Boston Sports Then and Now

Dice-K struggles continue. (photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar)

They’ve got me between a rock and a hard place, if you will. I am cowering in fear as Dice-K takes the mound against the Yankees in New York. The team is at .500. We need to win. Dice-K may as well be wielding a weapon straight at my face as he loads the bases to start the game.

I have been clinging to whatever hopes I can manage to dig up: the Yankees at .500 just about a year ago, then turning things around and going all the way to the World Series. The Red Sox offense has been promising, coming up big in a lot of tight spots. It’s not really enough to have me hopeful, but I can’t give up.

I need to get away, stop watching. I can’t stop. I have to know what they are doing next. They have me in an emotional strong hold.  Down 5-0 after only one inning, Boston is able to score in the top of the second.  Yankees come back with another run in the bottom of the inning, and we remain down by five.

Top of the fourth inning: Big Papi comes through yet again, a solo homer to deep right.  Dice-K has settled down some; New York hasn’t scored since the bottom of the second.  Boston now within four.

J.D. Drew brings hope to the hostage situation (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

A critical time – the fifth inning. J.D. Drew belts out a three-run homer to bring the Sox within one.  New York comes right back in the bottom of the inning and brings in another run; now they are up by two.  I can’t watch. I can’t shut it off, either.

Wakefield comes in to finish the inning, doing a top-notch job as a reliever, and keeps the Yankees from scoring.  Boston is still very much in the game.  Top of the eighth – back to back homers from Youkilis and Martinez, and the Sox are up by two!

With Bard and Papelbon coming in to close out the game, I’m hopeful again – I think they’re going to pull it off! Read the rest of this entry →

All week, I’ll be counting down to Opening Day by listing the 30 things that need to go right for the Red Sox’ off-season plans to become in-season realities.  Here are keys 15-11.

15. The Sox see more success against the American League West.

The Texas Rangers were 7-2 against Boston in 2009.

The talk around baseball is usually about the difficulty of  playing in the American League East, but in 2009 the Sox posted a 45-27 record in their division.  They also fared well against AL Central teams, posting a 28-15 record against their mid-western opponents.  It was against the AL West that they really faltered, posting just a .382 winning percentage (13-21).  West Coast swings are difficult for any Eastern club, but a .500 record against the division shouldn’t be too hard to come by.  In 2010, the Rangers and Mariners look better and the Angels and A’s seem worse.  If Boston can split wins and losses against their opposite coast foes, they’ll compete for their division crown and perhaps 100 wins.

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All week, I’ll be counting down to Opening Day by listing the 30 things that need to go right for the Red Sox’ off-season plans to become in-season realities.  Here are keys 20-16.

20. Young pitchers prove ready to step in if called upon.

Casey Kelly may get his first taste of Major League action this season.

Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa filled in as called upon in 2009 to mixed results.  Assuming Tazawa’s recent injury issue isn’t season threatening, they’ll likely be called upon for a few starts apiece this year as well; even with 5 healthy starters and a sixth who should be able to join the team by the end of April, blisters, soreness, fatigue, and illness come up in a rotation over the course of a Major League season.  Spot starts are not just a part of the game, though — they’re also a great way to break in promising young pitchers.  Jonathan Papelbon, Clay Buchholz, Tazawa, and Bowden have all debuted under spot start circumstances and it stands to reason that the latter two will again see time in this capacity, as might phenom Casey Kelly should the Sox feel he’s ready.  Between the three, it’s likely fair to expect ten starts on the season.  Should these three see action, the club will benefit if they deliver solid performances.

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It’s been an eventful week in Fort Myers.  As the Major League roster starts to take shape, injuries have begun a-creeping, though thankfully all suffered this week seem relatively minor.  Some players are gone and some new ones have swung into camp.  Let’s run through the week.

• The Florida Marlins have returned Rule 5 pick Jorge Jiminez to the Sox.  The third baseman is said to have impressed the Marlins some, but not enough to have won a job.  He’s shown promise in the Sox’ system and perhaps he’ll get a cup of coffee over the course of the season.
• Dustin Pedroia has sprained his wrist.  He was expected to play yesterday but the brass decided to give it one more day.  Pedroia says the injury is “no big deal.”
  

  Pedroia says not to worry about his injury.

• Old lefthanded relievers are playing musical chairs.  After signing Alan Embree a week ago, the Sox yesterday released Brian Shouse and signed Scott Schoenweis. Insurance has never hurt a club but it’s difficult to tell exactly how the Sox are hoping to shape the lower tier of their bullpen, except that it’s becoming fairly evident that they want another lefty.
• Writes Sean McAdam, it’s starting to look like Mike Lowell’s not going anywhere.  That may even include Boston to start the season, as Lowell hurt himself yesterday when he batted a ball off his knee and may miss time.  This, of course, should quiet any trade interest that there may have been; the hobbled third baseman might just last in Boston after all.  Should Lowell open the season on the DL, newly-acquired infielder Kevin Frandsen may be an option to open the season with Boston.
• Read the rest of this entry →

Don’t look now, but Spring Training is more than half-way over.  In fact, we are just shy of two weeks from Opening Day at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox will host the New York Yankees.  Outside, in the last week, Spring sprung.  It’s almost time for baseball.

Spring Training's almost through, but questions linger for the Sox.

However, there are still some questions surrounding the Sox.  Sure, the roster is almost set and a run prevention strategy has already been mobilized for the coming season.  All the same, the following five issues will still need to be resolved before April 4, or at the very least, will provide us with interest as the date mercifully approaches.

5. Is Bill Hall capable of filling his idealized role with the club?

Hall was acquired in exchange for Casey Kotchman on January 7.  The move was, at the time, lauded for being a shrewd way for the Sox to save some cash.  However, the keen were quick to identify a role for Hall that could prove immensely valuable.  Hall has played 6 positions in his career (second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field) and could kill two birds on the roster with one stone by serving both as the utility infielder and a right-handed outfielder that can give JD Drew a breather.  Hall’s been in steep offensive decline for three years since posting a remarkable .899 OPS and 35 home runs in 2006, and also hasn’t played shortstop since that season.  If Hall can’t field the position, the Sox are better off taking Tug Hulett or even Jed Lowrie north with them especially considering that Hall is hardly hitting in Florida.  The early reports have been positive, but Hall will have to keep it up if he wants to serve in what could be a very interesting reserve role with the club.

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Tim Wakefield

When someone says the name Tim Wakefield, one of the most automatic thoughts is the knuckleball. The 43-year-old pitcher has been on the mound for the Red Sox since 1995 and could be there for a while longer.

After graduating from Florida Tech, Wakefield was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 8th round of the free agent draft in 1988. A scout told Wakefield that he would never make it past double A with his position skills.

At this point, Wakefield focused on improving his knuckleball that has made him so well known today. He had immediate success and it did not take long to make the majors.

In his Major League debut, Wakefield pitched a complete game against the Cardinals. He struck out ten batters and threw 146 pitches in doing so.

As the season continued, Wakefield started 13 games, going 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA. His success as a rookie earned him the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

The next season, Wakefield began to struggle and was eventually released by the pirates. Six days later, the Red Sox picked him up. He began Read the rest of this entry →