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Boston Globe:
Sox-Yanks pitching matchups > Sox do it again > Wake Comments
were doctored > Robinson's legacy set in stone > Thumbs |
Boston Herald:
'Tek good in pinch > Heckuva first game > Cora corralled >
Schilling offers a far-from-Curt response > Chamberlain to miss
Sox |
ProJo:
Varitek's 9th inning homer fuels comeback > Ailing Cora could be
put on the DL > Schilling insists: I won't play for Yankees >
Wrapup |
Hartford Courant:
Farnsworth comes up big in Yankees win > ESPN settles with
Reynolds > Phillies beat Astros > Tigers rally past Twins |
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It's Red Sox vs. YankeeZZZzzzzz: Rivalry's Buzz Takes a Beating
38Pitches: 'Umm, no.' | Wilbur: Space Shot | Yankee Swap
Video: Big Papi Explains Reason for Hitting Woes
Nov 30, 2006:
Manny's Not All Here
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(CBS4 Boston Screenshot/BDD Photo) |
Schilling: Manny Might Not Be Here If He Stays
Delusional Fanboys in Dreamland Can Remain in Denial,
But Schilling Sets the Record Straight on Manuel Aristides Ramirez
“I think Manny is less than comfortable playing in Boston for whatever reason, that's his right. I think it's gotten to the point now where there's some thought that even though Manny might stay, he might not be here if he does. And I think the belief is that trading Manny and bringing somebody in would be more valuable than having a Manny here that didn't play. I don't know that to be a fact. That is pure speculation on my part.
"I live with the guys, I have some insight. I don't know for sure. I do know that I've spoken with Manny. Manny does want to be traded. Manny wants to play somewhere else.” -- Curt Schilling in Warwick, R.I. yesterday to receive the "Spirit of Lou Gehrig Award" | CBS4 video
WPRI-12 Video: Schilling's Comments on Matsuzaka, Manny, and J.D.
Extra Bases: Sox Land Okajima for $1.25m/year | Winter Meetings Survey
Mnookin: The Original Dirt Dog Could Return for a Year
Petition Time: 'Fans Against the Acquisition of J.D. Drew'
Extra Bases: Theo Talks About All Things Red Sox
Nov 29, 2006:
So Manny Questions ...
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(2004 Boston Globe File Photo / Jim Davis) |
Why Are the Sox Really Calling It Quits with Manny?
Will Papi's Production Drop Like a Rock without Ramirez?
Will the 'Brain Trust' Pay Yet Another Player to Play Elsewhere?
Should Theo Just Say No on Bailing on His Biggest RH Bat?
Will the Godawful J.D. Drew 'Deal' Do in the GM?
Could Another Man Have Motivated Manny?
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(Dick Williams, Joe Morgan, George Scott -- Boston Globe Photo / Sarah Brezinsky Gilbert) |
Could an Angry Dick Williams Have Driven Ramirez to Get on the Field in September?
Could Walpole Joe Morgan Have Charmed Manny into Doing Right by His Teammates?
Could George 'Boomer' Scott Have Turned Around the Slugging Savant?
El Diario Report: Papi Says No Manny, No Problem
Eric Wilbur: Slugger Sendoff | Seth Mnookin: Manny and Drew
Wilbur: Bidding Up a Rivalry
ESPN The Magazine: Beware of the Monster
Will the Sox Invest
More Yen in the 'Pen?
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(Sports Nippon Sponichi Annex Photo) |
Lefty Hideki Okajima Could Be More Than Dice-K's Friend
By Daigo Fujiwara, BDD contributor and founder of JapaneseBallplayers.com
The American League East may gain its fourth Japanese player in just over two weeks. First it was Daisuke Matsuzaka Mania, then the Devil Rays got the rights to third baseman Akinori Iwamura. Yesterday, it was Kei Igawa to Yankees. And now ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that "Hideki Okajima is in serious discussions with the Red Sox about a two-year deal." I like this deal for the Red Sox for multiple reasons.
