Sizemore Will Push Bradley

What's that saying? If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Baseball is all about depth & nothing keeps a player on the straight & narrow like another player looking to take your job. While odds are that JBJ will be the starting center fielder in Baltimore this April Grady Sizemore gives Bradley a needed "push" to keep working hard everyday. Sizemore also is a nice insurance policy should Bradley go down with an injury. Moving Victorino out of right field to play cenbter only weakens the team in right - no offense to Daniel Nava & others. Sizemore can play a role in educating & mentoring Bradley as well with some of the finer points, like how not to get injured. This signing by Ben is a great one, even if Sizemore never makes it onto the field.

February Almost Here

One wicked month of winter is almost over. The truck will be leaving Fenway for Jet Blue Park soon. Pitchers & catchers will begin showing up in Florida. Position players will be there shortly thereafter. And spring training games will start by the end of the month. Throw in Ground Hog Day & Valentine's Day. The shortest month of the year is always a good one as baseball comes to life once again. Characters like Ryan Dempster & Jonny Gomes will provide some amusing comments. Jon Lester may crack a few more smiles. Big Papi will be like a politician running for re-election. Mike Napoli may run around the park shirtless. And Dustin Pedroia will be taking 1,000 ground balls a day at second. Hang in there! February & baseball are coming to the rescue.

Ortiz: Deja Vu All Over Again

Haven't we heard this before? David Ortiz is looking for another multi-year deal when his 2 year deal expires after the conclusion of the 2014 season. The Sox took a risk when they gave Big Papi a 2 year deal in 2012 when he sustained a bad Achilles injury which kept him out of games into early April 2013. The question: how long can Big Papi defy father time & continue to be a productive hitter into his late 30's? Carlos Beltran is a good example of an aging slugger who is often out of the lineup. Then there is A-Rod. Another question: who do the Sox have in the system or who can they trade for or sign that will be productive offensively in his place? If there is no good answer to the latter, you might see the Sox add another year to Ortiz' contract. But at $16 to $20 million a year there may be other younger options out there. Good luck, Ben, in dealing with this distraction.

Jerry Remy to Return

Hard decision. No doubt. But why should Jerry be scared for the actions of his adult son? Isn't that every parent's nightmare? You raise your kids as best you can & then, at some point, they have to become responsible for living their own life. You know that Red Sox Nation will embrace the return of Rem Dawg. I wonder how the pressure of this entire situation has effected Jerry's health - which was not great. Maybe getting back in the booth with his pal Don Orsillo will be helpful to his own recovery. Good luck & God bless Jerry!

A Few Deals

Grant Balfour signed for 2 years to be the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Garza signed a 4 year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. I didn't look into the money because all of these contracts are outrageous. The Red Sox should appreciate a guy like Jon Lester who has gone on record stating that he will take a hometown discount, like Dustin Pedroia, to stay in Boston past 2014. I hope that Ben & co. work out the extension with Lester during spring training. Like CC Sabathia, Lester is a horse that still has several good years left in his arm.

Sox Sign Grady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore, 32, was signed by the Red Sox to provide competition for JBJ in center field. Sizemore was a staple in the Indians outfield before multiple injuries & multiple surgeries forced him out of the game in 2011. You name it, he's had it broken or injured - knees, back, neck. Sizemore is looking to revive his career with the Red Sox. At 25 he was an all-star & Grady was compared to Johnny Damon. But injuries plagued him for several years & he could not stay on the field. If healthy, Sizemore can provide that long bench that the Sox had last year. Good signing, Ben. Low cost & plenty of upside.

Richard Sherman - I'm Not A Thug

A recent interview on ESPN by Richard Sherman has the Seattle corner saying this is who I am. He stands by his assertion that the 49ers Crabtree is just an average receiver. For a guy who graduated from Stanford he seems to be missing some basics. First, you don't give a choke sign to the 49ers bench on a pass play that could have gone either way. Second, you don't denegrade another player on national TV. Didn't your time at Stanford teach you to be humble in victory? I guess he must have missed that class. If this is who you are, Richard Sherman, it's sad. And I think the 49ers will be going after your knees when you play them twice next year. Rest assured that payback is coming.

