Game Time for Sox

The Red Sox play their first grapefruit opponent today. Let the games begin! Can Grady Sizemore show his old talents & prove he is healed from his injuries? Can X man show that he is ready for everyday duties at short? Can JBJ show improvement from his first year? Can Will Middlebrooks rebound & reclaim a starting spot at 3B? Are the Sox still in the running for Stephen Drew? Will extensions be agreed upon in Florida for David Ortiz & Jon Lester? By standards, this is a very quiet spring training as the Sox return a veteran group of players that won the World Series last year. I had to chuckle at some of the articles that beat writers are putting out there because there are just no stories. Hard to make something out of nothing. At least now we have games to watch & critique. Like Josh Reddick making crazy catches in right & Carl Crawford looking like a deer in headlights in left. Enjoy the games!

Good Deal, Bad Deal

For some reason the Upton brothers popped into my head today. BJ, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays, & Justin, formerly of the Arizona Diamondbacks, were both signed by the Atlanta Braves last year. BJ was a free agent & got a deal of 5 years, $75 million. Justin was traded to the Braves with 3 years left on his $50 million deal. How did that work out for Atlanta? Well, BJ hit a whopping .184 in 124 games last year. Whoever thought up that contract should be fired by the Braves oreganization! BJ was spirally down when he was with the Rays & the Braves antied up big money & years for a less than average guy. Younger brother Justin did produce 27 homers & 70 RBI, so he is clearly the better signing. Good luck to the tomahawks with 4 years remaining with BJ!

Spring Training Games Begin

It's that wonderful time when we get our first glimpses of the boys of summer in action again. And Red Sox Nation is ready to get their stat sheets & score books out to chart & record every pitch & every play. As I say every year, and please don't take this the wrong way, spring training means nothing in relation to the regular season. Remember Jackie Bradley Jr. being the darling of last's year spring & all the talk about him being ready for a starting job because he knocked the cover off the ball in Florida. That was not to be. Remember further back when JD Drew had a great spring, only to turn his regular season into Nancy Drew where a hang nail would keep him out of the lineup. And on & on. There is no correlation to hot & cold players in spring training translating into similar play during the regular season. That doesn't mean we shouldn't watch & enjoy. I sure will be watching. In fact I can't wait to see my 1st game on Sunday. But enjoy spring training for what it is - a tune up for the regular season. And enjoy it we should after the winter of 2013-2014.

Who's At the Top?

Nick Cafardo had a piece on the subject of leadoff hitter today in the Globe. For a team that scored 800+ runs last year, an average of 5+ per game, does it really matter? Daniel Nava, Shane Victorino & Dustin Pedroia are all viable candidates. For me the most likely is Victorino. He has speed. He is a switch-hitter, although all right-handed seemed to work well for him in the playoffs last year. And he still has some speed. Victorino, Pedroia, Ortiz, Napoli seems to be a good 1 through 4 to me & these are the guys that you would like to see get that one extra AB at the end of the game. Any combination of Pierzynski, Middlebrooks, Bogaerts, Nava/Gomes 5 through 8 is also good to me. Let JBJ bat 9th as a 2nd leadoff hitter to get his feet wet. However you tinker with this lineup, it's still a good one. I wouldn't lose any sleep over who hits leadoff.

Mike Carp - Super Sub

Good article on Carp in the Globe today. Outfield. First base. DH. Pinch hitter. Mike Carp is a very productive guy off the bench, as evidenced by his grand slam last year at the Trop against the Rays. That homer capped off a great season for the castoff from the Mariners. No reason to think that Carp will not be successful in limited appearances again this year. And, if someone goes down, Carp is ready to step in. What a great addition to the bench! The Sox have found a great role to showcase his talents & Carp has accepted his role. One of those win-win situations.

Can Buck Be Durable in 2014?

According to the Sox website, the coaching staff is going to make sure that Clay Buccholz keeps up with his nutrition this year. OK, I guess, if it helps him make 30 starts this year. I don't care if he levitates upside down for a half-hour before every start. Do whatever needs to be done. Have him see a mentalist. Have him eat chicken like Wade Boggs. Whatever. This is a critical year for Buck & a critical one for the Sox in their evaluation of his future with the team. Lots of young arms in the system are knocking on the big team's door. And the Sox will need to use them or trade them in the next few years. Buck's performance may dictate what happens to the young guns. Buccholz has always had the stuff. It's his durability that's the big question. If he was out a half season last year because his daughter slept on his neck, I don't know how you fix that in the future. Let's see if better nutrition does the trick this year.

