Off Season Chatter

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted in about a week and a half.  The reason- not a lot has happened.  We're in the off season, which can be almost as exciting as during the season (almost).  My youngest brother tells me that the off season is his favorite part of baseball because it's more the business aspect of the game.  I wouldn't say that it's my favorite of baseball, but it can be exciting.

Photo from MLBDailyDish

The GM has to get the pieces of the puzzle to make the whole team complete.  Last off season, Cherington was able to bring in players like Napoli, Victorino, Gomes, Ross, and Dempster.  This off season, the Red Sox have Napoli, Saltalamacchia, Ellsbury, and Drew hitting the free agent market.

It's already been reported that Drew will not be coming back to the Red Sox, as he's seeking a multi-year deal, and the Red Sox offer that to him (Bogaerts will/should be taking over at shortstop).  My guess is Ellsbury won't be returning either, as he's represented by Scott Boras.  It's been reported that Boras is seeking a Carl Crawford-like deal for Ellsbury, and there's a slim chance the Red Sox will be doing that again.

The Red Sox are said to be in negotiations to bring Salty back, the hold up being in the length of the contract.  The Red Sox would like a 2 year deal, while Salty's seeking 3-4 years.  The Red Sox don't seem to see Salty as a long-term catcher for the organization, with prospects Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart in their system.

If I had to put money on any of these four free agents coming back, I'd bet Napoli would be the one back next season.  The Red Sox originally wanted to sign Napoli to a multi-year deal last year, but when questions surfaced about Napoli's hips holding up, it was reduced to a single-year deal.  There have been reports that the Red Sox have extended a multi-year deal to Napoli, but those reports have been discredited (at this time).

Photo from Wikipedia

We're upon the time of year when "mystery teams" and "multiple suitors" are the words showing up in many reports when it comes to free agents.  If I wrote about all the rumors that are surfacing regarding the Red Sox and free agents, I would be writing non-stop.  Instead, I've been tweeting and retweeting a lot of the rumors on my Twitter account.  You can either follow it on the right side of the blog or follow me on Twitter: @BornIntoItInIA.  When credible or definitive information is reported, I will write about it in the blog.

In other news:

• Ben Cherington was named Executive of the Year.  He received 15 votes from a panel of 31 Major League executives.  The last Red Sox GM to win the award was Dick O'Connell in 1975.  
• Terry Francona beat out John Farrell for Manager of the Year (Farrell was second).  There was some negative comments being made about Francona winning when Farrell took the Red Sox all the way to win the World Series.  Personally, I think Francona did a fantastic job with the Indians, who weren't supposed to do well at all this season and made it to the Wild Card game.

Red Sox Win World Series

What a night!  That's really all I can say.  Last night, the Boston Red Sox became World Series Champions by beating the Cardinals 6-1.  For the first time since 1918, the Red Sox won the World Series at home, at Fenway Park.  Such an incredible night for this amazing team!

I'm really excited to say that I'm planning on attending the Duck Boat parade on Saturday morning in Boston.  My boyfriend and I had discussed it a couple times prior to last night's win.  We were keeping our fingers crossed that the parade would be Saturday, as we wouldn't be able to make it Friday or Sunday.  Lucky for us, they've announced the parade is scheduled for 10:00 AM Saturday.

Photo from The Boston Globe

David Ortiz deservingly won the MVP, hitting .688 (2nd highest in average in World Series history), hit 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, and was walked 8 times.  If there wasn't Ortiz, who knows what would've happened to this team.

Photo from The Boston Globe

Honestly, I would say Ortiz is the MVP of the season, and I'll get into that more tomorrow when I do my end of the season awards.  It started in April when Ortiz took the microphone and made his infamous speech.  Here's the clip again:

Ortiz kept this mentality going all season.  In his MVP speech, he made sure to dedicate the World Series to the Boston marathon victims and the City of Boston.  Here's his MVP speech:

John Lackey won the clinching game, becoming the first player in his history to win two World Series clinching games (his first was with the Angels in 2002 as a Rookie).  Lackey, who Red Sox fans loathed for years (that may be a bit strong, but you get the point), won this game for the Red Sox, and the Red Sox fans made sure to show their appreciation.  I thought it was a touching moment when Lackey tipped his cap at the crowd, a crowd that had ridiculed and booed him in during his tenure with the Red Sox.

Photo from The Boston Herald

This offseason, the Red Sox went out and got what they thought would not only bring the fans back to Fenway, but bring a championship back to Boston.  They brought in John Farrell, having to trade to an division rival for the manager they knew could do the job and knew this team.

Photo from The Boston Globe

The Red Sox brought in David Ross, Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, Mike Napoli, and Stephen Drew, who all contributed in huge ways to this World Series winning team.  It's still seems surreal that this team has gone from worst to first.

