1391 replies to this topic

[bombdiggz]

If his shoulder "feels a lot better" and "isn't really a concenr to him," then why is he getting a cortisone shot?

Yeah that is very concerning. A cortisone shot in the offseason seems pretty odd. Could Ortiz be the next Red Sox with a more serious injury left undiagnosed by the club?

Can we consult the Rangers' med staff?

[mabrowndog]

The agent for pitcher Joe Nelson has been in contact with the Red Sox about a possible landing spot for the veteran reliever.

According to baseball personnel familiar with the situation, it's still early in the process but it's a possibility the 35-year-old right-hander could ink a minor-league deal with Boston

And he's done just that.

Rotoworld

[Tudor Fever]

He's the answer to a trivia question: "What pitcher had the highest ERA on the 2004 Red Sox?"

I wonder if Cesar Crespo is available.

[curly2]

He's the answer to a trivia question: "What pitcher had the highest ERA on the 2004 Red Sox?"

Had I not known the answer I would have guessed Jimmy Anderson. Who knew Anderson's 6.00 was not even close to Nelson's 16.88.

What's really remarkable is that the team would go on to win the World Series would have to pitch David McCarty in the home opener. I know there was talk of making him a pitcher (and he pitched two more times that year) but you usually don't get that desperate that soon.

[The Boomer]

I'm just putting this out there randomly (without resurrecting another thread) but, essentially, the Mariners just swapped Beltre and Hall for the Kotchman/Garko platoon and Figgins. Are the Red Sox with Beltre at 3B and Youks at 1B better than they would be with Youks at 3B and a Kotchman/Garko platoon at 1B without Hall? Just wonderin'.

[mt8thsw9th]

What's really remarkable is that the team would go on to win the World Series would have to pitch David McCarty in the home opener. I know there was talk of making him a pitcher (and he pitched two more times that year) but you usually don't get that desperate that soon.

They weren't "desperate". They played until about midnight the previous night, 13 innings, using 6 pitchers. That was the "Bobby Jones" game. Given that they had a gassed pen, arrived in Boston early in the AM (wasn't there talk of a flight delay?), and had to play a day game for their opener, it only made sense to put in a fresh arm when the game was getting away from them.

[SaveBooFerriss]

I'm just putting this out there randomly (without resurrecting another thread) but, essentially, the Mariners just swapped Beltre and Hall for the Kotchman/Garko platoon and Figgins. Are the Red Sox with Beltre at 3B and Youks at 1B better than they would be with Youks at 3B and a Kotchman/Garko platoon at 1B without Hall? Just wonderin'.

My guess is that the FO decided that they were not comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime. It will be interesting to see if Beltre outperforms the Kotchman/Garko platoon (although it will be difficult to measure because of home fields).

[czar]

Projo runs down some back-of-the-bullpen candidates; imply that Epstein has tabbed Bonser as the front-runner for the last (currently) open spot.

Bonser is the front-runner for the spot, and Epstein touted his bullpen potential only a few days ago. Bonser was a first-round pick in 2000, and he’s garnered more acclaim than his performance deserves, perhaps for his name and his pedigree. Regardless, he has a live arm, and many think he could do well in a relief role. He has been a starter for much of his career, but he appeared in 35 games out of the bullpen for Minnesota in 2008.

[IpswichSox]

My guess is that the FO decided that they were not comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime. It will be interesting to see if Beltre outperforms the Kotchman/Garko platoon (although it will be difficult to measure because of home fields).

My guess is that the FO decided that they were not comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime and Kotchman/et al at 1b fulltime. My guess is that the FO would be comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime and Adrian Gonzalez at 1b fulltime.

[bombdiggz]

My guess is that the FO decided that they were not comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime. It will be interesting to see if Beltre outperforms the Kotchman/Garko platoon (although it will be difficult to measure because of home fields).

The big question here is why weren't the Sox more in on Figgins? If they weren't comfortable with Youks at third, it seems like they should have been. They could secured a good defender with a more certain offensive projection then Beltre and brought some temporal certainty to the third base equation. Their actions seem to indicate to me that they thought they might be able to obtain a premium option at 1B and value that flexibility going forward.

