3B Garin Cecchini, 2B Mookie Betts, RHP Brandon Workman, RHP Matt Barnes, LHP Trey Bell. Throw in RHP Anthony Renaudo, SS Deven Marrero & C Cristian Vazquez for good measure. We saw Bogaerts last year & I don't really consider him a prospect anymore. I think of X man as a member of the 25 man roster going into 2014. Same with Brandon Workman. He showed enough in the 2nd half & in the playoffs to earn a spot in the bullpen or as an emergency starter. We saw JBJ as well & he performed on average for his first shot at the big leagues. His offense will improve the 2nd time around &, unless Ben has another move up his sleeve, JBJ will be a regular in CF in place of Ells. If the Sox do not re-sign Stephen Drew, I would use Cecchini or Betts as the utility man. Lots of good young talent perculating through the system. It may be a year where 50 different guys get a shot at one time or another to give some veterans a break in mid-season. Instead of filling holes with overpriced free agents like the Yankees, we have hungry young talent waiting to make their mark. I like it!

Yankees Sign Roberts, Thornton

How hard up are the New York Yankees? They sign ex-Red Sox LHP Matt Thornton as a knee-jerk reaction to losing Daniel Boone Logan. Thornton was let go by the White Sox in a trade with the Red Sox since he was underperforming. Thornton also underperformed with the Red Sox & he was left of the post-season roster. The Yankees give Thornton a 2-year (not 1) deal worth $7 million. How stupid! And then they sign former O's 2B Dave Roberts to a 1-year deal. Roberts has played a total of 50 games in the last 4 years due to injury. It looks like the Yankees are running scared with the losses of Cano, Granderson, Rivera, Pettitte, possibly A-Roid & who knows about injuries to Jeter, Sabathia & a tired Kuroda. McCann & Ellsbury better have MVP-type years for the Yankees to go anywhere near .500.

Boone Logan Cashes In

3-years, $15+ mil for an end of the game lefty specialist who is not a closer. What are you thinking, Colorado? Even closers don't make that much. Example, Koji is getting $4 mil next year. And no one was better than him last year. I'm glad that the Red Sox did not pay these exorbident salaries for mediocre talent & extended years. I'm glad to see Boone Logan out of pinstripes & it's a good deal for him. It's the Rockies that I wonder about. Who's making those decisions?

No Magic This Week

Gostkowski had a very unusually bad game. The defense couldn't stop the fish on their last drive. And Brady had no Gronk in the red zone. Still, it went down to the last play of the game - recurring theme on the road this year - before the Pats fell to Miami 24-20. Nice games by Edelman & Amendola. But this is the new reality for the New England Patriots. You can't miss field goals or kick the ball out of bounce. You can't let the other team stay on the field when it's 3rd & 17. The tipping point has been reached & the Pats cannot be considered a favorite any longer. No disrespect for the effort, just not enough playmakers in uniform.

Pats Face Big Challenge in Miami

Can the Gronk-less Pats score in the first half? Can the Pats porous defense stop Ryan Tannehill? Can the O line protect #12? Lots of questions. Lots of replacement players in action today. One thing you can count on is that any player in a Pats uniform will give their best effort for Bill Belichick & their fellow teammates. Blue collar, lunch pail - whatever you call it, this team has made it difficult for opponents to beat them after 60 minutes of play. And today's game should be no different. Guys like Stevan Ridley, Julien Edelman, Brandon Bolden, et al will have to step it up to give Brady options now that Gronk is out for the year. And the defense needs to figure out a way to limit points. Given the Peyton Manning & Denver loss on Thursday, this is a big game for the Patriots to take over the #1 seed & clinch the AFC East. I say they do it 20-17.

Extra Year for Big Papi?

It's Christmas. And besides Mike Napoli the Sox have no up & coming power hitters to replace David Ortiz. Big Papi must have been drinking from the fountain of youth last year to put together his great offensive barrage. The big guy continued his offensive attack into the playoffs, culminating with his MVP performance in the World Series. (We all know that Jon Lester was the real MVP.) Ortiz' agent is working on a 1-year extension that would end his career in Boston at age 39 after the 2015 season. The Red Sox took a lot of flack for signing Ortiz to his current contract after he sustained an Achilles injury. But he proved the critics wrong, very wrong in 2013. If the Sox extend #34, Ortiz & Napoli will both be free agents after the 2015 season. By then perhaps Middlebrooks & Bogaerts may be flexing power bats or prospect Bryce Brentz may have made an impact in the big league. Look at Raul Ibanez DH-ing at 41. Edgar Martinez played into his 40's. Unless there is a better plan B, I'd stay with Ortiz until he can't produce anymore.

"The Beard" Officially Back

It's official. Mike Napoli passed his physical & he is now a member of the Red Sox for the next 2 seasons. All's well than end's well since Nap earns an extra $6 million from his original 3-year deal. His first deal with the Sox of $39 mil was cut short when a hip injury surfaced. But after showing no signs of wear & tear in 2013 Napoli get the extra 2 years back with a $6 mil advantage. Good for him. Good for the Sox. I will never forget his homer off Justin Verlander in game 3 of the ALCS in support of John Lackey's 1-0 victory. That homer changed the entire series. Nap is a fan favorite already as he turned down longer deals & more money to stay in Boston. How does that Dirty Water song go? "Boston you're my home!"

Joba to Tigers

Joba the Hut gets a new life in Detroit with the Tigers. The prodigal reliever has ended his tenure in Gotham after declining performances & injury over the past few seasons. Once an end-of-the-game specialist Chamberlain was known to Red Sox fans for hitting & head-hunting Kevin Youkilis early & often. Joba had off the field issues & he seemed to have trouble controlling his weight. Good riddance from our perspective. Don't let the door hit you in your big behind!

Boras on Drew

Scot Boras doesn't utter too many truthful words when speaking to reporters about Stephen Drew. "He is fielding multiple offers." As Peter Gammons said, the offers may be smaller than bread box. Most teams are set at shortstop. Anyone who signs Drew must give the Red Sox a compensation pick. And Drew turned down $14.1 million for 1 year to return to the Sox. Nice advice, Boras! I hope the Drew situation forces you to go back to the Red Sox hat in hand. It's about time the Sox screw you instead of the other way around.

Hart, Morrison to Seattle

Seattle has now added Hart & Morrison to go along with the big signing of Robinson Cano. I guess that the Mariners want to fill Safeco Field this year & actually put a competitive team on the field. They will surely hit the ball. Hart got a 1-year deal. I thought that Ben might try him on a similar deal, but there are other needs instead of crowding 1B/OF. Good luck, Seattle! I hope all the signings don't blow up like Toronto's last year.

Winter Meetings Quiet

Trumbo to the Diamondbacks. Anderson to Colorado. Not blockbuster trades by any means, but a little activity. The week before these meetings was very active with new homes for free agents Cano, Granderson & Ellsbury. I'd still like to see the Sox get into conversations over a trade for Giancarlo Stanton & a signing of Corey Hart. But if neither happens, Ben has said that he can go to spring training with the team as currently composed. Farrell has said pretty much the same thing. The Yankees still need a closer & are rumored to be talking to Grant Balfour. No movement on Shin Soo Choo or Nelson Cruz for big money. Both may be getting lesser offers than expected. And Stephen Drew is still hanging out there. Overall, very quiet meetings thus far.

Brock Holt As Utility Guy

Ben Cherington says that the Sox may need to get rid of a starting pitcher if they are to sign Stephen Drew. Alternatively, the name Brock Holt popped up on the Red Sox website as a low-cost guy who could become the utility infielder that the Sox need. In limited games last year Holt did a very serviceable job, along with Brandon Synder. Holt is only 25 & he comes highly recommended for his versatility at 3B, SS & 2B along with his bat. I don't like the idea of getting rid of any starters. Lester, Lackey, Buccholz, Peavy, Dempster & Doubront will all have plenty of innings between them. Buck is always hurt. Peavy is coming off several injuries. Dempster & Doubront always tire late in the year. In essence, we have 2 mainstays in Lester & Lackey. I'd give Middlebrooks & Bogaerts a chance to grow into their positions in 2014 & go with Holt as utility. No need to give up a starter to re-sign Drew for another bridge year.

Corey Hart - An Interesting Option for Ben

Many free agents have signed. Several trades have gone down, the biggest being Fielder & Kinsler. The Red Sox have added 2 veteran bullpen arms. They have replaced Saltie with veteran AJ Pierzynski. They have re-signed Mike Napoli. What's left for Ben Cherington at this week's winter meetings in Orlando? Besides the status of Stephen Drew, the Sox may find a good fit in Corey Hart. Hart is coming off a year of injuries to his knees. He expects to be cleared 100% healthy by his doctor any day. Hart is a power OF/1B who averages 30 HR's a year. With Nap back at 1B & Nava, Gomes, Victorino back in the OF there may not be room for Hart if the Sox opt to go with JBJ in CF. But Hart is a guy you could get on a 1-year deal to re-prove his worth, similar to Beltran & Drew. He would be good insurance should Big Papi or Nap go down to injury & no team would give him a long term deal after a season of injuries. Keep your eye on Ben for one more deal this week. It could be Corey Hart.

Another Pats Comeback, Gronk Out

It was as exciting a comeback as you could imagine. Pats overcome another very poor first half start to offset a 19-3 deficit into a 27-26 win. Great kicks by Stephen Gostkowski, but the on-side kick was a thing of beauty & for me the play of the game. A favorable pass interference call leading to the go ahead Brady-to-Amendola touchdown certainly helped, but we have been on the negative end of those calls as well. The old saying is that over a full season calls even out. Even though the Patriots improved to 10-3, playoffs hopes dwindled as Rob Gronkowski suffered what looked to be a season-ending knee injury. Gronk makes the offense so much better that, without him, the Pats will be hard pressed to find the end zone against better defenses in upcoming games with Miami & Baltimore. And, unlike the beginning of the season where the Pats defense stepped up, the porous Pats D now has trouble stopping the run & the pass as evidenced yesterday. It took a 58-yard field goal try to fall just yards short by the Browns to finalize yesterday's win as time ran out. Nice to be 10-3. But how many guys can go on IR before it's too much to withstand?

