The Advanced Scout – Tampa Bay Rays

The Advanced Scout finishes his grouper sandwich and analyzes the Tampa Bay Rays

6/4: Did you hear about the time change for the game? You didn’t?

Oakland Athletics (27-31) @ Boston Red Sox (31-26) Trevor Cahill (6-3, 2.31) @ Josh Beckett (4-2, 1.80) 1:10 PM EDT…

All-Aughts Team of the Decade RP6: Mike Myers

Manny Delcarmen has the years of service, while Rod Beck would have been an appropriate homage to the early decade. Alas, they lost out on a Team of the Decade spot to someone else. It's not often that a player who has pitched just 52.1 innings for a club is named to the Team of the Decade. But it's not often a player like the sidewinding Mike Myers comes along, either.

Matsui in Red, Varitek’s ‘C’

Hideki Matsui as a Red Sock? (Left: While not the best "action shot" out there on Matsui, it would offend our sense of decency to have pictures of Yankees high-fiving or trotting around the bases on our site. Therefore, we felt a picture of Matsui being brushed back by a fastball was much more appropriate.) Yesterday, the Red Sox official website announced a rumor linking the team to Hideki Matsui. According to sources at nikkansports.com (don’t even bother with the link, unless you can read Japanese), the Japanese website expects the Red Sox to tender Matsui a contract at some point this offseason. Though Matsui proved this season that he is still a force at the plate, the real question is whether or not he can effectively man left field.

Assessing Boston’s other left field candidates

Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Okay, let's take a break from the two obvious left-fielder candidates and focus on other free agents that could be manning left field for the Red Sox in 2010. I'm thinking that Theo's going to give this club another run with a fill-in left-fielder because as comprised, the team is still very good. As comprised, the team can still hit 95 wins -- if things go right. To compete in a transition year, however, we're going to need a left-fielder that can produce.

Nine Up, Nine Down: Welcoming the Yankees

In advance of the Yankees coming to town tomorrow for a three-game set in what will be the unofficial start of baseball season around here, I figure we should get caught up with what's going on in Yankeeland.

After the jump we bring you up to speed on CC Sabathia's struggles, the injury report plus a breakdown of the pitcher's the Sox will face this weekend.

Know Thine Enemy 2009: New York Yankees

The other half of the best rivalry in sports, The New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers "only" ended up with 89 victories last season. And the key players they inked this past off-season, have them looking incredibly strong on paper for this upcoming 2009 season.

The philosophy about building a strong farm was basically put on hold for a year. But Brian Cashman made some nice maneuvers, and the result--whether it was intentional or not--allowed the Yankees to lose their first three picks this year. And that is better than losing a first-round pick in three consecutive seasons, of course.

Morning Cup o’ Rumors: MLB; Sox needs

Let's take a whirl throughout the rumors in baseball and see what's going on...

In Milwaukee, Doug Melvin picked up Mike Cameron's option, but the Yankees have now come calling -- presumably dangling Melky Cabrera and Ian Kennedy. With Alex Rodriguez being solicited for advice on Cameron and rumblings that the Yankees might sign second baseman Orlando Hudson and move him to centerfield, you can expect to see a new centerfielder roaming the new Yankee Stadium next year.

A back of the rotation starter is being looked at so Clay Buchholz isn't handed the job in spring training. Paul Byrd could return.

Know Thy Enemy: 2008 New York Yankees

Much like this year’s political campaigns, Yankee fans want change. Ever since the Luis Gonzalez bloop single fell into shallow…

Red Sox: A Yankee Perspective

Hello folks. Jim Johnson here from The Bronx Block. I’m currently watching the Sox help the Yankees in their task…