Welcome back.
Like any baseball fan, I’m happy to announce that the Major League Baseball season is officially back! And while I’m excited to see some familiar faces on the field, part of me is still struggling to come to terms with the personnel changes and trades that occurred throughout the off-season.
We all remember last September, and the personnel and internal changes that occurred as a result. We remember Bobby Valentine vowing that we will not see a repeat of the worst slump in baseball history; not within the Red Sox organisation at least. We remember the player scandals, and the negative press that engulfed the team. We remember saying goodbye to Terry Francona, who I thought had a few more years within the organisation, at the very least. We remember waiting to hear whether or not the organisation was going to offer Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield another year, and of course, we remember them announcing their retirement plans.
Having grown up watching Varitek and Wakefield actively playing with the Red Sox, I’m finding it difficult to adjust to the team without them this season. Or the thought of it, at least. People can, and always will argue that it’s part of baseball (and sports in general), but I’m still having so much trouble coming to terms with it. I just wasn’t ready to let them go. In a way, it feels like I’m losing one of the few things that connected me to my childhood.
But, with the new season upon us, I suppose it’s time to forgive and forget. And being a Red Sox fan, it’s something I’ve become pretty good at. Experience is key.
There aren’t many things I would not have done to have been sitting at Comerica Park for the opening series against the Tigers, with David Ortiz making his ninth straight Opening Day start as the Red Sox Designated Hitter. The last time the Red Sox opened the season in Detroit was in 1986. Dwight Evans hit a homerun in the first game of the series, which consequently, was the first home run in the 1986 baseball season. Prior to that, the Sox’s seasons started in Detroit in 1972, and 1968. In 1972, the Red Sox lost the division to the Tigers by half a game), and in 1968, the Tigers went on to win the World Series. It may be a coincidence, but pretty crazy things seem to happen when our season begins in Detroit, and I’m getting the impression that 2012 will be no exception.
Game one saw the Red Sox lose 3-2. And despite the loss, I’ll admit that I was relatively happy with their performance. It’s hard to compare, after their performance in September, but having held the opposition off for seven innings, it was a pretty decent effort. By the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers were leading 2-0. The ninth inning then saw the Red Sox come from two runs down, against closer Jose Valverde, who hasn’t blown a save since 2010. With the score 2-2, going into the bottom of the ninth, I had my hopes held high; extra-innings and the first win of the season? Few things would make me happier. But, alas, Danny Worth scored off Jackson’s single to left, ending the game 3-2 to Detroit. Bummer.
With a day off between games, allowing time to reevaluate the loss, and for fans to compose themselves, I was hoping that we would come back to game two with a vengeance. I woke up at 6am, positioned myself on the couch, ready to watch the game live.
With Josh Beckett attempting to redeem himself after being assigned as the Poster Boy of the September Slump, I kept my fingers crossed that he would come back stronger than ever. But, that’s not how it worked. Beckett gave up give homeruns in just over four innings.
I sat on my couch, attempting to refrain from yelling at the television, questioning why they hadn’t pulled Beckett yet… I was hoping the errors were related to his previous injury, but upon being questioned about it, he denied it had anything to do with his thumb. As did Valentine. Which leaves me wondering how the score was 7-0 Detroit, by the time Beckett was taken out of the game.
A good point was raised. Bobby Valentine said that Beckett was feeling good, and that we should all focus and build on that. But if Beckett gives up seven runs before being pulled from the game, when he’s feeling ‘good’… How is he going to pitch when he’s feeling sub-par?
I don’t want to go into too much detail about today’s game, having lost 10-0. I’m feeling quite emotional about it, and I’m worried that there will be a repeat of last season’s 0-6 start, and if the Red Sox lose again tomorrow, we’ll be halfway there. Joy.
I realised today, though, that Detroit have quite a strong team this season. It became more apparent when both Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs each. I paid very little attention to the trades that occurred within the Tigers’ organisation throughout the off-season, but having watched the last two games against the Red Sox, and having read a little more about their line-up this season, I’m thinking they’ll be a hard team to beat this season.
Putting today’s loss behind me, or yesterday’s loss rather (as it’s now 12:15am), I’m going to head to bed, get a few hours sleep and wake up at 4am, ready for the last game of the series. It’ll be nice to see Buchholz on the mound again, and hopefully his return will lead the Red Sox to their first win of the 2012 season, avoiding a sweep.
I’ll be preying to Ted Williams.
Alas, it’s early days, and 160 games remain. And there’s always tomorrow. I guess.
Quite the catch.
I’d like to introduce you all to the newest member of our family.
