Alex Gonzalez continues his tear in the Caribean World Series as Venezuela trumped the Dominican Republic. Alex Gonzalez hit a line drive into the left field seats for a three run home run in the top of the ninth. This game followed a strong 4-5 performance by Gonzalez in the previous game.

Wouldn't it be nice if Gonzo became the biggest wild card in the whole off-season overhaul? The player who is least expected to peform with the stick would be a nice surprise if he started tearing it up like he is for Venezuela.

Don't cross your fingers Sox Nation, just hope for the magic leather in the field.

   Theo isn't done with the fire sale just yet. He still has some work to do. Manny Ramirez is still in Boston and so is Wells. Trot Nixon is always prone to injury and is in the last year of his contract. So what to do?

   There are a couple rumors floating about concerning Manny. Supposedly, the Red Sox asked for half of the Angels in turn for Manny and his entire contract. That half would be Chone Figgins, Ervin Santana, and 2 or 3 of their top prospects. Obviously the Angels balked at that proposal, but things could change if LAA suddenly landed Jeff Weaver. I'm sure Theo is just warming up too.

   This may be his best opportunity to trade Manny yet. His previous attempts have come at inopportune times. But the Angels would sound like the best candidate to welcome Manny. They have a strong Dominican presence on the team, and Vladdy needs a battery-mate.

   I'm sure that Figgins would be included in the deal. That would provide a better lead-off candidate than Crisp, and would allow Coco to bat third in front of Ortiz. Chone can play all 8 positions and I hear he even has a decent splitter to go along with his fastball. Figgins is one of my top ten favorite non-Sox players in baseball.

   We will wait and see what happens, but rest assured Theo has a couple tricks up his sleeve. He would love to have the flexibility that would come with moving Manny and the 57 million remaining on his contract.

Selig said that the incidence of Major League players testing positive for using performance-enhancing drugs dropped below 1 percent this past season -- even before a new policy with enhanced penalties was implemented during the off season.

"The fact is, last year we were under one percent, so we're getting there," Selig said.

Those results are a huge decline from the 5 to 7 percent of positive tests registered by players on the 40-man rosters of each club in 2003, the first year Major League Baseball randomly tested for steroid-based drugs.

...well isn't that special.

   Perhaps we should all be happy that players other than Jason Giambi, will be shrinking down to the point where everyone will be thinking they are watching reruns on the Classic Sports channel. It does taint the game. It isn't fair to the old time players who set great records, only to see them destroyed by some mammoth with more acne on his legs than a 16 year old kid has on his face.

   Only somehow, some way, I miss not knowing. There was nothing more incredible than the year that Sosa and McGuire went head to head for the home run title. There was nothing more amazing than what happened a few years later when Barry....ehhh you know what,...%@!$ Barry.

   But anyways, it sucks looking back now and understanding the fact that most of these guys cheated. It's also somewhat humorous looking back knowing that somehow the Red Sox missed the boat on the scandal, or they might have won a ring before 2004 (if you tell me Mo Vaughn juiced, I might have to laugh at you). Can you imagine Jose showing up at John Valentin's door with a steroid care package? "Um yeah John, you remember how you saw me bench press a car? Try this."

   Ultimately, the real issue will be; Mlb's testing will not be able to keep up with science. Maybe they don't want to. It's obvious that the offensive explosion of the past decade has only increased ratings and revenue. Statisticians alone can thank steroids for the surge of interest in their field. Science will always be ahead of the curve, designing masks and new supplements that will beat the system.

   At least Selig is trying to solve the problem. Increased restrictions and stiffer penalties will scare a lot of players off. The ones with the money and the connections will keep doing what they want (cough...Giambi...cough) because of new drugs and supplements.

   In the long run, steroids will probably be an issue that Selig can never solve. There's too much money to be made for a guy who can throw 99 or who can hit 45 home runs.

You can find the article in its entirety here.

   In a five part series of blogs, I plan on breaking down each integral part of the 2006 Red Sox team; with a look at their starting rotation, their lineup, their bullpen, their defense, and their bench.

