Bradley, Jr. Shines Again As Sox Top Bucs, 16-6

This game was so weird that John Lackey got the win despite coughing up a three-run homer to somebody named Jared Goedert. Moreover, the Sox run total was almost matched by the number of walks they drew (15). But most importantly of all, Jackie Bradley, Jr. continued to make the case for promotion to the big club by smacking out three more hits—and getting robbed on a potential fourth! This kid is ready for prime time. And, Jose Iglesias had a two-run single—adding more credence to the idea that he may have figured out hitting. All in all, a good day.

Tribe Drops Concession Prices; Red Sox Don't

In what could be termed a 'no-brainer' in these tough times, the Cleveland Indians have announced they will lower food concession prices at Progressive Field in 2013. Hot dogs will only be three bucks a piece for Indians fans, and a beer will only set them back four bucks. You would think that the combination of lousy on-field play and tight economic circumstances would result in a similar move by the NOG. Don't hold your breath, Nation. You'd also think that a $100,000 marketing survey would recommend a drop in concession and ticket prices at Fenway. Instead, Sox owners decided to take credit for not raising prices in 2013. How noble of them. Indians President Mark Shapiro should be highly praised for this move.

Middlebrooks Cleared; Might Play Friday Night

Better and better news is flowing out of Fort Myers by the minute. John Farrell has announced that Will Middlebrooks has been cleared for all baseball activity. There is a chance that the Red Sox third baseman could play in Friday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hopefully, this is just a minor diversion for Middlebrooks and the team.

Mike Napoli Cleared For Game Action On Friday

Mike Napoli has been cleared to play in Friday's Grapefruit League game. The news came after the first-baseman had completed running drills for the first time this Spring and come through without any ill effects to his injured hips. Napoli's bat will be sorely needed in the middle of the Red Sox lineup if they are to seriously contend—especially if David Ortiz is not 100% recovered from his Achilles injury. Said Napoli, "It was my muscles and legs, just getting them in shape. I haven't thought once about my hips in anything I've done."

The Great Frank Malzone Turns 83 Today

Frank Malzone

Back in the day—and by "the day", we mean the 1950s—there were very few guys on the Carmine Hose you could cheer for. There was, of course, the god-like Ted Williams and the under-rated Jackie Jensen. But there was also a rock-solid third baseman named Frank Malzone. Frank turns 83 years old today. The Bronx-born Malzone—like Williams—had a couple of years wrenched out his early baseball career by The Korean Conflict (as it was quaintly referred to in the 1950s ). Once he got to The Show as a regular in 1957, Malzone played in more than 150 games for seven straight years (remember, seasons only had 154 games back then ). In 1958, he led the league in games played and at-bats. But more importantly, he was an offensive and defensive star for an otherwise woeful series of Red Sox teams. In 1962 he had his best season, hitting .283 with 21 HRs and 95 RBIs. Defensively, he was our Brooks Robinson—winning three straight Gold Gloves in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Malzone still shows up at Red Sox events all the time and—with the passing of Johhny Pesky—might be the best living connection to our Red Sox past. Happy Birthday, Malzy.

Red Sox Fall To Undefeated O's; Lose 5-3

The Red Sox got uncharacteristically lousy pitching from Junichi Tazawa, as Boston blew an early lead, falling to the Baltimore juggernaut, 5-3. The biggest loss could be Will Middlebrooks—who re-injured his previously fractured right wrist with an awkward swing on an inside pitch in the first inning. Catching prospect Christian Vazquez showed why he is rapidly moving up the prospect ladder in an already crowded catching field. He threw out two runners in the eight with laser-like accuracy and strength. Jonny Gomes homered and Pedro Ciriaco also delivered some offense, but it wasn't enough on this night.

Middlebrooks Injures Wrist On Awkward Swing

Officially, the Red Sox say Will Middlebrooks has "soreness" in his right wrist—leaving the game after an awkward swing tonight. The injury occurred to the same wrist that was fractured last August. The Red Sox said Middlebrooks will be re-evaluated tomorrow. NESN's Jenny Dell later reported that Middlebrooks said his wrist was not broken, and the injury was less serious than originally thought. Hold your breath, Nation.

Ortiz Back In Dominican For Personal Reasons

AP Photo

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has been excused by the team to attend to personal matters in the Dominican Republic. He should return to the team on Friday. Ortiz has not played in any games or even fully taken part in Spring workouts. He is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered last July. It's not clear what the exact nature of the personal matter is.

