David Ortiz has made two rehab starts with the PawSox in his recovery from a wrist tendon sheath injury, and he has walked and mashed a home run in each of his two games.
So it appears that the most important cog in the Sox championship machine is well on his way to rejoining the club in the very near future, provided Papi experiences no setbacks in the next week or so.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that after months of toeing the line, acting like a team player, and singing Kumbaya about his tenure with the Sox, Manny Ramirez has suddenly turned back into the team-altering spectacle that seems to infect the club around this time of the year the past 3-4 years.
With Ramirez in the middle of a pivotal option year, and the Boston management apparently tiring of his antics, the question now is, how long will the dynamic duo remain together after Papi's return?
At first Manny had us all fooled into thinking this year would be different. He showed up to spring training on time (a first), singing the praises of his team and expressing his desire to stay with the ball club after his contract is up at the end this year.
I took this as a not so veiled attempt to get the Boston brass to pick up his 20 million dollar option for next season, so much so that I predicted he would win the AL MVP by putting up 'contract year' numbers, as players in these situations so often do.
The first 2+ months of the season went exactly according to this theory. Manny started off crushing the ball, blasted his 500th career home run at the end of May, and had another memorable MBM moment when he high fived a fan while in the process of turning a rare 7-6-3 double play.
It was all good times and no worries on the Manny front. He wanted to be here. The team and fans wanted him to stay with Boston, and the club appeared to be headed towards another long post season run, especially with Papi's return on the horizon.
But then things stared to change. For the worse.
Two well documented run-ins, one with teammate Kevin Youkilis in a game against the Rays on June 3rd, and the other with traveling secretary Jack McCormick in Houston on June 28th, painted a far different picture of the fun loving, happy-go-lucky left fielder, one that suggests he might have hidden anger issues, or at the very least an over-inflated sense of entitlement.
Who knew those two unfortunate incidents would only be the tip of the iceberg?
Since the McCormick incident, in which Manny shoved the 60+-year-old retired former cop and berated him over a request for 16 extra tickets to the game, the relationship between Manny and management, and even the ever-forgiving fans, has spiraled out of control at a rapid rate.
Before the All Star break, Ramirez pinch hit in a game against the Yankees and watched three straight pitches from Mariano Rivera go by him for a crucial strikeout in the 9th inning of a game the Sox would eventually lose, 5-4 in the tenth.
During the break, Manny had a curious interview in the Boston Herald that rankled Sox owner John Henry, so much so that he issued a response stating how offended he was that Ramirez would insinuate the Boston management has been anything but fair and straightforward with him through all the years of Man-sanity.
And then, on the heels of all this madness, came the play in the outfield in last night's game vs. the Angels.
In the 6th inning of the 11-3 Boston loss, Anaheim's Maicer Izturis blooped a fly ball to shallow left field that looked like a harmless single.
But Ramirez, ever the clown, decided to try and dive for the ball, even though it appeared he had no chance of catching it.
Sure enough, the ball landed in front of him, but instead of responding quickly and professionally to his miscue, Manny rolled backwards, flopped around like a fish out of water, and ended up laying on the ball as Izturis raced around the bases with an RBI triple.
Ramirez got up and laughed the incident off, but Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, who was seated behind home plate, were not laughing, and to everyone watching the fiasco, you got the distinct feeling that the play could have been the straw that broke the ManRam's back in Boston.
Whether or not the Sox deal Manny in the next few weeks, decline to pick up his option at then end of the season, or do end up retaining the unstable slugger, one thing's for sure:
when the circus act known as Manny Being Manny starts to include bodily harm and total disregard for the integrity of the game, it might be time to ship that sideshow off to the next town.
7.19.2008
Sox Drawer: While Papi progresses, Manny regresses
7.17.2008
Sox Drawer: Mid Season Awards
Sure it was nice to watch six Sox play in the All Star Game the other night, and it was very rewarding to see a Red Sox player win the MVP award in the final ASG at Stankee Stadium, but that glorified dog-and-pony show is not going to satisfy my baseball jones, no matter how many innings they play or how important Bud Selig tries to make it.
So with another day and a half to go before the first place Sox take on the first place Halos in Orange County tomorrow night, I'm gonna fill time and space with my Red Sox mid season awards.
So what if we're three weeks and three days past the midway point. Humor me.
First Half MVP, Offense: J.D. Drew
Winning the All Star game MVP award, and homering in his first ASG at bat in his first ever appearance in the Mid Summers Classic, was like icing on the cake for the Sox right fielder, who is enjoying a renaissance season in Boston. Without his production, which conveniently coincided with the departure of Big Papi from the lineup, the Sox would be nowhere near first place at the break.
