By: Ira H. Perkins IV
Once Nomar Garciaparra left Boston to get fitted for a Cub’s uniform it looked like all we’d have left was the brilliant past he would put behind him or so it seemed.
As of today Wednesday March 3rd 2010 Nomar would razzle or better yet rattle ‘Fenway Faithfuls’ with another miraculous act by signing a single day deal there in the front office of Red Sox operations to retire as a Sox. This kind of thing in professional realms everywhere is often called ‘shock and aww’.
Retirement seemed likely since Nomar has been hit by injury on and off for nearly a decade. This ultimately converted one of the best short stops to play in the bigs to a third baseman, first baseman and designated hitter solely to keep his bat in the line-up.
Even that would act as a band aid for a much bigger wound. It was all to clear that Nomar really felt the crunch of injury and aging with injury. Retiring in Boston was an instant rejuvenating buzz. Retiring in Boston was ultimately a trifecta where everyone would end up a winner.
Nomar and ownership certainly win given their lengthy business tenure and the successes that ensued. To the tireless Red Sox fans who watched the man turned legend command the infield and launch many a ball into the outfield seating at Fenway this is a major piece of the franchise. To everything and everyone that make up the franchise illustrating an integral component of it; loyalty… something with which Sox fans know all too well.
During the recent retirement press conference amid many emotional anecdotes Nomar stated, ‘I always tell people Red Sox Nation is bigger than any other nation.’ With a tip of the hat we say ‘Thank you Nomar’.
Nomar has already agreed to take on a new role concerning the majors. He’ll be trading in his pine tar and batting gloves for a microphone and tie. That’s right Nomar will assume the responsibility of MLB analyst for the leading sports news company ESPN. True to the ways of change big league baseball surrenders a true professional while big league broadcasting gains one. Where many will follow his commentary and eagerly anticipate his inception to Cooperstown.
| Red Sox Mix Blog |
| Writers: Chris Allen Catman,Thomas Casey, Todd Civin, Lena Finnerty, |
Life Without the Great Manbino
The Sad State of the Red Sox:
Life Without the Great Manbino
By E.J. Peterson
First of all let me start off by saying that I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, and have been all my life. I am not one of those in-season fans. You know who they are. We all have one of those friends who wears his Red Sox hat only when baseball is in season. I am not that friend. I am one of the fans that have his true colors on year round. My hat is all worn out, the fabric wearing out around the brim and more sweat colored than it is blue. I am a year round fan, a true fan of the sport. This is why I am very sad to have to write this article.
I see my beloved team sinking down an ever expanding hole. It has now become a case of just putting someone in an empty hole, not necessarily the right person. You lose a guy like Manny Ramirez in your outfield and you try to replace him with someone like JD Drew. What an absolute joke that is. Then this year the Sox go and get an old worn out retread like Mike Cameron. This guy seems to spend more time on the DL than good old JD Drew. For the money that JD gets he should produce a heck of a lot more than he is doing. Before he came to the Sox JD had hit twenty home runs once in his career, hit one hundred RBI’s once in his career. And then to top it all off he takes days off because, “Woe is I, my shoulder hurts.” Not one player in the league is one hundred percent after the first day. Tough it out my friend. I see players all the time go out and play hurt. Not Mr. Primadonna. Apparently he is too good for that.
Mr. Drew doesn’t do squat all year. He maybe has one or two good weeks the whole season. Then he maybe hits a grand slam in the playoffs. Now everyone wants to sing his praises. Do these same people not pay attention the entire season? In my humble estimation these people are short sighted and fair weather fans. For the type of money that these players are making, he should be producing a heck of a lot more than one at bat in the playoffs. I understand that a player is considered successful if he fails seven out of ten times. What should we think or JD when he fails roughly eight out of ten times?
I want to state point blank right now that I do not condone cheating in this or any other sport. Anyone caught using steroids or HGH should have everything they have every done wiped off the books like it never existed. But when you have perhaps one of the greatest pure hitters the game has ever seen, and you try and replace him with a retread (Cameron) and a never was (Drew) you have a long way to go before you are back to status quo. What a sad state of affairs that we are in.
Life Without the Great Manbino
By E.J. Peterson
First of all let me start off by saying that I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, and have been all my life. I am not one of those in-season fans. You know who they are. We all have one of those friends who wears his Red Sox hat only when baseball is in season. I am not that friend. I am one of the fans that have his true colors on year round. My hat is all worn out, the fabric wearing out around the brim and more sweat colored than it is blue. I am a year round fan, a true fan of the sport. This is why I am very sad to have to write this article.
