Results tagged ‘ Tim Wakefield ’
Yard Sale at Fenway
No, 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 BrophyDear 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.
While 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!!!!
The Game Must Go On
I can’t imagine what it must be like losing a teammate in that fashion, but it must be a bit therapeutic to be able to get back on the field and play the game that you love, and the game that Nick loved. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Nick and his three friends (two of who also died) and I hope the drunk driver never see the light of another day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was going to post a blog yesterday, after I returned from the Rays – Red Sox series finale, but when I logged onto MLBlogs, that is when I found out the news. So, I think I was going to write a blog titled Two Left Feet or something similarly unwitty to follow up my Right Foot post. Anyway, all thoughts left my brain after seeing the MLBlogs home page.
So right now, the Red Sox are currently playing the Angels. The first game since the passing of Adenhart. The Angels are making it a track meet, which usually happens when Tim Wakefield puts runners on base. I may be able to steal a base off of Wakefield. Wakefield has been a bit of Jeckyll and Hyde tonight. A good inning, a bad inning, and so forth. He just went J&H in the same inning. He loaded the bases with no outs, and gets out of the jam just as quickly as he got in it.
A few noteworthy items tonight. The Red Sox are not where there usual road uniforms. They look like they’re wearing their (Do I have the correct they’re/there/their usuage?) Spring Training uniform, except for a new cap with the Sox in place of the B. Not sure how I like it yet, maybe if they were winning, I’d probably love the new look. Haha.
Next, Jerry Remy is missing from the booth tonight. The Red Sox are going with a musical chair of color guys tonight, each chipping in 2 innings of work. First up was Sean McAdams, from the Boston Herald. He was followed by Angel’s color man, Rex Hudler. Hudler was great to listen to in the booth, recalling many stories of his time as a player under Terry Francona in Philly. Currently, Fox’s Ken Rosenthal is in the booth. He has always been a quality baseball reporter. Tony Masserotti of the Boston Globe will be finishing the night in the booth, that should be interesting.
I must say I am enjoying the free preview of the MLB package on cable. Today, I caught the end of the Tigers blowout in their home opener. I then caught some of the Yankees – Royals game. The Yankees should be undefeated opening up against the last place teams of the AL East and Central. I then flipped between the Mets – Marlins game, which was quite the contest ending in a dramatic game-winning (I’m not a fan of “walk-off”) single by Jorge Cantu, and the Astros – Cardinals game before the Sox game started. I love baseball.
Finally, speaking of the Yankees and their supposed easy opening schedule. It is interesting to take a look at the current standings in the AL East:
It’s funny how things happen early in the season, only to have the cream rise to the top. Most people are expecting that to be reversed by the time the season ends:
Oh well, you get the point!
Top of 7, Sox still down 3-1. Let’s see if they can get their first comeback victory tonight.
GO SOX!!
Turn the Page
Greetings all my loyal readers (stops counting after getting to the first finger of the first hand.) I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but a lot of factors converged at an epicenter that prevented me from the creative flow and motivation to write. But, I will not bore you with those details. I will just wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2009 starts of better than 2008 ended. For some of you Yankee fans, I think the start of 2009 cannot get off on a better foot for you.
In Red Sox news, it sure has been a quiet hot stove season. With the Patriots looking at the post-season from the outside, it is nice we have 2 winter sports team who have returned to glory to keep us from killing ourselves during this hot stove borefest. Anyway, a flurry of activity picked up with regards to Mark Teixeira a while back. However, nothing came of that. The Sox did sign two players recently. Brad Penny and Josh Bard are now in the Sox’ fold, Bard for his second stint.
We all remember Bard was part of that HUGE deal, that brought Doug Mirabelli back to Boston with the State Police escort to catch Tim Wakefield in a CRUCIAL May game. I love a sentence dripping with sarcasm. Anyway, that is probably one of the few blunders that the Red Sox front office have made in the Theo era.
As with Penny, I read an interesting and inciteful post from the Yawkey St. Yaker about why the Sox may have brought Penny here. It makes sense. I would love to see the Red Sox try to bring in one other guy, as I think Penny may be more injury prone than J.D. Drew and A.J. Burnett combined. And, although this guy has been shelved quite a few times over the past few seasons with arm injuries, if he is healthy, I think Mark Mulder provides more of an upside than Brad Penny. I think lefties can pitch well in Fenway Park. I remember the days of John Tudor and Bruce Hurst, lefties who fared pretty well in front of the Green Monster.
Anyway, the Red Sox still have a bit of work ahead of them to start the 2009 year off. The biggest hole in their line-up, obviously, is at starting catcher. So, I guess it is time that we start the Jason Varitek pool. When will the Sox resign him? How many years will it be? What will the average annual salary be? Maybe I can get Mark to hand out a prize for the winner of this pool, what do you say Mark? 
Haha.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year’s tonight. We are under 2 months before pitchers and catchers report.
Go Sox!!
Hot Stove to Heat Up
The Hot Stove news is already coming out in Red Sox nation today, especially where it concerns the Red Sox two longest tenured and most respected players. It is being reported that Jason Varitek filed for free agency. Along with Alex Cora and David Ross, they were among 65 major league players who filed on the first day for eligible players. Players who are eligible have until Monday, November 3rd to file for Free Angency.
Meanwhile, it is being reported that the Red Sox plan to pick-up the option on Tim Wakefield’s contract. That means Wakefield will be back with the club at a reasonable $4 million dollar contract. The Sox and Wakefield came to a unique contract agreement back in 2005 in which Wakefield is basically owned by the Red Sox via infinate options on his contract until the Sox finally decide not to pick up an option. I, obviously, don’t know the full details, but that’s pretty much the layman’s explanation.
