caulfield12

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...kevin_youkilis/ Red Sox made right choice on YOUK

Record high temperatures in Boston expected...would be a shocker if any starter made it past 6. Great for the bullpen war, because we should have the advantage there, even without Crain. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino: "The one constant off the field is that we have had a veritable All-Star Team on the disabled list. As we begin the second half, we look forward to the return of the 'varsity,' including Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Andrew Bailey, and the ever-dirty Dustin Pedroia. "While this infusion of such talent in late July may make other General Managers green with envy, you can be sure that Ben Cherington and his Baseball Operations Staff will approach the July 31 trading deadline with their tireless work ethic. If someone can further help this club, and if the deal makes sense, we will be aggressive. We want to play October Baseball this year. "Meanwhile, as you come to Fenway Park throughout this season, we hope you will come early—the secret to fully enjoying a sports venue. Now 'A Living Museum,' Fenway Park probably leads the league in bronze plaques and commemorative displays along the concourses. Enjoy them at your leisure early, well before the escalation of excitement as game time approaches." GREAT detailed article by Gordon Edes on everything that's going wrong with Bobby Valentine...lots of interesting stuff here http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/8...-all-directions

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...l?p1=News_links Having a "Dave Barnett moment" here... http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/...aterno-defense/ And a long, detailed response to James

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:31 PM) Thank you! I hate people who hate college basketball. Along with MLB, the two best sports in the world.

13:$2.75M, 14:$3.75M, 15:$6M club option, 16:$8M club option, 17:$8.75M club option ($0.75M buyouts for each option) Would you take Sergio Santos back today, if given the opportunity, knowing you'd owe him at least $7.25 million and that both Reed and Jones are PROBABLY better closing options in 2013 and beyond than Sergio will ever be again? Over/under on K's for DeAza, Dunn and AJP against LHP this series?

They do have Ellsbury and Crawford back, Ortiz is on en fuego, it's not going to be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. Hoping for a split, 3/4 would be great and prepared for 1/4.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 10:49 PM) Gee, thanx for your well-thought-out arguments. "f***ing moron" "loudmouth asshat" We get it; you hate Ozzie; I love Ozzie. Nobody wins. Next round? First press conference at Wrigley. I'm surprised you haven't allied yourself on the side of Bryce Harper. I gave you a good quote from him to defend Ozzie, right in ur wheelhouse.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 07:25 PM) 80 days left in the season, and the Sox have the 3rd best record in the AL. That second wild card is going to be something, and it's going to be interesting to see who tanks in the next couple weeks and become sellers. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/wildcard.jsp?ymd=20120715 Dayan? Quietly, Cespedes and Reddick are becoming quite a force out in Oakland... http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/32080/yoenis-cespedes

QUOTE (soxmaniac! @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 09:22 PM) these games have been closer than necessary the past couple series, and i think i know why. Sorry for slacking and affording the sox a few L's and rough games for the bullpen, it wont happen again go sox go, go sox go, hey chicago whattya say, the sox are gonna win today Mike Moustakas and hitting with RISP.

I'd play Walker in CF and Thompson at a corner, just because Walker's faster and Thompson's bat and defense are probably best suited to the corners. If Trayce Thompson could stick in center and play at least average major league defense (like Cespedes), then he'd be MUCH more valuable. But we can't even be sure they'll move Walker until 2013 anyways...and they'll probably try to push Trayce to BIRM and see how he fares in that monster stadium with more advanced pitching.

QUOTE (soxmaniac! @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 09:32 PM) hopefully we see ripe CucHumber and not Phil cHumbersome when he finally pitches Really? C'mon!

QUOTE (ROC Sox Fan @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 09:42 PM) Damn... going to the game in Detroit on Saturday and was looking forward to seeing Good Gavin pitch. Now I'm scared about how much bullpen I could be seeing... C'mon Kenny, go get someone and let me see their WINNING debut for the Sox! Wonder what scalped tickets for the Sale/Verlander match-up on Friday are already going for?

