Updates on ex-Sox players etc.

[Palodios]

This is a hilarious blooper from Josh Beckett in LA. Baseball doesn't deserve players like him.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2012/09/josh_beckett_th.html

[Station 13]

Rizzo with 2 HRs and 6 RBI. He has 14 dingers in 276 ABs. AGon has 16 HRs in 576 ABs. Thanks Theo.

 

The slam was majestic. Must be around 450ft.

[a700hitter]

The slam was majestic. Must be around 450ft.

Wow!

[Behindenemylines]

Glad he is in our system and is the future 1B for the next decade . . . Oh thats right we traded him away. Could you imagine a lineup with Rizzo and Middlebrooks on the corners, and Lavarnway behind the dish. That would have been three pretty good young power hitters. Oh well we did get Loney in the big trade.

[jung]

Rizzo is like the icing on the cake for the worst sequence of bad FO moves I can remember in a long loooooong time...from Beckett's extension through the Crawford signing the Sox and Theo established a record of big money signing ineptitude that may not be duplicated unless DeLaRosa turns out to be the real deal....in which case, LA might make a run at that title.

[a700hitter]

Aviles vs. Scutaro

 

AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
500	56	125	13	60	14	5	 .281	 .384	 .250
572	74	170	6	61	9	4	 .338	 .392	 .297

[Behindenemylines]

Has anyone see that thing that Reddick has on his chin? He looks like he could fit into the Civil War era. He is having one helluva season though.

[a700hitter]

Brandon Moss hit his 19th to tie the Yankees in the 9th inning.

[Behindenemylines]

Both Reddick and Moss are having great seasons. Its nice to see the Sox farm system producing solid major league players. Its just too bad they aren't for the Sox.

[jung]

Bailey was a stab at appeasing the fan base. Having opted out of Pap, the Sox could have done what most teams do for a closer when in the same situation and would not have done worse this season.

 

But of course doing what most teams do does not have the right optics from a Sox perspective. So Reddick plays in somebody elses uni now. So many Sox solid prospects have gone by a similar route. Sox are always so concerned about appearances, what has the right optics, what likely puts fannies in seats in the short term and in truth it has finally all come home to roost.

 

While the fans are not at fault, our inability to see this s*** for what it is and value these s*** teams realistically does not help either. Hopefully this season has been a big eye opener but I doubt it.

[Behindenemylines]

It just seems like a lot of good minor league talent that came up in the Sox system are now solid major league players in other teams uniforms. If the team is going to be rebuilding the next couple of years I prefer losing with the youth.

[Laser Show]

Reddick is 0 for his last 27.

[Bellhorn04]

Reddick has some horrific slumps. His 2012 averages are now lower than his 2011 averages.

[a700hitter]

Reddick broke out of a long slump last night with 2 Home Runs. He has 31 Homers on the season. That's a pretty good production for his first full season.

[Dojji]

Reddick's streaky. That's actually fine, and people would be defending him here if he were here. A player being streaky isn't the deadly sin people make it out to be as long as the numbers are OK at the end of the year.

 

I'd take .31 HR's and a .776 OPS from an outfield slot right about now. He compares pretty evenly with Cody Ross on the season.

[Behindenemylines]

Tell me Reddick wouldn't look good in right for the Sox. He shown he has some power (Oakland is not a hitters park), plays strong D, and is one of those gamers like Peddy. Ross has had a pretty good season, but his numbers are below Reddick's and his D is suspect.

[ibot2much]

Scutero= MVP...amazing

[redsoxfan3]

Tell me Reddick wouldn't look good in right for the Sox. He shown he has some power (Oakland is not a hitters park), plays strong D, and is one of those gamers like Peddy. Ross has had a pretty good season, but his numbers are below Reddick's and his D is suspect.

 

If you were Reddick, would you want to come back to Boston? If I was in his situation, my answer would be no. I would love to still have Reddick.

 

Scutero= MVP...amazing

 

The same goes for Scutaro. I would love to have him back at SS for us next year, but what would make him want to come back?

[ibot2much]

I am sure he doesn't want to come...but rather gives thanks every day that he was traded

[redsoxfan3]

I am sure he doesn't want to come...but rather gives thanks every day that he was traded

 

I agree. He is definitely missed. I understand that we traded Scutaro to clear some cap room, but I thought that was so we could sign a starting pitcher, but that never happened. I just don't understand the trade. We did get Mortensen and I think he will reliable for us out of the pen next year, but I still would rather have had Scutaro.

[a700hitter]

Marco Scutaro MVP of NLCS

October 23, 2012, 2:29 AM ET

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- Marco Scutaro looked up through the pouring rain, caught Matt Holliday's popup for the final out and punched his ticket to the World Series for the first time at age 36.

 

In an NL Championship Series that saw Scutaro absorb a hard and admitted late slide from Holliday that strained the second baseman's left hip, what a fitting ending.

 

Scutaro tied the NLCS record with 14 hits to earn MVP honors, capping off his remarkable run with three singles and a walk in San Francisco's 9-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night in the decisive Game 7.

 

"I was just like praying, 'Please, you got to catch this ball,'" Scutaro said. "It was kind of tough. I was kind of concerned. The flight of the ball, the rain kind of stopped it a little bit. Another minute, I don't think I would have a chance."

 

After the kind of series he had, Scutaro came through in almost every way possible.

 

He batted .500 with two walks, scored six runs and drove in four. Hideki Matsui (2004 Yankees), Albert Pujols (2004 Cardinals) and Kevin Youkilis (2007 Red Sox) also had 14 hits in an LCS. And Scutaro's 10-game hitting streak ties Cody Ross and Alvin Dark for the longest in Giants postseason history.

