The Mid-Atlantic Report

Misplaced Optimism?

By Scott Drew, Middle Atlantic Correspondent

April 1, 2007, Philadelphia, PA—Bless the person that thought up this annual event that brings the Sox to Citizens Bank Park for the last two preseason games of the year. I’ve just seen two Sox games in less that 24hr. Sure, the games don’t count, but it’s a season-starting smorgasbord that gives you a taste of what’s coming. And you get a look at some of the kids that will start in the minors (which is hard to do down here now that the Sox have pulled their minor league teams out of Trenton and Wilmington, DE. Who are the JetHawks? All I know it that they are in Lancaster, CA, not PA.). It’s hard to separate the two games- so I won’t try. They were essentially the same; the Sox built a lead, took out the regulars, the kids let the Phils back in, and then the Sox won. Neither game was as close as the score would lead you to believe (6-5 and 7-5).

I’m a glass half-full kind of guy, but I have to tell you that based on what I saw, the glass is full. Impressive is the only word for it. This is a Philadelphia Phillies team that should be right there in the NL East. They’ve been mediocre this spring, but they were back in their home park with a couple of big crowds. They wanted to do well. Game 1 was started by Cole Hamels- a great young lefty with a lot of promise. The Sox beat him up- and took his lunch money. Hamels gave up five runs on four homers and struggled through five innings.

They looked like it was 1978 all over again. Manny hit one to the opposite field. JD Drew hit one to center, Pedroia to left and Youk to almost the same spot. Ortiz and Varitek homered in game 2. The Bank has the rep of being a homer friendly park, but none of these were cheap. The guy that I’m worried about is Pedroia and his line drive in the in the third of game 1 got out in hurry. The guy is small. It looks like the bottom of his number is tucked in his pants. When he got back to the dugout, Big Papi met him and wrapped him in what looked to be a DL-inducing bear hug. He looked good in the field, too- three DPs in the first game. And a nice stop diving to his right in the second game, jumping to his feet and nailing the speedy Jimmy Rollins. He had a nice clutch hit (if there is such a thing in a preseason game) with two outs in game 2 to drive in a couple of runs. Maybe the guy we kept instead of Hanley Ramirez is going to be ok. I hope so- I’m sick of the Theo/Bill James parade of middle infielders that we’ve sat through in the past few years.

JD Drew looked good as well. I’m trying to stay objective- I don’t like seeing him wear Trot’s number, but I like the surname. The Philly fans let him have it every time his name was announced. But he was hitting the ball with authority. He also made a nice play on a ball in the corner. Picked it up, wheeled around, and fired a strike on a line to second. On the downside, he got picked of second in the 2nd inning of game 2. I took in the game 1 with veteran Sox watcher and Trenton native, Bill Cox (who is passing his affliction to his granddaughter Sophie) and he reported that JD put on a display during BP. And by the way, Bill, JD makes us even on the number of guys with our surname that have played for the Sox (Ted Cox, 1977).

Which brings me to Dice K. He bounded onto the field, jumping over the third base line. The first pitch in a big league park by #18 came at 1:18, March 31, 2007- and it had Rollins jumping out of the way. And all in all, it wasn’t the performance we were looking for. I was surprised he wasn’t wearing a long sleeve shirt on a day that featured a chilly breeze. He was behind batters the whole day. He seemed to be trying to start out with a slow curve ball that he couldn’t throw for a strike. And the when he was around the plate, the Phillies weren’t swinging and missing. Phillies whipping boy Pat Burrell got one in his wheelhouse and jerked it out in the third of game two. He’s not known for hitting with men on base and two out. Dice K was gone after four- only two hits, but three runs, four walks, seven strikeouts (mostly called). I think the fastball topped out at 90. He threw 81 pitches, 51 for strikes, which was pretty good because after 41 pitches, he’d thrown 20 balls. He looks like he can field the position- nice job covering first. But he wasn’t showing the legendary pinpoint control we’ve read about. Looks like he needs to keep runners off base- there's a big difference between the full windup and his throws from the stretch. Rollins stole a base off of him. Bad weather? Big League jitters? SI cover jinx? Who knows- give him some time.

