How Stupid Can You Be?

This post comes to you via Steelers/Ravens rage and MLB idiocy. Let's start with my beloved Red Sox...YOU DON'T TRADE THE FUTURE AWAY W/O A GUARANTEED EXTENSION, NO MATTER WHO YOU'RE SIGNING. Casey Kelly( who will be blanking a scoreboard near you), Anthony Rizzo, Raymond Fuentes, and PTBN have been shipped off to SD to get 1B All-Star Adrian Gonzalez. While San Diego and former Sox staffer turned GM Jed Hoyer pumps their fists for what they got, Red Sox fans should be angry that the team didn't get a guaranteed player to stick around while ushering out the Adrian Beltre era. Will Adrian Gonzalez put up inhuman numbers in Boston? Hell yes, he will. David Ortiz may even see more favorable pitches to him. The Sox address the issue of losing Victor Martinez's power in this deal, but have failed to lock it up much like Jason Bay and V-Mart. Another issue the Sox brass will deal with is the fact that Gonzo has a "surgically repaired" shoulder which in its recent tenure doesn't deal well with such( see Curt Schilling and Jason Bay). Gonzalez seeks a Mark Texiera/Ryan Howard type deal, which if the Sox are continuing to compete at such a high level won't have enough money to stay that competitive by committing such. Should also mean no Carl Crawford which we need another OF because Mike Cameron is so unreliable and the scrubs only provide so much production. In all reality, is the power and money worth it? I think not in the instance the deal was done. Had an extension been met, I'd have been a little less critical, but I'm not buying into the hype to see another great player leave and the Sox wander onto the next hype/high priced investment. The plan of course is to sign him towards the beginning of the season so they won't get hit with the luxury tax.

Did anybody think the Nats had the money to offer and sign Jayson Werth? I sure didn't. I don't think Werth should get $126M either as his production went down considerably this season. The Nats taking the Sox initiative of needing power in the line-up because Josh Willingham and Adam Dunn were just "too expensive". So let me get this straight-- you let two guys go for price cuts to buy some players in the off-season, but spend it all on one guy and still need more players. Seven years? He will be 38 and won't have that kind of power by 34 guaranteed. Way to be Scott Boras, another inflated contract that a player won't live up to.

None of this probably made sense because I'm so flustered and when I get that way I tend to jabber on without much fact-based truths, but here's to a better tomorrow when I don't have to think if I will ever buy a new Gonzalez Red Sox jersey or a Jayson Werth shirt.

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The Things I'll Never Understand

I've had numerous friends come up and bust me about the contract saga with Derek Jeter and the Yankees. I shoot them down by one by one assuring them Jeter will be back in a Yankees uniform, and not a Boston one. After all this is the face of the Yankees. He's what makes us Sox fans jealous. The thought of him leaving the Yanks is just simply un-American! The Yanks have offered Jeter a three year/$46M contract which will roughly pay out to $12M/yr. Not bad for a SS who can still play the game at an above average level when age 36 is considered the decline period. Jeter is looking for six years/$90M. GM Brian Cashman gave Jeter's agent a basic "Go pound sand." Is Jeter worth $90M? I don't think with his diminished power stroke and coming off a down season in production, but should get more money for three years? Yes. Why you ask? He's still an elite SS, which is hard to find this off-season. Do the Yanks have a comparable SS in the wings? Not in my eyes and most certainly not in any Yankees fans eyes. So pony up and offer more money, it's not going to break the bank. Derek bleeds pinstripes and will take a discount if the price is right. He's committed to winning and that's what the Yankees are supposed to be committed to doing. Jeter's batting average and OBP dropped significantly this season, but he's kept pace with the last two seasons in just about every other category. This is your leader, your Mr. Postseason, legend and HOFer. Trying to settle and deal for Jose Reyes doesn't make the team any better. Pony up Steinbrenners, or you'll regret it.

In terms of other large contracts, Adrian Beltre makes me throw up. He's a contract year type of player, nothing else. The year in Boston is no different. Why did he do so well? Contract year and the advantage hitters have in Fenway Park. Don't believe me? Look at his numbers, they consistently go down and then up as a new contract approaches and then right back down once a new contract is signed. The best part is the A's are willing to pay his price and I can guarantee his numbers won't be nearly as good. Someone should give him Jason Bay's number and ask him how things are going in NY. When Boston signed Beltre last season, I can say I was hardly enthused, but got excited when I saw the player give effort. Needless to say, I knew this would be his only season in Fenway because he'd go chasing the money as he nears 35. Good luck Adrian, you'll need it.

By now, everyone has seen that Victor Martinez has signed a hefty new deal with the Tigers. Crazy money for a guy who is a dynamite on offense, but middle of the road on defense. As a Sox fan, I was disappointed to see him go offensively, but knew we had to get better defensively. Problem is the catching market is very thin now. Martinez will make the Tigers a much better team in the long run, but I feel the Tigers overpaid by about $10M.

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More off-season cuts

Despite the short amount of time since the end of the World Series, the baseball world is still turning as team's are cutting down their rosters to make a run for the hot stove in December. Here's a few players who survived the first day of cuts, but weren'l so lucky:
Bill Hall, UT; Felipe Lopez, 2B - Red Sox
Kevin Gregg, RP; Miguel Olivo, C - Blue Jays (after he was traded from the Rockies)
Edgar Renteria, SS - Giants - considering retirement.
Scott Podsednik, OF - Dodgers
Jesus Feliciano, OF; Omir Santos, C - Mets
Casey Kotchman, 1B - Mariners
Jeff Francis, P - Rockies

The Red Sox have picked up David Ortiz's option, but Ortiz is less than excited about fearing job security. Also, sub-par reliever Scott Atchinson was retained. The Marlins have offered 2B Dan Uggla a four year contract with the financials undisclosed, but would receive $8M for 2011. Uggla is seeking five years.

Rumors: Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff may be offered contracts soon from the champion Giants. The Giants aren't sure if they will keep Pat Burrell or Mark DeRosa.
The Yankees and Derek Jeter have begun discussing a new contract.
RP Hasanori Takahashi is looking for a three yr. deal
A few teams are already calling about Brandon Webb.
Lance Berkman "won't be an Astro again" according to GM Ed Wade.

Bring On The Offseason!

The season is over and congrats to the Giants on a well-deserved championship. Now we made it to the exciting part of the season( especially if your team has been sitting for awhile). Before the hot stove heats up, teams are making decisions on whose coming back already. Here's a list of players who aren't returning to their teams currently:
Adam Kennedy, 2B - Nats
Chris Young, P; Jon Garland, P; Yorvit Torrealba, C - Padres
Octavio Dotel, RP; Jeff Francis, P - Rockies
Willy Ayber, UT; Dan Wheeler, RP - Rays
Vladimir Guerrero - Rangers
Adrian Beltre, 3B - Red Sox
Orlando Cabrera, SS; Aaron Harang, P - Reds
Erik Bedard, P; Russell Branyan 1B, 2B Jose Lopez - Mariners
Eric Chavez, 3B; Boof Bonser, RP - A's
Rick Ankiel, OF; Kyle Farnsworth, RP - Braves
Jhonny Peralta, SS - Tigers
Adam LaRoche, 1B - D'Backs
Greg Zaun, C; Trevor Hoffman, RP; Doug Davis, P - Brewers
Mark Hendrickson, P - Orioles

Meanwhile, the Mets exercised Jose Reyes option, the Padres have exercised Adrian Gonzalez's option, The A's have exercised Coco Crisp and Mark Ellis's options, and finally the Reds pick up Bronson Arroyo and Jonny Gomes options. Aramis Ramirez exercised his player option with the Cubs.

End of 2010: Philadelphia Phillies

As I and many others watched the end of game six of the NLCS, the look on the Phillies fans faces said it all leading up to the final nonchalant Ryan Howard strike-out( who amazingly finished second in strike-outs for the team). This was not the same Philadelphia team that thundered into the playoffs pushing the Braves to the brink of play-off elimination touting a formidable pitching rotation. While the rotation did their their job, the offense sputtered through the young, but talented Reds and completely fizzled out against the Giants. Was the writing on the wall it was not to be? Yes, I seen it in game four. J-Roll and Victorino weren't effective as lead-offs in the least. Ross Gload did nothing at the plate and Ryan Howard failed to drive in an RBI. Ruiz gave us what we expected and Jayson Werth gave us one last memorable plate appearance before he rides off into the sunset. Utley had a down post-season, but it would be hard to replicate last year's performance. Ultimately, the Phils relied too much on a strong rotation.

The 2011 Phils will be much different as Domonic Brown will replace Jayson Werth and platoon with Ben Francisco(should he be offered a contract). There is also a possibility Jose Contreras will cost the Phils too much. Jamie Moyer, Mike Sweeney, J.C. Romero and Greg Dobbs will almost certainly be axed and Kyle Kendrick maybe non-tendered. In oder to remain competitive, Howard should take a pay-cut and free up some money to retain talent. Another scenario brought up a few ago, is if the Phils could trade Joe Blanton and Raul Ibanez and make a pass for Cliff Lee. Still won't solve their offensive woes, but will help buy someone to fix such.

This will conclude my 2010 season writings, but be on the look-out for the 2010-11 off-season posts.

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End of 2010: Boston Red Sox

It didn't take us Sox fans long to bang our heads. Mike Cameron provided plenty of that before the Sox had lost most of its guts by mid-summer. Then the drama with Jacoby Ellsbury took the rest of the summer along with the losses of Youk and Pedey. Josh Beckett was barely on the mound and when he was, wasn't very effective. John Lackey was the biggest bust the Sox have spent on in years(even despite the wasted signing of Carlos Delgado who never saw the light of the majors). Dice-K continued his streak of inconsistency( please trade him) from the 2008-2009-2010 season. I'm still unsure if I should hate Bill Hall, but it's looking like he won't be back next season from the rumblings I've heard. We saw the end of a fine career by "Iron" Mike Lowell and quite possibly the final time for Jason Varitek. I don't even wanna talk about Paps, let's just leave it at that.

The silver lining is in all..could you ask for better performances by Jon Lester(who should be the AL Cy Young winner) or Clay Buchholz? Everytime they took the mound, RSN smiled with joy and on the offensive side hoped to see Beltre or a revived Ortiz go long over the Monstah. Marco Scutaro wasn't bad either(which I had really doubted him along with Lackey). The cast of characters in the OF (Nava, McDonald, Kalish, Drew) gave us a break when we we're hurting and helped us win some games. Best of all though, we gave the Yankees and Rays a run for their money until the bitter end.