Hideki Okajima, a 30-year-old lefthanded-specialist relief pitcher, is a three-time Japan Series winner, twice with the Yomiuri Giants in 2000 and 2002 (he was a teammate of Hideki Matsui, who he would be facing a lot, if signed), and this year (2006) with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Okajima has faced tough lefty opponents in critical situations out of the 'pen and proven his ability in Japan. He has a "big" curve, which is tough for lefthanded batters to hit, and he's held lefty hitters to less than a .200 average in '05 and '06. Okajima's last three years of innings pitched (IP), bases on balls (BB), and strikeouts (SO):
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2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
| IP |
46 2/3 |
53 |
54 2/3 |
| BB |
20 |
19 |
14 |
| SO |
53 |
56 |
63 |
Bottom line is, Okajima is a solid situational lefthanded pitcher, and probably will cost much less than three years at $12 million that Orioles paid Jamie Walker. And Okajima is four years younger than Walker.
And maybe most importantly, Okajima would no doubt help Matsuzaka’s transition to the United States, as Daisuke will have someone who he can talk to about the culture shock they will both be going through.
Nov 28, 2006:
CEO in Tokyo
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(AP Photo) |
Larry's in the Land of the Rising Sum
Lucchino Goes Front and Center, and Far East for Dice-K
"We are hopeful the negotiations process will complete itself fairly quickly, but knowing human nature we have a 30-day period. One of the reasons we came here was to make clear to the Japanese baseball community, to Seibu and to the Matsuzaka fans that we are determined to sign Matsuzaka-san." -- 11.28.06, Larry Lucchino, Red Sox CEO
Sox to Pay Lions Share of Dice-K's Salary
But Will Seibu Share the Contract Load?
"An example of what Lucchino and the Lions could be discussing is the Red Sox being unwilling to go beyond an average annual salary of $9 million. If an acceptable middle ground of $11 million per year for, say, five years would get a deal done, the Lions could subtract $10 million from the $51.11 million owed them in order to bridge the gap." -- 11.28.06, Michael Silverman, Boston Herald
Nov 27, 2006:
Learning Japanese
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(AP Photo) |
An afternoon sun illuminates the foliage extending in every direction beyond Invoice Seibu Dome on the outskirts of Tokorozawa, and casts its natural light into 29,187 spectators through the breach between original grandstands and retrofitted dome. The horizontal band of sunshine circumnavigates the stadium, splitting the fuzzy manmade lumens into two pools, one reflecting from the dome above, the other from the concourses below.
This is Daisuke Matsuzaka's house and the gathered crowd is well aware that today could be his final day of home confinement. Speculation is rampant that Seibu Lions ownership will honor his year-old request to be posted at season's end, thereby paving his way to America. But there are neither tears nor long faces in the seats. Rather, an electric energy ripples through the crowd. This is yakyu -- Japanese baseball -- at its peak. The second-place Lions are hosting the third-place SoftBank Hawks in this best-of-three first stage that will ultimately decide the Pacific Division delegate to the 2006 Japan Series.
The Lions emerge from their first-base dugout and take the field, a pale-green Astroturf reminiscent of any National League surface with only minimal breaks to accommodate each base and pitcher's mound. But this is the extent of any NL comparison. The Pacific is the younger and more rebellious of the two leagues comprising Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Japan's MLB equivalent. There is no 'Japan League'; the term is a stateside misnomer. And, unlike in the Central League, Matsuzaka must face a designated hitter each night.
On this Saturday afternoon of what is Columbus Day weekend back in the States, the Seibu Lions' cause will be furthered by the presence of their ace, who takes the mound for warm-ups. They will need it. Lions hitters will be going up against the best pitcher in NPB, SoftBank's Kazumi Saitoh.
As hard as it is to believe, $51.1 million doesn't even buy the exclusive right to negotiate with Japan's best.
Granted, Matsuzaka is not chopped sushi. He finished a close second to Saitoh in every major pitching category: wins (Saitoh 18, Matsuzaka 17), ERA (1.75 vs. 2.13), strikeouts (205 vs. 200), and innings pitched (201 vs. 186). While this is a typical Dice-K season, it is a career year for the 29-year old Saitoh, who will soon be the unanimous winner of the Sawamura Award, NPB's equivalent to the Cy Young. But this afternoon belongs to Matsuzaka.
Dice-K scatters six hits -- along with four hit batsman -- over a complete game shutout, striking out 13 while walking none. The only run of the game scores in the bottom of the seventh when the Lions lead off with three straight hits, capped by Kazuhiro Wada's RBI double. Saitoh gives up only one other hit in eight innings of work, striking out nine while walking two, but is the hard-luck loser. Nevertheless, in two days' time, Saitoh's Hawks will go on to eliminate Matsuzaka's Lions, two games to one.
