Fielding a Winner: The Boston Red Sox

[2004RedSox]

Joshua Harvard announced as Boston's New General Manager
April Fourth, 2009


After Spring Training 2009, the Red Sox decided it was time to cut their losses and fire Theo Epstein. "We [the Boston Red Sox] don't hold anything against Epstein. He had a wonderful tenure with the club. He got us two World Series titles, which we're thankful for. However, when it comes down to it, he's made a few questionable deals lately." Larry Lucchino told the Boston Globe and ESPN. "Epstein's replacement is an articulate young man by the name of Joshua Harvard. During the intense interview process, he showed excellent judgment. Boston needs Harvard - not just for 2009 - but for years to come."

Harvard took time out of his day to answer questions from the media. When asked what direction he would take the team, he replied, "The Red Sox have a lot of old[er] talent signed to large contracts. My first order of business will be to trade away those players. Mainly, I'm looking at the likes of Julio Lugo and Mike Lowell. [Mike] Lowell has performed during his time in Boston, no doubt, but to pay him twenty-four million over the next two years is too much. In a nut shell, I'm going to make the team younger, spend less than Theo did, and stay competitive." That's not the only question Harvard answered, though. He was also asked about the state of Jason Bay's contract. "Jason is an interesting one... he performed well last year, but I want to see how he plays this year before locking him into a long-term deal. His agent has given me a ballpark figure for the next three years, and I think it's too much to consider putting down right now with the economy the way it is."


Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees was also fired. Cashman's replacement has been announced as none other than Theo Epstein.

[2004RedSox]

Boston's 2009 Pitching Staff

The Red Sox have one of the more talented pitching staffs in the majors, no doubt. Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90 ERA) and Jon Lester (16-6, 3.21 ERA) had phenomenal seasons last year. Returning to the Red Sox Rotation is Josh Beckett. Beckett's career can be likened to Bret Saberhagen's. By that, he's good one year, so-so the next. Despite that, Beckett will be the Red Sox's opening day starter for 2009. Clay Buchholz and Brad Penny will also be joining the Red Sox's Starting Rotation. To make room for Penny, Tim Wakefield was assigned to the bullpen and Justin Masterson was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for Buchholz.

Starters

SP Beckett, Josh

28 Years Old, RHP, #19
2008: 12-10, 4.03 ERA, 172 Ks and 34 BBs
Contract: Makes Ten Million in 2009 and Twelve Million in 2010.
Harvard's Comments: Beckett is one of the more talented players in the Red Sox Organization. He's front of the rotation material with great command.

SP Matsuzaka, Daisuke

28 Years Old, RHP, #18
2008: 18-3, 2.90 ERA, 154 Ks and 94 BBs
Contract: Thirty-six million over the next four years
Harvard's Comments: Matsuzaka is the perfect number two pitcher in the rotation. He has a great repertoire of pitches and knows where to throw them. He has issues with his control, which will hopefully be worked out this year.

SP Lester, Jon

25 Years Old, LHP, #31
2008: 16-6, 3.21 ERA, 152 Ks and 66 BBs
Contract: Making Forty-two million over the next six years.
Harvard's Comments: Lester is the only lefty in the Red Sox Rotation. He's projected to contend for the Cy Young Award this season, and I think he'll win it. He's a fine third starter who makes any rotation better.

SP Penny, Brad

30 Years Old, RHP, #36
2008: 6-9, 6.27 ERA, 51 Ks and 42 BBs
Contract: Five million.
Harvard's Comments: If Penny can return to his 2007 form, I'll consider keeping him around in 2010. If not, I plan on trading him away in July.

SP Buchholz, Clay

24 Years Old, RHP, #61
2008: 2-9, 6.75 ERA, 72 Ks and 41 BBs
Contract: 413,500 till Arbitration
Harvard's Comments: Buchholz is one of the Red Sox's top pitching prospects. Literally, he's in the top five according to Baseball America. With that said, he has the most major league experience out of any of them and he's already thrown a no hitter. At the age of twenty-four, I expect big things of him.


Top Pitching Prospects

The Red Sox have terrific pitching depth in the minors. From Justin Masterson to Dustin Richardson, they probably have some of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Clay Buchholz will be the fifth starter for the Red Sox this season. He wasn't successful in the majors last year, but the team is counting on him to fill in for John Smoltz until he can pitch again. Justin Masterson gets to start the season off in Triple-A. It's time for him to really show what he's made of and impress the Front Office. As it stands, he probably could be involved in a deadline deal to get the team that much closer to a World Series victory. Micheal Bowden, Junichi Tazawa, Nick Hagadone and a few others do have a realistic chance at being in the majors at the end of the year if there is any injury to the bullpen or the rotation.