   A look at Spring training, the farm system, players who will likely end up on the DL, and AL East match-ups will be parts of my projections. Past years numbers and a comparison to the 2005 roster which won 95 games will also factor into my proposed lineup. I am also assuming that Wells is traded before the start of the season.

...I do not project anyone to get hurt for 2006, that would be pessimistic thinking. I do not wish harm upon anyone.

Part 2 - The Rotation - 2005 v. 2006

2005

1. Matt Clement - 13-6, 191 IP, 68 BB, 146 K's, 192 H, 97 ER, 4.57 ERA
2. David Wells - 15-7, 184 IP, 21 BB, 107 K's, 220 H, 91 ER, 4.45 ERA
3. Tim Wakefield - 16-12, 225 IP, 68 BB, 151 K's, 104 ER, 4.14 ERA
4. Bronson Arroyo - 14-10, 205 IP, 54 BB, 100 K's, 213 H, 103 ER, 4.51 ERA
5. Curt Schilling/Wade Miller/Jeremi Gonzalez/Jonathon Papelbon
** It was difficult to separate their relief totals from their starts, so we can leave it at; despite Jonathon Papelbon, this combo was pretty bad.

   In a weird twist of fate, Tim Wakefield emerged as Boston's most reliable starter with 16 wins, 225 IP, and the lowest ERA, 4.14. Pedro Martinez in 2004 had 16 wins, 217 IP, and a 3.90 ERA.

Only two guys, Wake and Arroyo, had over 200 innings pitched.

   Matt Clement was very good in the first half and was rewarded with his first All-Star appearance. His performance went south after he got hit in the head by a come back liner in a game against the Devil Rays.

   As everyone remembers, Curt Schilling was never in good pitching shape, and after multiple trips to the DL, he came back and had a moderately successful stint as the closer. Schill did make a few starts near the end of the year which were solid at best.

2006 Projected Rotation and Stats

1. Curt Schilling - 18-7, 219 IP, 34 BB, 185 K's, 210 H, 92 ER, 3.78 ERA
2. Josh Beckett - 18-6, 215 IP, 60 BB, 205 K's, 190 H, 90 ER, 3.76 ERA
3. Matt Clement - 16-7, 200 IP, 65 BB, 165 K's, 195 H, 92 ER, 4.14 ERA
4. Tim Wakefield - 13-9, 210 IP, 67 BB, 150 K's, 215 H, 100 ER, 4.28 ERA
5. Bronson Arroyo - 15-9, 204 IP, 52 BB, 105 K's, 210 H, 102 ER, 4.50 ERA

   Of course, these projections are based on whether the entire rotation stays healthy or not. Wakefield and Arroyo are very durable and therefore very easy to predict. Matt Clement had a tough time pitching when he came back from getting hit, therefore I see an improvement in him. He will also be free of the pressures of being the staff ace.

   The biggest X factor will be Schilling of course. Say what you want about Josh Beckett, but what this team is really in dire need of is, the return of their a leader and and their ace. Schill is still the strongest candidate for that. I pointed out earlier that Wakefield's 2005 season was very comparable to Pedro's 2004 season. Pedro also had arguably better defense backing him in 2004. With that said, Schilling needs to come back strong.

   Now if Schilling comes back in his old form, which I predict will happen, and Beckett throws in 200+ innings of his own, then the rest of the rotation will take care of itself. That alone would be a huge difference maker between '05 and '06. If the Yankees can count on Johnson to dominate every 5th start it will make their rotation much better. If Boston can get an ace out of just one of their talented big game pitchers (Beckett and Schilling), then they will be in much better shape than they were in 2005.

   Jonathon Papelbon will start the year in the bullpen where he will provide insurance for Kieth Foulke. He could then return to the rotation if an injury or trade occurs. If he were to join the rotation, he would require some time to condition himself in AAA, which might in turn provide some spot starts for Jon Lester.

   I do feel that Boston will be crossing their fingers for a strong start to the season by Arroyo so they can sell high in a trade, which would bring Papelbon to the rotation. They could then promote either Hansen or Lester to the bullpen.

   By the way, no LOOGY's for Boston? No leftys in the pen whatsoever? Could we be preparing for Lester to enter the pen come mid-season? I will get more in to that when I do my review of Boston's bullpen.