Some Season Ticket Holders Miffed At Red Sox

In a penetrating article by the Globe's Amalie Benjamin, the frustration of many current and lapsed Red Sox Season Ticket Holders is depicted in stark relief. The feeble efforts of the team to reach out to the departing customers has left an empty feeling among some long- and short-term ticket holders. Once considered a family heirloom to be passed on to future generations, season tickets have quickly become little more than an inconvenient albatross—one that can even be given away. You would think that—with $100,000 marketing studies under their belt—some sense of customer-centric behavior would have trickled down onto Yawkey Way. Apparently not.

Bobby V.: "I Did A Hell Of A Job In Boston"

In Better Times

Talk about your delusions of grandeur. Bobby Valentine, in a interview yesterday, claimed that he did a "hell of a job" in Boston as manager of the Red Sox. Valentine went on, “I thought what had to be done there was done except for winning a pennant. But Connie Mack wasn’t going to win with that team.” That team—meaning it was the players who were fully responsible for the 69-93 implosion last year. Of course, the players are mostly responsible, but for Valentine to absolve himself of any blame is beyond loony. Hiring Bobby V. was probably Larry Lucchino's biggest blunder in his decade with the Carmine Hose.

Could Hot Bradley Break Camp With Red Sox?

Boston Herald/Matthew West

Something that wasn't even remotely on the radar screen a few days ago is suddenly within the realm of possibility. Specifically, it's the idea that super phenom Jackie Bradley, Jr. might be with the big club at the end of Spring Training. Bradley has done nothing to dissuade John Farrell from making that surprising decision—getting on base five times yesterday with three hits and an RBI. He will lead-off today against the Cardinals and play center field. Said Farrel of the possibility of the kid coming north, "Good question, I guess the best way to answer that is coming into camp, we didn’t have that as a strong possibility. And yet we’re four days into the game schedule. He could still be well-served by getting more at-bats in the minor leagues before he comes up, but again he’s making a very strong impression in camp." Hey, having Bradley on the team would sure sell a lot more tickets.

Dice-K Fails To Break 90 MPH In Spring Debut

Terry Francona is used to a much higher velocity fastball from Daisuke Matsuzaka. Back in the day, Dice-K delivered 33 wins in his first two years pitching for Tito and the Red Sox. Now, in his Spring debut for his new team, Matsuzaka only hit in the 80s on scouts' radar guns. Francona reminisced about when Dice-K first arrived in Boston, "When he first came over, the ball was a big deal for him. He said, 'I can't throw my split?' And I'm thinking, 'We just gave this guy $102 million dollars?'" Indeed.

Red Sox Face Redbirds Today At jetBlue Park

If a baseball is struck, and there's no way to hear it, does the ball travel? Well, unless you're in Fort Myers, there's no way for you to know. Once again, there will be no television or radio coverage of today's Red Sox game against the Cardinals at 1:35 PM. By the way, just so you know, the Toronto Blue Jays offer 100% coverage of their team's non-televised games via live webcasts from their website. But, I guess we just can't compete with Canadian owners. Do they have soccer in Canada? Anyway, the game will be Canadian Ryan Dempster's first as a member of the Carmine Hose. Here's the Sox starting lineup: Jackie Bradley Jr. CF, Daniel Nava LF, Ryan Lavarnway C, Mike Carp DH, Mauro Gomez 1B, Ryan Sweeney RF, Drew Sutton 3B, Jose Iglesias SS, Jonathan Diaz 2B.

Kevin Youkilis Sits Out With Left Oblique Strain

The Evil Ones may be finding out what we have known for a while: Kevin Youkilis ain't in the kind of shape he used to be. The 33-year old Yankee third baseman will sit our today's Grapefruit League game against his old buddy Jonathan Papelbon's Phillies due to a strained left oblique muscle he tweaked yesterday. Youk is poo-pooing it to the nth degree: "I’m fine. I could play today and I’m perfectly fine, but they were just like, ‘No, we’re going to sit you out'. When I got water in me, I was fine. Being a month away from games and all that, they just wanted to take it precautionary. I wanted to play today and was perfectly fine to play, and didn’t feel like there was any risk." Where have we heard that line before?

