Category: Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia Out 7 Months After Knee Surgery, Awesome

By on • ( 2 Comments )

So Dustin Pedroia decided to undergo the surgery he’s been publicly hesitant to get because by his own admission its a long road to recovery. If all goes well with his knee surgery and rehab then, according to the Red Sox, Pedroia should be out 7 months, which puts him back on the field by May. But, how often does everything go according to plan with this team and injuries? There’s always some misdiagnosis or they rush guys back or second and third opinions derail everything because the players don’t trust the team doctors. So if all that goes off without a hitch then he’ll be back in May. But, thats back to being a functioning, walking human, not an everyday Major League Baseball player. Pedroia won’t be able to do any of his offseason conditioning and will miss all of spring training. So while the team is saying May, this could easily be a situation where we don’t see Pedey back on the field at Fenway until July. Thats a scary proposition.

So the Red Sox are most definitely going to need another guy that can play 50-100 games at second base next year. Is that Brock Holt? I’d prefer to keep Holt as a super utility player and not an every day infielder as he tends to get exposed the longer he plays plus he has his own injury concerns with the concussion and the vertigo from this past season.

Is that Eduardo Nunez? That would probably be the ideal fill-in, but after being picked up by the Sox in the second half where he crushed the ball to a BA of .321, Nunez is a free agent and is probably 1.) looking for big dough and 2.) looking for assured playing time. Not to say Nunez will immediately ride the bench upon Pedroia’s return, but I could easily see him going somewhere else where he knows exactly what position he’ll be playing every day.

Deven Marrero’s not exactly a sexy option having hit .211 this year in the big leagues, but he’s the only guy you’ve got on the roster right now. I simply cannot see Dave Dombrowski punting on second base to start the year and hoping a 34-year-old Pedroia returns to form after major knee surgery. The Sox are still tight up against the Luxury Tax and everyone will lose their shit if Dombrowski starts dishing more prospects, so while there is a move to be made they may have to get creative with this one.

 

How Can Alex Cora Get the Red Sox Going in the Right Direction?

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Alex Cora is the new manager of the Boston Red Sox and once the Houston Astros win or lose the World Series he’ll walk into a talented, underachieving, promising, and fractured clubhouse. This team could easily make strides and be in the World Series next year or they could just as easily compound their current issues and be fighting for a Wild Card berth. So what can the new skipper do to get this team going in the right direction?

Cora and Dustin Pedroia were of course teammates on the Red Sox from 2006-2008 under Terry Francona. If Cora can get Pedroia on board out of the gate, which it would seem he should have no problem doing, then he’s off to a good start. For whatever reason Pedroia never seemed to be tight with John Farrell and then of course he hated Bobby V.

Pedroia’s like a scorned lover, never letting himself get close to another manager again after the way Francona was ripped away from him. So maybe Pedroia and Cora can bond over how badly the Sox management sandbagged Tito on his way out of town.

In addition to Pedroia, Cora should be well equipped to better connect with the Latino players because he, ya know, is from Puerto Rico and is obviously fluent in Spanish. That alone should do wonders for Latino players that Farrell may not have been able to connect with. Even if Farrell spoke some Spanish, there’s no substitute for a guy that can *conversate* in both languages.

Being just 42 years old, Cora will be the second youngest manager in the MLB and should be in a much better position to connect with the younger Sox players than his predecessor. Cora played in the era of social media and constant media attention in Boston so he understands how to handle it. Plus he was revered in his playing days as a veteran leader that helped mentor younger players. Including ones that would ultimately take his job in guys like Pedroia. So while he may not have managerial experience, he checks all the boxes that would seemingly make for a good manager.

After that all he has to do is get serial malcontent David Price on board. Other than that, jobs a piece of cake. Maybe some sessions on the manager’s couch to do nothing other than vent will help Price release a little steam before he blows another gasket on guys like Dennis Eckersley. I have no idea what Price’s relationship was with Farrell, but the whole “Manager John” thing sure didn’t make it seem like they were buddies. And Price knows that, he’s not stupid. So whether Cora walks in Day 1 and tells Price to sit down and shut up, or he massages the ego of a $217 Million enigma, I leave up to him. But, get a handle on those social circles within the roster and the rest will fall into place.

Friday Morning Randomness

By on • ( Leave a comment )

The Red Sox completed the greatest comeback in history and vanquished the Yankees in the Bronx 13 years ago today. As Dan Shaughnessy wrote at the time:

FOREVERMORE, the date goes into the New England calendar as an official no-school/no-work/no-mail-delivery holiday in Red Sox Nation.

Mark it down. Oct. 20. It will always be the day Sox citizens were liberated from eight decades of torment and torture at the hands of the Yankees and their fans.

Boston Baseball’s Bastille Day.