Named after the San Francisco Giants catcher, Buster Posey (as my boyfriend is a Giants fan). We adopted him approximately two weeks ago, and he is settling nicely into our new place.
Catching up.
Naturally, growing up as a Red Sox fan, you learn to deal with your fair share of heartache, and this off-season did nothing but reaffirm that. There have been countless changes within the Red Sox organisation, some of which have been mentioned on this blog previously, and others I’ve avoided posting about, as I’d prefer to pretend they never happened.
With players like Jed Lowrie, Marco Scutaro, and Jonathan Papelbon being traded, and Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, two key members of the internal staff leaving the organisation, there is a lot to question about the Sox’s upcoming season.
With Kelly Shoppach now on the roster after accepting a one-year deal with the Red Sox, alongside Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway, there seems to be little room left in the rotation for Varitek. Having grown up watching him throughout his entire Major League career with the Red Sox, it’s incredibly difficult to come to terms with the fact that Tek is unlikely to return next season. Management have made it clear that they would like to see Varitek remain within the organisation, and despite the Mets showing interest in Varitek, he has made it clear that he intends to play for the Red Sox, if offered a position, or he will retire. Having served as Captain of the team since December of 2004, I hope to see him return to the club in a coaching role at the very least.
Tim Wakefield’s hopes of returning to the Red Sox for one more season are not looking good either, as the team has not reciprocated their interest in the forty-five year old veteran with enthusiasm. He is sitting on 200 career wins, with 186 of them being with the Red Sox. Cy Young and Roger Clemens currently hold the club record of 192 wins, which Wakefield would have every chance of tying (if not topping), should he be invited back for one more season.
While many may argue that Wakefield is done, and that it is time to move on, much like with Varitek, it will be a difficult change to adjust to. I’d love to see him reach 192 (or, let’s be realistic, 193+) wins within the organisation, and I would absolutely hate to see him in another uniform, considering he has worn Boston’s since 1995. While it looks likely that Wakefield will retire unless he is offered a position with the Red Sox, there are reports that his agent has stated that he would fit well within numerous pitching rotations in the National League.
Having grown up with the Red Sox, spending hours upon hours glued to the television, computer, or radio each season, it’s hard to comprehend that two of the players I have grown so close to, who I consider to be such valuable assets to the organisation may no longer have a place on the team. Of course, the day was inevitable, but I think the situation is worsened due to all of the changes that have occurred throughout this off-season, having been forced to say goodbye to so many faces I had grown to love.
Alongside the likelihood of having to say goodbye to Varitek and Wakefield, I doubt that I would have been able to deal with the departure of David Ortiz as well, who narrowly avoided arbitration, only hours before the hearing was set to begin, accepting a one-year, $14.575 million deal. For a thirty-six year old designated hitter, now entering his tenth year with the Red Sox, I have no doubts that he is worth every cent the Red Sox are paying him, particularly after coming off on of his best seasons in 2011, in which he batted .309 with 29 home runs, 96 RBIs and a .952 OPS.
Despite originally requesting $16.5 million (which, to be fair, I still consider Ortiz to be worth, taking the majority of his performances throughout the last ten years into account, particularly that of 2004), alongside a multi-year deal, the Red Sox met him half way, after originally offering Ortiz $12.65 million over one year.
Beginning the 2012 season without either of the Sox’s starting shortstops will be nerve-wracking, and one can’t help but question who will fill the void which has been left by Lowrie and Scutaro in the upcoming season(s). There are a couple of possibilities, with the signing of Nick Punto from the Cardinals, who, like Lowrie, is capable of playing second, third or shortstop.
Another option could be Cuban prospect, Jose Iglesias, who last year, played his first full season above double-A. Despite there being rumours that Iglesias does not yet have the bat skill required to play in the Majors, I would argue that defensively, he is the best option to fill the void at shortstop. Iglesias is capable of getting to balls that 95% of Major League shortstops won’t come close to. And standing alongside second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox would have a strong infield ground defense. If the Red Sox were able to bring Roy Oswalt into the mix, a pitcher who is widely recognised for his ability to induce ground balls, the opposition’s runs would be few and far between. Management may find it difficult to look past Iglesias’ inability to bat, however, but I question whether that is worth excluding him from the rotation. His defense is far more valuable to the Red Sox than his offense, (particularly taking into account that the Red Sox were one of the top offensive teams in the league last year), and it is possible to look beyond his inability to bat, particularly if he can hit .200+ while saving a run or two per game.
But, in saying that, there still lies the possibility that the Red Sox will place Mike Aviles at shortstop, despite him having spent the off-season training as an outfielder in Cuba, and only playing fourteen games at shortstop last season. Alongside shortstop, Aviles played second base, third base, right field and left field las season, with two of his errors occurring while playing third base. Aviles is a diverse player, and given Punto’s inability to hit, and the common opinion that Iglesias is not yet ready for the Majors, it seems that Aviles is likely to get quite a few starts at shortstop, with Punto and Iglesias acting as back-ups, should Aviles need to be placed in the outfield, rather than Adrian Gonzales or Kevin Youkilis when desperate.
It’s 12:19am, and I’m sitting at my computer writing this post. I’ve spent the day packing, preparing to move into a new apartment with my boyfriend on Friday. I’m extremely tired, but I’m unable to sleep. I’ve been thinking about baseball too much lately – I grew too comfortable trusting Terry Francona and Theo Epstein. I’m not sure that I will be able to do the same for Ben Cherington and/or Bobby Valentine though. While Cherington has been involved with the Red Sox for a number of years, I cannot help but question a lot of the decisions he has made regarding both players and management. So much so, that I cannot even put it into words; I am beyond frustrated and cannot even begin to make sense of certain trades that have occurred this off-season.
I’m far too tired to function, and as a result I will end this essay of a post, crawl into bed and watch Fever Pitch, while throwing objects at my television screen as Johnny Damon appears. No, sir, I have not forgotten.
True love.
Since I first fell in love with baseball and, more specifically, the Boston Red Sox, there have been very few people in my life that have shared this passion with me. My parents were not fans of the sport, my brothers lost interest as they grew older, and it was incredibly difficult to meet younger people who had an interest in something that had such a small following in Australia.
Growing up, I was always extremely concerned about what others thought of me; I was afraid of being criticized for liking things that were relatively uncommon amongst others my age, and ultimately, I didn’t want to be considered ‘different’. Whilst that is often a common mindset for most children, it took me an incredibly long time to grow out of it; I hid countless things about myself, and aspects of my personality for years on end, mostly because I was afraid of not being accepted.
With baseball (and hockey) being such important parts of my life, and having no one to discuss them with openly, I focused my attention to various forums, websites, and etc. where I could view people conversing about the sports, the teams, the uniforms, and everything in between. While I still frequent these forums and websites, it was only recently (approximately eleven months ago), that I began feeling comfortable with myself, and that I was willing to openly share my passion with others. There are countless reasons as to why I may have begun accepting myself, and while I would like to think that it was because I removed a lot of negativity from my life, and that I began working incredibly hard to build a career for myself, in reality, I think a lot of it comes down to one person.
I began seeing my boyfriend early last year, who was the very first person I had met, who, like myself, had a strong interest in both baseball and hockey. Despite me being reluctant to discuss either sport in too much depth with him at first, for fear of being judged negatively, he has shown me that it is perfectly acceptable to be yourself, no matter what your interests may be. It was at this point that I finally became willing to embrace my love of American sports (among other things), and was no longer as afraid of others not accepting me for the person I truly was, or the person I truly am.
Of course, a lot of it comes down to confidence, and although part of me is still reluctant to discuss things of this nature in too much depth, I’m happy to say that I am beginning to open myself up, and that I am willing to engage in conversation about baseball and hockey when possible. Although part of me still finds it difficult, and generally uncomfortable, I’m glad that I have managed to continue contributing to this blog. It’s nice to have an outlet to discuss the things that are most import to me, and to know that there are people who are viewing this blog regularly. It means a lot to me that people are willing to read about my experiences with sports (predominately baseball).
To conclude this somewhat emotional post, I’ll leave you with a photograph of the Red Sox merchandise I’ve managed to collect throughout the years. While it is not a particularly large collection, it is one which will continue to grow until the day that I die.
Happy new year.
Wishing all baseball fans alike, a very Happy New Year from the Melbourne Aces homeground.
NYE Doubleheader.
The Sydney Blue Sox’s ten game winning streak came to an abrupt end as the Melbourne Aces took the first game of the New Years Eve doubleheader, 15-7.
Jason Hirsh (ERA of 7.15) started for the Melbourne Aces, and was unfortunate enough to give up some early home runs, assisting the Aces in falling into a 5-0 slump by the end of the third inning. The bottom of the fourth saw the Aces score four runs, courtesy of Dominic Ramos (.301), Paul Weichard (.263), Justin Huber (.347), Elliot Biddle (.247) and Jarryd Rogers (.265).
