SawxBlog

Let The Games Begin! Sox Spring Training Games Kick Off Tonight

(AP Photo)

Today is probably my fifth favorite day of the baseball year, the first day of spring training games.

The other four in order are:

1. Opening Day
2. First Day of Playoffs
3. All-Star Game
4. Pitchers and Catchers Report
5. First Spring Training Game

The Red Sox kick off their 2007 Spring Campaign at 7:05pm (NESN) against the Minnesota Twins. Curt Schilling's slated to get the start against Matt Garza. You obviously can't put too much weight on any of these spring games (no pun intended) however you most certainly can use them as a gauge.

Pitchers go into these games with a certain game plan, and hitters are a little rusty and just trying to make contact and get back into the groove. Obviously the big story tonight is Curt Schilling. Curt has been in the headlines ever since he announced on WEEI that he was not going to retire after this season. Shortly thereafter the Red Sox announced that they would not be picking up his option, and the great spin cycle began after that, but to be honest, this is the first day of the 2007 Spring schedule, I could care less about 2008 right now.

I complained about how Curt went about his contract situation a few days ago, however I do still like the guy a lot. He's never short on opinions, which can wear thin (unlike his waistline), however he's never short on effort, and I honestly don't think you can ask too much more from a ballplayer. And I absolutely love his confidence going into this season (something else he's never been short on). When asked if he could win 20 games this year he simply answered, "Absolutely, why can't I?" And I kinda have to agree with the big guy (now the pun is intended). He has one of the best offensive bats behind him and a solid defense. The bullpen, well, that's a little more we'll wait and see. However the effectiveness of a bullpen certainly translates to the more potential wins a starting pitcher can receive.

Further on in Jackie MacMullen's piece today Curt revealed that he has a new pitch this year, the changeup. I do remember a few of the times he threw it last year, however if he's confident enough to consistently throw the pitch more this season that's great news for Red Sox fans.

When Pedro Martinez was at his most dominant it was when he had his changeup working well, and it's also the pitch (aside from like 5 others including the mythical lochness monster like gyroball) that most baseball experts say makes Dice-K so effective as a pitcher. So we'll see.

Again I'm not putting too much weight in Schilling's start (I really can't help myself now) but I do look forward to cracking a cold one and watching the Red Sox play a live game on NESN. Remy, it'll be good to have you back :-)

Manic Manny Monday was "Hair Raising"

(SawxBlog Illustration)

OK, so not like this is any sort of crack analysis or anything. And it's not like Manny's hair, or any of numerous other Red Sox hair, hasn't been interesting the last few seasons. And maybe the red dreads are Manny's way of showing team spirit, but I just can't help thinking he looks like a twisted version of Raggedy Ann. I guess that's just my opinion though :-)

Manny Ramirez Shows Up to Camp...On Time...His Time

(AP Photo)

Well, well, it looks like Manny Ramirez is now in camp and it looks like the weird may get weirder for a bit. Gordon Edes posted this Q&A transcript with Manny's agent, Greg Genske, and it's ballsy, and odd to say the least. Click Here to Read.

All I can say is that I'm happy he's there "early" and I just hope things get more down to baseball and not and we hear a little less about car shows. Manny as we all know is Manny, and he's hitting the ground running since he's shown up.

He's already seen Dice-K throw a few pitches to him via BP, and his translator, Julian Tavarez, made this aware to anyone in earshot in the club house.

“Manny needs his running shoes, his bike, and 10 bucks for a haircut.”

I'm not even joking here, Hunter Thompson would love this stuff, let the weird begin.

More on everything that happens today later tonight. If we're lucky Manny may hold his annual Spring Training State of the Union. When he showed up last year it was the only time of the year he spoke with the media. I'm sure we'll hear a lot of:

"You know, I'm just focusing on the season, you know, playoffs and stuff..."

Martin Scorsese Finally Wins Oscar, with a Little Help From Boston

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From all of us at SawxBlog and in Boston, congrats Martin on winning picture and director of the year for the Boston based film, The Departed (an awesome movie by the way).

Much like the Red Sox of '04 sometimes a long wait is worth it, god knows you could have easily had it sooner then this with the likes of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. I guess those can be looked at as your '46, '75, and '86 in a way.

Congrats again Mr. Scorsese, you've been making some great movies for a long time now.

(Click here to read original SawxBlog Departed post)

Dice-K Looks Sharp in Frist Live BP

(AP Photo)

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched yesterday, in what may be known as, one of the most watched BP sessions ever. Not like any of us should be surprised by this, but homeboy again impressed everybody that was present.

Terry Francona mentioned the only time he's seen this much attention for batting practice is when he coached the minor league Birmingham Barons, and none other then Michael Jordan. And yes, Dice-K is receiving  MJ type attention.