Beneath The Surface Of The Reddick-Bailey Deal

Most of the analysis of the Andrew Bailey-Josh Reddick trade has focused on the two principals in the deal. From that narrow perspective, the deal was a complete disaster for Boston—with Bailey missing four months to injury and performing poorly upon his return. Reddick meanwhile hit 32 homeruns and played stellar defense for the A's in right field. Ryan Sweeney got off to a hot start, then faded and failed to hit even one homerun—albeit delivering solid defense. The MLB Trade Rumors website takes a little deeper look at the transaction by examining the performance of the two prospects the Sox sent to Oakland in the deal—Miles Head and Raul Alcantara. The 21-year old Head (projected as a first or third baseman) had a monster year—hitting .382 with 18 home runs in High A, before coming back to earth in AA. Alacantara (still only 20) was spotty in his Single-A stint—but has a plus fastball (90-95 MPH) and is seen as a solid potential starter down the road. So, while it's easy to look at the surface impact of the deal, it could get much worse for Boston.

Damon: 'Tons Of Interest' In Rejoining Empire

The 'Demon' Seed

In a move unlikely to rehabilitate his image with Red Sox fans, Johnny Damon said today that he has "tons of interest" in rejoining the Yankees to fill the void created by Curtis Granderson's broken forearm. We loved you, Johnny, but, based on this news, you can forget the "all is forgiven" crap, OK? At least Damon has enough brain cells left to recognize that the Evil Ones are not likely to reciprocate his interest—according to an interview with Michael Kay in New York. There's an 'idiot' joke in here somewhere.

Sox Edge Jays 4-2 With More Good Pitching

The Red Sox got more good pitching today as they topped John Farrell's old Blue Jay team, 4-2 in Dunedin, Florida. Knuckballer Steven Wright got the win—firing two shutout innings to start the game. Also solid on the hill was Allen Webster, who hit close to the century mark on the radar gun and struck out four in his two innings—impressively Jose Bautista, Edwin Encanarcion, Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia. On the offensive side, Jackie Bradley, Jr. had three hits and an RBI. By the way, when Farrell was asked by the Toronto media how he felt leaving before all the new Blue Jay acquisitions, he simply stated, "As you recall, I was traded."

Lars Anderson Picked Up By Toronto Blue Jays

Not that long ago, Lars Anderson was a promising prospect in the Red Sox organization. And now, he is with his fifth organization since last year's trading deadline. Today, the Blue Jays become the fifth team—claiming him off waivers from the White Sox. Anderson was dumped back when it seemed he would be blocked for years by Adrian Gonzalez. A mere couple of weeks later, that all changed with The Great Punto Trade with the Dodgers. Let's hope Lars catches on in The Great White North.

Dueling Knucklers In Today's Red Sox-Jays Tilt

On Display Today

Fresh off the MLB Network reality show, "The Next Knuckler", the Red Sox and Jays will today feature a match-up of knucklers in Steven Wright and last year's National League Cy Young Award winner R. A. Dickey. The Red Sox will send out the following line-up against Dickey: 1. Brock Holt, 2. Jackie Bradley, Jr., 3. Will Middlebrooks, 4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 5. Lyle Overbay, 6. Mauro Gomez, 7. Mitch Maier, 8. Juan Carlos Linares, and 9. Pedro Ciriaco.

Remembering A Solid Outing By Dana Kiecker

Dana Kiecker pitched in only 50 games for the Red Sox during the '90 and '91 seasons. But the Sleepy Eye, MN native (who turns 52 today) was part of one of the most frustrating Red Sox post-season losses of the decade—through no fault of Kiecker himself. In fact, the 29-year old nearly matched veteran Bob Welch inning-for-inning, going 5 2/3 solid frames and giving up just one-earned run in Game 2 of the ALCS at Fenway. But after Kiecker, the deluge. Greg Harris gave up a run and later Jeff Reardon yielded two and the Red Sox lost the game, 4-1. The Oakland A's swept Boston in the series, four games to none. But, young Mr. Kiecker pitched himself a gem.

Sox Sign Left-Handed Reliever Rowland-Smith

New Red Sox Lefty

In a curious move that may lead to the team dealing Franklin Morales or Andrew Miller, the Red Sox signed left-handed reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith to a contract. The 30-year old Aussie has not pitched in the majors since 2010 for Seattle, when he split starting and relieving duties. He posted a career-worst ERA of 6.75 that year, but has done significantly better in more recent minor league stints. Boston may be gearing up for a major deal involving one of the aforementioned bullpen lefties, along with Andrew Bailey and a catcher (Jarrod Saltalamacchia?) Stay tuned.