Sox Camp Quiet

All players reported on time. All players are getting their work in. All players & coaches are focused on 2014. John Farrell, his staff & players are marching to the same beat - forget 2013 & focus on getting better today. Change the scene to Foxboro & you would think that it was Belichick & Brady talking. Old guys are helping young guys. Will Middlebrooks is working hard, coming in early & he wants to reclaim 3B. There are very few spots up for grabs, maybe the last arm or two in the bullpen. As Lester said, this camp is about tuning up for the coming season, not figuring out all the changes that were made in 2013 when there were a lot of new faces in last year's camp. Remember - when the games start this week it is only spring training. Nothing counts. Nothing matters. Results good or bad are forgotten when the Sox take the field in Baltimore for game 1 of the regular season. The goal should be no injuries in March. Leave camp healthy & ready to go.

Jenny Dell - Free Agent

Mr. NESN, Tom Werner, told Jenny Dell that she is free to pursue other job offers, even though she has 1 year left on her deal with NESN. Because of Dell's personal relationship with Will Middlebrooks she was removed as the field reporter this year by Werner & NESN. Jenny Dell joins a list of stunning female ex-reporters from past NESN seasons like Hazel Mae, Tina Cervasio & Heidi Watney. Werner can sure pick them! NESN is looking to hire another female, or possibly a male, to replace Dell. Along with replacing Dell, NESN is dealing with the return of Jerry Remy to the broadcast booth, a move that may or may not work out due to his son's pending homicide arrest. I don't think you will see Tom messing with baseball operations this year. He has enough on his plate with TV.

Sox Sign Capuano

Safety in numbers. Dempster is out, so Ben grabs a low-risk contract with lefty Chris Capuano. The Sox have a deep pitching roster & Capuano gives them more ammunition in the event of injury. Lackey can't be expected to duplicate his incredible 2013 season. And Buccholz is Buccholz, sure to breakdown sometime during the year. Like Grady Sizemore, Burke Badenhop & others Capuano can fill at need if it arises. Nice job, Ben!

Managers Get to Use Red Flag

OK. Expanded replay is making its way into baseball this year. It ought to be interesting to see baseball managers throwing their red flag from the dugout. Maybe Farrell should contact Belichick! If it doesn't add too much time to a game & a call gets made right, I think it's worth it. Baseball is the last of the major sports to implement more replay, now on safe/out & fair/foul calls to go along with home run calls. I'm looking forward to see if it becomes overused or it's a positive. I think back to the World Series play where the shortstop for the Cardinals dropped the ball on a force at 2nd & the umpires huddled to reverse their original out call. That hardly ever happened in the past. I hope that expanded replay helps umps gets more calls right.

Ortiz' Agent Talking Extension With Sox

The Red Sox website & a Globe article by Peter Abraham seem to point to the Sox working out a 1-year extension with David Ortiz. Good or bad? Time will tell. If the Sox had another power hitting lefty in the organization, the Sox brass may be less willing to consider another year. Truth is they don't, so Big Papi has some leverage. And the fact that he is the last of a dying breed of DH-only players is unique in itself. No question that Ortiz changes a lineup, a guy that the opposition always need to account for. By not playing in the field #34 has certainly added years to his playing career. And perhaps he has a few more good years left in him. Regardless, Big Papi should & will retire as a Red Sox. Just when, no one knows.

More On Dempster

I've been thinking & talking about Ryan Dempster's decision to retire (unofficially) from further play this year. Who passes up a guaranteed $13 million payday? Is he on steroids & doesn't want to get caught? Couldn't he spend the year on the DL & still make his money? It was my brother who finally told me that there is another possibility - he's tired & wants to do the right thing. What pro athlete does the right thing! The last guy I remember doing the right thing was QB Curt Warner who retired & gave up a year's salary. It is so uncommonly rare to see a person do the right thing in pro sports that you just think that there must be an angle. I forgot about the possibility of Dempster deciding that he couldn't earn his salary honestly. Shame on me. Good for you, Ryan.

Baltimore Gets Ubaldo

4 years & $50 million. That's what the O's ponied up to land starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. Big gamble in my opinion. Jimenez pitched for Terry Francona's Indians over the past 3 seasons. Wildness is often his enemy. After 2 subpar seasons Jimenez finally pulled it together for a good 2nd half of 2013, but it was a small sample size. If I were the O's, I would have gone harder at Ervin Santana. But it's not my money. Like the Yankees signing of Tanaka, Ubaldo is a big gamble. Time will tell if Dan Duquette was a hero or goat.

