Posts Tagged ‘The Hardball Times’
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Julio Lugo: Another Sunk Cost At Short?May 14th, 2008
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Ever since the eleventh-hour deadline deal that shipped Nomar Garciaparra off to the Cubbies as part of a three-way trade machination and, along with it, sent a Red Sox fandom into knee-jerk hysteria—then eventual baseball ecstasy three months later—general manager Theo Epstein has aggressively engaged in a seasonal pursuit for Boston’s next long-term shortstop.
But for the past four winters—each filled and followed by one fruitless search after another—Epstein’s hunt has seemingly mirrored the life and times of Elmer Fudd. Far too elusive to nab, that wascawly shortstop has evaded the grasp of the Sox GM at every turn—only self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the form of failed signings left in all the aftermath.
So, to say the shortstop position under the Epstein-era has seen more ups, downs and (public relations) spin than a merry-go-round wouldn’t be much of an understatement. In fact, by now, some Red Sox supporters might prefer a daintily handcrafted carousel horse to the club’s incumbent shortstop, one Julio Lugo.
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Struggles Real For Ortiz This TimeApril 14th, 2008
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Last season was a strange one for David Ortiz, the seemingly superhuman designated hitter that has been breaking opposing pitchers into cold sweats since dawning the Boston “B” five years ago.
Strange because, for much of the 2007 campaign, adjectives such as “struggling” or “slumping” were often found in the columns of sportswriters and on the airwaves of local sports radio when describing the fear-inducing slugger.
The tendency to employ these misleading descriptors stemmed from the aftereffects of a 2006 season in which Ortiz swatted a league-leading 54 home runs. And so, as the man they call Big Papi put up far fewer big flies during the first half of last year, impatient fans, spurred on by impulsive media members, grew concerned over an apparent disappearing power stroke.
However, Ortiz, whose drop off in production, at least on the superficial level, likely related to a bothersome right knee that required off-season arthroscopic surgery, still produced elite numbers as he “struggled” on his way to a season full of career-highs, which included personal bests in batting average (.332), on-base percentage (.445 to lead the league), and Adjusted OPS+ (171).
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Red Sox Win Series, Lose LowellApril 11th, 2008
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The Red Sox may have won the home opening series against the Tigers, but they did so at a cost.
That’s because before Boston doubled up Detroit in a 12-6 slugfest Thursday night, the team found out it would be minus the services of third baseman and five-hole hitter Mike Lowell until at least April 25 as a result of a sprained left thumb suffered on a diving stop in the top of the first inning of Wednesday’s contest.
With Lowell, last year’s World Series’ MVP, landing on the 15-day disabled list, the team purchased the contract of 23-year-old Jed Lowrie from Triple-A Pawtucket. The switch-hitting Lowrie, rated by Baseball America as the organization’s fifth best prospect, has so far been groomed as Boston’s shortstop of the future or even trade bait in the right deal. Yet he does have experience all over the infield from the minors.
Although off to a cold start with zero runs batted in over nine games, the loss of Lowell will present the Red Sox with their first real challenge on the young season while also testing the team’s depth as they head into a weekend series against the Yankees.
