February 23, 2008

All Is Well As Sox Work Out

The Red Sox held their first full-squad workout yesterday. It was free of controversy. Terry Francona called it "nice".

Julio Lugo is glad he's in Boston:
I didn't make a mistake coming here. The mistake would have been wanting to leave here. I got booed, but I don't blame the fans. I understood them. ... [It was] a transition that everyone has to go through - new team, new city, new teammates ... Things will be different this time around.
Manny Delcarmen will get an opportunity to close games here and there.

Sean Casey says he can play the outfield in an emergency:
Such as the city of Boston being on fire. ... [Francona] said I'd probably pinch run before I play the outfield. ... We'll see.
Note: Casey has never pinch-run and has a mere 17 stolen bases in 11 seasons.

Rob Bradford chats with J.D. Drew and like all of his stories, this one includes nuggets that other writers don't get. Drew talks about using Bobby Kielty's bat in Games 5 and 6 of the ALCS. (Yesterday, it was Josh Beckett's journal.)

Manny Ramirez is the 7th member of the 2008 Red Sox to have Scott Boras as his agent, joining Drew, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jason Varitek, Alex Cora, Craig Hansen and Julian Tavarez.

Steve Buckley asks:
Has there ever been a major leaguer who played on five World Series-winning teams but never played for the Yankees?
There is one. Stuffy McInnis: three with the Philadelphia Athletics (1910, 1911, 1913) and one each with the Red Sox (1918) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1925).

Mike Timlin has played on four: two in Toronto (1992, 1993) and two in Boston (2004, 2007). He could join McInnis if the Red Sox repeat.

Timlin admitted he had no idea who McInnis was, "but Wake may have played with him".

9 comments:

allan said...

Trot Nixon signed a minor-league contract with Arizona.

Jere said...

Was just searchin' around for another fiver--and I came up with someone who was so close. Dal Maxvill got two rings with St. Louis, '64 and '67 (and an NL champ. one in '68). Then he got one with the '72 A's, was on the '73 A's, but went to the Pirates mid-season, missing that WS, only to return to the A's for another ring in '74. I actually did a news search to see if maybe Finley gave him an honorary ring for '73, but I found an article from '74 which specifically talks about his rings, saying his most recent one was the '72. (Though they say he has "four rings," but one was the '68 NL champs ring, which he gave to his mother to wear.) Thought that was an interesting story.

"Trot Nixon signed a minor-league contract with Arizona."

And Foulke is on Oakland, if anyone missed that. I'd thought he was going to the D-bax, too.

laura k said...

Yay Stuffy!

Patrick said...

Neat stuff about Drew. He has such a good swing, I hope he has a good year at the plate.

And man do I love Beckett. The guy is such a role model. Who doubts that he will have another good year? Not me.

allan said...

Reminds me to put a pic of Stuffy in there.

Amy said...

What did you all make of Drew's comments about the lighter bat and the Ortiz footprints? Does that make much sense? Can we really believe that he will live up to his potential this season, now that he has altered his stance and changed his bat?

allan said...

Can we really believe that he will live up to his potential this season, now that he has altered his stance and changed his bat?

ON FIRE!!!!!

9casey said...

Amy said...
Can we really believe that he will live up to his potential this season,

I'm not sure he has ever lived up to his potential or his hype.....he did have a very distracting issue with his son last year and also showed up huge in the playoffs....good enough for me...

Zenslinger said...

Go go Tito extension!