Beckett Talks Progressing – If recent media speculation is true, the Red Sox will work out a new contract with pitcher Josh Beckett before the season begins in a few weeks. Baseball writers, in different accounts, have reported that progress has been made in negotiations. Beckett has said he wants to stay in Boston. He’ll become eligible for free agency after this season.
While I like Beckett and hope things can work out eventually, I wish the Sox would not rush on this particular deal – as I wrote on this blog previously. I feel strongly that because Beckett has “broken down” at the end of two consecutive seasons, the team should insist on seeing how he performs for a while this summer before sealing a deal. Beckett has not only suffered injuries in the late 2008 and 2009 seasons, but, also, his arm has simply appeared weary by September. The zip on his heater has faded and the bite on his curveball as diminished too. So, why can’t the Sox say to Beckett: We want you back, but, we want to sign the deal in August rather than now ?
Scrutiny of Big Papi Has Begun Already - David Ortiz got off to a slow start at the plate in spring training, and, when he went 2 for 2 yesterday, including a home run, much attention was given to it. Big Papi has not seemed thrilled to have baseball writers paying attention to every one of his at-bats during spring training – which is understandable. He pointedly said he’s always been a slow starter hitting-wise. How Ortiz handles the pressure to perform in April and May will undoubtedly affect his chances for success in what will likely be his last year on the Red Sox. (His contract expires in the fall) Last spring, the longer Ortiz’ slump went on, the worse he seemed to look for a while. To his credit, he fought through the drought and hit well in the second half, although many of his hits came off the worst teams.
A few sportswriters have speculated that if Papi slumps again in April and May, the Red Sox might lose patience and replace him somehow. The Sox put themselves in a jam with Ortiz because, if he slips, they have no good substitute for DH – assuming the team trades Mike Lowell, as expected. If Big Papi hits half-decently, all will be OK, but, if not, the team may have to limit his at-bats, or, bench him — a delicate possibility given Ortiz’ special status as the key clutch hitter who led the Sox to the 2004 World Series and beyond.
Sox Bench Seems Stronger - Who is Tug Hulett? Well, whoever he is, he’s belting the ball around lately for the Sox in spring training. Hulett seems to have some pop, and, he’s not the only bench guy. Josh Reddick, who had flashes of sharp hitting last year, has started on fire this spring. I hope this guy makes it onto the roster. A utility outfielder, Reddick really looks good at the plate. Then, there is utility infielder Billy Hall, who people seem to think highly of. Hall can play almost every infield position! Lastly, Jeremy Hermida, their reserve outfielder, has hit well in a few spring training games and could prove invaluable this season.
All in all, the Sox bench seems quite improved over the 2009 reserves.
Nomargate – Only in Boston. Only in Boston would there have been the enormous attention given to Nomar Garciaparra’s signing a one-day contract with the Sox last week so that he could announce his retirement from baseball from his old team. Some were delighted to see Nomar back. Others, like the Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, played his “Scrooge” role blasting Nomar and calling the staged retirement a “fraud”. He ripped Nomar for sitting on stage next to two Sox executives who he hated and who disliked him too — Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino. For the record, they all got along and it didnt’ seem a big deal. But Shaughnessy and others played it out on talk radio and TV for a couple of days. Callers weighed in for hours and hours about their grievances against Nomar for his actions in 2004 before he got traded.
It was a joke and a disgrace at the same time. I don’t know why Nomar wanted to return that badly, but he did and the Red Sox went along with it….so,……who cares that much? Secondly, I’m really sick of the distortion around Nomar’s departure from Boston. Because of the incredibly disproportionate criticism heaped on Nomar during the summer of 2004, fans and media have forgotten all that he did in his previous seven years in Boston. He was one of the best, most exciting ballplayers ever to come through Fenway Park and there was a reason Ted Williams was struck by him. Nomar hit .372 in 2000 and, as his old teammate Lou Merloni recalls, that season included many, many line-drive outs. Nomar was ON FIRE that year and unbelievable in several other years. He hit .357 the year before, in 1999. He was very close to 200 hits for six seasons. He was, legitimately, compared to Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez for several seasons. They were the “Big Three” shortstops. Now, in Boston, too many people have forgotten Nomar’s seven good years; they dwell on his last few months, when he was very unhappy and wanted to be traded – after he learned the Red Sox had considered trading him. Yes, he didn’t handle it well. Yes, he was horrible with the media. Yes, he chose to not be candid with the press and public. Yes, he sulked a bit. BUT, he also had suffered a couple of significant injuries the two preceding years and was frustrated AND just because he had a bad ending doesn’t change how off-the-charts amazingly he performed for this first seven years. He was an incredible player. I don’t know what happened to Nomar. No one seems to know. After one injury, it seemed he was never the same. Did he take steroids? Who knows?
I’ll never forget watching him play, and, whatever his sins and flaws, he was, basically, a good guy. So, I hope Boston fans can grow up a bit in the future.
