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By Jimmy, 6/29/2010 1:38 pm

My apologies for the lack of posts in the past week.  I was actually in the Bay Area, and managed to attend one of the Sox games at AT&T Park (the game the Sox lost, of course).

Once I get through the obligatory shit storm that one must face upon returning to the office after a vacation, I’ll add a few things:

• An update on “ER: Boston”, a.k.a the Red Sox roster
• A ranking of the MLB stadiums (stadia?) I’ve attended over the years.  A dozen, roughly, after my latest conquest in SF.
• The Dewey’s House All-Star teams
• Draft update (signings, early statistics)

Stay tuned.

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By Jimmy, 6/18/2010 1:51 pm

A lot of the media buzz today is centered around the mystery of what type of reception Manny will receive from the fans, and what type of reception he should receive.

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

Look, I’m not saying there’s a right or wrong answer. Actually, screw that.  That’s exactly what I’m saying.

If you are at the stadium, or in your living room, or in an automobile with the radio on, and you boo Manny during his first at-bat tonight…you are wrong. It really is that simple.  Your opinion is incorrect.  This is what President Obama might call “a teaching moment”.  Grab a chair and pay attention.

You have to ask yourself, as a fan, what brings you more happiness: the events that happen on the field, or those that happen off it?  Now, if for some odd reason, your answer is the latter, then fine, go ahead and throw Duracel batteries at Manny from the bleachers tonight.  However, my guess is that 99.999% of Red Sox fans (even those primed to shower Manny with boos) are more interested in the win-loss column than anything that happens in the clubhouse.  If this is the case, then you would be dishonest to yourself by booing.  Your boos would be nothing more than a cartoon sound effect, something that you don’t really believe, but what the hell, it’s fun to feign outrage at something we know or care very little about.

I know what you’re thinking.  “It’s not black and white”.  Yes, it is black and white.  It’s as black as the ink used to print Manny’s league leading 43 HRs in the 2004 baseball almanac.  It’s as white as the gleam off of two World Series trophies.

The line is drawn.   Are you a fan, or a poseur?  Your actions tonight will determine this.

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By Jimmy, 6/16/2010 9:22 am

According to multiple sources, left-handed pitching prospect Felix Doubront (currently the #2 pitching prospect in the organization per soxprospects.com) will most likely make his MLB debut on the mound on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Doubront is a 22-year-old who has been in the Red Sox organization ever since he was signed out of Venezuela at age 16.  He’s had consistent success throughout most of his minor league career, combining excellent control with decent (though not overpowering) stuff.  Here is what he’s done over the past 3 seasons:

Perhaps most impressive has been his ability to induce ground balls and keep the ball in the park at Pawtucket this year.

Unfortunately for “Prince Felix”, this will be a one-and-done situation, as Daisuke Matsuzaka is only expected to miss one start.

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By Jimmy, 6/14/2010 9:18 am

6/13/10: Phillies 5, Red Sox 3

Cole Hamels might be my least favorite pitcher in the National League, due mainly to the strong West Coast Douchebag aura he seems to eminate, but also due to his 3-0 record and 1.71 ERA in his three games against the Red Sox.  I didn’t stick around to hear Heidi Watney’s interviews after the game, but I’m sure that Hamels believes that he pitched “hella good” and that this is “how they roll in the six-one-nine”.

Notes & Takeaways:

Still working on the draft recap.  It will be up soon.  Also, a few words on the guy who is now a walking trivia question, Daniel Nava.

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By Jimmy, 6/9/2010 9:22 am

6/08/10: Red Sox 3, Indians 2

I’ve always thought that Tim Wakefield was slightly overrated in some circles, due to the fact that he’s a charter member of what I call the Goatee Mafia (or, if you prefer, the blue-collar team chemistry guys who play the game the way it was meant to be played).

Still, I’m going to give some well deserved props to our resident knuckleballer on the heels of his newly achieved milestone.

In an era where starting pitchers are coddled like deformed infants,  and players change teams as often as they change their socks, this is pretty goddamn impressive:

Wake tops a list containing three of the best pitchers in baseball history, and another guy who should be in the Hall of Fame.  Most of the names on the list pitched in an era where starters would routinely throw 300+ innings in a season, with the exception of the hormone-laced mule at #2.

Wakefield’s ERA+ during this his time with the Red Sox was 109, comfortably above average.  While pitching relatively well for long periods, he’s taken a lot of the onus off of the bullpen and other less durable starters during the past 14 seasons.  At the risk of sounding like a tool here, these are things that don’t really show up in a box score.  Well, they do actually show up in box scores, but not in a way that can be easily attributed to Wakefield.

Notes & Takeaways:

• While people have a visceral reaction to any news involving Scott Boras, keep in mind that his interests are pretty closely aligned with Boston’s interests in the case of Jacoby Ellsbury, seeing as though the outfielder isn’t close to becoming a free agent and will need to play well to make a decent arbitration case.
• I’ll have more on the draft in my next post.

