jung

Sounds like Napoli is playing Friday. I think that is the next NESN televised game also. Don't know which pitchers they have lined up for that game. I would guess they will still be working most guys two innings each.

It's How-k

Buying season tickets now is all a matter of joining groups or buying into a group. You can join a group that has some number of seats for all 81 games. You can join a group that has some number of seats for all of the night games. etc etc I have not looked at the 81 game listings to see who is making those offerings. Although I guess I find it hard to imagine that a season ticket holder would be willing to give up his seat for every single game. So when I see an 81 game package offered it is hard to tell where that is coming from these days. They are there though. There are lots of season ticket groups with various numbers of tickets looking for partners. Ultimately I think the groupings is where much of the discounting takes place. The whole group thing makes it a bit more difficult to track ticket sales. Used to be much easier. However I am talking about the dark ages, when I was a season ticket holder. In the old days you could literally pick a seat somehere from foul pole to foul pole and buy a season pass or some portion of one for that seat if it was available. Season seats for seats out in the bleachers came later as I recall. The only thing true then that is still true now is that the original ticket price does not change regardless of how many tickets you buy. So somebody buying an 81 game package pays 81 x face value of the ticket. The whole group thing, combined with the relatively limited seating of Fenway Park has been a beautiful thing for the Sox. However it really does rely heavily on the demand for seats being really high. The whole idea that the Sox would build a new park with much more seating has always IMO been a pipe dream. But, once the groups start getting pressured in that they cannot move seats without discounting them a great deal, the whole thing really can be difficult to maintain. If the groups and the agents have another year like they had last year, that is going to be tough. Some folks just could not move seats unless they almost gave them away. In part, this is why I have wondered about the middle ground the Sox are seemingly aiming at this year. To some extent I think this is the point 700 might be making as well. Are the Sox doing enough to stem the tide and prevent what happened within the groups and the agents last year? It is not easy with their formula as it really does rely on demand staying very high to work. It is the only place in MLB where this formula is combined with face value ticket prices regardless of quantity.

The issue of the service clock is not insignificant for any top prospect/rook. You have to feel really really good about your chances in a given season and the contribution the prospect/rook can make to give up a year of control like that. I don't see the Sox giving it up on JBJ either.

The gate in baseball really plays off season ticket sales and once the season starts, your opportunity to sell season passes or season ticket packages is basically out the window. Once you get past season tickets you are left with advanced sales and combo packages. Finally you are left with something of a rarity around here, the walk up gate. If the season ticket sales are off, it does set something of a negative tone for the gate generally. It really is unrealistic to make up for flagging season ticket sales in advanced sales and packages and even less likely to make it up in the walk up gate. I think 700 mentioned that ticket sales are off so far. If he means that the season ticket sales are off, that would be really concerning for the Sox Brass. Does not matter whether it is Boston or somewhere else. The gate all spins off the season tickets. If those are fine, the Sox ticket sales generally should not be a disappointment to them as long as the team does not go directly into the tank. It does not take much to have an impact. If the Sox are off by 2,000 full season passes, that is over $5M in gate revenue right off the top. That says nothing for lost concessions revenue etc. As for the rest, Advanced Sales and Advanced Sales/Combo packages, those would surely be tied in part to the performance of the team. But if it is the season passes that are off, the Sox would be starting in a hole each game. I think LL's comment that the sell out string is going to die in early April is pretty telling. That says it is likely that the season pass sales are off. Other categories may be off as well but if LL thinks it is going to end in April, he probably knows something about the season pass sales that is not too appealing to him.

There is not much to JBJ at this point. Heck if he ran into me he would be picking up body parts and headed to the trainers room for glue and clamps. I think I would prefer him to fill out a bit more before he is exposed to the rigors of a full MLB schedule. I don't think there is any chance of them waiting till 2019 but I don't see him up this year.