2011 will be much different. Catcher has yet to be decided with Victor Martinez seemingly inching closer to FA, Varitek may not be back and Saltamacchia was just re0signed to a minor league deal. The power will return to the Sox line-up with healthy Ellsbury's, Youk's, and Pedroia's. Missing from this maybe Adrian Beltre who hits the open market and will sign somewhere else. Who knows though? Werth or Crawford could be in the cards for us. The Sox will need to re-build the bullpen, which was a glaring weakness and decide if Jonathan Papelbon can be trusted to close em out. Here's to 2011!

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End of 2010: New York Mets

It's now a reality the Mets will once again be looking to a new season for redemption. While many fans gave up weeks ago, the reality is today is the final day of 2010 regular season and yet another Mets loss 2-1 to the Nats. The Mets really never got off the ground losing Johan Santana, trading away a re-surgent Jeff Francoeur, the K-Rod "incident", endless Oliver Perez incidents, What is Jerry Manuel thinking?, and the is Mike Pelfrey for real? Carlos Beltran came back after what seemed like a decade out of the line-up. However, the rumor is that he and two other members of the team are causing trouble in the clubhouse.

The Mets did have some bright spots though mainly on the pitching side. R.A. Dickey turned out to be one of the biggest bargains of the year and Jon Niese was another stand-out. The Mets can hope they re-sign Hasanori Takahashi, who pitched admirably this season. Jose Reyes provided some flash in hopes of receiving a new contract and David Wright was the offensive MVP.

The future is uncertain at this time. Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel(possibly) won't be back. Rumored by the great Peter Gammons, the Red Sox maybe interested in trading Daisuke Matsuzaka for Carlos Beltran. Jose Reyes's future is undetermined until a new GM is installed, despite desiring a long-term deal. Pedro Feliciano has a potential for a new home, as well as K-Rod. More on this as it unfolds and be on the look-out next for the Red Sox 2010 wrap-up.

Summer's Last Swan Song

It's almost the worst time of the year, when the baseball regular season ends and the post-season begins. This post-season my attention will be on the Phils who have the BEST 1-2-3 punch pitching rotation in all of baseball. Can I say I was bummed out about my beloved Sox missing the playoffs? Totally, but I for the first time in years gave up on watching and paying attention to them. Did they give it a good run? I think so given the fact they still a .8% chance of making it. The regular season though, was great. I went to a few games this season (Is four considered a few?). My final game of the season took place on Saturday at PNC Park where believe it or not, I saw the Pirates win. Pedro Alvarez smacked a 3 run shot over the RF wall and the Pirates gave Zach Duke the support he needed to get his 8th win of the season. It was a fundamentally horrid game( 4 errors and a few pitches in the dirt). After all was said and done, I left with a retro Roberto Clemente jersey at a great price, plenty of pics, and a happy note to end my baseball trips for 2010.

Already looking forward to next season, but for now Go Phils! ....and here's to hoping the Yankees choke.

Trying To Keep The Faith

Whether you're a Phillies fan or Red Sox fan, you're close to the edge of your seat with 30 games left in the 2010 regular season( Sox fans like me are past the edge and have fell off curled up like a fetus with every passing game). At least Mets fans don't have to worry about this..(sorry, had to throw it out there). The Sox are about 8 games out of first and 6 of the wild-card( after dismally losing to the O's tonight). The Phils meanwhile as I blog, are up 3-1 to the Dodgers in the 2nd inning (off a Brian Schneider 3 run HR). The difference between these two teams is of course health. Both teams were ravaged by injuries to crucial players like Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and etc. However, the Phils have those players back and just aren't hitting. The Red Sox would kill to have Youk and Pedey back (Fans would kill, too). Fact of the matter is, they're done and the Sox hopes die every day, unlike the Phils who are just stuck in an offensive slump.

I'm pulling for both teams, (even if the Mets could make an improbable run I'd be stoked), but I know more than likely my beloved Sox will be home watching the post-season hoping for a better( and healthier) 2011 season. So keep believing Phils fans...

(Mets fans should hope that in a freak event R.A. Dickey wins the NL Cy Young Award lol).

P.S. my reaction to the Delcarmen trade....Not sure how this helps the Sox out. He wasn't the best reliever, but Robert Manuel has yet to reach his effectiveness.

Mike Cameron: Goat

I may not be right about much this season as most of my predictions have bombed at this point, but there is one thing I was certainly more than right about: Mike Cameron was a waste of time and money for the Boston Red Sox. Cameron called it a season earlier citing an abdominal tear that has hurt him since the early portion of the season. This deals the fledgling Red Sox another blow at a crucial time when it appears they're trying to turn their season around and make the playoffs. Can Nava, McDonald, Kalish, and the rest of the scrubs crew get it done? My answer is yes--but by a miracle. That miracle of course, the Yanks falter(unlikely) or the Rays choke up(more likely, but still unlikely). One player doesn't impact an entire team as evidenced by the play of the Sox without Youkilis.

The problem is the Red Sox locked themselves into an unnecessary contract (2yr/$15.5M) with a limited range OF in his decline. Had this been pre 2007, Cameron would be the value he's currently being paid to ride the pine. Worse off is the fact Cameron has hurt since spring training. The Sox never thought, "Maybe we should cut ties now?" Manager Terry Francona credits Cameron with "fighting an uphill battle to return" and help the beleaguered Sox. Cameron did nothing in the first two weeks before injury and was less impressive in spring training. Nothing redeeming have I seen in him. Pedroia is doing more even though he's struggling to get back in the swing of things. Ellsbury in his short return did more. Youk stated earlier this week, "I'd love to return if we can make the post-season." Meanwhile, Francona and Cameron are worried about 2011. Cameron should be gone by 2011 and Francona and Epstein should be discussing a new OF.

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Trade DeadLine thoughts 2010

By now, you've scoured every source you could and waited patiently or impatiently for your team to make the necessary move they need for a post-season run. If you're me, you've watched your team(s) fail miserably. So let's begin:

- What can I say about the ill-thought Roy Oswalt trade that hasn't already been said? J.A. Happ will be a consistent 15 game winner given enough run support in Houston. Roy Oswalt will be a higher priced Joe Blanton for the Phils.

- Did anybody inform the Mets today was the deadline?

- Typically, when the team leading your division makes several moves to bolster their reinforcements and the team ahead of you deals for a decent reliever/closer, you should probably make a really good move considering the underachieving done thus far in the second half. Theo Epstein felt none of this mattered after dealing Ramon Ramirez to the Giants. Thankfully, he tried redeeming himself by getting Saltamacchia from Texas, but designate their best reserve OF instantly shrugged that progress off.

- The Rangers are freakin' stacked! This could be their year if the Yanks or Rays bow out early.

- I'm still confused what the Pirates were trying to accomplish today.

- The Dodgers were about the most active team aside from the "Skanks", but I don't see them working out as well as the Yanks move.

- The Cards TOTALLY overpaid for Jake Westbrook, just saying.

- Disappointed Adam Dunn didn't move as well as Josh Willingham, but I see the Nats building a contender finally.

- The Royals weren't properly compensated for Rick Ankiel.

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Sox And The Phils: The Great DL Race

By now if you're a Red Sox or Phillies fan (or both), you're just praying that one more person doesn't go down. It's been rough for both teams with the highest of expectations to be in third place. Who knew all the hitters we're going to get injured in Philly? Who knew the hitters and some pitchers were going to go down in Boston?

Current DL status for Phillies:

Antonio Bastardo (P) -- Could be a long time before we see him again
Chad Durbin (RP) -- rehab assignment Sat.
Ryan Madson (RP) --ready to be activated supposedly
Placido Polanco (3B) (sore elbow; could see baseball activities resume Saturday)
Chase Utley (2B) -- optimistic for an early return, but early Aug still looks like target.
Carlos Ruiz (C) --saw a concussion specialist Monday
Brian Schneider (C) --DTD (thumb sprain)

Having Utley and Polanco hurts the Phils for a big bat leaving Ryan Howard unprotected. Ruiz not being in the line-up hurts them by not bringing in runs and him getting on base. Ryan Madson can hopefully return to closing duties because Brad Lidge has just been terrible in close games. The bullpen is also hurting without Chad Durbin whose been a steady arm in 29 games this season with a sub 4 ERA. Things are looking up post All-Star Break for the Phillies, they just can't get too far behind the Braves and Mets (who are semi-injured).

As for the Sox, they've overachieved as an injury-plagued team in the AL East. A few days ago, the Yankees were sweating bullets as the Sox pulled within half a game for first place. The bullpen couldn't get it done for them against the Rays and the bats came too late after the Rays built up a lead. No need for the Sox to panic, though. Right after the AS break expect to see Clay Buchholz back in the rotation, Jacoby Ellsbury could be back, and Victor Martinez.

Current Red Sox DL:
Josh Beckett (P) --threw 64 pitch simulated game; rehab assignment discussion
Clay Buchholz (P) --threw an aggressive side session yesterday
Junichi Tazawa (P) -- done until 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April
Manny Delcarmen (RP) -- late July return after MRI revealed forearm strain
Jacoby Ellsbury (LF) -- resuming baseball activities very soon
Jeremy Hermia (OF) -- Takes BP; late July return
Jed Lowrie (SS) -- Rehab assignment
Mike Lowell (3B) -- ready, but on personal leave as per Tito
Victor Martinez (C) --Thumb sprain; surgery not needed
Jason Varitek (C) - broken right foot; out 6 weeks
Dustin Pedroia (2B) -- early august return after broken left foot
Kevin Youkilis (1B) --playing through ankle pain
**Hideki Okajima battling back issues

There's a lot of season to play for both teams and both play their best ball after the All-Star break. No need to get alarmed, but expect trades to add temporary depth until these stars come back.

Rumored Trade Targets for Phils:

Jeremy Guthrie (SP) Orioles
Ty Wigginton (2B) Orioles
Miguel Tejada (3B) Orioles
Cliff Lee (SP) Mariners
Dan Haren (SP) D'Backs
Ben Sheets (SP) Athletics
Mike Lowell (3B) Red Sox

Rumored Targets for The Red Sox:

Chris Snyder (C) D'Backs
Scott Downs (RP) Blue Jays
Kerry Wood (RP) Indians
Will Ohman (RP) Orioles

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Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July all! It's been awhile since I typed up anything as I been preparing for my new job( which will mean I'll be posting even less) and such. However, I did attend last Sunday's Mets game against the Twins. Phenomenal game and a great time with my buds. For the first time ever live, I witnessed back-back HR's (courtesy of David Wright and Ike Davis) and a shut-out. Jon Niese pitched 7.2 innings of four hit ball on a sweltering New York afternoon. Lucky for me, that was before the Puerto Rico trip, but the Mets still trail Hotlanta by a few games with the injury-depleted Phillies two games back.