What About Stephen Drew?

As Ben Cherington goes into the winter meetings, Stephen Drew is still a question mark. Scot Boras is looking for a 3 or 4 year deal for Drew, but no takers yet. It appears that the Yankees may be the best prospect of Drew getting a long-term deal since spending in the Bronx seems to be no problem lately. The Sox do have interest in keeping Drew on a 1-year deal, perhaps 2 at most. He brings stability in the field & the ability for John Farrell to mix & match Bogaerts & Middlebrooks as needed. But Ben is in the driver's seat & Boras knows that. The Red Sox have the ability to walk-away from Drew since they have talented infielders in Cecchini, Marrero & Betts that could be called upon to play limited utilty roles if needed. Or, similar to last year, Ben could sign a utility guy like John McDonald or Brandon Synder. If Drew comes back to Boston, it will be on the team's terms. No long-term deal. One, maybe 2 years tops.

Yankees Get Sloppy Seconds

With the Red Sox signing of Mike Napoli & the departures of Cano & Granderson the Yankees moved quickly to sign Carlos Beltran to a 3 year, $45 million deal & they brought back old-timer Hiroki Kuroda for another year. Beltran has a history of injuries & will turn 38 or 39 by the end of this deal. Kuroda is 39 & was ineffective when pitching during the last 6 weeks of 2013. More old guys to an already old team.

Beard Is Back!

Mike Napoli tweeted last night that the beard is back. Napoli & the Red Sox agree on a 2 year, $32 million contract to bring the power-hitting 1B back to the Red Sox. Nap supposedly turned down 3 years & $45 million from the Rangers in order to return to Beantown, a place he loves to play. In essence, Napoli & the Red Sox fill-out the original 3 year contract from last year with Napoli getting a raise of $3 mil per year. Given his history of heating up in September & in the playoffs, Nap was a great re-signing. He fits this team. Ben Cherington has his Christmas shopping done pretty early this year. Nap's signing takes the pressure off to get a big outfield bat, although I would still love to see Giancarlo Stanton in a 4-for-1 deal to come to Boston. John Farrell has indicated that he would like Stephen Drew back, so that is still up in the air. But a great week for Ben with the signings of Pierzynski, Mujica & Napoli.

Cano & Granderson Gone From Bronx

Robinson Cano - 10 years, $240 million with the Seattle Mariners. Curtis Granderson - 4 years, $60 million with the New York Mets. So if you are keeping score, the Yankees added 2 in McCann & Ellsbury, but lose 2 in Cano & Granderson. I guess Jay-Z gets the last laugh on Boras by getting Cano $240 mil versus Ellsbury's measly $153 mil. What a market!

Stop With Saltie Backlash!

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was a good catcher during his time in Boston. Good at times with the bat, not so good behind the plate defensively. His OPS was up last year while his homer run production was down. He did catch many games in a row when David Ross was out, so his strength of character was very evident. Saltie tried his best on the field, but he had a bad World Series & he ended up on the bench. His throwing skills, or lack of, were exposed & he struggled to make contact with his big, looping swing. The Red Sox did not want to re-sign Saltie to a 3 or 4 year deal with young catchers Vazquez & Swihart coming along in the minors. Saltie did get a 2-year offer from the Sox, but he was juggling longer duration offers from the White Sox, Twins & Marlins. So the Sox went in another direction & got Pierzynski for 1-year. Why now the backlash from reporters like Tony Mazz about the Sox not re-signing Saltie? I think a lot of pot stirring by Boston reporters is just that. Controversy sells. By every measure the Sox did the right thing at this position. Pierzynski & Ross start the season. Lavarnway, Vazquez & Swihart are in the wings if injury occurs. You are 5 deep at the catching spot. Yes, Saltie was a very good person off the field. And that's commendable. But Ben is putting the best team on the field for 2014 & beyond. A longer term deal with Saltie just wasn't in the club's best interest. Saltie gets his 3-year deal for $21 million with the Marlins & a chance to go back home to Florida. He wins too. So let's stop with all the Saltie "we should have signed him at any cost" garbage. Move on!

Yankees Have Many Holes

Joel Sherman, a reporter for the NY Post, called into the D&C show this morning saying that the Yankees - in his opinion - have about 10 holes on the team to fill. McCann & Ellsbury filled 2 of them. They still need 3 starting pitchers after CC Sabathia who showed signs of age, wear & tear last year & Ivan Nova who has up & down games. They need a 3B & SS since A-Rod is facing suspension & Jeter is expected to DH about 1/3 of the time. They need a 2B if Robinson Cano signs somewhere else. And they need a closer to replace the great Mariano. The Steinbrenners just can't help themselves from tying up too much money in too few players. Anyone who watched the Red Sox last year can see the positive effects of a strong roster 1-25. And how many times have we seen offense get you to the playoffs, but good pitching win in playoff competition. If Cano signs elsewhere, the Yankees have taken 2 steps forward & 1 step back. Assuming Granderson also leaves, the Steinbrenners may have just replaced Cano & Granderson with no upgrade at all in the lineup. Just a lot of dollars to 2 new guys replacing 2 other guys. Nice going, Hal! As Sherman said today, what's the plan?

Mijica Joins Sox Pen

29 year old Edward Mujica, a former Cardinals late-inning arm & closer, gets 2 years & $9.5 million to move to the Boston bullpen. MLB reporters are poo-pooing this deal as too expensive. What deal isn't these days! I see this move by Ben as a way of leveraging Brandon Workman into a starter's spot, if needed. Workman pitched well in the playoffs out of the pen, but he also had success during the year as a starter. One new young arm to join Felix Doubront as a 20-something year old is always a good thing. I think Workman paid his dues in 2013 by pitching in any spot for the Sox. Maybe he gets a chance to start if Ben is thinking of more moves on the chess board that include moving a starter or two.

Nathan Signs With Tigers

Good signing for Detroit, a team with a closer problem last year. Joe Nathan comes off a good year with the Rangers to sign a 2-year deal with the Tigers. Nathan was the long-time closer for the Minnesota Twins before arm problems. This leaves Oakland's Grant Balfour as the only closer unsigned at this point. I wonder if the Yankees will be in on Balfour as well.

Where's the Market for Cano?

$30 million a year for 10 years? I don't think so. Jay-Z's new client, Robinson Cano, is on the outside looking for a new home next year. Scot Boras beat Jay-Z to the punch by getting the Yankees to open their bank account for Jacoby Ellsbury first. This after the Yankees deal for Brian McCann that could be worth $100 million. Cano faces the possibility of playing for the lowly Mariners or lowly Mets. Quite a drop from the pinstripes! While New York fans are not totally on board with the deal for Ells they certainly don't want to lose Cano. But there is only so much money in the Bronx checkbook. Jay-Z & Cano will eat crow now as they try to sign a lesser deal with the Yankees or somewhere else. My personal opinion is that I don't like the nonchalant way that Cano plays. No dirty uniform. Toothpick in mouth at times. He does have talent, just not my kind of player. If Cano does stay with the Yankees for a lesser contract & lesser duration, expect him to be unhappy. Cano will fit right in with A-Roid!

Saltie to Marlins

Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets his longer term deal with the Miami Marlins. Saltie is expected to sign a 3-year, $21 million contract this week. Saltie certainly had some good moments in a Red Sox uniform. I saw him years ago in a spring training game with Texas hit a homer lefty, then a homer righty. He has all the tools, but his game just plateaued at an average level. Personally, I thought that he would find a team that could use him at catcher, 1B & DH. But Saltie is from Florida & he gets a chance to go home for the next 3 years. No doubt Saltie will never forget 2013 & the "617" jersey that he & Jonny Gomes thought of after the Boston Marathon bombings. He also showed great compassion at the parade stop to the owners of local businesses that took in the wounded from the bombing. Sometimes it's not all about on the field. Saltie joins Carlos Ruiz, Brian McCann, AJ Pierzynski & Dioner Navarro as fee agent catchers signing new deals this year. Only Ruiz stayed with his current team. Good luck, Saltie!

Ellsbury Now Part of Evil Empire

It's a good gig - 7 years, $153 million with an option for an 8th year. A la Judas Johnny Damon, Jacoby Ellsbury turns to pinstripes for his future playing career. My granddaughter texted me last night & she couldn't believe it. I did have the pleasure of meeting Ells & his wife once & they don't seem like the bright lights of New York kind of people. But for $153 million you can put up with being booed loudly every time you step on the field at Fenway. Damon did. The Yankees just can't seem to help themselves with these incredibly long contracts. You would think that they had learned their lesson after A-Rod, Teixeira & Sabathia. The only long-term guy to workout for the Yankees is Jeter & he should be retired by now. Let's not forget the injury bug that has plagued Ells in the past. The Yankees are gambling that he stays healthy for a long, long time. The signing of Ellsbury may also signal a goodbye to Robinson Cano who is also looking for big money on the free agency market. Curtis Granderson is probably gone now as well. For Ellsbury he gets financial security for his family for the future. But he will earn every dollar when he comes to Fenway. Judas Jacoby joins the Judas Johnny club. Let the cat calls start!

Bailey, Kalish Non-Tendered

Oft injured Andrew Bailey & Ryan Kalish were released by the Red Sox. Both just had trouble staying on the field. Bailey will probably sign on for 1 year with another team as relief pitchers are a scarce commodity. Kalish will need to prove that he is healthy to get another chance in the bigs. Too bad for both.