What else can I tell you? Julian Tavarez picked up where he left off last year in game 1- better as a starter than a reliever. He scattered six hits in 5 2/3 and gave up just the one run- helped by some double plays. Kyle Snyder pitched well until he ran out of gas after 41 pitches. What was left of the crowd came alive, but Travis Hughes struck out Bourn with two on to end game 1. Both games used the DH; sensible, but odd for a NL park. Coco stole a base and made a nice diving catch in left center in game 2. Just after I had said that it was nice to see the Sox healthy, Brendan Donnelly failed to cover first and looked like he had pulled a hammy. But he took a few practice pitches and stayed in the game. Okajima gave up a home run to spring phenom Greg Dobbs, (already called Hobbs in Philly for his five homers). Joel Piniero actually threw the hardest pitches of the day (93) but gave up a homer to catcher Carols Ruiz. The Phillies early spring problem was supposedly too much starting pitching- sound familiar?

All in all a nice start. Or end. Anyway, they look ready. Too bad they don’t come back here this year for real. Meanwhile, after a dismal season of winter sports, a city turns to baseball for the return of lost glory. Make that two cities.

Scott Drew grew up in the MetroWest, but now lives somewhere in Pennsylvania. In 1985, he hit .600 for The Pollcats Softball Club, earning the nickname, "Lefty". He also once threw-up in his coat sleeve during a Junior High School rendition of Handel's "Messiah".

Mid-Atlantic Meanderings

by Scott Drew, FN Mid-Atlantic Correspondent

Danny being Danny Face it. We’re blessed to have a superstar in our baseball neighborhood. The joy that he gives us by being among the best at what he does can’t really be measured. The Hall of Fame is in his grasp at this stage of his illustrious career. He has all the tools and talent and in the summer, he puts them on display on almost a daily basis.

But for all the greatness, there is a price to be paid. The episodes of negativism. The sullen attitude; the spreading rumors (does he really want to work in New York?). But the worst is the inevitable annual ritual. The words we really don’t want to hear, but we have to- if we want him around, we know that we have to listen, let it pass, and move on.

That’s right, I’m talking about Danny. Danny Shaughnessy. Every year it’s the same thing. According to his autumnal mantra, there is only one thing that has to be done to insure that the Red Sox go all the way- jettison one of the greatest offensive players to wear the Sox uniform. Why? Who knows? The man knows his baseball. Could it be that Manny ruined his “Curse” franchise? Maybe he’s upset that Manny won’t share his hair secrets with him. Sure I’m sick of it. But hey, history says it will pass and we’ll get back to the good stuff. Just like every year.

J.D.As excited as I am about having a guy with Boston on the front and Drew on the back, I have to say that I have reservations. Maybe it’s because I’m in Philly, where J.D. refused to even stop by for a cheesesteak with the Phils and was vilified by this unforgiving fan base. Maybe it’s because he had an out clause in a contract that paid him $11 million a year so that if he played well, he could get a raise. Is he a quality guy worth 50% more than Damon? Time will tell. I wish J.D. well now that his destiny is tied with ours. But in the end, I have deeper personal reasons- I can’t have my surname equated with “overpaid, always hurt, used to have power, etc.”. J.D.- We’re in this together.

MoneySo my Yankee buddies are all over me. All these years of my screaming about the money that the Yanks spend. This year the worm has turned. Time to rationalize the amount of cash that the Sox are throwing on the table. So here it is. Instead of signing old guys to big multiyear contracts (Damon, Pedro), we now have that money to spend. And we’re not the ones building a $1 billion stadium. And then there are the lucrative marketing bucks in the Far East. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it works for me.

Song in my head: I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so…

Pedro Wasn’t the Answer

by Scott Drew, Middle Atlantic Correspondent

I was excited. This would be only the second time that I’d be seeing Pedro live and in person. The first was a Fenway battle between Pedro and Bartolo Colon, then with Cleveland. The Sox won a 1-0 game on the strength of a home run by the immortal Midre Cummings. But it was not to be.