Peavy Slowed By Finger Issue

Often-injured Jake Peavy is being slowed this spring by a finger issue. The Sox website said that Peavy's ring finger on his right hand is not right & a hand specialist was flying in to exam his finger on Monday - that is if he can get a flight out of Boston. With Dempster out of the rotation this year Peavy is an important piece to the starting 5. We need him to be healthy. At this rate we may see a lot of young arms from the Sox minor league system very early in the season.

Dempster to Sit Out 2014 Season

There goes your 6 starters on the 1st day of Spring Training! Ryan Dempster shocked people when he announced that he will not play in 2014 & foefeit his $13 million salary. Kind of a shocker as no word had leaked prior to his decision on Sunday. That means that The Sox now have their normal 5 starters in Lester, Lackey, Buccholz, Peavy & Doubront. It also gives young arms like Allen Webster, Brandon Workman & Rubby de la Rosa a chance to step in should any 1 of these 5 arms go down during the year. If this is it for Ryan Dempster, at least he can say that he went out as a World Series champ after 16 years of service.

Can We All Get Along - Again?

Last year's team enjoy being around each other before & after games. Players would come in early & go out to dinner together. There are a few bumps along the long & winding road for this year's version of the Boston Red Sox - namely David Ortiz & Jonny Gomes. Ortiz wants another contract extension. Gomes feels he deserves more playing time. How will these 2 guys upset the applecart of a harmonious team all pulling in the same direction? I say that these issues do not need to be a bad thing. Big Papi can have an "I'll show you" attitude & put up numbers like he did in 2013. Gomes may also be motivated to put up better numbers, push Daniel Nava for playing time & be more productive. These 2 situations could also go bad in a newgative way, but I'm hoping that they result in a more competitive atmosphere - in a positive way.

Can Buck Hold Up?

One Globe reporter yesterday said that Clay Buccholz was 100% healthy & ready to go. I don't believe him. After last year & previous years anyone in Red Sox management has to look at Buck as a 1/2 to possibly 3/4 season pitcher. That's why starting the season with 6 starters on the roster is not a bad thing. Last year Brandon Workman filled in admirably for Buck in limited duty, then he was followed by the acquisition of Jake Peavy. Both pitchers got good production out of the spot held by Buccholz. Let's face it - he's not Jon Lester or John Lackey who can give you 200 innings a year. If we get 100 to 150 innings of quality starts, we'll be glad to take that.

Jeter's Last Season

2014 is it for Derek Jeter. 20 years with the Yankees. Many personal records set by him. Several World Series rings. Definite first ballot hall of famer. Not that we Red Sox fans enjoy any Yankee player, but I think of Jeter as one of the last non-imports to the team. Jeter, Posada & Rivera were 3 guys in pinstripes that I didn't mind watching. Jeter is old school - runs out all his ground balls, unlike some Red Sox player we know. He is always in the right position at SS & he comes to win everyday. He is someone you don't want to face in the 9th with the tying or go-ahead run on second. I think that our version of Jeter is Pedroia. It will be interesting to see what the Red Sox do for him in his last game at Fenway. Hard to top Mo Rivera signing the bullpen wall.

Time for Doubront to Emerge

Maybe it's immaturity. Maybe it's stamina. Maybe it's commitment to training. Whatever "it" is, Felix Doubront needs to use his talent to put together a consistent year from start to finish in 2014. In the past Felix has reported to spring training overweigh which usually leads to an injury. He has also run out of gas in the 2nd half of each of the last 2 seasons. Yet, there are times where he is dominant, the World Series being a good example. Doubront is one of 6 starters under contract. He & Ryan Dempster both spent time in the bullpen during the playoffs. If he wants to keep his starter's job this year, Doubront had better report on time & in shape. There is no reason why he should not join this rotation as an every 5th day lefty & make his 30+ starts. The Sox already have to consider Buchholz a 1/2 to 3/4 year pitcher because of his constant injury problems. Unlike Buck who breaks down, Doubront wears down. And his lack of endurance, some of it self-inflicted, is costing him millions in future earnings. Put it together, Felix, & let's get a consistent performance this year.

