Hot Stove to Heat Up

Well, now that World Series has ended, and Cole Hamel and the rest of Phillies have been corroneted 2008 Champions, we not head into baseball's "off-season." However, the term "off-season" only really applies to some of the players, as this one of the busiest times of the hear for team management, agents, and a flurry of players who will file for free agency or arbitration, get traded or hear their names come up in trade talk, or get released and franticly search for an organization or team to try and cling to stay in the game.

Image: by: Otto Greule, Jr - Getty Images - 2 April 1998

The Hot Stove news is already coming out in Red Sox nation today, especially where it concerns the Red Sox two longest tenured and most respected players. It is being reported that Jason Varitek filed for free agency. Along with Alex Cora and David Ross, they were among 65 major league players who filed on the first day for eligible players. Players who are eligible have until Monday, November 3rd to file for Free Angency.

Meanwhile, it is being reported that the Red Sox plan to pick-up the option on Tim Wakefield's contract. That means Wakefield will be back with the club at a reasonable $4 million dollar contract. The Sox and Wakefield came to a unique contract agreement back in 2005 in which Wakefield is basically owned by the Red Sox via infinate options on his contract until the Sox finally decide not to pick up an option. I, obviously, don't know the full details, but that's pretty much the layman's explanation.

The first trade of the off-season was pulled off as the Kansas City Royals will get 30-HR guy Mike Jacobs from the Florida Marlins while sending reliever Leo Nunez back.

Ken Macha has been hired as the Milwaukee Brewers manager, replacing interim manager Dale Sveum. Both have ties to the Red Sox. Macha was long time minor league manager in the Red Sox minor league system before being hired by the A's a few years back. In between his two managing job, he has been serving as an analyst (and cure for insomnia) with the Sox pre and post game broadcasts on NESN. Sveum was a third base coach with the Sox back in 2004 when the Sox won their first World Series since 1918.

Finally, there has been a lot of talk, mostly on ESPN.com and ESPN radio, about how baseball should make the World Series into an 7 - 10 day long event. MLB could play the World Series on a neutral (warm weather / sunny) site (similar to the Super Bowl) and hold a litany of events (such as naming the HoF induction class, MVP / Cy Young awards, Town Meetings with GMs, etc, etc.) and hoopla. I don't think I am in favor of this, but don't think this is something that we would see any time soon. It is just being brought up because of the debacle of Game 3 and the Game 5 rain delay.

One last thing. If you are a fan of Cole Hamels, which I am becoming, then there is a pretty neat read about him. It is an interview with the current Red Sox scouting director, Jason McLeod, who was scouting Hamels back in high school. It is a good read which you can find here.

Cinderella Re-write

It looks like the classic fairy-tale is getting a major re-write. In the role of the newly created step-brother, Cole Hamels is about to smash both of the Tampa Bay Rays glass slippers, which (as we know from the Disney version) will prevent Cinderella from ever getting together with Prince Charming.

Surprisingly, at least to me, the Rays find themselves down 3 - 1. Judging from the highlights, in what appears to be one of the most exciting World Series games in a while, the Phillies won Game 4, 5-4. Unfortunately, thanks to a long rain delay, nobody other than Philly and Tampa saw this game (which ended at some point after 1 am EST) on the East Coast. B.J. Upton continues his amazing post season, by single "footedly" scoring the tying run in the top of the 8th. However, a bases-loaded single (that traveled about 30 ft) brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for the Phillies.


Ryan Howard, then, awoke from his post-season slumber to lead the Phillies to a 10 - 2 drubbing. He had 2 HRs and 5 RBIs.


This game, pretty much sealed up the World Series for the Phillies, as the best pitcher in MLB is heading to the hill tonight. Hamels is on the verge of a record 5th win for a starting pitcher in a single post-season. This, obviously, would his biggest win and bring home a World Series title to Philadelphia for the first time since 1980. Hamels has had an amazing post-season, and has put himself in the same category with the likes of Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Jack Morris, Orel Hershiser as clutch post-season pitchers.

Congrats to the Phillies

Missed Opportunities

No, I'm not talking about the 1 for 28 the Phillies are with runners in scoring position for the first two games of the World Series. Although, 1 for 28?, that is AMAZINGly inept.

I am talking about the missed opportunity of having this man pitch in Fenway Park in Game 2 of the World Series:

Brett Myers.

Oh, the chants the Fenway Faithful could have launched while he was on the mound. To the always effective "Rogahhhh, Rogahhhh" and "Toriiiiii, Toriiiii" (well, maybe that Torii chant didn't work out to well) and "Steroids, Steroids" for our friend Jason Giambi and other juicers, the "Wife Beat-er" chant could have been epic.

For those not familiar, back in 2006 when the Phillies were in town for an inter-league series against the Sox, Myers was arrested for hitting his wife in downtown Boston.

We, here in Boston, don't take to kindly to big, tough athletes beating up their wives or girlfriends. Just ask this guy:

I was glad to see the Rays beat...err defeat Myers last night, to even the World Series at 1-1. I'm not sure if I posted my prediction here, but I am taking the Rays in 6. I see Tampa getting to the elderly Jamie Moyer on Saturday, with the only other game they will drop is Game 5 against Cole Hamels.

In some Red Sox news, the team is bringing back the entire coaching staff with the exception of Luis Alicea. Alicea was the first base / infield coach for the past couple of season. Apparently there was a "philosophical" disagreement between him and manager, Terry Francona that has led to this departure. No word on who will replace him.

Young Guns

It is amazing the young talent we are seeing in this post-season. Evan Longoria hits home runs in his first 2 at-bats while going 3-3. Cole Hamels pitching 8 shut-out innings. Ellsbury doing it all in the field, at the plate, and on the base paths, just like last October. Lester going 7 strong innings. Ryan Braun putting the Brewers on his back to claim the Wild Card. Dustin Pedroia doing what he's been doing. These 6 guys are all 25 or under.

Then you have Alexi Ramirez, Prince Fielder, James Shields and more I am not thinking of. There just seem like a bunch of young players who are not only on the verge of being the games next superstars, but who are basking in the spotlight of October baseball.

It should make for a great October, no matter if you have a team in it or not.