Ozzie Guillen calls Bryce Harper ‘unprofessional’ after pine tar spat By Adam Kilgore (J Pat Carter - Associated Press) Bryce Harper has done his level best to avoid controversy during his rookie season with the Nationals, but cyclonic Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen dragged him into one Sunday afternoon during the Nationals’ 4-0 victory over Miami. Guillen charged Harper with using too much pine tar on his bat, spewed a torrent of profanity at Harper during his at-bat in the fourth inning and afterward called Harper’s actions “unprofessional.” Guillen did not specify what caused his ire, but said it had “something” to do with how Harper pointed his bat at him before his second at-bat. “First time, it’s going to stay between us,” Guillen said. “I could have said a lot of [stuff] about this kid. I’ve been praising this kid like everyday. The last three times they asked me about him, the only thing I said was he’s a great player. What he did [today] was unprofessional. I’m not going to tell you guys what he did because I’m not going to be talking about it on ESPN, Baseball Tonight, what happened again. I’ll just leave it like that. I’ll talk to his manager in a little while.” The incident began after Harper’s first at-bat, a lineout to third base. Guillen complained to umpires that Harper had applied pine tar above the label of his bat, the limit for how high the sticky substance can be spread. In his next at-bat, Harper, who finished 0 for 4, used a new bat. But Guillen did not like something about how Harper walked to the plate. Guillen began yelling at Harper from the dugout, even grabbing a bat and shaking it in the direction of Harper and the Nationals’ dugout. Nationals Manager Davey Johnson started yelling back at him. “I was just telling [Harper] how cute he was,” Guillen said. “Something happened there the inning before and I didn’t like it and I was talking to the umpire about it.” Said Johnson: “Ozzie had complained that the pine tar was too high up on Harper’s bat. So we changed it. Then he was still chirping about. It got on the umpire’s nerves. It got on my nerves. He was trying to intimidate my player, I guess. That’s not going to bother our player. He does what he has to do.” Harper, as he did when Cole Hamels admitted to hitting him on purpose earlier this season, remained above the verbal fray. He did not specify what Guillen was saying to him – “he was just yelling,” Harper said. Mostly, he just complimented Guillen. “He battles for his team, and that’s the type of manager Ozzie is,” Harper said. “He’s a great manager to play for. He’s going to battle for you, no matter what. That’s a manager you want to play for.” Baseball’s rules prohibit pine tar from being spread above the label. The goo creates more friction and spin when the bat meets the ball, which allows the ball to travel further. The most famous incident involving the rule came when George Brett – Harper’s professed favorite player – was temporarily robbed of a home run. “It’s such a fine line,” Johnson said. “They put the pine tar, it’s only supposed to be at the top of the label. Some guys, it might be over half an inch or something. There’s still a foot of the barrel to hit it with. If you hit it on the pine tar, it’s going to shatter everything. The replace the ball all the time, anyways. What’s the big deal?” Guillen, in his first year with the Marlins, is known for his unapologetically controversial persona and explicit ranting. “Ozzie yells a lot,” one Nationals player said. “You don’t even pay attention.” The incident seems like it ought to pass, but with volatile, veteran right-hander Carlos Zambrano starting for the Marlins on Monday night, that may not be a smart bet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports

By Manny Navarro mnavarro@MiamiHerald.com John Buck ended his day in a Marlins uniform Sunday by balling up a piece of tape and shooting it toward a trash can in the middle of the clubhouse. “That was a damn good shot,’’ Buck said as the ball of tape nestled sweetly into the bottom of the trash can. “At least something went right today.’’ Although the Marlins hit a handful of shots Sunday — including a few with their bats — the only one that landed in a desirable location was Buck’s jumper. The rest? Those seemed to land in either Roger Bernadina’s glove in center field or Ryan Zimmerman’s mitt at third as the first-place Nationals emerged with a 4-0 victory over the Marlins in front of 29,889 at Marlins Park. It’s the ninth time this season the Marlins (42-46) have been shut out. “That’s the reason we lost,’’ Guillen said pointing to his team’s 1-for-13 effort with runners in scoring position. (White Sox are first in the majors at .299) “We got golden opportunities. We had one of the best pitchers in the game against the ropes and we didn’t take advantage. You want to be good, you have to get those things done.’’ Stephen Strasburg pitched six scoreless innings and struck out seven to improve to 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in his career against the Marlins. In six career starts, Strasburg (10-4, 2.66 ERA in 2012) has held the Marlins without a run four times and has given up more than one run against them just once. Sunday, the 23-year old former first overall pick also hurt the Marlins with his bat, driving in the Nationals’ first run with a two-out single to right field off Ricky Nolasco in the fifth after the Marlins intentionally walked catcher Jhonatan Solano (.294) to face Strasburg, who is hitting .385 this season. “You don’t second-guess that. It was the right move to make,’’ said Nolasco (8-7), who lasted just 5 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and four earned runs. “I just let Ozzie down by not making the pitch there to Strasburg. The Nationals had no trouble dodging the Marlins’ threats. After Buck struck out swinging with runners on second and third to end the second, the Marlins loaded the bases in the third on Carlos Lee’s single to center. But after third base coach Joe Espada held Nolasco at third on Lee’s hit (despite a bad throw home by Bernadina that sailed over Solano’s head), Strasburg struck out Logan Morrison and got Hanley Ramirez to bounce out. “People can think whatever they want. It is a pitcher running,’’ Guillen said of why Nolasco wasn’t waved home. “The third-base coach can’t assume the ball will be over the catcher’s head.’’ Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/15/2897...l#storylink=cpy