As mentioned, I'll post my postseason awards for the blog.  Until then, please enjoy the photos, videos, and tweets from last night!  What a way to end a season!

Dropkick Murphys Pre-Game Performance

National Anthem and Shipping Up To Boston

Carlton Fisk
Photo from NESN

Photo from The Boston Globe

Photo from NESN

Photo from NESN

Photo from NESN

And the Red Sox Lose Again

The Red Sox lost to the Giants last night 3-2.  With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning, here's how the rest of the inning played out with Franklin Morales pitching:

Brandon Crawford strikes out swinging (1 Out)

Roger Kieschnick singles on a line drive to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (Runner on 1st Base)

Joaquin Arias lines out to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2 Outs, Runner on 1st Base)

Offensive substitution: Pinch-hitter Andres Torres replaces Sergio Romo.

Andres Torres walks.  Roger Kieschnick to 2nd (Runners on 1st and 2nd Bases)

Offensive substitution: Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez replaces Gregor Blanco.

Hector Sanchez hit by pitch.  Roger Kieschnick to 3rd.  Andres Torres to 2nd (Bases loaded)

Pitching change: Brayan Villarreal replaces Franklin Morale.

Marco Scutaro Walks.  Roger Kieschnick scores.  Andres Torres to 3rd.  Hector Sanchez to 2nd.

In summary, the Red Sox lost because of poor pitching (2 walks, 1 hit batter).  With the game on the line, John Farrell put in two pitchers (Franklin Moarales and Brayan Villarreal) who have been in Triple-A until this week because they've been on the disabled list.  To make matters worse, Junichi Tazawa gave up 2 singles and a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game.

I haven't question Farrell very much (if at all) this season, but I have to question his use of Tazawa (who hasn't been very effective lately), Morales, and Villarreal in a such a crucial situation.  The Rays had already won their game last night, so the Red Sox knew they had to win this game in order to hold onto first place alone.  Why not use Koji Uehara for at least the 9th inning? 

Because they lost, the Red Sox and Rays are tied for first.  Actually, the Rays are points ahead of the Red Sox because the Rays have played less games than the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have not won consecutive games since August 6th-7th agains the Astros.  They have gone 4-8 since that mark.  Something needs to change.  I thought they were going to get back to their winning ways when the won the first game against the Giants handily (Lester pitching 8.1 innings like a master).  Not the case.

Pedroia is now hitting .290 for the season; and I believe his average since the All-Star Break is something like .210.  Xander Bogaerts was called up before Monday night's game and made his debut last night.  He went 0-for-3, left 5 men on, and was pulled in the bottom of the 6th inning.  The once solid bullpen is showing signs of cracks and wear.  

What needs to happen?  The Red Sox need to win if they want to stay in first place.  They play the Giants today at 2:45 CT time today and have tomorrow off before the weekend series against the Dodgers.  Let's hope they start to win again.

All-Star Break Awards

It’s the All-Star Break, which means the Home Run Derby tonight, the All-Star Game is tomorrow, and no baseball on Wednesday (and Thursday for the Red Sox).  It also marks the unofficial halfway point in the season, so I thought a glance at some “Red Sox Award Candidates” would do us well.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could use a little break myself after a busy weekend.

The Red Sox currently sit at 59-39, first place in the division, and 2.5 games up on the surging Rays.  They have the best record in the American League, third best record in the Majors (behind the Cardinals and Pirates), and the most wins in the game.  They faltered a bit on the West Coast, but that seems to be a common problem from year to year.  They’ll start the second half Friday with a series at Fenway Park against the Yankees.

Mid-Season MVP: Dustin Pedroia*

What doesn’t Pedroia do well?  He’s batting .316 with 6 home runs, 1 Triple, 25 doubles, 56 RBIs, and 13 steals.  He has walked 51 times while striking out 49.  His defense is impeccable.  While he more than likely won’t win the AL MVP this season, he should be in line to win the Red Sox MVP.

Mid-Season Cy Young:  Clay Buchholz*

He hasn’t pitched since June 8^th; but when he was pitching, Buchholz dominated.  He has a 9-0 record in 12 starts, and the team is 11-1 in those starts.  His ERA sits at 1.71, and his WHIP is 1.020.  He has 81 strikeouts for the season, gave away 29 walks, and 2 home runs.  If Buchholz can come back after the All-Star Break (sooner, rather than later we hope, since he has yet to make a rehab start) and dominate like he did before being injured, the rotation is looking mighty good.