Runner(s) up: Pedroia/Youk key contributors in the field and at the plate
First Half MVP, Defense: Kevin Youkilis
He's made three errors all year, plays stellar D at first and/or third base, and is the only reason why Julio Lugo doesn't have 26 errors instead of 16. Another Gold Glove appears to be on the horizon for Yoooooooouuuuuk!
First Half MVP, Starter: Tim Wakefield
I know Dice-K is 10-1 and Wake is just 6-6, but his is a classic case of a guy not being judged by his won-loss record. The knuckleballer has been nails for the last month and a half, tossing 9 straight quality starts and posting an ERA of 2.13 in that time, and the only reason he's not 10-3 is because of shitty relief pitching and lack of run support.
Runner up: Dice-K hey, he's 10-1 - he deserves some credit, right?
First Half MVP, Reliever: Jonathan Papelbon
Though it's obvious that hanging around Schill the last few years has stared to rub off on the vocal closer, and he has been less sharp than in years past, Paps is still one of the best stoppers in baseball and the best reliever on this team BY FAR.
Runner up: David Aardsma the best of the rest
Top 5 Games of the Half Season:
5.) Opening Day, Part I March 25th in Tokyo vs. A's
The pomp, the pageantry, the frequent flier miles. The 2008 MLB season opener took place 6,000 miles away in a foreign country at 6:00 am EST, but it was still a memorable game for many reasons: Dice-K starting and Oki earning the win in their return to their homeland; Brandon Moss tying the game in the 9th with a clutch home run; and Boston winning it in the 10th on a 2-run double by Manny despite Paps allowing a run in the bottom of the inning
4.) Minnesota Beatdown July 9th @ Fenway vs. Twins
The Sox had 23 hits, 10 extra base hits, scored 14 runs in the final four innings and 18 runs total en route to their highest scoring game since 2003. The fact that it came in the final game of a three game sweep, the week before the All Star break, and helped the Sox gain ground on the first place Rays made the win all the more sweet
3.) Youk's Heroic Homecoming June 14th @ Cincy
The former Cincinnati Bearcat returned home for Boston's first series in the Queen City since the '75 World Series, and boy did the hometown kid make this game a memorable one. He had three hits, including an RBI single in the 6th and a double in the 8th, then provided the biggest blow when he hit a game-winning homer in the top of the 10th , to the delight of his conflicted 150 family and friends who were present
2.) Raysbrawl Game June 3rd @ Fenway vs TB
The latest, and bloodiest, installment in a simmering rivalry, Boston and Tampa Bay came to blows when Coco Crisp took exception for being hit in retaliation for him taking out Akinori Iwamura's package on a hard slide the night before. A punch that nearly shattered Coco's face, a pig pile filled with sucker punches, and Manny bitch-slapping Youk in the dugout after the melee are some of the memorable moments from this messy affair.
1.) Jon Lester's No Hitter May 19th @ Fenway vs. KC
The crowning achievement of a courageous kid's comeback from a life-threatening illness, and the most memorable moment in a first half full of them.
Well I think that about wraps up the first half wrap ups. Tomorrow we get back to real baseball, and I'll be back to posting on B&C about the upcoming series with the Angles, as well as contributing content here.
Until then - movie night! Read More......
7.15.2008
Sox Drawer: Mid Season Report Card II (Pitchers)
Okay, you've seen, critiqued and disagreed with my grades for the Boston batters. Now it's time to bash my grades for the Sox pitching staff.
Needless to say the grades are going to be a lot harsher than those for the offense.
BTW, I know at the end of yesterday's post I said I was also going to have my players and plays of the 1/2 season today, but I decided to drag that out til tomorrow. Gotta keep em coming back for more, ya know?
