The Mayor

Sean Casey, professional hitter and member of the 2008 Red Sox bench crew, has announced his plans to retire and join the MLB Network.  You already know how I feel about the MLB Network [LOVE it! And no, they're not paying me to say that... do you think they would?], so I'll fill you in on my opinion of Casey.

Nicknamed "the Mayor" by his baseball colleagues because of his general charisma and positive attitude, Casey was shunted to the side down the stretch last season with the arrival of Mark Kotsay.  Casey handled the situation admirably; you  never saw an interview or heard of an offhand comment that showed his dissatisfaction [unlike someone else, who acted a bit like a baby when he was pinch-hit for in the postseason].  Probably Casey recognized that Kotsay was faster and a slightly better defenseman, and, like he said when he signed with the Sox, he just wanted to win a championship.  

Casey couldn't buy a home run this year, and anyone who saw a game he participated in knows how hard it was for him to reach on a double, let alone trying for three.  However, in 69 games, he hit .322 with a .381 OBP; lifetime, he hit .302 with a .367 OBP.  Very respectable stats, but the only way Casey reaches the Hall is if they create a wing for everyone's favorite clubhouse guy.  If that happened, he would be a shoe-in, as he's been voted the Nicest Player in Major League Baseball by his peers, and given the Good Guy Award by the Boston Baseball Writers.

Casey will be a great addition to the MLB Network crew, though he has not revealed what his exact role will be.  Hopefully, they put him to work interviewing players, as he is most definitely a people person.  I couldn't be happier that a player like Casey spent some time in Boston, as it has been a treat to see him play, and I can't wait to watch him on the MLB Network [once I'm at home again, where we actually get the MLB Network].

"A-fraud..."

According to ESPN.com, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre's new book The Yankee Years [written with SI's Tom Verducci] bashes several members of the New York Yankees organization, up to and including Owner George Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman.

Allegedly, the book details clubhouse tensions, most specifically Alex Rodriguez's "obsession" with shortstop and captain Derek Jeter.  Now, I think that the "A-rod is gay," talk is overdone, so I'm just going to clarify by telling you that the Yankees third baseman sees Jeter as a rival, not a lover... I think [sorry, couldn't resist].  This actually makes quite a bit of sense, when you think about it.  When A-rod came to the Yankees, he had been a shortstop for the Rangers for his whole career.  Since the Yankees had their home-grown golden-boy occupying that position, A-rod made the shift to the right.  However, the rivalry is long gone, for Jeter at least.  And if A-rod thinks he's competing with the beloved captain for fan affection, he's sorely mistaken, as there is NO contest.

Fans resent A-rod for being somewhat of a choker in important situations.  He puts up stellar numbers all season, but, come October, he's Julio Lugo batting left-handed.  Hence the nickname A-fraud, which I assumed was a fan invention.  Not according to Torre, who allegedly claims that it was common for Rodriguez's teammates to call him by that taunting name.

I'm actually looking forward to reading this book: I have a great deal of respect for Joe Torre, and I think that the Yankees gave him a raw deal after he guided them to twelve straight playoff appearances.  Plus, any reputable book that validates Rodriguez's "A-fraud" name is definitely worth the read.

Five Minute Musings

(1) It was almost warm enough today in Hartford [45 degrees!] for me to believe that the snow will eventually melt, spring will come, and there will be baseball in Boston again.  Is it bad that this thought made me feel almost as optimistic as I did during the inauguration?  Not in the same way, but I am SO over this whole "offseason" thing.  Especially on years like this one when the so-called "Hot Stove" is colder than January in Maine [from experience, that's freezing, literally... and to add to the metaphor, Maine in January is boring, too. But I digress...].

(2)  Rocco Baldelli is a class act, huh?  I mean, can you imagine any other player making a gesture like that?  Especially since the fans in Tampa Bay have been, shall we say, unenthusiastic [and that's charitable].  I can't wait to see him play up close next year: here's hoping his illness is the most minor of inconveniences for him.

(3)  I think I'm suffering withdrawal from the MLB Network.  Apparently, Trinity College only gets the most basic of cable packages, which I guess is understandable, but after spending my Winter Break being spoiled by 24/7 baseball coverage, I feel like there's a tangible void in my life without it.  Studying the Federalist Papers just can't fill the emptiness.

(4) I'm a big fan of the Sox Front Office using the $20 million they saved on Manny/Marky Mark to sign Paps, Youk, and Pedroia, especially the latter two.  I expect you'll get tired of hearing it, but I hold the right side of the Sox infield in the highest esteem: what's not to like?  And there's still payroll left to sign Jason Varitek, should he decide to swallow his pride and put his money where his mouth is [so to speak], with all that "loyalty" talk .

