Results tagged ‘ Jon Lester ’

Yard Sale at Fenway

Fenway_Front.jpgNo, I am not even talking about the Mike Lowell deal (which is not official, yet). 

Yesterday, when I got home from work around 3pm, this email was sitting in my inbox:

Everyone, 

I
know this is extremely late notice but the Red Sox have just invited all ARAMARK
employees to come on down to the yard sale today.  You can enter through Gate
E.  They are selling a number of different things ranging from $10-$700+. 
Please forward this along to your distribution lists if
possible.

Thanks,

This, of course, was the first I ever heard of it.  What notice!  This would have been awesome to go to.  However, apparently, the Red Sox weren’t too keen on promoting this event.  I did a google search for “Yard Sale at Fenway Park” and didn’t really see much pertaining to 2009 except for this, a post Fenway neighborhood blog: 

1:22 PM


Posted by
Stephen Brophy


Dear Fenway Neighbors,

Please join us for a
great opportunity to finish up (or begin!) your holiday shopping at the
Great Fenway Park Yard Sale today at Fenway Park until 5pm!

Items for sale include unique Red Sox memorabilia and one-of-a-kind items from Fenway Park.

Please enter through Gate E and let them know you’re a Fenway neighbor.

Hope to see you there!!!

Happy shopping!!
Beth Krudys

Interesting to find out how many people knew about this and how many people were there.  However, apparently it was quite successful because today the Red Sox have agreed to a 5 year contract with form Los Angeles of Anaheim Angel John Lackey and have made an offer of $15.5 million to Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman and are close to a deal with perennial Gold Glove outfielder Mike Cameron.

lackey.jpgWhile Lackey is a quality starting pitcher who has won quite a few big games in his career, I cannot say that I am truly enamored with this signing.  This does make a strong rotation for 2010 with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buccholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and now Lackey.  However, with this contract being reported as a 5 yr / $85 million contract, you have to wonder how this signing is going to affect the Josh Beckett negotiations.  Beckett will become a free agent at the end of 2010.  Beckett will command a contract AT LEAST the length and size of Lackey’s deal.  With the Red Sox’ history of re-signing their own free agents (case in point Jason Bay right now; hence the news of an impending deal with Cameron), this has got to put up some red flags that this is Beckett’s last season in Fenway.  Besides Varitek a few years ago, I can’t really remember a premier player that the Red Sox re-signed once the player filed for free agency.  I hope this will not be the case, as Beckett still has quite a few years of top of the rotation pitching left in his career.  Time will tell.

This has not only been a busy Monday for the Red Sox, but a busy Monday baseball wide.  The big news of the day is the big Roy Halladay / Cliff Lee trade that is on the verge of being finalized.  This is a 3 team trade in which Halladay goes to Philadelphia (pending a contract extension being signed), Cliff Lee heads off to Seattle, and a bunch of prospects will go to Toronto.  This will be exciting to hear about the finalized deal.

A lot of times, the MLB “Hot Stove” season is a bit over-hyped and over-rated, but today has been an exciting day.  It has made me tune back into the MLB Network today after their rude programming where they replayed the Bucky “Bleeping” Dent game.  Gahhhhhhhh!

Go Sox!!!!

Let Down

All the expert were saying it.  All the articles I read were saying it.  The Red Sox own the Angels.  The Red Sox are in the Angel’s head.  Here comes another Red Sox – Yankees ALCS.  Well, three games into the ALDS, and it was over.  However, this was not supposed to happen:

laa celebrate.JPGGetting swept?  Jonathan Papelbon blowing a post-season save?  Carlos Ruiz hitting a 3-run homer?  (Ooops, sorry about that.  Watching Dodgers-Phillies game 1 while I type this) Going down 1-2-3 to Brian Fuentes to end it?  Well, I guess there is something to say about ending it like you started it, isn’t there?  There were certainly a lot of 1-2-3 innings for the Red Sox offense this series.  What went wrong?

I don’t know, really.  The whole team was pretty flat.  The offense was anemic in Games 1 and 2. Scoring only 1 run of Lackey and Weaver.  The starters weren’t sharp.  Well, Clay Buchholz looked very good.  Much better than Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. 

However, when you’re leading batter in the series hit .250, your starters weren’t sharp, and your closer allows 5 runs (2 inherited runners, and the first 3 runs of his post-season career), that is a recipe for failure.  A disappointing way to lose a series and end a pretty nice season.  It took a few days to let it sink in.