Nothing will ever top this moment for me as a sports fan. Not the Patriots comeback last February, not Boston University’s unbelievable comeback in the 2009 National Championship game. Nothing.

That’s why I can’t get too upset over this tweet.

Well, just a little upset. The holiday is today, @RedSox.

Who Will be the Next Manager of the Boston Red Sox?

By on • ( 6 Comments )

The search continues for the next manager of the Boston Red Sox, one of the most coveted, high profile, and stressful positions in baseball. The Sox would be wise to take their time and do their due diligence before making an emotional hire a la the disaster that was Bobby Valentine. They need a guy who can communicate effectively with players whether they’re rookies, verterans, white guys or hispanic. This team needs a guy players can talk to, someone who is respected in the game, a solid in-game tactician, and is a name that will resonate with fans. With all that being said, lets get to the top candidates we’ve heard about thus far.

Alex Cora – The current bench coach for the Houston Astros is a former Red Sox player and seems to be the early favorite as he was the first guy the Sox interviewed. He’s got former teammates coming out of the woodwork to give glowing reviews, can communicate well with players, and a Puerto Rico outlet is reporting that Cora has a “99.9% chance” of landing the job. Apparently there’s heavy competition for Cora as the Mets want him too, but who the fuck would want to manage the Mets right now?

Brad Ausmus -The recently canned Tigers manager, this was a popular name because Dave Dombrowski gave Ausmus his first job when he hired him back in Detroit. Ausmus is currently unemployed and we all know how much Dave loves his own guys. But, maybe he doesn’t want to double down on a guy who didn’t make it very far for his former employer. The Mets were also rumored to be in on Ausmus, but as I mentioned who would want that job? Not Ausmus, who reportedly removed his name from consideration.

Ron Gardenhire – Yawn. I’m not dying to see the guy who managed the Twins to middling records for years take the reigns of one of the most pressure packed job in sports. Okay, middling records is probably not totally fair. He did win 6 division titles with Minnesota, but they never went very deep and the last division title came in 2010 when Gardenhire was named AL Manager of the Year. But, he hasn’t managed since 2014 and seems like more of the same so I don’t think its a great fit.  Gardenhire is also, ironically, the bench coach for Torey Lovullo, the John Farrell successor in waiting the Red Sox had on their staff last year, then let walk in favor of Farrell, who they ended up firing anyways a year later. Solid planning over on Yawkey Way.

Other names that have been mentioned in the media:

Gabe Kapler – Sign me UP for Gabe the Babe. One of my favorite former players because he played his balls off every day. He’s currently the Director of Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has previously managed in the minor leagues for the Red Sox actually. I don’t think Tanyon Sturtze would appreciate Gabe becoming the next Red Sox manager though. Ya know, because he kicked his ass.

After all the bullshit we were fed about John Farrell being this tough guy John Wayne type, we could use an actual badass managing this team.

He was also in the running for the Dodgers manager position before Dave Roberts became a candidate and Kapler stepped down. So he’s clearly got a lot of behind the scenes experience and is a well rounded baseball guy with experience in both the dugout and the front office. Hell, he’s even got a health and fitness blog that I would highly recommend. WEEI’s John Tomase is all in as well and has some great insights on Kapler’s success in his current role with the Dodgers building up their farm system.

Jim Leyland – The longtime baseball manager who also has big Dombrowski ties, having worked as his manager in Florida as well as with the Tigers. But, Tony Massaroti mentioned on 98.5 the other day that he texted the 72 year old Leyland, who straight up told Mazz that he’s done managing. So we can cross this one off the list.

I think Cora is a solid option, a breath of fresh air that the Red Sox could use. He’s a guy that speaks both Spanish and English fluently, he’s young, and he’s been climbing the ranks working his way up to this opportunity. I think with an older baseball guy as his bench coach Cora is probably the best option. But I certainly would not be disappointed with my dude Gabe managing the Sox. Time for Dave Dombrowski to hitch his wagon to the next manager; we’re in this together now boys.

 

Here’s to a Speedy Recovery for Gordon Hayward After That Horrific Leg Injury

By on • ( Leave a comment )


That was tough to watch last night. Six minutes into his Celtics career Gordon Hayward suffered probably the worst injury I’ve ever seen on a basketball court. I’m talking worse than Paul George and worse than Kevin Ware.

Just the way it happened and Hayward’s reaction to seeing his own leg explode. Nightmare stuff. Feel terrible for the guy. I’m not gonna post the video and honestly if you haven’t seen it yet do yourself a favor and don’t seek it out. Horrific injury.

While it sucks to have arguably the best free agent signing in Celtics history go down in the first few minutes of the season, the C’s rebounded incredibly well in the second half. They were an inch away from tying that game with a last second Kyrie 3 so thats encouraging at the very least.

