Yep, the “official” indicator that spring training is imminent–The Truck left Fenway Park around noon today, filled to the brim with all manner and variety of Red Sox stuff–both baseball and personal, and will arrive in Fort Meyers sometime on Friday…
I don’t know what it is, but this offseason has FLOWN by–it didn’t feel like the interminable mess that it has been in recent years. Perhaps it’s because we were all SO ready for the 2012 campaign to be over as it was pretty much pure and unadulterated CRAP from beginning to end–that we all just needed a time out, some space, and copious amounts of Jack Daniels and Maalox (had to get rid of all the extra Daisuke Daiquiris somehow…)
So now we turn the page and hope (oh, how we desperately hope) that Ben’s signings in the offseason, while not super splashy, are enough to get this team to at least be watchable and likeable again–and if they can contend, that’s all gravy, at least this year… Read more…
I’m making the annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Yay!
And, my daughter will make her first visit to the Fens–at 17 months! I didn’t get to Fenway until I was 13!!
So, as I mentioned on my Facebook Page the other day, Pedro and ‘Tek are back together again–but this time as Special Assistants to GM Ben Cherington. Some of Pedro’s duties will include (naturally) working with Sox pitchers. He weighs in: I think we have a ways to go. We have to work hard and keep the team healthy. That has been the key the last few years… But I think the team has talent. You have the pitching nucleus to actually do it. If you want to do anything in baseball you have to do it through pitching.”
Good news on the Will Middlebrooks front–his right wrist fracture is all healed up, and he has absolutely no restrictions going forward into the 2013 campaign. Let’s hope that the stellar path he was on before the injury continues. If he does continue to be a force at the plate and on the hot corner, it will go a long way to improving the Red Sox chances to compete this year, because right now, at MLB Futures Odds at Topbet, they are pretty much middle of the pack… Read more…
Random Thoughts at less than 3 weeks to Pitches and Catchers…
Avascular Necrosis. Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? That is the hip thing that cost Mike Napoli 2 years and $34 million dollars. And the weirdest thing is that he said he has no idea that he had the condition until the Sox found it during his contract physical. Web MD lists the condition as: “Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis or ischemic bone necrosis, is a condition that occurs when there is loss of blood to the bone. Because bone is living tissue that requires blood, an interruption to the blood supply causes bone to die. If not stopped, this process eventually causes the bone to collapse.” Yeah, its sounds as bad is it probably is…and worse still, he has the condition it BOTH hips. But until it becomes an issue, it’s not, so for now the Sox expect (hope?) to at least get the year they paid for out of Napoli, and go from there…
Chris Carpenter (no, not THAT one) was DFA’ed to make room for Napoli on the 40-man, thereby reducing ever further the NOTHING the Sox got for Theo from the Cubs…
Next Saturday and Sunday, January 26th and 27th, Extra Innings in Woburn, MA, will host a Winter Wiffle Ball Tournament, with proceeds benefiting the Sandy Hook Elementary School PTA in Newton, CT.
Sponsored by VITT PE, LLC- changing lives through the physical, the Lowell Spinners, the Nashua Silver Knights, NBAonNBC, Shortstuff Inc, Wiffle Ball, Extra Innings-Woburn, and Bawstin’s Energy Drink, the tournament will be set up as a non-competitive tournament where people of all ages can come and play just to have fun and benefit a great cause.
Teams of 5 can sign up for $50 and they will be matched up with other teams that are around the same age, with each contest lasting an hour.
Families, neighbors, co-workers, etc wishing to play against each other, can purchase an hour block to do so for $100. Read more…
We all know by now that, due to the concerns about Mike Napoli’s hip, the Sox have backed away from the original 3 year, $39 million offer they agree upon, pending a physical, back on December 3rd. Now, they signed him to a one year deal–for $5 million. Can’t imagine that is going to give him the warm fuzzies. Wonderful, we now get a (probably) resentful 1st baseman. Ducky…
So, Terry Francona’s book comes out next Tuesday (already have it pre-ordered, natch), and already the brouhaha is starting… And I was surprised that Tom Werner was chosen to speak for ownership–usually he is the quiet one. I thought it would be King Larry, getting all pissy…But here is what Tom had to say: “We had unbelievable success together for many years, and now our focus is on 2013.” And of course, John Henry had nothing to say, which seems to be his thing these days–feels like apathy to me…
And again, I will ask the question: Shaughnessy? Really? But despite that, I cannot WAIT to read it–I expect it will be vintage Tito: Witty, honest and classy… Read more…
Baseball and music stars descended on the Boston area last weekend for the 14th Annual Hot Stove Cool Music Event, celebrating music, baseball and giving back by raising over $200,000 for Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein’s Foundation To Be Named Later.
The annual Hot Stove Roundtable kicked off this winter’s Hot Stove Cool Music festivities, presenting an in-depth discussion at Fenway Park’s State Street Pavilion on Changing a Culture in Baseball.
An expert panel of distinguished baseball luminaries, moderated by Hall of Fame Writer Peter Gammons, an original founder of Hot Stove Cool Music, included: Epstein, Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington, Manager John Farrell and Assistant General Manager Mike Hazen, and Baltimore Orioles Manager Buck Showalter
Some of the biggest names in the Boston music scene joined Boston baseball and entertainment all-stars on the Hot Stove Cool Music stage at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Saturday night. Read more…
If you're a die hard red sox fan then you probably find yourself looking for Boston Red Sox Tickets all the time. We have a large selection of tickets for all games at Fenway Park.
Next Saturday and Sunday, January 26th and 27th, 
Baseball and music stars descended on the Boston area last weekend for the 14th Annual Hot Stove Cool Music Event, celebrating music, baseball and giving back by raising over $200,000 for Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein’s 