I see my beloved team sinking down an ever expanding hole. It has now become a case of just putting someone in an empty hole, not necessarily the right person. You lose a guy like Manny Ramirez in your outfield and you try to replace him with someone like JD Drew. What an absolute joke that is. Then this year the Sox go and get an old worn out retread like Mike Cameron. This guy seems to spend more time on the DL than good old JD Drew. For the money that JD gets he should produce a heck of a lot more than he is doing. Before he came to the Sox JD had hit twenty home runs once in his career, hit one hundred RBI’s once in his career. And then to top it all off he takes days off because, “Woe is I, my shoulder hurts.” Not one player in the league is one hundred percent after the first day. Tough it out my friend. I see players all the time go out and play hurt. Not Mr. Primadonna. Apparently he is too good for that.
Mr. Drew doesn’t do squat all year. He maybe has one or two good weeks the whole season. Then he maybe hits a grand slam in the playoffs. Now everyone wants to sing his praises. Do these same people not pay attention the entire season? In my humble estimation these people are short sighted and fair weather fans. For the type of money that these players are making, he should be producing a heck of a lot more than one at bat in the playoffs. I understand that a player is considered successful if he fails seven out of ten times. What should we think or JD when he fails roughly eight out of ten times?
I want to state point blank right now that I do not condone cheating in this or any other sport. Anyone caught using steroids or HGH should have everything they have every done wiped off the books like it never existed. But when you have perhaps one of the greatest pure hitters the game has ever seen, and you try and replace him with a retread (Cameron) and a never was (Drew) you have a long way to go before you are back to status quo. What a sad state of affairs that we are in.
Oh Captain, My Captain
By Adam Corriveau
Captain Hook? Captain Morgan? Captain America? Forget about it. The only captain I recognize is Captain Jason Varitek. Since 1997 Tek has been the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox, a brick wall behind the plate, one of the best strategic catchers of all time, a gold glover, a silver slugger, a three time all star, twice a world champion, and has caught the most no-hitters in MLB history, with four. He is a leader and a gentleman. Oh and he banged Heidi Watney. He is the definition of a savvy veteran. He’s been there, done that, he once even saved Theo Epstein from a regiment of Nazis. The only piece of hardware he didn’t manage to earn was MVP. Tek has repeatedly been noted as the most prepared player in the game, pouring over opposing team’s batters and lineups. For years Cap’n was the only man I wanted or could imagine behind the plate… well except every fifth day when Doug Mirabelli was woken up from his cryogenic pod to catch Wakefield.
Sadly however, his prime is far behind him. Varitek’s glory days are just a highlight reel video on mlb.com. His offensive production hasn’t just dropped off; it has driven off a cliff, holding hands with Geena Davis. His batting average has been career lows the past two seasons. In 2008 and 2009, seeing Varitek on deck was like seeing Eric Gagne in the bullpen in 2007; everything is about to go wrong. His defensive ability is also starting to decline. He only threw out 13% of the runners who tried to steal in 2009, by far a career low.
As much as I love the guy, things are getting pretty ugly. Perhaps the best way to summarize the Captain’s career is to look at my dog, Champ. The similarities are quite striking. I got Champ in 1997. For years he was the epitome of awesome. He was reliable and energetic. He was everything you could want in a dog. But in the past couple years his age has really started to show. Champ has slowed down significantly, his eyes are starting to go, and most of the day is spent on his bed. And last year he only threw out 12% of runners. As much as I love him, and he will always been my dog, I’m starting to accept that he is very much on his way out. I’m so thankful for all of the good memories that he is a part of (some of the bad ones too). No matter when he’s done, he’ll go out as a hero around these parts any we’ll never forget him.
The same goes for Varitek all the way done the board. He was a hero, he is a hero, and he will be a hero. It’s just about time for Cap’n to hang up the C and ride into the sunset to live on a farm where he can be happy and run free with other catchers past their prime like Carlton Fisk and Mike Piazza. It’s my official belief is that 2010 will be Jason Varitek’s Farewell Tour as a player. Will he be a coach? Or a mentor? A full time super hero? No one knows. But I do know this… He banged Heidi Watney, and that ain’t too shabby.
Let’s go sox.
Captain Hook? Captain Morgan? Captain America? Forget about it. The only captain I recognize is Captain Jason Varitek. Since 1997 Tek has been the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox, a brick wall behind the plate, one of the best strategic catchers of all time, a gold glover, a silver slugger, a three time all star, twice a world champion, and has caught the most no-hitters in MLB history, with four. He is a leader and a gentleman. Oh and he banged Heidi Watney. He is the definition of a savvy veteran. He’s been there, done that, he once even saved Theo Epstein from a regiment of Nazis. The only piece of hardware he didn’t manage to earn was MVP. Tek has repeatedly been noted as the most prepared player in the game, pouring over opposing team’s batters and lineups. For years Cap’n was the only man I wanted or could imagine behind the plate… well except every fifth day when Doug Mirabelli was woken up from his cryogenic pod to catch Wakefield.
Sadly however, his prime is far behind him. Varitek’s glory days are just a highlight reel video on mlb.com. His offensive production hasn’t just dropped off; it has driven off a cliff, holding hands with Geena Davis. His batting average has been career lows the past two seasons. In 2008 and 2009, seeing Varitek on deck was like seeing Eric Gagne in the bullpen in 2007; everything is about to go wrong. His defensive ability is also starting to decline. He only threw out 13% of the runners who tried to steal in 2009, by far a career low.
As much as I love the guy, things are getting pretty ugly. Perhaps the best way to summarize the Captain’s career is to look at my dog, Champ. The similarities are quite striking. I got Champ in 1997. For years he was the epitome of awesome. He was reliable and energetic. He was everything you could want in a dog. But in the past couple years his age has really started to show. Champ has slowed down significantly, his eyes are starting to go, and most of the day is spent on his bed. And last year he only threw out 12% of runners. As much as I love him, and he will always been my dog, I’m starting to accept that he is very much on his way out. I’m so thankful for all of the good memories that he is a part of (some of the bad ones too). No matter when he’s done, he’ll go out as a hero around these parts any we’ll never forget him.
The same goes for Varitek all the way done the board. He was a hero, he is a hero, and he will be a hero. It’s just about time for Cap’n to hang up the C and ride into the sunset to live on a farm where he can be happy and run free with other catchers past their prime like Carlton Fisk and Mike Piazza. It’s my official belief is that 2010 will be Jason Varitek’s Farewell Tour as a player. Will he be a coach? Or a mentor? A full time super hero? No one knows. But I do know this… He banged Heidi Watney, and that ain’t too shabby.
Let’s go sox.
Labels:
2010,
Boston Red Sox,
Heidi Watney,
Jason Varitek
Happy Truck Day!
Truck Day is finally here! The trucks transporting all the Red Sox gear down to Florida arrived at Fenway this morning and are ready for the long trek. With all this, the wait is almost over; baseball season is just around the corner!
With this I just want to throw in some of what I see as being the best storylines of spring training:
- Josh Beckett – Do we sign him now? Or do we wait and see what he does on the season? There are some pros and cons with each situation. Curt Schilling took no time to throw in his say, stating that signing Beckett now is a “no brainer” because of Beckett’s extreme work ethic. But my concern for Beckett’s health is far greater than Schilling’s. The best situation here, though it would be nice to have our top 3 locked for years to come, would be to wait until the all-star break.
- Josh Reddick – Reddick made his first stint in the majors this past season and really struggled at the plate when it came to his strike zone. It was aggravating, to say the least, to watch such a high potential, total package, outfielder get taken over by the high heat fastball. Not that Reddick will be looking at a roster spot this year in my mind, barring injuries, but seeing how his plate discipline against big league pitchers in spring training has improved is a big story for this top prospect.
- Left field – Jacoby Ellsbury has made the switch to left after the signing of Mike Cameron and seeing how he controls that left field will be important to see how the move works out. When I first heard of the move, I immediately thought of Carl Crawford of the Rays and we all know just how dominating of an outfielder he is from that left side. Jacoby should mold his style around that of Crawford’s and we should see some great things.
- John Lackey pitching to V-Mart – This will be his first time working with Victor Martinez, and Martinez’s first time having to develop his play calling without the previous knowledge of Captain Jason Varitek. This is something that gets overlooked too often is that understanding between the pitcher and catcher and I’m going to keep a close eye on how often V-Mart is going to have to go out to talk to Lackey.
- Left side of the infield – There has been a facelift of the hot side of the infield this offseason, and it has tremendous talent. Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro will defend that left side for us and are stellar gloves. Not much will get through the gaps on that left side and seeing the beginning of that will be a great thing to watch. Just a note from the shortstop position, Scutaro committed fewer errors from SS last year than the Sox shortstop by committee had in the first half of last year, and Adrian Beltre was the 3rd best 3B in fielding efficiency last year, a stat that is beyond me when it comes to calculating it.
- The Bullpen – There are the sure spots locked up in the bullpen (Jonathan Papelbon, Ramon S. Ramirez, Daniel Bard, and Hideki Okajima) but the final three spots or so will be up for grabs. The contenders are a struggling Manny Delcarmen, the much awaited (sarcasm noted) Boof Bonser, Lefties Brian Shouse and Dustin Richardson, and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Wake will be a storyline himself too since he is a fan favorite without a spot on this team right now.
- Other various star prospects – Those to keep in mind:
o Jose Iglesias – 19-yr-old shortstop with outstanding upside. They compare him to an Orlando Cabrera or other speedy, everlasting range shortstop
o Lars Anderson – last year’s top prospect who was probably rushed a bit too quickly through the system. I see him making a big impact come 2012.
o Luis Exposito – 23-yr-old catcher. Definitely a work in progress but someone too look at to replace Varitek shortly as the back-up catcher.
o Casey Kelly – Theo’s golden child, Kelly is highly anticipated and has decided to switch full time to pitcher. He is commonly regarded as our pride and joy prospect right now
o Junichi Tazawa – my personal favorite, especially after the then 22-yr-old went into Yankee Stadium and shut down the New York crowd late last season. If injuries strike the starters, look for Taz to step up.
Ed Mahan
With this I just want to throw in some of what I see as being the best storylines of spring training:
- Josh Beckett – Do we sign him now? Or do we wait and see what he does on the season? There are some pros and cons with each situation. Curt Schilling took no time to throw in his say, stating that signing Beckett now is a “no brainer” because of Beckett’s extreme work ethic. But my concern for Beckett’s health is far greater than Schilling’s. The best situation here, though it would be nice to have our top 3 locked for years to come, would be to wait until the all-star break.
- Josh Reddick – Reddick made his first stint in the majors this past season and really struggled at the plate when it came to his strike zone. It was aggravating, to say the least, to watch such a high potential, total package, outfielder get taken over by the high heat fastball. Not that Reddick will be looking at a roster spot this year in my mind, barring injuries, but seeing how his plate discipline against big league pitchers in spring training has improved is a big story for this top prospect.
- Left field – Jacoby Ellsbury has made the switch to left after the signing of Mike Cameron and seeing how he controls that left field will be important to see how the move works out. When I first heard of the move, I immediately thought of Carl Crawford of the Rays and we all know just how dominating of an outfielder he is from that left side. Jacoby should mold his style around that of Crawford’s and we should see some great things.
- John Lackey pitching to V-Mart – This will be his first time working with Victor Martinez, and Martinez’s first time having to develop his play calling without the previous knowledge of Captain Jason Varitek. This is something that gets overlooked too often is that understanding between the pitcher and catcher and I’m going to keep a close eye on how often V-Mart is going to have to go out to talk to Lackey.
- Left side of the infield – There has been a facelift of the hot side of the infield this offseason, and it has tremendous talent. Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro will defend that left side for us and are stellar gloves. Not much will get through the gaps on that left side and seeing the beginning of that will be a great thing to watch. Just a note from the shortstop position, Scutaro committed fewer errors from SS last year than the Sox shortstop by committee had in the first half of last year, and Adrian Beltre was the 3rd best 3B in fielding efficiency last year, a stat that is beyond me when it comes to calculating it.
- The Bullpen – There are the sure spots locked up in the bullpen (Jonathan Papelbon, Ramon S. Ramirez, Daniel Bard, and Hideki Okajima) but the final three spots or so will be up for grabs. The contenders are a struggling Manny Delcarmen, the much awaited (sarcasm noted) Boof Bonser, Lefties Brian Shouse and Dustin Richardson, and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Wake will be a storyline himself too since he is a fan favorite without a spot on this team right now.
- Other various star prospects – Those to keep in mind:
o Jose Iglesias – 19-yr-old shortstop with outstanding upside. They compare him to an Orlando Cabrera or other speedy, everlasting range shortstop
o Lars Anderson – last year’s top prospect who was probably rushed a bit too quickly through the system. I see him making a big impact come 2012.
o Luis Exposito – 23-yr-old catcher. Definitely a work in progress but someone too look at to replace Varitek shortly as the back-up catcher.
o Casey Kelly – Theo’s golden child, Kelly is highly anticipated and has decided to switch full time to pitcher. He is commonly regarded as our pride and joy prospect right now
o Junichi Tazawa – my personal favorite, especially after the then 22-yr-old went into Yankee Stadium and shut down the New York crowd late last season. If injuries strike the starters, look for Taz to step up.
Ed Mahan
Labels:
Red Sox Spring Training,
Truck Day
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