Charles Barkley is probably right in the sense of competing for a title, but I don’t think they’re suddenly going to struggle to be the No. 5 seed in the dogshit East like he’s suggesting. That injury is a goddamn downer though as we were all getting gassed up to see a special Celtics team. Welp, here’s to a speedy recovery for Gordon Hayward. Hopefully we see ya sooner than later bud.

Eduardo Rodriguez Out 6 Months With…Wait for it….a Knee Injury!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

When the Red Sox first acquired Eduardo Rodriguez in 2014 from the Orioles in the Andrew Miller trade it was deemed a steal for a half season rental of Miller. (Side note: the Red Sox do not get ANY credit for legitimately rebuilding Andrew Miller from the Florida Marlins/Detroit Tigers castoff failed starter that he was to the dominant, lights out bullpen weapon that he is.) E-Rod started off his career lights out going 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA at just 22 years old, but has been routinely derailed by injuries since then.

Seriously, take a look at the number of starts he’s made each season since the Red Sox acquired him.

  • 2015: 21
  • 2016: 20
  • 2017: 24

Not exactly workhorse type stuff. I mean E-Rod is still only making $500K a year so its not a huge financial burden, but in the same vein as Clay Buchholz you need to be able to rely on a guy to make the majority of his starts. Especially when that guy has the ability to be your No. 3 starter. Hopefully this horrific sounding “knee ligament reconstruction” that the Red Sox are describing it as helps get his knee back to where it needs to be. Otherwise break out the duct tape and bubblegum.

In True LeBron Fashion, He’s Still a “Game Time Decision” for Tonight’s Season Opener

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Bleacher Report – Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James is officially listed as a game-time decision for Tuesday’s home matchup with the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena due to an ankle injury. Dave McMenamin of ESPN noted James participated in the Cavs’ morning shootaround session, but the team didn’t immediately announce whether he would play in the season-opening contest.

It wouldn’t be the NBA without everyone catering to LeBron’s every whim. Dude’s always gotta make the story about him. Legit 8 hours before the game and he doesn’t know if he can play?

Bullshit. If he has a competitive bone in his body there’s zero chance he misses this game.

He just wants to control the story, he doesn’t want all the headlines to be about Kyrie Irving coming back to Cleveland. LeBron wants it to be about LeBron. Not “the kid.”

Henry Owens Still Can’t Throw a Strike: Should Probably Be On Suicide Watch

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Seriously, someone better take away Henry Owens’ shoelaces and bedsheets.

“CONTROL REMAINS ISSUE FOR OWENS IN AFL
Henry Owens made his first start for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League on Thursday, walking five and allowing four runs on two hits in just an inning of work. The left-hander issued 115 free passes in 126 innings in the minors this year.”

This guy just cannot get the ball over the plate. Every time I hear a story about him its about how many batters he walked. Honestly feel bad for the guy who clearly has some sort of mental block. Someone please get this guy to a sports psychologist before he just burns the ballpark down.

For a player that was once an untouchable prospect its crazy that now he can’t get through two innings of fall ball without walking a half dozen guys. He does seem to be trying out some new mechanics though dropping down to more of a sidearm release point, so maybe that helps, maybe not, but the guy has to try anything and everything to just get the ball over the plate at this point.

In his last 3 seasons in the minors (leaving his MLB experience out because its limited) his walks have gone from 56 in 122 IP, to 81 in 137 IP, to 115 in 126 IP. Meanwhile the League average in 2017 for Walks per 9 IP (BB9) was 3.2. Owens comes in at a cool 4.9 BB9 career average, but has only gotten worse over the past 3 years with his BB9 going from 4.1 in 2015 to 5.3 in 2016 and 8.2 in 2017 (minor league stats).

Good Guy Red Sox Pitcher Joe Kelly Dresses Up as Green Lantern and Visits Sick Kids in the Hospital

By on • ( 1 Comment )

The Red Sox got their dicks kicked in by the Astros in the ALDS, but take a quick look at these pics below to put that into perspective. It sucks the Sox lost, but at least we still have feel good stories like Joe Kelley making a sick kid’s day dressing up as Green Lantern. Bravo, Joe.

Thursday Night Pick Em – NFL Week 6

By on • ( Leave a comment )


Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers (-3.5, 46)

We’ve worked all week for this and after four long days at your shitty cube job COLOR RUSH JERSEYS, I mean the NFL is back. Panthers are 3.5 favorites, but Carson Wentz is on fire (scored 39 pts on my fantasy bench last week NBD) and Wendell Smallwood is back for the Eagles. Plus Nelson Agholor looks great so I’m taking the Eagles here. Fly Eagles Fly. Eagles cover.