I have said that for over a year now. The Sox have engaged in volume Marketing but the quality is actually pretty low. So that completes the picture. The last thing that people credited them for, calling their Marketing an asset is s*** along with everything else. Actually, I think the whole thing is pretty pitiful. This "like us cuze' we are goofy" thing is wearing thin pretty quickly, at least in my case. Combine that with the silly commercials featuring Farrell of all people and you begin to wonder if the brain trust has any brains left (too much heat getting through those stupid looking straw hats JH?). As anybody will tell ya', once folks start to pull funds away from you as a supplier of anything entertainment, it is very difficult to get those dollars back again. They are allocated elsewhere and at that point you are lucky to gain back even a portion of them. Just ask the Orioles who waited all year for the attendance to match the performance. It never did cause the fan base did not expect it and had already spent the money elsewhere. If the Fenway Brick fiasco is any indication, there will be a silver lining however. We will likely be able to see MLB in Boston for less money than we have seen in a looooooong looooooong time.

While I think the comment from Mazz is essentially true, I am not sure many baseball teams would do much better when discussing a combination of relative youth and legit talent. That combination is tough to come by, especially in baseball. Its a sport that requires a very particular kind of talent that is not just athletic in the sense that we would think about it for a football player. Who do the Yanks have left for example...Granderson, Gardner....????? Not sure how Mazz is considering pitchers if at all in his piece.

If you want to look at how much of an overpay AGons may very likely be...see Overbay. While Overbay was leading the league in doubles he was making about $8M per. Without significant HR power, Agons is Wade Boggs in a bigger suit size. There is every chance that we would one day have been discussing AGons contract in the same terms as CC's contract. Plus, because they are shorter term contracts, chances are much greater that you can move the Napoli and Victorino contracts if you had to. No way to move those CC and AGons contracts without chipping in big bucks without the gift that keeps on giving from LA. Don't get me wrong....I have some issues with what appears to be the Sox plan for this year. However that does not change the scope and scale of the benefit derived from the LA deal. And..... While it is easy to downplay Beckett because he is only making $15M per on two years left, his stature on the team would have made it very difficult for the Sox going forward. He was becoming the kind of drain on this club that V would have been if he hung around. We could not take another two minutes of V and I doubt we could afford another two years of Beckett. The LT cap penalties as of 2014, are now very difficult for even the Yankees to ignore. So you really can't just say, the Sox are a big market team and should just be able to absorb multiple s***, long term contracts.

But if you are just looking at that deal it is hard for it to be a bust no matter how you look at it. They were completely boxed by those contracts and had players that were not working out, were beginning the back nine portions of their career and/or were not fits here. Even if the pitching prospects that came back don't work out, it is still a good deal for the Sox. It becomes a great deal if even one of the pitching prospects ends up in the rotation at anything #3 starter or above. If they use the flexibility they gained poorly then that will suck and will truly be a reflection on the organization that will be hard to dodge. That does not change the fact that just getting out from under the CC, Beckett and AGons contracts was a really good deal for the Sox. Beckett needed outta' here in the worst way and was struggling with the transition phase from being a power pitcher to being a control pitcher. Beckett is also struggling with balancing interests outside of baseball. CC never should have been brought here especially for that kind of money. Agons simply was not as advertised and probably should stay in the NL for the rest of his career. Punto will likely be the forgotten man in the deal.

While LA was looking to sell tickets, the Sox were clearly looking to dump salary. LA's willingness to give up pitching in that deal was really surprising. That was the element of that deal that turned it so decidedly toward the Sox. It was already a good deal for the Sox. That turned it into a stupendous deal.

Certainly batter than a kick in the teeth.

This is really jumping the gun and all opinion but I think Salty is not going to show much year over year improvement in a year where I suspect the MLB FO guys are probably at the end of their rope with him. If he gets to the end of 2013 without having made a marked improvement over 2012, I think the interest really diminishes around baseball and you will not find as many GM's willing to consider his upside as a significant piece to consider in a trade negotiation. I suspect the Sox want to give Salty more time. However I also suspect that if the year is wearing on and looking like one where he is not going to show much over 2012, I think they will have to see if they can move him. It might be the last opportunity to cobble something together for Salty alone or Salty "&" ???? that brings something worthwhile back.

What about Salty's last year was an anomaly. His last year was entirely typical for him. He is what he is. As for his offense, his HR's come as a result of swinging for the fences on every swing...which also leads to monster K's. He is what he is.

I actually thought the bigger problem for Jon was the lack of any appreciable dif between the velo on his cutter and his straight FB. I think Jon will struggle if he can't gain his velo back.

