Potential All-Stars

All-Star voting is underway, with the final day for voting June 28th. I don’t usually vote for the All-Star game because people can start voting in April/May for that year’s All-Star. Someone who is having an “All-Star Season” in May may not be having an “All-Star Season” in June/July. People like Derek Jeter (who I like) and Chipper Jones (who I think should’ve retired years ago) get voted into the game even without any type of All-Star stats. Plus, every year players who were voted in decide not to play the game (which won’t be happening this year, according the MLB officials), and the third-fourth-fifth string All-Stars get put into the game. It’s all politics. I know baseball is a game of politics (even in Little League), but I like the game when it’s pure.

In our local paper this morning, there was an article about our local Single-A affiliate having four All-Stars. I read the headline again because it seems way too early for an All-Star game, but it must be about the time. I started to think about which of the Red Sox players have the best chance at making the All-Star team this year.

David Ortiz (DH)- Ortiz has the best shot out of any player on the Red Sox to make the All-Star team. He’s one of the remaining, true designated hitters. Currently, Ortiz is 7 th among AL hitters in Batting Average (.315), 8th in OBP (.391), 4th in Slugging (.596), 8th in Home Runs (13), and 6th in RBIs (37). He’ll be voted in for the starting DH.

Dustin Pedroia (2B)- Pedroia leads AL second basemen in batting average (.294), and his other stats (HRs, RBIs, runs, SBs) are not as impressive among the other second basemen. Pedroia usually heats up in June/July, but no one knows what his production will be like after coming off his thumb injury. My guess is Pedroia won’t be voted in for the starting second baseman, but he will be an All-Star.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C)- I think Salty deserves to be an All-Star this year, but I’m not sure if he will be voted in. Joe Mauer and AJ Pierzynski are both having great offensive years. Those two, and Mike Napoli, are better known catchers too. But, you cannot deny Salty’s production this year, as well as his work behind the plate. I think Salty will be an All-Star (even if he’s selected as 3rd string by Ron Washington).

Mike Aviles (SS)- My wildcard position player is Mike Aviles. He has stepped up mightily this year, and I think he should be chosen as an All-Star because of it. Among vote-able AL shortstops, he ranks 2nd in BA (.265), 2nd in runs (30), 2nd in HRs (8), 1st in RBIs (32), and 4th in SBs (6). His defense has been pretty solid this year as well, and he’s emerged from the black-hole known as Red Sox shortstop. I think he deserves to be an All-Star this year.

As far as pitching goes, I don’t think any of the starters will make it to the All-Star game this year. The only one who has any chance is Felix Doubront. He has 6-2 record and a 3.75 ERA. His ERA seems to be shrinking with every start, and he’s only 24 years old. If he doesn’t make the All-Star team this year, he will make it in the future.

Scott Atchison deserves to make the All-Star team. In 31.1 innings of work this season, he has a .86 ERA and a .926 WHIP. He has been the Red Sox most reliable reliever, and that’s saying something considering the Sox’s bullpen as turned into one of its strengths.

Of course, these are just my opinions. No one will know who the All-Stars will be until they are announced they’re announced in July. We’ll see how many Red Sox players are actually All-Stars this season.

A Nice Weekend Series Against the Phillies

I have to admit, I was a little worried about the Red Sox heading into Philadelphia to play the Phillies. The Red Sox had been playing great baseball up to Friday, and I didn’t want them to lose their momentum. Even though the Sox were still in last place, they were playing the Phillies, a last place team with a better record than the Sox. Plus, the Red Sox would lose their DH and have to face their former teammate, closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Looking back, I think the Red Sox played great, for the most part. Yes, Friday night’s game was a little dicey. Bard gave up 4 runs in the first inning, five overall in five innings. He also hit two batters and his own catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia who ended up needing twelve stitches near his ear. I always thought it was never good to have blood coming from the ear, but maybe it was good for Salty (he played both Saturday and Sunday going 4 for 8 with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs).

The Red Sox ended up losing Friday night’s game 6-4, and Papelbon got the save for the Phillies. While this game ended in a loss, it showed that the Red Sox still had some heart. Aviles, Ross, and Gonzalez all hit home runs, all single shots. Nava had the other RBI on a sac fly. Ross took a foul ball off his foot, and he’s been out since, though he is hoping to play today (Monday).

Probably the most entertaining aspect in the game happened in the 9th inning when Bobby Valentine was ejected arguing a close play at first base, something I’m sure everyone has been waiting for all season. It was interesting because the umpire “spit” his gum at Valentine (or rather, it flew out of his mouth and hit Valentine). Valentine raised his finger at the umpire, letting him know he didn’t appreciate it.

