http://www.redsoxnews.net en kevin@redsoxnews.net Copyright 2008 2008-04-16T01:28:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_jackie_robinson_day/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_jackie_robinson_day/#When:00:28:00Z It's hard to get a feel for a ballplayer when you've never seen him play. Jackie Robinson died 8 years before I was born. I've heard a great deal of praise for the man, some of it regarding the color barrier, and some of it regarding the type of ballplayer and person that he was. But it wasn't until today, while browsing baseball-reference.com, that I started to understand how Jackie Robinson played the game. 2008-04-16T00:28:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_did_buried_jersey_curse_ortiz/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_did_buried_jersey_curse_ortiz/#When:21:52:00Z The burying of the jersey happened to coincide with a terrible slump for Ortiz, and I began to wonder if the jersey cursed Ortiz, rather than the Yankees. If you want to curse the Yankees, bury the jersey of Jason Giambi or someone, don't bury a cheap Ortiz jersey (home jersey with the name on the back). David Ortiz 2008-04-14T21:52:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_kielty_accepts_assignment_to_pawtucket/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_kielty_accepts_assignment_to_pawtucket/#When:21:01:00Z Bobby Kielty accepted his assignment to Pawtucket, rather than enter free agency. The move isn't unexpected on the Red Sox' part. There just isn't room for Kielty on the current roster, seeing as the outfield is already log jammed with Manny, Ellsbury, Crisp, and Drew all qualified to roam the grass on an everyday basis. Trades and Contracts, Bobby Kielty 2008-04-01T21:01:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_red_sox_all_your_moneys_are_belong_to_us/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_red_sox_all_your_moneys_are_belong_to_us/#When:19:54:00Z The Red Sox and the Massachusetts Lottery have teamed up once again, this time for a $20 scratch ticket. I have never in my life walked up to the counter of a store and thought to myself you know, dropping $20 on that lottery ticket sounds like a good idea right now. Red Sox News 2008-04-01T19:54:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_back_from_my_preseason_hiatus/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_back_from_my_preseason_hiatus/#When:01:56:00Z I took the last couple weeks off to get ready for the grind of the regular season (Japan doesn't count, I don't care what the standings say), but I'll be back at things in full force come tomorrow. Our starting pitching has been a bit shaky lately, but real opening day is tomorrow for the Red Sox (even if it is at 10:05 PM), and who can be pessimistic about that? This is the best time of the year. 2008-04-01T01:56:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_boycott_averted_red_sox_headed_to_japan/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_boycott_averted_red_sox_headed_to_japan/#When:20:41:00Z The Red Sox threatened to boycott the trip to Japan this morning, after learning yesterday that the coaches were not going to receive the $40,000 payment that had reportedly been agreed to. So far, members of the Red Sox have made it sound like MLB was either untruthful or deceptive, that money was promised and then not paid. I have a hard time believing this. Red Sox News 2008-03-19T20:41:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406no_japan_trip_for_beckett_dice_k_will_start_opener/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406no_japan_trip_for_beckett_dice_k_will_start_opener/#When:02:57:00Z It's official: Josh Beckett will not be making the trip to Japan. Beckett threw off the mound yesterday for the first time since injuring his back, and by all accounts the exercise was a success. Dice-K Matsuzaka, whose wife gave birth to a baby boy on Saturday, now has clearance to travel to Japan and will pitch in the opener vs. the Athletics. Lester will start game 2. It should be a pretty special day for Matsuzaka, as he'll be throwing in front of his countrymen for the first time since defecting to the Major Leagues last year. Injuries, Dice-K, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett 2008-03-18T02:57:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406dice_kid_arrives_matsuzaka_looks_clear_for_japan_trip/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406dice_kid_arrives_matsuzaka_looks_clear_for_japan_trip/#When:17:04:00Z Dice-K's baby was born this morning, likely clearing the way for him to accompany the team to Japan next week. Tomoyo, wife of the Red Sox righthander, gave birth to a boy Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m., the team said. The newborn, the couple's second child, weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces. No name for the boy was released. Hopefully the healthy birth of his baby marks the end of the bad luck plague that has swept through the Red Sox pitching staff over the last month. Dice-K 