Sports of Boston » Red Sox

Manny Ramirez’s Return: Orioles or A’s… Why Bother?

andrew macdonald — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:25:01 +0000

Do you ever get the feeling like there’s no one on earth who loves you? That feeling that you’re completely alone in the world, completely abandoned by people who once cared so much for you?

I bet that Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles fans feel that way all the time. These two franchises had so much to look forward to at one point in their history: World titles, All-Star players and recorded-setting teams are now all gone. The fans of these teams have nothing left but to watch the Angels, Rangers, Red Sox and the Yankees dominate their respective divisions. There isn’t much to brag about or look forward to if you’re a Baltimore or Oakland fan. Almost as if the grace of God is non-existent.

And if anyone in either city still even believes in God, they’re about to have one more reason to abandon faith because Manny Ramirez may be headed to one of these two sorry, sorry franchises. Apparently, the rumor mill (and reputable news sources, but what’s the difference anymore) is spouting some talk of Manny being Manny in Baltimore or Oakland. I can’t even believe that the management of these (I almost wrote respected) teams are even considering taking in a player who is way past is prime and won’t even play in the first 50 games of the season. If I lived in Oakland or Baltimore and I read the headline “Manny’s coming to Town!,” I’d quickly flip to any and all stories about drive-byes and missing children to cheer me up.

Why Bother?

At this time, there’s no contract information available, but if the O’s and A’s are smart, which they aren’t, they better not sign him for more than the league minimum. Also, they should add in a ton of incentives. It’s a smart way to try to actually get something out of him.

The issue is: what’s left for Manny Ramirez to give? His last few seasons where way below the usual Manny production and after a year off, I highly doubt he’s found “it” again. He’d certainly be limited to just a designated hitter, but then again, if they’re considering Manny, then they’d probably let him play centerfield and maybe close a few games too.

From what is being reported, Oakland needs a DH and they find Manny to be an intriguing signing. As for the Orioles, Dan Duquette is Baltimore’s GM and he’s obviously dealt with Manny before, so he’s willing to take this risk. In 2001, he signed Ramirez to a $160 million deal with Boston and referred to him in his press conference as both “interesting”and “entertaining.” I highly doubt he’ll use either of those words when all the Orioles fans slash his car’s tires.

Do These Teams Have Anything to Gain?

I don’t entirely blame two of the lowest ranking teams in baseball to want to shake things up and stir some interest in their teams. The circus atmosphere will certainly have people coming to witness what could be a giant calamity. I don’t know how many national ESPN or FOX games one single player would help these teams get to, if any. Oakland actually has a decent, young team, which with the right management and signings could actually redeem the franchise a little.

I’d hate to see Manny come in and alienate people and pout/get bored when the losing streaks start. The A’s actually have hope (the O’s not so much), but Oakland can do something someday, much like Texas very slowly built a two-time AL champion. They need to be smart right now, not naive to “entertaining” signings. They may even move to San Jose in a few years, so positive press is a must right now.

Baltimore’s Motives

As for Baltimore, if they want to use Manny to bring in more to Camden Yards, that’s fine. He may even hit a little, considering it’s a small ballpark. But, this too has disaster written all over it because I don’t think Manny is really the Buck Showalter “type.” He has an attitude problem and Buck isn’t the type of guy who’s going to sit back and take the typical Manny being Manny being an ass, especially since Manny wouldn’t be in the same position in Baltimore as he was in Boston. Showalter would have much more of a right to complain about Manny and call him out in interviews. I don’t see these two mixing well, not one bit.

And yes, I am aware that in a recent interview, Ramirez told ESPN and Pedro Gomez that he wants to show everyone that he can change and that he can still play ball. I’m not saying Manny is a bad guy atall. I’m sure he’s actually a pretty decent man if you met him, but I don’t really believe what he told ESPN. Maybe he’ll change for a day, a week or a month. And then what? He gets bored and like a little kid, he starts trouble. He’ll open his mouth and it’ll rub someone, or everyone, the wrong way. Then, when that happens, you’ll end up (just like in Boston) with a whole mess of people angry at him and one or two making excuses for him. Does any team really need that?

