82 replies to this topic

[OttoC]

curly2 said:

 

...Plus, the Red Sox have had very poor results in signing Dominican
players in the last decade. In the system at the moment, the Dominican
prospects (Jose Vinicio, Keury De La Cruz, Manuel Margot) are at A-ball
or below....

 

I hope he is not citing these players being at A-ball or lower as a justification for saying the team has had poor results in signing Dominican players. Vinicio began his pro career as a 16-year-old in the GCL in 2010; Margot did well as a 17-year-old in his first year in the DSL in 2012; and while de la Cruz has reached the age of 21, he did get promoted to high-A at the end of a season where he made a huge jump in performance over ages 17 to 19.

[Spacemans Bong]

Also: AHHHH, THIS IS SO AWESOME!

 

Love ya Petey.

[SoxLegacy]

Absolutely love this move--as someone pointed out above, you can never have enough Pedro! I think both he and Tek will be valuable to the team and the development of younger players.

[curly2]

curly2 said:

 

...Plus, the Red Sox have had very poor results in signing Dominican
players in the last decade. In the system at the moment, the Dominican
prospects (Jose Vinicio, Keury De La Cruz, Manuel Margot) are at A-ball
or below....

 

I hope he is not citing these players being at A-ball or lower as a justification for saying the team has had poor results in signing Dominican players. Vinicio began his pro career as a 16-year-old in the GCL in 2010; Margot did well as a 17-year-old in his first year in the DSL in 2012; and while de la Cruz has reached the age of 21, he did get promoted to high-A at the end of a season where he made a huge jump in performance over ages 17 to 19.

 

No, I think THESE guys are good prospects. I'm just saying they signed very few interesting players from the D.R. from Hanley Ramirez until those guys. (Oscar Tejeda petered out, Engel Beltre was traded and is no sure bet to make it in Texas and Yamiaco Navarro seems like a 25th-man type at best.)

 

There is nobody close to the majors for a while, but Vinicio, De La Cruz, Frank Montas and especially Margot could be the best Dominicans they have signed in a while.

[Rough Carrigan]

Pedro Martinez, Vice President in charge of Duende

[exGloucester]

Wow, I love this.  If this is marketing, give me some more.  I don't know how well Pedro can mentor and teach, but I bet he gets listened to by young players pretty well.  Hopefully, some of the lessons will involve how to paint the corners at 95 mph and be an intimidating bad-ass on the mound able to insert "fail" into the minds of hitters. 

[joyofsox]

WEEI VIDEO: http://fullcount.wee...cial-assistant/

 

Pedro answers some questions.

Edited by joyofsox, 24 January 2013 - 07:24 PM.

[SoxLegacy]

Found this bit on mlbtraderumors about Pedro coming aboard and here's what he had to say:  "I hope to be a friend to most of those kids that probably have some questions or if they have uncertainties about what they're going to be facing," Martinez said. "What kind of things they should be aware of? I think I'm very well prepared and armed to actually help them with it."
Read more at http://www.mlbtrader...TvlCJ5oRYF1U.99

[JimBoSox9]

Wow, I love this.  If this is marketing, give me some more.  I don't know how well Pedro can mentor and teach, but I bet he gets listened to by young players pretty well. 

I'm, frankly, pretty drunk right now, and I try to avoid posting on the main board hammered, but I have to say that I, at my emotional core, could not possibly be any more THIS. There is a direct positive correlation between More Pedro and Yay I'm So Giddy Right Now. It's a scientific fact. Tom Werner could step up to a podium flanked by Jose Offerman and Pinky Higgins and say "The only things I care about are revenue, profit, and marketing. I'd like to see the Sox be more heavily involved with gang rape and mass murder. To that end we've hired Pedro as a purely PR stunt with no positive but possibly negative impact to the team's on-field performance", and I'd find someone to high-five. It's not a stretch to say that the primary reason I am not working in the sports industry is so I can hold exactly that kind of opinion without guilt or consequence. Pedro's back. I can't imagine caring why.

Edit; autocorrect is like insurance, it suddenly doesn't help at the exact moments you need it most.

Edited by JimBoSox9, 24 January 2013 - 09:37 PM.