When I left the game, the Sox were up 5-2.  I was pretty much expecting to be spending Columbus Day back at Fenway for a cold night of work.  Oh, here is me at work, for those who don’t know (sorry for the size, I used my digital camera to record it off the DVR, and then took a screen shot while replaying it using Windows Media Player):

vendahhh.JPGHowever, the biggest let down of losing that game aside from no World Series for the Red Sox was a hit in my wallet.  Working on Columbus Day would have given me Holiday Pay as well as an added incentive bonus pay for working my 65th game of the Season.

Oh, Red Sox, the ways you hurt me.

GO ANGELS!

P.S. Yes, I will still watch the the rest of the playoffs.  Even though, I am a Red Sox fan.  I am first and foremost a baseball fan.  I love the game, no matter who is playing.  Even the Yankees.  Now, back to the Phillies ~ Dodgers NLCS Game 1.

P.P.S. Sorry if I let down you readers (if there are any) this season.  Working two jobs, and two young children really don’t leave a lot of free time to sit down and write.  Thanks to all who still check in.  I should have more time during the off-season to write a bit more.

The Right Foot

It’s only one game in the scheme of it all.  However, it is always great to get out of the gate with a win.  The best part of the day, was that Josh Beckett was DOMINANT!  Will be nice to have the real Josh Beckett this season, provide he remains healthy.  Nice looking line:

7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 Ks.  All on only 93 pitches thrown.

Dustin Pedroia picked up right where he left off.  A home run in his first AB.  Kevin Youkilis with 2 hits.  Everybody seeming to chip in today.  Jason Varitek with a HR.  Mike Lowell and RBI double.  Jason Bay an RBI.  JD Drew with an RBI as well and he didn’t leave the game with an injury which is always a plus.

The only real blemish on the day was Hideki Okijima’s performance.  Remember two years ago, what happened to Okijima on Opening Day in KC.  If the same patterns follows, we’ll be happy with him come August.

As for me, I was at the ballgame.  It is always great to be at the park, especially on Opening Day.  Even when it is a cold day.  I didn’t see any of the pre-game festivities, as I was underneath the RF grandstands, selling programs.  However, I did get to see a lot of the game, since the product I was selling during the game wasn’t a hot item to sell today.

Game two tomorrow night, should be another good one.  Jon Lester against Scott Kazmir, two of the top lefties in MLB.

Let’s build a streak!

Go Sox! 

The “New” Odd Couple

Word out of Hollywood is that producer Garry Marshall (A League of Their Own, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork & Mindy) is reviving a sit-com that he had originally adapted from Neil Simon’s award-winning play. 

original odd.jpgThis version starred:

Tony Randall as Felix Unger ~ the neat-freak, a fastidious, hypochondriac professional photographer (portraits a
specialty) whose marriage is ending.

Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison ~ the slob, a slovenly, recently divorced sportswriter.

However, in this reincarnation, Marshall is going to be putting more of a baseball twist on the characters.  The setting will move from New York City to Miami, as well.  While in the original sit-com, Oscar and Felix lived together after marital woes in this updated version, Felix and Oscar will be rooming with each other during spring training.

So, starring as the updated Felix Unger (neat-freak) ~  the suave, metro-sexual, ladies man, GQ cover boy, bachelor shortstop:

jeter.jpgAnd, starring as the updated Oscar Madison (slob) ~ the gritty, grubby, short and stubby, video-game playing, married second basemen:

pedroia.jpgApparently, their agents originally had a Bosom Buddies updated project pitched to them.  While Jeter was more than willing to take on that project, especially not minding the cross dressing required for the role of Kip Wilson (originally Tom Hanks), Pedroia said there was no way in hell he’d be dressing up like a chick for the role of Henry Desmond (originally Peter Scolari).

Seriously, though, who would have pictured it?  Jeter and Pedroia buddies?  A life long Yankee and a life (shorter) long Red Sox buddies?  C’mon, would we ever have seen Carlton Fisk and Thurmon Munsion like this:

odd couple.jpgAccording to Michael Silverman’s Sunday notes column that appeared in the Sunday Boston Herald:

A budding mutual admiration has been forged between Pedroia and Jeter since becoming teammates on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.  Even Terry Francona chimed in:

“I could have called that one,” Francona said.  “They kind of gravitated toward each other last year at the All-Star Game in New York.” 

When asked whey they are bonding, Francona answered, “How do you not gravitate toward Pedey?  And Jeter, he respects the game so much, how do you not gravitate towards Jeter?  You can tell that Jeter likes Pedey’s personality. …  That’s an easy one.”