(5) I got Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample for Christmas, and in skimming through it, have to admit that it contains more insight than I initially expected.  Hample does a good job of making the book simple enough for the most casual fan, and still informative and entertaining enough to hold the attention of a diehard.  I definitely recommend it.

Presumptive lineup

With pitchers and catchers to report in just over three weeks [twenty-five days, but who's counting?], I thought it might be time to take a look at the presumptive 2009 Red Sox lineup, as it would be if Opening Day was tomorrow.

[Player (Position), BA, SLG%, OBP, HR]

Jacoby Ellsbury (CF), .280, .394, .336, 9

Dustin Pedroia (2B), .326, .493, .376, 17

David Ortiz (DH), .264, .507, .369, 23

Kevin Youkilis (1B), .312, .569, .390, 29

Mike Lowell (3B), .274, .461, .338, 17

Jason Bay (LF), .286, .522, .373, 31

JD Drew (RF), .280, .519, .408, 19

Jed Lowrie (SS), .258, .400, .339, 2

Josh Bard (C), .202, .270, .279, 1

TEAM: .276, .459, .356, 148

Keep in mind, this is based solely on 2008 numbers, a year in which Ortiz missed over a month, Lowell was injured down the stretch, JD Drew had two epidurals, Lowrie had a wrist fracture, and Bard played only 57 games [albeit in San Diego].  I think it's reasonable to assume that Ortiz will rebound a bit, maybe not up to his level from the first half of the decade, but there's  certainly not any reason for the full-scale panic called for by the Herald's Gerry Callahan.  It is very likely that that Lowell will be better, especially since his doctors repoting that his range of motion is better than it was when he got to Boston, although JD will inevitably have at least one stint on the DL [let's keep it under 30 days, please].  Lowrie will undoubtedly have his struggles as a young player, but he is reportedly working hard to be ready for such challenges.

Last, but not least, Bard should not be the primary catcher for this club [God willing...].  You already know my thoughts on the topic: resign El Capitan for reasonable dinero and find him a young protege to train.  But I digress, even if the Sox go to Spring Training with Bard as their catcher [say it ain't so, Theo], they should have a reasonably productive year, assuming average health.

Is it February 6 yet?

Around the Horn: Jacoby Ellsbury

For all of the female fans who cite Ellsbury as their favorite player because "he's, like, so dreamy," there are those of us who rank him somewhat lower, mostly for his inability to hit inside fastballs.  Seriously.  As petty as it seems, I admit to judging young women who call themselves fans and can only name one player on the entire team, and then often don't even know that he plays center field [and occasionally the other outfield positions].  Sorry... just had to get that pet peeve out there...

Anyway, in spite of Ellsbury's aforementioned problems with pitches in tight, I think his sophomore season will be an improvement over the 2008 campaign.  He has been working out at API with teammates Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Jed Lowrie, which means that at the very least he'll show up in twenty-six days [TWENTY-SIX DAYS!!!!] in great shape.  He has also said in interviews that he has been doing more baseball-specific training then he has in the past [hopefully this translates to spending the majority of each day in the cage].  Ellsbury's defense, while not normally as lauded as Coco Crisp's, has been very impressive thus far.  The man has yet to make an error in the major leagues, and has made some highlight reel catches, my personal favorite being that September game in Toronto when he made the catch and ran into the bullpen fence, knocking out his contact lens and delaying the game for several minutes [photo at top].

Despite flinging himself all over the field with such reckless abandon, Ellsbury played in more games [145] than anyone on the team except Pedroia [157] and Youk [145].  That said, Ellsbury's batting stats leave something to be desired: the .280 BA is respectable, but the OBP of .336 is lower than expected, as was the OPS of 87.  It was easy to forget that Ellsbury was a rookie in 2008, since he was such a big part of Boston's playoff success in 2007, hitting .438 in the World Series.

The most exciting thing about the young outfielder is, of course, his speed.  Ellsbury led the American League in stolen bases in 2008, with fifty, six more than BJ Upton, who came in second.  Just think what Ellsbury could do of he raised his OBP just 30 points [a reachable goal].  One of the most dynamic young outfielders in the game, Ellsbury looks to be entertaining the Fenway Faithful for the near future.

World Baseball Classic 2009

So, contrary to what I said in the last post, there are actually fifteen Sox players on tentative WBC rosters.

Dominican Republic: David Ortiz and Ramon Ramirez

United States: Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia

Japan: Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima

Canada: Jason Bay and George Kottaras*

Puerto Rico: Mike Lowell and Javier Lopez

The Netherlands: Dennis Neuman*

South Africa: Justin Erasmus*

Chinese Taipei: Chih-Hsien Chiang*

Panama: Angel Chavez*

Australia: Mitchell Dening*

* denotes minor league player

Fifteen players from ten countries is pretty impressive.  Also participating from the Red Sox is Jon Deeble, a scout, who will manage for Australia.  However, it is important to note that the more players participate in the Classic, the more disrupted Spring Training could be.  Assuming for a moment that both Mike Lowell and David Ortiz are healthy enough to compete so early [doubtful, especially in Lowell's case], the Sox Spring Training could be short nine contributors from the presumptive Major League roster.  If you believe that such a shortage might adversely affect the team's performance over the season, it might be instrumental to take a look at WBC participation among rival American League teams.