He Won’t Change

He’s going to be sitting out the first 50 games. Let’s remember this; he’ll be sitting around doing nothing for 50 straight games. He’s better off serving the suspension at home because there’s no need for him to sit in the dugout, unavailable,
watching his team lose until mid-May.

Usually, when it comes to players with bad attitudes, I’m fairly passive. I’ve always adopted the stance that as long as they keep their attitudes and off-the-field drama away from the stadium and batter’s box, it’s fine by me. But Manny brings his issues with him where ever he goes. It’s not like I’m trying to make Manny out to be some brood, dark trouble maker. No, if anything, he’s like a child. He can have that childlike characteristic about him where he can make you love him, but also he can kick and scream until everyone’s good time is ruined.

And unfortunately for Oakland and Baltimore, they hardly ever have any good times to begin with.

Jenny Dell Replacing Heidi Watney as NESN Red Sox Reporter

KC Downey — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:16:38 +0000

Goodbye Heidi. It was nice knowing you.

Everyone, say hello to Jenny Dell!

Dell, a UMass graduate, will become NESN’s new Red Sox in-game reporter, according to the Boston Globe’s Chad Finn. She replaces Heidi Watney, who left at the end of last year to become a reporter for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dell has been working at ESPN as an on-air reporter, and also did some work off-camera too. She worked at the Winter X-Games as part of her last gig in Bristol.

Thoughts on the new Red Sox reporter?

Report: Red Sox Trade Marco Scutaro to Rockies

KC Downey — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:33:34 +0000

The Red Sox have completed their quest to free up some payroll, trading shortstop Marco Scutaro for the Rockies for pitcher Clayton Mortensen, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden.

Scutaro, 36, will play second base in Colorado, who will also take on his $6 million salary. He had one of his best seasons last year, hitting .299/.358/.423 over 113 games.

Mortensen, 26, has a 5.12 ERA over his three-year career, which includes stints with Oakland, St. Louis and Colorado. He is still in his pre-arbitration years, and could be a bullpen candidate for the team.

With $6 million off the books, the Red Sox may now pursue free agent starter Roy Oswalt, who is said to be seeking a one-year, $8 million deal to reestablish his value. The Red Sox and Oswalt have been in discussions for a while now.

Without Scutaro, Mike Aviles and Nick Punto will likely platoon at the position to start the season. Though, it could be time for prospect Jose Iglesias, who is gifted defensively, to take over full-time at shortstop.

Low-Cost Pitching: The 2011 Yankees vs. the 2012 Red Sox

Josh Segal — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:45 +0000

With their latest addition of Vincente Padilla, the Red Sox continue their spree of signing old and terrible pitchers. To the frustration of many fans, the Red Sox continue to pass on established starters such as Roy Oswalt for the likes of Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook. Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda to create quite the formidable starting rotation. Simply put, the competition got a lot better. Did somebody just say “third place threepeat”? Probably.

Nevertheless, two observations can be made with these “low-risk, high reward” signings. For starters (pun) the Red Sox are really cheap. Secondly, Boston is clearly trying to imitate the 2011 Yankees’ plan of striking lightning by adding pitching depth with low-cost deals. The only problem? The Yankees did it the right way, while the Red Sox are doing it the wrong way.

The Yankee Plan

Instead of overpaying via trade of free agency for starting pitching in 2011, New York opted for low-risk deals. Heading into spring training they were ridiculed, and deservedly so. A Yankees rotation that included Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon was unacceptable. Neither of these old and injury riddled pitchers had been effective for years. But to everyone’s surprise, these two exceeded expectations. Garcia put up a solid 12-8 record and 3.62 ERA, while Colon could boast a respectable 8-10 record with a 4.00 ERA. Sure, these players were only shadows of their former selves, but they were productive in the sense that the Yankees weren’t doomed to lose whenever they pitched.