The fifth inning was remarkably similar to the fourth, with the Aces scoring another four runs, with Ramos and Weichard proving just how valuable they are to the team, each scoring once again. Bubbie Buzachero (ERA of 1.69) and Andrew Russell (ERA of 7.94) reigned the Aces bullpen, pushing aside any possibilities of the Sydney Blue Sox making a comeback.
Game two of the doubleheader saw Sydney Blue Sox manager, Kevin Boles, be ejected from the game in the first inning, as he argued with the umpires regarding a pitch, which one of his players was hit by. In true Melbourne fashion, the event excited fans and players alike, raising early signs of hope that the Melbourne Aces would clench both games of the doubleheader.
The bottom of the second saw the Melbourne Aces play an incredible inning of baseball; scoring six runs, with Kevin David (.250) hitting a grand slam to right field, with John Edwards(.216) following with a homer. And three batters later, Paul Weichard (.274) homered to right field on a fly ball.
With the Sydney Blue Sox trailing 6 – 2, they were able to regain the lead at the top of the fourth with no thanks to an iffy play, where the ball floated high into fly territory, only to have the wind carry it back into the field. Much to Melbourne’s disgust, despite how much the ball looked like a foul, the umpires insisted that it was fair. The advantage was then extended by Alex Johnson (.278) , Sydney’s designated hitter, due to an error by Ramos (.305), allowing Brandon Barnes (.352) to score.
Paul Weichard (.274) homered to right field, allowing Dominic Ramos to score, bringing the Aces within one run of tying the game at the bottom of the seventh, but the top of the ninth inning saw Boss Moanaroa (.293) triple on a fly ball, allowing Sydney to win the game, 10-8, splitting the doubleheader.
Despite the Melbourne Aces’ loss, it was an incredible day of baseball for both teams. And as I’m sure many baseball fans will agree, it was the perfect way to ring in the new year – a fantastic sport, passionate fans, a split doubleheader, and an impressive display of fireworks, thanks to the Melbourne Aces number one sponsor, Jet Couriers.
Hitting for the cycle.
Game two of the five game series agains the Sydney Blue Sox did not work in the Melbourne Aces’ favour, with the Sydney Blue Sox hitting five home runs, and right-fielder David Kandilas hitting for the cycle.
Shane Lindsay (ERA of 5.11), a member of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Jet Courier Melbourne Aces, went three innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits. Adam Blackley (ERA of 6.23) came in in the fourth inning – to relieve Lindsay – pitching two innings, and giving up one run on one hit. Marcus Solbach (ERA of 13.50) took over in the sixth, pitched for two innings, and allowed three runs on three hits, followed by Takayuki Nakano (ERA of 54.00), giving up four runs on two hits. Veteran Pitcher, Andrew Mann (ERA of 6.06), closed the game, giving up two runs on one hit in just over one inning.
Leadoff hitter, David Kandilas (.286), performed incredibly, hitting for the cycle (hitting a single, double, triple and home run throughout the course of the game), with the rest of The Sydney Blue Sox team hitting an additional four home runs.
American import, Kevin David (.250), played his first game for the Melbourne Aces, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth, off of a huge double to centre field. Despite stating that his hit made the 15-5 loss a little more bearable, he wished it could have occurred earlier in the game to assist in sparking the team.
Tomorrow the Sydney Blue Sox and the Melbourne Aces will be playing a New Year’s Eve double header. My partner and I will attempt to head down to the second game of the day, in the hope that we will miss a lot of the heat, and be able to see the fireworks display.
I miss you.
Around this point each year, I begin missing the Major League Baseball season more than I’m able to comprehend. Despite having an Australian Baseball League here, there is absolutely no comparison between the two leagues. Naturally, the standards in America are far higher, the people are far more passionate about the sport itself, and the atmosphere over there is absolutely incredible. I long for the day that I take my first steps along Yawkey Way, the first time that I see the sign reading ‘Welcome to Fenway Park’, the first time I set foot on Boston soil. There is not a single doubt in my mind that tears will stream down my face, knowing that I’m about to engage in one of the most meaningful moments of my life… just knowing that I am standing in the same stadium that legends like Ted Williams and Johnny Pesky walked on… knowing that I will be surrounded by people who understand my passion and love for not only the Boston Red Sox, but baseball as a whole.
