No Contract Update on Lester

On Saturday Buster Olney said that the Sox & Jon Lester's agent were reopening talks about a contract extension. On WEEI today an article quotes Lester as saying there have been no talks to the best of his knowledge. Lester also went on to say that his contract status should not be the focus of his teammates right now, just after their first series win in awhile. He does not want his contract to be a distraction that his teammates have to answer questions about while they should be focusing on trying to get back into the AL East race. Lester thinks the proper time to resume contract discussions is at the end of the season, not during, "perhaps after another World Series win." I have doubts about a repeat, but I like Lester's focus on the task at hand. The Red Sox really screwed up on this one & I hope they can rebound.

Mookie Gets First Hit

Mookie Betts made his major league debut in RF at Yankee Stadium. He reached base twice & scored a run on offense. He also misplayed a ball in RF & got thrown out trying to steal. All in all, an OK start for a converted 2B who has had as many starts in RF as Brock Holt. Speed makes up for a lot of deficiencies in the field, something that he & JBJ have. Speaking of Bradley, how about his perfect 1-hop throw home to get Beltran last night! If the Sox can be patient with his bat, JBJ will more than make up for little offense with his defense.

Red Sox 8, Yankees 5

A nice series win at Yankee Stadium to conclude a 4-6 road trip. I always enjoy the Red Sox beating up on the Yankees, especially when the middle of the order comes through. Pedroia, Ortiz & Napoli were great at the plate last night. BUT - it also shows how a few wins with the right teams losing can change the standings to where you feel we are in the race again at just 6 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays with 80 to go. For you math majors that equates to a 1 game improvement in the standings every 13 games & you get to the top spot. And we have seen this before when the Sox win a few & we think they are ready to take off & they lose the next few series. To say that this upcoming 10-game home stand is crucial is an understatement by any measure. After home series with the Cubs, O's & White Sox the Red Sox will know by the all-star break which direction they will fly - as buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Maybe some pieces are needed either way, like a right-handed outfield bat. The Sox have the prospects to give up to any suitor & it may be time to cash in a few chips before their trade value goes south. The 2014 season has been a tough one to figure out. Stay tuned for the 2nd half.

Betts Up, De La Rosa Down

Like everyone else, I'm excited to see what Mookie Betts can do to help the big club. However, no one should floss by the nice stint that Rubby De La Rosa just turned in as a starter for the Sox. Rubby's stock just soared as a big league starter. His ERA was under 3.00 in 5 starts & with a little offense behind him he certainly could have had 3 or 4 wins instead of 2. If the brittle Clay Buchholz breaks down or the Sox want to give Lester or Lackey a break in July, De La Rosa has gone to the front of the line to rejoin the big club ahead of Webster, Renauldo & Barnes. I guess that work with Pedro paid off. De La Rosa has a much better grasp of the strike zone & his change up is awesome. He has put it all together this year.

A Spark of Life

Red Sox 2, Yankees 1. Jon Lester 2, Masahiro Tanaka 1. Our best beat your best. Ha! Ha! It was like deja vu & the 2013 playoffs all over again. A 9th inning homer by Mike Napoli gave the Sox the lead for good last night in a much-needed win over the stinkin' Yankees. Joe Girardi tried to get a complete game out of Tanaka & it costs him & his team. Unlikely David Ross got the scoring going for the Sox with a homer off Tanaka early on. The Yankees scored an unearned run in the 6th after Drew booted a ball at short. But Mike Napoli brought back visions of his homer off Justin Verlander in last year's playoffs by using the short porch in RF to land a ball into the first row. Nothing has changed, other than we beat the Yankees once. Mookie Betts got his call-up & he will be in the lineup today. I'm looking forward to seeing how he reacts to the big leagues. I remember seeing Mookie play for the Portland Sea Dogs just a little more than a month ago. Good for this kid. No matter what the standings it still brings a smile to my face, & many other fans too, anytime we beat the Yankees. All seems right in the world.

Brock Holt A Positive Story

Because of the constant losing, perhaps Brock Holt's story goes a bit unnoticed. This utility guy came from nowhere to solidify the leadoff spot in the Sox batting order. Holt is good for one to two hits per game, including one more last night. In the field he moves around from 3B to 1B to LF to RF & he does a good job at every position. Last night he took away 2 hits while playing RF, a position he has played for about 4 games now. Brock Holt gets the 10th player award by far. Maybe he gets the 1 through 9 award as well for propping up a dead offense.