Over 7,000 Views

Thanks to all of you who follow this blog. A milestone was reach last week when we surpassed 7,000 viewers. Not bad for a small blog intended for family & friends at its inception. We have grown to include viewers from across the country & even some from international locations. California to Maine, Russia to Ireland, I never know from week to week where our viewers will come from. The Red Sox certainly made it easy to write about the team last year with a championship that defied logic. 2014's version of the Sox will be a competitive group as well. Thanks again for your support throughout the years.

Mr. T to the Yankees

The Steinbrenners are hell bent on buying the next pennant. They also need to put fans into their big park & by God they don't care about any luxury tax. Fiscal constraint is out the window. This pholosophy of buying the pennant has produced all of 1 World Series ring in the past 13 years. (Did I mention the Red Sox have 3 rings?) Without the blink of an eye the Yankees acquire Masahiro Tanaka for 7 years, $155 million. Pretty good gig for a pitcher who hasn't thrown 1 pitch to major league hitters. Tanaka joins McCann, Ellsbury & Beltran as new additions to the Bronx club that finished out of the playoffs last year. No A-Rod, Pettitte, Cano, Granderson or Mariano this year. An aging Jeter returns & a injury-plagued Teixeira returns. CC looked old & worn out. It seems that no matter how many free agents the Yankees buy, there are still too many holes to plug. Keep offering those 7 ,8, 10 year deals Hal. It worked out so well with A-Rod.

MLBPA Wants A-Rod Out

I saw an article today that said the players want A-Rod thrown out of the players union as a result of his idiotic suit against them. A-Rod can't admit wrongdoing & he can't accept blame. It has to be someone else's fault, right? Isn't that the way it is today? No personal responsibility. I say good for the players. Show A-Rod the door!

Sox Stacked for 2014 Run

Down to the 25th man on the opening day roster the Red Sox will be a force to reckon with once again in 2014. Veterans like Big Papi, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jonny Gomes, Koji Uehara et al. are all back in uniform. Many young guns like JBJ, Will Middlebrooks, Xander Bogaerts, Brandon Workman, et al. will inject some youthful exuberance into the lineup. Even super subs like Mike Carp & Daniel Nava round out a nice roster that is balanced & deep at every position. Don't count the Sox out as a team that could repeat the magic of 2013. Truck leaves for Fort Myers on February 8th.

Richard Sherman - Total Idiot

Memo to Richard Sherman: cut back on your medication! You bring disrespect to yourself, your fellow players, your coaches, your team & your city on a day that should have been all about celebrating a hard-fought win. No mention of team in his tyraid with Erin Andrews. Just all about me, disrespecting me by throwing a ball his way. Memo to NFL brass: don't interview Richard Sherman again after games, unless you want a guy who looks hopped up on drugs to be your new poster boy of a thug league. And now everyone has to make excuses & cover-up for a guy who was completed out of control. I wonder what a pee test on Sherman would have turned up after the game. And let's not forget the choke sign he gave Crabtree & the 49ers after the game. If I was the ref, I would have given him a game misconduct & sat him out of the Super Bowl. It has long been rumored that Seattle players have a lot of extra hop in their steps this year & allegations of steroid use abound. Sherman did nothing to quell those rumors.

It's Over

The run of the New England Patriots is over for this year. A team that cut & pasted players in & out of the lineup all year fell on Sunday to a better Denver Broncos team. Tom Brady was not at his best, as evidenced on the long incompletion to a wide open Edelman. Logan Mankins got beat on a critical 4th & 2 play. The run game was taken away. The defense struggled to get off the field & make clean tackles all day long. It just was not to be. That takes away nothing from a team that should have never made it to the championship game. In fact, this might have been the best of Brady & Belichick as they dealt with a different set of players available each week. Yes, it would have been a Cinderella story of sorts for the Pats to make it back to the Super Bowl. But it wasn't to be. Still a very good year.