Who would have thought?  I do have to admit though, I have always like Jeter.  The Yankees haven’t been as hate-able as they were in the 70s.  When you have a core of Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams, I mean how could anybody really hate them?  Even a Red Sox fan.

In other Red Sox news:

  • Pedroia’s injury is not the dreaded oblique muscle after all, but an abdominal pull.  So that’s good news.  Apparently, he’ll only miss a few days, now.  However, I say, “TAKE YOUR TIME!!!”
  • Jon Lester finally signed his long-term deal.  Congrats to both Lester and the Red Sox.  It’s nice to have another GOOD (not just at the game of baseball) young player locked up.

Go Sox!!!!

Surprise in Sox Camp

Looks like the Red Sox are going to have a surpise in camp in the next couple of days:

papi wbc.jpgWith the BIG upset (twice) by Netherlands against the Dominican Republic, Big Papi David Ortiz, will be back in Fort Myers much earlier than expected.

I have caught bits and pieces of some of the WBC games, but today was the first time I got to see almost a complete full game.  And what a game it was!!  I tell ya, I LOVE pitching duels in baseball.  I prefer a good 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, game over a 9-7, 12-11 game any day.  This 2nd game between the DR and Dutch was exactly a classic pitching duel game.

After 10 innings, the DR and Netherlands were locked in a 0-0 game.  A misplay by former major leaguer Eugene Kinsale allowed the Domincans to get on the board.  It looked like this would be all that would be needed for a DR victory with Cubs’ closer Carlos Marmol ready to close it out.  However, the Netherlands improbably scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 11th (the 2nd on an error by Rays Willy Aybar) to advance to the next round and knock out DR in the process.  Unbelievable to watch!

pedro wbc.jpgPedro Martinez looked impressive in 3 shut-out innings.  He did hit a batter and strike out a few, but I can’t find a box score yet to see the rest of his line.  Hopefully, his WBC performance leads to a team signing him.  I loved Pedro when he wore Red Sox uniforms.  He is one of my all-time favorite games, and if healthy, I think he can still be a quality starting pitcher.

In Red Sox news, apparently NOT SO FAST with that long-term contact with Jon Lester.  While watching the WBC game on MLB, the scroll across the bottom said that Lester agreed to a 1-yr contact and has stated he knows nothing about a long-term contract.  Interesting.  90% of time, these reports of contracts and other such that are broken are reliable, but apparently this is not the case with Lester?  Hopefully, they do lock Lester up for the next few years, however, I guess we should be careful about counting our eggs. 

Go Sox!    

Photo credits go to the AP.  Pedro picture was Jeff Roberson / AP

Sun Sets on a Local

While the big news in Red Sox nation this weekend is the signing of Jon Lester to a five-year contract extension.  There was some other news that is directly related to the backyard of Red Sox nation. 

250px-Mark_Sweeney.jpgFormer Cardinal, Padre, Red, Brewer, Padre, Rockie, Padre, Giant, and Dodger pinch hitter extraordinaire Mark Sweeney hung up the spikes this weekend. 

Now, why is this piece of news appearing as a blog on a Red Sox related blog?  That’s a good question, with an easy answer. 

Mark Sweeney is a graduate of Holliston High School in Massachusetts.  This is the town I currently reside in and the school from which my wife graduated (a couple of years after) as well.  My high school was/is big rivals with Sweeney’s school.  While I never played baseball after the youth level, and have never met Sweeney myself, being that we were of similar age and from the same area (he is a TVL alumni) I began to follow him while he was setting records at the University of Maine.  He’s probably one of the most succesful professional athletes to come from are since Howie Long.

While his retirment won’t garner the coverage on ESPN that say Brett Favre’s retirment did, he retires from MLB with the 2nd most pinch hits in MLB history.  He also has the most career pinch hit RBIs in history.  Quite an amazing achievment if you think about.

Sweeney won’t be out of baseball, though.  He has already joined the Dodgers coaching staff as an assistant.  Now, I will just have to follow his progress as a coach and see if it ever leads to a managing gig someday.  Who know?

Although he never played for the Red Sox, or even in the AL for that matter, I’m sure he dreamed of it as kid, like we all did growing up in this area.  That is good enough to make it into my blog. 

Go Sox! 

