Random Red Sox (and more) thoughts: Jason Varitek
by Randy Booth on Feb 3, 2009 12:48 PM EST
in News
Email
PrintI've been busy lately, but I'm still going to throw down some random thoughts I have. It's hard to remember all these random thoughts though, so I really need to write all this stuff down...:
- I'm happy Jason Varitek is back. He bit the bullet and let his pride take a hit. Good for him.
- The Varitek signing was even better for Theo Epstein and crew. They put their foot down and weren't going to let Varitek or Scott Boras push them around. Theo knew what he wanted (and probably still bent a tad) and didn't change his goal from the getgo.
- Manny Ramirez still doesn't have a uniform to wear in April. Did anyone think that in February that Varitek would be signed but Manny would still be without a job?
- With that said, I hope Manny goes to the Giants. That'd just be funny.
- Back to Varitek: we have a captain for two more seasons. But if he's gone after that, what's going to happen with the 'C'? Maybe the letter will go back into retirement or some suitable replacement may be: David Ortiz (if he's still around), Dustin Pedroia, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon or Kevin Youkilis -- just to name a few.
- The World Baseball Classic is coming up and that gets me excited. I know most of you just say "ehh" to the WBC, but I for one will be watching as many games as possible.
- My WBC teams? Well, of course it's the United States and ... Cuba? For some reason I love Cuban baseball. It's just so pure and there are some amazing athletes.
- A good book on Cuban baseball and sports in general: Pitching Around Fidel.
- Speaking of good books (and now I'm REALLY getting off on a tangent), I'm currently reading Gary Smith's "Going Deep: 20 Classic Sports Stories." If you have any interest in sports features, then read this. It's just Smith's 20 greatest stories from his career with Sports Illustrated, but it's still worth buying it and reading the whole thing.
- Back to baseball: our backup catcher will either be Josh Bard, George Kottaras or Dusty Brown. I wouldn't be surprised if Bard isn't on the team in 2009, though. His contract isn't guaranteed so if Kottaras or Brown has a good spring training they could earn the backup job. I'm rooting for Brown.
- I like Jason Bay. I don't care what you all say about him or Ramirez.
- And ... I'm spent and need to get back to other, non-baseball related work. Do you have some random thoughts? Go for it in the comments or tell me how much of an idiot I am.
42 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Manny just turned down a 1 year, $25 M offer from the Dodgers
STILL not signed. That deal would have made him the highest paid outfielder in history when judged on an annual salary.
I really want Manny to go to the Giants, both because he deserves to play on a shitty team after his behavior here and because San Franciscans deserve to see a good hitter not named Barry Bonds in a Giants uniform.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
My random thoughts:
Ben Sheets still isn’t signed; I kinda wish we got him instead of Penny/Smoltz.
Anyone see Kobe last night? sick.
He got zero rebounds!
So he SUCKS!
Okay, he destroyed.
"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"
by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 3, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
It's hard to rebound a shot if it goes in MGBB.
For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09
random thoughts..
I too like Bay, I think he’ll rock this year.
What do you mean Bard will be the back up? More like Tek should be the back up. I still hate the contract and we could’ve put the $8mil towards signing Dunn. The catching spot is a black hole in the lineup, why commit so much cash to it when you could’ve got away with $1mil per?
As for Manny, geez I’m beginning to think the worst and he’ll end up at NY for 1/30mil and just mash the sh*t out of us.
Sheet’s arm must be about to fall off because I can’t see why there has been so little interest there, when healthy he’s a solid performer.
There's no place to play Dunn
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Feb 3, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
CF!
Think about it for a second. :)
"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"
by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 3, 2009 7:45 PM EST up reply actions
I don't want Dunn
But was he really that bad playing 1st with Zona? He could be a solid option if Lowell isn’t healthy.
"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"
by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 3, 2009 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
That’s why I don’t think the Sox will go after him. They could do it if they needed to, if Lowell’s injury was far worse than it is or stuff like that.