The first trade of the off-season was pulled off as the Kansas City Royals will get 30-HR guy Mike Jacobs from the Florida Marlins while sending reliever Leo Nunez back.
Rumor has it that Manny Ramirez and the New York Yankees are interested in each other. The Yankees would play Ramirez in RF, which would mean bye bye Bobby. I find it strange the Yankees would go after Ramirez instead of Texiera, unless they think they can get Manny to sign a 2 or 3 year deal, which I don’t think is possible. It will be interesting to keep an ear on this story.
Ken Macha has been hired as the Milwaukee Brewers manager, replacing interim manager Dale Sveum. Both have ties to the Red Sox. Macha was long time minor league manager in the Red Sox minor league system before being hired by the A’s a few years back. In between his two managing job, he has been serving as an analyst (and cure for insomnia) with the Sox pre and post game broadcasts on NESN. Sveum was a third base coach with the Sox back in 2004 when the Sox won their first World Series since 1918.
Finally, there has been a lot of talk, mostly on ESPN.com and ESPN radio, about how baseball should make the World Series into an 7 – 10 day long event. MLB could play the World Series on a neutral (warm weather / sunny) site (similar to the Super Bowl) and hold a litany of events (such as naming the HoF induction class, MVP / Cy Young awards, Town Meetings with GMs, etc, etc.) and hoopla. I don’t think I am in favor of this, but don’t think this is something that we would see any time soon. It is just being brought up because of the debacle of Game 3 and the Game 5 rain delay.
One last thing. If you are a fan of Cole Hamels, which I am becoming, then there is a pretty neat read about him. It is an interview with the current Red Sox scouting director, Jason McLeod, who was scouting Hamels back in high school. It is a good read which you can find here.
Panic in the Manager’s Office? I think not!
Am I trying to make up for slacking last week? A second post in one day. Wow!
Anyway, Tonight’s line-up is out, and Terry Francona has made a couple of changes. Let’s take a look at it:
1) JD Drew – RF
2) Pedroia – 2B
3) Ortiz – DH
4) Youkilis – 3B
5) Bay – LF
6) Kotsay – 1B
7) Crisp – CF
8) Cash – C
9) Lowrie – SS
Drew has replaced Ellsbury at the top of the order, while Crisp has replaced Ellsbury in CF. Ellsbury has been struggling, as he was 0 for his last 20 ABs dating back to Game 3 of the ALDS when he doubled in the 5th inning. Obviously, some sort of change was needed, but I wouldn’t call this Panic. It looks like I like to ask questions in my titles and answer no to them. Haha.
Anyway, Drew batted lead-off 8 times early in the season. He batted .172 (5-29) from the lead-off hole. However, he did walk an impressive 10 times, for a respecatble OBP of .385.
We knew that Varitek would be sitting today, as Kevin Cash is Tim Wakefiled’s personal catcher. However, we shouldn’t expect anything from his bat.
Finally, the Sox will be calling in a Dirt Dog from season’s past as the Red Sox Insider is reporting in his blog that Trot Nixon, THE DIRT DOG, will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch tonight. WELCOME BACK TROT.
Go Sox!
Time to Panic? I think not!
It’s been a busy week, both for me and for baseball. Sorry for the absence of posts, however, I was helping the little woman prepare the house for a party in celebration of our daughter’s 1st Birthday / Baptism which took place on Sunday. The event was a success, while the Patriots game later that night was not a success.
Anyway, a lot has happened. The Phillies are on the verge of returning to the World Series for the first time since 1993 (oh Mitch Williams, your redemption may come) after taking a 3 – 1 series lead over the Dodgers. Game 3 of the series provide a weak attempt at recreating the Red Sox – Rays brawl from this summer. It was another humorous square dancing event, rather than a fight.
Meanwhile, our beloved Red Sox started out great, shutting out the Rays in Game 1 behind a great pitching performance by Dice-K. Red Sox fans had visions of a 3 game to zero lead in their head with Beckett and Lester to follow, but the Rays bats through in a monkey wrench. Tampa’s offense came alive with back-to-back games of 9 runs, bashing 7 HRs in the processes, reducing Beckett and Lester to the likes of John Wasdin and Matt Young (minus the walks).
Meanwhile (I feel like the narrator from the old Batman TV series with all of these meanwhiles), the Red Sox lumber have seem to take an extended slumber. Aside from Pedroia (.545), Youkilis (.429), and Bay (.455) not another batter is batting above .250. Ellsbury, Ortiz, and Varitek are all hitless in the series.
Should we be worrying? History says no. We all remember 2004, down 3 games to zero to the Yankees, don’t we? How about 2007 where we were down 3 games to 1 to the Indians and had to face their 2 best pitchers in games 6 and 7? So, being down 2 games to 1 while troublesome, is not worrisome on the whole.
Tonight, we have Tim Wakefield slated to start against Andy Sonnanstine in Game 4. In 3 starts this season versus TB, Wakefield is 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA. The Red Sox have lost all 3 of those games. Sonnanstine, in 2 starts, is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has given up only 7 hits, 2 walks and 2 Unearned runs in 13 innings while Tampa has won both of those games. So, looking at those numbers, it doesn’t look good for tonight.
However, so far in these 3 games, nothing has really gone as anticipated. I mean, how many people predicted that Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz would combine for zero hits and 1 RBI in the 3 games? Would you be surprised if Wakefield went 8 innings of 3 hit baseball? Well, maybe! There is still lots of baseball to be played, and lots of thing could be happen. That one thing that would truly be surprising, though, is if Ortiz finishes the series still without a hit.
Go Sox!
GremEQ
Recent Comments