Mid-Season Silver Slugger: David Ortiz**

David Ortiz has been ordinary Big Papi this season.  After missing most of the first month with injuries, he hasn’t looked back.  He’s hitting .317, has a .402 OBP, .and a .606 slugging percentage.  He leads the team in home runs (19) and RBIs (65).  Surprisingly, Ortiz has shown he has speed this season: he has 2 Triples (third highest on the team behind Ellsbury-7 and Drew-6), and he has 3 steals (fourth highest on the team behind Ellsbury-36, Pedroia-13, and Victorino-11).

Mid-Season Rookie of the Year: Jose Iglesias

Finally, we’re seeing the Jose Iglesias we were promised.  His defense has always been there; he seems to float at times.  But his bat!  In 52 games, he’s batting .367 with 66 hits, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, and 2 stolen bases.  He seems to pull infield singles out of his hat.  If this is the Iglesias we’ll get to watch for seasons to come, I can’t wait.

Mid-Season Comeback Player: John Lackey

I admit, I was very negative of Lackey for many years.  Really, how could a critic/fan not be?  2010 his ERA was 4.40.  2011 his ERA was 6.41, the highest ERA in Red Sox history for a starter.  2011 also brought a lot of ill from fans because of his demeanor, his divorce from his wife, and his inclusion in the “beer and chick brigade.”  In 2012, Lackey had Tommy John surgery and didn’t pitch, and I think some fans forgot he was even on the team.  2013 has been a wonderful season for Lackey though.

Lackey showed up to Spring Training looking noticeably trimmer, and the most athletic I’ve seen him look in… probably ever.  This season he has a 7-6 record, but don’t let that fool you.  His ERA is 2.78, and his WHIP is 1.136, the lowest of his career.  He’s struck out 93 while walking 23.  He appears to be a leader in the clubhouse, and we’ve even seen him smile at times.  Honestly, I don’t know if Lackey ever smiled for the public to see prior to this season.

I also have to hand it to John Farrell.  Not only has he managed this team to being the best in the American League, he has also repaired the Red Sox image.  After September of 2011 and the 2012 season, many people (critics, fans, former fans, etc.) didn’t think the Red Sox would amount to much this season and were tired of the prima donna attitudes some of the players seemed to have. 

Farrell fixed all that.  He appears to be on his way to winning the AL Manager of the Year Award.  This team is fun to watch again, they smile and joke with each other, and they are playing fantastic baseball.  Let’s hope this team can keep it up!

* Indicates made the AL All-Star Team

** Indicates made the team AL All-Star Team as a starter

Strange Night Last Night

Honestly, I didn’t watch all of the game last night. I did watch as much as I could, and things seemed off. When I flipped the game on at 6:30ish, Sox were already down 1-0.

That should have been the first red flag that this game wasn’t going to end well. I learned my lesson to count the Red Sox out so early in a game. Saturday night, my boyfriend and I were watching the game, and I threw a little tizzy when Doubront gave up 2 runs in the first inning. I kept saying the teams win streak was over, and they were going to lose the game. My boyfriend said they’d win. We bet dinner, and I lost.

So, last night I decided not to let my pessimism get to me, even when the Sox went down 4-0. Of course, Ortiz hit a home run, and it was 4-1. Then, Mike Carp homered, and it was 4-2. The Sox came battling back, when in the top of the 5th inning, Pedroia singled in Drew. But, two plays later, Ellsbury was picked off attempting to steal 3rd base.

In the top of the 6th inning, the Sox were down 6-3 with Mike Carp coming to the plate with one out, and Farrell pinch-hits Gomes for Carp. Gomes hits a home run, and Sox are down 6-4.

In the top of the 7th, bases are loaded with one out, and Ortiz comes to the plate. He hits a bases-clearing double, and the Sox are now on top 7-6. However, in the bottom of the 7th, Junichi Tazawa, who’s been pretty much lights-out this season, gives up a two-run double to Edwin Encarnacion (his second of the night), and the Sox are down 8-7. The Sox end up losing 9-7.

And now, the strange things:

- Lester, who has been one of the best pitchers in the Majors so far this season, gave up 6 runs, 5 earned. In the last two games, he’s given up a total of 8 earned runs. His ERA now stands at 3.11, but he’s 4-0.

- The Boston Globe indicated that Junichi Tazawa, who gave up 2 earned runs last night on Encarnacion’s home run, had not given up more than 1 earned run in a game since 2009.

- There was a weird play in the third inning, I guess, where the Jays had the bases loaded and no outs. Knowing the Jays team very well, Farrell had Salty throw to first base to pick off Bautista, who tends to drift away from the plate. When Salty threw the ball, it ended up in right field. Wild throw? Not according to Farrell and Salty.

From what I understand, Satly’s elbow struck the face mask of the home plate umpire, which should’ve resulted in a dead ball. However, the home plate umpire said that Salty did it in the follow-through of the throw, which would make it a wild throw. Since Salty didn’t protest at the time, nothing could be done. (I was in the other room when this happened, and my boyfriend started to yell at the television. I thought this was a little peculiar, since he was REALLY loud.)