Sox Story Lines for Spring Training

David Ortiz is running for re-election - again. You can expect the Sox & Ben Cherington to make a decision late in September or after the season as to whether or not Big Papi comes back. Grady Sizemore is looking to start fresh at 31 in a Red Sox uniform. He will give some competition to JBJ, but it's more of a depth move by the Sox. Will Middlebrooks looks to re-establish himself as a consistent power hitter, along with an improvement in the field at 3B. If Stephen Drew resigns for 2 years, Middlebrooks could be traded. An excess of starting pitchers may allow the Sox to go with 6 starters in the early going to preserve Lester & Lackey for the stretch run, but a trade may arise as well. Speaking of Lester, look for the Sox to get a contract extension done before they leave Fort Myers. The Globe included the 40-man roster & invitees today. Top to botton, this is another very good team that Ben put together. Other than a few guys playing for jobs, don't expect much drama.

A-Rod Drops Suits

Alex Rodriguez, disgraced & banned from baseball for 162 games this year, has dropped his suit against the Players Association & will not appeal the arbitor's decision to Federal court. Finally, he's done. Don't expect A-Rod to ever say the magic words "I'm sorry, I was wrong, I made a big mistake." No, no. Hell will freeze over before you hear those words coming out of his mouth. The Yankees may have to deal with his presence at spring training, but it's doubtful he will show his face. The Yankees may have already made their preference for no show to him. And so A-Rod's legacy goal of 800 home runs will never materialize. I wonder if he is still subject to testing while suspended? If not, A-Rod may return to spring training in 2015 with a hat size 3 times larger than the one he wore last year!

Truck Leaves, Drew Still Up In Air

As the Red Sox equipment truck left today for the sun of Fort Myers, the sounds of bats & balls will be heard soon as the defending world champs try for a repeat in 2014. Other than the truck arriving at Jet Blue Park the only thing left on the Red Sox to-do list is to decide if they will re-sign Stephen Drew. Players & coaches speak highly of Drew. A bartender in Arizona told me that the Sox will offer Drew a 2 year deal. (Where's he getting his info?) If that happens, I think Will Middlebrooks is gone. Bogaerts is ready to play now & I can't see them juggling Drew, Bogaerts & Middlebrooks for 2 more years. Even if Middlebrooks would move to first in a year should Nap move to DH if Big Papi is done after this season, it would be hard to keep Middlebrooks happy with part-time playing at 3B this year. Drew is accident prone as well, so my hope is that the Sox do not re-sign him. Go with the kids, Ben! Go with the kids!

Schiling Has Cancer

Curt Schilling has cancer. He will fight it. We all have friends or family members that have had cancer. Some survive. Some don't. My friends & family have been in the "don't" half when it comes to beating cancer, so I was not happy with this news. Schilling brought the 2004 Reverse the Curse championship to Boston. He also participated on the 2007 championship team. No matter what you think of him - his politics, his failed gaming company, his big mouth - no one deserves cancer. I wish him the best.

Jenny Dell Benched

As one older gentleman once told me, you spend the first half of your life trying to become someone, trying to become famous & you prefer to live the second half of your life anonymously, away from the public eye. Here's the case of 2 single people dating - Jenny Dell and Will Middlebrooks. Because Dell was a NESN sideline reporter for Red Sox games, a public figure, she has been replaced this year as a result of her new boyfriend due to possible bias in reporting. I get it, but I don't like it. And not that I thought that Jenny was a Heidi Whatney or Hazel Mae, but it kind of stinks to me that she can no longer report on Red Sox games from the field with Don & Jerry. It's not like she was reporting on "brain surgery" types of subjects. The feminist movement would have survived, in my book, if Jenny kept her job. But what do I know.

Where Does Mike Carp Fit?

Mike Carp turned into a super sub last year. No one will forget hit pinch-hit grand slam in Tampa Bay. On defense he was adequate in left field & adequate at first base. On offense a left-handed bat off the bench is invaluable. And should an injury occur & the Sox need an outfielder, 1B or DH Carp is the guy. Victorino missed time last year. Napoli had a foot problem. And Ortiz is old. Carp could fill-in for any of those starters. He is part of a deep bench & roster. I'm glad that the Sox have him for another year. You never know what's in store over 162 games & Carp is a good insurance policy.

Football Done

The Denver Broncos laid an egg. The Seattle Seahawks are the champs. All I can say is good that it's finally over. I didn't watch it. I taped it so I can see the Super Bowl commercials which I'll watch tonight. Now it's onto baseball. Thank goodness!