Red Sox Notes & Observations

by Randy Booth on Mar 6, 2005 5:16 PM EST in News

-Number one prospect Hanley Ramirez started a triple play in the sixth inning of today's Sox/Phillies game. There was a line drive that everyone thought was going to be an RBI single, but Ramirez's 6'3" body leaped, made the catch and then ran to second, tagged the base and threw it to Kevin Youkilis at first for the third out.

Before this spring training, I was never aware of how tall Ramirez is. 6'3" makes him one of the tallest players invited to spring training. And you especially don't see shortstops that tall.

-Kevin Youkilis is a machine when there are base runners in scoring position.

Today, with a man on first and second, Youkilis was at the dish and I just knew he was going to get a hit. A couple pitches later, single to left.

Last season Youkilis hit .339 with runners in scoring position with 27 runs batted in. Youkilis finished the season with a batting average of only .260.

Youkilis is right on the edge of starting the season in Pawtucket or in Boston. If he continues to have a strong spring with the bat and in the field (he started today's game at first), then he'll definitely be on Boston's 25 man roster.

Youkilis' main competition for a spot on the bench will be Roberto Petagine and David McCarty.

-28 year-old Bronson Arroyo has to be a starter, as pointed by The Baseball Savant.

I agree with The Savant here. Tim Wakefield needs to be the man in the pen because he'll be more valuable there rather than Arroyo. If the winds are bad, Wakefield is in the pen and doesn't pitch. But if the wind is bad (or any other circumstance that doesn't bod well for a knuckleballer), and Wakefield is in the rotation and we have to start him, then we are at a disadvantage.

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i wish ...

this problem would just go away. Wakefield's pitch count splits show that, inevitably, the longer he pitches, the less effective he becomes. That makes him sterling when he's being used in relief, and only aluminum when he's being used as a starter.

I mean, that alone makes this a no-brainer.

But then you take Arroyo, who's in his prime, has posted FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC numbers in several seasons at the AAA level, has proven himself effective at the MLB level, and has a relatively fresh arm. How can you not start the kid? He came out of nowhere to be one of the 10 best SP's in the American League last year.

Epstein will make the call on this, and he WILL make the right call. Timmy can b***h & moan about it all he wants, but he's headed for the bullpen. Where he will be very, very valuable to us.

Raystalk at MVN

by Sam @ Over the Monster on Mar 6, 2005 5:31 PM EST reply actions

Wakefield

I'm a big fan of Arroyo's and he obviously out-performed Wakefield last season. He deserves to start in the rotation and doesn't deserve to be shafted and sent to the bullpen.

Some may make the same case for Wakefield, saying he deserves to be in the rotation, but why would you put a less effective pitcher in the rotation just because "he's been here longer." It doesn't make sense, and something that Epstein wouldn't allow.

http://www.overthemonster.com

by Randy Booth on Mar 6, 2005 7:22 PM EST up reply actions