No Offense Again

Red Sox get shutout by the #5 starter for the Yankees 6-0. Pick a word -- embarrassing, tired, low point, ugly, etc. It's time to bring some prospects up for a breath of life & it's also time to trade some prospects for a couple of bats. In the short run I suggest this -- try Cecchini for Bogaerts who seems to have hit a wall & try Betts for JBJ for the same reason. What is there to lose? Worst case Bogaerts & Bradley get a breather before starting the 2nd half of the season. Things just keep getting worse by the day. How would you like to be Jon Lester facing Tanaka today? If I'm Lester, I'm thinking I have to be perfect because 1 run may be the difference in the game. Ben needs to make moves internally & externally - & make them now.

2-5

That's the Sox record on this current road trip. 1 for 4 in Oakland. 1 for 3 in Seattle. Now onto to New York to face a Yankees team also struggling to keep their head above .500. Middlebrooks & Victorino have no date set to return as both have had setbacks & extended stints on the DL. Winning once every 3rd or 4th day is just not going to cut it. Not with management. Not with fans. The time for a change is coming sooner than later.

Ortiz, Buchholz Pace 5-4 Sox Win

3 RBI for Big Papi on a night when Mike Napoli was a scratch. How dumb was Lloyd McClendon to pitch to Ortiz? If not for Ortiz, the Mariners would have swept. Clay Buchholz gave the Sox a better than anticipated performance with 7+ innings of work. Giving up 2 homers early in the game looked like Clay was in for a long night, but he rebounded thereafter. Daniel Nava 3 hits. Brock Holt 2 hits. I don't have the stats, but whenever the Sox offense scores 5 or more runs their winning percentage must be pretty high. Now off to Gotham for a weekend set against the Yankees. Both teams are performing subpar this year. As the halfway point approaches, it will be interesting to see what these 2 teams do at the trade deadline. The Red Sox have more flexibility due to shorter term contracts. The Yankees are committed for lots of money & lots of years to several aging players. Red Sox & Yankees may not have the old glitter & fire, but it is still a fun series to watch.

Big Start for Buchholz

A pitcher with great stuff that just can't stay on the field. Injured more than healthy the last few years. Do you give up on him? Do you trade him? Is Clay Buchholz the new Daniel Bard? Is it all mental with Buck? A lot of questions. Not many answers. Tonight will be a pivotal start for the Clay man as he tries to salvage one game for his team in the great northwest. If Buck performs reasonably well, he will no doubt stay in the rotation. If Buck has a rough outing, though, there will be head-scratching about what to do with him. Several pitchers in Pawtucket are knocking down the door to get to the big team. Felix Doubront laid an egg in his return & he may be relegated to the bullpen for awhile while De La Rosa or Workman stays in the rotation. And Buck isn't a bullpen kind of guy. A bad outing tonight may necessitate another trip to the DL for a mystery illness, like his mystery knee injury this last time. We'll see what happens.

Misery Loves Company

The Boston Red Sox & the Tampa Bay Rays. 2 perrenial playoffs teams who made the postseason in 2013 have fallen on hard times in 2014. The Rays can't hit & they have pitching issues for the first time in many years. The Red Sox can't hit, but their pitching staff has the 4th best ERA in the AL. Who would have thought it, the Red Sox outpitching the Rays? The only solace during the first half of this season is that the Rays, not the Sox, are in last. I don't like Mr. Professor Joe Maddon who thinks he can outsmart every other manager. Maddon can point to the loss of Matt Moore as a reason for the Rays demise, but David Price is having a subpar year & it is very possible that he will be traded by the deadline. The Red Sox should be looking to move a combination of vets & rookies to improve their roster for 2015. Both teams are expected to be active at the trade deadline. Things change, don't they. Thank goodness we had a special 2013.