[2004RedSox]

Boston's Bullpen

Boston's Bullpen was a good part of Boston's success last year. Players like Jonathan Papelbon, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, and Manny Delcarmen allowed starters to feel alright about going six innings instead of eight. Terry Francona wouldn't have to cringe when he turned the ball over to the bullpen. The players mentioned were consistent. This year, the Red Sox have only increased the strength of the pen. Takashi Saito is an excellent player, perfect as a bridge to Papelbon or as a closer entirely. A new addition to the bullpen but not the Red Sox, Tim Wakefield, will also be able to act as a capable reliever in times of need. He can keep the ball in the park and he'll be able to rack up some needed strikeouts in key situations.


Wakefield, Tim

42 Years Old, RHP, #49
2008: 10-11, 4.13 ERA, 117 Ks and 60 BBs.
Contract: Four million a year for two years
Harvard's Comments: Wakefield is a great player in every sense of the word. He's intelligent with a great work ethic and teaches the less experienced players how to pitch correctly. He's not dominate, but he's decent. He goes out to the mound and pitches. He doesn't worry about the manager screaming at him because he tries his best. When Wakefield retires, I'd like for him to be our pitching coach.

Delcarmen, Manny

27 Years Old, RHP, #17
2008: 1-2, 3.27 ERA, 72 Ks and 28 BBs.
Contract: Eligible for arbitration after this year
Harvard's Comments: Delcarmen is one of my favorite players. He's young and he's a great bullpen arm. Even if the bases are loaded and Barry Bonds is up, he's not going to worry himself with the "what-if" scenarios.

Lopez, Javier

31 Years Old, LHP, #48
2008: 2-0, 2.43 ERA, 38 Ks and 27 BBs
Contract: 840,000
Harvard's Comments: Depending on his performance this season, he'll likely be a free agent. He's up there in age and with prospects like Daniel Bard showing signs of being ready for the majors... the chances of him sticking around for another season are slim.

Saito, Takashi

39 Years Old, RHP, #24
2008: 4-4, 18 Saves, 60 Ks and 16 BBs
Contract: 2.5 Million a year for two years
Harvard's Comments: Good player - perfect bridge to Papelbon, knows how to bring the heat.

Okajima, Hideki

33 Years Old, LHP, #37
2008: 3-2, 2.61 ERA, 1 Save, 60 Ks and 23 BBs
Contract: Eligible for arbitration
Harvard's Comments: I have a feeling he'll be sticking around Boston for years to come, unless I can work a deal for younger bullpen arm with similiar stats.

Papelbon, Jonathan

28 Years Old, RHP, #58
2008: 5-4, 41 Saves, 2.34 ERA, 77 Ks and 8 BBs.
Contract: Eligible for Arbitration
Harvard's Comments: He's one of the better closers in the game right now. Whenever I see him play, I swear he lets people get on base on purpose... if he curves that habit, he could be the best closer in the game right now. He'll be a member of the Red Sox next year though, too.

[2004RedSox]

The Batters

Boston's offense has always been one of the better parts of its game. Every player is capable of getting a clutch hit or driving in a run; some are capable of going long, while others move around the bases like there is only a foot separating them. To field a successful team, a team needs people like Dustin Pedroia, Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis. Boston has all three.

Varitek, Jason

36 Years Old, SHB, Catcher
2008: .220 BA, 13 HRs and 43 RBIs
Contract: 5 Million in 2009, Mutual Option in 2010
Harvard's Comments: Varitek is a great player, defensively. If he can put up numbers like he did in 2004, he needs to start doing so immediately.

Kottaras, George

25 Years Old, LHB, Catcher
2008: .200 BA, 0 HRs and 0 RBIs
Contract: 400,000 *Autorenew
Harvard's Comments: Not my first, but not my last choice to catch a game. If I have my way, he won't be the catcher of the future for Boston, but he'll be a capable backup.

Carter, Chris

26 Years Old, LHB, First baseman
2008: .333 BA, 0 HRs and 3 RBIs
Contract: 400,000 *Autorenew
Harvard's Comments: Carter isn't going to get much playing time this year. We have many players capable of performing much better than him on the Major League roster and in Triple-A alone. I only chose to keep him in Boston because McLeod thinks he has some upside.

Youkilis, Kevin

30 Years Old, RHB, First baseman
2008: .312 BA, 29 HRs and 115 RBIs
Contract: 53,125,000 over the next five years
Harvard's Comments: Excellent player; he swings the bat well and fields even better. He's the perfect guy to have playing at first base. He comes with a large price tag, but he definitely provides the bang for the buck.