Johnson, Fister, Navarro, Kazmir All Moving

Former Baltimore closer Jim Johnson gets traded to the Oakland A's as a cash dump. Former Detroit pitcher Doug Fister gets traded to the Washington Nationals. Former Cleveland pitcher Scott Kazmir signs a 2-year, $22 million free agent deal with the Oakland A's. Former Mariners catcher Dioner Navarro signs a 2-year, $8 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Former Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes joins Ricky Nolasco in Minnesota on a 3-year, $24 million deal. Former Yankees catcher Chris Stewart was traded to the Pirates, a move expected after the Yankees signed Brian McCann. Lots of movement, but I have to say that the Oakland A's have upgraded with the loss of Grant Balfour & the probable loss of Bartolo Colon. It wouldn't surprise me if the Minnesota Twins ended up with Saltie on a 3-year deal. The winter meetings are set to get underway this weekend in Orlando, FL. A lot of chips are falling off the table in advance of these meetings. Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin Soo Choo & Cory Hart are still some big names out there.

Red Sox Sign Pierzynski to 1-Year Deal

Perfect duration for the Red Sox to sign a proven veteran like Pierzynski at the catching spot. Since Saltie was looking for 3 or 4 years with the Twins, Marlins or White Sox that length of time would have stifled young farm catchers Vazquez & Swihart for too many years. This signing also allows Ryan Lavarnway one more year to show that he belongs in the big leagues. The Sox finally have good depth at the catching position which should be a strength in coming years. Ross & Pierzynski both have contracts that expire after next season, giving 2 of the 3 young guys above a chance to catch in the bigs in 2015. I know that Pierzynski is not Mr. Nice Guy, but I liked an interview that he did on MLB this past year where he said that he feels his duty to his teammates is to be behind the plate every day. He & Ross should make a good left/right hitting tandem. Now the Sox can move onto signing Napoli & trading for my buddy Giancarlo Stanton. Nice move, Ben!

Sox Have Today to Sign Unsigned Players

The Red Sox website says the Sox have until midnight Monday to offer contracts to unsigned players. They are pitchers Andrew Bailey, Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales, Burke Badenhop & OF/1B Mike Carp. You know Tazawa & Carp will be signed. Miller is affordable & he was effective before breaking his ankle. Morales has the ability to start or relieve, but his control is always a question mark. Badenhop just got picked up from the Brewers, so logic tells you that Ben will sign him. Of this group I think Andrew Bailey & Franklin Morales are question marks. Bailey has a history of injuries & he has been injured in both years with the Red Sox, making over $4 million in limited duty last year. Morales has flexibility in the way Farrell can use him, but his lack of command makes his effectiveness erratic. Maybe everyone gets resigned - the devil you know kind of thing, but Bailey & Morales are my 2 picks for bubble guys.

A Win Is A Win

Another slow start to the 1st half. A porous defense the whole game. But, once again, the Pats offense has a big 2nd half. Gostkowski kicks the tying & winning field goals from 50+ yards. And the Pats defense makes 2 big stands at the end of the game to seal a 34-31 win over the Texans in Houston. It was ugly & hard to watch at times as Houston ran the ball at will & the Pats secondary looked bad most of the game. A few more catches on balls dropped by the Texan receivers & we may be talking about a Pats loss. But give the Patriots credit for getting the job done at the end of the game. Gostkowski, Edelman, Gronk & Brady all had big days. The running game was OK without Stevan Ridley, but Bill may need him against a tougher opponent like Baltimore. One more win seals the top spot in the AFC East for the Pats & guarantees them another trip to the AFC playoffs.

What About Giancarlo Stanton?

I'm surprised that we haven't heard more about the Red Sox going after this young power hitter. So I checked other blogs & found a piece on Stanton that said the Sox should hold off. Reasons - nagging injuries like a hamstring that had him out 41 games; Marlins may want 3 or 4 top prospects in return, depleting the farm system; 33% swings on balls out of the strike zone; not a good fielder for RF at Fenway. I say an average of 39 homers per 162 games for a kid who's just 23 is worth the risk. We have no power bats in the farm system, other than Bryce Brentz who shot himself in the leg cleaning his gun last year. We need a younger bat to replace David Ortiz - who is lobbying for a contract extension after 2014. The Sox have a surplus of talented infielders - Cecchini, Marrero, Betts who can all be shopped. There is also a log jam of young pitchers - Renauldo, Owens, Webster, de la Rosa. If Ben can get Stanton for any 4 of these 7 guys, I'd do it. A young hitter like Stanton doesn't come along but once in a great while. And Stanton is under control for the next 3 or 4 years. With Middlebrooks, Bogaerts & Pedroia the infield is pretty well set for the next several years. With Lester, Buck & Doubront the Sox have 3 of their 5 starters for the next several years, although Buck isn't dependable. A few farm hands will pitch in the bigs & Ben can always find a few vets to sign short-term deals. I say go full guns after Stanton. It beats paying the big dollars for free agents.

Pats Can't Relax in Houston

As Bill Belichick says, their record is deceiving. (I think Bill says that about any team the Pats play with a record under .500.) But it's smart to never underestimate your opponent. The Houston Texans would like nothing better than to knock off the visiting New England Patriots on Sunday. Strange things have happened to the Patriots on the road this year. The Texans need something to revive their ugly season & a win on Sunday against a playoff contender would do just that. JJ Watt is still there. Andre Johnson is still there. Given the secondary MASH unit of the Pats, a win is never guaranteed. While the Pats will be favorites I think it will be closer than people think. I'm pulling out the crystal ball & going with a Pats win by a score of 30-24. What do you think?

Nolasco to Twins

Pitcher Ricky Nolasco signs with the Minnesota Twins for 4 years, $49 million. He has an option for a 5th year at $13 million based upon innings pitched. Nolasco was traded to the Dodgers from the Marlins last year. He is a 200-inning a year guy with a career ERA of 4.37. Remember, that ERA includes pitchers hitting in the NL. Going to the AL Central may be quite a wake-up call when he faces the lineups of Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland & Kansas City. Nolasco typical has wins in the teens, his best year being 15 wins. Minnesota is trying to rebuild & they need to overpay to get players. The Twins are rumored to be interested in Saltie as a catcher also. The more I see & read about these free agent contracts, the more I think Ben should fill holes from within.

Thanksgiving 2003

It was 2003 & right around Thanksgiving Day that Theo Epstein & ownership invaded the house of Curt Schilling to persuade him to sign with the Red Sox & bring the 1st World Series title to Boston in 86 years. Notwithstanding all the crazy talk & opinions that Schilling spouted off about during his years in Boston, the big guy did deliver. Schilling said he wanted to bring multiple championships to Boston - he did in 2004 & 2007. Schilling said he wanted to silence the fans in New York - he did during the famous bloody sock game. My friend from high school had a good saying - "no brag, just fact." So if you backup your words with actions, I guess it's not just idle talk. The Red Sox franchise is no longer tied to the Chicago Cubs as teams with the longest drought from a World Series championship. That honor is now just the Cubs, 100+ years & going strong. Odd twist of fate that Theo is with the Cubs now & trying to reverse their curse. The Red Sox have never been the same since 2004. 3 titles in 10 years. We are spoiled.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1

Yes, we know the score since the start of the 21st century. From 2001 through 2013 no team has won more World Series championships than our own Boston Red Sox. The 86 year drought ended in 2004, thanks to pitchers Curt Schilling , Derek Lowe & Keith Foulk. We got a 2nd ring in 2007 thanks to pitchers Josh Beckett & Jon Papelbon. And we added a 3rd parade this year thanks to pitchers Jon Lester, John Lackey & Koji Uehara. It seems like it always comes down to pitching in World Series play. And thankfully our guys were better than theirs in each of these 3 great years. Other than the Red Sox, only the St. Louis Cardinals & the San Fran Giants have won 2 World Series titles over the last 13 years. Other teams with one championship season are the Arizona Diamonbacks, Anaheim Angels, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins & Philadelphia Phillies. And, yes, one by the New York Yankees. So if you are keeping score, which of course we all are, it's Red Sox 3, stinkin' Yankees 1.

Thanksgiving Wishes

Let's start with the easy ones. I am thankful that I got to see another World Series championship won by the Boston Red Sox. It was special for a lot of reasons, but one reason is that I got to share it with my youngest grandson who is becoming a Red Sox fan. Big Papi is his favorite. I am thankful that I got to see Tom Brady beat Peyton Manning again. Overcoming a 24 point deficit at halftime on the coldest regular-season game ever at Gillette made that win even sweeter. I appreciate the blue collar, lunch pail work ethic of this Patriots team. Maybe we are in for another run to the Super Bowl. On a broader scale I am thankful to live in the US of A where we have so many charitable citizens who feed the hungry at this time of year, who work with veterans suffering from PTSD & who do so many charitable acts in their communities. The giving heart of Americans is something that we can all be proud of. So add your own comment below about what you are thankful for - family, friends, health, life. And enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday wherever you are.

Don't You Wonder?

I thought about guys like Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Papelbon. Don't you wonder what they think about the Red Sox winning another World Series without them? As a player, it would bug me that my former team won a World Series without me. But not the players of today. It's a business today & these guys probably could care less, as long as they receive their payroll checks from their current teams. Whether they win or they lose, they get paid. From that perspective baseball players are like lawyers or doctors. Whether you win or lose, whether you get the right diagnosis or not, you still get paid. Wouldn't it be nice if you only had to pay your lawyer or your doctor if they won your case or if they cured your ailment? Too much guaranteed money out there in all forms of professions. Baseball is just one of them.

Minor Deal - Burke Badenhop

Burke Badenhop, 30, a relief pitcher from Milwaukee comes to the Red Sox in exchange for a prospect. Sox get the ground ball pitcher for a year until he hits free agency after the 2014 season. A righty specialist, Badenhop held righties to a .229 batting average while lefties hit him at a .338 clip. He has played for the Rays, Marlins & Brewers. Ben can never have enough bullpen pieces, especially a guy who is motivated to have a good year as he nears free agency. Could be a sleeper that works out.