Ironically enough, next Sunday I may be in Philly for the game against the Reds. I'm hoping to catch Mike Leake pitch after watching him pitch against the Phils earlier this week. Let's hope the Phils can squeeze out a win against the red hot Reds.

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Here Come The Sawx!

In what's gone from a pip-squeak of a mouse has turned into a full-fledged roar as the injury battered Red Sox have gone on an ass-kicking mission and slimmed a once 8.5 game deficit to pull within a game of the Yanks and Rays. All this while missing Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Jeremy Hermida, and Adrian Beltre at points(And signs aren't encouraging with J.D. having left the game with a strained hammy). The Sox were lead to victory on the left-handed arm of Felix Doubront last night and look to keep on the streak tonight against Vincente Padilla. Doubront, called up from AAA, won his first ML game going five innings giving up 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 K's. With the heart seemingly gone at the beginning of the season, the Sox were streaky at best through the first two months and are seemingly finding their groove now. Why? The bench and David Ortiz.

Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava (.444, 1HR, 6 RBIs), Bill Hall (.230, 5HR's, 30 RBI's) have all come up big for the Sox on defense and offense. After seeing Nava(what a debut against the Phils!) in some action the past week and McDonald(.277, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 5 SB) for about a month, I'm a believer that the Sox can trade Jacoby Ellsbury and get a reliever or middle of the rotation guy seeing as Beckett won't be back for at least another week and Dice-K's time-table is unknown. I know you're wondering why Bill Hall is in the category. Hall had crucial hits in rallies and games that outweigh his low batting average, but look at his OBP. It's his 2nd best. He caters to the small game played with stats. Meanwhile, David Ortiz is making a strong case for the Sox to re-sign him after bopping #15 last night. He's currently batting a .266 with 43 RBIs, a far cry from his sub .190 average to begin the season. Do I see Ortiz coming back? No, the Sox don't have the patience to wait for him to heat up again next season. The offense seems to be clicking much better and Adrian Beltre has been hot at the plate finally validating he's a good fit at Fenway. Pedey's had a average year, but look at him to turn it up and Marco Scutaro has gotten some key hits.

The starting pitching looks like the formidable rotation it was expected to be despite Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Wake's numbers. Clay Buchholz is making a strong bid to appear in his first all-star game with Jon Lester right behind. I've been disappointed with Lackey, but expected the numbers he's put up. Despite the constant circus in the bullpen, it's remained steady and gotten through the innings which it struggled to do in May. Daniel Bard s getting very acclimated to Johnathon Papelbon's role, which could signal a changing of the guards should Paps not become more dominant.

This looks like a good season again for the Sox, but it's going to take a lot more to beat a talent-loaded Yankees team and a consistent Rays club.

Phils bats have gone silent

What is wrong with the NL champs? Only 20 runs in 10 games? They've a few points on team batting average and lost about 2 runs a game since. The Braves have proven to be quite a surprise with the rest of the NL gaining on the Phils coveted second place.Now that Steven Strasburg has hit the majors, I'm sure the Phils are praying they don't face him after his dismantling of the Pirates. Ryan Howard's monstrous HR's are few and far between, Jayson Werth is far from having a huge season, Chase Utley has scattered singles and doubles, but not many HR's lately. Poor Raul Ibanez can't get a hit to have an argument in his favor. Placido Polanco has been getting quite banged up for a thirty-five year old guy this season, so it's hard to stay ina rhythm. Ruiz has never been a prime-time/average contact hitter to argue that he's been hurting them. I credit J-Roll being hurt as a big problem for the team. The bench isn't exactly lighting the field on fire either.

So what to do? In my opinion, Howard is cutting down on his strike-outs, but has to be more aggressive at the plate...maybe crowd it a bit for opposing pitchers to draw walks if he can't get a hit. Utley is some minor adjustments in his swing to get those extra bases. Werth needs to get his mind off the pressure of a new deal, he's flat-out giving away money now. The Phillies shouldn't be in a rush to sign him, nor should he be to. Raul is just an aging mess. Some time in extra BP would do him great to compensate for the loss of bat speed. The bench needs to do something. Castro has been the most productive member in Rollins's absence.

From a manager's stand-point where are the steals and hit and runs? Getting more quality starts and committing less errors would help on the defense side of the ball. The Phils aren't in danger yet of this season slipping away, but they should be taking advantage of the scheduled teams they have coming in under .500.

Ollie Perez and The Meaning Of No

Coming soon to a theater near you, the biggest summer blockbuster of them all: Oliver Perez vs. The Mets. Watch as the two sides slug it out over who is the supreme commander of their destiny. Yep, that's how I see it billed. The Mets are most certainly going to roll over for this clown on two legs. I can't understand why the Mets keep him around...he's dead weight. The guy can't pitch. He's had two "good" seasons (if you enjoy just over .500 win decisions and a career ERA of 4.60) with the Mets and the rest of his career in Pittsburgh and San Diego were abysmal numbers. Even then, what did the Mets see in this guy?

This week after so much speculation, "Queen Perez" refused a minor league assignment because it's a slap to his ego...nothing more, nothing less. Ollie, you got command issues, the minors is where you can get back on track. You think Dwight Gooden enjoyed going back to the minors before re-proving his worth to the Yankees and Indians during the 1996-1999 stretch? No, he was scared he'd never make it back, but he took the assignment for his shot and look what it got him-- A World Series ring among a few post-season appearances. Now, by no means am I saying Ollie can become a fire-baller like Gooden was, but he can become a serviceable middle rotation guy if he'd be more accommodating. The Mets NEED to release this guy or force to change his mind. He's hurting the organization and the fans. The Mets could go after a guy like Dontrelle Willis (who will not be a Met) that may be able to help the team out. Joel Sherman of The New York Post says "Fans shouldn't blame him for not accepting, but blame the team for a bad contract." Ok, fine I do blame them for a bad contract, but a player has a duty to the team and Perez isn't doing such.

So if my overall point of this entry was anything, it's that the Mets have a big decision to make and it can't wait much longer.

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Mets questions at pitching

Recently, starter Oliver Perez was demoted to the bullpen after an 0-3; 5.94 ERA start. Seems fitting right? This all comes a brief time ago after signing a three year/$36M contract. The Mets didn't send him to the minors due to him not accepting that kind of demotion and more than likely having to shred the contract and eat the money. Writers say Perez doesn't pitch as well in the cold, which is plausible if you think of Pedro Martinez, but hardly an excuse for lack of velocity. Oliver Perez and Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen can surely commiserate such a problem as Delcarmen has struggled to get his velocity back after an injury. Interestingly, the two are the same age (28) and neither should be hitting a "dead-arm" age yet. Both have been extensively injured throughout their careers.

The real problem for the Mets is the fact who is the person to replace Perez. Jon Niese has been diagnosed with a mild strain of his right hamstring after exiting Sunday's game. Two pitchers are needed now. Johan Santana has yet to win, John Maine is having command issues, while Mike Pelfrey continues to showcase himself as the number one guy for now. Hisanori Takahasi (3-1; 3.12ERA) will take Niese's start on Friday, but rumor has it that Perez's replacement will be R.A. Dickey, whose been added to the roster while they await word on the extent of Niese's hamstring. Dickey hasn't played in the bigs since last season, but sports a 4-2; 2.23ERA at Triple A Buffalo.

The question is are Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey be the replacements to keep the Mets afloat? At least, Chris Carter is exciting to watch while Jeff Francouer took his mental health day.

Baseball reflects life sometimes....

I apologize for my brief disappearance, but I've been busy getting ready for graduation, figuring out how I'm gonna pay my bills on my limited income, and relationship issues. Quite simply, it hasn't been all roses here, a lot of questions that need answers.

The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.

Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.

Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.

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Ryan Howard extension

By now you've heard the Phillies have locked up 1B Ryan Howard to a five year contract worth $125M. If you're a Phillies fan, you thought you'd never see the day when the team spent money to keep up competitively, but if you're not a fan, you probably think the Phils made the worst financial deal of all time given Howard's age and contract length. Let's be honest, Howard hasn't reached a decline point yet, but how will he respond to age. He's a smaller David Ortiz (and Ortiz hasn't aged well). Howard is thirty this season which is typically where analysts and fans begin to jump off hte wagon on a guy, and how can you blame with a league like the NL without a DH? Howard will basically become un-trade able should he decline (which I'm generously giving him until 34).That point, the Phils are on the hook for one more year under contract and he's free to walk. I don't see the problem here. Boston fans have watched Big Papi slip for almost a season and a half. The biggest reason the Phils did this deal without flinching is the fact of the team they have currently. Victorino, Halladay, Ruiz and etc. are all under contract to make consecutive runs. Sure, Raul Ibanez could retire and Jayson Werth & J-Roll could be gone, but still looking at them on paper, they still look like a first place team. This is why Ryan's deal make sense. It's more than enough incentive to take a small risk of decline. Maybe the analysts need to lay-off saying it's overall bad (excluding Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal partially). If anybody needs to leave, it's Cole Hamels. He's been inconsistent to a "t" and when Joe Blanton comes back should be sent to AAA to work out his issues. In the meantime, don't knock a guy who knows how to bring in runs and swings a good bat getting a big contract. Wait until the years go away (with or without WS championships) and see how Ryan Howard continues to play the game.

As a society, we tend to evaluate decisions quickly without giving things time to work out. Look at Alex Rodriguez's sky-high contract. Great in the regular season, but leaves much to be desired in the playoffs when it counts (don't argue that 2009 validates him, because one season doesn't). Howard is just as consistent come play-offs ( excuse his hiccup last season hitting an abysmal .174). A-Rod's playoff resume is longer than Howard's and his BA only outranks Howards by .23. Yankees fan would agree that A-Rod has been worth despite his struggles would they not?

Ryan Howard may not be the HR leader of all-time, multiple-time world champion, or best 1B of all-time, but he provides a solid bat for a solid team that has multiple bats. Just like A-Rid, just like pre- 2008 David Ortiz, etc.

Reactions to Gordon Edes column

If you click my title, it will take to Edes's column. Here's the link if that's a problem: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=5124562

Upon making my daily stop at ESPNBoston.com, I found a somewhat scathing story about slugger David Ortiz. If you've been under a rock the past few months, you'd think Ortiz was still a god at the plate...he's quite the opposite in fact. I'm sure some are feeling that Wednesday's lifting of Ortiz in favor of Mike Lowell at DH is a signal of an end. Baseball is a business as most of the population knows, but being a fan doesn't exactly equate to the economics of the game. For a fan, it's about when your team is laying it on the line to get the win, the hero stepping to the plate, the player that you adore, and the pride you show even when the team/hero doesn't get it done. While anyone can understand that David Ortiz isn't what he once was despite his valiant efforts in training himself to adapt, the progress has been less than impressive. Ortiz is batting .146 with two RBI's fifteen games into the season. The start is reminiscent of last season when he was under .200 at the All-Star break. He's already been benched for tonight's game. Could Ortiz benefit from more at bats? Maybe. Is it possible Boston isn't working for him anymore? Maybe. Is David Ortiz done? Maybe. We don't know until we find out these things.

Ededs goes on to say, "And few people would disagree with Francona's decision to look to someone other than Ortiz for deliverance. The number of people still professing belief in Big Papi can probably be comfortably seated at a table for one." Economically, yes most people including myself, would agree because he's simply not hitting the ball especially with being offered fastballs which he'd destroy before 2008. The number of people who still believe is doubtful to be just one, Mr. Edes...My girlfriend sits at the table with me. She is nowhere near the maniac I am about the Sox, but she loves David Ortiz. She hates seeing him struggle just as much as I, or any other caring Sox fan does. I think what people forget is the good times. Where would we be without David Ortiz? 2004 would've never happened. Maybe not even 2007. The Red Sox waited 86 years to erase a World Series drought and we complain because the guy struggled five months out of the last nine months of baseball season. People died before seeing a Boston championship and we'd die before Ortiz gets another shot at baseball? That's being a fan, suffering through the tough times, accepting failure (bitterly or not), and continuing to support. Yet, we can't forget about the past--the towering shots Ortiz hit to keep our playoff dreams alive, the plaque given to him by John Henry (Most Clutch Hitter of All Time), and easily the most memorable and productive DH in Red Sox history. Our bitter rivals never forget the past 27 championships they won (never shy to speak about it when around a Sox fan such as myself).

So to close this up, keep up the faith (so to speak). We are fans, not owners or business partners of the team. We will always be loyal to the Sox until death (I hope I can see one more World Series in the next seventy years I hope to live)
Hope the best for David, no matter what happens. Most of all never forget he was the guy who ran away (Man-Ram), the guy who got away (JayBay), controversial (Jim Rice), or the sale of one of the of the greatest to ever play the game (Babe). He just came out to have a good time and play the game, maybe he just needs to find that fun again...but I could be completely wrong. Until we figure it out, there's always seats at the table to hope Ortiz can turn it around.

Mets Notes

- Recently, the Mets have really come along. The pitching is solidifying and the hitters are getting on the ball. And excitement--how about the twenty inning marathon with the Cards? This may indeed be the season to believe.

- Prospect Ike Davis finally got his promotion after the team DFA'd Mike Jacobs. Davis got a hit in his debut. Davis is currently batting .286 with 1 RBI in.

- On the injury front, Carlos Beltran is still not participating in baseball activities despite optimistically stating he;d be running by now. The organization seems less than excited about the news. Reliever Ryota Igarashi is taking an MRI on his hamstring after feeling discomfort fielding a bunt in Tuesday night's affair with the Cubs. It's been announced he is placed on the 15 day DL (hamstring strain) and Manny Acosta has been called up from Buffalo.

- Oliver Perez has looked better and better in his last two outings. Granted last night's three runs over five wasn't near his performance against the Cards, but Perez looks like the servicable arm he was.

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Phillies Notes

- Anybody else bummed out for Kyle Kendrick? The kid threw eight scoreless frames last night only to see Ryan Madson blow the game. Don't get down on Kendrick, he's warming up, as is Cole Hamels. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the win on Sunday either, but his confidence should be built back up after struggling at the beginning of the season.

- In other pitching related news, J.A. Happ may be ready to go by the weekend if he makes it through a bullpen session Thursday. Happ has missed his last two starts due a to a mild flexor pronator muscle strain in his left arm. both J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge are stopping in Lehigh Valley this week. Romero gave u a run and three walks Monday in an innings work for the IronPigs. Romero was slated to be in last night's game, but it was suspended in the top of the second due to weather.

- Jimmy Rollins is on the mend still, but it's unlikely he'll be ready to go April 28 when he is eligible to come off the DL. A minor league stint is in order upon his return.

- The Doctor is in today against Tim Hudson and the Braves.

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State Of The Red Sox

Who are the Red Sox you ask? My answer is....who the hell are these guys? After considerably disappointing series against both the Twins and Rays and a - record, there are more questions than answers left with the team. Sure, we're only 12 games into the season, but in the AL East no team can afford to get behind because the rest will put you away. First impressions of the Sox were a pitching dominant team with some bats. They have not lived up to this expectation if you exclude John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. Sure, Buchholz pitched a decent a game Saturday, and other guys have gone long (Martinez, Varitek, etc.), but simply everyone needs to contribute. The bats aren't as anemic as people thought they'd be. They blow chances with advancing runners and scoring opportunities. It hurts not having Ellsbury's (who figures to be back mid-week) speed on the basepaths. I have yet to be excited that Mike Cameron (.233) and Marco Scutaro (.286) are Red Sox. Beltre (.300) started off good, but has tapered off as of late. Drew hasn't hit since his stiff neck incident ( a paltry .132). David Ortiz probably won't be around much longer to watch strike out continuously. Mike Lowell should be a good DH as a replacement. Victor Martinez can hit the ball well, however, defensively he makes me cry. Seriously, he's like 1/24 against base-stealers. The writers at MLBtraderumors.com think the Angels and Sox could work out a deal for C Jeff Mathis. It would involve Lowell going there, which I'd be less than excited about getting a guy whose known only for his defense (I'd rather get Mike Napoli). Youk and V-Mart would be able to switch days at first though as a solution.

The pitching from the starting five leaves some to be desired. Jon Lester is lost and needs to find himself. Wakefield can spin a fantastic game and can have a total melt-down the next. Buchholz needs to be consistent and he would be a good pitcher. The bullpen is abysmal. I curl up in a ball every time Manny Delcarmen comes on in a close game. Bard is great, but can get himself into trouble. Okajima and Paps are fine with me, but I wonder what happened to the Ramon S. Ramirez of last season (Ramon A. Ramirez was released yesterday). Bonser's addition to the pen should be good and Alan Embree has extended the deadline another 15 days for the Sox to get him a spot in the bigs (yet, he's thrown 3.1 sub-par innings of relief in AAA).

We'll have to see what happens in the coming months, but for the one thing Theo Epstein knows it's hard to come from 15 games back in June when they Yankees are getting very hot. Trade chips include Delcarmen (please trade him), Junichi Tazawa, Clay Buchholz, and Mike Lowell. Pretty sure at least two out of four of these guys won't finish the season in Boston.

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Mets, Phillies, Red Sox Notes

- The Sox got lit up in the finale against the Twins 8-0 with Wakefield taking the loss and the offense rendered non-existent. Next is a series with the Rays for the weekend.

- Reliever Alan Embree has decided not to opt out of his contract with the deal according to WEEI, but doesn't necessarily mean he's sticking around in Boston.

- Mike Cameron sat out the finale with an abdominal strain. He seen a doctor in Minneapolis and will have tests in Boston today. Jacoby Ellsbury is still out from the collision in Tuesday's game and is a long-shot from starting. The Sox may look to AAA to bring someone up.

-Daisuke Matsuzaka threw six scoreless frames in Pawtucket and feels "ready to pitch in the bigs."

PHILLIES

- The Phils were denied a sweep by the Nats in a 2-1 heartbreaker when Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman went long.

- Brad Lidge says "He's 100% healthy, but not 100% ready to re-join the club." I'd agree looking at his peripherals (0-1; 16.87 ERA) in A ball. He thinks a late April return. J.C. Romero is only a step ahead in his rehab. Joe Blanton will throw a pen session today before his first start in Clearwater Tuesday.

- Juan Castro's bat sure is hot these days. The hot Marlins are coming to town, so his bat will be important.

METS

- Mike Pelfrey looked like Tim Lincecum yesterday as the Mets beat the Rockies. Jeff Francoeur is still hot at the plate having a hit in the last 9 games.

- Manager Jerry Manuel would love to move Jose Reyes in the batting order while the SS is still rusty. The three spot is where Reyes maybe this weekend against the Cards.

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Phillies Notes

- According to Todd Zolecki, the Phils have been in contact with Pedro Martinez. Can't hurt to have him around. Cole Hamels is still out in la-la land and Blanton isn't due back for a couple days still.

- The team made a decision today to put Jimmy Rollins on the DL for his right calf. He'll be out of service for two to four weeks. J-Roll is hitting .391 and has an OBP of .516 so missing him would hurt the Phils. On the same day (Monday), Jayson Werth left the game with a sore left hip. His status is day-day, but took BP and pinch-hit duties. Wilson Valdez has been called up.

- Washington must hate playing Philly. They've won just one game against them in five meetings. The series finished out today with Kendrick struggling, but Victorino and Utley having huge days to propel the Phils to a 14-7 win over the Nats. The Phils are off to their best start since '93.

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New York Mets Notes

The season hasn't started off as hoped. Santana was roughed up for five runs a few days ago, which was simply un-Santana like. Mike Jacobs is 1 for 12. Castillo has been injured and Reyes is still rusty.

-Reliever Sean Green hit the DL retroactive as of April 8th.

-Holy cow, has anyone been paying attention to Jeff Francoeur's bat?!? Suddenly, the Church-Francouer swap sees some return.

-Mets were .189 batters with RISP this past week, another reason why the wins are few.

-2B Luis Castillo (sore calf) returns tonight as the Mets take on the Rox.

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Red Sox Notes

- The bullpen faltered Friday night giving the Royals a late game rallying win 4-3. Flamethrower Daniel Bard took the loss after Tim Wakefield pitched a great game. Rick Ankiel's broken bat RBI single off Bard in the bottom of the eighth. David Ortiz was ejected after arguing a strike-out in the sixth. J.D. Drew's HR provided the only gem of the game.

-Saturday's luck turned around as the Sox crushed 5 HR's off the Royals giving Josh Beckett his first win this season. The bench played a crucial role seeing three of the five HR's come off it, Hermida with one and Varitek with two. Youk and Pedey supplied insurance HR's late in the game.

- The final tilt with the Royals went to the Sox by a score of 8-6. We had thought this game was put away by the sixth, but of course the bullpen scared us again. Buchholz got the win pitching in five innings giving up three runs.

- Mike Lowell is considering retirement as his contract runs out at the end of the season knowing A) Boston isn't interested in his services to remain on the bench. B) He can't stay healthy enough to play everyday. However, Iron Mike made a beautiful backhanded grab Saturday night.

- Boof Bonser and Alan Embree have been making progress in the minors. Embree's has been going much better than Bonser's, but Embree must be on the ML roster by Thursday or he can opt-out of his contract. J.D. Drew sat out Sunday's game with a stiff neck. He should return to action against the Twins. Can't complain, Jeremy Hermida has been hot at the plate.

- Ellsbury and Beltre collided in the ninth inning with one out remaining trying to catch a foul ball. Beltre's knee hit Ellsbury's ribs causing him to briefly lose air and leaving him day-to-day with a contusion.

- Nick Cafardo speculates the Sox making a run at Carlos Pena in the off-season.

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Phils/Nats & Mets/Marlins games 2 & 3

The Phils continued their dominance of the Nationals in game two. The Nats did put more runs up on the board and show a little life defensively this time. Cole Hamels gave just enough and the bullpen did the rest over the final four frames. Ryan Madson came in to close it out and earn a save. Hamels line read five hits, three runs (two earned) and five K's over five innings of work. He lacked control and command. Ryan Howard blasted his second home run of the season in the fifth off of Jason Marquis, who had a considerably rough outing with his new team. Placido Polanco picked up where left off adding three runs and Chase Utley had two as well an RBI. The Phils officially claimed Nelson Figueroa.

Going for an opening series sweep, Kyle Kendrick lasted just four innings giving up six hits and five runs, including a HR. Despite the rough outing, the Phils managed to stage a rally only to fall short in a 6-5 loss. Nelson Figueroa (and took the loss) gave up the tying run Phils still take the series two game to one. The top of the order had a great day with most batters going 2/4 or 2/5 and counting as a run. Jayson Werth went 3/5 with a run. Raul Ibanez continued his slow start going 0/4 with two strike-outs. The Phillies head to Houston next with J.A. Happ starting the series off.

The Mets didn't have the kind of luck the Phils did. They rallied to tie the game at six before falling in extras 7-6 on a Ronny Paulino RBI grounder to center in the tenth. John Maine lasted five innings giving up two HR's and four runs on eight hits. The bullpen wasn't much better giving up another three between Mejia, Green, and Takashi. K-Rod and Feliciano pitched a combined two innings of scoreless ball on two hits(noth given up by Rodriguez). Jason Bay had the best day going 1/3 with two runs. A plsu was the Mets drawing nine walks out of the Marlins, but the pitching still appears to be the problem carried over from last season.

Jon Niese dueled against new Marlins pitcher Nate Robertson and came up on the losing end giving the Marlins the series. Niese worked six innings on eight hits and three runs striking out three. He looked good despite giving up the hits, but the offense simply wasn't there. Once again, the blame goes to the bottom of the order. Jeff Francouer and Angel Pagan were solid offensively. The thing about this game was seeing the upside Niese and Francouer are bringing to New York, both men looked like the investment they were thought to be. The Mets face the Nationals today with Mike Pelfrey going against Garrett Mock.

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Boston-New York: Games 2 &3

Game two was another classic thought to be unachievable after the epic battle Sunday night ending in a classic comeback by the Sox. Tuesday nights affair seemed to follow the same script until Marco Scutaro's throw found itself not in Kevin Youkilis's glove to end the eighth. The Yanks came in and swooped a run out of the air( to be precise a walk given up by reliever Hideki Okajima). The next inning, Cano put it away with a bash to right field. Both Burnett and Lester showed great stuff followed by bouts location and command issues. The Yanks bullpen was stellar, while the Sox looked average. At the plate, the Sox showed a lot of muscle, which was great considering most sports analysts were worried that the offense would still be anemic. Victor Martinez went off for 3 RBI's and a HR. Ellsbury looked more comfortable in left than he did opening night and not to mention that nice catch in left. Still for what the Sox showed, the scoreboard read Yankees 6 Red Sox 4 at the end of nine.

Game three showcased new pitcher John Lackey against Andy Pettite. What followed was possibly the best performance in the young season by both starters lasting six innings each. However, just like the night before, the Sox let another one fall through the cracks despite Lackey's three hit no run effort. You can blame it on the bullpen again (which seems to be MLB.com, sports writers, etc. as the reason why they lost), but the the true reason was not because of Granderson's HR in the tenth or the run that came before courtesy of Teixeira's ground-out RBI. The blame lies in the Sox inability to limit runners on the basepaths. The Yanks converted all, but one steal attempt in the entire series. Victor Martinez's bobble on a perfectly field-able relay from right field and tag out Jorge Posada at the plate. Martinez was easily ahead of him and had more than enough time to snare the ball in his glove. Had he done so, no run and no extras ending in a Red Sox 1-0 win. The trio of Granderson, Swisher, and Cano doomed the Sox combining for over 10 hits and 5+ rbis. On a positive note, the Sox squeezed out seven hits and David Ortiz made contact with the ball bringing in a run.

Next up, the Sox take on the Royals Friday sending Tim Wakefield to the mound against Kyle Davies. Hopefully, the bullpen works itself out and Martinez works on his defensive skills.

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NL East Opening Day : Phils/Nats and Mets/Marlins

For the Phils and Mets, Opening Day was a huge success. Both starting pitchers looked sharp and both offenses had no problem breaking out their bats. The Phils beat the Nationals(thought to have re-vamped nicely) 11-1 while the Mets fried the fish 7-1. Both teams jump out to an early lead(Braves are currently winning 8-5 in the 7th) in the division.

The Phillies won their game solely by two players: pitcher Roy Halladay and 3B Placido Polanco. Halladay threw seven innings giving up a run and six hits with nine k's. Not only was he brilliant on the mound, but brought in a run and advanced runners in his at bats. Polanco had a six rbi day including his seventh inning grand slam. Ryan Howard added a two run shot in the fourth. Every position player had at least one hit.

Philadelphia AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Rollins, SS 4 2 2 1 2 1 2 .500
Polanco, 3B 5 1 3 6 0 0 2 .600
Utley, 2B 3 1 1 0 3 0 1 .333
Howard, 1B 6 1 2 2 0 0 8 .333
Werth, RF 5 1 1 0 0 0 3 .200
Ibanez, LF 4 2 1 0 1 1 1 .250
Victorino, CF 5 1 1 1 0 1 2 .200
Ruiz, C 2 2 1 0 3 0 2 .500
Halladay, P 4 0 1 1 0 1 4 .250
Bastardo, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Baez, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Dobbs, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Herndon, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 39 11 13 11 9 4 26 .333

Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Halladay(W, 1-0)7.0 6 1 1 2 9 0 1.29
Bastardo 0.2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00
Baez 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Herndon 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Totals 9.0 9 1 1 3 11 0 1.00

Meanwhile, the rival Mets had a fantastic outing from Johan Santana, who returned from off-season surgery to pitch one run with four hits and five k's over six innings of work. David Wright was the bright spot in the top of the order belting a two run shot in the first. The mid-bottom of the order( Bay, Matthews, Francoeur, and Barajas) really paced the team combining for seven hits and three rbis. Nieve pitched two innings of relief before K-Rod got his first outing of 2010.

NY Mets AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Cora, SS 4 0 0 1 0 0 3 .000
Castillo, L, 2B 4 1 0 0 1 0 1 .000
Wright, D, 3B 3 1 1 2 1 0 1 .333
Jacobs, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000
Tatis, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Bay, LF 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 .500
Matthews, CF 3 2 2 0 1 0 1 .667
Francoeur, RF 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 .500
Barajas, C 4 1 2 1 0 1 1 .500
Santana, J, P 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000
a-Pagan, PH 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.000
Nieve, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
b-Catalanotto, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000
Rodriguez, F, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 32 7 9 7 4 5 14 .281

NY Mets IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Santana 6.0 4 1 1 2 5 0 1.50
Nieve 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Rodriguez, F 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Totals 9.0 6 1 1 2 7 0 1.00

The Phils take on the Nats again with Cole Hamels opposing Jason Marquis and the Mets send John Maine to face Ricky Nolasco. A rumor to consider the Phils may pick up Nelson Figueroa(released by the Mets last week) to fill the injury void and have an eye on Pedro Martinez as he beings to get back in shape.

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Clash of the Titans: Boston v. New York

As hyped up as the game was, it wasn't perfect. For a Sox fan like myself, it ended splendidly. Red Sox beat the Yankees 9-7 on Opening Day in America's oldest ballpark. Still as I settled in, I couldn't help feeling the anxiety of the new season. How would Beltre play at third? Is Scutaro the answer? Jacoby in left? Will Ortiz make contact? A few of these burning questions were answered tonight. Beltre did just fien and was even better at the plate bringing in a run. Scutaro was ok, missed a ball in middle of the game setting up a Yankee run, but bounced back at the plate helping secure a win. As for Jacoby, he angered me more than Beckett's piss poor 4.2 innings. Ellsbury is not comfortable in left and is hopefully using more time to get acquainted with it. His relay throws were abysmal and clearly doesn't have the arm for it. I know it's easy to be critical of him with it being the first game and he needs time to acclimate himself, but it was down-right ugly to the point. As for Ortiz, I wasn't surprised his cold streak continued at the plate. In another month, he'll come around.

As for the game itself, the MVP is definitely Dustin Pedroia. 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's and accounting for two runs himself was a bigger statement despite Youkilis having a fantastic night as well(3/4 2 RBI's). The new guys all notched a hit at least with Beltre bringing in two. Once again, Ellsbury was the goat going 0 for 5 with 2 K's.

Ellsbury, LF 5 0 0 0 0 2 5 .000
Pedroia, 2B 4 2 2 3 1 1 0 .500
Martinez, V, C 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 .200
Youkilis, 1B 4 3 3 2 0 0 0 .750
Ortiz, D, DH 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .000
Beltre, 3B 3 0 1 2 0 1 1 .333
Drew, J, RF 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .250
Cameron, M, CF 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 .667
Scutaro, SS 3 1 2 1 1 0 1 .667
Totals 34 9 12 8 4 5 13 .353

Pitching wise, Daniel Bard, Johnathon Papelbon, and Scot Schoenweis were pleasing to watch. Ramon Ramirez, Beckett, and Okajima were off on another planet I think. Beckett was not hitting his spots at all, despite liking to get the ball down.

Boston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Beckett 4.2 8 5 5 3 1 2 9.64
Schoeneweis 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Ramirez, Ramon S. 0.1 2 2 2 1 0 0 54.00
Okajima(W, 1-0) 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.00
Bard, D(H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00
Papelbon(S, 1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Totals 9.0 12 7 7 6 2 2 7.00

A win is a win. It can be debated that it's early in the season. Was I a hundred percent pleased, no, but satisfied I got to watch an early season tug of war. Oh and someone please stop that Curtis Granderson guy. He was taking advantage of the Sox on offense and defense. The Yanks showed the hig power offense is raring to go, the rest of the league needs to keep up. Hopefully, we'll get a pitching duel come Tuesday with Burnett and Lester.

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Close of Spring Training: Boston Red Sox

While I'm admittedly behind on this(seeing as the Sox concluded spring on Wednesday in a thumping 14-6 win), some developments took longer. Firstly, the final two bullpen spots have been won by Scott Atchinson and Scott Schoenweiss. Joe Nelson will begin the season in the minors if he elects to stick around as well as Alan Embree. Unfortunately an exciting arm to have in your organization will be shut down for 2010 -- Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa has had season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

It appear Mike Lowell isn't going anywhere after weeks of speculation that the deal between the Rangers and Sox would be re-visited. The Rangers claimed Ryan Garko yesterday which would render Lowell useless on their bench. The only possible suitor that makes sense is the Mets.

The bumps and bruises crew include Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia. All are expected to be healthy and ready to go for Sunday's opener.

Rumor through various news outlets says the Sox and Josh Beckett are close to a four year $68M contract. I'll believe it when I see it. After reviewing the list of FA pitchers the next two years, the Sox must re-sign Beckett.

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Close of Spring Training: Philadelphia Phillies

Like the Mets, the Phils had some injury issues before Opening Day. Pitcher Joe Blanton tweaked an oblique in a bullpen session Wedensday after coming off an abysmal performance in an intrasquad game. His return to make his 2010 debut Apr. 8 is jeopardy. Kyle Kendrick would take his place if he's not ready to go. Closer Brad Lidge received a cortisone shot in his right elbow Tuesday. Last we heard was that Lidge's velocity wasn't back which most certainly spells trouble.

In efforts to combat these injuries, the Phils agreed to minor league deals with Josh Fogg and Ty Taubenheim. Fogg made one start last season for Colorado, while Taubenheim spent his season at AAA Indianapolis going 7-9; 3.65ERA. The bullpen is right now the biggest weakness for the Phils.

Jamie Moyer pitches the finale for the Phils today against the Pirates.

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The Close of Spring Training: NY Mets

For the Mets, the close of spring training ended very bittersweetly. Jose Reyes and Daniel Murphy will both start the season on the disable list. Reyes, despite looking very good in his action as of late, will miss the first six games of the season at least. Manager Jerry Manuel and GM Omar Minaya wanted to play it safe and not rush Reyes back from the hyperactive thyroid. Daniel Murphy has a grade one right knee sprain that will keep him out two-six weeks. His injury ensures Mike Jacobs a roster spot(Opening Day 1B) and Chris Carter or Frank Catalanatto could make the team as well. "I didn't really think it was that bad, to tell you the truth. I just felt it tweak at third base," said Murphy, who acknowledged the knee stiffened Wednesday.
"It's bad timing," Murphy said. "To get hurt, it's unfortunate, but it's a good ballclub and we have some pieces in place, so I just look forward to getting healthy here over the next couple weeks and getting back to New York and helping the team win, (from ESPN.com - Adam Rubin)."

Johan Santana(much to no ones surprise) will get the ball for Opening Day against Florida followed by John Maine, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey, and Oliver Perez. john Maine pitches the spring finale today against the Nats.

Fernando Martinez's hot bat and play will see him in AAA Buffalo at the beginning of the season. Don't be too bummed out though, he'll be back before you know it! Maybe even Ike Davis as well.

The Mets claimed Manny Acosta from the Braves to strengthen the bullpen. They recently released Pat Misch.

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Red Sox, Phillies Notes

RED SOX

-Six man rotation? It's a possibility. I still like the traditional five man more because it promotes a regimen. If you got the arms though, it might not hurt to try it out.

- Beckett didn't pitch masterfully in his last spring training game(possibly with the Red Sox) giving up 3 runs over six innings of work. Mike Lowell went 2-3 with Texas scouts watching. No word if a deal is coming of this.

- Dice-K and Boof Bonser will not be available Opening Day due to injuries. Dick-K is progressing though having pitched a simulated game today. At the end of the week, he will start a game in the minors. Bonser participated in drills with a brace and pitched a simulated game. Word is a bullpen session on Wednesday. Junichi Tazawa is seeing a doctor to look at his elbow(tightness). Tazawa will be opening the season more than likely in AAA. RP Manny Delcarmen's velocity is still down as he's adjusted his mechanics, but remains optimistic that he's getting back to his old self. Only two spots remain for the bullpen and four guys battle for a slot: Scott Atchinson, Scot Schoenweis, Alan Embree, and Joe Nelson.

- The Sox sent C Dusty Brown and INF Kevin Frandsen down to Pawtucket and assigned C Gustavo Molina and 3B Jorge Jimenez to minor league camp trimming the roster to 35. The Sox still must eliminate 10 players by Saturday.

PHILLIES

- Kyle Kendrick makes his final bid for the last spot in the rotation today against the Astros. He'll need a hell of a performance after Jamie Moyer's gem last weekend.

- The Phils cut 10 from camp today including Brad Wilkerson.

- J.C. Romero pitched his first inning today handling AAA-AA guys well. Today was a big step for me," Romero said in the clubhouse at Bright House Field. "I was very pleased with the outcome today. The good thing is that I was throwing a lot of strikes. My arm speed was outstanding."(T.Zolecki interview)

BOS, PHL, NYM Notes

Red Sox

- Brian Shouse has been released despite holding opponents under a run an outing. The 41 year old will be looking for employment and the Phils could use another arm in their pen. The Sox signed Scott Schownweis a short time later to a minor league deal. He has until April 15 to opt out should he not make the bigs. Only two spots remain in the pen leaving Alan Embree, Joe Nelson, Scott Atchinson, Boof Bonser, and Schoenweis. My odds are Bonser and Atchinson are on the outside looking in.

- The Red Sox acquired 2B/SS Kevin Frandsen from the Giants for a player to be named. Frandsen hit .240 for the Giants last year. Frandsen can be sent down this year to AAA (which is very likely given the roster spots left).

- Mike Lowell has a knee contusion and on top of that the trade talks have begun again as of Friday.

- The 2010 goes: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, john Lackey, Tim Wakefield, and Clay Buchholz will start the season. Dice-K may slide in when someone goes down after his return from the DL.

METS

- Jon Niese and Nelson Figueroa are inching closer to grabbing a spot on the ML roster. Niese would be a starter and Figueroa would be in the bullpen. Manager Jerry Manuel made it clear that Fernando Nieve is headed for bullpen duties where's needed which should practically hand Niese the job. Figueroa has looked impressive this spring and could be the long man in the pen.

- Pedro Feliciano wants to be K-Rod's set-up man. Feliciano's competition is Kiko Calero, Ryota Igarashi, and possibly Jennry Mejia. Feliciano has been one of the most reliable relievers on the Mets staff as of late. "I see [J.J.] Putz is gone, and nobody's set up as the setup man," Feliciano said. "I want to get that position. I want to win it. I'm working with the righties like I'm doing with the lefties. And I just want to leave Spring Training as the setup man." - interview with MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez

PHILLIES

- Did someone turn up the heat on Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer. The two are having a battle for the ages in hopes of attaining the fifth spot in the rotation. Kendrick threw 5.2 innings giving up 1 earned run over five hits, two walks and a K. Moyer meanwhile gave up one hit, six K's and no walks against the Yanks in 6.2 innings. Moyer wins this race in my mind despite how strong Kendrick has been.

- Raul Ibanez has struggles since returning from off-season surgery, but will be playing in minor league games to find his rhythm. The organization isn't worried about his struggles. "He's having trouble finding his timing," manager Charlie Manuel said. "When he gets it, you'll see. It's hard to explain. Sometimes you have a hard time really finding your swing. And you try, and you try, and you try, and it seems like forever you're not hitting. The worst thing you can do is really start thinking about digging a big hole for yourself. All of a sudden, one day you might walk out there and a guy throws a ball and you hit a couple right on the nose, and you're right back to square one and you start hitting good again. I've got all the faith in the world in him. I know he can hit." -interview with Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

Red Sox notes

- Dustin Pedroia left a game earlier this week after taking an awkward landing while diving to stop a Denard Span single. X-rays taken today yesterday came back negative. "I rolled my wrist," Pedroia said. "I'll take BP tomorrow and then play the next day. That's it. I'm good. There's nothing. It's more spring training [precaution]. It hurt at the time and then they just took me out of the game. So, no big deal." (ESPNBoston.com)

- Should Alan Embree make the team, either Brian Shouse or Joe Nelson will be released. Shouse can bail as early as April while Nelson has until June.

- While it's not confirm 100%, Gordon Edes writes, "Signs point to Josh Beckett opening the season against the Yanks on April 4th."

- Alan Embree had a strong outing in his minor league game throwing 12 pitches, 11 for strikes. He'll pitch in a big league game this weekend.

- Daiskue Matusuzaka has been "ruled out" for the first few few weeks of the season to give him more time to to rehabilitate and train according to manager Terry Francona.
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BOS, NYM, PHL Notes

RED SOX

- The Sox are looking for a back-up SS due to Jed Lowrie's unfortunate health issues. Bill Hall tried out yesterday, but committed two errors. Marco Scutaro is the primary, but coming off his late season injury is still a concern. Will we hear of talks of Dustin Pedroia backing him up and maybe a back-up 2B?

- If reliever Brian Shouse doesn't make the team, there's a possibility he may retire rather than report to Pawtucket where Scott Atchinson and Joe Nelson may find themselves. Alan Embree is said to have the inside track to be the lefty specialist behind Hideki Okajima, but may not be ready for Opening Day. He can opt out of his contract on April 15th.

- After the shelling Boof Bonser took (5 runs, 6 hits) in his start yesterday against the Rays, he looks like he could be headed to the pen if he decides to stay with Boston. A few teams have interest in acquiring him. According to Gordon Edes, Bonser has a groin issue.

- Jorge Jimenez was returned to the organization by the Marlins. The Red Sox gave 25K back to Florida.

PHILLIES

- Placido Polanco returned to the line-up on Sunday after spraining his knee earlier last week.

- The Phils plan on twelve pitchers on the Opening Day roster. Roy Hallday, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ round out the penciled in starters. Kyle Kendrick and Moyer are still battling for the last slot. Moyer had a strong outing against the Orioles. Whoever loses, goes to the pen with Antonio Bastardo, Jose Contreras, Danys Baez, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, and David Herndon. Mike Zagurski was sent down to AAA, but expect to see him make an appearance at some point this season.

- The Phils aren't the only ones that want Jayson Werth. The Yankees are looking at him and Carl Crawford as possibilities next off-season.

METS

- Catching is a hot topic in NY these days. The team has five catchers available to them. Josh Thole is almost certainly headed to Buffalo and Omir Santos maybe as well. With Barajas and Blanco on the roster, doesn't leave much room for Chris Coste unless one of the two go down very soon. Santos and Thole will battle season round to get the call-up and will more than likely happen due to the aging catchers ability to play.

- 1B Ike Davis made enough of an impression that he will almost certainly get the call in mid-season to join the Mets. As for Daniel Murphy, this is not good news.

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Mets notes

- Marty Noble (Mets beat writer) says that Alex Cora will be the primary SS while Jose Reyes recovers. Rueben Tejada will be his back-up.

- Fernando Martinez is beginning to live up to the expectations the team had when he was acquired in the Santana deal and is less likely to be traded now.

- Expect Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Chris Carter and Jennry Mejia to start the season in the minors despite their strong springs.

- P Pedro Feliciano is ok after taking a liner to the knee in Thursday night's game. Expect him back on the mound soon.

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Phillies Notes

- Brad Lidge threw 16 pitches in an inning of work in AA game. J.C. Romero is back on the mound throwing bullpen sessions. He threw 20+ today and said in an interview with Todd Zolecki, "Right now, I'm good. I'm going through everything I need to do with no pain. I'm happy with everything that's going on right now." Both Lidge and Romero won't be rushed back for Opening Day.

- Chase Utley has been sitting out with an upper respiratory infection since Monday. He took some BP and fielding practice today, but probably won't play until Friday if he's up to it. Placido Polanco feels better after his sprained knee over the weekend. He may get some time in Friday's game.

- Prospect OF Domonic Brown was sent down to minor league camp after he went 3-3 with 2HRs and 4RBIs against the Tigers on Tuesday. Easily one of the most exciting prospects currently in the Phils system, Brown should make some appearances later this season given what he's shown Charlie Manuel.

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Red Sox notes

- Dice-K's rehab continues to progress as yesterday he took the mound against minor leaguers. He threw about 40 pitches yesterday and is scheduled for a bullpen session Friday and two innings of a minor league game Saturday according to pitching coach John Farrell.

- SS Jed Lowrie has been diagnosed with mononucleosis. He complained of extreme fatigue and went through a battery of tests. He's working lightly now.

- John Lackey continues epic numbers during this spring posting four scoreless innings yesterday in a Red Sox loss.

- The Red Sox are considering bringing back old friend, reliever Alan Embree. Embree, a vital part of the 2004 bullpen, has worked out for Sox officials a few days ago. The Sox sent down Dustin Richardson.

- Manny Delcarmen and Terry Francona aren't worried about Delcarmen's low velocity.
"It's still not where it will be,'' Francona said of his velocity. "Part of that is, you can get out there and your mechanics are a little off, so you go and have an extended side, which they did about a week ago. So you're going to have a little dead arm, dead body.

- Clay Buchholz will pitch a minor league game Friday while the rest of the team has a day off.

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Phils and Sox Notes

Phillies

- Ryan Howard is unfazed by the rumor of being traded for Albert Pujols.

- 3B Placido Polanco left yesterday's game early with a sprained knee after stumbling on the pitcher's mound fielding a pop-up. Polanco isn't worried about it. "When it first happens, you really get scared," Polanco said. "You don't know what's happening. It doesn't feel right. But now that the doctor took a look at it, it's nothing big at all. ... It's getting better now already after the icing and all that. It's just the back of the knee," Polanco said in an interview with beat writer Todd Zolecki. "It's probably hyperextended a little bit -- irritated."

- Jamie Moyer's bid for the final rotation spot took a serious turn after he was pounded by the Jays in "B" game giving up five runs on eight hits. Kyle Kendrick is still wowing all and looks to be the fifth starter at this point.

Red Sox

- Mike Lowell saw his first action this spring surprisingly at first base going 1-2 in three innings of play.

- After having neck issues backtrack him, Daisuke Matsuzaka will pitch batting practice on Wednesday.

- Jed Lowrie is undergoing tests to find out the cause of his "extreme fatigue." Lowrie has had so much trouble staying healthy and being productive that at this point I think he's a lost cause for the organization. Lowrie's gone 2-9 in limited action this spring and hasn't played in the last three games.

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Mets, Phillies, Red Sox Notes

METS

- With Jose Reyes sidelined, David Murphy, Jason Bay, and David Wright look to be the most likely to bat third in the line-up.

- Alex Cora and non-roster invitee Rueben Tejada are in heated competition for the final bench spot. Cora should win because of his experience and Tejada should be headed to the minors to work on his defense (21 errors in AA).

PHILLIES

- The Phils sent 14 down to minors camp: Pitchers - Phillipe Aumont, Yohan Flande, Scott Mathieson, J.C. Ramirez, Drew Naylor, Joe Savery, Jesus Sanchez and Bill White. Positon players include: Catchers Tuffy Gosewisch, Joe Sumoi and Kevin Nelson, INF Freddy Galvis, and OF's Tyson Gillies and Quintin Berry.

- Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero are hoping to make Opening Day, but the organization doesn't want to rush their return.

RED SOX

- Josh Beckett was scratched from his start due to illness today. Ryne Miller will take his place and Jason Varitek will make his first start this spring training.

- The Sox sent 14 down to the minors including young studs Casey Kelly and Jose Iglesias. Both had successful springs, but have more work to put in. Other players sent down are: Pitchers Adam Mills, Kris Johnson, Kyle Weiland, Radnor Bierd, and Robert Manuel, OF's Ryan Kalish and Che-Hsuan Lin, catcher Luis Exposito, and INF Yamaico Navarro.

- OF prospect Ryan Westmoreland will have brain surgery this week to fix a rare vascular disease diagnosed as a "cavernous malformation." It is unclear if this is detrimental to his career, but it can be deadly if left untreated.

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Red Sox, Mets, and Phillies notes

METS

- Jose Reyes is lost for 2-8 weeks after being prescribe rest for his thyroid imbalance. This is a big blow to the team considering Beltran is out until May.

- The Mets fell to the Red Sox 8-2 Thursday. Mike Pelfrey struggles to get going and Ryota Igarashi wasn't much better. Pedro Feliciano pitched a scoreless frame. J-Bay was 0-2 against his old team.

- Kelvim Escobar could be thinking about retirement if his arm doesn't get better. Escobar has only pitched five innings total in two years because of various injuries. Currently, he's awaiting to have an MRI unless the pain fades away.

RED SOX

- John Lackey dazzled again on the mound Thursday.

- The Red Sox and Josh Beckett could have a "pact within the next few weeks," according to Ian Browne.

- Jason Bay endorsed the Red Sox offense and says "They'll be fine."

PHILLIES

- Joe Blanton was fantastic as the Phils tamed the Tigers 4-0. Blanton threw four scoreless frames. Raul Ibanez went yard which was a sigh of relief after his off-season surgery.

- Placido Polanco wanted to come back to Philly so much, he skipped staying in Detroit and going to arbitration.

- Right now, the Phillies pitching staff looks stronger than expected. David Herndon, Yohan Flande, and Joe Savery just may make the bullpen this season.

Thank you

Nomar Garciaparra signed a one day minor league deal with the Red Sox today and promptly retired. After thirteen seasons, the 35 year old decided he "had nothing left in the tank." Given his last two seasons performance, I can see why. His celebrity status around the majors had almost left as soon as he was traded from Boston mid 2004. The Sox fan had soured of Nomar's tantrums and knew it was his time to go. He left and we won a World Series. In an odd way, Nomie was responsible for the first title in 86 years. Today, we got our chance to thank him for his sacrifice. He leaves the game with a career .313 BA, 229 HRs, 963 RBIs, .361 OBP and .521 SLG percentage in 5,586 at bats. He wasn't a slouch in the playoffs hitting 7HRS, 24RBIs, .321 BA, .361 OBP, and a .589 SLG. He leaves with a career .975 FLD percentage. He had numerous all-star nominations and appearances. The only thing Garciaparra didn't achieved was a coveted WS ring. Will Nomar make the Hall of Fame? I'm sure, but he'll have a bit of wait with the current guys trying to make it. As for now, he'll start his new job as baseball analyst at ESPN on Baseball Tonight and color analysis on some games.

By mid 2004 before his surprising departure, I had grown weary of him and his attitude in the clubhouse. You could sometimes feel his anger through the t.v. screen if they panned a shot of him sitting in the dug-out. You forgot about the acrobatic finesse he displayed on the field rivaled only by Derek Jeter. Fans forgot how important he was in the line-up. The day when they traded him to the Cubs, and we we're shocked....shocked seeing a franchise icon we all were sure was retiring in a Red Sox uni. The feeling of anger dissipated and the questions arose if Orlando Cabrera or any other Red Sox SS could measure up. Well, today that day came....and an entire nation tipped their hats and said, "Thank you."

Red Sox, Mets, Phillies Notes

- Derrick Turnbow is feeling good after his first bullpen session and is likely to see action this weekend.

- Josh Reddick ripped the Marlins for three hits and Tim Wakefiled pitched three shut-out innings in a 9-0 win.

METS

- Jose Reyes does have an overactive thyroid. He will be staying in New York to figure out a course of treatment.

- K-Rod is back. Although, he's considering wearing glasses on the mound. Dorky? Not a chance when the opposing batters can't touch you (see five year stats with Angels).

- Johan Santana made his debut looking healthy throwing 47 pitches in a Mets win. Ike Davis and David Wright homered for the Metsies.

PHILLIES

- Despite pitching well this spring, pitching coach Rich Dubee says, "Kyle Kendrick must take the spot from Jamie Moyer."

- Roy Halladay continues to dazzle. He's got 8 K's in five innings of work.

Red Sox, Mets Notes

- John Lackey pitched 2 scoreless frames on Saturday for the Sox with a strike-out in his debut. The question was presented to him about being the Opening Day starter was handled diplomatically by him. In Ian Browne's article on redsox.com Lackey says, "I'm not worried about that at all," Lackey said. "If the roles were reversed, and I would have stayed in Anaheim and those guys had come over there, I would expect to still be going first. I think those guys have earned the right. They've won a lot of games for [manager Terry Francona], and to go in front of me, I'm all right with that."

- From Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "talks with Josh Beckett have been amicable, but not productive yet. Look for the Sox to base a deal like they did with J.D. Drew and John Lackey contracts in regards to medical history."

- Clay Buchholz gets the start today @ 1:05PM against Baltimore.