[grantb]

The big question here is why weren't the Sox more in on Figgins?

Because Figgins signed for four years thirty-six million dollars.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

The big question here is why weren't the Sox more in on Figgins? If they weren't comfortable with Youks at third, it seems like they should have been. They could secured a good defender with a more certain offensive projection then Beltre and brought some temporal certainty to the third base equation. Their actions seem to indicate to me that they thought they might be able to obtain a premium option at 1B and value that flexibility going forward.

Is Figgins considered a "more certain offensive projection" than Beltre simply because he had a better, healthier 2009? Because I don't see it otherwise.

I think they never pursued Figgins because they knew he was seeking and would get a long-term deal, and they weren't interested in investing long-term in a player like him.

[SaveBooFerriss]

My guess is that the FO would be comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime and Adrian Gonzalez at 1b fulltime.

I think that is right as they would have been comfortable moving Youks to 3b for Teixiera.

[Eric Van]

My guess is that the FO decided that they were not comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime and Kotchman/et al at 1b fulltime. My guess is that the FO would be comfortable with Youks at 3b fulltime and Adrian Gonzalez at 1b fulltime.

They were actually perfectly comfortable with Youks at 3B and Kotchman at 1B. That is not inadequate. It's better than what most teams have at the corners.

Signing Beltre and trading Kotchman for Hall costs $6.75 ($1.25 of which is for Hall) but only $2.35 towards the luxury limit. It improves the defense by about 15 runs, and gives you a handy bench guy. It's roughly a wash if Beltre hits no better than Kotchman would have; any extra offense is essentially free. Obviously they think Beltre will give them more offense, which is why they signed him.

[mabrowndog]

Break out your McCarver dartboards and Joe Buck voodoo dolls -- the FOX national schedule is out. Here are the Sox games where we'll be forced to listen to fingernails on chalkboards.

And yes, two of the dates are prime time evening broadcasts.

Saturday, May 8, 2010 (*3:00 PM ET)
* New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
* Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, May 22, 2010 (*7:00 PM ET)
* New York Yankees at New York Mets
* Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies
* Chicago Cubs at Texas Rangers
* Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers

Saturday, June 12, 2010
* Philadelphia Phillies at Boston Red Sox
* Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs

Saturday, June 19, 2010
* Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox
* Minnesota Twins at Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, June 26, 2010 (*7:00 PM ET)
* New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers
* Boston Red Sox at San Francisco Giants
* Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox

Saturday, July 31, 2010
* Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
* Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
* Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins

Saturday, August 7, 2010
* Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
* San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves

Edited by mabrowndog, 03 February 2010 - 10:03 PM.

[bosockboy]

That 7/31 game could be fun....the trade deadline would pass sometime during the game most likely.

[IpswichSox]

Is Fox's exclusive window extended from the afternoon into prime-time on these two days, or will NESN also be able to broadcast these night games?

[pokey_reese]

Obviously getting too far ahead of myself, but in a BP chat Marc Normandin was advocating resigning Beckett with the Ortiz/Lowell money looking ahead to 2011, suggesting that Lester/Beckett/Lackey/Kelly/Bowden would be insane, and that is forgetting that it would actually be Buchholz, not Bowden. In two years, we could very possibly have a rotation of all #1/2 starters, without changing the budgetary requirements much from what they are now, since Dice-K will be gone. Just a nice thing to think about before pitchers and catchers report.

edit: I have a brain problem, and it was pointed out to me that Matsuzaka's contract runs through 2012, not until 2011, but the point was that he was the obvious candidate to be replaced by Kelly whenever he is ready, due to the fact that he will only be making 10 million and is not likely to provide more production than any of the other four. If he actually turns a big corner this year and ends up being very good for the next three years, well, that is a problem we want to have.

Edited by pokey_reese, 05 February 2010 - 04:26 PM.

