The season will begin tomorrow at 4 PM.
***
Opening Day!
James Shields (2008: 3.56, 125 ERA+; Spring 2009: 14.1 IP, 8.16 ERA) / Josh Beckett (2008: 4.03, 115 ERA+: Spring 2009: 27.2 IP, 3.25 ERA)
It has been 170 days since Tampa Bay's David Price got pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie to ground into a game-ending fielder's choice at Tropicana Field, saving the Rays' 3-1 victory, and clinching the American League pennant.
The two teams will meet this afternoon at Fenway Park, as the 2009 regular season begins.
Lowrie:
I don't think they've gotten any worse. If anything, they've gotten better. It will be interesting. It might be a preview of what's to come.David Ortiz:
Yeah, why not. [Let's] see what they have from the beginning.
Lineups (expected):Red Sox against Shields and Rays against BeckettRays Red Sox
Akinori Iwamura, 2B Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Evan Longoria, 3B David Ortiz, DH
Carlos Pena, 1B Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Pat Burrell, DH J.D. Drew, RF
Matt Joyce, CF Jason Bay, LF
Dioner Navarro, C Mike Lowell, 3B
Gabe Gross, RF Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Bartlett, SS Jason Varitek, C
Ortiz is 7-for-14, 1.214 SLG; Pedroia is 5-for-10; Ellsbury is 1-for-10; Yook is (ack) 0-for-17.
***
The last time the Red Sox began the season at home was 2002: Pedro was shelled and the Blue Jays grabbed a 12-11 win. I remember watching that game (and cursing Ugueth Urbina) at the Riviera in Manhattan (in those dark ages before EI).
The last time the Red Sox began a season with a win at home: 1995. With Aaron Sele on the hill, Luis Alicea leading off, and Kevin Kennedy as manager, Boston blanked the Twins 9-0.
It's my 34th Opening Day as a Red Sox fan, and another summer of little white boxes and fine-pointed pens.
***
Opening Day Roster:
SP: Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Penny***
RP: Lopez, Delcarmen, Ramirez, Masterson, Okajima, Saito, Papelbon
C: Varitek, Kottaras
INF: Ortiz, Youkilis, Pedroia, Lowrie, Lowell, Green
OF: Bay, Ellsbury, Drew, Baldelli, Carter
John Smoltz was given Curt Schilling's locker, next to Jason Varitek's. When Smoltz is ready to pitch in a game, he'll go down to A ball, either Greenville or Salem.
It really doesn't matter what organization level it is. I have nothing to gain being down there anyway because the statistical information is not a good gauge for me, it's really about getting my work in.Rocco Baldelli's locker is between Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell.
Terry Francona, on telling Chris Carter he had made the roster:
You would think it would be great, but about a minute into it he hadn't breathed yet. It wasn't quite as fun as I anticipated it. I thought he was going to pass out.Carter:
I'm just happy and excited and I'm ready to go. I really believe in this team and I'm really confident. Every day we play is going to be a great game.***
Now if the rain stays away ....
ReplyDeleteSoSH PoST, 5:21 AM:
ReplyDeleteWBZ: Heavy rain hits a little after 2
WCVB: Heavy rain hits Fenway at 2
WHDH: Heavy rain will not get to Fenway until between 3 and 4
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteFuck...this looks ugly.
ReplyDeleteThis one is even worse.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Tuesday will be opening day!
Well, like any day in New England, we just have to hope for the best!
ReplyDeleteI mentioned Opening Day on my blog today, too!
GO SOX!!!
Talking about rain between 3 to 5.
ReplyDeleteOh groan, of course a rain delay means I can watch at home!!! Until then it is WTIC or WEEI baby!
We need an emergency proclamation declaring today Patriots' Day so we can get a morning game in.
ReplyDeleteMake it happen, Deval.
I will be in class when the game begins, but will check in afterwards. I sure hope the rain stays away, but it is pouring here in western MA right now. Not looking too encouraging....
ReplyDeleteAaaaaaannnnndddd the game's postponed to tomorrow. That sucks.
ReplyDeleteWoo, can't wait. Although the game is inconveniently timed (Work is not big on streaming video, but I can get away with it after 5). A rain delay might work out nicely!
ReplyDeleteFirst line of showers and thunderstorms have entered Hartford and are now moving through eastern Connecticut. I'd be very surprised if it doesn't start raining in Boston before 1:00, let alone 2.
ReplyDeleteStupid f*cking rain. It's really crappy out right now. I feel bad for the people who paid through the nose for tickets and took the day off of work.
ReplyDeleteRain, rain go away...
Interesting baseball note: Boston College baseball [you may remember them as an annual Red Sox punching bag in February] came back from a 10-2 6th inning deficit to beat North Carolina State 11-10 yesterday, in what some [read: I] have dubbed the "Palm Sunday Miracle."
PPD. :(
ReplyDeleteYou can flip that ON switch back to OFF for one more day.
ReplyDeleteGame postponed to tomorrow at 4:05.
Larry: "It's unusual for us to postpone a game when there isn't hard evidence, that is rain or immediate weather present at Fenway Park given the volatility of weather around here, but we have two factors here. There's a consistency among all the weather people, private weather services as well as the six network and media weather services we consult as well, and the probabilities of rain are nearly 100 percent and we're talking about some severe weather with possible thundershowers and heavy gusts..."
ReplyDeletePostponed :( I was getting ready to go down to Thom's and drink happy thoughts... And tomorrow I have to work. Poop.
ReplyDeletewtic is saying Postponed until 4:05 Tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI knew Fenway shoulda got a dome.
ReplyDelete***
It's been a disgusting morning mix of wind, rain and snow here in Ontario. Horrible.
Fuck. Day off wasted.
ReplyDeleteSee it could be worse! At least this wasn't Chicago where the game got snowed out.
ReplyDeleteSuch a drag for the people who rearranged work schedules to get the day off. Tomorrow's actually better for me, and of course it's all about me.
ReplyDeleteSuch a drag for the people who rearranged work schedules to get the day off. Tomorrow's actually better for me, and of course it's all about me.
ReplyDeleteYeah my father stayed home from work today to watch the game. Tomorrow he'll probably miss the first half of the game.
I said to him it must be annoying, taking the day off for this. Being a wasted day off. He said since when is a day off a bad thing?
ReplyDeleteIs it bad that I'm trying to reschedule my work call tomorrow so that I can be done in time to get to Thom's anyhow? It was supposed to be a 12-6 call, but clearly that won't do at all... It's just me and one other person though. Wonder how she feels about 9 am. (Probably the same way I do. Not positively.)
ReplyDeleteI know it's nice to have opening day be at home once in a while but......it seems kind of crazy for TB to be at Boston and Atlanta to be at Phil. last night. Wouldn't it make more sense to have the northern clubs start on the raod for the first couple of series?
ReplyDeleteworks good for me. I am on a bus, and was going to "watch" the game on GDGD on the bus's crappy WiFi.
ReplyDeleteAccudart - first game couldn't be in Tampa, the Dome was booked for an IRL race.
ReplyDeleteI think a couple of northern places like Cleveland and Chicago would be better off starting on the road for the first week or two because of snow, but rain is going to fall whether it's the first week of April or the second or third. And it's the same everywhere.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow's actually better for me. Sorry everyone else is disappointed. The sun came out here finally (after six solid weeks of snow, sleet and rain), so I'm going to climb a mountain tomorrow, then settle in for the opener.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow night, I have work... covering the oh-so-famous Baseball Beanpot semifinals in Brockton, MA for the Boston Metro and EagleInsider.com...
ReplyDeleteSo boo, bad timing