Monday’s Links – The Arrival

Photo by Kelly O’Connor of sittingstill.smugmug.com

That Sunday game was seven kinds of ugly. But you know what cures stuff like that? The best prospect in the system getting called up. Yep. It’s happening.

• Mark down August 19th, 2013 as the day when Xander Bogaerts, the 20-year-old wunderkind shortstop, was finally called up to the majors. Welcome to The Show, kid. (Report: Bogaerts being called up)

• Last night’s game wasn’t the best of contests. The plunking of Alex Rodriguez was the flashpoint of it all. Should we be happy about it, or was it ill-advised? (The arithmetic of plunking Alex Rodriguez)

• Joe Girardi wasn’t exactly helping things either. Other than storming out of the dugout to argue with the umpire, he even wish Ryan Dempster got retaliated against personally. (Joe Girardi on Ryan Dempster: ‘I wish he had to hit’)

• Pretty sure Dustin Pedroia would play a full season on one leg if he could. There’s no stopping this guy from playing as many games as he wants. (No keeping Dustin Pedroia down)

• It feels awesome to actually see the Jacoby Ellsbury and the Red Sox create some of their own mayhem on the basepaths for once. (With Ellsbury leading way, Red Sox have become baseball’s best basestealing team)

• Destroying something, now that’s easy. Rebuilding it is a whole other matter. And the Red Sox have done it beautifully. 2012 seems like a distant memory. (2013 Red Sox Remain Mirror Image Of 2012)

• Another Sunday night game on a getaway day. With the team going out west, they’ve decided to leave early Monday morning this time. (Red Sox to leave for West Coast on Monday)

Dwight Evans with all the superlatives.