The longer I spend thinking about it, the more I realise that baseball, and the Boston Red Sox, have been one of the only constants throughout my life since I was four or five years old. There is absolutely nothing else in my life that I have felt so passionate about – there is nothing that has the ability to break my heart so suddenly, and in turn, nothing that I can forgive so quickly for causing me so much heartache.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Red Sox, and I always have. The fact that they can trade players who I become so, ridiculously attached to as the seasons progress, the fact that they can play exceptionally well all season, hold a nine game lead for the wild card position, and not even make the playoffs, speaks volumes. But that’s the game. It’s unpredictable; you can’t fake it. And that’s a big part of what I love about it. How much it tears your heart out to see the players strike out… how much it hurts to watch the press conferences of your favourite players accepting new uniforms, and watching them jog out onto the field wearing a uniform other than yours… the fact that I can sit on the edge of my seat with my hands covering my face, peeking through the cracks in my fingers because I know it will hurt to watch, but I couldn’t look away if my life depended on it… that I can yell at the television and want to break something… that the result of a single game is capable of dictating my mood for the rest of the day, night, week, month or year (depending on the extent of the error).
It goes without saying, obviously, but my love for the Boston Red Sox will always outweigh the hatred. It’s not the team that I hate, it’s more what they do to me, and all of the negativity that they put me through. But I love them for the same reasons, and it’s something that is so incredibly difficult to explain, but if you are a fan (particularly of a team like the Red Sox), you understand it whole heartedly. I struggle living in a country that is so unappreciative of such a fantastic sport, and that there are very few people who I can genuinely talk about sports with, without them thinking it’s just a ridiculous obsession that will pass in time, because it’s not. It’s my life. To the extent that I ensure I listen to Dirty Water by The Standells at least once a morning… simply because it makes the day happier to deal with, knowing that each time they win at Fenway Park, my favourite players hear the exact same song. It reminds me of some of the happiest times in my life, and I owe it all to the Red Sox.
Welcome Cherington.
Ben Cherington was originally hired by the Red Sox as a mid-Atlantic area scout in 1999, and joined the baseball operations department in May of the same year. In 2002, he was named the club’s director of player development. In 2006, he worked as Vice President of Player Personnel, and in 2009, he was promoted to the role of assistant GM.
The thirty-seven year old has now been named the new General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, replacing his former boss, Theo Epstein, and will be serving as the organisation’s 11th general manager.
After the Red Sox suffered a 7-20 September collapse, which prevented the team from making the playoffs, and wiped out a nine game lead in the wildcard race, Cherington will also have to deal with the allegations surrounding the Red Sox, one of which being that starting players were seen drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games.
Cherington recognises that there is a strong desire to clean up the clubhouse to move forward in 2012, and with the resignation of Terry Francona, he will need to source a new manager, alongside making key personnel decisions.
Windy City.
The Chicago Cubs secured a five year deal with Theo Epstein, former General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, for a reported $18.5 million. Epstein fell one month short of a nine year stretch as General Manager with the Red Sox, in which he lead the team to their first two championships since 1918.
After Billy Beane turned down the role of General Manager in 2002, the Red Sox selected Theo Epstein for the role, due to his intellect, his character, his passion for baseball, and his knowledge and passion for the Red Sox. In Epstein’s first six years with the Boston Red Sox, the team made it to the ALCS four times, gained two World Series titles, made the playoffs five times, and posted an October record of 34-20. During his last three seasons with the Red Sox, they made the playoffs just once, going 0-3.
Epstein’s success with the Red Sox could arguably be nailed down to his determination to turn the team into “a scouting and development machine”; they drafted well, they signed their players, they knew the kinds of players they wanted to develop, and they allowed young players to come up through the system and into the Major League ultimately giving the Red Sox a degree of flexibility and, undeniably, talent.
Upon securing the role of General Manager, Epstein said “no one person is going to turn the Red Sox into a World Championship organisation. It’s going to happen, but it’s going to be through collective hard work and through our collective wisdom. Our short-term goal is to win a World Series, and that starts with getting to the post season. So if you need to write down what our goal is for 2003, it’s getting to the post season”. He promised he would not reach those goals alone, stating that his management style involved him soliciting opinions of those around him (most likely thinking of Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer). Epstein was interested in hearing what others had to say, and why people held their opinions.
The Chicago Cubs haven’t won a title in 103 years, and haven’t been to the World Series since 1945. The Red Sox endured an 86 year stretch without a title, but Epstein built a team that won it all in 2004, and again in 2007. The Cubs hope that Epstein will be able to end a championship drought, the same way he did for the Boston Red Sox, and Epstein feels that he is capable of doing what no one else has been, in Chicago.
“When I got to Boston, they hadn’t won in 86 years. We didn’t run from that challenge. We embraced it,” Epstein said. “We decided that the way to attack it was to build the best baseball operation that we could, to try to establish a winning culture, to work as hard as possible and to bring in players who care more about each other and more about winning than the people around them thought or the eternal expectation, the external mindset. That’s something that is going to be important to us here as well”.