But here’s the thing–both of these pitchers already had accomplished resumes. Garcia and Colon were both two-time All-Stars. Garcia led the league in ERA in 2001. Colon was the 2005 America League Cy Young winner. At one point or another, both were effective pitchers. If either could recapture just a glimpse of their former glory, the Yankees would be more than set. With a division title to show for it, the Yankees certainly did a decent job.

Boston’s Problem

Roy Oswalt is apparently not happening. Instead we are reading about Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook coming to Boston. Fans are being assured not to worry– after all that this is what the Yankees did and look what happened to them! The only problem is that there is no truth to that whatsoever.

Most starting pitchers don’t get significantly better in their late thirties. As seen with the Yankees, Colon and Garcia had at one time been great pitchers. Their older, injury-prone selves were not going to pitch any better than they did seven years ago, but maybe they could accomplish just a fraction of that. The ceiling was high, albeit unlikely to reach.

On the other hand, these pitchers signed by the Red Sox have always been pretty darn terrible. Aaron Cook has only won more than ten games twice. He’s never thrown 100 strikeouts. Carlos Silva has had an ERA under 4.00 only two times. In addition to being insane, Vincente Padilla has a career ERA of 4.31, and has never had an above average season. My point? These pitchers are horrendous and always have been. Cook and Silva are 32. Padilla is 34. They are not going to get better. As a result, their ceiling is too low for even Dustin Pedroia. None of these three will ever be a decent major league pitcher, just as they never have. The Sox are better off keeping the ancient Tim Wakefield. I honestly think a Daisuke Matsuzaka or John Lackey months away from recovery could pitch better.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 2012 rotation you can look forward to!

What to do?

It goes without saying that most low risk/low reward signings don’t pan out. For every Freddy Garcia, there is a John Smoltz or a Brad Penny. But the Yankees only needed Garcia and Colon to be not awful. The Red Sox don’t have the same luxury of only depending on mediocrity. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buccholz are not the most durable players around. The truth is, in addition to consistency, Boston needs some productivity.

If they want to turn to low-risk signings, they should be looking at starters who were actually talented at some point. Instead of Cook, Silva, and Padilla they should set their sight on Ben Sheets, Brandon Webb, and Rich Harden. Those names are coming from obscurity, but so are the excuses of starting pitching the Red Sox have signed so far.

As a last thought, Roy Oswalt is reportedly seeking $8 MM (Chump change for Boston). I know the math doesn’t work out perfectly, but at one point, do all these small scale deals approach or surpass $8MM? Sox management is trying to avoid spending pennies and it makes no sense. Maybe if we all agree to purchase Oswalt jerseys, it will compensate for his salary and the resulting luxury tax? In the meantime, let’s get excited for Vincente Padilla.

This may take a while…

Carl Crawford Undergoes Left Wrist Surgery

KC Downey — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:58:44 +0000

Uh oh.

Red Sox outfielder underwent surgery on his left wrist in Arizona on Tuesday after experiencing soreness toward the end of the season, and again during offseason workouts.

“It was consistent with soreness he had periodically over the last several years, but more concerning to Carl given the time of year he was feeling it,” said Cherington.

Cherington added that Crawford could be ready by Opening Day, but may miss some time during the early part of the season.

Crawford was looking for a fresh start this season, but that’s pretty impossible at this point given the timing of the surgery.

The injury leaves the Red Sox with just three healthy major-league-ready outfielders: Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Sweeney, and Darnell McDonald. Ryan Kalish is recovering from left shoulder surgery, while Mike Aviles is a converted infielder.

Meanwhile, the Yankees recently made major movies to acquire Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. Ugh.

The Case for Retiring Pedro’s Number

zach — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:00:02 +0000

In early December, Pedro Martinez officially announced that after 18 years, he was retiring from baseball. Martinez retires with a record of 219-100, an ERA of 2.93, 8 all-star game appearances and 3 CY Young awards, which are, in all likelihood, Hall of Fame credentials.

