RED SOX - 4/10/02
April 10, 2002
LATEST TEAM INFO:
Pitching Staff Shows Resiliency
The biggest surprise of the young season thus far has been the performance of the Red Sox starting pitching. It was thought to be thin before, but after being racked by injuries to John Burkett and Dustin Hermanson, it was thought to be a glaring void. Now, after strong starts from Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, and Frank Castillo, the Sox may not be so bad after all.
Lowe’s start was almost historic at Baltimore on 4/5. The converted closer allowed just one hit in the Red Sox 3-0 victory over the punchless Orioles. Third baseman Shea Hillenbrand misjudged a slow roller down the third base line to cost Lowe a shot at a no-no in the eighth inning, but he had to make a split second decision and he should not be vilified for that. Lowe went seven innings, striking out one and walking four. It was an encouraging outing for Lowe and the team. He should not be discounted as a quality fantasy starter in any league, especially with the offense the Sox bring to the plate.
Frank Castillo got the call the next day at Camden Yards. He, too, allowed just one hit in Boston’s 4-2 win. Unfortunately, his one hit was a mistake hit over the fence by O’s outfielder Jay Gibbons. Castillo went six strong innings, striking out three while surrendering one base on balls. It is too soon to run out and grab Castillo based on this performance, but if he strings a few of these types of games together, he should warrant a look.
Perhaps even more encouraging was Pedro Martinez’ second start of the season on 4/7 against the Orioles. After his opening day debacle, Pedro went out and immediately showed he was much closer to returning to form. He hit 93 on the radar gun on his first pitch and maintained that velocity throughout. Pedro seemed pleased with his performance. ``I can't wait for him to get a chance to pitch again,'' Sox manager Grady Little said. ``His body language, face, and expressions tell me a lot.'' His location was much sharper and while he only struck out five in six innings of work, he walked just one in the 4-1 win. The Sox need him to return to his dominating form to have any shot at the post-season. If any owner in your league was foolish enough to drop him, grab him now. You may also be able to sucker some fantasy owner into a favorable trade for him. Also, contrary to reports on New York radio station WFAN, Pedro will not be having arm surgery anytime soon. He was not pleased to hear of those reports, which were irresponsible for the station to report.
Red Sox closer Ugueth Urbina earned saves in all three games in Baltimore.
New Look Offense Effective
The addition of several new faces has made the difference thus far offensively for the Red Sox. Most notably, first baseman Tony Clark has proven he is ready to be a vital part of the lineup. Jason Varitek has not shown any ill effects from last season’s broken elbow. He’s hit two homers thus far (he hit another in the rainout vs. Toronto April 3 that didn’t count) and has been solid behind the plate. Johnny Damon has played well and added the spark on the base paths the Sox desperately needed. Manny Ramirez has gotten off to a slow start, but there is absolutely no reason to panic. Just look at his past numbers. Nomar Garciaparra leads the team in homers, runs scored, hits, and is tied with Shea Hillenbrand for the lead in RBI. He has left his wrist woes far behind him. Speaking of Hillenbrand, he’s shown superb plate discipline thus far and is taking pitches. He has two homers to go with six RBI and is batting .350. Keep an eye on his development, as he could do much better than anticipated if his pitch selection improves.
Little Tinkers With Lineup
Manager Grady Little shuffled his lineup a bit recently. On 4/10 against Kansas City, Rey Sanchez was batting in the two hole while Trot Nixon was batting eighth. Brian Daubach also hit sixth. Little says he was just experimenting and may continue to do so during the early part of the season. ``I've let the ballclub know that over the next 10 days or two weeks, we're going to look at some different things,'' he said.
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE:
Needless to say, Pedro’s latest effort has a lot of fans breathing much easier around town. Sox fans, always quick to point to signs of impending doom, are now more optimistic, especially with Lowe’s performance. The rotation, with Burkett and Hermanson on the shelf, consists of Martinez, Lowe, Castillo, Tim Wakefield, and Darren Oliver.
The returns of Garciaparra and Varitek from season ending injuries last year have really made the difference thus far. Both are team leaders by example and their presence in the clubhouse has been a steadying influence.
Tony Clark is fast becoming a fan favorite. His imposing stature and kind manner have ingratiated him to the fans. He’s hitting the ball well and flashing the leather at first, which will only help the love affair. We all know how quick Boston fans can turn on a player, so we’ll see just how long the honeymoon lasts.
The problem with the Sox’ early record is that their wins came against the likes of Baltimore and Kansas City. Neither of those teams will be confused with World Series contenders anytime soon. The fortunate thing is that the Sox can fatten up on the Orioles and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, while the AL West contenders for the wild card will constantly beat each other up.