Ortiz, David

33 Years Old, LHB, DH/First baseman
2008: .264 BA, 23 HRs and 89 RBIs
Contract: 12.5 Million for the next three years
Harvard's Comments: Ortiz is a great guy to have around the clubhouse, no doubt about that. However, he's coming off a season where he was injured... I don't like keeping injured players around, especially when they're up there in age like he is. If I have the chance to trade Ortiz for someone cheaper, I'm going to pull the trigger, provided I get a decent return.

Pedroia, Dustin

25 Years Old, RHB, Second baseman
2008: .326 BA, 17 HRs and 83 RBIs
Contract: 51,000,000 over the next seven years
Harvard's Comments: Coming off one of the most unlikely MVP seasons in modern times, Dustin Pedroia is one of the better second baseman in the world. He's continuing on a trend of hitting for average and driving in runs, while fielding his position well. He's one of the most lovable players on our roster.

Green, Nick

30 Years Old, RHB, Second Baseman
2008: Didn't play in the majors
Contract: 550,000, arbitration eligible
Harvard's Comments: Green looks like a below-average hitter and a decent fielder. He'll be great coming off the bench, though.

Lowell, Mike

35 Years Old, RHB, Third baseman
2008: .274 BA, 17 HRs and 73 RBIs
Contract: 12 Million a year for two years
Harvard's Comments: Lowell is a good player. He provides a spark to our offense when we need one and he's able to field his position better than a lot of guys. I don't like his contract or his age.

Lowrie, Jed

24 Years Old, SHB, Shortstop
2008: .258 BA, 2 HRs and 46 RBIs
Contract: 414,400 *Autorenew
Harvard's Comments: He's a good player defensively; he can field the ball well and he knows how to throw it. On offense, Lowrie isn't a completely different story. There are many, many shortstops around his age who can hit better than him and field around his level.

Bay, Jason

30 Years Old, RHB, Outfield
2008: .286 BA, 31 HRs and 101 RBIs
Contract: 7.5 Million; Eligible for F/A
Harvard's Comments: I'd like to resign Bay. He's not Manny offensively, but he plays the game well enough that we can leave Manny behind and stop wishing we had him. Bay is average defensively, but he's a good left fielder.

Ellsbury, Jacoby

25 Years Old, LHB, Outfield
2008: .280 BA, 9 HRs and 47 RBIs
Contract: 449,500 *Autorenew
Harvard's Comments: The fastest player on the team, no doubt. He's always a threat to steal. He's a great lead-off man, too. He gets on base and gets into scoring position, and when you factor in his defense, he's fantastic. I'd love to see him play for Boston well into his thirties, if not retire as a member of the Red Sox.

Baldelli, Rocco

27 Years Old, RHB, Outfield
2008: .263 BA, 4 HRs and 13 RBIs
Contract: 500,000; Eligible for Free Agency
Harvard's Comments: Baldelli is one of my favorite players. He's injured a lot, but he's spectacular when he plays. He knows how to put a smile on your face and win ballgames. He's not only a valuable member of the team on the field, but in the clubhouse as well.

Ambres, Chip
29 Years Old, RHB, Outfield
2008: .195 BA, 0 HRs and 0 RBIs
Contract: 405,808; Arbitration Eligible
Harvard's Comments: He's not going to be on the roster forever, but he's nice to have around until Kotsay is healthy...

Drew, J.D

33 Years Old, LHB, Outfield
2008: .280 BA, 19 HRs and 64 RBIs
Contract: 14 Million for the next three years...
[/b]Harvard's Comments:[/b] I like Drew as a player, but his contract has to go. I can't see paying him fourteen million dollars a year, I'm sorry. He's a great player though, just not worth fourteen million to me.

Hitting Prospects

We have a lot of prospect depth for batters, too. To name a few, we have first baseman Lars Anderson; he's projected to be a home run hitter. We also have center fielder Josh Reddick, who looks phenomenal. Lowrie, Navarro, Bates and Almanazar all have a big future ahead of them in Boston. If we don't rush their development, I have a feeling we'll be fielding a great team with all of the players listed playing regularly.

[2004RedSox]

Boston makes a series of moves before Opening Day

April Sixth, 2009

Joshua Harvard, General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, didn't sleep last night as he worked late in order to ensure some deals went through before Boston's opening series with the Tampa Bay Rays began.

One of Harvard's deals will have an immediate impact in the Boston clubhouse, while the other was just obtaining a prospect.

According to an insider in the Red Sox organization, Boston has sent thirty-three year old David Ortiz, twenty-nine year old Rocky Cherry, and nineteen year old Stolmy Pimentel to the Washington Nationals for thirty year old first baseman Nick Johnson and twenty-three year old catching prospect, Jhonatan Solano. The deal, which was finalized early in the morning, is more than likely a salary dump for the Red Sox and a chance at obtaining their catcher of the future. All of the involved players declined to comment.

Johnson will be Boston's new designated hitter.