What To Do With Jon Lester?

I saw an article today about the negotiations underway with Jon Lester. The complications are several. Clayton Kershaw just signed a ridiculous contract with the Dodgers worth over $30 million a year for several years. The Sox have several young pitchers that have had success in the minors who are ready to make the jump to the big club this year, next year, 2 years from now. And Lester is 30 years old. The talking point of 5 years at $20 million a year almost seems too low, but would Lester take a hometown deal to stay in Boston? Ben & his staff have a tough negotiation to go through. I compare it to Josh Beckett getting extended after the 2007 World Series. That did not go so well. I'm sure that the Sox will make an offer that Lester can think about. He could go the way of Dustin Pedroia & take less to stay. He could go the way of Jacoby Ellsbury & go for top dollar. Either way, don't look for Ben & Co. to go wild like the Dodgers did. It's not in Ben's DNA.

Dbacks Offer Tanaka 6 Years, $120 Million

The bidding has started in the auction that has a Japanese pitcher who has never thrown one pitch against MLB hitters. Tanaka & his agent received their 1st offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks - $20 million a year for 6 years. Earlier this off season the Dbacks traded for Mark Trumbo. Tanaka would give the Dbacks the potential to get back in the NL West race against the likes of the Dodgers & Giants. But the Yankees are still ready & willing to open their check book for Tanaka as well. Big risk. Big gamble.

Patriots - Broncos Almost Here

It seems like an extra long week since the Pats win over the Colts. Finally, we get to see the game on Sunday, an early one at that, to determine if Brady or Manning makes it back to another Super Bowl. How many more years can we expect from these 2 competitors? Not many. You can't turn on any sports show without seeing the highlights of all past 14 head-to-head meetings. The score is Brady 10, Manning 4. You listen to the talking heads say that it's really Belichick who is in Manning's head & there may be some truth to that statement. But - like Verlander versus Lackey - history & past performance means nothing. It's all about the team that plays the best on Sunday to advance to the big one. Both teams will try to keep turnovers down. Both teams will try to run enough to set up the passing attack. Both teams know that it may come down to a field goal. Pressure is definitely on Manning to prove that he is more than a regular season, statistical quarterback who can't win in the playoffs. The Pats & Brady have already outperformed their critics, a team that should not be in the AFC Championship Game. Get your family & friends together to enjoy another classic matchup. We are spoiled in New England to have such high-performing pro teams.

Instant Replay & Catcher Collisions

MLB is instituting instant replay this year. Think about the Jim Joyce safe call that took away a perfect game in Detroit. You can expect bugs will need to be worked out. I'm anxious to see how it works in spring training. Hopefully, it's a quick safe/out or fair/foul decision & it doesn't add too much time to the game. In addition, the rules committee is still trying to find suitable language to avoid collisions at home plate. You might call it the Buster Posey rule. I am less interested in this change. My buddy Gaff always taught our catchers to give the runner the outside of the plate while catching the ball in a position to make a sweep tag & avoid "hitting a brick wall" syndrome. Good for baseball for trying to change a little with the times.

Can the Pats Win 1 More?

It's been a great year to see a team like the Patriots overcome so many injuries & make it to the AFC Championship Game. CBS couldn't have scripted it any better than to have another classic between Brady & Manning to pull up their TV ratings. Get ready for hundreds & hundreds of clips from previous matchups. And one of these 2 veteran QB's will get a chance at another Super Bowl ring against an up & coming QB from Seattle or San Francisco. Old guys versus young guys in this weekend's games. Pressure in Denver is definitely on Manning to perform since the Bill Belichick Pats should have never gotten this far. Expect this meeting will be as classic as all the others have been. Get your chips & popcorn ready for a great game. Prediction? I'll go 27-24 Pats.