Anyway, on to the report card:
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STARTERS: 2nd in AL in ERA (3.75), 2nd in wins (42)
A Daisuke Matsuzaka 10-1, 2.65, 57BB, 77K, 1.38WHIP, 5HR in 88.1IP
He seems to do it with smoke and mirrors sometimes, but you can't get around the fact that Dice-K is 10-1 at the break, the 3rd most wins in the league despite missing a month with a sore shoulder. He can be infuriating at times with the way he nibbles, yet without his efforts the Sox would not be in first place
A Tim Wakefield 6-6, 3.60, 47BB, 84K, 1.18WHIP, 16HR in 122.1IP
For the past month and a half he not only has been the best pitcher on the Sox, but one of the best in the league. Since allowing 8 runs in 5 innings at Oakland on May 23, Wake has an ERA of 2.13 in 9 starts, and has pitched at least 7 innings and allowed 3ER or less in all but one of those starts. He's 10th in the league in WHIP, and he's a knuckelballer. Amazing. Probably the Sox pitching MVP of the 1st half
B+ Jon Lester 7-3, 3.38, 44BB, 82K, 1.33WHIP, 9HRs in 125IP
He's 8th in the AL in innings pitched and 9th in ERA, and that's remarkable when you remember a year and a half ago he was recovering from cancer. He's had a couple of rough starts recently, which knocked this grade down a bit, yet he still leads the team in ERA, and oh yeah, he threw a no hitter earlier this season.
B Josh Beckett 9-5, 3.94, 24BB, 107K, 1.15WHIP, 14HRs in 112IP
Has definitely pitched better than his record indicates, yet he still is nowhere near the dominating starter he was last season. Spent time on the DL early in the season, which probably contributed to his slow start, and has shown flashes of the Beckett brilliance (13Ks at TB), but has yet to prove he's still the ace of this staff. 6th in the AL in Ks, 8th in WHIP
B- Justin Masterson 4-3, 3.67, 28BB, 39K, 1.26WHIP, 8HR in 54IP
When he first came up and started out 3-0, he was the next big thing. The he stuck around for a while, and we realized he's still just a 23-year-old kid who started the season in Double A and is learning how to pitch in the big leagues. Still, the future is bright for the lanky Jamaican-born righty, either for Boston or whichever team trades for him
C Clay Buchholz 2-4, 5.70, 25BB, 49K, 1.67WHIP, 3 HR in 47.1IP (9G)
Hard to grade a guy who's spent the past 2 months in the minors/on the DL, but we expected more from the kid who threw a no hitter in his 2nd career start. Guess there's nowhere to go but down from there. Came back up last Friday and got shelled by Baltimore after being shelled in his previous start at Minnesota, when he suffered a torn fingernail and went on the DL
I Bartolo Colon 4-2, 4.09, 9BB, 26K, 1.39WHIP, 5HRs in 33IP
Can't really give the big guy a grade because he only pitched in 6 games before getting hurt and missing almost a month with a hip injury. Big Bart did provide a lift to the rotation when he started 3-0 filling in for Dice-K, but came back to earth after that, thus the incomplete. Could be a factor in the 2nd half, provided he stays healthy (big 'IF')
RELIEVERS: 10th in ERA (3.95) and WHIP (1.42), 2nd in BS (16)
B+ Jonathan Papelbon 3-3, 2.43, 28SVs, 4BS, 7BB, 51K, 0.96WHIP, 3HRs in 41G
Like Beckett, Paps hasn't been nearly as dominating as he has been in years past. His blown save total is just 2 off his career high, his ERA is the highest its been since his rookie season, and he's allowed almost as many homers as he did all last year. Still, he's the best reliever on the club and one of the best closers in the game
B David Aardsma 3-2, 2.77, 0SV, 0H, 4BS, 25BB, 41K, 1.36WHIP, 1HR in 37G
The hard-throwing righty has been a pleasant surprise for the Sox so far, proving to be another flamethrower out of the pen who can get out of jams (ahem, Manny D & Hansen). He's only allowed 4 of 16 inherited runners to score, and my question is, why doesn't Tito bring him in to more pressure-packed situations instead of those other guys?
B Javier Lopez 2-0, 2.19, 0SV, 9H, 1BS, 16BB, 21K, 1.38WHIP, 3HRs in 43G
The lefty specialist has done his job against lefties (.224BAA), but he's been hit pretty hard by righties (.294); he has been one of the more steady relievers this season. Allowed 9 of 33 IRs to score
C- Manny Delcarmen 0-2, 4.54, 0SV, 13H, 2BS, 15BB, 39K, 1.29WHIP, 3HRs in 43G
In 43 appearances, the former potential closer has allowed at least 1 base runner in 33 of them. Has allowed 11 of 34 IRs to score, because he's usually allowing his own runners to score. Either way you look at it, Mattapan Manny has been a major disappointment for the club, and don't be surprised if he's wearing another uniform after July 31st
C- Craig Hansen 1-3, 5.47, 1SV, 7H, 2BS, 18BB, 22K, 1.63WHIP, 2HRs in 27G
Another potential closer, the hard throwing former first round draft pick has also been a major disappointment for Boston. He might be more likely to switch teams than Delcarmen, if only because he's a little younger and cheaper. One of the two will definitely be gone by the trading deadline, in my estimation
C- Hideki Okajima 2-2, 2.82, 1SV, 17H, 6BS, 16BB, 37K, 1.41WHIP, 4HRs in 39G
Not only have his well-documented troubles caused Tito to lose confidence in him, he has obviously lost confidence in himself. And that's the kiss of death for any reliever, especially a setup man. Has bounced back recently from a horrid stretch, but leads the AL in blown saves and has allowed a staggering 12 of 17 IRs to score. And to think at this time last year, he was an All Star
D Mike Timlin 3-3, 6.31, 1SV, 0H, 0BS, 12BB, 15K, 1.71WHIP, 3HRs in 28G
It's not really his fault that he's older than dirt and has logged so many innings in his career (1,100+) that his arm is ready to fall off, but there's no way he should appear in any games other than blowouts on either side. Coincidentally, 2 of his last 3 apps have been in those types of games (12-1 and 18-5 Boston wins)
Okay, that's it for the report cards. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.