Because of this news, it is a good time to reflect on Martinez’s legacy in Boston. Though there were some hard feelings over his departure to the Mets, the fact that he didn’t sign with the more hated New York team and because of his incredible success in Boston, most fans no longer harbor hard feelings towards him.

Looking back at his brilliant career in Boston, you have to wonder whether Pedro Martinez deserves to have his number 45 retired.

Martinez’ Red Sox Career at a Glance

Pedro Martinez was traded to the Red Sox from the Montreal Expos in November 1997. Fresh off a Cy Young season in Montreal, Martinez finished second in the AL Cy Young voting his first year with the Sox before reeling off consecutive Cy Young awards in 1999 and 2000.

In 2001, Martinez was plagued throughout the season by a rotator cuff injury that limited him to 18 starts. However after this, he had 3 more impressive seasons with the Sox, finishing in the top 4 of the Cy Young voting each year, and helping the Sox win their first World Series in 86 years in 2004.

The Case for retiring 45

Unfortunately for Pedro Martinez, Red Sox policy on retiring a player’s number is that they be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and that they have played at least 10 years with the Red Sox.

While Martinez most likely will be elected to the Hall of Fame, barring a miraculous comeback, he will retire after playing only 7 years for the Sox.

But, it can be argued that the impact Martinez had on the Red Sox in 7 years was more than what players who have had their numbers retired have done in 10 or more years. In every full season Martinez played on the Sox, he was voted a top 4 Pitcher in the American League. And twice he was voted the best.

In fact, if you look at Martinez’s ’99 and ’00 seasons, you will see a pitcher so superior to his peers it is shocking. In the American League, these two years represent two of the most successful offensive seasons of baseball. In ’99, the second lowest ERA of the AL was 3.44 by David Cone and in ’00 it was 3.70 by Roger Clemens. In those two years combined, Pedro Martinez had an ERA of 1.90, leading the league each time, a record of 41-10 and 597 strikeouts. Perhaps the only player who has ever been this significantly better than his contemporaries was Babe Ruth in the early 1920′s.

Pedro Martinez finished his Red Sox career with 117 victories against 37 losses, the best winning percentage with one team in MLB history. He is widely considered one of the greatest pitchers of his era and will likely make it into the Hall of Fame, and mostly because of his time with the Red Sox.

While the criteria for retiring a number should be restrictive to unqualified players, it should not eliminate a player like Martinez just because he didn’t play 10 years. In today’s era of free agency where players jump from team to team every couple years, it is becoming less and less likely for a great player to stay on one team for 10 years.

This means that as the years go on retiring Red Sox numbers will become more about longevity and less about the greatness of the player.

I believe this should stop now, and Pedro Martinez should be recognized for what he is: one of the greatest Red Sox of all time.

Why Are the Red Sox Being so Frugal?

Josh Segal — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:30:27 +0000

Last offseason, the Red Sox made noise. The 2011 season was all about Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and speculation about the greatest team ever. We all know how that turned out.

Nowadays, the Sox find themselves with a raincloud of shame and embarrassment hovering over them. Critics believe this team is incomplete and they have cause for worry. Boston can only boast three starters to its name (one who was injured for almost the entire season and two who have been branded as alcoholic malcontents). A newly acquired Andrew Bailey helps, but the bullpen is still in shambles with somewhere between two and zero somewhat-competent relievers. And right field is currently half question mark/half Ryan Kalish.

So what are the Red Sox doing to plug these holes and avoid fielding a fourth consecutive excuse of a baseball team? Not much apparently.

An Offseason of Idleness

Boston’s reasoning behind not adding another big contract is perfectly understandable. What is not understandable is the reasoning behind not adding any contracts whatsoever. And no, Nick Punto and Kelly Shoppach do not count as significant acquisitions. A replacement for Papelbon is nice, but no matter how you slice it, the injury prone Bailey is not the same (Forgive me for underestimating the pressure to close games in an empty Oakland stadium.) When he inevitably hits the DL with an elbow injury, the Sox are back to square one. Furthermore, by flipping Reddick to Oakland, the already weak position of right field becomes weaker. A Darnell McDonald/Ryan Sweeney outfield? What is this, Kansas City?

