Spring Training is coming fast. So, I decided, as my last column before the Sox report, to comment on all that has happened in the off-season. Beware; this column will be a rambling, unwieldy piece of writing. Read on, only if you have no medical disabilities and are prepared to be shocked by any commentary I have to offer. I figured after my previous two “feel good” stories, I had to give the people something simple and funny. By the way, I’m drunk (No, not really, its just Tuesday). And, no, it’s not that funny.
Trot Nixon and Troy O’Leary: The Debate
Want to know who is going to win the remaining outfield job? Or who will be traded for prospects? The answer is quite simple. Look at Troy O’Leary’s attitude; he’s resigned himself to a trade. It’s a contract year, and it’s doubtful that Duquette will resign him, barring a major resurgence. Furthermore, Duquette has gone to the extreme of openly antagonizing Trot, which I believe his idea of extra motivation. Kerrigan and Williams have been known to challenge their pitchers. The Duke has played mind games with people before, and I’m sure that he’s intelligent enough to know that Trot brings more to the table.
Which brings us to: David Cone, Number 2 Starter
Am I the only one who is skeptical about this? I sense a Ramon Martinez-esque romance occurring here, which is not a good thing. Is Kerrigan really that convinced that Cone is completely rehabilitated? Or is this another motivational tool? Having satellite TV myself, I saw some Yankee games, and Cone was not nearly as bad as people thought. True, he was bad, but he sometimes looked like he was going back to his old self, but then would fall back down into the pit. I’m looking forward to the first couple preseason games, so we can find out if Mr. Cone is back. Besides, with a name like Cone, you have to be cool. Imagine having a name like Stromile Swift, Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, Spud Webb, Allan Houston, or David Justice, they are just cool names. I should change mine…
Rolando Arrojo aka Garbage
My hat’s off to Joe Kerrigan, who finally stopped the butt kissing of Rolando Arrojo. The guy had a 5 something ERA, even after he left Coors. He was the beneficiary of tremendous run support, ala Ramon Martinez. Kerrigan finally said that he had no idea if Arrojo was going to be in the starting rotation. Honestly, I think the Duke did something that was rather shortsighted. He traded Brian Rose, who still had the potential to mature and develop into a good pitcher, “Wayback!” Wasdin, and Jeff Frye to Colorado, in return for Arrojo and Mike “Crash test dummy” Lansing. Now, while Frye and Wasdin were good candidates to give up, Rose could have filled the role that Arrojo now fills, the 4th or 5th starter. I don’t care how bad he was last year; I still maintain that he needed more time. Unfortunately, I doubt he will get a shot at the Colorado rotation this year, so I will be unable to verify my theory.
Rico Brogna, we hardly knew ya
Am I the only one who thinks that Brogna is going to kick the crap out of us next year? Am I the only one who thinks that Dan Duquette is gonna kick himself in the balls after Brogna recovers? Brogna got no playing time last year. He was used most often in the defensive specialist/pinch runner role, which he was not bad at. Every time he came in as a defensive specialist, he helped us out with his glove, making some wicked stop on a bullet shot, or picking an errant Nomar throw out of the dirt. As we commonly see with pitchers, it takes a while to recover from surgery or a broken bone. Brogna was not fully recovered from his injury. He was just overeager to play once he got back. Put yourselves in his cleats: You’re a professional Gold Glove First Baseman and you get to play for your childhood hometown team. It’s a dream come true. He wanted to play, so he could show that he deserved to be here. If he didn’t play, we all know that he had no shot of being signed. I think he was quite intelligent to give it a shot. True, he gets almost no money this year, but then again, he only signed a one year contract, which means, if he recovers like I think he will, he will get a big payday in 2002. If the Sox end up winning it this year, its going to be horrible for him, just missing his time with the Sox and missing his shot at a World Series Ring.
Jeff Bagwell, couldn’t you wait another year?
As much as I don’t like overpaying for high priced free agents who are older, and I consider 33 older, I would have LOVED to see Bags in a Sox uniform. I was expecting a major hometown discount, maybe in the range of 10 to 17 million per year for five years. With the salary albatross Mike Lansing leaving, we automatically clear 7 million. Bichette, at 6 million, Valentin, O’Leary, at 4.5 million, and Darren Lewis, at 1.5 million, all become free agents after this year. By my conservative estimate, that’s at least 12 million freed up, since I don’t know Valentin’s salary. With the departure of Bichette, we could have used a new 1st Base, DH type hitter to replace him. I don’t like to do hypothetical lineups, etc., but imagine this:
2B Offerman
3B Stynes
SS Nomar
LF Manny
DH Bagwell
CF Everett
RF Nixon
C Varitek
1B Brogna
Hmmm…a lineup better than Texas…with arguably the best bullpen in the AL and the best starter in the Major Leagues, I’m drooling. Even if we kept Dauber at 1st, the lineup is crazy. If you can’t tell, I’m slightly pissed that Bagwell didn’t give us a chance.
Morgan Burkhart, unsung hero
I don’t know why, but no one really likes Burky. Everyone loves Trot, and I’ll get to that later. Maybe its because Burky’s kinda pudgy and he’s not a really flashy player, but he has one of the most discerning batting eye’s I’ve ever seen. Yes, I’m biased because he hit that bomb of a homerun off Hernandez “I’m a toad” of the D-Rays, the day after he finished off playoff hopes. By the way, he avenged the photo of Trot with that same swing. He was a good fill at 1st base. True, he didn’t have a ton of power, and he was as slow as a Californian Banana Slug, but he had a knack for clutch hits and drawing walks. Honestly, I think he has the best chance of unseating Daubach for the first baseman job.
Thank you Dan Duquette for getting rid of Sadler
Donnie Sadler missed his calling: Track and Field, buddy, move to Europe.
Manny Alexander aka Friend of Sammy
I’m still trying to conceptualize this: He was taking steroids. Sure, the guy led all Red Sox third basemen with 4 HR, one of which was a grand slam, but the guy was puny. He led to some of the funniest lines by Joe Castiglione on WEEI during the Sox games. “Here’s Manny Alexander, the third baseman defensive specialist for the Red Sox. I was talking to Jimmy Williams the other day, and he said that Manny learned to play baseball with a milk jug. He said he had the best hands he’d ever seen.” Two comments, Joe: First, in this day in age, saying a guy has “good hands” is like saying that a girl has “a great personality.” Second, there’s only room on this team for one MANNY!
Lou Merloni and Tim Wakefield
The only reason I include them is so I can offer another anecdote. I was talking to two female friends of mine, and some how the subject of who the hottest Red Sox player came up. And after the question was posed, they both, in unison said “Lou Merloni and Tim Wakefield.” I’m not kidding. As much as I doubt that it’s possible, I wonder if Lou will continue his torrid hitting streak. As for Wakefield, I wonder if Duquette really promised him a spot in the starting rotation. I highly doubt it. I hope no one has forgotten the Jimmy Williams and Dan Duquette feud during the year. I think Jimmy proved that, even if the Duke chooses his players, he chooses who plays, no matter how odd or asinine his moves seem.
Jurassic Carl Everett
I love the guy. He’s great. I want to belly bump a stupid fat umpire who fakes being hit in the face by the bill of my helmet. But, what I really wanted to see was Jim Rice and Carl Everett duking it out after he went “Jurassic” on Kulpa.
Hope you’ve enjoyed the off-season! Now, say it with me:
MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY! MAN-NY!