Sox reliever Casey Fossum is still trying to gain weight to his lanky frame. He is on a “Krispy Kreme” diet. He’s added 15 pounds due to the donuts. He gained his first win of the year on April 6 and he was throwing consistently around 94 mph. ``It's the Krispy Kremes. I had two (that) morning,'' Fossum joked.
RUMOR MILL:
All is quiet on the rumor front as far as trades are concerned. The Daubach to Atlanta rumors may fire up again soon, though. See Injuries for more team rumors as far as any roster shakeups go.
INJURIES:
John Burkett threw a 30 pitch simulated game on April 9 and reported no flare-ups in his right shoulder. He was placed on the 15-day DL for tendonitis. Willie Banks is currently with the Sox occupying Burkett’s roster spot and he has pitched effectively. If all continues to go well, Burkett is scheduled to make a rehabilitation start April 12 with the AA Sox affiliate, the Trenton Thunder. He could make it back by April 19. ``I felt really good. I was encouraged by it,'' Burkett said of the recent throwing session. ``It felt a lot stronger than it did in spring training. I think the program we've been on is really strengthening the area. If we can get to 50-60 pitches on Sunday, I think I'll be ready.''
``I think we're going to let (Burkett) be a big factor in the decision,'' Manager Grady Little said about when he expected Burkett to be ready. ``He's a veteran pitcher and he knows his body better than we do.''
Dustin Hermanson was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right groin and is eligible to come back April 19 and start in Kansas City. He was injured in the Sox’ rainout vs. Toronto April 3. As he was throwing a warm-up toss, Hermanson injured the groin and was held from his next start for evaluation. This is only the second trip to the disabled list in Hermanson’s eight-year career. Tim Wakefield will fill his rotation spot. Sunny Kim was called up from AAA Pawtucket to fill the roster vacancy and he will work out of the bullpen. If the Sox can stay hot, they will have both Burkett and Hermanson back in the same series at Kansas City, which would be a big boost.
Many feel the Sox should have called up pitcher Juan Pena from AAA, but he would have had to work from the bullpen. Boston is committed to have Pena remain a starter and build his stamina up through being in a regular rotation. ``Our feelings for Pena are the same as before,'' Little said. ``If he's pitching, we'd prefer he be starting.''
Sox reserve outfielder Michael Coleman will be back from his strained right hamstring. Coleman’s return will have a major impact on the club, but not due to his playing ability. He’s scheduled to play in some minor league games this week and could be activated by next week. Lou Merloni or Jose Offerman are the two players who stand to lose out with Coleman’s return. Merloni seems like the logical choice to be sent down to AAA, but he’ll have to clear waivers first. The Sox have the option to pull him back if another team bites on him, however. Offerman could be released if they decide Merloni is more valuable to them. Merloni, after all, is the only Sox bench player who can play shortstop. The Sox ownership is keen on trying to keep costs down, but they have stated in the past that they would eat expensive contracts if it were in the best interest of the team. Offerman is slated to make $6.75 million this season, while Merloni only makes $290,000.
ON THE FARM:
Derek Hasselhoff – RHP: Hasselhoff, the last cut of Spring Training for the Red Sox, is due to join the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox this week. He was finishing up a short rehab stint in Ft. Myers, FL, the Sox’ Spring Training home. He is tabbed to be the PawSox’ closer this season and he is due to be called up to the big club at some point this year. He is 24-5 lifetime at the AAA level and was 0-1 with a save and a 2.92 ERA during this spring. He is also the third cousin of Knight Rider and Baywatch star, actor David Hasselhoff.
QUICK VIEW:
Add:
Pedro Martinez – Yeah, he’s fine. He may have some more rough outings, but it’s just because he’s getting acclimated to his new delivery.
Ugueth Urbina – The closer has earned three saves already and earned them in consecutive games. He hasn’t had any elbow problems thus far, and should be one of the saves leaders come September.
Jason Varitek – He’s smoking the ball. As of right now, he has to be one of the better fantasy catchers in the game. His elbow problems seem to be behind him, so go out and get this guy. There is a real lack of quality fantasy catchers out there, so “Tek” will be a steal for you.
Watch:
Frank Castillo – Had a very strong outing against the Orioles. Should this become a trend, he may be a good fourth or fifth starter for your fantasy squad. Keep an eye on him for now.
Shea Hillenbrand – He’s hitting the ball well and seeing it even better. He’s always been a free swinger back through his minor league days, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll become disciplined all of a sudden. He is trying, though, and if his offensive numbers continue to increase, you shouldn’t hesitate to grab him.
Drop:
It’s only a week into the season, way too early to drop anyone right now.
