2008 Red Sox thread

[ScriptOhio]

Tonight could be end for Varitek

Contract expiring; status is in doubt


Jason Varitek wouldn't acknowledge it yesterday, but tonight's game at Fenway Park could be the team captain's last in a Red Sox uniform. Given a contract that expires after this season, and a markedly poor offensive year, there could be a parting of the ways between Varitek and the only major league team he has played for.
Asked if he had thought about that possibility, Varitek said, "That's totally irrelevant now to what this team is facing. Sorry about that."
Manager Terry Francona echoed his catcher, saying, "I've given no thought to this being his last game, not out of disrespect to Tek, but we don't want this to be his last game."
Varitek faced the same issue in the 2004 postseason as the Sox pushed toward their first World Series title in 86 years. But that offseason, the Sox signed him to a four-year, $40 million deal.
While the Sox don't have much in the way of catching in their minor league system, there is no guarantee Varitek will return. He had the worst offensive year of his career in 2008: a .220 average with a .313 on-base percentage and a .359 slugging percentage. As good as his skills are at calling a game, those are difficult numbers to abide out of a starting catcher.
It has gotten worse for him offensively in the postseason. Varitek is hitless in 10 at-bats in the American League Championship Series and went 3 for 14 in the Division Series.
Still, it is hard to overlook what he can do for a pitching staff, and how much pitchers enjoy throwing to him.
"When Jason puts a finger down, there's a pretty good chance that the pitcher is throwing that pitch with conviction," Francona said. "If a major league pitcher has got stuff like Daisuke [Matsuzaka] or [Jon ] Lester [and] is throwing a pitch with conviction, I'm not sure it can be a wrong pitch. And because of Tek's preparation, that's what's going to happen. That doesn't happen overnight, that takes a long time, and Tek deserves that. But it really does help, and there's something to that. You don't see a lot of guys out there wondering or second-guessing Jason. That's very, very helpful."
Matsuzaka seconded that thought. And though it wasn't quite the same as the "Re-sign Lowell" sign Varitek held during the Sox' victory parade last year, Matsuzaka cast a vote for Varitek's return.
"For two years over all those games that Varitek has caught for me, I've been able to pitch with less and less stress over that time, and that certainly has helped me in my performance as well," Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino. "Any time a pitcher pairs up with a new catcher, there's some adjustments that need to be made, and it's not an easy process. So I just hope I get to be paired up with the same catcher for as long as possible."
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Entire article: Boston Red Sox - Tonight could be end for Varitek - The Boston Globe

[Jake]

Don't know why BP has a 2008 Red Sox thread but it's over. Close it. Adios!

Maybe there is a god?

[OSUsushichic]

Originally Posted by Jake

Don't know why BP has a 2008 Red Sox thread but it's over. Close it. Adios!

Maybe there is a god?

Don't know why you bothered posting in here, but you must have cared an awful lot to look for it.

BTW, you must be a Cleveland fan.

[starBUCKS]

As I watched the Rays win, I thought to myself.... the Yankees must be real nervous. They may not see the playoffs for a few years.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by starBUCKS

As I watched the Rays win, I thought to myself.... the Yankees must be real nervous. They may not see the playoffs for a few years.

Just a general observation, because you could easily be correct....but it seems like from year-to-year previous seasons mean jack-squat.

I wouldn;t be shocked at all to see Tampa finish 3rd or 4th in the East next year. It seemed like 75% of baseball analysts were picking Cleveland to go to the World Series this year. Chicago won the World Series a few years ago and din't make the playoffs the next year.

But yes, talent-wise, I'd say New York is a distant 3rd maybe even 4th in the East behind Toronto.

[OSUsushichic]

It's so hard to believe the Rays finished last a year ago. I really thought they would start pooping their pants at some point this season, but they never did.

[starBUCKS]

Originally Posted by billmac91

Just a general observation, because you could easily be correct....but it seems like from year-to-year previous seasons mean jack-squat.

I wouldn;t be shocked at all to see Tampa finish 3rd or 4th in the East next year. It seemed like 75% of baseball analysts were picking Cleveland to go to the World Series this year. Chicago won the World Series a few years ago and din't make the playoffs the next year.

But yes, talent-wise, I'd say New York is a distant 3rd maybe even 4th in the East behind Toronto.

I really think Tampa will sustain. They are young and good. Kazmir, Garza, Sheilds and Price is a hell of a staff. Then you have Upton and Longoria as the young heart of this team, a take charge catcher in Navarro and good vetrans in Pena and Crawford. They play smart, agressive and deep into their roster. They gave Boston headaches even last year... and they play in the toughest division in baseball.

[MD Buckeye]

Great season Sox. Congrats to the Rays. We'll be back

[NastyDogg72]

Originally Posted by starBUCKS

I really think Tampa will sustain. They are young and good. Kazmir, Garza, Sheilds and Price is a hell of a staff. Then you have Upton and Longoria as the young heart of this team, a take charge catcher in Navarro and good vetrans in Pena and Crawford. They play smart, agressive and deep into their roster. They gave Boston headaches even last year... and they play in the toughest division in baseball.