Anyone want to start speculating as to the players selected for the AFL? Would love to see Beck get to go, even though our minor league staff might just as likely want him to shut it down early and start deconstructing his mechanics and getting him on the Allen Thomas conditioning program to shed all that added muscle mass. Carlos Sanchez, you'd have to think, would be one of the selections. Maybe even Salvador Sanchez. Trayce Thompson, perhaps.

That damn Perez can sure hit and throw. Reminds me physically of a young Sandy Alomar, Jr.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 06:42 PM) I don't know if the Sox have this, but Royals had great fan promotion Friday night. One dollar hot dogs and small drinks. I think they do it every Friday during the summer. I'll take it. Delicious dogs. Guy I was with had four or five. I had 2. Nice to pay 2 bucks instead of 9 for 2 fricking hot dogs. A lot of teams are adding "all-you-can-eat" sections. http://athletics.mlb.com/oak/ticketing/jumbo_tickets.jsp Here's an example from the Oakland A's. No reason the Sox couldn't do the same promotion through their own version of Comcast, since they're part owners of it. About Jumbo Tickets Within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket will be added-value. These "Jumbo" Tickets can be used throughout the Coliseum for redemption at various concession stands for food and beverages and at merchandise stands for souvenirs. A Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket includes a Jumbo Ticket added-value of $6. A Plaza Club ticket includes a Jumbo Ticket added-value of $10. Buy Single Game Tickets Have any questions about Jumbo Tickets? Head down to the Frequently Asked Questions below. Frequently Asked Questions Q. How much Jumbo Ticket added-value is loaded on each ticket? A. $10 of Jumbo Ticket added-value is added within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket and $6 of Jumbo Ticket value is added within the barcode of each Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. What is the price of a Plaza Club ticket or a Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket? A. A's single game ticket pricing is based on current market value. Ticket pricing can fluctuate based on factors affecting supply and demand. Jumbo Ticket added-value will not fluctuate. There is $10 of Jumbo Ticket added-value within the barcode of each Plaza Club ticket and $6 of Jumbo Ticket added-value within the barcode of each Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I have four tickets. Can I put all Jumbo Ticket added-value on one ticket? A. No, the Jumbo Ticket added-value cannot be transferred into another ticket's barcode, but more than one ticket can be used in the same purchase. You can use all four tickets toward that jacket in the Team Store or meal at the concession stand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I am a Season Ticket Holder with ticket exchange privileges. If I exchange my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets to another game in the same seating level does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer? A. Yes, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will transfer if exchanging a future home game into another future home game in Plaza Club and Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck areas only. Remember, season tickets must be exchanged at least 48 hours in advance of the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I am a Season Ticket Holder. If I exchange my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets to another seating location does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer? A. No, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will not transfer to a new seating location. The ticket value of your seats, however, will be applied to any new seating section. The Jumbo Ticket added-value is only available in their designated sections. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. If I transfer my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets using My A's Ticket or re-sell on StubHub does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer to the new ticket holder? A. Yes, the Jumbo Ticket added-value will transfer to the new ticket's barcode and that ticket holder can use the Jumbo Ticket added-value at the game date printed on their ticket. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. If I lose my Plaza Club or Comcast SportsNet California Value Deck tickets and Ticket Services reprints them does the Jumbo Ticket added-value transfer to the new tickets? A. Yes, the previous barcode will be voided and the reprinted Plaza Club tickets will have the Jumbo Ticket added-value loaded into the new barcode.