For his part, Salty now says he knows of the rule, and that he can protest it to get the other umpires involved.

- David Ortiz is still the hottest hitter in the Majors. In 9 games, he’s hitting .500 with 3 home runs, 6 doubles, and 15 RBIs. Last night alone, he had a home run, a double, and 4 RBIs. This, coming from a player who didn’t play in Spring Training and was 4 for 18 in his rehab assignment.

- Shane Victorino didn’t play in last night’s game, and there’s still a lot of speculation of him ending up on the disabled list with his back issues. Victorino, who usually appears in front of the media, declined to talk last night. It was to the point where he hid from the media after the game and had someone bring him his clothes after showering (I have Twitter to thank for that little piece of information).

Welcome Back, John Farrell

John Farrell was officially announced as the new manager for the Red Sox at a press conference yesterday.  He’s the man ownership, management, fans, and players wanted to succeed Terry Francona, and they eventually pried him away from the Blue Jays (for Mike Aviles).  Is it too late for this team after the tumultuous past season?  I don’t think so.

John Farrell was the Red Sox’s pitching coach from 2007-2010 and went to the Blue Jays as manager in 2011, when it looked like Francona would never leave the organization (how quickly things changed).  While a pitching coach, Sox pitchers had a different type of swagger to them; they were in control.  For example, in 2007 (when the Red Sox won the World Series), Sox pitchers had a collective 3.87 ERA and a 1.273 WHIP.  In 2012, Sox pitchers had a collective 4.70 ERA and a 1.371 WHIP.

How does this speak to Farrell as a manager?  Well, our starting pitching has been troublesome the past two seasons.  We’ve had 3 pitching coaches since Farrell left (Curt Young, Bob McClure, and Randy Niemann).  Farrell has proved that he has a unique way of dealing with the Red Sox pitchers that has not been duplicated since his departure.  In terms of improvement of the pitching staff, Farrell will understand what is needed of his pitchers and how to deal with them- the team will essentially have two pitching coaches to look for ways to improve the staff.

Also, many of the key position players on the Sox were around when John Farrell was last on the Sox- Pedroia, Ellsbury, Ortiz.  Pedroia and Ortiz are the unofficial “captains” of this team (even if Ortiz isn’t technically on the Sox roster at the moment.  It will happen).  These three players are the keys to getting this team to play the way we all know and wish they can play.  Farrell already has their respect from years past, and the relationship won’t need to be forced.

Farrell has also rumored to have reached out to Cody Ross, a player who was only signed through the 2012 season for $3 million.  There’s been a lot of talk over the past month or two about Ross returning.  If Farrell did in fact contact Cody Ross, after he was signed as manager, then that indicated Farrell would like to work with Ross, as a member of the Boston Red Sox.  Cody Ross is a good player with a great attitude, kind of like how Kevin Millar was for the 2004 Red Sox.  We may need a player like that this year, and Ross would be a good fit… again.

It’s also rumored that Farrell is going to be bringing Lovullo, who was Pawtucket’s manager in 2010, with him as his bench coach from the Jays.  Lovullo will be familiar with some of the younger, less experienced players that have found their way onto this team.  Lovullo was also rumored to be in line for a managerial position last year, so he can only more knowledge to this team that has lost its way over the past two seasons.

Another interesting tidbit about Farrell is someone who will probably not be on the coaching staff (or maybe he will), Jason Varitek.  Varitek was hired as a special assistant to the general manager last month.  Varitek has always been known as a great baseball-mind, and I’m sure he worked very closely with Farrell and the pitching staff in the past.  Could the knowledge between Varitek and Farrell turn this team, and especially the pitching, around?  My guess is Varitek with be a coach on Farrell’s staff at some point in the next three years.

John Farrell commands respect, you can tell by the way he handles himself.  I didn’t watch very much of the press conference yesterday (I do work, afterall), but what little I did see, was a vast difference from what we saw less than a year ago when Bobby Valentine was announced as manager.  Farrell and Cherington were at the podium together, not encased with Henry, Lucchino, and Werner.  Farrell took a picture holding his jersey, not doing the whole “putting the jersey on like a player signing” thing.  There was very much a partnership between Farrell and Cherington, something that was lacking this past season with Cherington and Valentine.

Only time will tell how John Farrell’s tenure will be with the Boston Red Sox.  The team needs a lot of work to succeed into the postseason again, but the Sox may have finally found the man who can help get that done.  To think, the man who many wanted to replace Francona if he was ever to leave the Red Sox is fulfilling that prophecy (with only one, rough speedbump to get over).