Red Sox receive World Series rings: In final day of reflection on 2013, the Red Sox act like champions

The sights and sounds buzzing through Fenway Park were of excitement, appreciation and a dash of that lingering pride in the fact that less than 6 months ago, our team, the Boston Red Sox were the first team in the history of baseball to go from last in their division 1 year to World Series Champion the next. 

On this day, April 4th, 2014, the majesty of that triumphant World Series win however was very rapidly melting out of the present and into the past. We had seen the post-game interviews and celebration on October 30th of last year then cheered in delirious unity a few days later when the Championship Parade wound through the streets of Boston raising us up and emphasizing the importance of this season that had possibly been the most important season in Red Sox history. 

And after that we still refused to forget these bearded brothers who had taken over the city in which they lived. We half-jokingly, half actually cried when Johnny Gomes shaved his beard prior to Spring Training while we celebrated when Mike Napoli resigned with the team and promised that his beard would do the same. 

You see, there was something about the 2013 Sox that went beyond dominance. It trumped the dynastic reign of the Patriots and shamed those Celtics fans who revel in the fact that their team has won more championships than any other team in the league even though 11 out of 18 of those championships were won in an era where the NBA had just 9 teams. It makes the Bruins fans of the eras of Bobby Orr and now Claude Jillian rethink the magic of their own respective championship runs and even makes people still bragging about the 2004 Sox title ask the question, was this 2013 title above all the rest?

We look back on the 162 games of 2013, 1 of which bears the emotional astrix denoting it as the game erased from out memory by the terror resulting from the Marathon Bombing on April 15th, and see how this team grew as one and really found out what they were as a result of that day and the support their city demanded from them after it. Their beards defined them but their camaraderie made them great. 

Stories of this clubhouse unity brought to the table by unknown guys like Johnny Gomes or forgotten stars like Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino erased those of Chicken and Beer that grew out of the doldrums of the 2011 collapse while stunning displays of dominance by those same players made us forget even about the game before. At the end of the season while they were not the stand alone best team in baseball they were close to it. They tied with the Cardinals for the top spot come years end but went above and beyond the rest of the league in offence while not once losing more than 3 consecutive games.

While for 4 years Sox fans felt a burning jealousy for the Yankees and their constant mantra of victorious play, the tables were turned in 2013 when the Sox rapidly became the do all say all owners of the baseball world. As the Yankees dealt with the fallout from the Biogenisis scandal and were hated for their part in it, the Red Sox were completely clean in 2013 always getting forgiven for their few unlikable moments (namely David Ortiz's phone smashing incident in Baltimore) and actually praised for moments that should have been unlikable but were not in Boston (namely the Ryan Dempster/Alex Rodriguez bean ball incident). 

This team was loved for what they did in 2013 and while many fans would never like to have to deal with finding space for new memories among all the great ones that team gave us, baseball does go on and on this day, April 4th, 2014, the 2013 Red Sox went from present to past while the 2014 Red Sox went from future to present. But as we knew this, as we prepared to cross that threshold to be felt when the first pitch a 2014 Red Sox pitcher threw on home turf was thrown, we also knew that there was one more chapter to this year of celebration, one last hurrah for the 2013 Boston Red Sox. That chapter, that last hurrah is and was the Ring Ceremony conducted this afternoon. 

“It’s going to be pretty cool,” pitcher Jon Lester said prior to the presentation of his 2nd Championship Ring for his work in Boston. “Just from what I remember from ’08, being able to be a part of that in different circumstances. I think this one means, obviously they all mean a lot, but this one means a little bit more. It’ll be pretty cool and I’m excited for it. You sit around all offseason thinking what the ring’s going to look like, so it’ll be pretty cool to go out there and get it and celebrate one last time, and after today we move on for good and think about 2014.” 

“Opening Day for me is one of the best things in baseball,” backup catcher David Ross said. “It’s probably at the top of my list, especially home openers and then you’re talking about a home opener with a World Series ring -- that’s a goal for a home opener. I’m just excited and looking forward to all the festivities. I’m looking forward to getting the ring and then getting the game going. We’re excited.” 

Ross was ready to turn the page, ready to get over the 2013 Sox and start biting his nails again as this city watches their 2014 team go for 2 straight titles. 