I definitely saw those changes late last season. My only concern then was that he seemed to he using ungodly amounts of concentration and effort to keep it together and get the ball to the plate. Would hope to see a more natural flow to his throwing this year while maintaining his technique. After some initial nerves I thought Lackey threw freely on Saturday for example. Lester was not throwing that freely at the end of the season. Maybe that is why he was still struggling with velo....I just don't know if the two are tied in his case. I do know he was making a hell of an effort to hold it together at the end of last season. You could see it in the way he was throwing.

Well Jeter is getting older. So it stands to reason that he would have a harder time getting around on a good FB than in the past. Although I would be willing to bet that the smart ass has lightened his bat over the years, especially given his current hitting style. Still and all, if I had a good FB pitcher on the mound I would want that hole in the right side covered, not left wide open as that is truly playing into his hands. I would not want my good FB pitcher throwing strikes on the outer half but would tease Jeter out there with pitches off the plate and try to bust him inside. This might finally be the year when he cannot get around on that pitch. Beyond that I would still want to know who was pitching and what the plan was for Jeter in the late innings.

Yes, 700 that is what I was saying....with a two run lead in the situation you set up, I would be more concerned about the extra base hit than anything else and would have the 1st baseman positioned to cut it off (behind the bag). You did use a left handed hitter in your scenario. So I did not even think about Jeter. Considering his incredible bat control, I would position middle infielders based on who is pitching and what has been discussed between all concerned for how they are going to pitch Jeter in that situation, in the late innings. Jeter gets that hole on the right side so well because that is what they are usually giving him. However don't fool yourself. He is just as adept moving the ball around the rest of the infield. So, I would want to know who is pitching and what the plan is for that situation. While this is off topic this is yet another reason why I would not want to see Bard in any of these sorts of situations. He has proven time and time again that he just goes out to the mound and throws outs as effectively as he can. Once you start layering complications on him.....look out!

The 1st baseman may not be holding the running but he won't be over covering the hole either. Last inning if anything he will be over by the line in an effort to cut off an extra base hit over the first base bag. With a runner on 1st and a 2 run lead the extra base hit is the real threat. If you don't cut that down, you have guys on 2nd and 3rd, either nobody out or one out and the DP no longer even in order. So my first concern would be cutting off the extra base hit and I would position the 1st baseman accordingly. I can see the SS playing a couple steps toward 2nd but depending on who was hitting and pitching for that matter, would not be real interesting in having the 2nd baseman pinching toward 2nd.

JBJ is supposed to be very fast. I cannot fathom him breaking that late on a straight steal.

Earned more respect for Iggy in one day than I had for him all last year...now while that sounds like hyperbole, he stuck his knee down in front of the runner coming in at 2nd and took the full force of the slide as a result...not too bright but very tough and muscled up for that HR......first time I have seen anything that suggests to me he might be a SS that the Sox might actually like as opposed to one they just give up on and finally trade away. Iggy has to get farther inside the scope of what the Red Sox consider important for their SS....not necessarily the same things for the Sox as for other clubs.

Wow...that must have been a hit and run effort....too late a brake by Bradley to be straight steal.

Iggy vying for the clean up spot. The shame of it for him last season is that I think he sort of choked on his first real extended stay with the big club. Remy is right, when he takes his usual swing he does have a real swing...but for most of his time here last time around he had adopted that slap swing and it was just terrible....dribblers just past the pitcher's mound all day long. We did not see him take full swings until very late in his stay here. I really do think that was a consequence of Iggy choking on his first real extended period of play here. I think you can see that he has a more compact swing compared to end of last year. That is supposed to be the hope at this point...shortening his swing in the hope that he will generate more bat speed.

Anything video requires a lightness of feel that I just do not think Ferrell possesses. Probably why some of his pitchers said they "feared" him. Right when a guy might have thought he needed a warm pillow of a shoulder to rest on from his coach he probably got the cold hard rock of Farrell's shoulder instead. I don't think I ever have seen a softer visage cross Farrell's face either....that's OK though. They are not paying him to make good commercials....However since they are clearly trying to drum up business the guy that thought up that commercial should be taken out and summarily shot. Don't even want him around to produce offspring.

I know....he has always looked so snake bit to me. Always finds a way to shoot himself in the foot....except in the field where he makes you think he was wearing an infielder's glove and was positioned at SS while in his mother's womb.