Yankees:  The newly retooled team to the south currently has thirteen players on provisional rosters, representing six countries, but most are minor leaguers.  The participants off of their Major League roster include Derek Jeter [US], Alex Rodriquez, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano [Dominican Republic].  On one hand, this bodes well for the Sox: they have more established star power that will be competing early.  However, it cannot be overlooked that the Yankees will have a more normal Spring Training.

Rays:  The reigning American League champs have eight players in the WBC, all part of the Major League club, and all important contributers.  The Rays represent six countries: Australia [Grant Balfour], Mexico [Matt Garza], Japan [Akinori Iwamura], Venezuela [Dioner Navarro], DR [Carlos Pena], and USA [JP Howell, Scott Kazmir, and Evan Longoria].  This is especially worrisome for the rays, since their offseason has been shorter than both the Red Sox and the Yankees.

Angels:  The AL West Champion Angels have fifteen players representing nine countries.  Major contributers to the Major League Club include Joe Saunders, Scot Shields, and Brian Fuentes [USA].

White Sox:  President Obama's favorite team will send seven players, most notably Carlos Quentin, AJ Pierzynski, Matt Thornton, and John Danks all playing for the United States.

At first glance, the clubs most impacted by the Classic will be Boston and Tampa Bay, coincidentally the two teams that went furthest into the Postseason [Boston losing to Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the ALCS; Tampa Bay bowing out to Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series].  We already knew that the AL East would be the toughest in baseball next year, and the WBC will only make the stories that much more interesting.

Five Minute Musings

(1) I LOVE the new MLB Network. Happy birthday to me, they've been showing the 2007 World Series all day. I also immensely enjoy the ads for their lineup of shows, especially the one for Prime 9. About halfway through the promo, they show a clip of Dustin Pedroia being caught stealing: as he dives into second base you see him mouth, "Safe," the umpire signals "out," and Pedroia yells "NO!" Keep in mind, that would have been the only time all year he was caught [20-for-21]. As discussed in this space before, failure is a foreign concept for #15. I am SO looking forward to watching him in a Sox uniform for the foreseeable future.

(2) While watching the aforementioned programming on the MLB Network [Game 2, to be exact], I noticed that Jason Varitek was inadvertently showing the fans what we would be getting for all of 2008. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning, grounded out weakly several times, and just all around choked in the clutch. Though Varitek's hitting game is clearly on the decline, I would not be altogether opposed to him returning for a year with an incentive-laden contract, especially if the Sox could acquire a young catcher to be his protege [Saltalamacchia from the Rangers, or Montero form the Diamondbacks].

(3) I can't wait to watch coverage of the World Baseball Classic. Unofficially, Sox players that will be participating include Daisuke Matsuzaka [Japan], Jason Bay [Canada], David Ortiz [the Dominican Republic], and Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis [United States]. Five players representing four different countries - how many MLB teams can make that claim? Also, five players is fewer [and therefore better] than the seven to nine that Terry Francona was estimating would participate. In case you forgot, Matsuzaka was the MVP of the inaugural Classic: hopefully he is more careful this time, yet just as effective.





(4) I couldn't be happier about Kevin Youkilis' new contract. The right side of the Red Sox infield is arguably now younger, cheaper, and more productive than any other Major League team. Youkilis and Pedroia are premier players at their positions. They have each won a Gold Glove, and finished in the top 3 of the MVP voting this year. Not to mention the fact that they are both home grown players. As Youkilis said during his press conference, the Sox minor league system was, until recently, decidedly underwhelming. Now, an impact player comes up just about every year. In 2006 Papelbon made a sensation of himself, in 2007 it was Pedroia and Ellsbury who tore up the postseason, and this year Jed Lowrie came up to replace the injured Julio Lugo and was a definite upgrade, despite a broken bone in his wrist. I could get used to this.

(5) Nick Cafardo has an interesting thought in his Boston Globe Baseball Notes column today. "This off season, the Yankees went wild with the signings of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett. Sabathia's postseason history is poor - 2-3. 7.92 ERA." This is potentially because he practically carries his team all season: in 2007, he pitched for 240 innings; this year, he pitched 253. If he has to shoulder that kind of load again, it might spell trouble for New York, but with A.J. Burnett's injury history, such an occurrence would not be out of the question. On a related note, it might be prudent for the Sox to limit Jon Lester's innings this season after he played for a career high 210 last year.