This opener was vintage yakyu, where managers sit back and enjoy the pitching performances right along with the fans. Saitoh threw 115 pitches, Matsuzaka 137, and neither bullpen gate so much as creaked, leaving many purists outside Japan longing to see these global treasures swept under the protectionist wings of American baseball.
High pitch counts among Japanese pitchers in general and Matsuzaka in particular have long been a concern among Major League scouts and front offices. Possession of this general awareness is one thing, but to be armed with the specifics (forgive the pun) is another matter altogether.
As a 17-year old, Matsuzaka's 17-inning, 250-pitch performance in the 1998 Koshien Summer Championships is folklore, even in Japanese circles. From there, his iron legend would only grow. By the age of 21, Dice-K had started 80 games in three big-league (read: no minors) seasons, facing almost 2,500 batters in 588 innings of work. That's an average of seven and one-third innings per start.
More...
For What It's Worth ...
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(AP Photo) |
A Year Ago, the Sox Made the Costliest Error on J.D.
So Now They'll Have to Pay the Steepest Price for J.D. Drew
J.D.: Rock-Solid, Boston-Loving, Face-of-the-Franchise Leadoff Hitter Extraordinaire Got a 4-Year, $40 Million Dollar Token Offer
J.D. Drew: So Now a Soft, Oft-Injured and Out-of-the-Lineup Nonchalant Is Going to Get a 4-Year, $56 Million Deal?
Is Anyone in the Red Sox Front Office Ever Going to Accept Responsibility for This Mother of All Fiascos?
"His [J.D. Drew's] asking price, according to sources, is at least $14 million. That's $4 million a year more than the Sox offered last winter to Johnny Damon before he signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Yankees." -- 11.25.06, Gordon Edes, Boston Globe
Nov 22, 2006:
Justin Has Been Served
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(NBC Studios Photo / BDD Illustration) |
Morneau Wins, New York Whines
"Derek Jeter hasn't had to swallow much garbage in his career. But finishing second in the AL MVP race to Justin Morneau likely required an ocean of flavored water to get it down the Yankee captain's throat." -- 11.22.06, George King, New York Post
Eric Wilbur: Twin's Souvenir
Meanwhile, the Move Manny Movement Continues ...
Shaughnessy: Sox Should Make Move on Manny
"Sorry, folks. It's time for Manny to go. Time and again, he's made it clear that he doesn't want to play in Boston. He quit at the end of last season, and everyone in the Sox clubhouse knows this. The manager knows Manny quit. David Ortiz knows Manny quit. Curt Schilling knows Manny quit...
"Face facts, fans: This is not us 'running Manny out of town.' Manny has run himself out of town. He did not return your love. He wants out. He quit on the Red Sox. He quit on you." -- 11.22.06, Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
Nov 21, 2006:
Los Angeles Angels of Mannyheim?
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
Will the Sox Seize the Moment and Relocate Ramirez?
Edes: Market Favors Ramirez Deal
"So where does he [Manny] go? The Angels, who showed considerable interest in Ramírez last winter, would appear to have positioned themselves for a possible trade by signing free agent setup man Justin Speier, freeing setup man Scot Shields in a possible package deal that also could include a starting pitcher, Ervin Santana, or a top prospect such as Brandon Wood." -- 11.11.06, Gordon Edes, Boston Globe
Callahan: Show Manny the Door
"Many Sox fans will lament the loss of Manny, who could lay down on his team one day and receive a standing ovation three days later. Kids adored him. His story was one of unrequited love; you loved him, Boston, even though he never loved you back. Many players say this is the greatest city in the world in which to play baseball. Manny can think of at least 10 other places he’d like to play." -- 11.21.06, Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald
Mnookin: Mixed Bag of Dealings
Nov 20, 2006:
Nov 18, 2006:
Nov 17, 2006:
Theo Scores a PS3!