 

Starting Wednesday night in San Francisco, he'll have a chance to break that mark when the Giants host the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the World Series.

 

"It took him a couple days to adjust to us, but he really has been a leader since he got here," said pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, who won Games 2 and 6. "He's played great. He's played great defense. He's a true professional. He knows the game. He does all the little things right. Everything you'd lay out on a table for a guy to do, he does."

 

The Giants acquired the Venezuela native in July at the trade deadline. It turned out to be one of baseball's best moves, and easily one of its most overlooked.

 

While the rival Dodgers' spending spree made headlines from coast-to-coast, the Giants took on just $2.1 million of Scutaro's salary from Colorado in exchange for minor leaguer Charlie Culberson.

 

All Scutaro has done since is make opponents pay -- and he earned a $75,000 bonus for winning NLCS MVP honors in the process.

 

"That's the best thing that's ever happened so far," said Giants ace Matt Cain, who threw 5 2/3 innings of five-hit ball in the clincher. "That's why it's 'The Blockbuster.'"

 

He had a major impact even before October, batting .339 after the All-Star break to power the Giants' playoff push. Scutaro has delivered in the biggest moments in the postseason, and in many ways, has become the 2012 version of Ross.

 

The Giants plucked Ross off waivers in August two years ago and watched him capture MVP honors in the NLCS against Philadelphia and help lead them to the first World Series title since moving from New York in 1958. And just like in 2010, general manager Brian Sabean's move made the biggest noise at the most key time.

 

Scutaro became just the fifth midseason acquisition to win a postseason MVP award.

 

"When we acquired Scutaro, a great job by Brian Sabean, making that blockbuster deal, as we say, that's his nickname," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I knew he was a good player. But to see him day in, day out, you really appreciate the talent that this guy has. I don't know if it was possible for him to raise his game, that's how well he's played, his level. But he did after that slide."

 

Scutaro was hurt on Holliday's slide in the first inning of Game 2. Scutaro got even a few innings later with his own big blow that helped the Giants even the series and end an 0-3 home slide in the postseason when he singled home two runs in San Francisco's four-run fourth inning.

 

Another run scored on the bases-loaded hit when Holliday misplayed the bouncing ball in left field. Scutaro left after the fifth of that 7-1 win because of his damaged hip on a play Bochy felt was illegal.

 

Scutaro never missed a game, and he never stopped playing all-out, either.

 

His sliding stops were part of a spectacular defensive effort that backed Barry Zito in San Francisco's 5-0 Game 5 victory. He even threw his arms in the arm running backward after grabbing Pete Kozma's spinning hopper in the fourth inning of Game 7.

 

He also delivered a two-out, two-run double to highlight a four-run second inning of the Game 6 win. And even in the Game 1 loss, Scutaro's single to left leading off the fourth was San Francisco's first hit off 18-game winner Lance Lynn.

 

He had long been a super-sub in four seasons across the bay with the Oakland Athletics from 2004 to '07, filling in wherever he was needed in the infield -- and, on occasion, as an outfielder.

 

Scutaro, who turns 37 on Oct. 30, played for the Mets (2002-03), Toronto (2008-09), Boston (2010-11) and 95 games with Colorado this season.

 

No matter what happens now, he will always be remembered in San Francisco.

 

"I kind of thought I had a really good opportunity to make the playoffs with this team," Scutaro said. "We just started playing good, and here we are in the World Series."

[ibot2much]

Reddick+ Gold Glove.

 

The WS did not take Youk's option of 13 mil. Another ridiculous big contract for an aging player from Theo.

[Palodios]

Well s***. The Bailey trade was an awful move. He need to perform this year.

[mvp 78]

The WS did not take Youk's option of 13 mil. Another ridiculous big contract for an aging player from Theo.

 

4yr/$41M for 09-12 is ridiculously big for a 30 year old guy?

[Laser Show]

Reddick+ Gold Glove.

 

The WS did not take Youk's option of 13 mil. Another ridiculous big contract for an aging player from Theo.

 

Youk's contract wasn't ridiculous at all. Nobody expected his decline to start so early

[SoxSport]

Players get hot in the playoffs. Players get cold in the playoffs. Sometimes it rains in the playoffs.

 

Scutaro got hot--just like he did last September in Boston. Trading him is still one of the better deals the FO made last year. They saved $5 million, and he wasn't really a SS anymore anyways. He played 2B for the Rockies and the Giants. Aviles played adequate SS last year, and cost much less. Scutaro was a better OB guy, but cost cutting was their priority at the time. The Sox collapse last year had nothing to do with SS. It was about management dysfunction, poor coaching, turf wars, and very bad pitching.

[ibot2much]

4yr/$41M for 09-12 is ridiculously big for a 30 year old guy?

 

Apparently the White Sox thought so

[Bellhorn04]

Apparently the White Sox thought so

 

Huh? Youk was a good value at 41 million/10.25 million per year for the years 2009-2012. 13 million for 2013 is a whole other story.

[ibot2much]

Huh? Youk was a good value at 41 million/10.25 million per year for the years 2009-2012. 13 million for 2013 is a whole other story.

 

Yea..he was great for the Sox last year. They got their money's worth out of him:rolleyes:

[mvp 78]

Apparently the White Sox thought so

 

This makes no sense. They didn't pick up a team option, what's the big deal.

 

In 2008, he was voted 3rd in the MVP. Was it a ridiculous contract then?