Chemistry Lesson - Red Sox

"No progress occurs without change, but not all change is progress." - John Wooden



It's all good. Let's put on some smiley faces today and reexamine the Bosox 2016. David Price showed up over a week early, saying and doing all the right things. He and David Ortiz hugged it out, burying the hatchet. 

GM Dave Dombrowski praised 23-year-old outfielder Mookie Betts for organizing and sponsoring a team dinner. Maybe Dunkin Donuts should show Betts some love for being an exemplary teammate. 

Clay Buchholz threw batting practice and there were no injury qualifiers included in the discussion. 

MLB is modifying sliding rules, which should eliminate rolling blocks and just maybe keep the Sox dp combination of Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts healthy. As an aside, not only should the runner and batter be declared out, but the violating slider should be tossed. 

Henry Owens was all smiles as he battles to earn a spot at the back of the rotation.

The sample size on the young lefthander is far too small to be handing out starts or bus tickets. Suffice it to say, he's got a number of more established pitchers ahead of him but it would be shocking not to see him in the rotation at some point this season. 

While I may channel The Positive Dog (today), Peter Gammons stakes a more open-minded position at Gammonsdaily.com. The positive spin is that Brock Holt, Travis Shaw, and Deven Marrero all have that Cassius "lean and hungry look". 

John Farrell is healthy. The Red Sox have an experienced replacement available. It doesn't get any better than this...or much shorter.