A Day At the Ballpark

Well, the “truck” is on it’s way down to Florida, signaling that spring training is almost ready to begin.  With Jon Lester already reporting to spring training, it got me jonesing a bit for baseball. 

So, Wednesday, I decided to stop by the old ball park, and here are a few photo’s I snapped.  Sorry for the poor quality, they were taken with a crummy camera phone.

Anyway, here is Fenway Park like you normally do not see it:

0204091228b.jpg
0204091228.jpg0204091228a.jpg

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. 

Go Sox!

MVP Has It’s Privileges

I come back from lunch, and find out that ESPN is reporting that the Boston Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia have come to an agreement on 6 year (through 2014), $40.5 million contract with an option for 2015.

Usually, you here sniffs of a deal like this before it happens. I listen to WEEI sports radio all of the time, and there was no mention of the possibility of this type of deal happening, so it was quite a nice surprise to read this.

This is a nice deal for both sides. Pedroia made about $500,000 last year. He will now average $6.75 million over the 6 years  According to an industry source as reported to the Boston Herald, here is how the contract breaksdown:
 
2009:  $3 million ($1.5m salary / $1.5m signing bonus)
2010:  $3.5 million
2011:  $5.5 million
2012:  $8 million
2013:  $10 million
2014:  $10 million
2015 (option):  $11 million club option or $500,000 buyout.
 
It ends up being quite a raise for a deserving player like Pedroia. For the Red Sox, it eliminates the arbitration years and 2 (3 is the option is exercised) of Pedroia’s free agent years, which will end up saving the Red Sox money in the long-term.  Interestingly, it will be 2013 before Pedroia will actually earn more than Julio Lugo’s $9 million dollar salary he is owed this season and next season.  It is one of the most lucrative deals ever signed by a player who was not even eligible for arbitration.  Seems like quite the deal for the Red Sox, doesn’t it?  Or does it just make the Lugo signing all the more puzzling?

Anyway, Congratulations to both Dustin and the Red Sox, as it is great to be able to watch Pedroia play and knowing we will be able to for at least 6 more years is nice.
 
Now, who will be next?  Pap?  Youk?  Lester?  I’m sure the Red Sox would like to get these three signed long term as well.

WOW! CRAZY! UNBELIEVABLE!

Let’s recap my evening last night.

I get my son into bed and back downstairs ready to watch the game at about 8:40 or 8:45. I turn on the TV, flip over to TBS and it is the top of the 2nd and the Rays already have a 2-0 lead. Christ! I sit down at the PC and head to ESPN.com to see how it happened. Iawmura hit followed by another Upton HR. Damn!

The Sox get a couple on against Kazmir, but can’t deliver. Kazmir seems to be pitching okay. Certainly not the Kazmir of old, but definitely not the Kazmir of recent either. However, it’s just a matter of time before the Sox get to him…right?

Top of the 3rd, and Upton gets another hit. Can we get this guy out yet? Pena HR, next. Longoria HR next. Gawd! Well, when 1 team is hitting on all cylinders and out pitching the opponent, what are you going to do? You just have to give credit to the Rays. It’s not going to be the year this year.

I check with the wife, see if she wants to watch a show. We’re both tired (my wife works nights, and worked Wed night, so she’s way more tired than me. But you know how it is with kids, your ALWAYS tired.), but I pull up the DVR and see what we have waiting to watch. How about Survivor? Great! We watch the Fang tribe (which could be like the Rays of old, or the Pirates, always losing) lose both challenges and GC get voted out.

The wife’s ready for bed, so she curls up on the couch with a blanket and is off to dreamland as I turn the game back on. It is the Top of the 7th, and Delcarmen just walked the 2nd of two batters, so the Rays have 1st & 2nd with nobody out and Upton (him again?) coming up. Francona, in a desperation moves, brings in Papelbon. However, after a double steal, runs are at 2nd and 3rd. Papelbon works back to a full count on Upton, but gives up a wall ball double that extends the lead to 7-0. That just about sealed up the MVP for Upton.

I get back on the PC, as I’m thinking about going to bed, and type up a little blog to congratulate the Rays, as I’ll probably type up more in the morning.

However, even though I am tired, it is a bit early for me to go to bed. I am a night owl. I like to stay up late. Not sure why, but I’ve always been that way. Sometimes I regret it in the morning, but most times I’m fine.

So, I start surfing the net, checking out some other blogs. I went to a message board that I frequent. I played a few games, all as the game was still on.