Rob Bradford: Time to Turnover Roster

I agree. Rob Bradford from WEEI has a piece on-line today that says it's time for the Red Sox brass to raise the white flag & turn the Red Sox lineup over. After 78 games & another loss last night 8-2 to the Mariners this version of the 2014 Red Sox team has no traction, or as Bradford says, "Plan A is not working." Keep building blocks like Bogaerts, Bradley, Holt, Workman & De La Rosa. Jettison guys like Peavy & Pierzynski who may still have value to another team, most probably in the NL. I really can't stand Pierzynski swinging at the 1st pitch every time & making an out. He left 9 runners on base last night & he has only seen 44 pitches in his last 20 at bats. That means AJ is swinging on pitch #1 or #2 & pitchers know that. He is not your typical Red Sox batter who works the count. Give Cristian Vasquez a shot at catching in the big leagues. Try Cecchini & Betts & Middlebrooks in the outfield. Give Lester & Lackey a few turns off & try Webster & Renauldo. The Sox have nothing to lose at this point & these sneak peeks may prove valuable for future trades. With game #81 & the official halfway point of the season coming on Saturday in New York I agree with Bradford - turn the roster over because Plan A is not working.

Travel Day Letdown

12-3. That was the final score in a loss to Seattle last night after the Red Sox had 1-0 & 2-1 leads early in the game. I went to bed when it was 4-2. John Lackey didn't have it last night & he had to leave after 4 2/3rds. Chris Capuano was bad again out of the bullpen & he added to the misery of a lopsided loss. A bright spot was Mike Napoli with a double & homer off of King Felix. But, overall, a long season continues to be longer. The Red Sox don't seem to travel well as they drop the opening game of a road series again. This series is still up for grabs, so maybe Peavy & the offense can right the ship with a win tonight. It's hard for a lot of fans who saw the Red Sox have so much success last year, winning series after series, winning 1-run games in late inning dramatic fashion, to sit through this season. However, it is what it is.

Sox Prevail 7-6

It looked like an easy win for Jon Lester when he departed in the 8th with a 6-1 lead. But nothing is easy when you are trying to break a losing streak. Badenhop & Uehara give up 5 runs over the final 2 frames & it take a David Ortiz homer in the 10th to nail down a win 7-6 over the A's. Nice to see the offense pick-up the bullpen for a change. 7 runs is an explosion compared to the meager offensive output of recent days. And so continues the strange year of major league baseball where 25 teams, including the Red Sox, remain within striking distance of the playoffs as the halfway point of the 2014 season approaches this coming weekend. Buy or sell remains the key question for many, many teams. Even the guys on The Baseball Show are divided on their opinions about what to do. Do the Red Sox have a run left in them? Answer - who knows. The answer may lie with players on the DL like Buchholz, Victorino & Middlebrooks. Any production from those 3 at the major league level may be the missing ingredient to a winning streak. What about Mookie Betts? Is this offense generator ready for the big show & can he contribute? There are more questions than answers at this point. Ben Cherington may need more time to evaluate what he has in internal player additions over the next few weeks before he reacts externally.

Another 1-Run Loss

Don't you want to puke sometimes as you watch the Red Sox squander good pitching performance after good pitching performance & lose games Time & time again due to no offense? Another 2-1 loss yesterday to the Amazin' A's makes 17 losses for the season in 1-run games. David Ortiz just will not go the other way & he continues to hit into the shift for ground outs or double plays. It's obvious that stats, not wins, are what Big Papi is all about. Even Albert Pujols went the other way for 2 big RBI that won a game for the Angels earlier this week. Maybe Ortiz should give it a try, instead of trying to jack every ball out of the park to add to his 400+ homer total. Next weekend will be the halfway point of the season. Buy or sell? Buy or sell? Do you face reality & build a team for 2015, jettisoning guys like Pierzynski, Gomes, Drew, Ross, Breslow, Miller & Capuano who are free agents next year for younger talent? Or do you feel that this team has a run left in them &, instead, you trade away valuable prospects to add a bat or two? That decision is getting closer & closer for Ben Cherington & company. This is the .500 team that we thought we were getting in 2013 & somehow that team miraculously turned in above average performances on a daily basis to win a very unexpected championship. You can't duplicate that type of special season every year. So, 2014 is looking more like sell year than buy year to me.

Almost for AJ

Almost doesn't count in baseball. Jake Peavy pitches well enough to win - again - but gets no run support. Chris Capuano gives up a huge insurance run to the A's in the bottom of the 7th. Capuano has taken over for Mujica as the most ineffective reliever out of the Red Sox bullpen. And still the Sox almost tied it in the 9th. Losing 4-2 Pedroia hits a double. After a weak foul out by Napoli AJ hits a ball deep to center that gets caught by Coco on a nice running & jumping catch at the wall to end the game. Close, but no cigar. The Amazin' A's just find a way to do more with less year after year after year. Billy Beane should get paid a lot more. As Eck said, the A's need to get past the Tigers in the playoffs this year & make a run at the world Series before all their karma is used up. That would be a good story.

