Red Sox Reality Check

How can the sports addict keep up with the news? Bronson Arroyo stifles the Sox in Florida today. Was it 'Be Nice to Bronson' day? Maybe it wasn't exactly the Red Sox 'A' lineup in there either. Julian (WWE) Tavarez gets a ten day suspension. It must have been pro-rated for weight. Imagine if Wily Mo had landed one on Joey Gathright. Joey would have been 'Joey Gath'LightsOut' forever. And the NFL bans celebrations? What's excessive? A hard spike, or an overly exuberant booty shake. The NFL (No Fun League) is currently working on a new penalty 'signal' combining the Touchdown signal, with the fist pump, and throat slash, meaning 'excessive celebration' 15 yards. Why not just give the guy a 5000 buck fine and let him buy his own celebration? And then there's the NHL. Nothing to celebrate there. The Celtics have been looking for a hard-driving guard for years. Now we've got Orien Greene, and we're complaining. Well, you meant...

Baseball requires unique skills that unfettered passion may not enhance. In other words, punching a guy's lights out because you're a hothead doesn't make you a better player. Julian Tavarez comes with plenty of baggage, without loading up the train against, of all people, Tampa Bay. We know that occasionally brawls make a difference. Bill Lee's injury sustained in Yankee Stadium certainly was a setback. Jason Varitek's 'glove tap' to A-Rod launched the Sox toward a championship in 2004. But most of the time, there's a lot of shoving and not much accomplished. It doesn't have to be this way. I'll call him the 25th man. Each team would employ an 'enforcer', whose job would be to spar with the other club's enforcer when 'appropriate'. If a brushback or worse happens, the fans would give the traditional 'thumbs up' sign, and the enforcers would meet at the pitcher's mound to do baseball battle. By definition, the enfo...

How much do you love baseball? I've read a lot of baseball books and sports literature, from Bouton's classic Ball Four, to the business tale Lords of the Realm to Will's Men at Work and biographies from Koufax to Mantle. Charles Euchner's The Last Nine Innings (Sourcebooks) chronicles Game 7 of the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and the Diamondbacks. Innings made me hungry for the beginning of the baseball season, and more. Euchner examines the game within the game. The cover proclaims 'get inside the game of baseball like never before'. Truer words were never spoken. Innings doesn't replicate any of the previous baseball books I've read, although by way of comparison, it resembles Men at Work most closely. The author peers into not only at what each player and position does, but also studies their preparation, from offseason physical training by Steve Finley, to the art of pitch framing, to the vagaries of the strike zone. Euchner brings Gam...

Good grief. How could I leave out Papi? a quick redo Position players: (14) C Varitek, Bard 1B Youkilis, Snow 2B Loretta, Cora (utility) SS Gonzalez 3B Lowell DH Ortiz OF Ramirez, Crisp, Nixon, Stern, Pena Pitchers (11) SP Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Clement, Wells RP Timlin, Seanez, Tavarez, Papelbon, Foulke, Dinardo (does that mean Riske goes down?)...Papelbon belongs in the rotation, but nobody except Wakefield is suitable for bullpen duty. I haven't seen too many at bats so far this spring, but Lowell hasn't impressed. It's no accident that Choi's in the wings, with Youkilis' natural position at third.

Realistically, it looks as though there will be five outfield spots, with four belonging to Ramirez, Crisp, Nixon, and Stern (Rule V continuation). I'm not sure that Stern isn't the most deserving fourth outfielder right now. Which leaves us with the Wily (Coyote) Mo Pena versus Dustin Mohr issue. Pena just arrived for Arroyo, has no options, and isn't going anywhere. Mohr is a major leaguer, and like Tony Graffanino is in baseball limbo. Would Stern be better off playing every day once his Rule V roster time is up? Probably. Another guy who's the odd man out right now is Craig Hansen. He seemed to be throwing the ball better than some of the 'guaranteed' guys- like Seanez, Riske, and Foulke. If Hansen had the 6 million dollar contract and Foulke a million, I don't think that Hansen would soon be discovering the best pizza places in Pawtucket or North Attleboro. Oh well, there's always the Hellenic Flu or the Red Sox equivalent, as someone's bound to...