   If health never becomes a problem like it did last year, then Boston could mimic the 2005 White Sox and have 5 starters throw 200 innings. 

    I wouldn't plan on seeing a Jeremi Gonzalez or John Halama spot start this year. The slim possibility remains that both Arroyo and Papelbon start in the bullpen because Theo doesn't trade Wells. That would of course mean that Wells returns to the Sox for at least the first half.

   Regardless of whatever happens, we do know that Boston is much deeper this year. They have an experienced Jonathon Papelbon now. They have an almost-ready, lefty fire-baller in AAA. They have the flexibility to trade this mid-season with their abundance of starters.

   Only time will tell....

I stopped over at MLB.com today to do a little research on some of our new aquisitions from the Marlins. I decided to relive some of Alex's best moments at SS last year. Needless to say, he's very smooth.

Follow the links and the dates below to find some videos of his best defensive plays from last year.

I also enclosed a date for when Josh Beckett had an 11 K game where he went 8 2/3.

Link to July's top plays...

July 19th, July 9th, July 5th, July 3rd

Link to June's top plays...

June 21, June 15

Link to May's top plays...

May 22 - nice play, May 18th, May 7th - nice play

Link to April's top plays...

April 10th, April 6th

...occasionally you might even find a video of Alex making a contribution on the offensive side.

The Boston Herald has reported that Alex Gonzalez has signed a one year deal with the Red Sox and that it is awaiting his physical. The deal is for a reported three million.

The slick fielding Alex Gonzalez is amazing to watch defensively. I don't think there is a short stop who turns the double play quite like him. Being teamed up with Loretta, who is a former gold glover, should give Boston a real presence in the middle infield.

The pitcher that comes to mind in all of this, is Matt Clement. With gold Glove potential at every infield position (JT Snow for late innings at first), Clement's ability for inducing ground balls will only help him. It does wonders for a pitchers confidence when he has an infield like Boston's behind him.

Don't count out Youk playing a bad first base either. Third baseman should transfer well to first. It's one corner position to another.

...the Red Sox sure have grabbed their share of players who were part of the Marlins last year. Just goes to show how good the Marlins should have been, and how much they underachieved.

***I had to update my previous post on analyzing Boston's lineup. I previously had Cora starting SS.

   So much for the theatrics. Only 11 players from last year's team returning? No problem! Hate Lucchino, pissed at Theo? Fo-get about it. Fans have already bought over 55,000 more tickets than last year on this day. Total ticket sales have already exceeded 2.1 million.

   It just goes to show that the average Red Sox fan just wants to see a contender, and apparently they feel they have one.

...my brother managed to grab tickets to three different games. He only had to wait in the virtual waiting room for about 6 or 7 hours. I plan on buying some tickets through a ticket hording agency as I was not patient enough to wait.

   In a five part series of blogs, I plan on breaking down each integral part of the 2006 Red Sox team; with a look at their starting rotation, their lineup, their bullpen, their defense, and their bench.

   A look at Spring training, the farm system, players who will likely end up on the DL, and AL East match-ups will be parts of my projections. Past years numbers and a comparison to the 2005 roster which won 95 games will also factor into my proposed lineup. I am also assuming that Wells is traded before the start of the season.

Part 1 - The Lineup - 2005 v. 2006

2005

1. Johnny Damon - 117 R, 35 2B, 10 HR, 75 RBI, 18 SB, .316/.366/.439
2. Edgar Renteria - 100 R, 36 2B, 8 HR, 70 RBI, 9 SB, .275/.335/.385
3. David Ortiz - 109 R, 40 2B, 47HR, 148 RBI, 1 SB, .300/.397/.604
4. Manny Ramirez - 112 R, 30 2B, 45 HR, 144 RBI, 1 SB, .292/.388/.594
5. Jason Varitek - 70 R, 30 2B, 22 HR, 70 RBI, 2 SB, .281/.366/.489
6. Trot Nixon - 64 R, 29 2B, 13 HR, 67 RBI, 2 SB, .275/.357/.446
7. Kevin Millar- 57 R, 28 2B, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 0 SB, .272/.355/.399
8. Bill Mueller- 69 R, 34 2B, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 0 SB, .295/.369/.430
9. Tony Graffanino - 68 R, 17 2B, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 7 SB, .309/.366/.425

   I realize other players such as Alex Cora, Mark Bellhorn, Jay Payton, and John Olerud spent more time in some of these positions than the average bench player. This lineup was predominantly used by Francona throughout the season, and although he flipped around the back end of the lineup here and there, this was mainly the one he used. I will cover bench players on another day.