A Sweep

The Red Sox scored 5 runs in 3 games & swept the Twins. Yesterday it was Papi then Napoli providing the fireworks in the 10th with back-to-back jacks to earn a 2-1 win. We may never see better starts than the 3 by de la Rosa, Lester & Lackey that they just turned in. Pitching compensating for lack of hitting. 3 1-run wins. What a momentum changer when you come out on top of close games! Now the Sox go into Oakland for 4. The A's with miss Lackey & the Sox will miss Sonny Gray. It will be a battle of the 3-4-5-1 starters for each team. Oakland is tough at home, but maybe the Sox finally have some momentum going their way. Assume jet lag may impair their game 1 performance tonight. A split in Oakland would be a very acceptable outcome. Get ready for late night baseball.

Grady Sizemore Waived

The Grady Sizemore experiment is over. Maybe it wasn't long enough to see what he could do. But Boston is not a patient town. Grady was a great story in spring training, but the accomplishments were just too few & too far between when the real games started. I hope he gets a chance with another team. I got to see him play with Cleveland during spring training in his hayday. He was a Johnny Damon & Jacoby Ellsbury type for sure. Good luck to Grady!

The Brock Holt Show

3B. 1B. LF. RF. Now CF. Brock Holt makes a saving catch on a ball Jonny Gomes loses in the lights. He gets 2 hits, steals a base, scores 2 runs. Sox win 2-1 on another day when the offense is stymied, but the pitching of Jon Lester & company is good enough to beat the Twins. Don't look now but the Red Sox are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Winning 1-run games is sure a lot more fun than losing them. Where would the Sox be without Brock Holt?

No Offense, No Problem

Sox win another game 1-0, this time over the visiting Twins. Instead of Brandon Workman beating Baltimore 1-0, this time it was Rubby de la Rosa pitching 7 shutout innings & the bullpen taking care of the last 6 outs. Both Workman & de la Rosa are making the most of their major league opportunity as key replacements in the rotation for Felix Doubront & Clay Buchholz. If the Sox are looking for more trade chips, any 2 of these 4 pitchers could go to a contending team next month for an outfield bat. It wouldn't bother me if it was Doubront & Buchholz!

Another 3-2 Loss

The Red Sox just can't win a 1-run game this year. They also can't win a game that they don't score first in. Pedroia & Ortiz are slumping at the plate. If 2-2 is an upgrade from where the Sox have been, then there is just not much hope for this season. We have musical chairs going on in the field -- Brock Holt from 3B to 1B to LF to RF. Will Middlebrooks will get some time in the outfield as he rehabs in Pawtucket. Bogaerts has been sick. Drew played his 1 game this week. There is no clicking, no momentum, no chemistry on the field & 2013 seems a long, long time ago. Another month of playing around with the current roster & getting players back from the DL will determine what happens at the trade deadline. As of June 16th, it doesn't seem like this team has the horses or the luck to make the playoffs this year. Maybe things will change.

Sox Lose 3-2

Jake Peavy gets the least run support of any Red Sox starter. That trend continued yesterday in the Sox 3-2 loss to the Indians. Bad relief pitching & little offense spelled the difference, along with several double plays. Is there any chance that Big Papi will start taking the ball the other way instead of hitting into the shift? Probably not as home run hitters swing for the fences & Papi is looking at breaking records every time he gets another at-bat. I'd like to see Ortiz go the other way for just 1 week & see what that does to teams shifting on him. Peavy deserved a better fate yesterday.

Red Sox 10, Indians 3

A winning streak of 2 games. We'll take it! Another consistent performance in all 3 phases - John Lackey, the Boston offense & the Red Sox defense - equals another win. Mad Dog Russo on the MLB Network had just said that Dustin Pedroia needed to come alive offensively for the Sox to make a move. The Red Sox 2nd baseman did just that last night with 2 hits & 2 RBI. In addition, Pedroia earned the JBJ award from the previous night by making 2 excellent plays in the field. I root for Daniel Nava who is coming alive with his bat - 5 hits in the last 2 games. Good to see him producing again. So the Sox can do no less than split with Tito's men. If Lackey & Lester can continue to give good starts to this rotation every 5th day, the Sox should stay away from future prolonged losing streaks. Jake Peavy needs to get on track this afternoon & give this rotation another solid start.