With the season less than two weeks away, the Red Sox and Boston sports offer up fodder for commentary. Bundle of Choi? Who are these guys? The revolver door (started with Theo Epstein in mind) yielded to the revolving door, not so much of a purge as a retooling from 2004. Long-time Celtics fans recall that the failure to rebuild (and the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis) has left the franchise barren of championship dreams for two decades. The entire infield is rebuilt, with better defense, and (God let it be so) better offense. Will Hee Seop Choi be a better foreign import than Jin Ho Cho, Sonny Kim, and Seung Song? Cereal killers? Sox fans await the swings of Manny, Ortiz, our new favorite Coco Crisp, Jason Varitek, and Trot Nixon. If the Sox were the Patriots, this would be Trot's curtain call, as his production hasn't matched his enthusiasm. There are great moments like the ninth inning homerun off Roger Clemens at the Stadium, and the bases loaded double in Game 4 at...

The Red Sox trade rocker wannabe Bronson Arroyo for 24 year-old Cincinnati Reds Dominican slugger Wily Mo Pena. Arroyo had signed a three year deal for a bit over 11 million dollars, and developed a cult following for not only his pitching, but his singing. I'm sure my oldest daughter isn't liking this deal at all. Arroyo had a somewhat unconventional delivery, but a 90 mph fastball and a wide-breaking curve. Like the little girl with the curls, when he was good, he was very good, but... I was surprised that Arroyo led the Sox in quality starts last year, but I guess I shouldn't have been. Quality starts correlate strongly with wins and he put up 14 last year. Some say he will be the Reds number one starter, which probably isn't a ringing endorsement for them. From all reports, Arroyo loved pitching for the Red Sox, and cared a lot about living here and enjoyed his stay. With all the criticism we level at players, we've got to give Arroyo props for his attitude. Wil...

The pundits will be coming out with their predictions for 2006 soon, and we all wonder how the Red Sox will fare. It's all about the pitching, and the Sox have ability and question marks. At the top of the rotation are Schilling and Beckett, with age and injury the respective questions. From my perspective, Jon Papelbon was the second best pitcher on the staff by the end of the season, and we have to hope that he's in the rotation not in the bullpen. Wakefield serves as a valuable changeup and innings eater, which leaves Arroyo, Clement, and Wells to battle for the final spot. Realistically, the Sox are better with two, because of the neverending likelihood of injury. Who's the odd man out. Well, among the latter three, Wells certainly ranks as the oddest, but not necessarily out. So, taking 6 of the above, that leaves Foulke, Seanez, Timlin, Tavarez, and Riske as the likely pen pals, with DiNardo, Hansen, and DelCarmen as the callup prospects. Will Foulke start the season ...

The bases are full, two outs in the eighth, and the Sox lead 4-1. Curt Schilling has thrown a hundred pitches, and the hitter already has two hits off Schilling today. The bullpen in contradictory fashion is rested and warmed, and Terry Francona walks to the mound. Does Francona owe it to Schilling to leave him in? "It's his game." Or has Francona noticed that Schilling's command is weakening, more pitches are up in the zone, that his time has come? Can you or I do a better job than Francona can in making that call? He brings in the closer, who surrenders a bases clearing double. Does that make the decision wrong, or just the outcome? There are hundreds of subtle and overt decisions a manager makes during each game, from lineups, to pitch selection, small ball or big inning, defensive alignments, and decisions communicated to coaches who have studied other teams' defensive alignments, throwing power and accuracy, and so on. Are you as 'smart' as Francona? ...

It's just difficult. March Madness is just around the corner, and our Melrose Lady Raiders get knocked out at the Garden. Oh, the indignity of it. Well, anyway. It's 'Toe-Main' poisoning for the Dominican Dandy Pedro Martinez, whose value, Rotisserie and otherwise, plummets, as his right big toe aches. Maybe he'll give back some of the 53 million to the Mets. Right. My, oh my, Minaya, will the Gotham fans be on your backside if Pay-dro can't go. As for the WBC, and the US, if Venus is in the House of Mars or something, and Japan covers the spread in Hanshin, then the US goes home, or stays home. Mom, apple pie, and baseball. So maybe it's only Mom and apple pie. How do you like them 'apples? The Sox haven't yet arrived in Fort Myers, and The Replacements continue to get knocked around until the regulars return from wherever the aliens kidnapped them. Bronson Arroyo is making a campaign for the batting practice pitcher, with an ERA that looks like a W...

