The NHL scored another big hit with an outdoor Winter Classic that saw the Bruins defeat the Flyers 2-1 in overtime at Fenway Park on Friday January 1, 2010. What a way to ring in the New Year!!!

After a scoreless 1st period, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd period on Danny Syvret’s 1st goal of the NHL season.  It looked like the Flyers might emerge with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Fenway, but then former Flyer Mark Recchi’s 8th goal of the season tied the game at 1 with just over 2 minutes to play in regulation.  And less than 2 minutes into the overtime period, Marco Strum’s 14th goal of the season set the Bruins’ (and Red Sox) faithful into a tizzy.

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas and Flyers Goalie Michael Leighton each made 24 saves during the 2010 NHL Winter Classic.

During a somewhat disappointing season thus far (21-12-7, 49 points, 5th seed in Eastern Conference), it was a big win for the hometown Bruins.  Maybe the win will catapult the Bruins back to the top of the conference as the Bruins have several “east coast” games against the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators this week, before embarking on a tough 3-game west coast road trip where they will have to square off against 3 upper echelon teams – the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings next week.

Let’s take a look at the Red Sox starting rotation – despite injuries and some poor performances (Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and John Smoltz), the top 3 Red Sox starting pitchers were excellent – Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.  The Penny and Smoltz experiments can be deemed failures, but Beckett, Lester, Buchholz and Wakefield (when healthy) rallied to help the Red Sox win the wild card playoff position during the 2009 MLB schedule.

Tim Wakefield – 2009 Report Card Grade – B.

Tim Wakefield was a pleasant surprise for the Red Sox during the 2009 MLB schedule, although the frustrating back injury limited him to just 4 starts after the All-Star Break.  Wakefield earned himself his 1st ever All-Star appearance with a stellar 1st half – all of his 11 wins came before July 8th.

2009 stats – 129 2/3 innings in 21 starts; 11-5 record with a 4.58 ERA and 1.44 WHIP; 72 K’s; 50 walks; .270 opponents’ batting average.

2008 stats – 181 innings in 30 starts; 10-11 record with a 4.13 ERA and 1.18 WHIP; 117 K’s; 60 walks; .228 opponents’ batting average.

Wakefield took a major step forward in 2009 with his 11 wins in the 1st half of the season.  With off-season back surgery behind him, it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox opt to bring Wakefield back.  Wakefield is a fan favorite at Fenway Park in Boston given his 15 years of service for the club.

The Boston Red Sox finalized their 40-man roster prior to the Friday deadline in anticipation of the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings in December.  The Red Sox claimed Robert Manuel off of waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Manuel split the 2009 baseball season with the Cincinnati Reds Triple A affiliate in Louisville (3-4, 10 saves, 2.70 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners Triple A affiliate in Tacoma (1-1, 4 saves, 3.32 ERA).

The Red Sox roster now stands at 32 players.  They did not need to make any other moves with their roster because they have protected the players that they want protected.  College draftees who were signed at least 4 years ago or international signees or high school draftees who were signed at least 5 years ago are all eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this December.  Many of the club’s highest regarded prospects are either already protected or don’t need to be protected just yet because of lack of service time as a Red Sox player.

Jason Varitek will be back for a 14th season in a Red Sox uniform at Fenway Park in Boston.  The Red Sox declined a $5 million club option to keep Varitek, but Varitek decided to exercise his $3 million option to remain a Red Sox for what presumably will be his last year in a Red Sox uniform.  Varitek played in just 109 games in 2009 primarily because the Red Sox acquired Catcher Victor Martinez from the Indians before the trade deadline.  Martinez will be the Red Sox catcher of the future, so Varitek will serve as the Red Sox primary back-up during the 2010 MLB schedule.

Varitek batted just .209 with a .313 on-base percentage in 2009. He did have 14 HR’s and 51 RBI’s.  Behind the plate, however, Varitek played well.  His 3.89 catcher’s ERA was the best in the American League, and his .997 fielding percentage was tied for the best in the AL.  His only weakness – he allowed 108 runners to steal bases – the most in the AL.  In 2010, Varitek will continue to serve as a valuable asset to the entire Red Sox pitching staff, even if he only takes the field a couple of days a week.  GM Theo Epstein echoed those sentiments: “We’re happy to have Jason back, and we look forward to a good year from him in 2010.  He means an awful lot to the organization on and off the field.  He helps solidify our catching position also and is a big asset to the pitching staff.  We’re happy he decided to come back and stay in the organization he’s such an important part of.”