The other deal, which involved the Houston Astros, sent twenty-seven year old Fernando Cabrera to the Astros for twenty-five year old Christopher Blazek. Blazek, a Triple-A reliever, told ESPN that he looks forward to playing for the Red Sox. Cabrera on the other hand wasn't too happy about being traded and made it known.

Today though, Boston begins a three game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Josh Beckett will get the nod for Boston in game one. Beckett will square off against Scott Kazmir. Game two will be a match up between Dice-K Matsuzaka and James Shields. The series will close with a pitching dual between Matt Garza and Jon Lester.

Boston's new addition, Nick Johnson, has a chance to prove he's better than David Ortiz at Fenway.

[2004RedSox]

Beckett Fans Eleven
April Sixth, 2009


When you think of good, dominant starting pitchers, Johan Santana, C.C Sabathia, Rich Harden and Jake Peavy might be the first guys to pop into your mind. There's definitely another pitcher you should add onto that list, and he proved it tonight - Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox - fanned eleven Tampa Bay batters in seven innings of work. He only allowed four men to reach base on Monday's showdown between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. The two batters who only made it to first base? Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena; they each singled and walked.

Heading into the eighth inning, though, Beckett had thrown over 104 pitches - too much for Manager Terry Francona. "There's no doubt in my mind that he [Josh] could have pitched a complete game. But, he was getting sloppy. Sure, he got out of the seventh by fanning three in a row, but one has to wonder... he just walked two batters, too... what's to say he's not going to that again?" Francona told the press in the locker room after the game. "I'm pleased with his performance though. Could he have sent somebody back walking to the dugout? Probably, but I didn't want to waste him on a game in April." Beckett wasn't the only to have a good game, though. Jason Bay and Dustin Pedroia combined to be most of Boston's offense. In the first inning, Pedroia sent a fastball over the center field wall to put Boston up by one. In the second and seventh innings, Jason Bay drove in more insurance runs -- which it turns out Boston needed.

Despite Beckett's excellent performance, giving the ball to Wakefield in the eighth almost ended in disaster. The forty-two year old allowed four runs to score in two innings of work, most of the runs coming in the ninth inning. In his first relief appearance of the year, Wakefield didn't impress. It's more than likely him adapting to his new role. Manager Terry Francona remains optimistic, "[Wakefield] is a good guy and a good pitcher. He just needs time to get his head in the game and realize, 'Hey, I'm not a starter anymore. I don't have that much time to warm up anymore, so I have to get into a groove quicker.' He'll be fine though. One game, which we ended up winning, doesn't affect how I'm going to treat one player." Francona addressed the press.

Nick Johnson, in his first game as a member of the Red Sox, went an unimpressive 0-3, striking out and walking once. Though, when he did make contact with the ball, with the exception of one time, he sent the ball to the warning track. Johnson was the only player on the Red Sox to not get a hit in tonight's game.

During the game though, Boston did get some good news - Closer Eric Gagne, Second Baseman Luis A. Gonzalez and Middle Reliever Phil Stockman all agreed to minor league contracts. Gagne and Gonzalez were assigned to Single-A Salem, while Stockman will get to enjoy his time on the Single-A Greeneville squad.

Gagne, thirty-three, had a stint with the Red Sox in 2007 when he pitched in twenty games, walking nine and striking out twenty-two. His ERA during those twenty games though was an unimpressive 6.75. General Manager Joshua Harvard made it known that the Red Sox are able to rehab players and that Gagne, despite his steroid use, would be no different.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox take on Tampa Bay again -- Daisuke Matsuzaka will get the call for Boston. James Shields will be on the mound for Tampa Bay, things will definitely be interesting...

[2004RedSox]

Seattle Trades Griffey for Hanigan
April Ninth, 2009


Most people thought they would never see Griffey in a Reds' uniform again - they were wrong. The thirty-nine year old gets to suit up for his former team of eight years in 2009. Griffey isn't the only object heading to the Reds though, 1.6 million dollars will follow him. What does Seattle get in return? How about a twenty-eight year old catcher named Ryan Hanigan and a twenty-four year old, minor league right fielder named Shaun Cumberland? It's unclear how the trade will impact both teams but it does look fair on paper.

In three games this year, Griffey Jr. is batting .444 with one RBI. According to Cincinnati Manager Dusty Baker, Griffey's playing time will be limited with Jay Bruce in the picture.

Around the league, Chicago outfielder Carlos Quentin will miss three weeks on the DL with an elbow sprain. In eight at-bats, he's hitting .375 with two RBIs. Two players on the East Coast will be joining him on the disabled list, too. Catcher Dioner Navarro will miss two months with a sprained ankle. Gabe Gross, a member of the Rays and a teammate of Navarro, will miss three weeks with an intercostal strain. All players are expected to recover smoothly and perform for their team down the stretch.