How About Chris Carter?

I'm trying to help Ben do his job. How about a trade for Chris Carter of the Houston Astros? He's a big man at 6'4" & 250 pounds. 27 years old. He can play LF, 1B & DH. He is a 30 HR, 85 RBI guy who bats from the right side. It would probably take at least 3 good prospects to bring him to Beantown. I would give the Astros Middlebrooks, Webster & Lavarnway, just to name a few. Money won't be an issue as Carter is not a free agent yet. Ben could give him an extension of 5 years in the $30 to $40 million range, something that wouldn't break the bank. He does strikeout a lot, but his K's are down this year. Like with Napoli, you can teach someone to cut down on strikeouts, but you can't teach power. This guy has power. OK, Ben, go do it!

Sox Defeat Tito 5-2

Jon Lester - very good. Brock Holt - 2 more hits. Big Papi - 2-run homer to dead center. JBJ - great imitation of Yoanis Cespedes, except he caught the ball. Koji - being Koji. The Sox offense collects 10+ hits to break out of a major slump & put up 5 runs on the board. Good pitching, good offense, good defense (save 1 miscue by Lester himself). Sounds like a recipe for success. Now here's the hard part - consistency. Let's repeat this game basics again & again & again this weekend & get back into the playoff race.

Buy Or Sell?

Ben Cherington & Co. have to decide which way they expect the 2014 season to go. Can guys like Victorino, Buchholz, Gomes, Middlebrooks rebound during the 2nd half of the season? Or should we expect more of the same sub-.500 ball? I think any decision will wait until the trade deadline at the end of July. In the meantime, we may see more auditions by Renaudo, Webster, Betts, Cecchini to give Red Sox management a better idea of what they may have for the 2015 season. More exposure to the big club by these rookies may also enhance their trade value. And don't think names like Pierzynski, Uehara, Lackey, Peavy & others won't be made available for the right deal if selling is the preferred way to go. You need to give up something to get something in return. The Sox have an overabundance of pitching to deal, both young & old. A 3-for-1 deal to get a power hitting corner outfielder may be what they need to do. A signing like Andres Torres is akin to signing Grady Sizemore. Minor, incremental improvement at best & not a long term solution. The next month will be very interesting.

Orioles 6, Red Sox 0

Another shutout. No offense. 1 run in 3 games. You can't win when you don't score. Nuf ced!

A Nice Win 1-0

When you think of the Red Sox & Orioles you don't think of just 1 run combined between both teams. But the Red Sox pitching staff returned the favor of a shutout from the prior night by shutting down the O's offense on just 2 hits. Mike Napoli had the only RBI in the 3rd, scoring Brock Holt. After that it was 6 2/3 innings of 1-hit ball by Brandon Workman, then 2 1/3 innings of 1-hit ball by Andrew Miller, Junichi Tazawa & Koji Uehara. This was a very atypical win for Boston as the Sox have a miserable record in 1-run games so far this year. Workman is making his case for sticking in the starting rotation when Doubront & Buchholz are ready to return. If Rubby de la Rosa can pitch well tonight, John Farrell will have some tough decisions to make. It would be nice to get a win tonight & also earn a series win in Baltimore before returning home to face the Indians 4 times this weekend.

Where's the Beef?

No offense. No win. Sox lose 4-0. Just on a personal note I am glad to see Daniel Nava coming around. That guy has been on a roller coaster ride from being a major contributing player last year to being demoted to AAA this year. Holt had another hit last night. But collectively the Sox only got 4 hits. Call it a travel day low after the ESPN Sunday night game. It will be interesting to see Workman & de la Rosa pitch the next 2 games against a good hitting team.

Machado Pulls A Nuttie

Manny Machado. He takes exception to a tag play made more challenging by his own efforts at eluding. He hits the Oakland catcher twice on his backswings at the plate with no remorse, maybe even with a little grin. Then, he throws his bat down 3rd base line after being pitched in tight. Quite a weekend for the 21 year old! Immaturity at its finest. I wouldn't be surprised if his own fans boo him tonight as they start a 3-game set with the Red Sox. A suspension will be coming, only after it is appealed I'm sure. I thought the O's were the team of Matt Wieders, Chris Davis& Adam Jones. I must have missed the memo about Machado being "the" man in Baltimore who can't be tagged out or pitched into. I hope he gets 10 games & a nice big fine.