"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"
by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 3, 2009 10:40 PM EST up reply actions
come on...
we don’t have a place for Dunn true, but seriously, you can’t say he’s “worse” than Papi, Lowell and Youk. Worse at something like batting average sure, but for the past 5 years the guy has usually been a lock for 40 bombs, 100 RBIs and a solid OPS, for the Reds…you don’t want a guy like that surrounded by the likes of Dusty Papi and youk???
I just got done last week reading a huge argument on Talking Chop between my roommate and some guy because there was an anti Dunn talk on the boards and my roommate is a big Dunn fan. It was a pretty entertaining topic.
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Feb 4, 2009 7:24 PM EST up reply actions
In a vacuum, yes, Dunn is awesome.
But we would have to play him somewhere. He consistently has been very good at the plate, but his horrendous fielding has almost canceled that out. He has been worth between 1.8 and 3.3 wins over the past four years, while Mike Lowell has had one year below 3 wins since 2002 (the terrible year that let us get him on the cheap). Last year, for example, Mike Lowell played in only 113 games but was still almost twice as valuable as Dunn almost solely because he can play the field. Youk was a better hitter than Dunn last year and Dunn couldn’t even hold Papi’s jock. Unless we are convinced that one of those guys will not perform, there’s no reason to sign Dunn.
by BTLove on Feb 4, 2009 9:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I never said we should sign Dunn
I was just saying, to say that you would not want a hitter like Dunn in a Red Sox lineup is foolish. Not saying sign him because our team is good as it is now; just respecting the fact that he would wreck shop in a lineup where we have people who know how to get on base.
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Feb 5, 2009 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
Well, Ian Kinsler, Dan Uggla and Brian Roberts would be great in the Sox lineup too, but I think we already have a good 2B. Adam Dunn is a good player and I would love him in the lineup, but we have players that contribute at his positions much better than he does.
I don't want Dunn
But I disagree with your comparison. Pedroia is better than Kinsler, Uggla and Roberts. He’s young, he has a good glove, good work ethics, and he hits like a crazy man. Ortiz is a question mark right now. Wrist injuries can be some motherfuckers (see Nomar), and he wasn’t all that good last year. Dunn is a monster, whose only downside is in the fielding.
I don’t want Dunn, but he would be a sure better signing than a 2B.
"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"
by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 6, 2009 5:11 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, just exagerating to make my point...
Obviously we have more question marks at 1B/3B/DH than 2B, but I don’t think any of those questions are big enough to justify bringing in Adam Dunn (as you said). Dunn is a good hitter, but he’s never been nearly as good as Papi; a lot closer to Mike Lowell in terms of offensive production.
Rec'd
I couldn’t agree more.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Feb 5, 2009 9:54 AM EST up reply actions
Hold on.
In a vacuum, doesn’t everything suck? So if Adam Dunn was in a vacuum, would he not (by the transitive property) also suck?
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
No, that's at the entrance to a vacuum.
In a vacuum, nothing can suck because there’s no air to move.
For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09
I still think the Tek signing is going to bite the team in the end...
My question is can the current lineup with an untested lead off guy, and aging Ortiz and the constant questions about Drew and Lowell’s health withstand another year out of Tek like last year?
My biggest fear is that the lineup will start off slowly to open the season and either the Rays and/or NYY start off on a tear. Lowell may or may not be fully healthy and Ellsbury is untested as an everyday lead off hitter. If Tek starts off slow I am worried that the team will have to pay more than what has been rumored for a new young C.
Ellsbury
I’m not sold on him leading off to start the year, I’d bat him 9th. My order would be this:
Pedrioa
Drew
Ortiz
Youk
Bay
Lowell
Lowrie
Bard/Kotteros/and reluctantly the carcass
Ellsbury
Pedroia was too good to be moved from the 2-hole. Ellsbury should leadoff unless he sucks for the first month or two.