2008-03-15T17:04:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_sox_choose_cash/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_sox_choose_cash/#When:13:42:00Z The Red Sox have announced that Kevin Cash will be Doug Mirabelli's replacement. According to team sources, the 37-year-old Mirabelli's bat had slowed since last season, when he appeared in 48 games and hit just .202 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. His defense, particularly his throwing arm, has declined. In the end, the Red Sox decided Kevin Cash, as solid as there is defensively, was the better option. I'm surprised to hear that Mirabelli declined so much over the last few months, and I have a really hard time seeing Cash as a season-long solution. I recognize that Cash is a good defensive catcher, but in his best offensive season (2004) he hit .193 with a .249 OBP. If Tek goes down for any length of time, this is going to get painful. Doug Mirabelli, Jason Varitek 2008-03-14T13:42:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406sox_release_mirabelli/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406sox_release_mirabelli/#When:17:03:00Z I'm caught a bit off guard by this one, but the Red Sox have released Doug Mirabelli. I always liked Mirabelli, because he made it seem like anybody could play professional baseball. He doesn't have any discernable skills aside from being able to catch an obscure pitch. There was always the idea that you could go out in your back yard, pay some college kid $5 bucks an hour to throw you knuckleballs, and after a few thousand pitches you could show up to the Red Sox camp and not do any worse than a guy on a major league roster. As long as Mirabelli was playing, we all had a shot. Trades and Contracts, Doug Mirabelli 2008-03-13T17:03:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_coco_not_going_to_the_mets/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_coco_not_going_to_the_mets/#When:21:38:00Z Apparently there was a rumor going around that the Red Sox were talking about trading Coco Crisp to the Mets for Angel Pagan. I never heard this rumor, but it turns out that it's a fabrication. So there you go. Trades and Contracts, Coco Crisp 2008-03-12T21:38:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_baldelli_out_indefinitely/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_baldelli_out_indefinitely/#When:16:35:00Z Rocco Baldelli addressed the medical problems that have kept him sidelined in spring training for the first time today. Baldelli will start the season on the DL, where he will remain indefinitely. The Rays have said that they will not pick up his 2009 option on April 1st, but may re-sign him at a late date. Personally, I'm hoping the Rays sign Kenny Lofton. I have two good reasons for this: Dice-K 2008-03-12T16:35:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_oldest_player_to_have_a_season_ops_above_1000/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/406_oldest_player_to_have_a_season_ops_above_1000/#When:04:00:00Z In 1960, Ted Williams posted an OPS of 1.096. He was 41 years old. Stat of the Day 2008-03-11T04:00:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/becketts_back_worsens_crisp_and_lugo_still_hurt/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/becketts_back_worsens_crisp_and_lugo_still_hurt/#When:18:56:00Z After feeling pretty good yesterday, Josh Beckett is pessimistic about the condition of his back. He said he had difficulty sleeping last night because of the back, and said he did not know when he'll be able to resume baseball activity. I was a lot more optimistic yesterday than I am today, Beckett said. The injury is apparently a muscle strain or pull, and at this point it seems unlikely that Beckett will be making the trip to Japan. Injuries, Coco Crisp, Josh Beckett, Julio Lugo 2008-03-10T18:56:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/cubs_interested_in_crisp/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/cubs_interested_in_crisp/#When:11:00:01Z The Chicago Sun Times reports that the Cubs are interested in Coco Crisp. The Cubs are rumored to be offering Jason Marquis and Sam Fuld, but the Red Sox aren't going to give Coco away for a dead weight starter plus a minor league center fielder. Where's the utility, man? Where's the sacrifice? The Globe speculates that the Cubs would need to add bullpen help or prospects. Trades and Contracts, Coco Crisp 2008-03-10T11:00:01-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_times_caught_stealing_in_a_season_among_active_players/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_times_caught_stealing_in_a_season_among_active_players/#When:04:00:00Z In 1997, Nomar Garciaparra was caught stealing 9 times in 31 attempts. Stat of the Day 2008-03-10T04:00:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/inching_towards_the_panic_button/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/inching_towards_the_panic_button/#When:20:08:00Z If you had asked me one month ago to name the strongest component of the 2008 Red Sox, I wouldn't