Peralta, Haren Find New Homes

Obviously the St. Louis Cardinals don't care about PED users since they signed Jhonny Peralta to a 4-year, $53 million deal. Peralta missed 50 games this past season for being caught up in the Biogenesis scandal. Peralta, 31, is a lifetime .268 hitter who averages 18 HR's & 82 RBI. Does that warrant $13.5 million per year? Obviously the Cards think so. And 33 year old Dan Haren signs a 1-year deal with the LA Dodgers for $10 million. Haren was often injured, but he did go 10-14 for the Nationals last year over 169 innings with an ERA of 4.67 & a WHIP of 1.238. In his big league career Haren has pitched more than 200 innings in 7 years, so there are not many bullets left in that right arm. I had to chuckle when one announcer said he took a "cut in pay" to return to the west coast. If this is the kind of crazy money being thrown out there, I wouldn't mind if the Sox did nothing & just filled any holes from exiting players with internal fixes - like JBJ in CF, X-man at SS, Carp/Nava at 1B & Lavarnway at C.

The Comeback

Patriots 34, Broncos 31 in OT. This game was a tale of 2 halfs. The Pats were totally inept in the 1st half, falling behind 24-0. 3 turnovers, including another fumble by Stevan Ridley, made life for Peyton Manning's Broncos pretty easy. But the Pats roared back in the 2nd half with 4 straight touchdowns & a field goal to take a 31-24 lead. Manning got the Broncos a tying score at 31-31 before the end of regulation. In OT Bill Belichick declined to receive the ball first & opt for field position with the wind, allowing Peyton & company the first chance to win. It was not to be. In fact neither team could score on it's first 3 possessions. The winning field goal by Gostkowski was set-up by a huge error on a punt to Wes Welker & his teammates. Instead of fair catching the ball, Welker let it bounce & the ball hit his teammate. Nate Ebner landed on the ball to recover for the Pats. 2 plays later it was over, a hard fought 34-31 win. The post-game shows criticized Welker for not fair catching the last punt in traffic & with a tricky wind. They also criticized Manning for not trying to win the game in OT when Aqib Talib went out for a few plays. Instead, Manning stuck to a safe ground game which produced no points. A very courageous, blue-collar effort by every Patriot player on both sides of the ball, many whom were fill-ins for the injured. Even Belichick said there were many heroes. High praise from Bill. A great come-from-behind win. Spot Denver 24 points again & that result would never happen in another 99 out of 99 times. This was our 1 out of 100. We are getting spoiled in New England.

McCann Goes to Yankees

The Yankees opened their checkbook to welcome Brian McCann to Gotham. 5 years, $85 million with an option for a 6th year makes McCann the latest $100 million player. We knew McCann would be too expensive & too long in contract years for the Red Sox. Maybe now the Sox resign Saltie & overpay for 2 years while young catchers Vazquez & Swihart mature a little longer. The Sox also have the option of doing nothing & going with Lavarnway/Ross for next year. McCann did not fit the parameters of Ben in Boston.

Sox & Matt Kemp Talks

The Dodgers are entertaining talks over trading Matt Kemp. Kemp, 29, is signed for 6 more years & $130 million. While the Dodgers would be willing to eat some salary I don't see where Kemp fits the parameters for the Red Sox. When healthy Kemp is a middle-of-the-order bat, but he is coming off an injury-plagued year. His best year was 2011 where he hit .324 with 39 HR's & 126 RBI. One attractive thing about Kemp is that he has always hit for average (.293) & he has a good on-base percentage (.844). I just think that the duration of his contract is too long & Ben would not want to part with top prospects to land him.

Interesting Name - Cory Hart

Cory Hart, 31, is a free agent 1B-OF in 2014. Hart made $10 million in 2013. He sat out all of last year with knee injuries & he is waiting for a 100% bill of health from his doctor in early December. Hart would be comparable to Napoli in age & power. Hart has spent time at 1B, but also has the ability to play the outfield. A power hitter, Hart's best year was with the Brewers in 2010 where he hit 31 HR's & has 102 RBI. In his last full major league season in 2012 he hit 30 HR's & had 83 RBI. At 31 Hart might fit the Red Sox 3-year, $13 million per year parameters of guys not looking for long-term deals. Because of his injuries he may even do a 1-year deal for big money & go back out on the free agency market in 2015 a la Adrian Beltran & Stephen Drew. I hope that Mike Napoli re-signs with the Sox, but there has to be a plan B in case he doesn't. I like Hart better than Beltran just from an age standpoint. Supposedly, Hart lost 20 pounds rehabbing his knees, so he may be a John Lackey type chomping at the bit to get back out there. It's worth watching where Ben goes on this one.

Jason Vargas to KC

This signing will go under the radar as no big deal. Jason Vargas, a left-handed pitcher traded last year from Seattle to Anaheim, goes to the KC Royals for 4 years & $32 million. Vargas was on my radar last year as someone the Sox should look into. As it turns out, Vargas made only 24 starts for the Angels due to the removal of a blood clot. But healthy now, he could be a steal for the Royals at only $8 million per year where mediocre starting pitching in the big league averages $12-$15 million per year. I'm interested to see how this signing turns out for a young Royals team ready to contend with the big boys in Detroit.

A-Rod - Dilusional

I have to pile on today about A-Rod's rant on a local radio show the other day. Tony Mazzaroti called A-Rod "dilusional" because he has lied so much that he actually believes his own lies now. Good one, Mazz. I agree. Supposedly, A-Rod's legal team is going to show & tell their evidence today to the public as to why Mr. A-Roid is not guilty. What a joke! That's his legacy, a joke.

Renaudo, Brentz, Cecchini Added to 40 Man

The Red Sox protected 3 of their best prospects from being acquired by another team in the Rule 5 draft by adding all 3 to their 40-man roster. Anthony Renaudo, Bryce Brentz & Garin Cecchini are now officially part of the big league club. Good move. Renaudo pitched in the futures game last year & is getting ready to challenge for a spot in the starting rotation. Brentz is a scarce commodity for the Sox, a blossoming power hitter. And Cecchini is the next infielder to challenge Will Middlebrooks for his job. You can expect to see all 3 prospects at different times with the big club as injuries occur & rest is needed for the starters. Good call, Ben.

Fielder to Texas, Kinsler to Detroit

2 big names are changing teams. Prinbce Fielder & Ian Kinsler are trading uniforms in 2014. Texas was looking for a power bat & had a ton of infielders at the big league level. Detroit was looking to jettison a long term contract & shore up their infield defense. Win-win. Fielders poor performance in the playoffs made him expendable. Kinsler was being pushed out by younger players with talent. It remains to be seen if Detroit will go hard after Mike Napoli now as they have a need at 1B or they could possibly convert Miguel Cabrera to 1B & re-sign Perralta to play 3B with Iglesias at SS. Napoli's price may have just gone up.

A-Roid Storms Out

"It's my legacy." "I did nothing wrong." Alex Rodriguez wanted, no demanded, that Bud Selig testify in front of his lawyers. When the arbitrator said no, the "it's-all-about-me" Rodriguez stormed out of the proceedings, saying on a radio show that he is guilty of nothing & he should be in the starting lineup on opening day. I guess A-Roid has a limited vocabulary to words like I, me, mine. He can't & never will admit that he did wrong because this narcissist can't admit wrongdoing or failure. It has to be someone else's fault, not mine. Does he really think that MLB would waste their time without a case? I love it because it keeps the Yankees in turmoil about next year. If A-Roid's payroll stays on the books, Cashman has less money to sign Cano & other free agents. Nothing like a good in-house cat fight between A-Roid & the Yankees.

Sox Still In On Beltran

Carlos Beltran could slide into a DH role with the Red Sox after the 2014 season & David Ortiz' departure. The question is not how much, but how many years will the Sox need to offer Beltran to land him. 2 would be perfect, but 3 or 4 is just too long. Beltran is a switch-hitting power hitter who excels in the playoffs. Problem - he's just old. Who knows how he would hold up playing outfield every day? I'm still of the opinion that we stay young, no additional 35+ years olds.

Cano Visits With Mets

Robinson Cano wants to be a $300 million man. Not many teams could pony up that kind of money. The Yankees have stated publically that they want Cano back, but not at a price tag of $300 million. And look at the aging players they are stuck with at the end of long-term deals now - A-Rod, Sabathia & Teixeira. So Jay-Z & Cano made a very public appearance with crosstown rivals the New York Mets. It was all PR to keep the Yankees in a bidding war against themselves. Cano is going nowhere because no other team will put up that kind of money over 10 years. Cano will be 40 at the end of any 10-year deal. I'm not a Cano fan because of his casual, don't-bother-me-with-a- ground-ball attitude. Mr. Cool with the toothpick in his mouth doesn't do it for me. Just sign with the Yankees & get it over with.

Ruiz Back to Phillies, Hudson to Giants

The free agent signing process has begun. Carlos Ruiz goes back to his current team, the Phillies. And Tim Hudson signs with the Giants. With Ruiz signing the focus now turns to Saltie & Pierczyski. Other free agent pitchers include Matt Garza & Ervin Santana. At least that's a few names crossed off the board for Ben & company to pursue further. Other than kicking the tires on both Ruiz & Hudson, I don't think the Sox were that interested in either of the 35+ year old. Let's stay young, Ben.

Pats Lose 24-20

Everyone knew it would be a tough, hard fought game. One more final completion by Tom Brady as time ran out could have spelled victory, but it was not to be. And, once again, a Pats game is decided on a flag, this time a flag that gets picked up for a no-call. Panthers beat the Patriots 24-20. The Pats shot themselves in the foot several times. A fumble by Ridley. An untimely sack. A personal foul after the play, possible costing the Pats a TD instead of a field goal. A missed tackle by Arrington. Talib unable to stay on the field. Talib not playing like Talib. Interference by McCourty. An on & on. In the end the Patriots played the Panthers very tough all night, but it seemed like the replacements just weren't enough to get the job done, especially in the secondary. A good effort in a loss, but it's still a loss as the Pats go into the Denver game next Sunday night.

