Welcome to Boston

It is being reported by SI.com and the Boston Globe that a 3-way deal has been completed between the Dodgers-Pirates-Red Sox that sends Manny to LA and brings Bay to the Sox. The Pirates receive a handful of prospects.

Wanted to be the first to welcome Jason Bay to Boston, and look forward to seeing you in front of the Green Monster on Friday.

#38 is taken, but maybe you can make a contribution to ALS or Shade to get that number Jason. ;)

photo credit: (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Manny Craziness

Marlins, 3-way with Pirates and Marlins, Dodgers, Deal is Dead, Dodgers, now it is being reported Manny has been traded. Details are scarce, but it looks like the deal will involve the Dodgers and possibly the Pirates. This shall be exciting to find out….

Go SOX!!!!!!!!!

EMBARRASSING!!!!!!

That’s the only thing I can think of.

EMBARRASSING!!

Yes, getting swept in the fashion they did against the Angels was embarrassing, but that is not what I am talking about.

Dropping 5 of 6 on this home stand is embarrassing, but that is not what I am talking about.

Manny Ramirez. He should be EMBARRASSED.

I was not so sure that the Sox should trade Manny. However, after his comments, antics, and pathetic play over the past few days, it is obvious he HAS TO BE TRADED.

He is bringing down the whole team. It is so plain to see. Usually when you hear people talking about so-and-so player being a distraction, it is an exaggeration. I mean these are professional athletes. But, if you have watched any of these games, there is nothing more to be said.

So, here is my good-bye to Manny. Thanks for what you’ve done the past 8 years. Thanks for the 2 World Series titles. Thanks for the homers.

Enjoy your tax-free payments in Florida.

Go Sox!!!!

Vending, Yankees, Manny, Trade Deadline

Well, I'm back. It was a busy weekend.

There is nothing like working at Fenway during a Sox / Yankees series. The buzz in the park is great. It is ALWAYS busy. And the TIPS are the best. I can't tell you why, but maybe those Yankee fans are better tippers. Haha.

Anyway, it was a dissappointing series. I figured the Sox would be able to win the Ponson start, which they did. But, losing to both Joba and Pettite...I thought they'd get one of those. The Joba / Beckett game was a rare low scoring Yanks / Sox game. However, I'd say that was more because of the wide strike zone of the ump. Although Joba did have better stuff than Beckett, in my opinion.

The sad thing was Manny sitting out this game. Peter Gammons had a great blog this weekend about Manny. That says it all right there.

However, all these Manny bickering and whining is just getting OLD. Manny, it is time to shut up and play!!! I don't think there is any way the Sox can trade Manny, though. I don't see any teams giving up enough to get a guy for 2 months. A guy who can hit, but otherwise has proven to be a pain in the rump. It was talked about that since Manny is a 10-5 guy (10 year vet, 5 with 1 team), that he can veto any trade, and will only sign-off on a trade if the new team agrees in writing not to pick-up the option years. I would be shocked if Manny got traded.

However, the Sox are indeed in need of some bullpen help. Masterson will be a big help, but they still need more. Hanson is not the answer right now. Delcarmen has been inconsistent, and walks too many guys. Apparently, the Sox have their eyes on Doug Brocail and Will Ohman. However, with the Yanks and Angels making moves, and the Sox floundering a bit, the Sox are going to need to make a move or two to prove that the front office wants it just as much as most of the players.

That's all for now

Go Sox.

The Sox should have beaten Pettitte, but once again the pitching and the bullpen was a negative factor.

Call me a manager?? Manny out again

The Red Sox posted their line-up tonight, and according to Rob Bradford's blog the line-up was as follows:

Pedroia 2B
Youkilis 1B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Lowell 3B
Drew RF
Lowrie SS
Varitek C
Ellsbury CF

I almost nailed it. Haha.

Anyway, some bad news, as Manny Ramirez has been scratched. According to Sean McAdam on WEEI, Manny still felt some pain during BP, and has since been scratched.

Hopefully, this is not anything too serious. And, hopefully it is not just some ploy that the talk heads on WEEI think it may be in regards to Manny not being happy with the options on his contract hanging over him.

Is it Manny being Manny or is it a legit injury. Hopefully we'll know more after the game.

Go Sox!

Papi, Ellsbury, and more

Well, it’s the day we’ve been waiting for. Big Papi is BACK! After 54 days and 45 games, in which the Red Sox were 26-19, Big Papi is BACK! Tonight, David Ortiz will step back on the field and take his first cracks in almost 2 months, against the hated rival, New York Yankees.