[mabrowndog]

The Sox announced 20 non-roster invitees to Spring Training (* denotes prior experience in the majors):

Pitchers
Randor Bierd*
Fernando Cabrera*
Kris Johnson
Casey Kelly
Adam Mills
Edwin Moreno*
Joe Nelson*
Brian Shouse*
Jorge Sosa*
Kyle Weiland

Catchers
Luis Exposito
Gustavo Molina*

Infielders
Lars Anderson
Yamaico Navarro
Angel Sanchez*
Gil Velazquez*

Outfielders
Zach Daeges
Ryan Kalish
Che-Hsuan Lin
Darnell McDonald*

[Eric Van]

The Sox announced 20 non-roster invitees to Spring Training (* denotes prior experience in the majors):

The only surprising omission is Chad Paronto, whose year was pretty similar to Cabrera's and who was a quality MLB setup man as recently as 2007. Probably the only surprise inclusion is Kris Johnson -- otherwise, what they've done is bring everyone who projects to play in AA and above and is widely regarded as a legit prospect to camp. Guess they still believe in him.

I would also have liked to see Jeff Natale rather than Gil Velazquez in camp. In fact, Nate Spears and even Ray Chang seem more interesting than Velzaquez as well.

Edited by Eric Van, 06 February 2010 - 12:49 AM.

[mabrowndog]

Tek's offseason workout video is up on NESN.

Not sure those peanut butter & oatmeal shakes will do anything to cut back on his defecating strikeout totals.

And it's always a pleasure to be reminded of the broken elbow. Yeesh...

[SoxScout]

Speaking of offseason workouts, there is a front page story on nikkansports.com [translated] about how Daisuke is in great shape:

[mabrowndog]

A house fire over the weekend in Warwick, Rhode Island killed five people, including a couple and their 7-month-old daughter. The baby's father, 20-year-old Dan Janik, was the cousin of ex-Sox outfielder Rocco Baldelli.

Pawtucket Times

[knucklecup]

Speaking of offseason workouts, there is a front page story on nikkansports.com [translated] about how Daisuke is in great shape:

Looks don't paint the whole picture, but has this guy ever lifted a weight in his life? Is strength training just completely neglected from his regimen?

I know that it doesn't take a bodybuilder-esque physique to be an elite athlete (and it would probably hinder you as a pitcher) but he looks no better than he did a year ago and as a budding personal trainer, that irritates the hell out of me.

I have no doubt in my mind that I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players; if only I had baseball talent to begin with...

[phragle]

Granted it's only one picture and I'm no expert, but he looks thinner around the gullet, no?

I think so too, but it is hard to tell with just that one picture. Either way it seems like there is always something that keeps Daisuke from pitching to his potential. I hope he has finally figured it out.

[knucklecup]

I suppose he looks more trim in the midsection, but he's wearing a baggier cut-off.

Maybe I should sit this one out - the mere fact that we're even having to debate this is enough to irritate me.

[ThePieholeOfDavidWells]

I have no doubt in my mind that I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players; if only I had baseball talent to begin with...

I just wanted to repost this quotation above to see if anything strikes you as odd, and to give you a chance to re-evaluate the accuracy of the "90%" figure. (I don't detect any irony; perhaps my irony detector is malfunctioning.)

Just one more time, in case you missed it: 90%?

[knucklecup]

No need, I'll say it one more time:

I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players.

Carry on.

[ThePieholeOfDavidWells]

No need, I'll say it one more time:

I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players.

Carry on.

OK....

[xjack]

I suppose he looks more trim in the midsection, but he's wearing a baggier cut-off.

A baggier cut-off? It's obvious from looking at those two photos that he's lost 10-20 pounds. Just look at his face.

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

OK....

How much you wanna make a bet he can throw a football over them mountains?

[phragle]

How much you wanna make a bet he can throw a football over them mountains?

[sibpin]

Again, only two pictures, but note that the arm looks a little nicer in the new picture, which could be important since in the old picture we're looking at his pitching arm and in the new one we're looking at his non-pitching arm.

[knucklecup]

How much you wanna make a bet he can throw a football over them mountains?

I was a borderline great athlete when I was younger; then puberty began for everyone besides me and with that developed this drive to give 110% at all times, whether that be in the gym or on the field/ice. I simply had to or I would have been lost in the shuffle before high school began.