No Drew Next Year

I watched a show last night where Gordon Edes announced that his "sources" say Stephen Drew is fielding multiple offers for more years & more money than the Red Sox are willing to pony up. Gordon says Drew will not be returning. If true, this means that the 2014 SS position is Xander Bogaerts for the taking. It also means that Will Middlebrooks gets his job back at 3B. I say good. It's time for the Red Sox to let a kid like Bogaerts get a shot at anchoring SS for multiple years, a la Nomar when he first came up. We all know the carousel of shortstops over the past several years, a position the Red Sox have had trouble with. Bogaerts brings youth, & with youth some mistakes, but he also brings stability at that troubled position. One year, one title with another Drew is fine with me.

Post World Series Analysis

The improbable Red Sox championship of 2013 has many people within the game dissecting just how the Sox went from worst to first. One GM out west said he didn't think that the Jonny Gomes of the world were a cure-all for all teams & he expected 1st tier free agents to continue to dominate the marketplace. I guess he thinks the Sox were an aberration. Maybe he's right. Alex Speier's analysis for WEEI is that the Red Sox were successful because they were a multiple-headed monster, a team that could beat you in many different ways - speed, defense, power - & not in the same way everyday. He uses Detroit as an example of one guy, an injured Miguel Cabrera, bringing that team back down to being very average. I agree. However, stop please. I don't need all this dissection of a great season in Boston. I accept that the Red Sox put together a deep roster that could cover for injuries to Ortiz, Ellsbury, Buccholz, Drew, Ross & others. This team never lost more than 3 games in a row. More analysis than that, I don't need. I'm happy to enjoy 2013 until a new team is crowned World Series champ next October. Don't bore me with more sabermetric facts like you are solving a mathematical equation. I don't need a graduate study on the Sox complete with charts & graphs. Just enjoy it. You people are ruining my buzz!

Worst Professional Team Name Ever

I was shuffling through the sports pages of a newspaper this past week. I'm not a fan of the NBA & I don't follow it on a regular basis. However, I did see where the New Orleans franchise changed their name to the New Orleans Pelicans. That has to be the worst pro team name ever. I first thought it was a college name - like the Fighting Sioux or Running Rebels. But the Pelicans are pro. New Orleans has the football Saints which I get. But Pelicans? Odd, very odd.

Pats in Trap Game?

Patriot fans have to wait until Monday night to see their team take on the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. Cam Newton has been playing much better as of late. Add their trio of tough running backs & a solid defense & the Pats may be looking at a trap game before taking on Denver next week. However, Belichick & Brady do an excellent job of getting the team to focus on the task at hand. The re-emergence of Gronk allowed the offense to run up 55 points on Pittsburgh 2 weeks ago. But Belichick has warned in the past about the pitfalls of the first game back after a bye week. Gregory & Dennard are out, leaving the Pats short of bodies in the secondary. Talib expects to be back & possibly Vereen as well. It's a weekly shuffle of injuries to different players at this time of year. Most talk shows are expecting a low-scoring affair due to the Panthers D. I'll go with 20-17 Pats.

Meaning of Duck Boat Parade

I was out of state when the Red Sox championship duck boat parade happened last month. I understand that some estimates had the crowds at over 1,000,000 on-lookers. Many that made up the crowd were families - moms, dads & kids. I had a chance to watch the parade last night for the first time, thanks to the magic of a DVR & thanks to my daughter for taping it for me. Like most people, I was caught up in the celebration of an unexpected World Series win until a reporter mentioned that this was the first large gathering of people in Boston since the Boston Marathon bombings. The small ceremony at the finish line by Jonny Gomes & Saltie with the owners of Marathon Sports, along with the singing of "God Bless America," was quite moving to me. It also symbolized to me that healing from the April bombings had come full circle. People from across New England were not afraid to gather once again with their families & friends in Boston. Victims effected by the bombings were shown rebuilding their lives one step at a time. Life is going on. As Big Papi eloquently said, no one can take away our freedom. Boston has a championship team to be proud of. Boston also has a city of strong people who are not intimidated by terrorists. "Boston Strong" lives on every day.

Keep John Lackey

I know. Everyone is available for the right price. I also know that the Red Sox have an over-abundance of starting pitching. I also know that John Lackey will be paid the league minimum in 2015 due to his Tommy John surgery in 2012. Therefore, Lackey is a front line starter at a very reasonable price which makes him interesting to other teams. But, notwithstanding all of the above reasons, I think the Red Sox should keep John Lackey for his final 2 years. It's not for business reasons. Lackey should stay because he personifies the comeback, turnaround & redemption of this team in 2013. Who will ever forget his spectacular effort against Justin Verlander in game 3 of the ALCS? Who will forget his clutch performance in game 6 of the World Series? John Lackey was just a shade behind Jon Lester as the Sox best pitcher throughout the playoffs. He & Lester mowed down the top 2 starters for Tampa Bay, Detroit & St. Louis. Leaving to a standing ovation by the fans at Fenway in game 6 of the World series seemed impossible for John Lackey just a short time ago. Just like it seemed impossible that the Boston Red Sox would be World Series champs in 2013. Let's keep John Lackey in a Boston uniform to remind us that the impossible does happen.

Crazy Thoughts

I thought of this the other night. I know that there are other fans in New England who are thinking the same thing. It's a crazy thought, but one that runs through your mind during this unbelievable decade of championship seasons by Boston pro sports teams. Could lightning strike twice? Could a most improbable championship season by the Boston Red Sox be followed by a similarly improbable championship season by the New England Patriots? A team with many rookies. A team with major injuries to key performers. Yet, the Pats come off a bye week at 7-2 & face a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way. Could Tom Brady & company pull off a Super Bowl win this year when no one was looking? Time will tell. What a crazy thought!

Pedroia Has Successful Thumb Surgery

The little guy with the big heart had successful surgery to repair a tendon in his thumb that he injured in game #1 of the regular season. Dustin Pedroia's thumb of 2013 won't be compared in the same light as the bloody sock of Curt Schilling in 2004. But don't dismiss the impact of his playing every day this year as a reminder to his teammates of his will to win. An injured thumb did not stop him defensively as he won a gold glove & defensive player of the year awards. It did impact his power numbers at the plate which should improve next year. Pedroia is a tough guy to get off the field. It will be nice to see him healthy next season.

Francona Gets Manager of the Year

The old guy beat out the new guy. Terry Francona got 16 votes to John Farrell's 12 to win the manager of the year award. Francona took his Cleveland Indians to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. We all know what happened that year. J.D. Drew hit his famous grand slam to help the Sox overcome a 3-1 defecit to the Indians. Then the Sox swept Colorado in the World Series. I think we can live without another individual award, given that we won big brass ring as a team - the World Series. I'm sure Francona would gladly trade in his award for another series win. Good for Tito. Better for us!

Cherington Kicking Tires on Trumbo & Pierzynski

Ben Cherington is doing his due diligence on back-up planning in the event that Mike Napoli does not re-sign & in the event of injury to David Ross. Mark Trumbo is a 27 year old power hitter who has 3 full years of life in the big leagues with Anaheim / LA Angels. (What a stupid name for a team - LA Angels of Anaheim!) Trumbo averaged 150 games played over the past 3 years, so he's durable. Notwithstanding a drop in batting average & lots of K's a la Napoli, Baseball Reference shows that he would average 33 HR's & 100 RBI over a 162 game schedule. That's a little better than the power numbers for Giancarlo Stanton who I also like. Trumbo is under control until 2017 before hitting free agency. Guys like Trumbo & Stanton interest me since they have incentive to play well as they approach their walk years. On the other hand, a guy like A.J. Pierzynski does not interest me at age 36. His legs have caught a lot of games over the years. He is a 16 HR/76 RBI guy like Saltie only older. If the Sox don't sign a catcher or comes to terms with Saltie, I would go with Ross, Lavarnway & Vasquez with power hitting catcher Dan Butler in the wings. Let's stay with the 25-29 year olds, Ben, not the 35+ geriatrics.

More About Giancarlo Stanton

I like the Red Sox going after this guy for a lot of reasons. First, he's young, an up & coming star. Just turned 25 & Giancarlo Stanton (formerly Mike Stanton) already has 3 full major league seasons under his belt, playing 1749 games. His profile fits the Red Sox philosophy of short-term deals as Stanton is not eligible for free agency until 2017. The Sox would have Stanton under control for 3 years & reasonable money. Second, he is a young power hitter. Baseball Reference gives his stats over an average 162-game season as 39 homers & 97 RBI. His best season in the majors was 2012 when at age 22 he hit 37 homers & 86 RBI in 123 games. Third, Stanton brings a physical presence at 6'6" & 230 pounds. Like Big Papi walking to the plate, you would know when Stanton is on deck or at the plate. Four, the Sox have an over-abundance of young prospects that the Marlins could keep for small money in a 3-for-1 or 4-for-1 trade. I would rather see the Sox go after young talent than look to a Tim Hudson or Carlos Beltran. Stanton would fit nicely with Bogaerts, Middlebrooks, Doubront, Workman, Bradley, Jr. & other youngsters working their way into the Red Sox regular lineup. And we need a power hitter to replace Ortiz after next year. In 2015 the middle of the order could be Bogaerts, Stanton, Middlebrooks. Think about that! Let's not get old like the Yankees.

Brian McCann - Too Pricey for Sox

At 29 Brian McCann is the best free agent catcher on the market. He is a good friend of David Ross. That's about the end of the connection to Boston. Over 8 big league seasons McCann averages 26 HR's & 97 RBI in a 162 game season, certainly a power force at the plate. I think that his asking price will be more than the 3 or 4 years that the Sox will be willing to offer. No question that McCann would be a nice addition, but the 5+ year deals are not something Ben & company are willing to offer since the jettison of lengthy contracts of Gonzalez, Crawford & Beckett. The Sox did tie-up Pedroia for multiple years, but that was an aberation from standard policy. McCann will probably end up in Texas, LA or maybe NY with the Mets, not Yankees.