Possible Outfield Trades

The Red Sox outfield is under-producing on offense at record lows. It is rumored that Ben is looking at trades since we have no power outfield bats in the minors. I looked up outfielders with the highest OPS in 2013 & so far in 2014. We can assume that no one from Toronto or another AL East team would be willing to trade with the Sox. So here's the names that I found -- Jayson Werth, Washington; Michael Cuddyer, Colorado; Mike Trout, LA Angels; Giancarlo Stanton, Miami; Hunter Pence, San Francisco; Justin Upton, Atlanta; Michael Morse, San Francisco. We have excess pitching & a number of spare parts to offer. It would take a 3-for-1 or 4-for-1 to move some of these guys, not to mention the Red Sox taking on some serious money for the established vets. But all of these players are 25 homer, 80+ RBI guys. It would not be impossible to bring in one or two, but the Sox would need to be very motivated. Who knows? Maybe they are! Of this group I would shoot for Stanton & Trout.

Lackey, Ortiz Strong In Win

John Lackey pitched 8 innings, giving up a series best 3 runs with only 2 earned. In the 9th David Ortiz salvaged a great pitching performance by Lackey with a 3-run homer off of old nemesis Joba Chamberlain to give the Sox a 5-3 win. The Sox picked a good night to win as the Jays, Yankees & O's all lost. Brock Holt went 4-5 & Mike Napoli made his presence in the lineup felt as he went 3-4 including a homer off of Annibel Sanchez. A team meeting before the game may have gone for naught if not for the huge home run by Big Papi in his last at bat. A big win for sure. It's as if the Red Sox team had been kidnapped on an episode of "24" & this win is a sign to Red Sox Nation of proof of life. Nap is back. The lineup is getting stretched out. Let's ride this wave of optimism into Camden Yards tonight.

Don't Blame the Offense

6 runs & 15 hits equals a win, right? No, not when you're the Boston Red Sox & you're on your way to another 10 game losing streak. Sox lose in Motown 8-6 last night. Jon Lester had a rare bad start, not making it through 5 innings while giving up 5 runs. The bullpen was bad as they collectively gave up 3 runs. Blame the pitching last night, not the offense. Daniel Nava & Dustin Pedroia had 3 hits a piece & X-man added 2 more. Like a lot of teams this year, consistency has been a very elusive word. Pitching good, offense bad. Offense good, pitching bad. John Lackey goes tonight to try & salvage the final game of this lost series before the Sox fly to division rival Baltimore. So far my thought about another 7-3 stretch over the next 10 games is off to an 0-2 start. Strange year.

Another Loss

Detroit 6, Red Sox 2. No offense again. 4th loss in a row. Not much else to say. Maybe Lester & Lackey can throw shutouts to get 2 wins.

Guest Article - "The Gerbil"

A couple of days ago the "Designated Gerbil," the man who coined the phrase Spaceman Bill Lee, passed away. First Dick Williams & now the Gerbil. As a fan of the Red Sox since Yaz broke into the majors, it is difficult to see the passing of one of the most intense managers I have ever seen. Billy Martin is another one along with Lou Pinella. Here are some of my favorite memories & least favorite of Don Zimmer a/k/a the "Gerbil." Pedro vs. the Gerbil. Don't think the WWF & Vince McMahon did not take notice. I bet Zim got more money than Pedro for his fall. The Order of Buffalo Heads -- Lee, Carbo & Willobhy. Using Bobby Sprowl in a playoff game instead of Bill Lee. Up by 14 games in August, eventually losing the playoff game with the hated Yankees. Winning the NL Central with the Cubs. Winning 4 rings with the Yankees & 2 with the Dodgers. Meeting both Babe Ruth & Jackie Robinson. How cool is that? Having a park named for him in Windham, NH while wearing a Yankees cap. Working 66 years in major league games. Surviving several brain surgeries & living with a plate in his head (tough guy). I am sure that we all agree that Zim was among the most entertaining managers in baseball. My favorite all-time Red Sox managers are: Dick Williams, Don Zimmer & John Farrell. 6, 2 & even. Send 'em! (Author: Coach Gaff)

A Positive Thought

As the Red Sox begin their weekend series in Detroit tonight, not many fans in Red Sox Nation are feeling too good about their hometown team. Include me in that group. I don't know why, maybe because I'm looking for anything positive, but I came up with the following thought. The Red Sox were 0-10 heading into Atlanta over a week ago. The Sox then reeled off 7 wins in a row before losing 3 in Cleveland. So the last 10 games find the Red Sox at 7-3, a 70% improvement for you math majors, over their previous 10. The next 10 games are against Detroit (3), Baltimore (3) & Cleveland (4). If the Sox can go 7-3 again, that would show signs of life & continued improvement. Mike Napoli returns on Sunday & maybe he will bring a hot bat with him. Think 7-3 again, fans! Think 7-3!