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By Jimmy, 6/8/2010 6:50 am

After two straight years of selecting a high school/prep player with their first pick in the amateur draft, the Red Sox took a different approach in 2010, selecting polished college players with their first three picks.

Pick #1 (#20 overall): Kolbrin Vitek
Ball State University
Projected Position: 3B

Vitek, who played 2B in college, was rumored to be a possible top 10 pick before the San Diego Padres passed on him for someone else.

He’s an advanced, well-rounded player who hits well and runs well, and could conceivably be the Red Sox starting third baseman in two years.  Reports indicate that the Sox have a verbal agreement in place with Vitek, who is anxious to start playing the in the minors.

Pick #2 (#36 overall):
Bryce Brentz
Middle Tennessee State
Projected Position: RF

With Brentz, the Sox are taking a chance on someone whose stock dropped a bit due to concerns over a fractured ankle.  Two years ago, Brentz hit an other-worldly .465/.535/.930 before his injury, and managed to hit “only” .348/.440/.636 in 2009.

Brentz could bloom into a decent power hitter at the MLB level, but from what I’ve read, he’s certainly less of a sure thing than someone like Vitek.  All indications are that Brentz will also sign quickly and begin his career in the low minor leagues relatively soon.

Pick #3 (#39 overall)
Anthony Ranaudo
LSU
Projected Position: SP

The main difference between Ranaudo and those two picks above is manifested in a loathsome balding fellow wearing an expensive suit (Scott Boras).  Ranaudo is begin advised by Boras, who will likely try to push the negotiation process out until the mid August deadline, in order to squeeze as much out of the deal as possible.

With all that being said, the Sox aren’t really prone to be scared off from Boras’ demands if they feel that the player is worth the trouble, so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about in that regard.

Ranaudo is another pick who fell in the draft due to injury concerns, in addition to his signability issues.  He’s had elbow problems, but is one of the best college power pitchers available in the draft, and could be a huge steal at #39.

Keep checking in as I’ll continue to monitor the remaining rounds, and report on some notable players drafted by the Sox.

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By Jimmy, 6/7/2010 7:01 am

6/6/10: Orioles 4, Red Sox 3

It seems like the annual mid-summer pillage of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is the birthright of every player who puts on a Red Sox uniform (and every Red Sox fan, for that matter).  While the Sox did not leave Charm City with a sweep, they did outscore the flailing Orioles 23-6 over the three-game series.

John Lackey’s 7 inning performance was slightly encouraging; it was his best start since May 5th (the one caveat being that it came against the worst team in the American League).

Notes & Takeaways:

• Manny Delcarmen is hurting a bit, and as  result he’s had two outings in a row where he opened the flood gates.
• Maybe something to keep an eye on: David Ortiz’ left hand after being hit with a pitch by the gargantuan Mark Hendrickson last night.
• Dear Pau Gasol: it’s time to shave your neck.  You are beginning to look like that flying desert creature who sold Anakin Skywalker’s mom into slavery.  (Okay, for those of you who aren’t huge dorks, here’s what I’m talking about.)

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By Jimmy, 6/6/2010 1:31 pm

Isn’t it nice to live in an era where the term “draft” is typically associated with sports, video games, and beer?

Taking a page out of the NFL’s playbook, the first round of the MLB draft will be held in prime time on Monday night, and the entire event will be spread out over the course of three days.

While there isn’t much of a chance of Bryce Harper falling to #20 due to his “makeup issues”, we’ll be here to analyze each notable selection from the Sox.  Be sure to check here during the draft, as I’ll hopefully be posting in real time as the event goes down.

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By Jimmy, 6/2/2010 8:25 am

6/1/10: Red Sox 9, Oakland 4

Victor Martinez had one of the best games in his career, going 5 for 5 with 4 doubles, and Adrian Beltre continues to earn every penny of his contract, hitting a key 3-run HR in last night’s victory against Oakland.

The offense was needed, as John Lackey (who earned the victory) was once again shaky.  He wasn’t as wild as he had been in the past, but he was getting hit like a disobedient child from the 1950′s.

Lackey now was the 8th worst FIP among qualified starting pitchers in the American League, right below the decomposed corpse of Jake Westbrook on the list.  Not good.

Notes & Takeaways:

If you need more proof that the general public is stupid and needs to be protected from itself via stringent regulation, look no further than the All-Star voting:

There are other examples, which I’ll ridicule at some point in the near future.  We can all get a good laugh out of it, but when the powers that be decide to award the winning side with home field advantage in the World Series, it kind of becomes more than just an exhibition.  You don’t want your first baseman to be putting up Bill Hall numbers, if that much is at stake.