Baseball Talk

It's early in the twilight of another World Series championship year, but baseball talk is heating up over possible additions by free agency or trade. Let's start with who is gone. Jacoby Ellsbury did enough this year & in the playoffs to be the premiere outfielder in free agency. He will get multiple years & big money from some team, so consider Ells gone. Mike Napoli is testing the market, but don't count Nap out yet. He likes Boston & the Red Sox could offer him more per year to keep the length of his contract down. Mike Napoli is a "maybe" to return. Stephen Drew rejected his qualifying offer in lieu of getting a multi-year deal somewhere else. While some are reporting that the SS is getting a 2-year offer from the Sox, I say let him go. Give the "X-man" the keys to SS next year & let him finish his development at the big league level. Bogaerts proved that he could produce under the bright lights of this year's playoffs. And let's keep Will Middlebrooks as you can't give up on a power bat like his this early. Maybe he can improve at 3B or maybe he has a future at 1B when Garin Cecchini comes up. As far as new names being circulated, here's my thoughts. CARLOS BELTRAN - OK up to 2 years. Beltran is 36 & looking for a 3 or 4 year deal. Doubtful that he will get it. TIM HUDSON - No. Hudson is an older version of Jake Peavy at age 38. Time for Hudson to retire. We have a lot of young pitching in the system that we need to move up or move them out. GIANCARLO STANTON - Yes. At 24 Stanton will be talked about by a lot of teams. A power hitter & power arm in the outfield, Stanton is under control until 2017 before he hits free agency. That's 3 years of low-cost money for a developing star. We could package young pitchers with a Lavarnway or Nava to make this deal with the Marlins. For all the talk so far I would like Ben to focus on STANTON as his key guy.

Looking for Power Hitters

When Big Papi finishes his career in Boston next year I'm looking within the Red Sox farm system to see where the next big thumper/ big power hitter is coming from. I don't see much that wows me. Instead of looking at slugging percentages, I decided to focus solely on the long ball. At Portland last year there was Michael Almanzar (3B) & Travis Shaw (1B) with 16 home runs each. At Pawtucket there was Bryce Brentz (RF) with 17 homers & Dan Butler (C) with 14. Unless one of these guys stirs things up next year with 25-30 dingers I think we are looking at Ben trading one or two of all those pitchers he drafted for a big bopper. No one player will ever replace Big Papi as a true DH, but there may be opportunities to rotate different players through the DH spot like most other teams. I'll take a look at free agents that might be available in the next year or two.

Pedroia's Surgery Scheduled for Tuesday

The Red Sox website says that Dustin Pedroia's thumb surgery is scheduled for Tuesday in Arizona. The Gold Glove winner injured his thumb on the 1st day of the season in New York sliding back into first base. Because he played all year with this injury his doctor may need to find a replacement tendon in his wrist. Instead of 4-6 weeks recovery it could be 6-8 weeks. Pedey says he will be ready for spring training. Pedroia & Ortiz were the glue that held this team together by their steady play & leadership throughout the season. Pedroia could have very easily cashed it in & got the surgery in April, probably missing a half-year like brittle-man Clay Buccholz. But he played through it & gutted it out. His small stature hides an intense desire to win & Pedroia contributed hugely to this championship run & championship team in 2013 by staying on the field. The little guy has a big heart when it comes to playing baseball.

2013 Was _____

You fill-in the word or words. Here's some that I thought of. Un-freakin'-believable. Unexpected. Destiny. Blessed. Improbable. A miracle. Beard-magic. Boston strong. Fun. Exciting. A great ride. A counter-attack to the bombings. Great. High drama. A tribute to TEAMWORK. Redemption for 2011 & 2012. Re-birth of baseball in Boston. A long shot. Divine intervention. An alignment of the sun, moon & stars. Like 2004. Lovable. Family entertainment. Ben Cherington's coming out party. A comeback. The best. The embodiment that the sum of the parts are strongest. An ending no one could have thought up. A season to be long remembered. If you can think of other words, hit the comment button below & leave your thoughts on the Boston Red Sox of 2013.

Is Saltie Gone?

Answer - maybe. It depends upon what Saltie & his agent are fielding for offers for his services in 2014. I think it also depends upon whether or not the Sox want to entrust 70-80 games in 2014 to Ryan Lavarnway &/or Cristian Vasquez. In particular for Lavarnway, it's time for the Sox to give him extended playing time at the big league level or let him go. Vasquez has a cannon for an arm, but he is not much with the bat. Another year of seasoning would definitely help him. But these 2 guys could man the catching position along with David Ross. To be honest, there are no great catchers for sale out there. Salties's numbers were good offensively, but he does strike out a lot with that big loop in his swing. He will run into 20 homers a year which makes him valuable. I think that Saltie's future is brighter to a team that needs a 1B or DH - like Victor Martinez. Saltie may not be a fit for the Sox's plans next year.

Drew Tied to Middlebrooks?

Letting Stephen Drew go would be easier if the Sox knew that they could count on Will Middlebrooks to be their everyday 3B. Middlebrooks & Bogaerts project to be the left side of the infield in 2014. Pedroia will man 2B. If Napoli re-signs, you have him at 1B. Or you rotate Nava & Carp at 1B. If Middlebrooks can't field his position or keep a steady offensive approach, the Sox may want to return Stephen Drew for 1 more year at bigger money. More likely than not, though, Drew is gone. So the spotlight will be front & center on Middlebrooks in spring training. Should he falter, young guys like Ceccini & Marrero may get a shot at the big club.

Qualifying Offers to Nap, Ells & Drew

The Red Sox made qualifying offers to Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury & Stephen Drew. Each player has 1 week to accept or decline their 1-year deal for $14 million. If any of the 3 decline, the Sox will receive a compensation pick from whichever team they go to. It's highly unlikely that any of these 3 players will not look for extended deals on the open marketplace. As I stated in a previous post, it appears that Mike Napoli is a high priority for Ben Cherington to re-sign. Ells & Drew will no doubt get multi-year deals elsewhere. They have shown that they can play in high-stress playoff games, but both have a history of injuries which could keep the number of years offered down by other teams. A glaring exception was the fact that no qualifying offer was made to Saltie. Maybe another team could turn him into a first baseman for his bat - like Napoli. You never know. This off-season will be quite interesting. I'm still gloating over the championship, so I go with "in Ben we trust."

World Series Hangover

I'm not ready to move on. The incredible story of the 2013 Boston Red Sox season is just too good to let it go yet. I already heard that there is one book out & I'm sure there will be many to follow. This weekend I was reminded of the 2004 video where a Red Sox fan walks down the street the day after winning the World Series like Spartacus just after he won the war. Similarly, I was at a craft fair this past weekend when I spotted 2 stinkin' Yankees fans. One was wearing a Yankees hat & one was wearing a Yankees t-shirt. I made sure to stare down both of them as I was wearing my Red Sox hat. I made sure that they both saw me. We have bragging rights for a year, so enjoy it & take advantage of it. It's 2004 all over again!

Jacoby Ellsbury

It's too bad that a team like Seattle or Texas will offer Ells lots of money over 5 or more years to play for them. Jake has been an exciting player on the field & perhaps just as exciting off the field. Like Jon Papelbon, sometimes it's just time to move on. Ells was part of 2 World Series teams here in Boston in '07 & '13. But just as the Patriots plug in new talent when a starter goes down, Jackie Bradley Jr. will get his shot in 2014 to join an outfield with veterans Victorino, Nava, Gomes & Carp. Ells is a game-changer when he is in the lineup. We will miss him. But whichever team gets him has to bank on good health for their long-term investment. I would take out an insurance policy based upon his past injuries.

Sox Extend Lester

Jon Lester was extended on a team option for 2014. No brainer, right? Lester did emerge as that #1 ace of staff over the final 2 months of September & October. The hard part will be to work out a long-term extension before he hits free agency. Most of these deals don't work out too well for the team. If Lester gets a 3 or 4 year deal, I think the Sox can live with that. If they offer him 5 or more, you are just asking for trouble. Maybe Ben can offer more dollars per year in return for a shorter number of years. The Sox definitely want to keep Jon Lester in a Red Sox uniform for the medium term. You can expect a lot of negotiating over the next year.

Mike Napoli - Priority #1

I hear that the local press is helping Ben Cherington with his off-season duties. It appears that TV & radio have decided for Ben that re-signing Mike Napoli is his #1 job. I can't say that I disagree. Next year with be the last for David Ortiz & Mike Napoli provides protection for him. Many times Napoli made pitchers pay for intentionally walking Ortiz, particularly in the playoffs. I believe that Nap set a personal high for RBI with 90-something. He does strike out a lot which can be annoying in different stretches of the season. But he also has the ability to hit game-changing homers off guys like Justin Verlander in the playoffs. If Ben can reinstate the final 2 years at $13 million each, I think that's a no-brainer. Nap has shown that he can handle playing in Boston & it would be nice to get him back. He could definitely slide into the DH role in 2015. However, he may get offers for more years & more guaranteed money. I think this will be a tricky negotiation for Ben & company.

Pats Unload for 55 Points

The replacement players on D gave up 31 points. No problem, though, as Tom Brady & the offense scored 55 for a big win going into the bye week. Brandy to Gronk, Brady to Dobson, Brady to Amendola & the tough running of Stevan Ridley wore out the Pittsburgh defense. Things looked bad early in the 2nd half when the Steelers tied the score at 24 all. But it was a track meet after that as the Pats laid on 31 more points. Kudos to the Pats taking care of business & going to 7-2. All eyes on football & hockey now.