- Does anybody believe that nobody on the Sox ever took steroids? - Barry. At least they worked for him, for years. Not like certain Orioles outfielders. - Will Krafty Bob be willing to pay for the tab? I've heard that he's a separate checks kind of guy...I'll never know. - Papi! Si. - Glad to see so much enthusiasm from Mike Timlin about the WBC. I hope he still has innings left. - Wells. Mickey Lolich. Babe Ruth. Portly portsiders who could get it done. - Is Dustin Pedroia the new Tim ('Whirlpool') Naehring? - Who's next to retire? - Manny could step out of a closet at midnight and just hit. You can't give away that kind of ability? - No noose is good news? Right L-squared.

March has always meant one thing: college basketball playoffs, and while Spring Training is a diversion, it's still hoops for now. Meanwhile, ESPN2 and insomnia bring us the World Baseball Classic, a somewhat diluted showcase of baseball talent. Injuries, illness, and vagaries of ego and territoriality keep some of baseball's best home. Still, the classic affords us to see some quality baseball with international stars and teams actually caring about winning. It's a treat to see Sunny Kim throwing against the Japanese, and Ichiro's cannon from right field. Gordon Edes has a compelling argument in favor of Buck O'Neil's induction into the Hall of Fame in today's Globe. I'd say that it's outrageous that he's not, but I was more surprised that he wasn't already in. I've read stories about his power, and the telling commentary that the ball simply sounded different coming off of his bat. Baseball has always been about an old boy's network...

Those of us old enough to remember the Red Sox prior to 1967 don't have a lot of fond Red Sox memories. I vaguely remember Frank Malzone catching a popup to preserve a no-hitter (some very old synapses, I could be wrong), and listening to Mom's transistor radio under the covers, infuriating her by burning out the batteries. But the real memories come from personal experience, throwing a baseball endlessly against a big rock with a strike zone painted on it, playing catch with Dad (who threw 'the drop'), playing ball throughout elementary school, high school, and a little in college. It all paled by comparison with watching my son's Little League games, or daughters' softball. What makes baseball special is how personal our relationship remains with the game, the shared experience, the closeness we have to the game. We all know how it is to be overpowered at the plate or the frustration of making a bad throw, or dropping that popup. The thrill of victory and ...

Today on sports radio, some of the regulars gave their predictions on how many games the Red Sox would win this season. The consensus seemed to be 90 to 95, with variable belief as to whether the Red Sox would capture the wild card. Last time I checked, the Sox have barely started constructing the newest version of the Big Red Sox Machine, with questions about who will comprise the starting rotation, many of the bullpen roles, and of course the closer. Presumably, the rotation gains stature with the return of Schilling, the addition of Beckett and Papelbon, and the maturation of Arroyo. Wakefield fills out the rotation, presuming that Clement and Wells find greener pastures. Frankly, with the injury histories of the top of the rotation, I'd rather try to find a way to at least keep Clement, with the hope of having five healthy starters all year long. I expect that Foulke will make a satisfactory physical and mental (attitude) recovery, and that we'll see how Tavarez, Timlin, Se...

So loyalists of Red Sox Nation. You are asked to choose, between the incessantly whining scribes (and bloggers) and Manny Ramirez. Here's a sample of the Steve Buckley 'stat line' from the Herald today: "Theo Epstein and Terry Francona are well-practiced in the Manny Ramirez Excuse Industry. No matter what the issue — a questionable hamstring injury, a sick relative, and, now, a desire to stick to some kind of at-home training regimen rather than show up at spring training" Meanwhile, at points unknown, Manny swings the weighted bats, takes some cuts in a phantom cage, and maybe still runs Rocky-like, dragging some used tires behind him. Well, at least he takes some cuts. So, choose your poison, the Knights of the Keyboard, with gerunds, i before e , and the subjunctive case or 435 homers, a career 1.008 OPS, and an annual 40 homers and 120 RBI. Gentlemen and ladies, I rest my case. Alright, so I'm a Manny apologist. Whether a player makes the minimum or 20 m...