Evil Empire Loses Granderson For Ten Weeks

AP Photo

After losing over 100 HRs to free agency in the off-season, the Yankees have also lost some part of a potential for 40+ HRs with Curtis Granderson's broken forearm. The center fielder will miss at least 10 weeks before he is major league ready. The Evil Ones are scrambling to find a replacement for Granderson—which is all the more complicated since they had been planning to move him to left field, with Brett Gardner moving to center. That's obviously on hold as well. It's never good for anyone in MLB to get hurt like this (on a pitch in his first Spring at-bat) and it's particularly troubling when it's one of the best people in all of baseball. There are only three Evil Ones we have any respect for as ballplayers and people—Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Granderson.

Sox Bookend Great Pitching; Beat Cards, 5-3

The Red Sox got solid pitching in the first and last two innings, allowing Boston to top the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3. Jon Lester pitched a perfect two innings at the start, and newcomer Rubby De La Rosa delivered perfection in the eight and ninth. Pedro Ciriaco knocked in two runs for Boston. There was no television coverage today—but you could watch lots of cool Charlie Moore re-runs on NESN. Thanks, John Henry!

Yankees Legally Embrace 'Evil Empire' Moniker

In Evil Laundry

That vile franchise 250 miles to our south is now embracing their image—so thoughtfully given to them by Larry Lucchino—as "The Evil Empire". In a legal proceeding to prevent a company called "Evil Enterprises" from marketing the brand, the Yankees forcefully argued that they have "implicitly embraced" the Evil Empire theme by playing Star Wars music at The Concrete Bunker O 161st Street. The panel of trademark judges agreed thusly: "In short, the record shows that there is only one Evil Empire in baseball and it is the New York Yankees. Accordingly, we find that [the Yankees] have a protectable trademark right in the term as used in connection with baseball." Now, our good buddy (clean-shaven) Kevin Youkilis will know the true nature of his uniform (see pic).

'Running' Mike Napoli Says Ailing Hip Feels Fine

Running Man

Mike Napoli has started running. And the good news is he feels no ill effects in his hip. The not-so-good news is that your starting first baseman has yet to really gear up to play his position. And, he won't even play in any Spring games until—at the earliest—next week. And, even with the dumb World Baseball Classic extending camp, Opening Day is just 36 days away. Does this instill a lot of confidence in you?

Sox Begin New Losing Streak, Fall To Rays, 4-3

AP Photo/David Goldman

What if we told you that Red Sox shortstop phenom Jose Iglesias would make an error and hit a two-run homer? Believe it or not, that happened today in Boston's 4-3 loss to a split-squad version of the Tampa Bay Rays. John Lackey loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but ended up yielding just one run, and the Red Sox—for most of the day—seemed like a punchless outfit at the plate. Ironically, it was Iglesias who ignited the offense. Anyway, it's just Game One. On to tomorrow—which, of course, will not be televised.

Red Sox Open Grapefruit Versus Rays Today

The Red Sox open the Grapefruit League Season for real today at 1:35 PM when they face the Tampa Rays at jetBlue Park. Boston will put out the following lineup: Ellsbury CF, Pedroia 2B, Victorino RF, Saltalamacchia C, Gomes LF, Drew SS, Middlebrooks 3B, Overbay 1B, Sweeney DH. John Lackey will start and pitch one inning. And NESN will actually televise! Liverpool must be off today.

Red Sox Sign A Guy You've Never Heard Of

Well, maybe you've heard of him if you're a fan of 29-year old mediocre left-handed pitchers from the Twins. Anyway, Matt Maloney was signed by Boston to a minor league contract. Careerwise, Maloney has a 5.74 ERA over parts of four seasons. He's given up 116 hits in 91 innings. He's coming off Tommy John surgery, so he wouldn't be available to be awful until mid-year. Maybe we shouldn't be so tough on the guy. After all, he is a lefty. On second thought, welcome aboard, Matt! Here's hoping you take Camp Happy-Go-Lucky by storm and go North with the big boys.

Fenway Again Misused As Bad Music Venue

Paul McCartney At Fenway In August Of 2009

Maybe it's a sign that we at FenwayNation are getting old (and we are), but does the NOG have to continue to defile Fenway Park with really bad music acts? As far as we're concerned, the only decent booking at the old ballyard was Paul McCartney (see pic). This year, The Grande Ol' Dame will have to endure three of the most talent-less individuals on Planet Earth: Jason Aldean, Justin Timberlake and Jay Z (the latter two teamed up for a double whammy of badness). What exactly is the point of screwing up the pristine Fenway playing surface for some lip-syncing moron who happens to get money for his alleged music?