The guy on the mound looked like Pedro (from the centerfield seats) but didn’t throw like him. A walk, two hit batsmen, an error on a pick-off move to first, a balk. Thankfully, light hitting Abraham Nunez tried to stretch his bases clearing double into a triple and eased Pedro’s pain. Not that Pedro was helped in the field- LoDuca whiffed trying to catch Rollins stealing. Delgado should have stopped the throw to first. Beltran made a terrible play, letting a ball get past him. At the end of the first, the Phillies had scored six runs on the man. He didn’t return due to a calf strain. When he was in there, his fastball topped out at 85. And the next day he’s back on the DL.

Okay, so the Mets have a lead that allows them to put Pedro on the shelf again until the playoffs. But giving Pedro a third year is starting to look like a bad decision, let alone a fourth. And this is the NL, my friends - weaker hitters, pitchers batting. Hard to imagine he would have helped the Sox this year. At least not in the second half when we really need him.

On "A-Bob" And Fenway Prices

by S. Roland Drew, Mid-Atlantic Correspondent

August 4, 2006—OK. I’ve been down here in Philly for 12 years. I’ve watched Bobby Abreu a lot and I feel qualified to provide an objective analysis of this situation. Sure the deal was only about money—the Phils are dumping salary and the Yanks are spending. Remember when Bowie Kuhn said that Charlie Finley couldn’t sell Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Sox? What happened to that rule? Phillies fans will wait (Yo, the Iggles are in training camp). Not for these prospects to make the majors, but to see how Giles spends the $20m he’s saving.

But back to Bobby. He’s gone from being the most underrated player in baseball; a 30/30 guy in ’01 and ’04, to one of the most puzzling guys on a puzzling team. Since he won the home run Derby a year ago July, his power has disappeared—almost as fast as Jim Ed’s did. He walks a lot but his slugging percentage is a mess. He probably shouldn’t have been batting third. It is amazing to think of how far down in the order he’ll have to hit with the Yanks. He has been clutch-hitting with men on base with two outs, but here is a guy who has been very good for a while and has never been in the post-season. OK, he’s a good fielder, but Phillies fans have noted that he’s no Aaron Rowand; he’s been shying away from the fence on the deep line drives.So here’s the deal. At this point, I’d rather see Bobby Abreu in right field in NY than Gary Sheffield. And when Matsui comes back, I don’t think that Bobby gives you much more than Melky.

I still can’t believe that you can’t get into Fenway for less than $40 for a seat in the bleachers that I used to pay $2 for. We’ve seen the Sox three times down here—both in Baltimore and in Philly. Both of these stadiums are great places to watch a game. And with Southwest flying to Philly, you can get a round trip ticket for what it costs to park in Boston. Even the upper deck seats are great in Citizen’s Bank Park. Plus the announcer in Philly says Loretta the way that Nick on Cheers used to. So what’s next? Mets vs. Phillies on the 14th. By my calculation, it should be Pedro’s turn. Plus, we’ve got to go to Wilmington Blue Rocks before the season ends and check out the talent in the Carolina League.

Wait a minute. Beckett just let up a grand slam to some guy named Choo. Three more home runs given up this year. Better get a pitcher thrown into in the Lopez deal.

Philadelphia Story

by S. Roland Drew, Mid-Atlantic Correspondent

April 3, 2006.—Instant Summer. Although it was still a preseason game, the warm sun, blue sky and immaculate emerald field said June. The color of the day was red (when was the last time you went to a game and both teams were wearing red jerseys? How about a DH in and NL Park?). I’ve been to two games at Citizen’s Bank Park (the Bank) and both times the seats were the best I’ve ever sat in- this time right along the right field wall near the ball girls. And guess what Fenway fans? Good seats are available…from the box office…at list price.