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
Sox GM Offered Store Manager $51,111 for Exclusive Rights
to Cut the Line and Purchase a PS3 This Morning
Epstein Then Paid $5,000 for the PS3 Console
Even Though the Unit Was Priced at Only $500
“Clearly I believe PS3 has really fine features and graphics and it would be a great fit in my living room,” said Epstein, who wouldn’t disclose the amount paid. “I'm excited to move on to the next step of the process and read the manual.” -- 11.17.06, Theo Epstein, Chronic Overspender
Eric Wilbur: The Numbers Game
Watch: Comedy Central's Colbert on Dice-K
Listen: Northhampton 93.9FM's D-Mat Song
Can't Quit Talkin' About Manny
Cafardo: Ramírez Still Talk of the Town
Heyman: Sox Hope to Move Manny
Mnookin: Manny, Manny, Manny, Manny
Olney: Manny's Market Value
"Manny Ramirez's contract has been the 160-ton weight hanging around the necks of the Red Sox for six years, and Boston executives have repeatedly tried to do his bidding and unload the slugger, despite the fact that he drives in 130 runs a year. The Red Sox have tried to waive him, trade him, swap him, sell him, everything...
"And in this new world, Manny Ramirez is suddenly a relative bargain. I wonder if the Red Sox might finally find themselves in a climate in which they can trade Ramirez. .." -- 11.16.06, Buster Olney, ESPN Blog
Nov 16, 2006:
Nov 15, 2006:
Sign of the Times in Boston
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(Boston Globe Photo / BDD Illustration) |
Let's Just Hope Matsuzaka Is Lights Out
Eric Wilbur: Scout's Honor
Did Theo Plant the Seeds for Matsuzaka During His Sabbatical?
"I actually talked to a Japanese team about doing some consulting. That may still come to fruition. I think it would be a good use of a year off to do something that would be stimulating and also involves seeing another culture which I haven’t had an opportunity to do. ...I do not (speak Japanese)." -- 01.06.06, Theo Epstein on KISS-108 in Extra Bases
Matsuzaka Survey Gallery: What Happens Now?
'OK, Here's the Plan. We Get Mr. Matsuzaka
from the Lions by Paying a Ransom of...
$51.1 MILLION Dollars!'
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Don D.) |
Mini-Fee: The Matsuzaka Money Grab Total Could Top
$100 MILLION Dollars By the Time Boras Is Done with Them
Nov 14, 2006:
Turning Japanese
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
The Boston Red Sox Are Back
in the Baseball Business
Gammons: The Matsuzaka Investment
"Boston still has Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield. But if the Red Sox get Matsuzaka, they not only go into 2007 with a formidable five-man rotation, but with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard on the horizon, could have big starting pitching for the next five years.
"Second, the Red Sox strongly want to build an Asian foundation. When Theo Epstein left the Red Sox last fall, after he turned down the Dodger job, he worked with two Japanese teams as a consultant. Epstein believes in the next decade the mass of baseball talent coming out of Asia will alter the landscape, and his owners want to be entrenched in Japan as well as China; they signed three prominent Taiwanese prospects this spring, and are looking into establishing complexes in Taiwan and mainland China..."
"It is a gamble to spend the next 30 days negotiating with Boras for Matsuzaka while other free-agent pitchers are being signed. Matsuzaka's health is always a concern considering that he threw 13 complete games and on days before he pitches he throws a 200-pitch bullpen session; it's also every fifth, not every sixth or seventh, day that he starts. Yes, he has thrown more than 1,402 innings before the age of 26, but as The Hardball Times points out, that's fewer before turning 26 than Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Carlos Zambrano, Brett Myers, C.C. Sabathia and others, and his regimen is legendary." -- 11.14.06, Peter Gammons, ESPN Insider blog (by subscription only)
Sox Bid of $51.1M to Land Matsuzaka is Tops
" 'If they can sign him, they've got the best pitcher in the market, and he may be the best pitcher in baseball when all is said and done,' said one American League general manager Tuesday night. 'He's got five outstanding pitches.
'Coming over from Japan where he threw a lot of innings and had 13 complete games, I would think this would seem like a vacation to him. It's a lot of money, but if you have it, why not use it on a kid like this? The Yankees have to be sick about this.' " -- 11.14.06, Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe
Now All They Have to Do Is Sign Him
Bob Ryan: Sox Make Big Investment
"At the very least, the consensus is that he is a top-of-the-rotation starter. He is said to have outstanding stuff. According to a National League scout quoted by "Baseball Prospectus," the repertoire consists of a mid-90s fastball, a cutter, a two-seam fastball known as a "shuuto," a curveball, a changeup, a splitter, and a slider. Again according to Baseball Prospectus, another NL scout says he has three different sliders, which would give him nine pitches. Mike Mussina will be jealous." -- 11.14.06, Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
Has Theo Created a Monster?
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
The Market for Starters May Never Be the Same
Verducci: Boston's Bold Move
"Just four months after the Boston R | 