So right off the bat, this Boston team is arguably a worse team than it was last year. That is unacceptable. I understand that Benny Cherington does not want to spend foolishly, but you would think he’d try to make some moves to shake things up and mark this team as his own (and not the team of Theo “I still won’t give compensation” Epstein).

The Sox will claim they feel confident with the current roster and have no qualms about trotting two set-up men as their fourth and fifth starters, but unfortunately, these sentiments are not particularly genuine. The Red Sox motivation for not seriously improving this baseball team is the fear of paying the luxury tax.

Winning is a Luxury

The Red Sox recently had to pay $3.4 MM last season for exceeding the luxury tax. If the Sox pass that $178 MM threshold again, they will be forced to pay the luxury tax at a rate of 40 percent. If you were hoping for a Roy Oswalt or a Ryan Madson or even a Magglio Ordonez, then this fact swiftly brings a knife to those dreams. Before anyone claims that the Red Sox are being thrifty or spending-savvy, let’s all remember that $3.4 MM, $4.4 MM, or even $14.4 MM is chump change for Boston. The Red Sox could have a payroll of $500 MM and still be profitable. This fear of paying a few extra million dollars is completely irrational.

Baseball differs from the other sports in the sense that a team can almost automatically become a contender if ownership is willing to spend. Oswalt is willing to take a one-year deal and the team with half a rotation isn’t interested? All because of a measly luxury tax? Ask yourself this: Would the late George Steinbrenner have balked at a few million dollars if it meant helping the Yankees win? Red Sox ownership has already answered that question.

A Product Not Worth Buying

I like to think of sports as a product. If a team is unwilling to field an exciting and competitive product, why should the fans waste their time and money? Should the alleged die hard fans of Boston endure a 162-game season when the Red Sox themselves refuse to do the same. That’s not entertainment or anything close to it. Entertainment is Jonathan Papelbon, not a 27-year-old who has already undergone Tommy John surgery. Respectability is investing in a starting pitcher that wasn’t found from the January scrap heap. Human decency is having a right fielder.

I can already picture August 2012. Roy Oswalt is on a one-year, bargain of a deal with New York leading the Yankees to another division title. Ryan Madson is the new closer for Toronto. Even Tampa buckled up to sign Francisco Cordero. Meanwhile the Red Sox are riding the course with an injury plagued pitching staff and an aging roster. Despite the fact that they have 1.5 healthy (not talented) starters and about the same number of reliable arms in the bullpen, Sox management opted not to make a move at the trading deadline. And why would they? Cherington will say he has faith in the roster as it stands. Valentine will laugh the skepticism off with a backhanded joke towards Josh Beckett. John Henry might even tweet something about Liverpool. Another season of mediocrity in the name of avoiding a few million luxury tax dollars.

In the interim, fulfill your duty as a fan of the Boston Red Sox. Buy a brick or even a piece of plastic that proves your worth as a fan and human being. I bet it’s not too late to buy a friend or relative a Nick Punto jersey! Don’t worry…all the profits are definitely going towards fielding a winning team for your entertainment.

Andrew Bailey Strengthens Red Sox Pitching Staff

Matthew Bond — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:22:39 +0000

The Red Sox finally made a big move this offseason. On Wednesday evening it was reported that the team was involved in a 5-player deal that sent outfielder Josh Reddick and two prospects to the Athletics in exchange for closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

There have been questions as to how the Red Sox pitching staff would function in 2012 with question marks in the starting rotation as well as who would close games after the departure of Jonathan Papelbon in free agency. The bullpen has now been sorted, with the Sox trading for Mark Melancon earlier in the offseason and now Bailey arrives from an Oakland team that recently parted with ace Gio Gonzalez.

