57 replies to this topic

[Foulkey Reese]

How did he look again Terry?

Can't really say enough about how good of a job that Sean Casey did filling in for Mike Lowell. He put up a 340/415/447 line with 8 RBI in 14 games while playing pretty good defense at first. It really couldn't have worked out better for the Sox after Lowell landed on the DL.

Edited by Foulkey Reese, 23 April 2008 - 12:22 PM.

[LondonSox]

How did he look again Terry?

Can't really say enough about how good of a job that Sean Casey did filling in for Mike Lowell. He put up a 340/415/447 line with 8 RBI in 14 games while playing pretty good defense at first. It really couldn't have worked out better for the Sox after Lowell landed on the DL.

Agreed plus the massive value of youks being able to be a good glove at 3b even after all this time playing first. Plus his hitting not suffering. Youks is why I would personally have let Lowell go, allows massive flexability at 1st or 3rd, but as it worked out the depth is just dandy

[LoweSox]

Agreed plus the massive value of youks being able to be a good glove at 3b even after all this time playing first. Plus his hitting not suffering. Youks is why I would personally have let Lowell go, allows massive flexability at 1st or 3rd, but as it worked out the depth is just dandy

I was thinking about this earlier. I wonder if the depth in the team is leading to guys playing like their spot is theirs to lose. Ellsbury and Crisp have both played well, and with Lowrie making a case for himself as an impact player right now rather than in the future, Lugo can't afford to have another 2007. And though Casey knows his playing time won't be the same once Lowell's back, he easily could have been an offensive downgrade this last couple weeks and allowed Lowrie to get more time at the corner.

This is a pretty intangible assumption, obviously, but guys are really stepping up. Knock on wood, but, besides the issue of depth at Catcher, the days of Mientkiewicz playing second seem like ancient history.

[The Boomer]

Agreed plus the massive value of youks being able to be a good glove at 3b even after all this time playing first. Plus his hitting not suffering. Youks is why I would personally have let Lowell go, allows massive flexability at 1st or 3rd, but as it worked out the depth is just dandy

How likely is it that, with Lowrie providing enough good hitting adequate defense position flexibility, Cora might be history after he recovers from his injury? The team's depth is unprecedented. Except for Cash (who is basically a defenseive specialist as the second catcher) and Varitek, the entire regular lineup (except Ortiz at the moment) and all the important reserves are hitting near or well above .300. Crisp just got Wally Pipped by Ellsbury who, after a Pedroiaesque first part of his rookie April, appears to be on course for ROY consideration by the end of this year as most everyone expected.

Unless Crisp is dealt, he, Casey, Lowrie (another possibility for ROY if he becomes a regular) and Cash give the Sox one of their best overall balanced benches ever. Crisp, Casey and Lowrie could play regularly on other teams and, as it is, their ability to step in 3-4 times each week (or more considering appearances as defensive replacements) allows the frontline regulars plenty of rest during the marathon regular season.

[Rudy Pemberton]

I'd say it's not likely at all that they cut Cora to keep Lowrie. If they need a starter at SS or 2B for an extended period of time, I think it would be Lowrie but Cora is better suited for a backup utility role, and it doesn't stunt Lowrie's development.

Lowrie has been great, for sure, but he's also 7-14 on balls in play, and that won't continue. No matter what you think of Cora, I don't see the point in losing depth for no real reason.

Long term, Lowrie should probably be playing SS full-time, and that's probably in RI this year.

[steeplechase3k]

Oregonian article about Lowrie, Ellsbury and their Oregon Connection (and about Pedroia also being a Pac10 product).

Making a connection in Boston

Ever since grade school, Jed Lowrie has competed against older players -- his performance typically rising to the quality of the competition. The only difference this week for the North Salem High School graduate is those older kids now are big leaguers.

Lowrie, 24, has started five games at three positions for the Boston Red Sox and starred in three of them, giving Red Sox fans another reason to love Oregon in addition to Lowrie's longtime friend, Jacoby Ellsbury of Madras High School who went on to star at Oregon State.

"They have played together at showcase events and against each other, and known each other for 10 years," said Lowrie's mother, Miriam. She and her husband, Dan, returned home Monday after watching Jed play at Fenway Park.

In Lowrie's first game after being called up from Triple A Pawtucket (R.I.), he drove in three runs in a 5-3 Boston win April 15 at Cleveland. He became the first Red Sox player to have at least three RBIs in his debut since Merrill Combs in 1947, according to the Red Sox media relations department. Lowrie played third base in place of Mike Lowell, who has a sprained left thumb.

Cell phone picture of the cover: