The Red Sox finally found a closer this Spring. To paraphrase the Who, "Meet the new closer, same as the old closer". Jonathan Papelbon will be slamming the door shut at the end of Red Sox games this year. This is simply great news for all Sox fans. Papelbon is a better closer than anyone the Sox could have acquired through a trade and he's substantially better than any of the current members of the bullpen.
I had been pulling for either Joel Pineiro or Brendan Donnelly to be dominating enough during Spring Training to convince the fans and management that the Sox had a legitimate closer on the roster. I bought into the theory that Papelbon's shoulder would be better served by pitching on a regular schedule. I agreed that 200 innings from an upper-tier pitcher would help the club more than 60 innings at the end of the game.
That said, I welcome this news with open arms. No one, not Pineiro, Donnelly, Tavarez, Timlin, Delcarmen, or Hansen has demonstrated the desire or consistency to be the closer. Papelbon was easily one of the top five closers in baseball last year. He simply has the makeup and mindset to dominate at the end of a game.
I have to believe that the Sox, both management and the medical staff, along with Papelbon truly believe that his shoulder is not at an increased risk in the closer's role. Maybe I'm just drinking the Kool Aid, but I think that the Sox thought starting would be better for Papelbon this season until they saw how strong his shoulder was this Spring and they saw how bad the bullpen was. I think the team adjusted it's strategy accordingly.
I hope that the team signs Papelbon to a long-term contract soon.
I have the game against the Marlins on in the background. I love the sound of Don Orsillo, Jeremy Remy, the crack of the bat, the snap of the mitt, and the swell of the crowd in the background. It's always been a soothing summer sound to me. I remember being a kid and listening to the game on the TV while I was playing in the yard. I don't have to be actively watching to enjoy the sounds. I think that I do my best napping with a game on.
This is my 100th post since starting the blog. It's taken about a year. At this rate Curt Schilling will pass me by July.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Random Tidbits
Here are some lingering thoughts from the past week or so.
The Patriots appear to be interested in linebacker Ed Hartwell. I think he'd a be a great pickup for the team if he's healthy. Hartwell can play inside and stop the run. He was great in Baltimore before joining Atlanta as a free agent two years ago. He's been plagued by injuries since joining the Falcons but he's only 28 years old. Even if he's able to compete as a part-time linebacker for the Patriots he could be a nice value signing.
I liked the Minnesota Vikings as a kid and I've been a big Randy Moss fan since his rookie year. I got a nice surprise on Christmas from my parents during Moss' rookie season when my dad was able to find a Moss replica jersey for me. I have never, however, condoned his actions off the field, or often, on the field. He can be a total jackass. I think that he is helpless without proper guidance and leadership on a football team. I think that the Patriots have the stability to reign Moss in, but I don't want him on the Patriots' roster. Moss is on the decline and his attitude sucks. Yes, he might behave in New England, but I don't think he'll put in the effort.
Donte Stallworth isn't high on my list of free agent wide receivers. He's lazy and has never reached his potential. His draft stock shot through the roof based on his 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine. He's rested on his laurels since then. The Saints tried to dump him for at least year before actually doing so. I don't think that Stallworth will bring much to the Patriots as a wide receiver, especially for the amount of money he wants.
I do like Kelley Washington at wide receiver, though. He's a big guy (6' 3") who probably won't require a lot of cash to sign. To the best of my recollection he's had some injury problems, but I don't believe that he's had any attitude or discipline issues.
The Red Sox starting rotation looks like it could be very special this year. I am well aware that Spring Training games are both meaningless and a terrible predictor of regular season performance. However, the starting pitching has been dominant so far this spring. Curt Schilling has been working on a changeup this year. Josh Beckett has been using his curveball effectively. Daisuke Matsuzaka has baffled hitters with his off-speed pitches. Jonathan Papelbon has looked as fiery as a starter as he was as the closer last year. Tim Wakefield has been mixing in a curveball this year. Jon Lester is an amazing story simply being able to compete with the team this spring after being treated for cancer last year.
Schilling has officially joined the blogging the community. His new blog, "38 Pitches", has been an interesting read this week.
Speaking of new bloggers, Rob Bradford also has a new blog this year, "Bradford on Baseball".
I will be adding both links to the sidebar of "Digital Sox" along with a few other new links.
The Sox bullpen has looked simply awful this spring. No one has looked good enough to provide any relief to the fanbase. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Hansen is fat and out-of-shape causing his back to flare up. Donnelly got crushed the other the day. Pinerio doesn't seem comfortable with his arm slot. Hansack and Delcarmen have failed to impress. Timlin can't even get onto the field. I really hope that the bullpen pulls together, and fast, because the starting pitching is going to go to waste when the real games start if the 'pen struggles this mightily.
On a personal note, we got a new laptop last week. It's a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 running Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit). It's a great laptop that I found on sale for a very good price. It has a dual-core 1.6 GHz Centrino processor with 1GB of PC4200 RAM. It comes with a 160 GB SATA hard drive and a dual-layer DVD burner. The screen is a 15.4-inch 1280x800 widescreen display.
I'm quite happy with the laptop and overall I'm rather impressed with Windows Vista. I wouldn't run out and upgrade any computer running Windows XP SP2, but Vista offers some nice upgrades to the overall arrangement of Windows. Many set-up operations, like setting-up a home network, have been streamlined. The overall appearance has been tweaked not only for looks, but also for simplicity and ease-of-use. I also really, really like the new layout of the menu system in Office 2007. Users no longer have to hunt down obscure toolbars or sub-menus to find advanced options.
I'll write-up a detailed Vista and Office 2007 review in the coming days.
The Patriots appear to be interested in linebacker Ed Hartwell. I think he'd a be a great pickup for the team if he's healthy. Hartwell can play inside and stop the run. He was great in Baltimore before joining Atlanta as a free agent two years ago. He's been plagued by injuries since joining the Falcons but he's only 28 years old. Even if he's able to compete as a part-time linebacker for the Patriots he could be a nice value signing.
I liked the Minnesota Vikings as a kid and I've been a big Randy Moss fan since his rookie year. I got a nice surprise on Christmas from my parents during Moss' rookie season when my dad was able to find a Moss replica jersey for me. I have never, however, condoned his actions off the field, or often, on the field. He can be a total jackass. I think that he is helpless without proper guidance and leadership on a football team. I think that the Patriots have the stability to reign Moss in, but I don't want him on the Patriots' roster. Moss is on the decline and his attitude sucks. Yes, he might behave in New England, but I don't think he'll put in the effort.
Donte Stallworth isn't high on my list of free agent wide receivers. He's lazy and has never reached his potential. His draft stock shot through the roof based on his 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine. He's rested on his laurels since then. The Saints tried to dump him for at least year before actually doing so. I don't think that Stallworth will bring much to the Patriots as a wide receiver, especially for the amount of money he wants.
I do like Kelley Washington at wide receiver, though. He's a big guy (6' 3") who probably won't require a lot of cash to sign. To the best of my recollection he's had some injury problems, but I don't believe that he's had any attitude or discipline issues.
The Red Sox starting rotation looks like it could be very special this year. I am well aware that Spring Training games are both meaningless and a terrible predictor of regular season performance. However, the starting pitching has been dominant so far this spring. Curt Schilling has been working on a changeup this year. Josh Beckett has been using his curveball effectively. Daisuke Matsuzaka has baffled hitters with his off-speed pitches. Jonathan Papelbon has looked as fiery as a starter as he was as the closer last year. Tim Wakefield has been mixing in a curveball this year. Jon Lester is an amazing story simply being able to compete with the team this spring after being treated for cancer last year.
Schilling has officially joined the blogging the community. His new blog, "38 Pitches", has been an interesting read this week.
Speaking of new bloggers, Rob Bradford also has a new blog this year, "Bradford on Baseball".
I will be adding both links to the sidebar of "Digital Sox" along with a few other new links.
The Sox bullpen has looked simply awful this spring. No one has looked good enough to provide any relief to the fanbase. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Hansen is fat and out-of-shape causing his back to flare up. Donnelly got crushed the other the day. Pinerio doesn't seem comfortable with his arm slot. Hansack and Delcarmen have failed to impress. Timlin can't even get onto the field. I really hope that the bullpen pulls together, and fast, because the starting pitching is going to go to waste when the real games start if the 'pen struggles this mightily.
On a personal note, we got a new laptop last week. It's a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 running Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit). It's a great laptop that I found on sale for a very good price. It has a dual-core 1.6 GHz Centrino processor with 1GB of PC4200 RAM. It comes with a 160 GB SATA hard drive and a dual-layer DVD burner. The screen is a 15.4-inch 1280x800 widescreen display.
I'm quite happy with the laptop and overall I'm rather impressed with Windows Vista. I wouldn't run out and upgrade any computer running Windows XP SP2, but Vista offers some nice upgrades to the overall arrangement of Windows. Many set-up operations, like setting-up a home network, have been streamlined. The overall appearance has been tweaked not only for looks, but also for simplicity and ease-of-use. I also really, really like the new layout of the menu system in Office 2007. Users no longer have to hunt down obscure toolbars or sub-menus to find advanced options.