The Red Sox granted slugger Manny Ramirez permission to report late to camp, on March 1st. So, he's working out feverishly and doesn't want to break the mood, or maybe he's just getting his hair done. Whatever. Historically, Spring Training has been about 1) getting in some golf, 2) getting a tan, and 3) family time (right). Most of the guys who need to get in shape, e.g. rehab projects, young guns, fringe guys, contract year guys are already in great shape. That would include everyone from Schilling and Foulke, to Youk and Pedroia, and of course, Nixon. Does anybody think that Manny forgot how to hit over the winter? I didn't think so. Does anyone think that team chemistry is that important? The Sox don't need twenty-five choirboys, they need guys who are performing for pride, dollars, or spite, beating out other teams' guys trying to do the same thing. Chemistry IS important. Try living a single day without chemistry. It wouldn't be easy. You'd have to...

From ESPN, Curt Gowdy, one of the signature voices of sports for a generation and a longtime broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox , died Monday at 86 . Nowadays we hear Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy at the microphone, but over the years, it has been so many. In my youth, it was Gowdy, the announcer with a cowboy hat who would seem out of place nowadays with the Red Sox so chic. Later, we listened to Ken Coleman, "and Yastrzemski dives, and makes a TREmendous catch," and of course Ned Martin, who seemed so right and so New England. Gowdy didn't exactly disappear, even making a cameo in the Freddy Prinze, Jr. film Summer Catch, but for the most part, he was a relic from another era. I don't remember him as being a great homer (doesn't that seem to be a qualification for so many broadcasters?), although we celebrate the late Johnny Most as the ultimate homer. With spring training upon us, we look forward to continuity, with Joe and Jerry on the radio, and Don and Jerry on...

A slow news week creates lots of dead air time. So the Red Sox decided to fill that void by proclaiming their eternal devotion to Roger Clemens, and initiated an effort to return the Rocket to his ancestral baseball home. First, let's review Clemens' substantial baseball resume'. He is ninth all-time in wins, has 7 Cy Young awards, an MVP, is fifth among active pitchers in ERA, first among active players in strikeouts and second on the All-time list. He is a consensus first ballot Hall of Famer. But you knew all that. What you need explained is why Roger Clemens must return to the Red Sox? The pundits and fans insist that it completes a baseball life cycle and provides symmetry to the Universe. Somehow, it undoes his bitter departure and provides closure to the Duquette era. It allows him to be the elder statesman of a pitching staff replete with Clemens admirers, Schilling and Beckett, and provides another mentor for Jonathan Papelbon. Please explain to me what returning t...

Feel I'm going back to Massachusetts Something's telling me I must go home And the lights all went out in Massachusetts The day I left her standing on her own Tried to hitch a ride to San Francisco Gotta do the things I wanna do And the lights all went out in Massachusetts They brought me back to see my way with you Talk about the life in Massachusetts Speak about the people I have seen And the lights all went out in Massachusetts I will remember Massachusetts I will remember Massachusetts -- Massachusetts, The Bee Gees The Red Sox intend to produce a video to entice Roger Clemens to return to Boston. Well, I'll help, but throwing him the extra money would work better. That's his history. (Opening scene) - The Monolith from 2001, a Space Odyssey . Roger's always been larger than life. Cue the music Sprach Zarathustra (Cut to next scene) - Red Sox legends, Williams smacking his homer into the bullpen on his last at bat, Yaz robbing Tom Tresh on Billy Rohr's no-hi...

In the hilarious rock spoof The School of Rock, Jack Black cons a promoter into entering his school band into the 'Battle of the Bands' because they're dying of stick-it-to-da-man-iosis. Who are the Sox trying to con? Manny won't be confused with an eagle scout, global statesman, or paragon of virtue. I'd guess that most of us Red Sox fans won't be confused with them either. How many of you have ever wished you could tell off your boss, slacked off, or wished that you could be somewhere else doing another job? Probably everyone . Manny isn't a Gold Glove left-fielder, but he's not the worst the Sox ever had either. I'd take Manny over the Golden Boy, media-friendly Gator any day. In eleven full seasons, Ramirez hit less than 30 homers once, and in his five Boston seasons averaged 40 homers and 122 RBI, including a season in which he played only 120 games. His range factor and fielding percentage are marginally below league averages, and checking www....