[drbretto]

I'm, frankly, pretty drunk right now, and I try to avoid posting on the main board hammered, but I have to say that I, at my emotional core, could not possibly be any more THIS. There is a direct positive correlation between More Pedro and Yay I'm So Giddy Right Now. It's a scientific fact. Tom Werner could step up to a podium flanked by Jose Offerman and Pinky Higgins and say "The only things I care about are revenue, profit, and marketing. I'd like to see the Sox be more heavily involved with gang rape and mass murder. To that end we've hired Pedro as a purely PR stunt with no positive but possibly negative impact to the team's on-field performance", and I'd find someone to high-five. It's not a stretch to say that the primary reason I am not working in the sports industry is so I can hold exactly that kind of opinion without guilt or consequence. Pedro's back. I can't imagine caring why.

Edit; autocorrect is like insurance, it suddenly doesn't help at the exact moments you need it most.

 

I'm dead sober and agree with every word of this post.

[redsahx]

OMG!  A professional sports franchise with a large, engaged fan-base cares about marketing!!!  I am simply staggered by this revelation.  
   

This.

Pedro wants to stay involved with the organization. This is a good thing no matter who the owners are. Apparently this is a bad thing though to some because everything ownership does at this point has to be considered toxic. I guess a lot of people enjoy eating out of Dan Shaugnessy's palm.

[Hildy]

I'm dead sober and agree with every word of this post.

 

 

I'm, frankly, pretty drunk right now, and I try to avoid posting on the main board hammered, but I have to say that I, at my emotional core, could not possibly be any more THIS. There is a direct positive correlation between More Pedro and Yay I'm So Giddy Right Now. It's a scientific fact. Tom Werner could step up to a podium flanked by Jose Offerman and Pinky Higgins and say "The only things I care about are revenue, profit, and marketing. I'd like to see the Sox be more heavily involved with gang rape and mass murder. To that end we've hired Pedro as a purely PR stunt with no positive but possibly negative impact to the team's on-field performance", and I'd find someone to high-five. It's not a stretch to say that the primary reason I am not working in the sports industry is so I can hold exactly that kind of opinion without guilt or consequence. Pedro's back. I can't imagine caring why.

Edit; autocorrect is like insurance, it suddenly doesn't help at the exact moments you need it most.

 

I'm right in the middle here as far as alcohol consumption goes, so that constitutes a focus group. This news gave me the biggest intuitive, "Hell Yes!" response that I have had to a bit of Sox news in a  long time. It even managed to erase some of the cataclysmic erosion of trust caused by the Tito debacle.  

[LogansDad]

Good. I wouldn't trust Don Zimmer as far as I can throw him.

 

But could you trust him as far as Pedro Martinez could thrown him?  That's the question.

[bd11]

Interesting timing for this announcement, right in the middle of titopalooza. Larry and the dentist's fingerprints all over this one. Don't get me wrong, love Pedro coming back but the timing, just sayin'.

[redsahx]

Interesting timing for this announcement, right in the middle of titopalooza. Larry and the dentist's fingerprints all over this one. Don't get me wrong, love Pedro coming back but the timing, just sayin'.

I think they finalized the Napoli deal as PR cover for Terry's book.

[Jordu]

1. I have never seen a pitcher in a Red Sox uniform better than Pedro Martinez. 2. In his playing days, Pedro Martinez was a punk and a prick who did not play nicely with others, especially if those others were in management. 3. I love this move to death. I get the sense the man lost all that was important to him when he could no longer pitch, and that he finally grew up. An adult Pedro will be very valuable in working with young players and offering his assessments and scouting reports. Love it.

[terrisus]

I'm sure I've waxed poetic about Pedro before, so I won't go onto the long version of that. But, watching Pedro was one of the greatest joys I have ever had as a Baseball fan, and he was a large part of why 2004 happened. While I understand both sides of why he wasn't back with us after that, things just didn't feel the same after he left. And while he's not coming back to toe the rubber again (although I'm sure he could still do so better than some of the guys we might end up running out there this year), I'm just glad that Pedro is back with the Red Sox. I really hope this isn't part of a one-off throw-away position, but part of a longer-lasting relationship between him and the team going forward, and that he's here for quite some time to come. 

[OttoC]

Didn't Martinez say he wanted to come back to Boston about the time that Varitek was being considered as a special assistant? I think there was talk of it back in April or May.

[BoSoxLady]

Interesting timing for this announcement, right in the middle of titopalooza. Larry and the dentist's fingerprints all over this one. Don't get me wrong, love Pedro coming back but the timing, just sayin'.