have given it a second's thought. The rotation, you idiot. We's gots teh Buchholz and we's gots teh Lester, we don't need no stinking Santana! Contrast that winter optimism to today, where if you asked me what the team's strong point was, I'd say, we have a strong point? Before you rush to any judgments on my character, let me clarify by saying that I pride myself in being a rational baseball fan 95% of the time. I rarely get caught up in media hype, I hate Tim McCarver, and I never panic during a losing skid (unless that losing skid comes in the first or last week of the season, or during the playoffs). So I do know that I'm being irrational right now, which in many ways is worse than not knowing it. Clay Buchholz, Curt Schilling, Dice-K, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield 2008-03-09T20:08:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_saves_in_a_season/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_saves_in_a_season/#When:05:00:00Z Tom Gordon had 46 saves in 1998. He held opponents to a .191 BA, surrendering only 24 runs in 79.1 innings. As great as that season was, I'll mostly remember him for throwing up before he came out of the bullpen in the 2004 ALCS as a member of the Yankees. Stat of the Day 2008-03-09T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/wakefield_cutting_time_off_delivery/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/wakefield_cutting_time_off_delivery/#When:00:29:00Z Like all knuckleballers, Tim Wakefield has always had a hard time keeping base runners honest. Wakefield throws his knuckleball over 80% of the time, and it generally leaves his hand at less than 70 mph. He only throws his fastball 15% of the time, and when he does, batters hit .325 against him. Add in the fact that his four seamer almost never tops 80 mph, and even Mirabelli could probably swipe a base off him. Tim Wakefield 2008-03-09T00:29:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/josh_beckett_injures_back/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/josh_beckett_injures_back/#When:20:06:00Z Josh Beckett injured his back during warm ups before today's game vs. the Marlins. Beckett limped off the field, and will undergo further examination. He has been on the disabled list multiple times with back problems in the past, so it's a little scary. Hopefully this is just a minor tweak. Josh Beckett 2008-03-08T20:06:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_consecutive_games_with_a_stolen_base/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_consecutive_games_with_a_stolen_base/#When:04:00:00Z Tommy Harper stole a base in 5 straight games. His streak ran from 6/1 - 6/8/74. Stat of the Day 2008-03-08T04:00:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/manny_gives_pedroia_a_rolex_for_winning_rookie_of_the_year/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/manny_gives_pedroia_a_rolex_for_winning_rookie_of_the_year/#When:01:06:00Z Last summer, Manny Ramirez told Dustin Pedroia that he'd get him a watch if he won the Rookie of the Year award. Today, he made good on his promise. From Joe McDonald: The Red Sox slugger presented the second baseman with a Rolex watch for winning the American League Rookie of the Year in 2007. Ramirez handed Pedroia a box and then hit it pretty hard with his bat, denting the box. When Pedroia opened it all he could say was Damn! Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez 2008-03-08T01:06:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/red_sox_ditch_stub_hub_go_with_ace_ticket/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/red_sox_ditch_stub_hub_go_with_ace_ticket/#When:19:16:00Z The Red Sox have decided to end their relationship with Stub Hub, and will instead use Ace Ticket as the only official resale option for season ticket holders. I understand that this news might seem inconsequential, but I think it could have a measurable impact on the ticket situation at Fenway by lessening the incentive to resell. Red Sox News 2008-03-07T19:16:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/dice_kid_wont_keep_matsuzaka_away_from_season_opener/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/dice_kid_wont_keep_matsuzaka_away_from_season_opener/#When:15:30:00Z Barring any complications, the Red Sox expect Dice-K Matsuzaka to be in Japan for the season opener vs. Oakland. Dice-K's wife, Tomoyo, is in the very late stages of one of the most heavily publicized Boston pregnancies of all time, falling just behind those of Bridget Moynahan and Hester Prynne. Dice-K 2008-03-07T15:30:00-05:00 http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_batters_faced_in_a_season/ http://www.redsoxnews.net/site/comments/most_batters_faced_in_a_season/#When:04:00:01Z Cy Young faced 1527 batters in 1902. Of course, that was back in the day when pitchers made 40 starts a year and rarely pitched anything less than a complete game. Among active players, the record is held by Roger Clemens (he hasn't officially retired yet). He faced 1157 batters in 1987. Stat of the Day 2008-03-07T04:00:01-05:00