My question is does the umpire get penalized, by fine or suspension, for his gum hitting a manager? It appeared to be an accident, but what would happen if the roles were reversed? What if Valentine’s gum flew out of his mouth and hit the umpire? I’m sure Valentine would be fined and probably given a suspension of at least a game. This past week, we saw Toronto’s Brett Lawrie get a four-game suspension when he threw his helmet on the ground (in anger, after arguing with the umpire), and the helmet hit the umpire. I highly doubt anything will happen to the umpire though, in this case.

I didn’t get to watch the Saturday game because it was broadcasted on Fox, and we Midwesterners were forced to watch the Chicago series. I did follow the game on the MLB At-Bat and ESPN apps. Lester’s start was a little shaky, 6.0IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 3SO, and 1HR. The relievers; Padilla, Hill, and Aceves, did an okay job, only surrendering one run, but they made it a little too interesting. They gave up a combined 7 hits in 3 innings.

The offense produced Saturday though. Aviles, Middlebrooks, Saltalamacchia, and Ortiz all had home runs. Quick fact, Middlebrooks and Saltalamacchia went back-to-back, and now hold the record for teammates with the longest last names going back-to-back (who comes up with these statistics?). Salty was 3 for 4 on the night with 2 runs. Stranely, no one on the Sox was walked that game.

Sweeney had a spectacular diving catch, which resulted whiplash and concussion-like symptoms. He’s hoping to play today (Monday). Gonzalez started in right field and Ortiz at first for this game, and neither committed an error. The Sox had three double- plays in the 7-5 win.

Sunday’s game was great- a great performance by Beckett, a great performance by the offense, and some great defense (including gold-glove candidate for first base, David Ortiz). When a team plays great, great things happen (sorry, will not say “great” as much anymore during this post). The Sox took the series with a 5-1 win.

I’ll start with Beckett, who seems to by silencing his critics pretty effectively. His line for the game: 7.2IP, 7H (4 were infield singles), 1ER, 2BB, 5SO. He carried a shut-out into the eighth inning. He even had a hit, the longest single I’ve probably ever seen in my life. It was inches away from being a home run, and Beckett just stopped at first base (a wise move, considering he was experiencing a little discomfort in his foot).

The offense produced as well, scoring 5 runs in the first three innings. Aviles started it off with a home run in the first (his third consecutive game with a home run), and Salty also had a home run. Aviles (2) and Salty (3) were the only two players with RBIs. Middlebrooks had a double and scored a run, and only Gonzalez and Aviles had more than one hit (2 a piece).

For the second game in a row, Adrian Gonzalez started in right field and Ortiz at first base. Ortiz had some terrific plays, and I couldn’t help by saying that he’ll win a gold glove (jokingly, of course). I don’t know if it was all the weight Ortiz lost in the off- season, but he was looking good at first.

The Red Sox have now won 8 of the past 10 games and are one game back from the Yankees and a game below .500. They take on the first-place Orioles the next three days, and everything could change in that series. The Sox are playing well, and if they continue to play the way they have been, they’ll start to roll, much like they did at this time last year. I’m optimistic that the Sox can carry this on.

* Just a side note, this is my 100th post on the blog. Thank you for reading because let’s face it, if no one was reading, I wouldn’t be posting.

Twitter-Mania!!!

As I’ve mentioned before, I joined Twitter, but only to follow Red Sox news (and a few other people/groups). It seems to be the fastest way to get information today, so I caved and joined. As one of my brothers told me this past weekend, since I don’t “tweet,” I’m a lurker and a creeper. So be it then!

Honestly, I don’t find any thrill in broadcasting over the internet/phone every little thing that happens in my life. I probably only post on Facebook 2-3 times a week, and one of those times is on the weekends when I link up the blog to Facebook. But, on the other hand, I have no problem reading “tweets” from other people!

(Just on a side note, I found out recently that the Twitter bird logo’s name is Larry. As in Larry Bird.)

So, for a fun, Friday post, I decided to repost some of the tweets regarding the Red Sox. As a note, not all players are on Twitter. Without further adieu, here are this week’s tweets:

Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal
#Tigers averaged 8.7 runs first 3 games against #RedSox. In 16 games since, 3.3. Seventh in AL, behind Bos, Tex, NYY, Cle, TB, Tor.

MLB @MLB
The Red Sox broadcasters spent about a minute last night debating whether mittens have fingers: atmlb.com/JKaq1k

MLB @MLB
Felix Doubront went for the hug. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went for the handshake. Awkward: atmlb.com/lvsUQ4

Red Sox Tweets Info @RedSoxInfo
Middlebrooks earns Player of the Week nod- MLB.com, atmlb.com/IwAyr2 #RedSox

David Ortiz @davidortiz
Good morning everyone beautifull day in Chicago ready to start a 4 game serie with the WS here we go again...go sox34 (*I did not make those typing errors.)