I'll write-up a detailed Vista and Office 2007 review in the coming days.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Early Presents
The Patriots have been busy this month delivering early presents to us, the fans. The team has signed free agents Adalius Thomas, Sammy Morris, and Kyle Brady. Wes Welker is reportedly on his way to Gillette Stadium for a visit with team officials. With the free agency period less than a week old, the Patriots have addressed pressing needs at linebacker, running back, wide receiver, and found a replacement at tight end for the soon to be departed Daniel Graham.
Color me surprised. I have speculated about the opportunity for the Patriots to sign Thomas for at least of couple of months, yet I never truly expected the team to do so. I was not entirely convinced that the Baltimore Ravens would allow Thomas to test the free agent market without at least tendering him an offer, which would require compensation from the team that signed him. I also expected that the Patriots would take a slower approach to signing free agents. They have historically waited to sign versatile role players rather than making a large splash by signing the top available talent.
I am thrilled by the potential for Thomas to spend time at inside linebacker, outside linebacker, safety, nickel cornerback, or even defensive end. He's certainly a big boy, weighing a solid 270 pounds. He's got plenty of speed, though. He should be a great addition to the team.
In signing Morris and Brady the Patriots have essentially replaced the just released Corey Dillon and unrestricted free agent Daniel Graham, respectively. That's not to say that Morris and Brady are the same caliber of player as either Dillon or Graham. Morris provides depth at running back and should allow the team more flexibility in upcoming draft. The team will not have to identify a running back to immediately step into a prominent role. Brady is great blocker and will probably be used similarly to the way Graham was.
Welker is another versatile player who will be an upgrade to the team. He's approaching his peak years having spent only three years in the league. Veteran receivers almost always have a greater impact on teams than rookie wide receivers. Ron Borges suggested in the Globe that the Patriots pursue Seattle's Darrell Jackson. Jackson would be a great pickup for a team very weak at wide receiver.
After a frustrating couple of off-seasons, the Pats appear to be giving the fans what they want. I, for one, am thrilled with the new gifts.
Color me surprised. I have speculated about the opportunity for the Patriots to sign Thomas for at least of couple of months, yet I never truly expected the team to do so. I was not entirely convinced that the Baltimore Ravens would allow Thomas to test the free agent market without at least tendering him an offer, which would require compensation from the team that signed him. I also expected that the Patriots would take a slower approach to signing free agents. They have historically waited to sign versatile role players rather than making a large splash by signing the top available talent.
I am thrilled by the potential for Thomas to spend time at inside linebacker, outside linebacker, safety, nickel cornerback, or even defensive end. He's certainly a big boy, weighing a solid 270 pounds. He's got plenty of speed, though. He should be a great addition to the team.
In signing Morris and Brady the Patriots have essentially replaced the just released Corey Dillon and unrestricted free agent Daniel Graham, respectively. That's not to say that Morris and Brady are the same caliber of player as either Dillon or Graham. Morris provides depth at running back and should allow the team more flexibility in upcoming draft. The team will not have to identify a running back to immediately step into a prominent role. Brady is great blocker and will probably be used similarly to the way Graham was.
Welker is another versatile player who will be an upgrade to the team. He's approaching his peak years having spent only three years in the league. Veteran receivers almost always have a greater impact on teams than rookie wide receivers. Ron Borges suggested in the Globe that the Patriots pursue Seattle's Darrell Jackson. Jackson would be a great pickup for a team very weak at wide receiver.
After a frustrating couple of off-seasons, the Pats appear to be giving the fans what they want. I, for one, am thrilled with the new gifts.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Huskies Crushed
One of the Red Sox split squads pounded the Northeastern Huskies today to the tune of 11-0. Don't feel bad, Huskies, I couldn't hit Josh Beckett, either.
I may be a day late to celebrate the start of meaningless games in the Florida sun, but I'm pretty sure that I've got a dollar or two in my pocket.
Curt Schilling got the exhibition season under way last night for the Sox. Schilling looked impressive in the first inning, especially considering his elevated body-mass-index. He was most noticeably thicker in his jowls.
I watched the first four outs of the game. I wanted to see Ellsbury and Murphy, but I've got to pace myself. There's still over 30 days until opening day.
On the bright side, opening day will be here in just over 30 days.
I may be a day late to celebrate the start of meaningless games in the Florida sun, but I'm pretty sure that I've got a dollar or two in my pocket.
Curt Schilling got the exhibition season under way last night for the Sox. Schilling looked impressive in the first inning, especially considering his elevated body-mass-index. He was most noticeably thicker in his jowls.
I watched the first four outs of the game. I wanted to see Ellsbury and Murphy, but I've got to pace myself. There's still over 30 days until opening day.
On the bright side, opening day will be here in just over 30 days.
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