By looks alone, it's clear that Daisuke isn't giving his all - that was my point.

[TheYellowDart5]

I was a borderline great athlete when I was younger; then puberty began for everyone besides me and with that developed this drive to give 110% at all times, whether that be in the gym or on the field/ice. I simply had to or I would have been lost in the shuffle before high school began.

By looks alone, it's clear that Daisuke isn't giving his all - that was my point.

Thank you for that totally uninformed viewpoint.

One photo of Matsuzaka isn't enough to show anyone how hard or not hard he's working, unless it's a photo of him surrounded by empty pie tins and discarded pizza boxes. That includes you, Jack LaLanne.

[knucklecup]

Again, only two pictures, but note that the arm looks a little nicer in the new picture, which could be important since in the old picture we're looking at his pitching arm and in the new one we're looking at his non-pitching arm.

A baggier cut-off? It's obvious from looking at those two photos that he's lost 10-20 pounds. Just look at his face.

He's definitely more lean in the most recent picture than he was last spring, but the change (in appearance alone) isn't what I was expecting given the high praises he's received for his work ethic this winter.

He was overweight and out-of-shape for an average person last spring and though he looks noticeably slimmer in the most recent picture, this isn't John from Friendly's or Matt from Bertucci's, this is a professional athlete we're talking about.

Lazy athletes disgust me, especially when they play for the team I root for and I have/had high expectations for them in the upcoming season.

[knucklecup]

One photo of Matsuzaka isn't enough to show anyone how hard or not hard he's working

...which is why I began my original post with "Looks don't paint the whole picture."

[radsoxfan]

Thank you for that totally uninformed viewpoint.

I think someone forgot to notice that knucklecup is a budding personal trainer (and was a borderline great 12 year old athlete to boot!).

Do you have any idea how many years of study one has to endure, and how many qualifying exams have to be passed, before entering the competetive world of almost being a personal trainer?

You might want to educate yourself before questioning his critique of Dice-K's training regimen and psyche.

[reggiecleveland]

I was a borderline great athlete when I was younger; then puberty began for everyone besides me and with that developed this drive to give 110% at all times, whether that be in the gym or on the field/ice. I simply had to or I would have been lost in the shuffle before high school began.

By looks alone, it's clear that Daisuke isn't giving his all - that was my point.

I really hope you are joking around.

[Shelterdog]

No need, I'll say it one more time:

I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players.

Carry on.

Just for shits and giggles, could you post an example of one of your recent workouts (you know, the one that is more intense than the workouts 90% of pro baseball players engage in).

Edited by Shelterdog, 09 February 2010 - 09:28 AM.

[knucklecup]

Haha.

I know this place has been slow of late, but the activity that came about in regards to my post is laughable.

I feel no need to defend myself for how I introduced my main point nor the need to tout my achievements in the exercise field.

Again, we've determined that it's one picture and hardly a basis for how his winter training has gone. However, in my opinion (and my opinion only, apparently), based off of the reports of how hard he's been training, I expected him to look better. Nothing more, nothing less.

[ibrewbeer]

looking at the two pictures, what I find most intriguing.....and very interesting, is the new hair color....

Look, as someone who dyes his hair better, and more often than 90% of MLB'ers, I just don't like the inconsistency of the red. Either go all Amy Adams, or keep your natural color.

But, that's just my view point...because as a kid, I was a tow head....well, until about 9th grade.....then, I had to dye it to keep it so light...

It just annoys me he didn't go to a salon, and obviously tried to dye it himself

[pokey_reese]

Honestly, while I agree that he doesn't look as cut as, say, a half-naked A-Rod kissing his own reflection, my initial reaction to the new picture was that Matsuzaka clearly looked trimmer, and there is at least some defined muscle in the arm/calves. I may not be anything close to a personal trainer, but I get my money's worth out of my gym membership, and I think that any visible improvement in his conditioning is a welcome sign that he is at least doing more than he was last winter. Hell, if Sabathia, or David Wells, or any other 'heavy' pitcher can be good, then we know that being a great pitcher isn't about having a great body, and as long as his shoulder is stronger and he has built up his endurance, I will be happy. Remember, he was pretty good two years ago, and as long as he is nibbling on the strike zone rather than pizzas, I don't care if he looks like a Greek god.