Young Guns

Ruby de la Rosa. Garin Cecchini. Allen Webster. Deven Marrero. Drake Britton. Bryce Brentz. Brandon Workman. Xander Bogaerts. Henry Owens. Mookey Betts. Anthony Renaudo. Blake Swihart. Jackie Bradley, Jr. Will Middlebrooks. Cristian Vazquez. Brock Holt. These are all young 20-somethings that may show up in the Red Sox lineup at some point this year or next. I'm sure I missed a few names too. While Middlebrooks, Bogaerts, JBJ & Workman got the bulk of the big league time last year, don't be surprised if you see a few of these other names surface as well. Look at Brandon Workman coming out of nowhere to pitch the 8th inning of game 6 in the World Series. He was not on anyone's radar in spring training. The Red Sox have a stacked minor loeague feeder system to fill-in any holes if & when a starter goes down. They will be a very competitive team in 2014 - again - because of their deep roster.

Delusional And Narcissistic

You have to love it. The NY Daily News is calling A-Rod delusional & narcissistic. The article also says that his case will be thrown out as soon as it hits Federal court. Even though the MLB Players Association didn't appreciate the public airing of A-Rod's dirty laundry, I say he brought it on himself. Unlike teammate Andy Pettitte who admitted wrongdoing & went on with life after his PED use, A-Rod opted for the Roger Clemens version of I did nothing wrong, at least not that you can prove. But, to his surprise, there was proof via texts & documents from Tony Bosch & his Biogenesis clinic. So much for Mr. Baseball. Sit in a corner for a year, A-Rod, & think about what you have done while wearing the dunce cap! You should be humiliated.

Pats Run to AFC Championship Game

It's like a new team since the Patriots found their running shoes. Tom Brady can hand off to LeGarrett Blount & Stevan Ridley & let them do all the work with the O line. Pats beat Andrew Luck & the Colts 43-22 on Saturday. The Colts were in it for awhile, but Luck's INT's were too much for the Colts to overcome. And Peyton Manning's Broncos beat the Chargers yesterday to set-up the Manning-Brady Bowl just as the NFL hoped it would play out. This should be a very interesting game. You have to like the Pats new wrinkle to their offense & Manning is always Manning. Not sure what the Vegas odds are yet, but I would have to think that Denver is favored at home. And let's not forget what the Patriots have accomplished to date with replacements up & down the lineup. We never knew guys like Siliga, Collins, Klein, Ryan & Vellano even existed in week 1. The Pats have exceeded expectations - like the Red Sox. Anything else is gravy.

A-Roid Finally Suspended

162 games. 1 full season. That is the ruling of the arbitration panel in the hearing of the Alex Rodriguez steroid investigation. A 60 Minutes show last night revealed Tony Bosch's testimony & his fear that A-Rod sent goons to scare him / kill him if he didn't go to Colombia. And the COO of MLB said A-Rod public denies everything, but privately he never took the stand in his own defense. What a head case! Bosch said that Rodriguez was driven by his personal ambition to be the one & only player to hit 800 home runs. And while Bosch is no better for peddling PED's he did have records to back-up his claims. A-Rod will continue to waste his money by appealing to Federal court. He made need to be on a budget this year since he does not get paid his salary of $25 million from the Yankees, but he can show up & participate in spring training. I'm sure that the Yankees don't want the drama & may tell him to stay home. Love this turmoil in the Bronx!

Pats Must Win Turnover Battle

I saw the movie "Lone Survivor" yesterday. It certainly is a movie about fighting until the end & I'm sure that's why Bill Belichick has his team watch it. The Patriots will need to play 60 minutes of good football tonight to beat the Indy Colts. Don't dismiss the Colts like a lot of fans & reporters are going. They put together a half of football that rivals the Pats 28-0 comeback over the Broncos. And the Pats D will be without Brandon Spikes which makes them susceptible to the run. You never know which defense is going to show up for New England -- the good one that forces turnovers or the porous one. Let's just hope that Tom Brady & the offense can be one point better at the end. You would hate to see a Pats team that has fought through so much this year end with a loss at the Razor. My crystal ball says it will be a high-scoring affair with the Pats winning 38-35.