Why does everything around here have to be a conspiracy? When Pedro was in Boston to celebrate Fenway 100 in April, he was quoted as saying that he wanted to return to the Red Sox in some capacity, he just didn't when the timing would be right. He reiterated yesterday that he's enjoying life with his family but still wants to help.

It's no surprise the announcement was made on the day of the BBWAA dinner last night and within two weeks of spring training

I am giddy about the possibility of seeing Pedro at JetBlue Park.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Best thing he said (paraphrasing) on the WEEI interview was that the best thing he could be that in working with the players, he could be a poor imitation of Johnny Pesky.

[Oil Can Dan]

It's amazing how happy anything Pedro related makes me. I know this is a small role and all, but I feel good about the Sox for the first time since Sept 1, 2011. This just makes me happy all over.

So if this is just some marketing gimmick, then I say job well done to the marketing people.

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

It's no surprise the announcement was made on the day of the BBWAA dinner last night and within two weeks of spring training

And two days before regular season tickets go on sale. It gets the Sox in the news, gets people thinking about them and then hopefully they buy tickets this weekend.

[TheoShmeo]

Interesting timing for this announcement, right in the middle of titopalooza. Larry and the dentist's fingerprints all over this one. Don't get me wrong, love Pedro coming back but the timing, just sayin'.

Why should we care?

 

Let's say you're right and they are trying to take away focus from Tito's book...so what?  The Red Sox aren't obligated to help Tito and his side kick make money.

 

What's wrong with the team saying "this book is bad for business, we were planning to bring Pedro back, let's make the announcement now"?

 

To be clear, I don't know that you are right.  It's possible that this was on deck for right now in any event.  It's possible that this was the most convenient time for Pedro to be here.  It's possible that not everything is as Oliver Stone as fans who see ghosts at virtually every move the Sox make would like to think. 

 

In the end, like others, including the author of that awesome drunk post above, I don't care why the Sox are bringing Pedro back.  They could be squarely focused on making money, deflecting attention from Tito or devising a cure for dandelions.  Pedro with the Sox is nothing but good and my only problem with the timing is that it didn't happen earlier.

Edited by TheoShmeo, 25 January 2013 - 08:51 AM.

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Why should we care?
 
Let's say you're right and they are trying to take away focus from Tito's book...so what?  The Red Sox aren't obligated to help Tito and his side kick make money.
 
What's wrong with the team saying "this book is bad for business, we were planning to bring Pedro back, let's make the announcement now"?
 
To be clear, I don't know that you are right.  It's possible that this was on deck for right now in any event.  It's possible that this was the most convenient time for Pedro to be here.  It's possible that not everything is as Oliver Stone as fans who see ghosts at virtually every move the Sox make would like to think. 
 
In the end, like others, including the author of that awesome drunk post above, I don't care why the Sox are bringing Pedro back.  They could be squarely focused on making money, deflecting attention from Tito or devising a cure for dandelions.  Pedro with the Sox is nothing but good and my only problem with the timing is that it didn't happen earlier.

Dude, of course it's a marketing move. The Red Sox are primarily a B2C organization. Announcing the Pedro hiring at noon time (break time!) on Thursday is perfect timing to boost consumer purchases for the weekend two weeks before spring training and on the afternoon of the BBWAA dinner. Shit, I spent 6 hours in a meeting planning out the launch of a fucking BETA around prime B2B days (Tues-Wed), school vacations, analyst briefings, content launches/promotions, other companies product launches, industry events, etc etc etc. Anytime a company does anything, it's fucking marketing related.
 
But more importantly...who gives a shit? The other way to look at marketing is simple. There's a group of people whos job is to promote something to the people who care, and to get the information out when most people are available. I do NOT think hiring Pedro was a PR move to put out fires. You do that when LL gets caught buttfucking John Henry, not because a book came out that contains info that everyone knew anyways. I'd wager the Pedro move has been in the mix for a few months. The date of the announcement, however, is purely marketing/PR.

Edited by Kenny F'ing Powers, 25 January 2013 - 09:10 AM.

[Paradigm]

Holy shit, the insta-pundit negative reaction syndrome has reached another level with this move. People here are criticizing this without knowing anything more than his title. Ridiculous. How could you ever get away with that in a business environment?