And yet for some that will not happen. Ryan Dempster, Jaocby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamaccia all left the team after last season and as harsh as it may seem, Ellsbury and Saltalamaccia were all but ghosts who were not present at today's ceremony. Ryan Dempster however was there and at one point, just by his presence on the same diamond as new comers like Grady Seismore or AJ Piyrsynzki represented fully this acknowledgment of both past and present of Red Sox Nation.

Au revoir 2013 Red Sox hello 2014 Sox. Let us make this season just as special as the last. 

Read More

Boston Red Sox dominating MLB hot stove talk of late: A brief look at each of the three changes involving the Red Sox in these past 48 hours

Between AJ Piersynski, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltilamaccia, the Boston Red Sox have been at the center of the MLB's offseason moves during these last 48 hours as they have changed their catching future and put their prosperity in center field in serious jeopardy. Jacoby Ellsbury has defected to the Yankees and the leagues most hated ball player is now a Red Sox.

It will be a while before we see any of these guys in action with their new teams but for now it is time to get to know an say goodbye to 3 great baseball players.

AJ Piersynski signs 1 year 3 million dollar deal with Red Sox 

Once voted the MLB's most hated player, 36 year old catcher: AJ Piesrzynski inked a widely accepted 1 year 8 million dollar deal that brought him in to bridge the gap to Boston's catching future.

Pierzynski's durability will take the pressure off of concussion plagued backup David Ross and also give the Red Sox the opportunity to dump terrible defensive catcher  Jarrod Saltilamaccia. He has a much better arm that Saltilmaccia and will likely hit in the mid to upper 200's in Boston.

It seems that the only problem with this deal is Piersynski's ego. He loves to be the big man on campus and frankly in Boston he will not get that opportunity. This is David Ortiz's team and Dustin Pedroia's game. There is no room for AJ Piersynski to try to become the moral leader of this team and instead what he must do is throw guys out and guide his pitchers to victory.

So long as AJ can understand his role, Boston will not regret this move.

Jacoby Ellsbury signs 7 year 153 million dollar deal with Yankees

Ellsbury is gone, snatched up by the cash crazed Yankees.

Let’s face it, this was a loose/loose scenario for Red Sox GM, Ben Cherrington. There was no way it was possible to scrounge up such a sum of money and yet by not doing so he lost one of the best center fielders in the league right now. This one will sting for Red Sox fans as via Jacoby's signing within the division we will be force to play him and his Yankees 19 times a season and barring any postseason sires, 133 times over the course of this contract.

However, durability will continue to be a main question for Ellsbury even in the Bronx where Sox fans will hope the Yankees will be made to look foolish when their new center fielder misses 70 games a season with any assortment of injuries. But regardless of that, when Ellsbury is healthy, he will flourish in New York and might likely use the optimal placement of the right field porch at Yankee Stadium to crush home runs on a constant basis. 

Statistically speaking, Boston has no replacement for Ellsbury and while it would be easy to say they are at fault for letting Jacoby walk, this was a necessary non move by Ben Cherrington.  

To read more about the Ellsbury signing click here


Jarrod Saltalmaccia signs 3 year 21 million dollar deal with Marlins

  Game 3 of the World Series was a turning point in Jarrod Saltilamaccia's career. As he botched an easy throw to 3rd base thereby handing the win to the Cardinals, his time as a starter in Boston was done as backup David Ross got the start in each of the next 3 games.

Salty who played 4 seasons in Beantown was shaken by the benching and by the end of the series it seemed that the Sox were ready to cut ties with the man who had bridged them out of the Jason Varatek era. They made that final Tuesday afternoon when they signed Ranger free agent AJ Pierzynski thereby signaling that it was time for Salty to go. 

Upon taking this hint it did not take Jarrod long to ink a pretty respectable 21 million 3 year contract with the Miami Marlins a team who are desperate for the very offence that Jarrod Saltilamaccia will so willfully provide.

As it all trickles down, the Sox might nearly say good riddance to their former backstop as they do not need offence from the catcher position they need defense and Saltilamaccia could not provide that. Much like the Ellsbury situation this is a very good non move by Ben Cherrington.