- Dice-K first side session(bullpen mound) was productive tossing 58 pitches, but only 10 of those were with the catcher crouched. Matsuzaka feels his back issues are gone.

METS

- Jose Reyes is being tested for a thyroid imbalance (hyperactive). Reyes has yet to start in a spring game, and won't be tested until tomorrow morning back in New York.

- F-Mart? Holy crap the guy lit the Nats up on Saturday?!?! Two solo HR's and two singles in the game and he left early! Great looking chance he makes the team, watch out Gary Matthews Jr., you may be headed to the Reds after all.

- Jon Niese and Fernando Nieve are "duking out it out for the fifth rotation spot," according to manager Jerry Manuel and MLB.com's Marty Noble.

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Doc Vs. CC; Mets V. Cardinals; Sox v. Twins

So the Phils pulled out a 13-6 win yesterday and the Metsies beat the Braves again 9-5 on the arms of Pat Mistch and Fernando Martinez. Today the Mets conclude their series with the Braves, but all eyes will be on the World Series rematch featuring Roy Halladay against C.C. Sabathia. What can be more epic than this? A World Series rematch I guess. This time the Phils prevailed 3-2 with a strong performance by Halladay and the Phils relievers. The Phils one by the small game and by guys like Paul Hoover, Ozzie Chavez, etc. in the small game. Hallday pitched 2 inning of no significant damage baseball with 3K's. Cole Hamels will start against the Blue Jays Friday.

The rival Mets squeaked out a win over the Cards 17-11. Mid-way through the game didn't look promising for them, but they battled back and overtook the Cards in a see-saw affair. David Wright and prospect Ike Davis(who is having a fine spring training already) went long and the top of the order combined for 4-4 with 5 runs scored and 2RBIs. The offense looked fantastic. Jason Bay went 0-2 in his debut. R.A. Dickey's knuckleball danced nicely, but got him into trouble in the third. Tobi Stoner came into stop the bleeding surrendering only another run, but putting the Cards ahead. Jack Egbert had two shut out innings and Sean Green checked in before surrendering two more runs. Johnathan Niese will be starting Friday and in a split squad Fernando Nieve will start the other game. Word is Johan Santana will pitch on Tuesday.

The Red Sox won a nail-biter over the Twins in their Grapefruit League debut 2-1. Dustin Pedroia had two hits including the tying RBI in the sixth. Catching prospect Mark Wagner knocked in the winning run in the eighth. On the mound, Josh Beckett allowed 2 hits and a run over 2 innings of work. The bullpen shined including Ramon Ramirez, Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima, and Johnathon Papelbon all pitched scoreless innnings. Jon Lester will face the Twins at 1:05 tomorrow with Tim Wakefield backing him up. It will also be Mike Cameron's debut.

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Sox and Phils play their first exhibitions

Today, the Phillies are taking on Florida State University while not too far away the Sox are playing Northeastern U. J.A. Happ will get the ball for the Phils on Wedensday. The next day is a rematch of the World Series pitting Roy Halladay against C.C. Sabathia. For a Pillies update though, Shane Victorino will not be playing Wedensday and possibly Thursday due to some soreness in his shoulder. J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge have begun throwing off the mound making steady progress in their returns. Lidge says he's "pain-free, but still slow moving in the right direction." Lidge plan to throw off the mound every other day until he's ready to face live hitters. Romero on the other hand will throw every third day.

As of right now the Phils are down 6-4 against FSU in the bottom of the 5th. Rollins, Ransom, Schnieder, prospect Domonic Brown, and Ibanez lead the with Phils hits and RBIs. Phillipe Aumont has been blasted to the tune of 5 runs, 2 hits, 3 walks, and a HR. Yohan Flande followed giving up another. Happ pitched two scoreless innings with 1 walk and 1 K. To this point, the Phils have left too many guys on base.

Wedensday is the culmination of over a year of the arrival of Casey Kelly. He'll pitch the Northeastern game and Boof Bonser will pitch the B.C. night game. Daisuke Matsuzaka threw from 180-200 ft Tuesday in efforts to return from his injury beleaguered 2009. Manager Terry Francona said, ""That was about as good a day, I think, as you could have. I don't think you can throw the ball like that and not be totally healthy. So probably start thinking about toward the end of the week, getting him some real mound work where he's throwing some sides and throwing to hitters and going through that progression. But that was a real, real good day." As of tonight, it's been confirmed by MLB Network that Dice-K will throw a regular side session on Friday. Mike Lowell got his first hacks in today. His status is yet to be seen, but Francona is confident he can be an asset to the Sox. Francona also mentioned Mike Cameron is progressing from his groin injury.

The Sox pounded Northeastern U today 15-0. Casey Kelly pitched one inning--but had two K's, no hits, no runs. Gil Velazquez had two hits with 2RBIS in a Sox 3 run 2nd. Jed Lowrie was 1-1 with an RBI as well. C Luis Esposito went 1-1 with 2 RBIs and David Ortiz went yard for 2 more.

Against BC a few hours later, Boof Bonser picked up the win. Ryan Kalish, Jose Iglesias, and Kevin Youk starred on offense while Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa dazzled on the mound.

Mets Report

The Mets have survived the Jose Reyes drama. Reyes denies using HGH, but going with a platelet-enriching therapy process. You'd have to be stupid to think Reyes was on HGH ever. I mean Reyes isn't too small of a guy, but he doesn't look like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, etc. One thing no one will argue is that Reyes looks ready for 2010. He ran out a triple and felt good after and intrasquad games Monday before the Mets first exhibition today against the Braves. Evidently, Carlos Beltran is now talking with agents about a treatment in Canada.

The Mets have been dealt a blow with setup man Kelvim Escobar going down. Escobar is feeling some fatigue in his right shoulder, but what can expect after having not thrown in a year. Now, Ryota Igarashi, Bobby Parnell and Sean Green will battle it out for the role until Escobar returns. My money is on Parnell, but look out for Igarashi. The team is still hoping to sign Joe Biemel or Ron Mahay. As of Saturday, Biemel has been holding out for $2M which the Mets aren't going to offer. Also, K-Rod has a bad case of pink eye, so he is currently unavailable.

The Metsies won their exhibition game four to two over the Braves. Elmer Dessens left the game after taking a Brian McCann liner to his knee. Starter Nelson Figeroua pitched nicely bailing them out of tight situations with K's. Bobby Livingston finished up the game. At the plate, Jesus Feliciano was the offensive spark with 2 singles and a sac fly to bring in a run. Russ Adams hit a home run. 1B prospect Ike Davis went 2-3 with a RBI. Jason Pridie and Ruben Tejada brought runners in. The fifth innning was huge for New York bringing in three runs. Castillo, Reyes, Bay, Francouer and Wright were out of the line-up due to field conditions.

Red Sox Report; Ruiz to Sox?

The pitchers have been throwing batting practices getting this velocity back and endurance back up from the months off. The Sox haven't had any pitcher casualties yet, but Adrian Beltre missed two days of practice after misplaying a ball and stepping on twisting his ankle. Beltre has been taking BP, but should step out onto the field today. Dice-K is throwing from 150 ft away which is good news.

Casey Kelly has debuted at spring training throwing off the mound. He wasn't fazed by the big league experience impressing manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farell. “He has a very professional approach,” Farrell said. “He’s got genuine confidence in himself, and I mean that in the right way. He’s not cocky by any means. He’s very respectful. When you see him go about his work, he’s not in a rush.
He carries himself with a very good air about him, like one who genuinely is comfortable with himself, even being in big league camp for the first time." Kelly didn't have a problem hitting either. Kelly will make his pitching debut in spring training against Northeastern U on March 4th. Boof Bonser will get the nod against BC the next day followed by Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, and Lackey against Minnesota and Buchholz against the O's on Saturday.

Gordon Edes says, "David Ortiz's days could be numbered if he gets off to the start he did in 2009." The Sox have the option to pick him up for 2011, but given the depth at minor league level with Lars Anderson and Anthony Rizzo, Ortiz is definitely in trouble. What could spell more trouble is if the Red Sox sign Cuban defector Jose Julio Ruiz. Ruiz is similar to Ortiz (only and inch shorter) and a lefty bat which the Red Sox love to have. Ruiz could come at a much cheaper price than Ortiz and possibly more effective if he makes the team upon signing. Ruiz has been compared to Carlos Delgado in his prime before and is just twenty-five.

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports if Mike Lowell doesn't wind-up sticking around, the Twins may be very interested. The Sox do want to keep his bat. The Sox would have to pay Lowell's $12M salary before the Twins would bite.

RP Manny Delcarmen is hoping to get back on track after his case of right shoulder fatigue last season. Evidently, when I cringed last season seeing him on the mound, he was cringing on it as well. Delcarmen didn't report any strangeness last season despite seeing his velocity slow down. He has promised to be more open about injuries even if he doesn't know he's suffering from them.

According to WEEI, Mike Cameron cut his workout short on Sunday with a sore leg. Turns out it's a groin. Cameron is doubtful to play in the first two games this week to prevent further injury and let his body catch up with his age.

Re: Phillies Pitching report

After stumbling upon this report about the Phillies, I found it quite interesting that Cole Hamels pitched "with anger at himself" last season. They've begun to question "Who is Cole Hamels?" Cole Hamels is the young phenom who had an unfortunate turn of events last season...not a lost puppy people feel he is. I'm not going to let him off the hook that the curveball hasn't been working and he basically quit on the Phils in the post-season. You can easily get down on yourself after going from 14-10; 3.09ERA to 10-11; 4.32ERA. What about the fact he slipped from a 15-5;3.39ERA to that same 2008 14-10; 3.09ERA. Players vary from year and sometimes having a lower ERA is better than the record despite the fact 9 times out of 10 it determines how much you win(When you give up a load of runs it's a lot harder to win). Hamels hasn't faced adversity like he did last season. He was a dominant minor league pitcher and quickly rose to stardom and all-star status. Everyone is bound to take a fall sooner or later (Ask any Yankee or any other ML'er about that). Hamels just has to get back to his roots and develop his curveball. We have yet to see if he's mentally and physically here yet seeing as no major stake games have been played yet.

Hamels made a huge mistake by saying, "I can't wait for the season to be over." It was blown out of context, but the media does that for reader and viewership. Hamels never wanted the season to end the way it did. Hamels loves pitching for the Phils and wanted to deliver a WS as quickly as possible. Cole should keep his mouth shut during spring training and focus on being that all-star he was. No doing press tours, commercials, appearances, etc that burned him out after the World Seris season. Instead, Cole should be saying to the media, "I'm born again, feeling great and am ready to part of the best 1-2 punch in the N.L. and deliver the great people of Philadelphia another October to remember."