On a positive note, White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez blasted five hits against the Kansas City Royals. The Red Sox and Dice-K Matsuzaka also beat the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsuzaka went seven innings without allowing a hit before breaking down and letting two men on base. He struck out seven before turning the game over to Tim Wakefield who significantly improved since his previous appearance against Tampa Bay. Nick Adenhart also fashioned a seven inning (7.1 IP) shutout against the Oakland Athletics. The twenty-two year old gave up three hits, walked three batters, and sent six down on strikes.

[2004RedSox]

Red Sox, Indians Swap Players
April Tenth, 2009

The Boston Red Sox swapped 25-year-old catcher George Kottaras and 24-year-old starting pitcher Justin Masterson for 28-year-old catcher Kelly Shoppach 25-year-old minor league first baseman Stephen Head and 23-year-old minor league catcher Carlos Santana of the Indians after what Cleveland officials would only characterize as "difficult" negotiations.

Since joining the league, Masterson has compiled an ERA of 3.16 with a career record of 6-5. He has 68 strikeouts in 88.1 innings and has held opponents to a .217 batting average. Masterson, so far this season in Triple-A, has struck out twelve batters and walked one in seven innings.

In 221 career games Shoppach is hitting at a .252 pace with 161 hits with 46 doubles, no triples and 31 homers while scoring 101 runs and racking up 101 RBIs. He logged 55 walks and owns a .323 on-base percentage. Shoppach has yet to make an appearance in 2009.

While giving up one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, the Red Sox filled a much needed hole with the acquisition of Shoppach and General Manager Josh Harvard proved he cares about the future of the organization by acquiring the future catcher Boston needs in the form Carlos Santana.

Indians' General Manager, Mark Shapiro, appeared on Sports center to discuss the trade. "When I got a call from the Boston Red Sox about a trade on the fifth, I laughed. This new was coming in to the majors, thinking he could rip me off. He straight up told me he wanted Shoppach, Head and Santana for Kottaras. [I] told him he was crazy." Shapiro continued, "Then I realized he wasn't kidding. He called me back three hours later, added Masterson to the trade, and told me he was going to call Minesota and get a deal done there. I couldn't let that happen. [Justin] Masterson was their number one pitching prospect. Carlos Santana, our top batting prospect, realistically has no place in the organization at the moment, and he doesn't for a few years. I asked my scouts how Masterson compares to Head and Santana, and they told me Masterson was better. I pulled the trigger when I heard the word better come out of their mouth."

The General Manager of Boston, Joshua Harvard, had a similar response when he was interviewed by the Boston Globe: "Where to start? Oh yeah, the Masterson-Santana deal. We have pitching depth, I realized that. We lacked a strong offensive catcher and a suitable catching prospect. I reviewed my options, I had many. Most of them laughed at me when I tried to bargain with them. [Shapiro] was different. He was intrigued by my offer but wanted more. I threw in Masterson, he was chomping at the bit, but wanted more, at which point, I threw in some cash. He was sold. We made the deal. Both organizations are stronger because of it. No doubt in my mind."

Two very different accounts of negotiations, but a very good trade between the two clubs nevertheless.

[2004RedSox]

Penny Unimpressive in Red Sox Debut
April Tenth, 2009

Brad Penny probably didn't win over any fans with his performance for the Red Sox this evening. In the worst start for a Red Sox starter so far in this young season, Brad Penny gave up two runs on five hits, walking two, and striking out three in 4.2 innings of work. Many, many disgruntled Red Sox fans poured out of Angel Stadium of Anaheim in the sixth inning when it became clear Boston had no chance at winning.

Javier Lopez, a southpaw, came into finish the game off in the fifth for the Red Sox. He gave up two runs on four hits, walking one, and striking out one batter. He also produced Boston's first error of the season when he attempted to pick off Bobby Abreu. The ball was wide of Lowell. It sailed to the dugout and cost the Red Sox a run.

Dustin Moseley of the Angels pitched a great game -- he gave up a home run to Dustin Pedroia, his third home run of the season, but immediately calmed down to cruise through eight innings of work, allowing four hits, walking three, and striking out four.

Kelly Shoppach of the Red Sox pitch hit for Jason Varitek with a runner on third in the seventh inning -- he struck out swinging on three pitches. The Angels also refused to pitch to Nick Johnson, Boston's Designated Hitter, who was walked once by Mosely in the first and again in the seventh to load the bases.

Tomorrow though, the Clay Buchholz gets his first start for Boston in 2009. He faces Anaheim Staff Ace, Jered Weaver, who has a 7.50 ERA.

Kelly Johnson of the Atlanta Braves went 5-6 against the Nationals, including a two-run home run. He was excited about collecting five hits, but was humble in his interview. "I got lucky," Johnson told the press. "I didn't know I would get on base five times, but it's great."

In other news, the Rockies and Tigers swapped players. RHP Zack Miner will find himself a member of the Colorado Rockies while second baseman Omar Quintanilla and RHP Ethan Hollingsworth will make their way to Detroit.

[2004RedSox]

Embarassing Day for Red Sox Defense
April Eleventh, 2009


When Jason Bay, Jed Lowrie, J.D Drew, Tim Wakefield and Mike Lowell have an error - in the same game - good things don't happen. Well, that's exactly what happened in tonight's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Because of the players mentioned, minus Tim Wakefield, a surprising five unearned runs crossed the plate on right-handed pitcher Clay Buchholz.

"I'm shocked," Buchholz told the press. "They go out and give 110% for Beckett, Lester and Matsuzaka, but when I ask them to do the same they make little league-level mistakes." Buchholz, himself, didn't have the greatest performance on the mound but he fared extremely well when you consider what he had to work. In four innings, Buchholz allowed eight hits, struck out four, walked one, and gave up a two-run home run in the third. Buchholz ended his press interview on a good note, as he promised to play better for the remainder of the season.

Jered Weaver did alright for the Angels. He allowed three runs in 8.1 innings pitched, walking one and striking out four. Luckily for the Red Sox, Josh Beckett (0.00 ERA, 1-0) faces Joe Saunders (4.50 ERA, 0-1) of the Angels. Beckett hopes to improve the Red Sox to 4-2 on the year.

Around the league, Johnny Damon, hit for the cycle. Damon hit a solo-shot off Zach Greinke in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, tripled in the 5th, walked in the 7th and singled in the 9th. It was a great day for him, but Chicago Cubs Pitcher, Rich Harden, learned he'll have to miss five days with a dead arm. The Astros and Pirates also agreed on a trade. Andy LaRoche (.231 BA, 1 RBI) is heading to the Astros in exchange for Jason Micheals (.250 BA, 1 RBI). Fans are disappointed in the trade, claiming trading away LaRoche, a twenty-five year old, is the stupidest move you can make when he can put up numbers close to thirty-two year old Jason Michael's.

[2004RedSox]

Red Sox go 14-8 in April
May First, 2009


In an impressive first month, the Boston Red Sox went fourteen and eight. "It's a pleasing first month," Joshua Harvard told reporters. "We ran into some problems with our starting pitching and defense this month, but luckily, everything settled down and we ended up wining fourteen games. The Yankees are ahead of us by half a game. I'm confident that they won't be able to expand that lead and we'll be in first place in no time."

Looking at the Red Sox Pitching Staff, Dice-K Matsuzaka put up the most impressive numbers - five wins, zero losses, seven walks and twenty-nine strikeouts with an ERA of 0.89. "I'm happy with my performance this month," Matsuzaka told the Boston Globe. "I hope to continue this trend well into the season and beyond." Matsuzaka was the American League Pitcher of the Month in April.

Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester were able to keep their ERA under five in April, while Brad Penny has an unimpressive ERA of 5.02. Players like Takashi Saito, Hideki Okajima and Tim Wakefield proved to be valuable assets this month - holding the lead almost each time they went out to the mound. Jonathan Papelbon, Boston's closer, blew one save in April and got a save the next day. Overall, Boston's pitching is doing okay. It could be better, and it probably will get better when players like John Smoltz recover from injury and are able to play again.

On offense, the Red Sox were okay. Nobody really had an impressive month, although Jason Bay did hit three home runs and knock in 17 RBIs all while batting .304. Dustin Pedroia did good, too. He knocked in sixteen RBIs on three home runs while batting .305. That's about it.

Newly-acquired Designated Hitter, Nick Johnson, hit two home runs with 10 RBIs and is currently hitting .270. He's been walked twenty-seven times, which leads the majors. He's doing better than David Ortiz of the Nationals in every category except RBIs and batting average. "I'm happy with my performance right now," Nick Johnson told ESPN. "I'm getting a lot of playing time here and Boston, adjusting to American League pitching has proven to be tough, but I'm getting walked more, which is great." Johnson has been walked intentionally four times in April, twice to load the bases.

Jed Lowrie and Julio Lugo, Boston's shortstops, have been injured on-and-off in April. "It's concerning," Boston's Manager Terry Francona told the press. "Thankfully, they haven't been injured at the same time, but it's still concerning. If they go down at the same time, we're really, really hurt." Gil Velazquez, a third baseman in Triple-A Pawtuckett, has been called up to replace Lugo who's on the Disabled List for another three weeks.