Kelly Shoppach @ShopHouse10
Lou Brown: “If we win one today, that’s two in a row. If we win one tomorrow, that’s
called a winning streak. It has happened before…”

Jacoby Ellsbury @JacobyEllsbury
Nice win to start road trip! 2 huge home runs from @IamCodyRoss

Kevin Millar @KMillar15
Sully from Godsmack enjoying a day off at the house #boysclub #voodoo pic.twitter.com/iHhS7BTG(Yes, I am a Sully Erna/Godsmack fan. I find it interesting that Millar is wearing a Cubs shirt though- Sully is representing Boston though. Here’s the pic:)

Ryan Sweeney @RyanSweeney12
Man it’s great to be back in the Midwest in chi town and hang out with our friends. Family is coming in tomorrow can’t wait! (**Ryan Sweeney did not start in tonight's game.)

Adrian Gonzalez @adriangon28
Great win for us tonight, before I forget tmorrow, just want to wish the Bruins another game 7 series win.

And my favorites of the week:

Mike Aviles @Themikeaviles
So I get in the cab to the field and the cabbie asks me how to get to US Cellular? Should be a fun ride! #adventure (***Before Thursday's game)

Mike Aviles @Themikeaviles
So yesterday I thought I'd get in the cab, I was wrong its today we get lost!!  How hard is it to know the city you're a cabbie in?

The Red Sox Win Their First Back-To-Back Road Games Since August 2011

It pangs me a little to even write that headline. The last time the Red Sox won consecutive road games was August 23rd-25th, 2001 against the Texas Rangers. That seems like a lifetime ago.

I usually don’t like to express team stats as they go into the previous season, but I had to throw that one out. For some reason, it seems like someone has been playing with a Voodoo doll in the likes of the Red Sox team. They couldn’t catch a break… until now possibly.

I’m convinced that the Red Sox need to work as a team, rather than having a few players carry them. This should seem logical for baseball, but it’s not always the case. So many times, it seems like the Red Sox rely on a player to remain clutch (last year, it seemed like Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez were those players, the year before, Adrian Beltre). Of course, Pedroia and Ortiz are just asked to be consistent… consistently productive.

Again, last night’s game looked like a legitimate team effort, much like the game before. Here’s a look at the Red Sox’s portion of the Boxscore:

All of the starters had at least one hit, besides Cody Ross who at least had an RBI. Aviles hit 4-5 in the lead-off spot, including two doubles and a home run. Ortiz went 2-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Youkilis and Byrd, the two players who offense every fan wished would start to pick up, each had two hits.

I admit, I thought things were going to get a little shaky for Beckett in the first inning. He walked in a runner, after all. But, Beckett strapped down, and went six innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and striking out 5, and didn’t give up a home run. His ERA is 4.56, which is steadily getting lower.

The thing I think so many people need to realize with Beckett is it seems like he always has the one game early on in the season when he’s just not locked in. He’ll give up those runs, but he fights back. I don’t know if people think of him as the pitcher with the bad attitude who seems like it doesn’t care or what, but I’ve always admired Beckett when he pitches. He’s out there to win, and people can tell when watching him.

The relievers last night, Atchison and Albers, also did well. Atchison went 2 innings and gave up no hits while striking out 3. His ERA is now 1.54. Who would’ve thought that Atchison would be one of most dependable relievers this season (to this point, at least)? Albers also did well in one inning, only giving up a hit and no runs. His ERA is a respectable 3.38 in this early part of the season.
Here’s some things to ponder:

* Ortiz is batting .444 at this point of the season, and it seems like he’s heating up even more. In the past seven games, he’s hitting .550 (11/20) with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and 2 walks. He had his fourth-straight multi-hit game and has 28 hits this season, the most he has ever had in April (he had 21 in 1998 and 2001).

* Mike Aviles seems to be a suitable lead-off hitter. So far this season, he’s hitting .333 with a .932 OPS. I hate to say it so soon, but maybe after Ellsbury returns, Aviles stays as the lead-off? Move Pedroia to 2nd, Ellsbury to 3rd, and so on. Also, makes you want to say Marco who, right?

* Technically, the Red Sox are only three games back in their league in the loss column.  The other teams are 10-7.

* Carl Crawford is scheduled to have his elbow examined by Dr. James Andrews... hopefully for reassurance, but you can never be so certain when it comes to Red Sox injuries.

* Rich Hill could possibly be promoted to the Red Sox bullpen this weekend. He pitched a scoreless inning last night for Pawtucket and is scheduled to pitch again tonight. If he does well on back-to-back games, he should be ready to go.

* Also wanted to note that I checked my stats on the blog today, and it was viewed 19 times in one hour yesterday. Whoever is reading the blog, I just wanted to say thank you.

Here’s hoping the Red Sox can keep on this encouraging path!