TRIVIA: HR in first at-bat
Who was the last player to hit a home run in his first plate appearance as a member of the Boston Red Sox?
Month: March 2009
Lowrie Lead Off, Ellsbury #9?
Just a thought. Jacoby Ellsbury could become the best leadoff batter in basseball, as well as the game’s premier Gold…
Schilling officially retires
Schilling may have only spent four years in a Boston uniform, but he's one of the more indelible players to ever wear the uniform and seems destined for the Hall of Fame.
Jason Varitek: No, he cannot field
As you might have deduced from the headline to this article, I've learned that Varitek can't field. Not only can he not field, he can't throw either.
There are two newfangled statistics that bear this out -- Adjusted Earned Runs Saved and Stolen Bases Saved. Needless to say, Varitek doesn't fare well in either statistic.
What do you think is the overriding reason why, in the face of declining offensive and defensive skills, Jason Varitek is still a starting member of the Boston Red Sox?
Previewing the 2009 Draft: Part II (6-10)
In Part I of the six part series on covering the 2009 Draft, I gave brief scouting reports over the well-known names in amateur baseball. Strasburg remains at the top and is having an unbelievable Junior year (.172 BAA, 74 K/7 BB in 34.1 IP). Part II features the top athlete in the draft followed by two very projectable arms and two pitchers that have experienced quite a bit of controversy within the past year.
6. Donovan Tate, OF, GA (HS)
Son of former NFL running back, Lars Tate, Donovan has is a genetic freak and arguably the best athlete in the draft. As a football player, he is a 4-star prospect according to Rivals.com and rated the 5th best athlete in the country. As a baseball player, he is the type of specimen which comes around once every five or ten years. He has plus bat-speed and is an absolute ballhawk in the outfield.
Can the “Oki-Doke” poke his overachieving head out again?
Okajima actually improved as 2008 progressed. His first half was solid, but the walks were way up. However, down the stretch Okajima regained his control, and was slightly better in the relief role. The one place where skepticism arises, is that hitters have definitely adjusted accoring to Oki's "Line Drive %." Okajima's "LD%" climbed up to 20% last season, where as, it was only 14% in 2007.
What does the release of Josh Bard mean?
The release of Josh Bard hit Boston by storm yesterday. While the release of a backup catcher may not register much in other cities, it's very important here; both for our rabid intake of baseball and the myriad implications for Jason Varitek's role and the future of catching in Boston.
To all those conspiracy theorists out there, it may not mean that the Sox value George Kottaras more... it is possible it means they're on the cusp of a blockbuster trade like Miguel Montero or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
How will fans respond if Ortiz fails early on in 2009?
If Ortiz is terrible, I may worry a little, but I will ultimately think logically about the situation and rely on; the previous great years, the fact that Ortiz is 33, not 36. And of course, I will remember that just last season Jose Guillen was a truly great player for a single month, and that Ryan Howard was truly atrocious. A month is a rather short period of time in baseball life.
Fireside Chats #38: Where Paul & Tim sit back and listen to the experts, Will Carroll and Jeff Goldberg
It's a star studded episode of Fireside Chats as we first welcome Jeff Goldberg who tells us why he thinks Big Papi is going to be swinging a big stick this year and how Jon Lester's contract extension could be the best of the Sox offseason moves. Jeff, a career newspaper journalist with the Hartford Courant before they made some deep cuts in the sports department last year, also gives us a candid look at where the media landscape. It doesn't look bright for the newspaper industry.
From newspapers we turn the conversation to injuries and who better to talk to than Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus. He is the injury expert (I've given second thought to using the word guru - thanks Will) and he tells us why we shouldn't rely on Brad Penny, not to fear for Mike Lowell or David Ortiz, and that if Julio Lugo is half the woman that Mary Lou Retton is, he'll be back on the field in short order (you'll have to listen to understand the reference). All that and a new t-shirt contest after the jump!
Littleton claimed off waivers by Brewers
Wes Littleton, acquired by the Red Sox earlier this year for Beau Vaughan, has been claimed off waivers by the…