SoxSport

I think they stole the last couple of years on the pitchers more than the catchers. The Red Sox just weren't good fundamentally, because fundamentals weren't stressed. I think the pitchers weren't as tough holding runners as they should have been. You can bet this will change with Bobby V. These guys can all play--they just need the proper managing. I also bet you'll see a winning record in ST, and a winning April.

Aviles is a nice player, but I suspect SS is Iglesias' job to lose. SS is a defensive position, and that works a lot in his favor--especially with a DH in the lineup who can hit. I've seen the kid hit once so far in a ST game. He lined a rope to left center for an out. You just never know about a kid who hasn't had much minor league experience. He may have been affected by injuries in Pawtucket last year. They are paying this kid about $2mil per year, and probably want to see him earn it in the Show if possible. Time will tell.

From what I've heard and seen, Miller still has a shot. Padilla next. Aceves is a fallback. Doubront is Lowrie 2.

The Red Sox don't have anybody good enough to beat Salty. It's his job to lose. Shoppach can't hit his weight. Lavarnway? Maybe. But he's still greener than Salty. My guess is Salty improves this year--especially defensively. That would be enough. His hitting stats looked good until he faded from fatigue in September. One of the few who had a good reason.

Radio? I remember Curt Gowdy in the early 50s doing the Sox games on radio and TV. Johnny Most the Celtics, and Fred Cusick the Bruins. I remember listening to Allie Reynolds no-hitter against the Sox, when Yogi dropped Ted Williams' foul pop with 2 outs in the 9th. Ted promptly popped another foul, and Yogi caught this one. Unbelievable but true. The Yankees had Raschi, Reynolds and Lopat. The Red Sox had Parnell, Parnell and Parnell. That was the difference.

I see Bobby had Iggy leading off and Middlebrooks playing 3B yesterday. Iggy even stole a base. The signs are there these kids will get a good look and the team will run this year. Regardless, it boils down to what the top 3 guys in the rotation will do--unless some other pitcher surprises. They can win if the top 3 are solid and healthy.

Yeah, Bobby's read some of our posts here about that. Maybe he's just using common sense.

Watching Miller, his key is to get his 94 fastball over the plate. Forget 97. He's out of control at that speed. He has a nice slider which he seems to control better than his fastball.

Just saw Lars Anderson hit a salami. Looks like he's bulked up quite a bit. Hmmm... Nice swing. Looks in a groove, keeping his eye on the ball. We'll see how this plays out. Iglesias lines out to CF. Nice out. JetBlue park? Isn't that the Yankees color?

I just had a look at Fox's pre-season power rankings. These things have become useless in Baseball because of the playoffs, injuries, etc. Phillies--1 OK Yankees--2 ?? Rangers--3 Tigers--4 The Red Sox are buried somewhere out of the top 10. Why? They were ranked #1 this time last season, and the team hasn't changed much. Add Buchholz, subtract Pap, etc. The Yankees made a a couple of hi profile moves getting Kuroda and Pineda (subtracting the next "Babe Ruth", Montero). But is their big 3 in starters as good as the Red Sox? The answer is which big 3 shows up for the Red Sox this year. The Yankees, as well. The Red Sox are at least as talented as the Yankees on paper, but have a history of underachieving the past few years. That may change with the new manager. Right now, I would put the Red Sox right there with the Yankees. NY always has the age factor to deal with. Who knows about Kuroda in the AL east at 37. And Pineda sucked the 2nd half last year. So why are the Yankees ranked #2? The answer is they play in NY, and that's where the big network media is located. Anybody who ranks the Tigers and Rangers below the Yankees right now has got to be nuts, or inflicted with big market hypomania.

Lineup-wise, in Bobby I trust. But we really haven't seen the lineup until Crawford returns.

I can see U South Florida , but what are the BC and NU teams doing down there? I guess they have to have a pre-season, too, but is that why tuitions are $35K? Maybe the kids are paying their own hotel bills. I wouldn't be surprised.

25-0. What did I predict? 25-2? Close enough. That should push them up in the pre-season power rankings. LOL.

Ha. Well I stand corrected. Of course none of those teams collapsed like the Red Sox did last year. You could say the Red Sox have something special to prove this year. But I agree, it's no big deal.

Swelling's down, according to the Globe. Everything's under a microscope these days with the media.

Playing the local college team is pure PR, and has nothing to do with the team's preparation for the season. It's like playing in an all-star game. I'd rather see them playing split-squad, but that isn't very reportable or appealing to fans. This club has had a spring training problem the last few years, and has started slowly. They just need to get more serious down there--about conditioning and winning. Beating B.C., 24-2, doesn't do it.

I hope this isn't the same as Garciapara's or Papi's injuries. This is supposed to be minor. He says it's an irritation due to all the bunting he did in the first practice. Just some soreness. You can't tell from the stories, because they're usually overhyped.

I noticed the Sox are playing a doubleheader against college teams today. I guess they've played B.C. the first game, or early, the last few years. But why? Why waste games against college teams? Isn't spring training supposed to be serious? I mean, getting yourself ready to be competitive again against major league teams. If the Sox are getting serious about spring training, one thing they can do is stop playing college teams. Spring training is not for fun. I'm thinking about that embarrassing first series in Texas last year.

Didn't Tito start the season off in Texas with Ells-1, CC-2 in the batting order? Crawford got moved down when he had a slow start. But then most of the team started slowly, and there was a question whether they were properly prepared in ST to start the season. So it wasn't just CC. I think Tito's mistake was keeping him buried in the batting order even after he started to hit some. The guy is paid a lot of money to score runs, and that isn't going to happen enough batting 7th.

Just soak it in cold beer. That'll do the trick.

My expectations are positive. Why? Because the kid tries hard--and he will be better this year because of it. He has the size. I also like Lavarnway, and maybe they'll push each other. I also would like to see Tek in the bullpen as a presence and mentor.

Whatever Valentine does this spring training, it will be a reflection of what LL and Henry want done. They are the guys that hired him. Follow the money. I think the FO will have much less impact on the field than it has in the past. To me, it's a boon for the younger players who have a much greater chance to stick than the past. Especially Iglesias and Lavarnway. You figure Bobby V. comes in with an open mind. Meanwhile the Globe, with Cafardo the exception, continues to harp on soap opera themes with Bobby vs Jeter, etc.

I think you are referring to Gilhooly. You gotta love those generations of Irish sportswriters in Boston.Kind of like Irish cops and politicians. They are part of Boston history. The first great Red Sox closer was Ellie Kinder-- in the early 50s. He was a 20 game winner as a starter in the late 40s, but switched to closer in the early 50s. He was their game finisher, and as good as any in baseball at the time. He always pitched better with a hangover--seriously.

Here's the trick: start when you're 7 years old, using a thin broomstick as a bat and a tennis sized pimple ball. Fast pitch against the wall of building, with the strike zone chalked out. Switching to a baseball diamond when you're 8-9 with a thicker bat and a bigger baseball is easier. And softball is a piece of cake. Like hitting a grapefruit.That's how a lot of major leaguers did it. I don't disagree hitting a 90 mph fastball is tough. But it can be timed, as long as it doesn't move. Some players find a curve harder to hit--or anything that changes speed.