Don Zimmer Passes Away

A baseball guy for life. Zim was in the same mold as Johnny Pesky. Just loved being around the game. Zimmer had stints with several teams - Red Sox, Yankees, Tampa Bay. He was very charitable to Windham, NH & helped raise money for many ball fields in town. I remember trying to recruit his granddaughter once for a college team. Even though he wore a Yankees hat & he was thrown to the ground by Pedro in a Red Sox-Yankees brawl, you have to admire a guy that did what he loved for so long. Safe travels, Don, to the next ball field!

Swept By Tito

Just an ugly 3 days in Cleveland. Last night's 7-4 loss completed a sweep by the Indians, something no one would have envisioned after the Sox invaded Cleveland riding high on a 7 game win streak. Another night where the Red Sox can't score more than 4 runs over 12 innings. Another night where Edward Mujica looks horrible & he needs to be replaced in the bullpen. I shut off the TV after the Sox tied it up 4-4 on a big single by Brock Holt. David Ortiz launched a 2-run bomb to give the Sox the lead 2-1, but Workman & Capuano gave it right back by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th. The Sox continue to struggle when the other team scores first. Maybe a day off will help. It can't hurt.

Workman Suspended 6 Games

Workman 6, Price 0. I blame this whole fiasco on the umpiring crew. They were too quick with warnings to both teams after Ortiz got hit. Usually, the other team gets one free hit batter before they get warned. And they never ejected Price after hitting a second Red Sox, Mike Carp, after the warnings were given. Poor umpiring. Workman will appeal his suspension, maybe getting it knocked down a few games so he only misses one turn in the rotation. He will pitch tonight. Poor, poor interpretation by the umps of what it means to hit a batter after a warning is given.

Another Loss to Indians 5-3

Check my article yesterday. I said that the Sox would need a serviceable performance from Peavy (check) & they would need to score 5 or more runs (no check). The Sox bats have been sluggish in Cleveland. Also, if I were John Farrell, I would never use Andrew Miller in a tie game as he has given up 5 or 6 leads in 13 of the Red Sox 1-run losses this year. If the Sox could have won half of those games, they would be above .500 & in 2nd place. I guess the goal on this road trip is to survive & not fall completely out of the race as Tampa Bay has done. Until Napoli & Victorino get back, the Sox can only hope to hover around .500 a little longer. How bad is this division when Toronto is in first? The Yankees, O's & Red Sox have a good week, then a bad week. No one has any traction. And we are at the 1/3 pole of the year. One bright spot is the offense of Xander Bogaerts who is now showing some power with 2 homers in 2 days. He's the real deal. Cody Allen is also the real deal as a young closer for Tito. When he throws strikes he is unhittable. I heard Dennis & Callahan ragging on Farrell for pinch hitting Sizemore last night. If Allen throws strikes like last night, it didn't matter who Farrell sent up there. So, this is a series loss after winning & sweeping the last 2. Sox need to salvage the finale to get some momentum going into Detroit. Same deal tonight to be successful - Workman needs to give the Sox a serviceable start & the offense needs to score 5 or more runs. Let's see if they listen to me.

Masterson Ends Sox Winning Streak

It seems like Justin Masterson has the Red Sox number. If he only pitched against the Sox, the former Red Sox pitcher would be a 20-game winner. Sometimes it goes like that. Remember how CC Sabathia in his younger days would beat the Red Sox 4 or 5 times a year? The Red Sox win streak was bound to end & it did in Cleveland by a score of 3-2. Only a 2-run homer by the hot hitting Bogaerts accounted for all the offense. Factor in a travel day & maybe this was not unexpected. Can we blame Stephen Drew already for upsetting the apple cart? No. Over the long haul Drew will be a plus to every pitcher on the staff & Bogarts is the best fielding third-baseman on the team. The pressure is now on Peavy & Workman to deliver serviceable starts while the offense tees off on the other Indians starters. I still believe that this is a win-able series, even though the Francona men are on a mini win streak of their own. If the Sox offense scores 5 or more runs in these next 2 games, I think we are OK.