Pats Replacements to Battle Pittsburgh

Brady has a bad hand. Vollmer is out for the year like Wilfork & Mayo. Guys like Amendola & Talib are week to week. Gronk is questionable & yet he is expected to play. And somehow the Patriots are 6-2 as they face the Steelers before heading into the bye week. Regardless of their poor record, the Steelers are still a hit-you-in-the-mouth team & the Pats are in for a tough challenge. More replacements keep filling in for injured starters every week & you have to wonder when the bubble will burst. I hope it is not this week. It would be nice to go into the break with a 2 game lead & perhaps get a few players back in 2 weeks. I wouldn't expect an easy game on either side of the ball today. My prediction is 20-17 Pats.

Jeter Signs for $12 Million, A-Rod Still Fighting

What a difference in the current cultures of the Boston Red Sox & New York Yankees! The Yankees had to negotiate an extra $2.5 million with Derek Jeter just to get him to come back next year. Now I like Jeter because of his hussle & attitude of winning. He is the older version of Pedroia to me. But for a guy who spent just about a full year on the DL, all-the-while collecting his salary of $20 million, to not accept his player option of $9.5 million seems pretty selfish to me. What is the extra $2.5 million going to do for Jeter's lifestyle that he already doesn't have? I thought this was a very "me" move by Jeter & uncommon from what I think about him. If this is the first negotiation of the off-season for the Yankees, A-Rod may be the next as he fights to keep his $30 million salary for another year with his band of merry lawyers suing & countersuing MLB & the Yankees. Is there anyone more self-centered & not able to admit his faults than A-Rod? The Yankees want to come in under the luxury tax in 2014, but they still need to deal with aging, overpaid stars like Jeter, A-Rod, Teixeira & Sabathia. And let's not forget that Robbie Cano wants 10 years & $300 million. The Yankees are in a downward spiral & will be for the next few years. Too many big contracts to aging players. I love it!

What A Year!

I had a 5 hour drive yesterday which gave me time to reflect on the great & improbable year of the Boston Red Sox. Against all odds, this Red Sox team stayed strong throughout the entire season. And they proved that Boston was the strongest in the playoffs. The Sox were the "feel good" story of the year amidst other stories not so good. The Boston Marathon bombings took the lives of 3 people, including a little boy. The bombings maimed hundreds of others, some of whom we saw at Fenway Park recouperating from their wounds, some with new limbs. Aaron Hernandez was arrested for murder & he may be linked to another homicide. Jerry Remy's son was arrested for the murder of his girl friend, the mother of Jerry's granddaughter. How sad for Jerry not to have been part of this incredible 2013 season due to his son's actions. It has been an up & down year for the people of Boston & for the Boston sports fans. Thank God the Red Sox gave this city so much to cheer about, so much to be positive about. Let's hope the Patriots & Bruins can carry the banner of good for the next few months.

Duck Boat Parade

I didn't get a chance to see the parade today, but I did get it on tape for viewing later. I can only imagine that it was great. A fitting finish to an unbelievable year. When Jake Peavy first joined the Red Sox & said hello to Jonny Gomes, Peavy asked Gomes how things with the team were going. Gomes replied "just another day closer to the parade." And so Jonny proved psychic as well as a winner. Being out of state I can tell you that not everyone is happy that the Red Sox won again. Another team's GM or VP, I forget which one, said "don't think that character guys like Gomes are the future of team acquisitions." I say OK, but we'll stay the course with the Jonny's, Shane's & David's for another year. Some managemnent people will always stick to the math & numbers. We will stick to T-E-A-M. Get the Sox DVD ready for sale by the holidays. I'll have my kids buy it for me.

The Day After

It's starting to settle in. It really happened. A group of players that were suppose to play out a bridge year did what all the experts thought was impossible. David Ortiz started the year on the DL. Clay Buccholz missed 3 months of the season. 2 closers had season ending surgery. John Lackey was expected to be traded as he represented the old beer & chicken regime. John Farrell was a losing manager in Toronto. Jon Lester was not pitching well into the all star break. The Rays, O's & Yankees were contending for playoff berths down the stretch. But this team overcame every obstacle, finished strong in September & continued to find a way to win during the playoffs. A total of 49 different players were used this year. Boston Strong started after the bombings in April. As the Globe headline read, Boston strongest is October. The truth can be stranger than fiction sometimes. Fear the Beards in 2013 will go down as a historic turnaround from last to World Series champs. We will be talking about this year for a long, long time to come.

Redemption

We win! It was sweet redemption for a collapse in 2011. It was sweet redemption for a torturous 2012 under Bobby Valentine. And I personally believe that the Boston Marathon bombings made this team even more focused on their mission to bring winning baseball back to Boston. Mission accomplished! Last night's heroes include Shane Victorino, John Lackey, Koji Uehara, Stephen Drew. This playoff run has featured big performances from several different players, none bigger to me than Jon Lester & David Ortiz. Big Papi is very deserving of the MVP award. But this was a team effort & this season reflects a deep roster, deep bench & good young talent. Congrats to the 2013 Boston Red Sox! You played the game right & had fun doing it. Fear the beards!!

Day Off for Fans

My brother has been staying up for every game, as well as the post-game shows. He gets to bed around 1 AM on game nights. I'm sure he is not alone. Many folks on the east coast have had rough work weeks due to the longevity of these World Series games & their late start times. I think the Red Sox fans needed an off day as much as the players.

Game 6

As Dan Shaughnessy wrote today, game 6's in the past have featured a Carlton Fisk home run & a ball that got under Bill Buckner's glove. I'm not buying into any past experiences in game 6's that the Red Sox have participated in. I'm giving my vote to my buddy Gaff. He believes that the 2013 Red Sox are a team of destiny. I think so too. It would be incredible for John Lackey to win the clinching game of the World Series, a symbol of his personal change & this team's change from a year ago. A phoenix for both rising from the ashes of 2012. No doubt Michael Wacha will be tough, a rookie with a 4-0 record in the playoffs. If you think about it, where can Wacha go from here? Only down. He reminds me of Pedroia winning a World Series as a rookie in 2007, then MVP in 2008. Where could he go from there? Nowhere but down & it's taken Pedroia 5 years of battling injuries, et al to get back to the big stage. Wacha is due for a bad game & I hope it's tonight. Big Papi is as lethal at the plate as he was in 2004. And Jon Lester has finally emerged as the ace everyone knew he could be. Let's finish it tonight, boys!

One More Win to Finish Dream Season

The formula was simple last night. Lester to Uehara to Boston. Jon Lester, now the undisputed ace of the Red Sox staff, pitched 7 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. Koji came in for a 4 out save. And the Red Sox head back to Boston with a 3-2 lead in games after a solid effort to beat the Cardinals & Adam Wainwright by a score of 3-1 on Monday. Wainwright drops 2 games to Lester during this series. Big Papi continued his torrid pace at bat with a double in the 1st to put the Sox up 1-0. Ortiz finished the game with 3 hits. Matt Holliday tied the game with a solo shot to CF. But late RBI hits by David Ross & Jacob Ellsbury put the Sox ahead to stay. Matheny will be scrutinized for not bringing in a lefty to pitch to Ellsbury with 2 outs. Looking ahead, the Sox face a tough customer in Michael Wacha in game 6, but John Lackey will be up to the task. Similar to the Detroit series, the Sox split at home & won 2 out of 3 in the visitor's ballpark. Let's hope the script repeats itself again as the Sox beat the Tigers in 6. You can pick your word - unlikely, improbable, unthinkable, against all odds - but the 2013 Boston Red Sox are 1 win away from a 3rd World Series in our lifetime after an 86 year drought. As one famous Red Sox announcer said in 2004, can you believe it?

John Lackey - Set Up Man?

Because of Craig Breslow's troubles the use of Breslow & Tazawa in the same inning leaves the Sox short a man to get to Koji. No problem. John Lackey was schedule to throw a side session, so why not throw your side on the mound in the 8th inning of game 4? Lackey made his first relief appearance & got through the 8th unscathed after an errant throw by the X-man at 3B. I like the willingness of John Farrell to use whoever is available to win today. If things had not worked out in game 4, there may be no game 6. Then you would have saved Lackey for nothing! And good for Lackey for consenting to a relief appearance to help his team win. This former beer & chicken guy has really had an extreme makeover in his perception by Red Sox fans this year.

Felix Doubront A Pleasant Surprise

Felix Doubront has had 2 good outings from the bullpen in the World Series. Given Craig Breslow's troubles, maybe Doubront will become the 7th inning guy the rest of the way. There is no question that he has the talent. The knock on Doubront is that he is not the most professional in his preparation & in his off-season workouts. Twice he reported out of shape & ended up missing time due to injuries. No one cares now as Felix seems to have the number of the Cards batters. I believe he has 4 or 5 scoreless innings now. Doubront may be a key piece in the final 2 or 3 games of this series.

Jonny Be Good!!

Say it however you want. Jonny Be Good! Jonny Come Lately (into the lineup)! Jonny Quest! By any measure the 3-run homer that shot off the bat of Jonny Gomes in the 6th inning to put the Sox up 4-1 was by far his biggest career hit as a Red Sox & perhaps as a player. His homer led to a 4-2 victory by the Sox & it evens the World Series at 2 games apiece. Should, & this is a big should, the Red Sox go on to win the fall classic, Jonny's HR may be the pivotal swing in momentum. Without that homer we lose 2-1 & go down in the series 3-1. Nice work from Buck, albeit short work of 4 innings, then Doubront, Tazawa, Lackey & Koji. Breslow just can't buy an out & Farrell should skip him. And why not a pickoff of Kolton Wong to end the game with Beltran at the plate! 2 crazy game endings in a row. When Big Papi goes 3-3, scores from 3rd on a sac fly & holds a dugout campfire meeting you know that #34 wants another series ring. And it all worked. After one round of the Cards 4 best pitchers versus our 4 best pitchers the series is even. Now games 5 & game 6 revert back to the big boys - Wainwright & Lester, Lackey & Wacha. One team is coming to Boston up 3 to 2. I hope it's us. After Gomes' homer I feel like the magic is back again. Best 2 out of 3 now. And the series returns to Boston.