So we saw major league players for three innings before they turned it over to guys with numbers higher than the game-time temperature, not counting JT Snow (84). The exception was Rookie of the Year, Ryan Howard who played the whole game, much to the dismay of a Sox lefty named Mike Bumatay. And as the Sox took the field, the first question was, “Who are these guys?” You follow the team all winter, you know the trades, watch the GF League box scores, but still, seeing an infield full of ex-Senior Circuiters wearing the Sox uniform still needs some getting used to. Having kept an eye on the local Phillies for the past ten years, watching the Fightin’s take the field was pretty much like renewing acquaintances with the guys you were in school with last year.

Not so the Bosox. Even Trot was wearing an anonymous 93 jersey [Editor's note: Trot left his #7 behind in Ft. Myers]. The signature hat, not quite in mid-season grubbiness, was a give-away. Hey, I know, in Theo we trust. But I can’t shake that same feeling that I get when I think some young broker is screwing with my retirement money, just churning my mutual funds. First look at Coco and he crushed one to right that gets knocked down by the wind for Abreu at the wall. But that was pretty much it. Rollins makes a nice play in short left on a Loretta popup. Big Papi (finally someone who looks familiar) takes a called third strike.

Matt Clement. I want him to do well, I really do, especially now that Bronson’s gone. But the first inning was the same old thing. Rollins ground out on the first pitch. Bell hits a foul home run, then grounds to Lowell (nice pickup by Snow). Then Abreu grounds a single up the middle. Passed ball (wild pitch?), a couple of walks, bases loaded for the one guy you don’t want to see with men on. Howard hits the first pitch, scoring 2. Then ex-White Sox Aaron Rowand is 0-2; then 2-2; then hits it up the middle. The 2 walks scored. Not a good omen. Good thing backup catcher Sal Fasano (a throwback catcher sporting the Fu Mancho- remember Clue Haywood in Major League?) let him out of the inning. My eye drifted to the scoreboard- fastball 86, slider 84, changeup 81. It’s making my Dalton Jones slide. He did start throwing the breaking ball for strikes in the second.

First big surprise. The other J.T.- Julian Tavarez- takes the mound. I guess it’s the ten days "not-in-a-row" suspension. He looked great. Fastball in the low nineties, changeup in the upper 70s. Strikes out Howard. I hope he doesn’t lose it sitting on ice.Coco’s back in the fourth. Nice single. Trot hits a two-out single and Coco goes first to third in a breeze. Dustin Mohr (started in left, but the Phils picked up Delucci from Texas this morning and aren’t interested in Mohr any more) had a nice double, but Gonzo and Stern don’t get the run home. By the fifth, we’ve got guys named Bailey (Bump?) and Calloway (Cab?) in the game. The other Manny looks great in the fifth inning, but falters in the sixth, getting yanked leaving the bases loaded. We get a righty named van Buren, who kinda looks like Bartolo Colon when he pitches, but not as fast. It went downhill from there- except for Howard’s shot in the 8th off of Bumatay. Note yo Tito- when the Sox come back in May- Howard can hit lefties. Just walk him. So the “hey it’s only a meaningless pre-season game” final score? 5-0 Phils. The Phils win a record GF League 19 games.

So down to random observations:
- A couple of nice plays from Enrique Wilson. I know he’s just Manny’s buddy, but he looked good.
- First look at Wily Mo, too. Big swing, this guy has. Hard to judge, but you can see that if he makes contact, the ball should fly.
- Nobody is in mid-season form. A couple of errors on the ball girls. And the Philly fans- only one weak boo that I could count and that was for a guy who dropped a foul ball in the upper deck.
- Some guy named Durbin nailed a triple that was almost caught.
- Old friends department- didn’t see Rheal Cormier or Flash Gordon today.
- Ryan “Mad Dog” Madson started for the Phils and had a nice outing- he’s a good young pitcher with a curve ball and a decent fastball, moving out of the pen.

On to Camden Yards next week. Back here on May 19th. We should have a pretty good idea by then. One last marketing idea. Maybe the problem with Hee-Seop Choi is image. He’s six feet five- he should be more intimidating. I say take a page form the XLF- change the name on the back of the jersey to Hee hate me.