With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Red Sox will be making offers to various teams in order to get the right player or players who will fill the gaps. The media has already started creating their own trade scenarios for the Red Sox, some are good and some border on the insanity. It’s only fitting that I add to the chaos by offering my own trade proposal for the Red Sox. (more…)
Before David Ortiz participated in the Home Run Snoozefest, ESPNBoston.com writer Gordon Edes had a chance to talk to the slugger. When Edes asked about Ortiz’s contract, he probably wasn’t expecting Big Papi to say anything. After all, the Red Sox have a $12.5 million option on Ortiz, which is not bad for a person who only has to hit 3-4 times a game and has not played a single inning in the field. However, Big Papi made his intentions quite clear, much to the surprise of Edes and Red Sox fans: (more…)
When the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre, I was not impressed. In fact, I thought Mike Lowell would be better then Beltre. But after having a strong June, Beltre is making me eat my words. There’s no question that he deserves the Dewey Award for June, batting .376 with 7 homeruns, 19 RBIs and a very high OPS. One of his best games was against the Rockies on June 24, where he went 3 for 4 with a homerun, 3 RBIs and three runs scored. Many fans believe that Beltre’s success can be attributed to Fenway Park’s small dimensions. However, Beltre is proving to do more of his damage on the road, hitting 6 of his 12 homeruns away from Fenway with an impressive .368 average. The Red Sox can only hope that he continues to play well as the season drags on.
What the hell is wrong with Okajima? I’m use to seeing him baffling hitters with his changeup thanks to his unorthodox delivery. Instead, Okajima looked very hittable in June against righties and lefties. Left-handed hitters batted .308 against him and right-handed hitters crucified him, batting .340 against the southpaw. In the past, Terry Francona would rely on Okajima to get the tough out, but now Okajima seems to be a shell of his former dominating self. Okajima’s 6.52 ERA in June is a huge problem for the Red Sox and his struggles will probably force the team to make a trade to help their beleaguered bullpen.
These are my choices of the best and worse performers of June. What are your choices?
The Red Sox have been firing on all cylinders as of late despite having some of their position players and starting pitchers on the disabled list. The team is within striking distance of first place in the A.L. East thanks to some unexpected heroes playing well on the field, on the mound, and at the plate. Here are my five unlikely heroes: (more…)
I have to admit; the MLB Amateur Draft is not that exciting. Maybe it’s because the Red Sox usually pick from the bottom of the list, where most of the players drafted will end up being a utility player or a long reliever in the bullpen. There have been notable exceptions, like Clay Buchholz, who was drafted late in the first round by the Red Sox in 2005. Most of the time, though, a team with a winning record usually gets the bottom of the barrel for talent in the draft. The Red Sox once again finished with a winning record last year, but thanks to some compensation picks from the Braves and the Mets, the Red Sox had three picks in the first round and an opportunity to find some diamonds in the rough. After reading some scouting reports about their picks, I am pretty excited about who the Red Sox selected in the draft. Here’s the team’s top draft picks. (more…)
Jacoby Ellsbury has been on the disabled list for a what seems to be an eternity thanks to a hairline fracture to the ribs when he collided with Adrian Beltre back in April. Despite the injury, members of the media, fans and some players are questioning his toughness. “Toughness” is one of the most overrated and overused terms used to describe a player’s performance in all of sports. But if people insist on using toughness as a measurement, then I would consider Ellsbury a tough player. (more…)
David Ortiz
A month ago, every Red Sox fan was writing off David Ortiz, and why wouldn’t they? The once-feared slugger was on a downward spiral at the plate. “What’s wrong with Big Papi?” was a common question written in the sports pages and shouted over sports radio. Fans were begging manager Terry Francona to bench Ortiz and give his spot in the lineup to Mike Lowell. Ortiz was done, or so we thought.
Much to everyone’s surprise, David Ortiz was on fire last month, so he is this month’s Dewey Award winner. Last month, Big Papi had a .363 batting average, which is 200 points higher than his average in April. Ortiz also found his homerun swing; he hit 10 of his 11 homeruns this season in May alone. His OPS and OBP are nearly doubled what they were at the end of last month. These impressive numbers are the kind of numbers fans are used to seeing from Ortiz.
It seems Oritz is back on track, and the Red Sox are better for it. The team will need Ortiz to continue to carry the middle of the lineup if they want to overtake the Devildogs, Yankees, and the Blue Jays.
Josh Beckett
I never thought Josh Beckett would be winning this award. The fact is, he has not been the same pitcher since he signed his four-year extension with the Red Sox. Before he went down with a back injury, Beckett was struggling, allowing 14 runs in 17 innings pitched. His worst outing in May was against the Yankees, a team that Beckett has had great success against. He allowed 9 runs off 9 hits, a homerun, and 3 walks before being taken out of the game in the fifth inning. Could he have been injured during this time? In his three starts in May, Beckett threw over 100 pitches in each of those games, so his recent back injury had nothing to do with a dismal May. What’s really wrong with Beckett then? Some say he needs Varitek behind the plate like a baby needs his pacifier. Others say that he’s simply not locating his fastball, which makes his devastating curveball less effective. Whatever it might be, the success of the Red Sox starting pitching will hang on Beckett’s ability to turn his season around.
These are my choices of best and worst Red Sox for the month of May. What you think? Do you think Ortiz deserves the recognition? Do you think Beckett was not as bad as someone else on the team? Let me know your choices.
When the Red Sox were swept by the Baltimore Orioles on May 2, I stated that the series was a turning point for the team. Losing to the lowly Orioles exposed the Red Sox’s anemic offense, shaky defense, and questionable starting pitching. All signs were pointing to a long, painful season for Red Sox fans, but surprisingly the team have surged since the Baltimore Beatdown. (more…)
What creates a sports rivalry? For me, it’s either a storyline, a matchup, or a history between two teams that generations of fans have been relishing for years. A rivalry generally never gets old. However, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, once the best in all of sports, is starting to get a little stale. (more…)
Back in March, I picked five players who could make or break the 2010 Red Sox. Without great starts from them, the Red Sox would find it hard to capture a playoff spot let alone the A.L. East. Now, with over a month of the season in the books, I decided to look at those five players again and to see if their contributions are making or breaking the Red Sox. (more…)