 

To add something substantial to the conversation, Nate Silver recently mentioned, in a podcast with Keith Law, that he thinks the best baseball organizations are moving beyond statistical edges (because every team is doing that now) and trying to find business edges. This is a good example of that. 

Edited by Paradigm, 25 January 2013 - 09:35 AM.

[Worst Trade Evah]

What is there to suggest that Pedro Martinez would be a good special assistant to the GM?

He's extremely smart, he knows baseball, he has experience with Boston and the Red Sox, and he can reach out to the Latin community, at least. What is there to suggest he wouldn't be a good special assistant to the GM?

Edited by Worst Trade Evah, 25 January 2013 - 10:13 AM.

[xjack]

He's extremely smart, he knows baseball, he has experience with Boston and the Red Sox, and he can reach out to the Latin community, at least. What is there to suggest he wouldn't be a good special assistant to the GM?

 

I agree with this 100%.

 

Because his skills were so amazing early in his career, Pedro's baseball smarts get overlooked. The key to long-term success as a pitcher is figuring out how to succeed when one of your pitches is failing or when your overall stuff has declined. Look at Pedro's final year with the Phillies. According to Fangraphs, his average fastball speed was 89 mph, three of his four pitches (fastball, cutter, changeup) had negative value, and his one pitch with positive value (curveball), he threw only 11% of the time. Given that Pedro still managed to go 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA and k/bb ratio of 4.63, this tells me that the guy's baseball IQ is off the charts.

 

Maybe bringing him back into the fold is good marketing. But is there really any question he has a lot to offer as an instructor to pitchers and as an advisor to pitching coaches at all levels of the organization? 

Edited by xjack, 25 January 2013 - 12:33 PM.

[TheoShmeo]

Dude, of course it's a marketing move. The Red Sox are primarily a B2C organization. Announcing the Pedro hiring at noon time (break time!) on Thursday is perfect timing to boost consumer purchases for the weekend two weeks before spring training and on the afternoon of the BBWAA dinner. Shit, I spent 6 hours in a meeting planning out the launch of a fucking BETA around prime B2B days (Tues-Wed), school vacations, analyst briefings, content launches/promotions, other companies product launches, industry events, etc etc etc. Anytime a company does anything, it's fucking marketing related.
 
But more importantly...who gives a shit? The other way to look at marketing is simple. There's a group of people whos job is to promote something to the people who care, and to get the information out when most people are available. I do NOT think hiring Pedro was a PR move to put out fires. You do that when LL gets caught buttfucking John Henry, not because a book came out that contains info that everyone knew anyways. I'd wager the Pedro move has been in the mix for a few months. The date of the announcement, however, is purely marketing/PR.

 

I get that there's a marketing component to this, dude. There's nothing wrong with that, as you noted.  I also think there is a straight "this could make us better baseball-wise" component.  Pedro's connection to de la Rosa would alone justify putting him on the field in Spring Training.  Pedro's experience, knowledge and ability to relate to pitchers is something the Sox are wise to cash in on, regardless of the marketing angle.  What young pitcher wouldn't want to soak up what he had to offer?

 

Like you, I just don't buy that the timing is so squarely related to Terry's book, as bd11 suggested, and that was the main point of my post. 

Edited by TheoShmeo, 25 January 2013 - 12:38 PM.

[HriniakPosterChild]

I get that there's a marketing component to this, dude. There's nothing wrong with that, as you noted.  I also think there is a straight "this could make us better baseball-wise" component.  Pedro's connection to de la Rosa would alone justify putting him on the field in Spring Training.  Pedro's experience, knowledge and ability to relate to pitchers is something the Sox are wise to cash in on, regardless of the marketing angle.  What young pitcher wouldn't want to soak up what he had to offer?

 

When I read this post, my first thought was of Nelson de la Rosa:

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Nelson was Rubby's father, hence the closeness.

[RingoOSU]

Unless Rubby is 16, I don't think that's true:

 

 

De la Rosa is survived by his wife, a 9-year-old son, his mother and five siblings.

http://web.archive.o...ies_1161563655/

[Beomoose]

As long as he's not walking around inside Wally's costume, any move that has Pedro hanging around Fenway more often is a good one.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Unless Rubby is 16, I don't think that's true:

 

 

http://web.archive.o...ies_1161563655/

Man, I can't get ANYTHING past you, can I?