Then
Switch Dustin and Drew. Drew’s OPB is fantastic, he’s patient and he’s a smart baserunner. Ellsbury needs to prove to me that he can now develop into that Tim Raines type player that has that gap power along with more patience. Simply put, I’d like to see a for more walks and line drives. With his skill set, he should be able to accomplish this.
I also reckon
Drew seems to hit better when higher in the order. I’m too lazy to look up the stats, but last year he hit much better when hitting in the first 3 spots, as opposed to his usual 5/6 spot.
Could someone explain to me . . .
. . . the wisdom of batting Ellsbury after the catcher in this order?
If, by some miracle, the catcher gets on base, we now have one of the slowest runners on the team ahead of one of the fastest. This seems like a rather bad idea.
(Then again, where do you put Ellsbury in the lineup—except perhaps behind Drew—and not have the same problem?)
Ells will lead off plenty of innings
hitting behind Tek/Bard/Kotteras/etc.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
GIDP?
For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09
“If, by some miracle…” is exactly the point. In more cases then not, he won’t have Tek blocking him in front of him because he won’t get to 1B as much. Last year he got just to 1B (a walk or a single) 112 times, compared to an also slow Youk that got to just 1B 154 times, so hypothetically, he would be stuck behind a slow Tek 1/3 as much as if he batted behind Youk (just an example, not saying anyone was suggesting he should bat behind Youk)
A suggestion about the notes thing:
Send a text message to an email account. That’s how I remember most of my homework.
For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09
Whether you put Ellsbury first or last
He’ll end up being after the catcher…unless you bat Lowrie 9th when he’s at leadoff. I don’t mean to be so down on the kid, but I really like Drew leading off. A .390+OBP and good baserunning skills in a leadoff hitter is essential for this lineup. If Papi is healthy, you’ve got Dustin, Youk, him and Bay with plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
And Drew sees alot of pitches. Drew has enough gap power to keep a starter honest so he’ll always be working the count…another point in his favour.
Drew as leadoff
works well, but is not the best solution. If Ellsbury can be the leadoff hitter, it works better for us, because then we can have Drew in the 5 or 6 spot, which allows us to spread lefties and righties all the way through the order. I think I’d rather see a lineup that looks like:
Ellsbury—Pedroia—Ortiz—Youkilis—Drew—Bay—Lowrie—Lowell—Catcher
than
Drew—Pedroia—Ortiz—Youkilis—Bay—Lowell—Lowrie—Catcher—Ellsbury.
If Ellsbury can be the leadoff hitter, yeah...
but lets start him off in the 7-9 spots and let him prove he can hit. If he improves significantly from last year, then I’m all for him leading off.
by BTLove on Feb 3, 2009 9:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
yes
I’m gettin’ some BTlove and tommy is on board. Sure if the kid can post that .380+ OBP with gap power, then I am all for him leading off.
A sub. .340 OBP with only 39 XBH isn’t really doing it for me right now. He either needs to be more patient or hitting the ball into the gaps.
Like the rest of you here, I’m hoping for .280/.380/.420 type of line, I’d be stoked with that and he can hit leadoff for the next 8 years until NY signs him for his declining years.
There is baseball on TV. It is the Serie de Caribe, Mexico (as visitors at their home park) v. Venezuela.
There is baseball on TV.
Ive watched
the Caribbean WS the last 2 nights as I was going to sleep and it was great to see some baseball,,, Thank you MLB Network
I thought it was on Deportes?
Damn it, I missed out on some baseball.
For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09
Groundhog fail.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- PNC Park security guard loses finger in struggle with fan during Pirates game
- Create-a-Caption: Partying like it’s 1988
- The Ron Washington puppet is watching you while you sleep — and has possibly jinxed the Rangers
- Man uses cap to save baby from foul ball (VIDEO)
- David Wright and Terry Collins argue in dugout after Mets manager moves to protect his star
