|
|
Boy was I right (sort of) – the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win the Super Bowl crown on Sunday in Miami. I predicted a Saints upset win, but the difference was a lot bigger than I thought it would be.
Saints defensive back Tracy Porter saved the day with his amazing interception of a Peyton Manning pass with only 3 minutes to go in the game. The Saints were leading 24-17 at the time, but the Colts were driving and looked like they might take it in for the game-tying score. Instead, Porter picked off Manning’s pass and raced to the end zone for a touchdown to give the Saints a commanding 31-17 lead. It was truly amazing!
Drew Brees was named the Super Bowl MVP. He completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns – all good for a 114.5 QB rating. After a shaky 1st quarter, Brees really settled in and the Saints offense looked in sync the rest of the way.
Wish I was heading down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras next week. As if that place isn’t insane enough – now they have the franchise’s 1st ever Super Bowl Championship to celebrate as well! Congrats to the Saints and their loyal New Orleans fan base!
The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are set to play in the Super Bowl later today. Your friends at MyRedSoxToday predict that Drew Brees and the Saints will bring a 1st ever franchise Super Bowl Championship back to New Orleans with a thrilling come-from-behind win over Peyton Manning and the Colts 31-28. Check back in in Monday to see if we were right – it should be a fun and exciting Super Bowl to watch.
We’re not only seeing player personnel changes from the Red Sox for 2010, we’re also seeing some front office changes as well.
In November, we saw the promotion of DeMarlo Hale to become Manager Terry Francona’s new bench coach with the departure of Brad Mills becoming the Houston Astros’ new manager.
Now we’re seeing Eddie Romero promoted to the position of assistant director of Latin American operations in 2010 (he has been serving as a coordinator in the region since 2006).
Gus Quattlebaum – one of the Red Sox most trusted scouts since 2006 – has been promoted to assistant director of amateur scouting.
The Red Sox also promoted Steve Peck – a lifer within the Seattle Mariners scouting staff for 13 years – from professional scout to Major League scout for the 2010 campaign.
Congratulations guys – you don’t also get the kudos in the media, but we couldn’t do it without you. Theo & Co. must realize that, so we hope you keep up the good work so that Red Sox Nation has lots to cheer about at Fenway Park for many, many years to come…
I believe Curt Schilling will get voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame – he may not be a 1st ballot entrant, but he deserves to be in Cooperstown. Schilling’s numbers speak for themselves – over 200 wins, over 3,000 strikeouts and an incredible post-season resume – 2 World Series rings with 2 different teams and an 11-2 record with a 2.23 ERA in 19 playoff starts. Schilling even won a world series game with the Philadelphia Phillies, although his club did not end up winning the series. In his World Series run with the Arizona Diamondbacks, his team outlasted the New York Yankees in an epic 7-game World Series battle. In his World Series title run with the Boston Red Sox, his team pulled off the miracle of all baseball miracles, as the Red Sox rallied to overcome a 3-0 deficit to the New York Yankees in the ALCS. He pitched in pain that entire post-season and still had enough juice in the tank to help the Red Sox break the 86-year World Series drought that had plagued the city of Boston and its favorite team.
So given the numbers and the fact that he has not been singled out as a player that might have used performance-enhancing drugs in an era when it was so common, he definitely deserves to be in the Hall. The tougher question, I think, is whether he goes in with a Phillies cap, a D’Backs cap or a Red Sox cap. Given the recent process with Andre Dawson of the Montreal Expos and the Chicago Cubs, the Hall of Fame clearly determines the outcome when there is a question like this. Dawson played the majority of his years came with the Expos and he racked up the most statistics in an Expos uniform (even though his best MVP year came with the Cubs), so the Hall is requiring him to go in with an Expos cap. If the same process holds true for Schilling, one has to believe he will go in with a Phillies cap. Schilling pitched 8+ years for the Phillies – by far his longest stint in the majors with any one team. His team did not win a World Series, but that’s where he racked up a lot of his amazing pitching stats. Schilling’s best years came in a 2001 and 2002 as a member of the D’Backs and he also won a title there with Randy Johnson. Then he also won another title with the Red Sox, but he did not have the long-term success in Boston like he did in Philadelphia or Arizona.