KWJR with a grand salami. Ha! Everything's turning up roses these last 2 weeks, except for our pitching health. Hawkins has a double, now at .262.

Countdown....24 hours until Ozzie arrives back in ChiTown. No question about what questions he'll get asked, the only puzzle is how well he'll do NOT addressing them or putting his foot in his mouth again. I'm sure Loria is going to enjoy this week. Not.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 05:49 PM) Meanwhile, if the Rangers get Hamels, we are really in trouble. We have to play them again soon (Rangers at the Ballpark), but anything would be better than Hamels or Greinke going to the Tigers.

What an amazing run I have had these past 8 1/2 years in Boston! It has been an honor and a privilege to play every home game of my career in Boston before a sold out Fenway Park. I would like to thank everyone who gave me an opportunity in Boston, and stood behind me through all these years. To the Spinners, the Sea Dogs, the PawSox, and to all those teammates on the Red Sox since 2004, I am forever grateful. I want to thank the Red Sox ownership for all the hard work and dedication to making the Red Sox and Fenway Park a special place to play. They have always supported me on the field, and have helped out in many ways off the field. I can't thank them enough for my time in Boston. To Terry Francona, who led us to 2 World Series championships in 2004 and 2007, I thank you for your support and personal guidance through my career with the Red Sox. I thank you for being there for me not just as a manager but as a friend off the field. Thank you for the opportunity to play in 3 All-Star Games, winning 2 World Series, winning the Hank Aaron Award and a Gold Glove. I could have never accomplished all this without all my great teammates and coaches who made me a better player. I want to thank my parents and brothers for all their support from the day I got drafted. Without my Dad's hard work building that batting cage, and my Mom tirelessly schlepping me around to all my games, I would never have lived my dreams in Boston. I want to thank my beautiful wife Julie and all her family for all their support. We will always cherish Boston since it was the city in which we met and married. I also want to thank all the philanthropic people around New England and across the country who supported my charity in the past and continue to support Youk’s Kids. Since its inception, we have raised over $3 million to support the neediest of children in Red Sox Nation. While my days of playing for the Red Sox have ended, I am still committed to serving the New England area through my charity. I thank all the charity’s sponsors for all they have done, and their continued support going forward. And, last but no means least, to all the Red Sox Nation, the home of the most dedicated and knowledgeable fans in baseball, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. That final game at Fenway was the most emotional day of my life on the baseball field. It could not have been scripted any better. And to all those kids out there in Red Sox Nation, I can give you my Dad’s advice. “Life is like a throw to first base, always aim high.” I love you all, and thanks, Kevin Youkilis

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 05:28 PM) And the Detroit Free Press is saying the Tigers are in consideration for him and Scutaro. The latter makes a lot of sense (doesn't he kill the Sox, too?) I'd read Infante, Polance....Scutaro makes sense as well. He can also play SS, which is actually where Peralta SHOULDN'T be playing, but I don't think Peralta can play 2B so Marco would play 2B.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 12:08 PM) Curtis Granderson has also played in 21 more games this season. If jackson could stay off the DL, I would be more impressed That actually worked out perfectly (so far) for them. They figured out what they had in Berry, when nobody expected much. He has been huge for them.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 01:01 PM) It seems like Boesch is starting to get it going finally. It's amazing how bad Raburn's been this year. He had at least two big hits late yesterday. Then the next problem is how to get Young, Boesch, Berry and Dirks playing time, especially when Victor Martinez comes back. But right now, they have to be elated to get productive contributions from Young and Brennan. That said, it has been against Minn, KC and the Orioles without Hammel. Their schedule is about to drastically tighten up.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 15, 2012 -> 11:59 AM) You mean you don't like the possibility of facing a healthy Red Sox lineup with Axelrod, Humber, Quintana and possibly someone like Leesman? Hopefully Floyd's ok and we the offense can carry the Sox. Forgot about Leesman. Knowing KW, it will be Hernandez. Just have to see which one lines up better...with their rest and spot in the rotation.