Maddon decides not to bring Kamir out for the 7th, and goes with the flame thrower Grant Balfour. Lowrie crushes a ball to RF, that just misses a HR. However, that gets you to take notice. Then when Varitek and Kotsay fly out, oh well. However, Crisp lines a single, but too hard for Lowrie to score. Pedroia then singles, and the Sox are on the board. At least they won’t be shut out.

Now, up comes Papi. He crushes one deep into the night.

Fenway is rocking again, and now your thinking how HUGE those 2 runs the Rays just got in the top of the inning are. That HR could have made it 5-4, but Upton gave the Rays plenty of breathing room at 7-4. Maddon brings in Wheeler, and Youk flies out to end the inning.

Papelbon comes out and gets the Rays 1-2-3 in the 8th. Sweet!

Then, a 4 pitch lead-off walk to Bay, and you can just see how tightly Wheeler is squeezing that ball. Drew crushes a HR to right, and WOW! But, your still thinking how HUGE those 2 runs the Rays got in the top of 7th are. Walks will kill you. But, the Sox are now down a run. If you’re going to lose, if you’re going to get eliminated, this is the way to go out. Not some pathetic 7-0 loss. Wheeler gets Lowrie and Casey, and is almost out of the inning. But here is where some “weird” things happen:

- Kotsay’s line drive goes off the glove of B.J. Upton in CF )who has been tracking down EVERYTHING) for a double.


- Gabe Gross’ throw to home goes straight into the ground, allowing Kotsay to score on Crisp’s single to tie the game.

- Carlos Pena (who had ground into only 2 DPs all season) grouned into an inning ending DP with the leading run on 2nd.

- Evan Longoria, one of the best fielding 3B in the league, makes an error. That runner ends up scoring the winning run on J.D. Drew’s game winning hit.

There I am, dancing around the living room while my wife is fast asleep on the couch. Haha. But, who would have thought? Seriously!! Down 7-0 in the 7th?

We go back to Tampa. There is still a lot of work to be done, but ANYTHING can happen, as we just witnessed. There are lots of questions though:

Can Beckett be Beckett?

Is the offense back?

Should Francona swap Lester to game 6 (on normal rest) and Beckett for game 7 (on extra rest)?

Saturday can’t get here fast enough for me.

Whew!

What a night!
Go Sox!
*images from this post courtesey of AP/ESPN and CBS

Against the Ropes

If it was a boxing match, we’d be on the verge of TKO. Luckily the bell sounded and they get to head back to their corner and regroup and try to change the game plan mid fight.
The Rays have been throwing and landing the haymakers. 31 runs in 3 games covering 29 innings is quite impressive. That is over 1 run per inning. Meanwhile, the jabs from the Red Sox have not been able to penetrate the tough defense.
The Rays really have the Sox on the ropes. This is a position that they have been in and have fought back from before. Will the Rays let them off the hook? In a curious move, Rays manager Joe Maddon is pushing up Scott Kazmir to pitch Game 5 tomorrow and pushing James Shields back to pitch game 6. With the way Kazmir has been struggling lately, it seems Maddon is conceding game 5 to the Sox, even though another get by Dice-K similar to game 1′s outing is unlikely.

Is Maddon afraid of wasting another Shields outing, and having Kazmir have another bad outing in game 6, thus allowing the Sox to get back to even with Lester ready to go in a game 7? Or is it because of some history between Kazmir and umpire Daryl Cousins, who will be behind the plate for game 6? I don’t know. The Red Sox bats have been quite stymied and frustrated the last 2 games, could Kazmir be the wake-up call they need to get back in the series?

It will be interesting to see how this move pans out for the Rays. While the Evan Longoria 1st inning HR off Beckett in game 2 seemed to revive the Rays, could Kazmir be the remedy for the Sox to get right back in this?

We’ll see! Go Sox!

On a side note, there was a nice piece in today’s USA Today about some legendary play-by-play guys. Vin Scully and Harry Kalas are broadcasting legends. I can remember NBC Saturday Baseball games manned by Scully and Joe Garagiola, not too mention the many World Series games he’s called. I was more familiar with Harry Kalas as the narrator for a lot of the NFL Films productions, with his unique voice. While dating my wife, and the many times I drove to her place, for some reason the local Boston AM station wouldn’t come in (mind boggling), but somehow I could pick up 1210 AM out of Phillie, and hear Kalas call the Phillies games for part of the ride. To me, these are the voice of baseball, along with Mel Allen who I knew mostly from This Week in Baseball. How about that? Anyway, a nice piece to take a look at.
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