A look at some of Boston's prospects, Lars Anderson is batting .254 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Aaron Bates, a left fielder, is hitting .281 with six home runs and eighteen RBIs. This of course, is happening in Triple-A. Junichi Tazawa went down with injury in his first appearance for Portland. He's out for two months. Otherwise, only Dustin Richardson and Bryan Price appear to be performing pitching-wise in Triple-A. They both have an ERA under two with over twenty strikeouts in twenty-three innings pitched.

Looking around the league, Mark Texeria is batting .398 with five home runs and twenty-six RBIs. He's leading the majors in RBIs and batting average. Speaking of the Yankees, they sent Nick Swisher and Eric Duncan to the Washington Nationals in exchange for left fielder Josh Willingham. They also traded Cody Ransom to the Padres for Jody Gerut and Drew Miller. Theo Epstein, New York's GM, remained quiet for most of April, before making these trades past the twentieth of the month.

Trade rumors are also brewing between Boston and Chicago. According to a source close to the Cubs, the Red Sox are interested in acquiring Milton Bradley. The Red Sox have not confirmed or denied the rumors. According to that very same source, J.D Drew is involved in the trade rumors, but he alone, would not be enough to convince Chicago to give up Bradley.

[2004RedSox]

Boston Takes Three of Four from Tampa
May Fourth, 2009

Boston has enjoyed a lot of success against the Tampa Bay Rays this year. They improved to six wins against the Rays last night, in a Clay Buchholz win. Boston is 16-9 on the season, half a game out of first, behind the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, the Rays are in last place in the American League East. "They continue to play well against us," Rays' Skipper, Joe Maddon said, "We beat them once because of a mistake by Terry Francona, when he didn't pull Brad Penny out of the game with two outs, even though Takashi Saito was ready in the bullpen. Boston did rally in the eighth and ninth to score in six runs on us, though."

April Thirtieth, Dice-K fashioned a shutout against Tampa Bay.

On the first of May, Rocco Baldelli received word he was going to be traded, but he went out and performed defensively for Jon Lester and Tim Wakefield. Lester gave up three runs in five innings, walking two batters and striking out five. Tim Wakefield then came into the game and closed it out in four innings, striking out one batter. The Red Sox wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Nick Johnson, who hit a grand slam home run in the third, to put the Red Sox up by one. Boston's offense exploded again in the late innings, putting Boston up by seven until Tim Wakefield surrendered a run in the ninth. The Red Sox ended up winning game two, 10-4.

On the second of May, a trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox was approved - Boston sent Rocco Baldelli over to Pittsburgh in exchange for Brandon Moss. Moss was batting .286 with seven home runs and twenty-two RBIs. Balldelli on the other hand had a low .200 average with four RBIs. Moss is taking the place of J.D Drew in right field for the remainder of the season according to Boston Manager Terry Francona. Drew, who makes fourteen million in 2009, 2010 and 2011, will be hard to trade.

Regardless, in his first game as a member of the 2009 Red Sox, Moss went hit less in four at-bats. The Red Sox last game 6-8, Tampa Bay's only victory against the boys in red this year.

On the third, Boston's Clay Buchholz challenged the Rays to a six inning game of "hit me if you can". Buchholz, who was perfect through six, eventually surrendered a walk and a home run to Carl Crawford in the seventh. Buchholz was removed from the game in the eighth. Tim Wakefield came into reliever Clay, who earned his second save of the season.

Boston is now entering a two game series with the Yankees. Josh Beckett will be on the mound against New York's A.J Burnett. Dice-K Matsuzaka, the American League's Reigning Pitcher of the Month, will take on Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees.

Burnett is 2-1 with a 6.67 ERA with twenty-seven strike outs. Beckett, the favorite to win, is 3-2 with a 4.27 ERA and thirty-one strike outs.

[2004RedSox]

Boston Sweeps New York, Cleveland
May Eighth, 2009

On Monday, the fourth, Josh Beckett had a chance at redemption against the Yankees. In his previous start against the Bronx Bombers, he gave up seven runs. Luckily for Beckett and Boston, that didn't happen again on Monday. Beckett fared well for seven innings, giving up five runs, twelve hits, but striking out seven.

A.J Burnett didn't do so hot, he gave up a three run home run to Brandon Moss in the fifth before exiting the game with a poor stat line. He hasn't lived up to his end of the bargain with the Yankees who still owe him 16.5 million dollars this year. He has a 6.88 ERA in six starts.

In game two, it was closer than Monday's 9-5 Red Sox win, but the Red Sox and Dice-K Matsuzaka still came out on top. Matsuzaka lasted seven innings, striking out six and walking three while giving up six hits. Dice-K gave up a two-run home run to Josh Willingham in the first, to put the Yankees on board first, but they weren't able to keep their lead thanks to Boston's newest addition at the time - Brandon Moss.