Tomorrow: Plays and Players of the First Half
7.14.2008
Sox Drawer: Mid Season Report Card (batters)
For the 4th straight year the Red Sox are in first place at the break. Time to grade the team for the (unofficial) first half of the season. 
As we finally hit the unofficial mid-season break (97 games in, or 16 games after the official midway point), the Red Sox have reclaimed first place in the AL East, thanks to a 7-3 stretch over the past 10 that, coupled with a seven game skid by the Rays, catapulted Boston back on top for the first time since June 28th.
So now it's time to do what we bloggers do at this point in the season - take three days off and binge drink to our hearts desire. Kidding, kidding. of course I mean we grade our team's performance through the first half of the season.
Without further adieu, here is my mid season wrap. Ready, set, go.
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Hard to find too much fault with a club that has been in first or second place in the toughest division in baseball for the entire first half of the season, especially when the team has been missing its most potent slugger, David Ortiz, for almost half of the games.
The most glaring weaknesses on this team are painfully obvious - bullpen and shortstop. But with guys like Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen finally settling down, and Julio Lugo now on the shelf for 4-6 weeks with a torn quad, even those sore spots seem to be taking care of themselves right now.
Even without Big Papi, the offense of this club has been the one constant so far this season. At the break Boston ranks 3rd in the majors in runs scored (495), 2nd in average (.282), 2nd in on base percentage (.356) and 6th in home runs (108).
It's not a stretch to think that if you put Papi in the lineup for the 43 games he's missed, the Sox lead the majors in every one of those offensive categories.
The pitching has been pretty decent as well. Daisuke Matsuzaka, for all his faults, totes a 10-1 mark into the break; Tim Wakefield has been spectacular for the last two months; Josh Beckett has been better than his record indicates; and Jon Lester threw a no hitter.
The bully has been the biggest concern of the first half. The pen is responsible for 16 losses so far, fourth most in the AL, and 16 blown saves, the second most in the league. Three relievers have an ERA of over 4 1/2, three have been let go already, and Hideki Okajima has allowed an atrocious 12 of 17 inherited runners to score.
That being said the Sox are still the best team in the East and are tied for the most wins in majors with 57 victories.
Like I said, hard to find too much fault with that.
Okay, it's time for the player grades.
STARTING LINEUP:
A+ Dustin Pedroia .314, 9HR, 47BI, 67R, 28 2B, .357OBP
What sophomore slump? Pedroia has followed up his ROY campaign with an All Star second season. He recently had a 17 game hitting streak, and has raised his average 54 points since June 14th. Currently 7th in the AL in average, 2nd in runs, and 2nd in hits (124), the Little Big Man is the spark that drives this offense
A+ J.D. Drew .302, 17HR, 55BI, 63R, 18 2B, 52BB, .412OBP
He has finally produced the way the Boston brass hoped he would when they inked him to a 70 million dollar pact prior to last season. His production, especially in June, has softened the blow of losing Ortiz; he ranks in the top 10 in walks, slugging, on base, OPS and is 12th in homers. Arguably the team's first half MVP.
