Boston Sports Then and Now

"RJ" spent five years managing the PawSox.

For years, Ron Johnson opened his spring trainings as an assistant coach under Terry Francona.

Then would come April, and Johnson would find himself in Pawtucket and relative obscurity as Francona’s version of the Red Sox set out on a Major League campaign.

Johnson will stick around this year when the Boston squad breaks north.  In November, the Red Sox named the long-time PawSox skipper first base coach for the 2010 season.  The promotion is a feel-good story about a man who has spent seasons upon seasons informing his players of their big league promotion.

Little has changed in the early going for Johnson.  In a press conference last week, Francona explained that thus far, Johnson’s role is the same as it had been during his tenure in Pawtucket.

Still, he acknowledged that when the season starts the story will be a good one.  When a reporter commented that Johnson won’t have to suffer the long bus rides demanded by a Minor League season, Francona smiled, chuckled, and said, “Yeah, and he deserves it.  Good for him.”

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury have both been managed by Johnson.

Johnson has spent ten seasons coaching in the Red Sox minor league system, including the last five managing in Pawtucket.  This will be his first big league gig.  In February, Johnson told NESN.com, “I’m really excited.  I’m more excited about this spring training than I have been in a lot of years. I’m very proud to have my first big-league job be with the Boston Red Sox. I want to be as good, or better, than I ever have been in the past.”

-Adam Vaccaro can be followed on Twitter.

Jeremy Hermida's star fell in Florida. He'll have a chance to make good on his promise in Boston this season.

In 2009, Red Sox fans cheered on a fourth outfielder in Rocco Baldelli whose playing time was limited to 62 games and 164 plate appearances.

This season, they can expect to see a whole lot more of Jeremy Hermida, who will be filling the role.

The fifth year outfielder, acquired by the Sox on November 5 for two minor league pitchers, has received little talk as the decade’s first season approaches. Hermida, though, should accrue significant playing time in a reserve role for Boston. He is expected to serve as the immediate backup for rightfielder JD Drew and leftfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. He will technically also receive backup centerfield plate appearances by playing leftfield, bumping Ellsbury to his former position and Mike Cameron to the bench.

Of course, it goes without saying that a fourth outfielder will accumulate playing time backing up the outfield spots. However, Hermida may be able to top 300 at-bats given the circumstances in the Red Sox outfield. Drew famously misses his share of games, and Cameron is entering his age 37 season; he’ll need plenty of rest. Further, Cameron has struggled against right-handed pitching, hitting .244 last season with a .318 on-base percentage and slugging .430 (compare this to his .271/.420/.534 line against southpaws and you see how staggering the split is). Hermida, meanwhile, hits quite well against righties. It would be beneficial both to Cameron’s keeping fresh and, perhaps, the team’s performance if Hermida saw some extra playing time against right-handers.

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The Lowell Spinners Enter Year Five of The YEP

Massachusetts towns from Spencer to Swampscott and from Boston to Brookfield have become participants in the Lowell Spinners’ quest to eliminate heartbreak and taunting from youth baseball programs playing in the shadows of Fenway Park.

Even a squad or two from Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and yes, Rochester, NY have been spared the wide spread humiliation that accompanies being subjected to Yankee Pin Stripes while living in the heart of Red Sox Nation.

In the spirit of the many unique and ingenious promotions that are such a part of minor league baseball and as a testament to the greatest rivalry in the sport, The Lowell Spinners, Class A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are happy to announce that the Yankees Elimination Promotion (Y.E.P) is celebrating its fifth year of eliminating New York Yankees teams from youth baseball programs throughout New England.

Originally developed as a response to the heartbreak and ridicule which children of New England assigned to Yankees youth baseball and softball teams face, the Y.E.P. has eliminated over 150 Yankees teams since 2006, replacing them with Spinners teams. Read the rest of this entry →

John Lackey

John Lackey just recently became a member of the Red Sox back in December of 2009. Boston signed him for five years, $82.5 dollars. Although he will not start a game until April, many Red Sox fans anticipate what should be an exciting player to watch.

The 6’ 6” pitcher was drafted in the second round (68th overall) by the Anaheim Angels back in 1999. It wasn’t until June 24th, 2002 when Lackey made his Major League debut. The debut didn’t go to well as he lost his first start and was then sent back down to Triple A.

Less than a week later, Lackey earned his first win in the big leagues, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the playoffs, Lackey played arguably the biggest game of his career. Game seven of the World Series, where he allowed only one earned run on four hits while striking out four in five innings.

In his sophomore season, Lackey was slumping, but in the following years he was able to turn that around. On July 7th, 2006, he retired 27 batters in a row after allowing Mark Kotsay to lead off the game with a double.

In his first start of 2009, on May 16, Lackey was ejected after his first two pitches of the season in a game against the Texas Rangers Lackey threw his first pitch behind Ian Kinsler’s head, and hit Kinsler in the side with his second pitch. Home Plate Umpire Bob Davidson ejected Lackey without hesitation. Since Kinsler scored, Lackey was charged with an earned run, giving him an ERA of infinity.

This season, Lackey will begin his career with the Sox, getting a taste of what it is like to play at Fenway.

Trivia question of the week: What current Red Sox player did John Lackey strikeout to earn his 1,000th career strikeout?

For more Red Sox news and information, visit FenwayBaseball.com

Chants of “We’re No. 2″ are sure to be heard echoing through the air around Landsdowne Street when the Red Sox take the field for the upcoming 2010 baseball season.

The anticipated chatter will not be a predication of the Red Sox impending finish in the American League East, however, as much as acknowledgement of left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury’s entry into an “exclusive club” of players who wore the number two on the back of their Red Sox uniform.

“I wore it in high school. It’s may favorite number. I always wanted it,” explained the fleet-footed left fielder, who has worn the number 46 since playing for the big-league club. “The Red Sox always knew I wanted it. Brad (Mills) wasn’t going to give it to me. When I heard Brad was promoted, within two minutes, I called Pookie (Jackson, a clubhouse man).” Read the rest of this entry →

My friend Jenn from SoxPinkPony has a great book about Red Sox History; she gets all sorts of great facts that she posts on Twitter. Today she wrote about almost losing American hero and baseball legend, Ted Williams on February 19, 1953. In recent months the only news I’ve heard about the Splendid Splinter is how his cryogenically frozen head has been used as batting practice. It’s disgusting, it’s disgraceful and it has overshadowed some of the great things he accomplished in his life on and off the diamond.

Ted Williams in the F9F cockpit

Captain Theodore Williams flew a total of 38 combat missions in two wars. In Korea he was assigned to First Marine Air Wing, VMF-311 with close friend and future astronaut and senator, John Glenn. Williams’ plane was hit by enemy fire while flying a combat mission with the 33rd Marine Air Group aimed at Kyomipo, North Korea. Williams’ flew a bit too low and his plane was hit by a shower of small arms fire.

The airplane controls showed multiple failures, his landing gear got stuck down (although he was able to get it back into the plane) and he lost radio contact. Meanwhile, unaware his plane was on fire, another pilot tried signaling him to eject but he increased altitude and headed toward the nearest US base.

When the landing field was in sight, Williams turned to land. He was unable to get the landing gear back down and still didn’t realize the aircraft was on fire, until the explosion. He wasn’t aware how fast he was going (due to the controls being out) and was forced to try and land at a speed of 225 mph, almost twice the recommended landing speed.

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