When Papi went out injured in that May 31st game against the Orioles, the Red Sox trailed the first place Rays by 1 game. Today, they are tied for first with them, just percentage points behind.

The Sox did a great job of really not suffering a dramatic slump with Ortiz out. J.D. Drew did an incredible job of filling in Ortiz’s hole in the line-up. However, now with Ortiz back, how is this going to affect the line-up. Here is what my line-up would be tonight:

Pedroia, 2b
Drew, rf
Ortiz, dh
Ramirez, lf
Lowell, 3b
Youkilis, 1b
Varitek, c
Lowrie, ss
Ellsbury, cf

Now, we know it is unusual to have 2 lefties in a row in a line-up these days. Also, Drew is not a prototypical #2 hitter. However, the Yanks do not have a left-hander in the bullpen. Ellsbury’s production has really dropped, and it seems like this would be the right down to drop him in the order and take some pressure of him, especially with how hot Pedroia has been. By hitting Ellsbury 9th, as the rest of the game goes, you end up keeping the Ellsbury, Pedroia, Drew three-some which may help alleviate the change.

I doubt we will see a line-up like that, and will more likely see the same line-up as usual except with Ortiz back at #3, and J.D. Drew probably back at #5 or #6 and everybody else bumped back down a slot.

I am not sure what the problem Ellsbury is going through. The 1st 2 months, he hit .282 and .281 with a combined 27 walks. The last 2 months, he has hit .245 and .232 with a combined 5 walks. I don’t know what to really attribute that to, but you can see that it has been affecting his confidence, and he is not swinging at good pitches. I love Ellsbury, and believe he can work his way out of this. The first step would be dropping him down, and see if that can get him going.

Finally, WEEI was reporting yesterday the Sox were in “serious” negotiations with the White Sox for Juan Uribe. I am not sure why, as I think Lowrie is more than capable to fill in for Lugo, and hopefully, possibly, take over full-time for Lugo. I don’t even think Uribe is an upgrade over Cora, so I didn’t see where the interest is from the Sox stand point.

It should be a great series this weekend, with some nice pitching match-ups. Tonight’s match-up for Joba vs Beckett could be a good duel. Joba is emerging into the perfect Yankee to hate for us Red Sox fans, which is great for the rivalry. Then we have Wakefield and Pettitte. Both are coming of some quality starts. The final game will see Lester and Ponson. I think the Sox will take 2 out of 3, as it will be tough to get to both Joba and Pettite.

Go Sox!

Here I Am, my introduction.

Well, I've decided to break into the blogging business. Haha. I was inspired to create this blog as a tribute to my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, because I wanted to be the first Red Sox blogger to get linked on Rob Neyer's blog on ESPN.com.

I know, that is lame, what can I say.

I don't plan to make a job from this, nor am I going to try and be a blog that "breaks news" as some blogs do out there. I just hope to consistently talk about the Red Sox and everything about them.

I have seemed to jump on board the blogging express at a busy time of year for the Red Sox and baseball. The Sox are in the midst of a 3-way dogfight for the AL East Title trapped between the 1st-place (yes, no kidding) Rays and the 3rd-place Yanks while topping the AL Wild Card standings.

A little about myself. I am a 36 year-old, married (sorry, ladies), father of two young children.

(Yes, I am molding them into Red Sox fans, Haha. My 3 year-old son can already recite most of the players on the team, as well as belt out the Star Spangled Banner, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and God Bless America since he was about 2 years-old or so. Okay, back on topic.)

Like I said, I am 36, married with children, and a life long Red Sox fan. I currently employed in the financial industry and as the title of my blog page says, work part time as a food vendor at Fenway. My earliest memories of the Sox, are the days of Fred Lynn roaming center-field. He is my all-time Red Sox favorite, and I remember being disappointed when he left for the Angels. Damn that front office. Haha.

I don't really remember the Bucky Dent homer too well, as I was still young and in school probably at that time. However, I remember Buckner's miscue like everyone else. I remember watching Brunansky fall out of view to make that clinching catch on my TV in college. Clemens getting tossed in the Oakland playoff series. Yada, yada, yada.

An interesting note for me, my son born in September of 2004 and the Sox went on to win the first World Series of many people's lifetime. I followed that up with having my daughter born in October of 2007, and then we get the 2nd World Series title. So, I will be sure to keep all up to date on the next child, as that will lead into the next World Series title. Sorry to say, there is nothing in the oven now.