Moss went two for four with two RBIs to lead Boston over New York. Moss was crowned the MVP of the two game series. "I got a lot of good pitches this time around," Moss told the press. "I'm thankful I didn't have to face guys like [CC] Sabathia, because I don't know what I would have done if he was on the mound... strike out three times? I really don't know."

After the final game with the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox hammered out a five-player deal. Most notably, shortstops Jed Lowrie and Alexei Ramirez changed teams. Boston also acquired backup shortstop, Brent Lillibridge from Chicago, at the expense of prospect Ryan Westmoreland and Tyler Yockey. "I'm pleased with the way the trade worked out," White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams told ESPN. "Trading with Harvard was a great experience, he didn't get pissed at me when I rejected his offer originally which was Ramirez for Lowrie straight up. I got him to offer me more, at which point I threw in more. It's a fair trade."

For the season so far, Jed Lowrie is batting .282 with two home runs and eleven RBIs. Ramirez on the other hand has five home runs and nineteen RBIs while batting .347.

General Manager Harvard also worked out another blockbuster trade, this time with the Cincinnati Reds. Third baseman Mike Lowell and Edwin Encarnacion will be swapping teams - what was described as a salary dump for the Red Sox also involved two of their top prospects - Michael Bowden and Felix Doubront - along with Ramon Ramirez. Earlier in the month, Encarnacion expressed interest of leaving the Reds for greener pastures. Along with the prospects, Boston agreed to pay the remainder of Lowell's 2009 and half of his 2010 salary.

As far as batting statistics go, Encarnacion is hitting .307 with nine home runs and twenty-four RBIs while Lowell has an unimpressive .210 batting average with three home runs. Fans are happy to be getting rid of Lowell who hasn't performed at an adequate level this season so far, but some of have noted it did come at the cost of two high-level prospects, which could pose to be a problem to Boston down the road.

Boston then proceeded to face the Cleveland Indians - the former team of Kelly Shoppach and the current team of Justin Masterson - Masterson didn't get to pitch in the series. Boston barely came away with game one. When they turned it over to Brad Penny in the second inning because Jon Lester left complaining of shoulder soreness. He's been diagnosed with Dead Arm Syndrome and will miss his next start. Regardless, once they turned it over to Penny, he immediately allowed Cleveland to cut Boston's two run lead in half. After that, he allowed them to tie and up and finally gave them the lead in fifth. Luckily in the bottom of the fifth, Boston was able to score one more run. For the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, the Red Sox gave the ball to Manny Delcarmen who did okay. He allowed Cleveland to score one run in the seventh which sent the Boston offense into a frenzy. They score two runs over the next two runs to come away with a well-deserved 5-4 victory.

Brandon Moss was the player of the game as he went three for four with an RBI. One can also make a case for Victor Martinez, Cleveland's catcher, who went three for four with two RBIs. The only reason Moss is player of the game is because he drove in the go-ahead run.

Game Two was odd. Wakefield made his first start for the Red Sox since being reinstated into the rotation while Penny was sent into the bullpen to put his act together. Wakefield lasted six innings, giving up five hits, three runs, three walks, and striking out five. He walked away with the victory and Hideki Okajima was lucky enough to get a three inning save, his first of the season. Okajima did give up two runs, though, including one in the ninth, until striking out Victor Martinez with the bases loaded, to get out of a jam. The Red Sox were playing at Fenway and Edwin Encarnacion, in his first full game for the Red Sox, played the Big Monster to his advantage by hitting two RBI doubles, his only hits of the game in four at-bats. He was crowned player of the game.

Taking a look around the league, Johnny Damon of the Yankees extended his hitting streak to twenty games and Jeff Baker of the Rockies went down for seven months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He'll be missed.

Baseball News Network is also reporting that Willie Harris, a second baseman for the Washington Nationals, would like to be traded to a contender. The Nationals, three and twenty-six on the season, are seventeen games out of first in the NL East.

Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox also had the lowest ERA in the Major Leagues with 1.13. According to General Manager Joshua Harvard of the Boston Red Sox, he has received many offers for Matsuzaka - some from division contenders - but has promised to not trade Matsuzaka unless the need arises, or a really, really good deal can be made.

The Red Sox are going into a three game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox, who have a four game winning streak, hope to come out of the series with a seven game winning streak and five game lead over the New York Yankees.

Clay Buchholz will start for Boston in game one. He's two and one on the season with a 3.41 ERA and twenty-three strikeouts. He'll take on Tampa's James Shields. Shields is one and four with a 4.12 ERA and twenty-nine strike outs. Josh Beckett is the probable starter for Boston in game two and Matsuzaka in game three. No word out of Tampa Bay who will be starting game two and three yet.