A Kevin Youkilis .314, 15HR, 63BI, 56R, 25 2B, 4 3B, .381OBP
The chrome-domed slugger has been on a tear of late, coincidentally (or not) after he and Manny got into a shoving match in the dugout during a game against the Rays in early June. Since then Youk has raised his average 27 points, hit two game winning home runs, and just hit his first career grand slam yesterday. Currently 6th in average and 5th in SLG%, RBIs and OPS. Leads team in ribbies
A Mike Lowell .297, 13HR, 57BI, 43R, 22 2B, .360OBP, .867OPS
With the numbers the World Series MVP has put up, you'd never guess he missed 18 games with a thumb injury. Despite that lost time he is having an All Star caliber season, as he leads all AL third basemen in RBI and is 2nd in average, doubles and on base percentage, all while providing Gold Glove defense
B Manny Ramirez .293, 18HR, 60BI, 58R, 18 2B, 44BB, .389 OBP
Manny Being Manny has been taken to new highs (and lows) this year, from high-fiving fans during a play to body slamming 60-something team officials and bitchslapping Youk in the dugout. Through it all, and a major slump as well, ManRam continues to produce at a prodigious rate; he's 8th in the AL in homers and SLG%, 6th in RBI, and first in memorable moments, including his 500th home run on May 31st
B Jacoby Ellsbury .269, 5HR, 27BI, 60R, 11 2B, 4 3B, 32BB, 35SB, .340OBP
A little disappointing for the speedy outfielder, if only because after his spectacular 2007 postseason we expected so much from him. Sure he leads the league in steals and provides stellar defense no matter which OF position he plays, but after going 25 -25 in steals to start his career he has been thrown out 7 times in his last 17 attempts, and his OBP has plummeted from a season high of .416 in early
May to a "paltry" .340
B- Coco Crisp .259, 5HR, 22BI, 28R, 13 2B, 13SB, .309OBP
He gets points deducted for igniting a full scale brawl in the Rays series at Fenway in June, and for earning a suspension that forced him to miss the rematch at the Trop this month. But he earns points for handling the dawning of the Ellsbury era with class and going out and playing hard whenever Tito tells him to, proving to be a valuable outfield insurance policy/trade bait
C Jason Varitek .218, 7HR, 28BI, 20R, 14 2B, 27BB, .299OBP
Okay, so he's having the worst offensive season of his career. But if ever there was a player who shouldn't be judged by his stats, Tek is it. If any proof was needed as to how valuable and respected the Captain is to his teammates and around the league, look no further than his being selected to the All Star team by his peers despite his horrid numbers.
D- Julio Lugo .268, 1HR, 22BI, 27R, 13 2B, 34BB, 12SB, .355OBP, 16E
It's that last stat, combined with the anemic production, that makes Lugo the most reviled member of this team, especially when you factor in the team is paying him 8 million a year. You know things are bad for a player when the fans openly celebrate you going on the DL for at least a month. The curse of the Sox shortstops continues!
BENCH:
A+ Sean Casey .373, 0HR, 10BI, 12R, 13 2B, 12BB, .428OBP in 43G
The Mayor has been everything the Sox hoped he would be and more when they signed him in the off season: productive at the plate in spot duty, solid in the field at first base, and the kind of clubhouse guy who pulls a team together. A great signing.
A Brandon Moss .295, 2HR, 11BI, 7R, 5 2B, .337 OBP in 33G
He hit a homer on opening day, has been up and down from the minors more times than I can count, and had his appendix removed a couple of months ago. Through it all Moss has remained a valuable contributor, and even knocked in the game winning run against the Twins last week.
B Alex Cora .283, 0HR, 5BI, 3R, 5 2B, 0SB, .368OBP in 36G
Doesn't hit for power or average, has no speed and little range at short. Still he's a capable utility infielder who doesn't complain and embraces his role as a small cog on a championship club. Should see increase in PT now that Lugo is on the shelf
B Jed Lowrie .277, 1HR, 7BI, 6R, 4 2B, .308 OBP, 0E in 19G
He hasn't played much, but that's about to change with Lugo out. But when the youngster has played, like when he filled in for Lowell when he was hurt, he has proven to be a productive hitter and decent fielder. We'll find out more about his ability in the coming weeks
B- Kevin Cash .242, 2HR, 11BI, 7R, 6 2B, 31K, 11PB in 35G
He's proved to be a better caddy for Tim Wakefield than Doug Mirabelli and Josh Bard, but his recent slump (batted .115 in June) has dropped his average from .314 to where it is now, which also caused his grade to drop.
I Big Papi .252, 13HR, 43BI, 36R, 10 2B, 37BB, .354OBP, .486SLG% in 54G
Hard to grade a guy who's missed half the season and spent the better part of the half he did play in a major slump. But the numbers he put up, in a limited time and while battling injuries and ineffectiveness, prove that he is still a force to be reckoned with
Okay, this thing ran on a bit long, so I'm going to come back tomorrow with my pitching grades, as well as the top plays and players of the first half.
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