David Ortiz Sees 'Good Soreness' As A Positive

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

It's been more than seven months since David Ortiz injured his right Achilles tendon. And he is still not cleared to run the bases or play in a Spring Training game. Despite this, Ortiz reports that he is making steady progress in his recovery. Explained Papi, “It’s not the ‘bad’ sore. It’s the ‘good’ sore,” The ‘good sore’ from the workout, I’m saying. It’s not the sore I was feeling last year once I got back. It’s a good sore. When you work out normally, your muscle gets sore, and you go from there." It's still unclear exactly when the 37-year old DH will be able to play, but his presence in the middle of the 2013 lineup is a prerequisite to any team success.

'Upright' Jose Iglesias Becomes More Offensive

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

In yesterday's game against NU, Jose Iglesias did something that got the Red Sox coaching brass very excited: he got a hit. The only thing keeping the defensive whiz from The Show is his slow progression at the plate. According to manager John Farrel, the better results are due to a change in the shortstop's batting stance. Said Farrel, "He's a little more narrow in his base; he's a little bit more upright. It's allowed him to see the ball better, and I really think free up his swing. He got deep in his crouch over time, and I think it kind of caused him to work against his body a little bit, but the fact that he's upright in that stance, he feels like he's able to hit the ball with a little bit more authority to wherever it's pitched in the zone." If he can solve this, and Xander Bogaerts can play third and Will Middlebrooks can play first, you will have (along with Dustin Pedroia) the infield nucleus of what BenCher likes to call "The Next Great Red Sox Team".

Four Red Sox Players Will Participate In WBC

Thankfully, only four players connected to the Red Sox will participate in the outrageously stupid World Baseball Classic. The tournament—which should be called the World 'Destroy Your Career With A Devastating Injury' Classic—will feature only Xander Bogaerts, Shane Victorino, Alfredo Aceves, and Jose De La Torre from the Carmine Hose. The WBC rips a hole in the normal Spring Training routine, going from March 2nd to March 19th. And, you may recall that, while winning tournament MVP twice, Daisuke Matsuzaka was never the same after his participation in the bogus event. Hey, Bud, people around the world already love baseball. Dump this thing, will 'ya?

Bobby V. To Be New AD At CT's Sacred Heart U.

Hopefully, the student-athletes at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University have been warned. When their new Athletic Director (a Mr. Bobby Valentine) tells them "nice inning" or questions their mental preparation, they have to understand that it's just Bobby being Bobby. Apparently, SHU is actually hiring Bobby V. to be their new AD, and could make it official as early as next week. We can just hear it now, from the Captain of the 'Big Red the Pioneer' baseball team, "Maybe that's how they do things in Boston, but that's not how we do things here in Fairfield."

Red Sox Eek Out 11-1 Victory Over BC Eagles

US Presswire

Unlike the 3-0 nail-biter against Northeastern, the Red Sox scrubs punished the BC Eagles in the second half of yesterday's twin-bill, 11-1. Aside from Xander Bogaetrs, Boston's lineup was filled with lesser known prospects—you know, your Henrys, your Renfroes and your Hazelbakers. Nonetheless, the Sox laid waste to the Chestnut Hillers and set their sights on the mighty Tampa Rays on Saturday. Historically, the Red Sox have taken all eleven match-ups against Northeastern—by a combined score of 139-6. They are 23-0 against BC—by a combined score of 218-41.

Red Sox 3, Northeastern Huskies 0 In Game 1

Joel Hanrahan (P. Abraham Photo)

The Red Sox started off 2013 on the right foot by defeating the pesky Northeastern Huskies, 3-0. The Boston bullpen crew lived up to their hype—as seven hurlers combined for the shutout while striking out 14. Offensively, the Sox got RBIs from Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Pedro Ciriaco and Jose Iglesias. Boston also collected five walks off Husky pitching—two drawn by Salty. Next up, Boston College.

2013 Baseball Begins: Northeastern vs. Red Sox!

P. Abraham via TWITTER

It has begun! The 2013 baseball season is underway. Let's hope this edition of the Carmine Hose is at least likable and entertaining—since they're going nowhere anyway.  The Red Sox have no television or radio coverage available for either of today's games (NU or BC), so here's the best we can do for you (see photo). First run of 2013? Saltalamacchia drove in Victorino with a double off the left field FakeMonster. You can get live updates of today's games HERE.