edit: Also, Knuclecup, I see your point about wanting professional athletes to be in way better shape than the average fan watching them (I have felt that way myself), but one of the attractive things about baseball is that they don't have to be olympians to be good. The 'everyman' quality of a Babe Ruth or a David Ortiz is part of what makes the game so endearing, especially for those of us who weren't good enough to compete at the collegiate level. But yeah, I have wondered how good Pedroia would be if he had his eye and coordination in a 6'3" 225 lb. frame, or Ortiz (circa 2006) if he were all muscle. Then I see Fielder/Howard/Carbrera being insanely good and think, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Edited by pokey_reese, 08 February 2010 - 08:36 PM.

[BucketOBalls]

Is Daisuke's problem really his conditioning so much as an inability consistently execute a pitch and know where the ball is going?

Somebody should PM G38.

Just for shits and giggles, could you post an example of one of your recent workouts (you know, the one that is more intense than 90% of pro baseball players engage in).

Do it man. I'm actually curious what a professional workout looks like.

Edited by BucketOBalls, 08 February 2010 - 08:28 PM.

[snowmanny]

I was a borderline great athlete when I was younger; then puberty began for everyone besides me and with that developed this drive to give 110% at all times.... I simply had to or I would have been lost in the shuffle before high school began.

Don't let them get you down. Succeeding in High School athletically without ever getting puberty and the accompanying testosterone boost that benefited other boys must have required hard work and determination. That being said, I don't need Matsuzaka to be sculpted to your standards, I just need him fit enough to pitch like he has for the Red Sox excepting the start of last year, when he was clearly not ready to go.

[Miskatonic PhD]

I have no doubt in my mind that I train harder and smarter than 90% of professional baseball players; if only I had baseball talent to begin with...

I have no doubt in my mind that you are either lying or deluded. Just not sure which.

Don't let them get you down. Succeeding in High School athletically without ever getting puberty and the accompanying testosterone boost that benefited other boys must have required hard work and determination.

Question is, has he had puberty yet?

[JimD]

By looks alone, it's clear that Daisuke isn't giving his all - that was my point.

By looks alone, Greg Maddux should have been an accountant or a librarian, not a Hall of Fame professional baseball player.

[joe dokes]

I was a borderline great athlete when I was younger; then puberty began for everyone besides me and with that developed this drive to give 110% at all times, whether that be in the gym or on the field/ice. I simply had to or I would have been lost in the shuffle before high school began.

By looks alone, it's clear that Daisuke isn't giving his all - that was my point.

(Full disclosure --I was never a "borderline great athlete"; I prefer to think of my 12-year-old self as a "great borderline athlete.")

What would make it "clear" that he was "giving his all"? Must that correlate to giving the elusive, Nixonian 110%, (or the Ecksteinian 111%) or is 100% sufficient. Personally, I dont know how to "give 110%" without stealing 10% from someone else, but that's my cross to bear. Maybe that was Ruben Rivera's theory. He kept hearing about Jeter "giving 110%," and figured he could grab some for himself to ensure his spot on the roster.

As my wife always points out, the one place you can't hide weight gain/loss is the face. He looks to have lost significant weight. His head looked like a basketball early last year. Think pics of '08 ST Beckett and his very round face (gut aside); and '09 Delcarmen is another example of weight gain that preceeded tough seasons. I'm anxiously waiting for a look at Ortiz's mug. Whether losing weight is an indication of DiceK "being in shape" or an indication that he was suffering from syphillis all winter and didn't eat, we'll never know. I'll bet on the former; how that translates to "pitching" remains to be seen.





I'm not going to apologize for the snark, because when a post criticizing a professional athlete's conditioning begins with "I was a borderline great athlete" before puberty, it is a clarion call to a snark-fest.

[SoxFanSince57]

(Full disclosure --I was never a "borderline great athlete"; I prefer to think of my 12-year-old self as a "great borderline athlete.")

I love this line. Just excellent. Sig worthy!