Based on the facts, Schilling will likely go in with a Phillies cap. Schilling retired in 2007, so his 1st shot at getting into the Hall won’t happen until January 2013 – I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out on his 1st ballot…
It’s almost Spring Training, so it must be that time for Red Sox 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia to have to get used to playing with another shortstop. In recent years, Pedroia has played with Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Nick Green and Alex Green. This February – it’s going to be newly signed shortstop Marco Scutaro who signed a 2-year, $11 million deal with the Red Sox this off-season. Let’s hope this “marriage” lasts the full 3-years!
The 34-year old had a breakout year for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009 and he looks to keep up that effort across the border at Fenway Park in Boston and across the major leagues in 2010. Scutaro hit .282 with 35 doubles and 100 runs scored. Scutaro also had a .379 on-base percentage as a lead-off hitter for the Jays, and although he will likely bat deeper down in the order, he could serve as a “#9 lead-off man” setting the table for Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia at the top of the order – a nice commodity to have.
Scutaro is also an excellent defender. Scutaro had a .984 fielding percentage in 2009 and a similar fielding percentage playing a combined 147 games at shortstop, 3rd base and 2nd base for the Blue Jays in 2008.
GM Theo Epstein loves what Scutaro bring to the table for the Red Sox: “Marco is a player that’s easy to admire. He plays the game the right way. He’s a hard worker. He’s a great teammate. He’s a very well-rounded player. He’s somebody who didn’t get an opportunity to play every day until later in his career and absolutely made the most of the opportunity and demonstrated that he should have been an everyday player for a much longer period of time… I know he’s beyond the age when you normally say this about a player, but we feel like he is really coming into his own and is a difference-maker out there. He’ll fit in perfectly into our lineup and into our clubhouse and into the shortstop position here, so we’re really happy about it.”
Infielders Bill Hall and Jed Lowrie will back-up both Pedroia and Scutaro during the course of the 2010 MLB season. Let’s hope nothing major happens to either of the starters – it seems like it’s been forever since the Red Sox have had a middle-infield stay healthy for an entire baseball season.
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is looking forward to the start of Spring Training. Epstein had a busy off-season – signing free agents – pitcher John Lackey, center fielder Mike Cameron, shortstop Marco Scutaro and 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre. He also traded for outfielder Jeremy Hermida. He’s had to deal with questions of how the American League’s 3rd best hitting team (212 HR’s and 872 runs scored) will make up the loss of production of Jason Bay who bolted for the money with the New York Mets. Epstein (along with Manager Terry Francona and team president Larry Lucchino) met with a few select fans for a tour of Fenway Park and a lunch last week in Boston.
Here are some interesting quotes from Epstein: “At this time of year, most clubs look down at how their roster looks on paper and feel pretty good about it. And come early October, there’s only eight teams that still feel good, and then at the end of October, there’s only one team that feels really good. So, we’ll see. You always feel pretty good about your depth. In our club’s case, I think what we feel good about is how well-rounded we are. A lot’s been made about moving in a different direction with our defense. That’s not really what we did. We just made an attempt to become well-rounded and be good in all areas of the game if we can.”
Epstein has been in contact with injured 3rd baseman Mike Lowell. He said Lowell us on track to start playing games in March and that he isn’t concerned with his clubhouse attitude given that he lost his job to newcomer Beltre.
Epstein also said that Daisuke Matsuzaka is working hard this off-season and was apologetic for not being more forthcoming with his injury issues in 2009. He likes the fact that the Red Sox have 6 starters competing for 5 positions in the starting rotation – 3 of which are locked in with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey. That leaves Matsuzaka fighting with Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield for the final 2 spots. Here’s what Epstein had to say about the depth: “You’ve been around teams that have deep starting pitching on paper, and by the time you get into the season, you can’t find a starting pitcher to take the ball. I don’t see that as a problem. I see it as a potential asset. It’s not worth wasting time thinking about it or talking about it, unless or until you get to a point during the regular season when you have more than five guys who are healthy and can do a good job starting ballgames. We’re not at that point right now.”
Can’t believe pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, Florida on February 18th – that is right around the corner!!!