Red Sox Get Ready To Face NU And BC Today

Photo via Alex Speier, WEEI.com

SCORE UPDATES HERE
In an hour or so, the first real game action of the 2013 season will commence, with the Red Sox taking on the Northeastern Huskies and the Boston College Eagles in a twin-bill at jetBlue Park. Of course, no television or radio coverage is available—hey, it's not foreign soccer! Boston will use a slew of regular hitters in the NU game at 1:35PM, but all the hurlers in both contests will be relievers. Earlier, the entire Husky squad huddled around the batting cage to watch David Ortiz hit (see pic).

MLB Gives A's Guidelines For San Jose Move

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has provided the Oakland Athletics with "guidelines" for a proposed move to San Jose. This is the first real movement on this issue in over four years—when Selig first appointed a task force to hash out the move. The San Francisco Giants strongly object to the move, since San Jose is in Santa Clara County—part of World Champs' protected territory. Satisfying the MLB guidelines does not necessarily mean the move will ever occur. The A's still need approval by 75% of all owners. Also, the A's ownership has pledged to stay in the grotesque Oakland Colosseum through 2017.

MLB Tracking A-Fraud's Grand Jury Testimony

'Rehabbing' In New York

As the Biogenesis clinic fiasco swirls around Alex Rodriguez, MLB is quietly looking into The Fraudulent One's involvement in another PED scandal. The New York Daily News is reporting that investigators are looking at A-Rod's testimony in regard to the drug-related prosecution of Toronto physician Anthony Galea. The Canadian physician plead guilty in 2011 to "bringing unapproved drugs, including human growth hormone and Actovegin, into the United States". Earlier reports by The New York Times stated that Galea had injected Rodriguez with "a cocktail of drugs on at least one occasion". Here's the deal. A-Fraud told MLB that he never got PEDs from Galea. But, if Rodriguez testified differently to a grand jury, baseball officials can nail the Yankee third baseman. As we have said on multiple occasions, all of this could not happen to a more deserving guy.

Tampa's David Price To Evil Empire: 'Fuzz Off!'

Leave It On, Leave It All On

FenwayNation officially has a new favorite non-Red Sox player: David Price. In an interview with FOX Sports, Price made it clear that—if he ever tests the free agent market—it will never result in his wearing the dreaded pinstripes. Regarding the facial-hair policy of the Evil Ones, the current AL Cy Young winner stated, “I wouldn’t stay there very long then. I wouldn’t sign a long-term deal there. Those rules, that’s old-school baseball. I was born in ’85. That’s not for me. That’s not something I want to be a part of.” If only Youk was so rational. Now that the 'Idiot Culture' of old is back in the Hub, maybe we can lure Price to Boston.

'Lob-O-Cini' Alfredo Has Zip Back In His Fastball

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

The mystery is finally solved. It was just "miscommunication" between Red Sox coaches and Alfredo Aceves that resulted in his infamous LobsterFest (isn't Red Lobster missing a huge marketing opportunity here?) during live batting practice. All is right with 'Lob-O-Cini', as explained by manager John Farrell, "He had a very good day today -- focused, good effort level. He had a good work day."  The zip is back in his fastball and everything is copacetic at Camp Happy-Go-Lucky. Bring on the Huskies!

NOG Hides Sox-College Games Under Bushel

The ownership group of your Boston Red Sox loves baseball so much, they are not televising the first game action of the year. The games against the Northeastern Huskies and the Boston College Eagles—always televised in the past—have no TV or radio coverage this year. You can find the lineups for both games, but you can't actually see the games. But take heart, you might be able to catch Liverpool vs. Chelsea on NESN. Check your local listings. Or give John Henry a call. He'll know.

Hanrahan Open To Re-Upping With Sox In 2014

Christopher Evans/Herald

It's kind of refreshing when a new Red Sox player (who's yet to be in a real game) is already floating the idea of a long-term stay in the Hub. Joel Hanrahan, who came in a trade with the Bucs, is slated to be Boston's 2013 closer. But, he will become a free agent after the season. Said Hanrahan, "It has been great here so far. I didn't know what to expect, being traded over here. But I was a fan of this team before and I've enjoyed everything about it. If they want to talk about something, I would listen." If he performs as well as he did against the Red Sox at PNC Park in recent years, there would be lots of reasons to keep him around.

