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Red Sox Give Josh Beckett A Four-Year Contract Extension

GameSetMatch — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:54:50 +0000

For most teams, starting pitching is the top item on the shopping list every winter. The Red Sox hope to be stocked for years to come.

“You can’t have an elite organization without starting pitching,” general manager Theo Epstein said after signing Josh Beckett to a four-year, $68 million contract extension Monday. “And for us, there’s the added expectation of having starting pitchers who can succeed in the AL East. It’s hard to acquire. It’s hard to draft and develop.”

Now that Beckett, who turns 30 on May 15, is signed through 2014, the Red Sox have signed or control their top four starting pitchers, including John Lackey, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, through 2014.

“I guess I look at things differently that most people,” said Beckett, who made the deal possible by not insisting on a fifth year. “A lot of people look at what they lost, or what they didn’t get. I’m looking at what I gained here — four more years of stability, four more years with an organization that you know is going to put a competitive team on the field. That can’t be underestimated. A season gets long when you’re losing 90 games.”

Click here to read the full article – By DOM AMORE of Hartford Courant

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Fire up the hot stove for another winter

GameSetMatch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:18:31 +0000

RED SOX general manager Theo Epstein has no worries about the right side of the field. He knows who his right fielder will be next season. He knows who his second baseman will be next season. He knows, barring a dramatic trade for San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez, who his first baseman will be next season.

He even knows who his catcher and backup catcher will be now that he’s picked up his option on Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek has exercised his own option to return.

But the entire left side of the field remains in flux. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez is gone, at least temporarily, and no one knows how far apart the Red Sox are from left fielder Jason Bay in their negotiations. On top of that, Mike Lowell isn’t getting any younger and might be the poster child for the dramatic home-road splits that Epstein blamed for his team’s early exit in the playoffs.

It’s been a busy start to the offseason for the Red Sox, and the fun has barely begun.

Click here to read the full article – By BRIAN MACPHERSON of theunionleader.com

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Sox call out ump

rsanrel — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:48:02 +0000

C.B. Bucknor name mud again

When an umpire becomes a focal point in a postseason game, it’s usually not a good sign. So it was with first base umpire C.B. Bucknor in Game 1 of the ALDS between the Red Sox [team stats] and Angels last night.

Though they didn’t directly impact the Angels’ 5-0 shutout, Bucknor appeared to have gotten two calls wrong. Third baseman Mike Lowell and shortstop Alex Gonzalez were charged with throwing errors on the plays, but replays indicated it was Bucknor who made the miscues.

In the fourth inning, Howie Kendrick hit a grounder that Gonzalez gloved, sprawling to the ground. Gonzalez got to his feet quickly but threw wildly to first base, pulling Kevin Youkilis [stats] to the home-plate side of the bag. Youkilis caught the throw and clearly applied the tag to Kendrick a step before the Angel came down on the bag, but Bucknor ruled him safe.

Sox manager Terry Francona came racing out of the dugout to protest the call, to no avail.

“He said I tagged him,” recounted Youkilis, “but he said (Kendrick) was on the base when I tagged him. I didn’t think that was possible. I guess guys saw the replay, but other than that, I don’t know.”

Two innings later, with Kendrick again the batter, Lowell fielded a sharp grounder and threw to first. Youkilis came off the bag to catch the throw and appeared to have gotten his foot on the bag a split-second before Kendrick reached the base. Once again, Bucknor ruled the runner safe and once again, the Red Sox howled in protest.

Click here to read the full article – By Sean McAdam of BostonHerald.com

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How they match up

rsanrel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:35:52 +0000

Prediction: Red Sox in five games

The Angels had baseball’s most prolific offense for most of the summer, shooting to the top of the major leagues in runs, hits and average with runners in scoring position, but they cooled considerably in September, batting .263 and averaging 4.3 runs a game. To their usually aggressive baserunning, the Angels have added more patience and power; they rank seventh in the league in walks and third in on-base percentage, categories they have lagged in for years. The Red Sox have a nice balance of power throughout their lineup with the left-handed David Ortiz and J.D. Drew, the switch-hitting Victor Martinez, and the right-handed Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay, but they can also wreak havoc on the bases with Jacoby Ellsbury, who led the league with 70 stolen bases in 83 attempts, an 84% success rate. Boston is even more patient than the Angels, ranking second in the league in walks and on-base percentage.

Click here to read the full article – By Mike DiGiovanna of LAtimes.com

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This time, Sox’ party a private affair

GameSetMatch — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:22:05 +0000

One by dripping one, the playoff-bound Red Sox emerged from their clubhouse early this morning.

Standing in slippers, wearing “2009 AL Wild Card Champions’’ hats, grinning like rock stars, reeking of cigar smoke and dripping a trail of beer and bubbly onto the concrete concourse outside their sanctum, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Bay and Tim Wakefield shared their thoughts on going back to the playoffs.

“We play from the first day of the season, this is our goal,’’ said Lowell. “We’d rather do it on the field in front of the fans but we don’t care how it comes. Hopefully this is just step one.’’

Click here to read the full article – By Michael Silverman of Boston Herald

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Green’s health brings back Woodward

GameSetMatch — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:01:52 +0000

Twice this season, Chris Woodward thought his time with the Red Sox had ended. On Aug. 15, the same day Boston reacquired Alex Gonzalez, Woodward was designated for assignment. And just last week, with the club needing a roster spot for Daisuke Matsuzaka, Woodward was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket. This, even though the Minor League season was over.

But there Woodward was again on Monday, embarking on his third roster stint with the Red Sox. The reason Woodward was needed is that utility infielder Nick Green’s health is very much in question.

Green last played for the Red Sox on Wednesday, the night he worked a dramatic game-tying walk in the bottom of the ninth inning of a comeback win over the Angels. As it turns out, Green could barely stand during that at-bat, as his right leg had a “dead leg” type of feeling.

Click here to read the full article – By Ian Browne of MLB.com

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Sox focused on journey, not destination

GameSetMatch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:11:11 +0000

If any team appreciates the beauty of the Wild Card, it’s the Red Sox.

History shows that Boston took full advantage of the American League’s fourth and final playoff spot back in 2004, when it captured its first World Series title in 86 years. The Red Sox have used the Wild Card entry to reach the postseason a Major League-high six times since 1998, and are in line to do so once again this year.

After taking the first two bouts of their three-game set against the Angels, the Sox enter Thursday’s series finale at Fenway Park 6 1/2 games ahead of the fading Rangers in the AL Wild Card standings. But make no mistake, they aren’t ready to don their Wild Card championship hats and T-shirts just yet.

Click here to read the full article – By John Barone of MLB.com

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