Pats Win 27-17 Over Miami

Ugly first half as evidenced by a 17-3 score. But a great 2nd half as the Pats beat a division opponent in the Dolphins to keep hold of 1st place in the East. Any win is a big win with so many injuries. Now Nate Solder may be out for awhile to join the growing number of players on the DL. It's unlikely that the Pats will finish better than 11-5 or 10-6, but that may still be good enough to make the playoffs. We may not go far this year, but you have to applaud the effort of Ninkovitch, et al who gave their best effort. A win is a win. We'll take it.

More Thoughts on Game 3

The Red Sox could be 3-0 if they would stop throwing the ball around, especially to 3B. Craig Breslow is snake-bitten with bad luck so far. Example check swing base hit by Carpenter last night. Maybe Workman is the new 7th inning guy. Farrell lifted Doubront for a pinch hitter, but let Workman hit. Not sure of his thinking, especially when Mike Napoli was still waiting his turn on the bench. Playing in an NL park is a double whammy for us. No Napoli. And any pitcher that hits is a sure out. I guess the NL likes slow-paced action & easy outs. In-game, in-dugout interviews by Fox while the game is going on have to go. It's like sitting next to 2 old ladies who don't watch the game. It's hard not to like the Cardinals since they play hard right up to the last out - just like the Sox. If we can clean up our defense, we should be in better shape for the rest of the series. If I hear you have to "live mas" one more time by Joe Buck, I'll explode.

Obstruction 5, Red Sox 4

I couldn't sleep after watching the finish of a World Series game that ended on a once-in-a-lifetime, seldomly seen obstruction play. That one play negated 2 excellent comebacks by the Sox offense that had clawed their way back from a 2-0 & 4-2 deficit. For all of us who clammored for Stephen Drew to be benched, we got what we deserved - Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks was out of position & reacted too slow on a hard grounder by Matt Holliday that put the Cards up 4-2. Then Middlebrooks missed a catchable ball thrown by Saltie to get Allen Craig. Instead the ball skirts loose & Craig trips over a prone Middlebrooks with his legs up. Obstruction was the right call - you can't impede a runner from the next base without the ball in your hand. And Middlebrooks did just that. Why Saltie even threw the ball is another mystery as Koji had 2 outs & the bottom of the order up. The Red Sox rarely, if ever, lost 3 games in a row this year & I hope tonight's game ends with the series tied 2-2 & not the Sox down 3-1. I'm not sure if I can watch another whole game on Fox. I may just peek in from time to time. If the Red Sox stopped all their odd-ball plays & stopped throwing the ball away, they could be up 3-0. Instead, they will fight for their lives in game 4 tonight. Good luck, Sox. We need a sound game defensively tonight.

Was the Trade Worthwhile?

Was the trade of Jose Iglesias for Jake Peavy a good one? Question answered in a few hours as Peavy starts his biggest game in a Red Sox uniform. The Sox got rid of a log-jam at SS where Drew, Iglesias & Bogaerts were all vying for playing time. By trading Iglesias the Sox wound up with a veteran starter & former Cy Young Award winner. As we saw in LA earlier this year, when Peavy is "on" he can be devastating. He was not "on" in his recent playoff start against the Tigers. So a lot of reporters will be judging the merits of the trade that brought Peavy to the Red Sox based upon his performance today. I hope Jake is "on" as we could certainly use a win tonight.

New Podcast Coming

We just had to get one last podcast in during the World Series. Can the Red Sox magic continue for 3 more wins? Take a listen once we upload it & give us your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Vaseline Story Nixed By MLB & Cards

Good morning, Tyler Melling! Get ready for a phone call from your employer, the St. Louis Cardinals. In the famous words of Donald Trump, you're fired! Melling is the Florida League pitcher for the Cards that accused Jon Lester of putting vaseline on the ball on Wednesday night. A classy Cardinals organization quickly refuted his story, saying no players or coaches in the St. Louis dugout saw anything & neither did the 6 umpires on the field. Not a good sign, rook, when your employer doesn't back you up. So it won't be long before Tyler Melling is looking for a new place of employment. Keep tweeting, Tyler, keep tweeting all the way to the unemployment line!

Cards Strike Back With 4-2 Win

It was the young guns of the Cardinals pitching staff that held Boston to minimal offense, minus a 2-run homer by Big Papi. And it was Craig Breslow who was not up to par, allowing the go-ahead run to score on an ill-advised throw to 3B that sailed away into the night. And so to did game 2 sail away from the Red Sox. It's hard enough to comeback once & take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th. Very hard, almost impossible to do it twice. Each team has a win now in this best 3 out of 5 series. Jake Peavy is going to have a huge impact on the final results of 2013. He gets the ball in game 3 & will be scheduled again for a game 7, if necessary. Assuming Lester & Lackey split again when they pitch against Wainwright & Walka, this series will hinge on 2 games pitched by Jake Peavy & one by either Clay Buccholz or Felix Doubront. Peavy can't be any worse than he was in Detroit, so we need to trust that he can silence the Cards bats & keep the game close for 5 or 6 innings. Game 3 will be the biggest start of Peavy's career & we need him to be up to the challenge.

Cards Prospect Accuses Lester of Doctoring Ball

My buddy Steve just sent me an article that a pitching prospect from St. Louis is accusing Lester of doctoring the ball last night. Really, St. Louis, is that why you couldn't field the ball or why you gave up so many hits to the Sox offense? This is crap, pure crap. Ever notice how many times the ball is changed during a game, never-mind during one at bat. It hits the ground or it's fouled off, a new ball goes in. The Cardinals batters could have asked to check the ball, but no one did. Why not man up, Cards prospect, & just say we got our asses beaten to a pulp last night because we choked. Stop looking for excuses as to why your team peed their pants in game 1. Weenie!

Little Things Add Up

Couple of small things that helped the Red Sox win last night. Jacoby Ellsbury sets the tone on offense by drawing a 3-2 walk in the first. As much as Tim McCarver wants the Red Sox batters to start swinging at the first pitch, patience paid off again as Wainwright was up to about 60 pitches after 2 innings. And even though the game was well in hand, Daniel Nava doubles to left after sitting on the bench for about a week. He deserves some playing time & Farrell said he expects to have Nava in the lineup in St. Louis. Finally, how about the Lester to Ross to Napoli double play? Lester made an easy throw home & Ross cleared the runner to make an accurate throw to Napoli. Good veteran play all around with no hurrying to mess it up. The Sox executed their game plan flawlessly in game 1.

Red Sox 8, Cards 1

The tough St. Louis Cardinals got off to a very poor start in game 1 of the World Series. Tight. Choke. Scared. I don't know the right word, but the visitors were bad in all phases of the game - offense, defense, pitching. Adam Wainwright was bad. The entire Cards infield was bad. The exclamation point was a pop-up that landed between Wainwright & Molina as each looked at each other. A big reversal of fortune in the 1st inning by the 6 umpires who overturned a dumb out call at 2nd base. That helped Mike Napoli clear the bases on a double to left center. Even Big Papi motored from 1st to home! A nice catch by Carlos Beltran to save a grand slam by Ortiz in the 2nd resulted in Beltran leaving the game with sore ribs. No problem, though, as Big Papi blasted a 2-run shot in the 7th for good measure. Jon Lester was money as he pitched into the 8th. Freese blew the biggest offensive chance for the Cards with a comebacker to Lester who started a 1-3-3 double play to end a bases loaded threat. It was all good for Boston & all bad for St. Louis. The Cards have to feel that game 2 will go better since it can't get any worse. Michael Wacha versus John Lackey tonight. The Sox may need another win as Jake Peavy moves up to pitch game 3 & Clay Buccholz is suspect for game 4. Buck is going to cost himself lots of dollars when he negotiates his next contract since he can't stay on the field.

World Series Starts Tonight

Mary J. Blige gets to sing the national anthem. You can expect player introductions & all kinds of hoopla from MLB & Fox. And then we can get down to the baseball game. Can Jon Lester give this team another good outing, at least through 6 innings? The bullpen is well rested & the pen is a definite strength of this team. Can the Sox offense that struggled mightily against Detroit find a way to score a few runs off the Cardinals moose - Adam Wainwright. Wainwright is one big dude. It should be a great game 1 & a great world series. Enjoy!

Lester Versus Wainwright

The 2 horses start things off on Wednesday night. Jon Lester battles Adam Wainwright. Both guys are their team's #1. Lester has pitched well in the playoffs as has Wainwright. I believe that Wainwright did lose game 5 vs. the Dodgers. But like Verland, Scherzer & Sanchez he can make life miserable for batters if his stuff is "on" that night. And Wainwright has been more on than off. It should be another great playoff game - minus Buck & McCarver. I hope Tim doesn't go all the way back to his playing days for the Cardinals more than a dozen times!!

2013 St. Louis Cardinals

Who are the Cardinals? Well, let's start with their regular season record of 97-65, same record as our Boston Red Sox. They were pushed by the Cincinnati Reds & Pittsburgh Pirates in September, but the Red Birds managed to hold onto the top spot in the Central. By their regular season numbers, here's who to watch out for. Yadier Molina, C - best batting average .319. Carlos Beltran, RF - most homers 24. Allen Craig, 1B - most RBI 97. Matt Carpenter, 2B - highest OBP .392 & most hits 199. Adam Wainwright,SP - most wins 19, lowest ERA 2.94, most strikeouts 219. Edward Mujica, Closer - most saves 37. Trevor Rosenthal, RP - most holds 29. These are the big names on the St. Louis roster to watch for. But, like any series, other players can have an huge impact. Look at Saltie's game-winning hit in game 2 & the grand slam that came out of nowhere from Victorino in game 6. I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more about the Cards in the days to come. Suffice to say that the 2 teams with best records are meeting in the World Series. Another heavyweight match-up.