Five More Players On Biogenesis Documents

ESPN's Outside The Lines, released the names of five more players who appear on lists from the disgraced Biogenesis "wellness" clinic in Florida. The five are: San Diego's Everth Cabrera, Oakland's Jordan Norberto, Houston's Fernando Martinez, San Diego's Fautino De Los Santos, and the Mets' Cesar Puello. In a related development, ESPN reported that two independent sources confirmed that Washington's Gio Gonzalez had not gotten PEDs from Biogenesis—despite appearing on a previous list. Gonzalez had adamantly denied ever having used performance-enhancing drugs.

Edgy Youk Won't Talk About Bobby V. Or 2012

 SIPKIN/N.Y. DAILY NEWS

In an interview with the Globe's Nick Cafardo, former Red Sox icon Kevin Youkilis was a little testy when it came to discussing 2012—particularly the part involving Bobby Valentine. Said Youk, “I’m not going to talk about Bobby. I’ve moved on, he’s moved on. I’m a New York Yankee in 2013 and that’s what I’m focusing on. I don’t think it does any good to rehash stuff like that. You have your opinion. You’re pretty adamant about what you thought, so go with it.” OK, OK. No problem. Keep moving, nothing to see here. Looks like the 'Red Sock Forever' Era has passed.

John Lackey To Open Against Rays On Saturday

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

It will only be one inning (or less if he pitches like he did in 2011), but John Lackey will open the Grapefruit League season for the Red Sox on Saturday against Tampa. The well-paid righty will take to the hill for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2012 season. Lackey has come into camp having lost at least 15-20 pounds, and is exhibiting a much more media-friendly attitude. If he can regain his pre-Boston form, it will be an invaluable boost to the rotation. Let's hope he's back.

Red Sox Trade For Carp As First Base Insurance

Ben Van Houten, Mariners

Well, the Angles may have a Trout, but now we've got a Carp. The Red Sox acquired first baseman Mike Carp from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations or a PTBNL. The 26-year old Carp has never reached his full potential as a major leaguer—due to injuries and under-performance. He will be another left-hand hitting option behind Mike Napoli at first. In four seasons, he's hit .255 with 18 home runs, but does possess major home run hitting potential. A good low-risk, high-return pick-up.

Xander Bogaerts Will Start At Third Against BC

Will Play Third Base Against Boston College

Before he heads off to the World Baseball Classic to play for Netherlands (via Aruba), top Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts will undergo a slight position change. Instead of his usual shortstop position, he will start at third base on Thursday against Boston College. Because of the make-up of the Netherlands team, he will also man the hot corner in the WBC. Due to Bogaerts' bigger body type, (and the logjam of shortstop prospects) there has always been speculation about a move to third. But the Red Sox still insist he will be a shortstop when he reaches the bigs with Boston. We shall see.

'Scrappy Underdogs' Will Finish 4th In AL East

'Scrappy Underdogs'

In his assessment of the 2013 Carmine Hose, Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino famously referred to his team as "scrappy underdogs". And Larry likes it that way. Be that as it may, any non-Pink Hat assessment of this year's Red Sox team has to conclude that (despite the more level playing field in their division) this team is a fourth-place finisher. All things considered, they are worse than the Jays, Rays and Yankees and marginally better than the over-achieving Orioles. Let's look at the facts:

Will 'Lob-O-Cini' Alfredo Be Dealt Away Soon?

AP Photo

Jarrod Saltalamacchia offers the best description of Red Sox resident loon Alfredo Aceves: "He can be on the moon and then next thing you know, he's right here, so it's pretty special." Therein lies the conundrum. Over the last couple of years, Aceves has been one of the most effective right-handers in baseball: as a starter, a long man and a closer. He is extremely versatile and can still bring it in the mid-90's. The problem, of course, is that he can be quirky—Manny quirky. His LobFest during live batting practice this year was just the latest in a string of bizarre behaviors since coming to Boston from The Evil Empire (© 2003 Lawrence Lucchino). So, were his recent shenanigans enough to ship him out of Camp Happy-Go-Lucky? Word has come down that GM Ben Cherington has "met" with Aceves' agent. It's also known that there are a lot of clubs with a strong interest in taking a risk on Alfredo. Finally, the Red Sox are already well-stocked in the rotation and the pen—and also have further options not far away in the minors. Sounds like a recipe for a trade. Stay tuned.