To read more about Saltilamaccia's tenure in Boston click here

Read More

Jacoby Ellsbury sings 7 year 153 million dollar deal with Yankees: Looking at what the signing means for both teams

Red Sox fans went to sleep Thursday night, buzzing with the anticipation of what new signing AJ Piezynski could bring to Boston and their imaginations spinning thrilling images of the new catcher creaming opposing catchers at the Fenway home plate. When they woke up on Wednesday morning their mood was instantly soured by a deed committed by Jacoby Ellsbury that in Red Sox nation is all but a cardinal sin. He signed with the New York Yankees.  

At exactly 8:39 eastern stranded time, Jacoby Ellsbury abandoned the team that had nurtured him to greatness and had given him 2 championship rings opting to instead march off to the one team they hated most. But can we blame him? 

Ellsbury who played in 7 different seasons with Boston and started 715 regular season games soon became one of the league's premier outfielders using his incomparable speed to track down anything that soared into his expansive center field grass. Because of that calmness with his glove, Ellsbury committed just 8 errors during his tenure with Boston while compiling 1,708 putouts and 19 assists. But as we look back on these wonderful years, it was not even his defense that made Jacoby Ellsbury so great. 

Using the same speed that gave him that center field ownership, Jacoby beat together 241 stolen bases and led the AL in that category 3 times the best of those seasons being one in which he compiled 70 thefts. There was never a doubt about Jacoby's on the field skill set but at the same time we always knew that the Beantown superstar was never fully contempt with his insane fame. He was isolated, and rarely talked to his teammates. He stayed out of the spotlight as best he could and if you look back on his days here, it was a rare occasion when someone was able to pry a useful quote out of any interactions with the media he had. To draw a comparison between Ellsbury's on the field and off the field goings on, one must simply look to the position he played. 

Where Ellsbury played in center field was often over 300 feet away from home plate while still beyond speaking distance away from the stands which stood a whopping 488 feet away from home. He was never within 100 feet of second basemen Dustin Pedroia and never even had to call for fly balls. When guys saw him coming they got out of the way no questioned asked. He did not have to deal with reading signs from his coaches meaning no shifts, no intentionally dropped balls and no coach advised description as to when he must utilize his cannon arm. For a guy with a personality that necessitates isolation, center field is the perfect position and yet in the end it was that isolation that likely caused his discomfort with Boston and by extension moved him to NY. 

So what now?

Jacoby is gone, taken away by the 3rd largest outfield contract in the history of baseball and so we now look to the guys in the wings and on the market asking one bold question. Who now fills the void and how to we cope with the fastest player in the league now playing against us 19 times a year? Unfortunately, that question really does not have much of an answer.  

Instead we have Jackie Bradly Jr. After he was drafted by the Red Sox back in 2011, the now 23 year old prospect marched up the ranks and actually began the year ahead of Sox current top prospect Xander Boagerts. This kind of recognition was breed via a spectacular preseason put up by Bradley in which he hit .419 with 12 RBI's in 62 at bats. However, that success did not directly translate into regular season prosperity. He played just over a month of baseball to start the season and while his okay glove and Ellsbury like speed did help in him the field, Bradley's offence was abysmal as he knocked up just 3 hits and no RBI's through 31 April at bats which was good enough to hand him a monthly batting average of .097 as well as a demotion back to Pawtucket. In time, his offence did get better and by the end of the year and after finally fighting his way back to Boston in order to fill the void left by a late season Ellsbury hand injury Bradly did manage to hike his average up to a still horrendous .189. 

I ask you this is that the guy you want replacing one of the best in the game? 

Well according to a recent Sports Nation ESPN poll , the answer is yes, 85% of the nation believes that the Red Sox were right in letting Ellsbury go and in turn believe that Bradley will not be an achilles heel to this team that will hopefully make a good run at defending their crown as champions come next October.  

But there is hope that the Sox will get some more veteran skill in outfield as they did last off-season. First and foremost we have free agent, Shin-Soo Choo who like Ellsbury uses speed to excel both defensively and offensively. He stole 20 bases in 2013 and commuted just 4 errors in 150 games played. Furthermore there is Matt Kemp who while he is currently under contract with the Dodgers, it seems to be true that the Dodgers want him out of town meaning that a small piece such as Ryan Dempster might be enough to bring the slugger to Boston.  

153 million dollars is a lot of money and lets face it, we cannot blame Ben Cherrington for refusing to fork it over. But the Sox and their fans will miss Jacoby Ellsbury and so, the boos will rain down whether we want them to or not. 

Read More