I think they have the young talent to sustain a stretch of success but history has taught us that in the AL East you better be willing to spend money. You know the bastards in NY and our Sox will both go out and find pitchers and hitters that can confound the Rays, or anyone else who rises up in the division, and pay any cost to get them in the lineup or rotation. Look out west at the Angels, they can continue a long line of success with a relatively unchanged lineup. That just doesn't work in the East. As long as Tampa builds on this season and becomes willing to get active in Free Agency they can sustain or even increase on their success. But if they put the same lineup on the field for opening day next year I don't think you will see the success of this season. Fair or unfair that is life in the AL East.

[ScriptOhio]

Manny Ramirez protected David Ortiz in the Red Sox's lineup, and Ortiz backed his friend to the media. But even Ortiz knew Ramirez had to go.
Speaking to WEEI Radio's Dennis and Callahan show on Wednesday, Ortiz admitted that Ramirez's tenure with the Red Sox had gone downhill.
"The Manny situation was a tough situation for the team, for us the teammates, for him as a player," Ortiz said. "He was trying to get to be out, everybody knows, it's not news, for the past few years and it was something that it was getting worse and worse and worse every year."
Ortiz said he urged Ramirez to get along with the front office, his teammates and the media.
"Everything started one day that I told Manny: 'Hey look, look at the numbers that you have put up your whole career, and you have never been able to win an MVP, there's a reason why,'" Ortiz said. "And the media is our family."
He urged Ramirez to "pull yourself together and start getting connected with the media because that's how you express your feelings and people get to know more and Manny's good things, that people don't know about Manny. And he agreed with me."
Ramirez did begin last season more open to interviews than in the past, but then "Manny being Manny" went to another level.
In June, Ramirez pushed the team's traveling secretary to the ground. The next month he commented on the Red Sox's hesitation to pick up his option for 2009.
"I want no more [expletive] where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing," he said.
Team owner John Henry publicly took exception to Ramirez's comments, and finally after 7? seasons in Boston that included two World Series titles and eight All-Star appearances, the Red Sox seemed to have had enough. They traded their left fielder to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that brought Jason Bay to Boston.
Ortiz was asked Wednesday if Ramirez quit on the Red Sox last season.
"Well, to tell you the truth, it was something going down between the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez that I can never really break that down for you because there's some personal reasons that he has with our owners and I never got to the bottom of it, and [he's] got his feelings," Ortiz said. "You know, Manny was, he got to the point that he really wanted to get to play for someone else."

Entire article: ESPN - Report: David Ortiz knew Manny Ramirez had to leave Boston Red Sox

[ScriptOhio]

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
How hard was Manny Ramirez trying in the weeks before he was traded? Not hard enough, apparently. The Red Sox were ready to suspend him.

A week before Boston traded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last July, the relationship between the Red Sox and their left fielder had grown so contentious and strained that the club was prepared to take the extraordinary step of suspending its best hitter, ESPN has learned.
According to multiple sources, Boston management had drafted an official letter of suspension for Ramirez, and delivered it to him at Fenway Park at around 11 p.m. on Friday night, July 25. For the second straight game, Ramirez had refused to play that evening, and the Red Sox lost 1-0 to the rival New York Yankees in front of a boisterous and sold-out home crowd.
The letter informed Ramirez that the suspension was to go into effect the next day, Saturday, July 26. It said Ramirez was being suspended without pay for being unwilling to play. Copies of the letter were also sent to Major League Baseball, the MLB Players Association and Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras.
Suspensions in baseball are not unusual for players who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs or who are involved in fights during a game. It is extremely rare for a player to be suspended, or threatened with such a suspension, for refusing to play.
Within two hours after Ramirez received the letter of suspension, the Red Sox received two calls, according to sources. The first call was from one of Ramirez's teammates. He told a member of Boston's front office that Ramirez would play in Saturday afternoon's game against the Yankees. Within minutes, the second call came in from Ramirez himself, who confirmed that he would be available for Saturday's game.
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Entire article: ESPN - Boston Red Sox were ready to suspend Manny Ramirez

[starBUCKS]

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Pedroia wins AL MVP; first 2B to win since '59

Congrats to Dustin!!!

[Brutus1]

I can't stand the Sox (probably because they're good), but how could anyone not like Pedroia? Glad to see he won and Youk ended up third.
Back to not liking the Sox.

[reagdog]

MVP

[sears3820]

Link

Report: Japanese pitcher Tazawa agrees to three-year deal with Red Sox

ESPN.com news services
Updated: December 1, 2008, 10:55 AM ET

Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa agreed to a three-year contract with the Boston Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams, The Boston Globe reported.

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