As we reported yesterday, the possibility that the Red Sox would sign reliever Joe Nelson to a minor league deal became a reality today. Nelson has played for 6 different major league organizations and has spent his fair share of time in the minor leagues. But in just about 2 weeks, Nelson will head to Fort Myers, Florida to compete for a “long-shot” spot in the Red Sox bullpen. Nelson had a great 2008 with the Florida Marlins in which he pitched 54 innings with a 2.00 ERA. He struck out 60 batters while walking only 22. Nelson landed a $1.3 million gig with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009, but a bad May (8.53 ERA) doomed his season. Although he had solid ERA’s in April (3.00), June (0.84) and July (2.25), he still finished the year with an ERA over 4.00 and he spent the final two months of the season pitching in the minor leagues.
Nelson is thrilled with the opportunity to compete for an Opening Day roster spot with the Red Sox: “Having to make a team is nothing new to me. I welcome the competition, and I usually thrive in situations like that… They’re not bringing in a whole bunch of guys. They have the two spots they’re really looking at… I’m very happy to be signed up with the Red Sox and I’m looking forward to Spring Training to go out there and earn my way on that team.”
And even if he doesn’t make the team, he’s not in a bad situation. He can pitch for the Red Sox in theur minor league system and potentially get called up to a big league team competing for a championship in the event someone gets hurt or traded. Or if he does well, but doesn’t make the club, the Red Sox could use him as trade bait for a team that is looking for someone for their major league roster right away at the start of the season. The Red Sox would get something in return for him, and Nelson would get to pitch at the MLB level. Should be interesting to watch these guys battle each other over the next 2+ months…
The Boston Red Sox and GM Theo Epstein are never content – which means that we could still see a few bullpen “tweaks” during Spring Training 2010. Five relievers clearly have a hold on a 2010 bullpen spot – Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez and Daniel Bard. With Michael Bowden likely to start the season with Triple-A Pawtucket as a starting pitcher and with the Red Sox carrying “6 starters” for the season, there likely 1 more bullpen spot up for grabs during Spring Training 2010. In line for that spot – Boof Bonser, Brian Shouse and the other Ramon Ramirez. Reports out of Florida also indicate that the Red Sox might bring in Joe Nelson and Oscar Villarreal under minor league contracts with Spring Training invites. If one of them impresses in Florida, then one of those guys could slide into the slot. Nelson has a career 4.07 ERA, but kept his ERA under 3.00 in each of April, May and June last season. Villareal is coming off of Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery – he missed the entire 2009 MLB season. He has a career 3.86 ERA with a 24-15 record and 1.75 strikeout-walk ratio. He threw in the upper 80’s/low 90’s in a throwing session in Arizona last week.
GM Epstein had this to say about the pitching pursuits: “We’re always on the lookout for more additions if they make sense. We don’t necessarily have great opportunity to sell at this point. There’s certain aspects of our club, if someone’s prepared for some competition, maybe we could be the right landing spot for one of these guys to a Minor League deal.”
Seems unlikely that any of these “minor league contract” guys will make the Opening Day Red Sox roster in 2010. Can’t believe it is February already! Pitchers and catchers will be reporting very very soon…
The Red Sox have extended an invitation to Catcher Gustavo Molina for Spring Training 2010. Molina played with the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse during the 2009 baseball season. Molina hit only .209 in 72 games with 2 HR’s and 24 RBI’s, so it is unlikely that he will make any impact for the Red Sox at the major league level. He is 27 years old. Not sure why I’m even writing about this, but it was a slow Red Sox news day.
Boston Red Sox single game tickets for the entire season (sort of) go on sale today at 10:00AM EST. You can purchase tickets on the Red Sox website or by calling 888-REDSOX6. There is an 8-ticket limit per customer. Red Sox tickets for select home games at Fenway Park in April, May and September have already been on sale since December. But all the prime summertime games go on sale today. The only games that you cannot purchase on Saturday are the 9 games against the New York Yankees and 3 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in June. Tickets for those 12 games will be sold through a lottery system. The Red Sox have not announced when the lottery selection process will occur.
Red Sox tickets to just about every game sell-out quickly. So make sure you are near a computer or phone today to lock in your tickets before they’re all gone. Good luck!
|
|