Tanaka Making the Rounds

Tanaka & his agent have had several meetings with MLB clubs in LA this week. Teams from the Yankees, Cubs & Diamondbacks have given their pitch to the Japanese pitcher who profiles as a #1 or #2 starter by the "experts." I'm glad that the Sox are keeping their nose out of this one. Let other teams shell out $100 million plus on an unproven pitcher who has never thrown to MLB hitters. We learned our lesson from Dice-K.

HOF Calls for Three

No PED users. Greg Maddux & Tommy Glavine owned 6 inches of extra home plate with their pinpoint accuracy, driving hitters crazy as they swung for many pitches out of the strike zone or were called out with generous calls. The big hurt Frank Thomas was a predecessor of Big Papi. He could change a game with one swing of his bat. From all reactions so far, everyone likes the choices of the BBWAA. What's not to like? Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro, McGwire & Clemens all dropped in votes. Maybe in time they will get in, but that time is not now & that's fine with me.

Updates on Drew & Lester

Stephen Drew's agent, Scot Boras, is now eating humble pie as he tries to find a home for his client who declinbed a 1-year, $14.1 million offer from the Red Sox. Boras is not going to get anywhere's near that kind of money now for Drew who is down to interest from only the Mets & Red Sox. The Mets are content to let things ride longer & wait for Drew's price to come down. Same can be said for the Red Sox. On another matter, speculation that the Red Sox will sign Jon Lester to a contract extension continues. Lester is signed for the 2014 season. You can expect the Sox to go 5-years & $20 mil per as their top offer. No 6, 7 or 8 year contracts. That would keep Lester in a Red Sox uniform until 36 or 37 years old. I'm OK with that. Money is ridiculous for mediocre pitching & Lester can give you 200 innings per year. He is comparable to CC for the Yankees.

NFC Teams Set

Seattle versus New Orleans. Carolina versus San Francisco. Drew Brees is the only veteran QB in that bunch of up & coming quarterbacks leading the other 3 teams. #1 Seattle & #2 Carolina have not shown the ability yet to win the big games in the playoffs. New Orleans & San Francisco have more playoff experience. I say don't count out Drew Brees as he, Brady & Manning go for the Super Bowl ring one more time before their careers are over.

Pats Versus Colts

A big comeback by the Colts over the Chiefs. The Bengals lose to the Chargers. So the #4 Colts visit #2 Pats in Gillette on Saturday while #6 Chiefs visit #1 Broncos in Denver on Sunday. Anything can happen, but the Colts are as good a draw to play for the Pats instead of the Bengals or Chiefs. Andrew Luck can make plays, but he can also give it up with picks. All in all, this is a good bye week with a very beatable opponent for the Pats to play.

Odds & Ends

No Pats this weekend. 6 weeks until pitchers & catchers report to Spring Training. Reruns on TV. Not much happening, so here's a few odds & ends. Dan Shaughnessy wrote about Jerry Remy's situation in the Globe today. Whether Jerry returns to NESN with Don Orsillo this year is up in the air. My thought is that everyone knows that, including Shaughnessy, so why do we need a column about such a personal matter? Jerry is between a rock & hard place. I wouldn't be surprised if the Rem Dawg just called it a career & quits because of his idiot son. On another topic, Vegas has the Dodgers as 5-1 favorites to win the World Series. The Sox are 10-1 odds to repeat. I wonder what the odds were last year on the Red Sox winning the World Series? More than 10-1 for sure. Pressure is off, so we can just enjoy this year as another building season were we see more of guys like X-man, JBJ, Brandon Workman & others. Finally, instant replay is being implemented this year so umpires can get critical calls correct. It seems to work in football, hockey & basketball. I'd rather see it than not so calls like Jim Joyce's safe at first don't take away a perfect game from the Tigers Gallaraga & so game-determining calls of safe or out at home are made correctly. That's my odds & ends for today.