Missed Opportunity to Resign Lester

The Boston Red Sox brass missed a golden opportunity to resign Jon Lester this past spring. They offered Lester 4 years & $70 million which is way, way below market value. Almost a slap in the face to a guy that was willing to take a hometown discount to stay with the Red Sox. Now that Lester is having another solid year their chances of resigning the big lefty are getting slimmer every day with every start he makes. As discussed on The Baseball Show last night, why would Lester sign now before seeing what else is out there? Rumors are that negotiations are continuing behind the scenes with Lester's agents. But the Red Sox surely missed their best chance to ward off free agency with their ace. It would be a shame not to see Lester finish his career in Boston like Dustin Pedroia.

Make It 7 In A Row

A home town scorer helped Brock Holt get credit for 4 doubles yesterday as the Red Sox finished off a sweep of the Rays 4-0. Jon Lester was too much for the Tampa Bay offense as he threw 7 innings of shutout ball. New guys Alex Hassan & Garin Cecchini both got their first major league hits. Back to Holt. Manager John Farrell got creative & played Holt at 1B to keep his bat in the lineup. And it paid off. We may see Holt at 1B this entire week since Mike Carp went on the DL with a broken foot & Mike Napoli is not ready to come off the DL until next week. Holt was thought to be odd man out as Stephen Drew returns to play SS tonight. Now it is Jonathan Herrera who may be sent down to make room for Drew. The Red Sox open a 3 game set in Cleveland against Terry Francona's Indians. Old friend Justin Masterson gets the ball against John Lackey. As unlikely as this sounds, I was surprised to learn that the Red Sox record in May was 13-15. I thought it would have been much worse due to the 10 game losing streak. On June 2nd the Sox are 6 back of Toronto for first & 1 1/2 behind Baltimore for 3rd. It would be nice to move up one spot by this time next week.

What to Do With Brock Holt?

Stephen Drew is ready to join the Red Sox in Cleveland on Monday. Brock Holt has played very well as the Sox leadoff hitter & he has been making all of the plays of late at 3B. Xander Bogaerts has taken off offensively & he has played much better defensively at SS. When you are on a winning streak you hate to see any changes potentially mess up the good karma flowing within the dugout. Superstition I guess. But Drew is set to rejoin the big club for the next series. That means that Holt is odd man out of the starting lineup. Holt may still keep a roster spot which then puts Jonathan Herrera on the hot seat. And what happens when Will Middlebrooks is ready to come back? Lots of questions. Lots of options. I think competition is great motivator & John Farrell will have to sort it all out on daily basis. We will see how some of these questions get answered starting Monday.

Ortiz Versus Price

You have the arrow. You have the Ed-wing. You have a lot of showboating in baseball these days. I find Ortiz watching a home run to be fairly mild compare to some other players antics in baseball today. David Price did something personal to the detriment of his team. As the ace of the staff, an ace that is not pitching like an ace this year, he needed to deliver a win for his last place, cellar-dwelling team. Instead, he retaliated for something that happened last year. Take away the dumb stuff & it was a very good game, won by the Sox in 10 3-2. Now we are left with personal vendettas between Price & Ortiz - which in the scheme of things means nothing. I blame the umpires for not ejecting Price as they should have after their warnings were given. An ejection may have defused the situation. In the end this is much to do about nothing. Winning games is the focus. And Tampa has not done that so far this year. That's the story that David Price should focus on.

De la Rosa, Holt, JBJ Shine in Win

Rubby de la Rosa made the most of his first start at Fenway by throwing 7 innings of shutout ball. Brock Holt made 2 great plays in the field & hit his first major league home run. JBJ went crashing into the F.W. Webb symbol in left center to almost make a tremendous catch & he also hit a home run. The Red Sox are getting contributions from a lot of guys in the absence of several starters. No Pedroia last night as he is day to day. Napoli & Victorino are on the DL. A somewhat easy 7-1 victory last night over the punchless Rays offense & a 2nd series win. The win streak is 6 in a row. With Jon Lester on the mound this afternoon you have to like the Sox chances at another sweep.