Hearing these things coming back on him are making it that much harder to wait for opening day. We'll be able to see Matsuzaka-san pitch for the first time this coming Friday at 6:00pm, and I can't wait to finally see him pitch live in a Red Sox uniform.

"I'd never seen him pitch before, he definitely dialed it up the second time I was in there. The guy's got good stuff. It's not a myth. Not a tall tale." - Red Sox Hopeful, Bobby Scales

Manny Ramirez & Cars, Curt Schilling and Whining

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Over the last 5-6 years or so of following the Red Sox you get to a point where you feel as if the craziness that can surround this team reaches a plateau of weird & strange, and then another spring comes around, and you again feel as if following the team is like watching an episode of Laguna Beach. Drama baby, drama.

We'll start off with Manny Ramirez. It's official, I'm tired of this guy, and yes it was only two days ago that I wrote this sentence: "But you know what, I don't really care. As long as he hits .300, drives in 120, and hits 30 HR I can care less if he's two weeks late to Spring Training."

That sentence still holds a lot of truth in it with me, however at what point can you look at a guy and just be like, as a man, this guy is a joke and a clown. Using your mother's health to be late for your job when in reality you have a classic car auction to go to in A.C. is disgusting. I'm sure he's not going to show up to it now, but if karma is a bitch then Manny has a lot coming his way.

If you want to read about someone making sacrifices read this story, it's guys like this who should be idolized, not Lessy Ramirez (It will also make you like Timlin that much more). He's a super talented ballplayer, who works hard at what he does, but like it or not, he's a teammate who isn't reliable 100% all of the time, who makes $20 Million a year, and can't even show up on time. I bust my ass to get by, as I'm sure a lot of you do as well, and seeing Manny pull stuff like this over and over again gets awfully tiresome and pathetic. How do you think David Ortiz likes answering questions about Manny, as he sits, giving it his all, while getting paid significantly less. That's enough on Lessy though...for now.

Now onto our favorite loud mouth republican, no not Steven Cobert, I'm talking about Mr. Curt Schilling. The stunts he's trying to pull down in Florida aren't making me too happy either. I knew the Sox wouldn't extend him (read the post from two days ago), and it makes sense not to. Maybe if Curt wanted an extension he shouldn't have come into Spring Training doing his best David Wells impersonation. Have you seen him?!?

If Curt really wanted a deal he should have done it privately and not on WEEI...twice. I don't know what he's trying to pull, but I really hope he does understand that it's a business, and that just because he bleed during a game it doesn't give him any exclusive rights. Shaughnessy's article on this today is actually pretty on point too. Was Curt upset because Lessy and Dice-K are taking some of the spotlight from his now very large world? I say he focuses on the year, slims down a bit, and counts his $13 million he's getting this year if he gets bored. I don't want drama, I want baseball, and these little episodes from rich spoiled man-children are getting very tiresome for this fan.

The great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson may have put it best when he said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." The weird thing is, it seems like the pros are already pretty weird...

R.I.P Dennis Johnson

"Underneath to D.J." was one of my favorite sporting moments of all time. D.J. exemplified what it meant to be a Boston Celtic, and it truly is how soon he passed away.

This quote, which is all over today, basically says it all.

"The best I've ever played with." - Larry Bird

Rest in peace D.J. be sure to tell Red we all say what's up.

2007 Red Sox Spring Training, 10 Things to Look For

(Reuters Photo)

2007 Spring Training is well under way and if you're a Red Sox fan you just have to be excited about this upcoming campaign. I'm going to list out 10 things that I think will be the most interesting to keep and eye on as we see the squad start to take shape.

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka is going to have a bigger impact then I think any of us imagined. The media attention this guy is getting is off the charts, and the attention is global. From all accounts thus far it looks like Matsuzaka is going to be the real deal. It also looks like his first game in Fenway Park is going to be against the Mariners which means his first pitch in Fenway will be to none other then Ichiro Suzuki, a good friend of his, and someone who's a free agent after 2007. I'll just plant that seed for ya'...

2. Julio Lugo is going to be a fan favorite by May. I've been sweating the way Lugo plays the game for years now, and wanted him to have a B on his cap in the worst way. Heck, in 2005 & 2006 I predicted him being on the Sox, so it's about time! Lugo leading off in front of his good friend (some dude named Big Papi) and the rest of our lineup is more potent then a black mamba. Julio's enthusiasm for the game will be infectious, and it will reflect in the way the rest of the team plays the game. Mark my words here, you are going to LOVE this guy.