I’m glad that Tek is back.  He definitely isn’t the same player he was 3 or 4 years ago, but he can still be a productive member of the team.  He knows American League hitters and teams better than anybody else around, so his knowledge and input is almost immeasurable.  Lets hope he comes ready to play in 2010…

Let’s take a look at our outfield.  The trio of Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew performed admirably in 2009.

J.D. Drew – Right Field

2009 Report Card Grade – B+.  I was tempted to give him an A, but I just don’t think anyone really deserves a straight A.

2009 stats – 137 games; 452 at-bats; .279 batting average; .392 on-base percentage; 24 HR’s, 68 RBI’s; 84 runs scored; 109 K’s; 82 walks.

2008 stats – 109 games; 368 at-bats; .280 batting average; .408 on-base percentage; 19 HR’s, 64 RBI’s; 79 runs scored; 80 K’s; 79 walks.

Drew just finished his 3rd year of a 5-year, $70 million contract.  Drew has been a very consistent player during his tenure in a Red Sox uniform, but he hasn’t even come close to the career-high RBI number (100) that he put up in his final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the year before he signed with the Red Sox.  The lower RBI numbers are definitely a downer, especially from someone from whom you expected that kind of production.  On the other hand, Drew is a true Theo Epstein disciple.  Drew has a great eye and he makes pitchers work deep in the count.  That helps the rest of the lineup see more pitches, it helps get the starting pitcher out of the game sooner because of a high pitch count and it usually helps Drew have a high number of walks and solid on-base percentage.  In his 3 years, those numbers have proved true: 2008 – 79 walks with .373 on-base percentage; 2008 – 79 walks with .408 on-base percentage; and 2009 – 82 walks with .392 on-base percentage.  Very very good numbers.

We’d all love to see Drew drive in more runners, but at the age of 34, maybe there just isn’t that much pop left in his bat.  If the Red Sox can get comfortable with Drew as a #6 or #7 or even #9 hitter (to set the table back up for the top of the order), they will be happy.  But Drew’s days as a middle of the lineup hitter are over.

Drew was mostly healthy in 2009 (he played in 137 games as opposed to just 109 games in 2008 as he struggled with a back injury), so that was a positive for the Red Sox.  If Drew can maintain his health for the last 2 years of his contract, the deal will likely end up being a success for the Red Sox. Drew has won over Red Sox Nation and is well-liked in the city of Boston.  Drew has 1 World Series Championship in a Red Sox uniform and would love to make it 2 at Fenway Park with good showings in 2010 and 2011.  Red Sox Nation would sure love to see that as well.  Have a good, solid off-season workout, J.D., and let’s see you back ready to rock n’ roll for the 2010 MLB schedule…

The Boston Bruins will take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park for the 2010 NHL Winter Classic on New Years Day.  NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had this to say about the announcement: “I am pleased to end the speculation on perhaps what has been the worst-kept secret there is.  In 2010, a unique and iconic event that certainly deserves a unique and iconic venue will be played here at Fenway Park… In a very short time, the Winter Classic has become a hallmark event of the NHL regular season.  Our fans have turned the Winter Classic into a time to celebrate not just the teams that happen to be playing, but our game itself.”

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shoot out in the inaugural Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium back in 2008.  The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field in the 2009 NHL Winter Classic.  Will the Flyers make it 3 straight road teams winning in the Winter Classic in 2010?  Guess we’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out on New Years Day 2010!

***And a special thanks to our ticketing partner – Ticketchest.com – for supplying the great tickets to the 2009 Red Sox season for our great winners.  We could not have done it without the 1st class service of the guys at Ticketchest.com.  Ticketchest.com is a full service, nation-wide ticket broker – feel free to check out their site at Ticketchest.com for all your ticket needs.***

Get ready early on Saturday – it could be a long wait, but you’re sure to get the exact seats that you want! And stay tuned for a special offer from MyRedSoxToday for a chance to win…

2 FREE RED SOX TICKETS FOR ONE GAME DURING EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND SERIES THROUGHOUT THE 2009 MLB SEASON.