Sox Pitching

The new-look Red Sox bullpen should feature Bailey as the closer with Melancon or Daniel Bard handling the eighth inning depending on if Bard transitions to becoming a starter. That remains the problem for the Sox, as they have little depth in the rotation beyond Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz. One of the other spots will likely be won in Spring training by Bard or Alfredo Aceves, with the other solidifying the bullpen. It would be too much to ask of two relievers to be relied on as everyday starters throughout a regular season, so the Sox are still down a starter.

After using trades to acquire players this offseason, it is possible now that the Sox would consider spending some money to fill out their roster. They should look into starters like Joe Saunders or Edwin Jackson, both of whom could fill the fourth or fifth slots in the rotation. There has also been some speculation that the Red Sox could trade Kevin Youkilis before the season starts, but for now we will see what Ben Cherington’s course of action is after acquiring Bailey.

2011 SoB Story of the Year: Red Sox’ September Collapse

John — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:19:07 +0000

Starting in September, the Red Sox led Tampa Bay by nine games for the Wildcard. With Boston’s superstar-studded roster, nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong. Tampa just kept on winning, while Boston kept on losing. A steady diet of beer and fried chicken will do that. Boston found themselves tied with Tampa on the season’s final day. All they had to do to stay in the hunt was beat the Orioles, one of the easiest feats in baseball.

They took a 3-2 lead into the 9th inning, when Jonathan Papelbon threw his last pitches for the team. He got the first two batters swinging, but then gave up three straight hits to blow the save (again) and the season. Tampa won the same night over the Yankees, 8-7, in 12 innings.

Now, Papelbon and John Lackey are gone through free agency and injury respectively. The bullpen is undergoing major retooling, as is the starting rotation and managerial and front office positions. With their power-packed offense (less Carl Crawford, of course), the Red Sox should fulfill their potential in 2012 as long as the new pitching works out.

Testimonials

The Red Sox entered 2011 as the “best team ever” and an automatic lock for the World Series. Their offense did not disappoint, but their pitching was mediocre, at best. Despite a nine-game lead on the Rays entering September, the Red Sox went 7-20 and missed the playoffs by one game. From the collapse came Terry Francona’s firing, Theo Epstein’s departure, the beer/chicken/video games stories, and eventually Bobby Valentine’s hire. Crazy. – KC

This is the biggest story of the year because I can’t even (or possibly subconsciously refuse to) find the words to encapsulate its magnitude. It brought a “nation” to its knees and restored a fan base to its desperate, depraved depression at near pre-2004 levels. There was nothing more talked about or dissected in greater detail by fans, by the media, or by the general public than this story. – Nick

Runner-Up: Bruins win their first Stanley Cup in 39 years

Andrew Bailey Traded to Red Sox for Reddick, Prospects

KC Downey — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:46:26 +0000

The Red Sox have acquired their replacement for Jonathan Papelbon at closer: 27-year-old righty Andrew Bailey.

Trade Details:

Red Sox Get:	A’s Get:
RP Andrew Bailey OF Ryan Sweeney	OF Josh Reddick 1B Mike Head (prospect) P Raul Alcantara (prospect)

Bailey, who is under team control until 2014, has a 2.07 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a 9.0 K/9 and 75 saves over three big league seasons. Last year, he battled a forearm strain injury, finishing with 24 saves and a 3.24 ERA.

Sweeney, who will be 27 before the season, can play each outfield position. He has hit .283/.342/.378 across parts of six major league seasons. He’s been better against righties (.296/.352/.402) in his career, so the Red Sox may use him in a platoon situation in right field with a right-handed hitter like Ryan Kalish.

Reddick, 24, had a solid season last year playing for the injured J.D. Drew, hitting .280/.327/.457 in 87 games. His departure makes room for Kalish in right.

The trade also signifies that the Red Sox appear to be ready to commit to Daniel Bard as the team’s No. 4 starter. It also means the newly acquired Mark Melancon will be the team’s setup man.

Bobby Jenks, Matt Albers, Alfredo Aceves (who could start, too) will all be in the bullpen mix.