3. Manny Ramirez is pulling his annual "someone in my family caught a pretty bad case of leprosy so I have to hang around and well...ya' know, do Manny things" spring training stunt. Seriously, the way Ramirez uses family members health as an excuse he's got some really, really bad karma coming his way. This is annoying, and so is Manny a lot of the times. He's one of the highest paid players in the game, plays for a ravenous fan base that worships him, but he's still aloof, and at times, a bad teammate. But you know what, I don't really care. As long as he hits .300, drives in 120, and hits 30 HR I can care less if he's two weeks late to Spring Training. This is where the Daisuke Factor comes in to play too. If he wasn't in camp this would be all over the Herald, and all you'd hear on WEEI would be about Manny showing up late. Daisuke changes that, well that and the whole Tom Brady fiasco.

4. Closing Time. The Red Sox will have a closer on the squad when they break camp we're just not too sure as to who it will be. If I have to read another article about the possibility of Papelbon closing I may have to commit sepuku, it's not going to happen. We're most likely going to see the likes of Timlin (scary) or Tavarez closing. When Tavarez isn't being Manny's interpretor he's actually a pretty darn good pitcher. For those of you who stuck with the Sox the last month and a half last year (those who didn't shame!) you saw Tavarez pitch and start some pretty impressive games. He has that fist pump wild thing craziness that you love to see a closer have. Plus how dope would it be to hear the Nightmare on Elm Street music as he races out of the bullpen. Tavarez is my dark horse candidate for closer, and I think I may be right on this one.

5. Coco Crisp is going to break out hard in 2007. Coco had a sick spring training last year and unfortunately busted up his hand in the fifth game of the season. He was never able to really recover from that so pay special attention to how on top of the fastball Coco is, if he's on it then you may see some special things from him. He's also a year removed from the Johnny Demon defection, and will be hitting in the lower third of the order which will all equate to a lot less pressure on him, and hopefully a break out year.

6. Jon Lester is by far the feel good story at the Fort. Seeing how the Red Sox progress with him will be interesting, and even more interesting will be to see how he pitches. He's young, and hopefully he'll bounce back strong, all signs are pointing him coming back strong. To what capacity he comes back with the Sox, and what role he fills is TBD.

7. J.D. Drew is going to have the toughest time of the new Sox. People are skeptical at the money the Red Sox gave him, and are wary about his past injuries. If J.D. projects like he should then he'll be just fine, replacing Trot Nixon is not an enviable task though, and seeing how he reacts to first slump will show me a lot about his character.

8. Plain and simple will Doug Mirabelli hit his weight. V-Tek's getting no younger, and if Doug's going to be playing at least every fifth day he has to learn how to do something aside from catch a knuckleball.

9. Will Tito stay off the chewing tobacco? My guess is no way, not managing this team. $5.00 bucks says he's back on by the first week of May.

10. Will the Sox extend Curt Schilling through 2008 before they break camp? No. However the with how the current market is looking, Schilling at $13 million seems like a steal. I don't think the Red Sox will commit though because of his age, I'd love to be Killin' with Schillin' in '08, but I think we should see how this year goes first. Is he really going to want to move his entire family for one more year in the bigs? I don't think so.

Gerald Green Wins 2007 Slam Dunk Contest!

(NBA.com Photo)

In what's been the bleakest of years to be a Celtics fan (Except for maybe the Dino Raja years...)this week has been pretty good for the green. The Celtics broke their 19 game losing streak on Valentines Day of all days (which was predicted by yours truly), and now Gerald Green Wins 2007 Slam Dunk Contest. If you're a Celtic fan you have to see the silver lining in this season, Green shows the youth and athletic talent of our team, that's just oozing with potential.

Hopefully the next thing the Celtics win is the Lottery draft pick, with a Mr. Greg Oden right behind it.

Gerald's homage to Dee Brown was completely classic. Earlier in the day I was talking with my friend Zac about how much i loved Dee Brown, and even broke out my old away Brown Jersey. Seeing Green do the same hours later was awesome and helped make this year a little more easier to endure.

SawxBlog is going into full fledged Spring Training mode, but I had to blog about this, I'm just itching for the Celtics to return to glory in a few years, and think this can tide me over for a bit :-)

Congrats Gerald!

Happy Valentines Day!

(SawxBlog Illustration)

Happy Valentines Day to all of Red Sox Nation! On this day of love there's a lot to like:

• The Dice-K era has officially begun (The rapid-fire clicks of more than a dozen camera shutters capturing every movement made it sound like a den of rattlesnakes had just been disturbed along the outfield warning track of the practice field at the Red Sox [team stats]’ minor league complex yesterday afternoon.)
• J.D. Drew is finally officially on our Roster (Cross Lenny DiNardo off your list of potential Red Sox closers for 2007 because he's headed for Oakland.)
• Pitchers and Catchers are reporting (From "free beer!" to "all you can eat," objectively speaking, there remains absolutely, positively no better phrase in the English language than "pitchers and catchers report.)
• Mariano wants out of NY (Sitting in his car outside Legends Field yesterday, Rivera was asked by The Post if he could be Boston's closer next year. "You never know," said Rivera)

Heck...the Celtics may even win tonight! Love must be in the air.