   The Boston Red Sox led the league in runs scored for the third year in a row. The top four guys in the lineup all scored at least 100 runs, and combined for a total of 437 RBI.

Some other notes about the 2005 lineup:

- Edgar Renteria had the lowest OBA with .335. He also batted second. Johnny Damon tied for the fourth highest OBA with Jason Varitek: .366.

- Damon lead the team with 6 triples. Renteria had 4.

- The entire starting lineup combined for 40 stolen bases. Scott Podsednik led the AL with 59 SB.

2006 Projected Lineup and Stats

1. Coco Crisp - 105 R, 40 2B, 16 HR, 72 RBI, 13 SB, .305/.365/.475
2. Mark Loretta - 100 R, 38 2B, 10 HR, 70 RBI, 3 SB, .307/.380/.435
3. David Ortiz - 110 R, 41 2B, 45 HR, 141 RBI, 0 SB, .302/.400/.606
4. Manny Ramirez - 108 R, 28 2B, 40 HR, 137 RBI, 0 SB .290/.375/.588
5. Jason Varitek - 65 R, 26 2B, 20 HR, 70 RBI, 4 SB, .280/.365/.484
6. Trot Nixon - 70 R, 30 2B, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 0 SB, .282/.370/.478
7. Mike Lowell - 64 R, 25 2B, 20 HR, 72 RBI, 0 SB, .277/.340/.474
8. Alex Gonzalez - 63 R, 24 2B. 14 HR, 65 RBI, 0 SB, .255/.315/.415 
9. Kevin Youkilis - 75 R, 26 2B, 14 HR, 73 RBI, 0 SB, .279/.378/.425

   My projections are not based on any scientific theory or mathematical equation. I really only took comparisons from players who I feel are close in ability. I also used scouting reports, and previous years numbers. While they are not perfect by any means, I feel that they could end up being very close.

   Overall, I see this lineup as having more power than the 05' team. More home run potential from the bottom of the order, and also a slight increase in pop from the top of the order. Of course, we all know what the middle of the lineup is capable of.

   The team should be as slow on the base-paths as last year. In fact they will probably be slower, as Damon is a better base stealer than Crisp. Loretta will also be in the single digit category for steals as he has never been a real threat on the base-paths.

   I feel optimistic about Coco playing in Fenway 81 games a year, and I feel he is the type of player to thrive in this environment. 42 doubles and 15 home runs last year should transfer nicely to Fenway. I see a steady rise in his OBP this year as well. Papa Jack is an excellent teacher on patience, and should provide some good tips for the young hitter.

   If healthy, Mark Loretta should be a nice improvement in the two hole over Renteria's '05 production. He is a very intelligent and well disciplined hitter. He may be transferring leagues, but he should still do well because he is now playing in a hitter's park. I see no reason why he and Coco can't score over 100 runs each next year.

   Barring injury, Ortiz, Manny, and Varitek should all be in the same ballpark as last years numbers. As always, if Trot is healthy, he should produce. His numbers I projected higher only because I hope he is healthy. Numbers from a season plagued with injury are difficult to project because of playing time, and how the injury affects the player when they do play.

   The real difference in the offense this year, will come from the bottom of the order. I see Youkilis as an improvement over Millar. He is a more patient and more disciplined hitter, regardless of his lack of experience. His projected OBP should also do well for turning the lineup over and getting Crisp more RBI opportunities and better pitches to hit. Lowell should bounce back from last year, even though he may not be at his peak anymore. Again, moving from a pitcher's park to a hitter's park should hopefully benefit Mike. Although I loved Bill Mueller, Lowell should be an improvement offensively if he can return to form.

   While Gonzalez may be a slight downgrade from Graffanino's production last year, he can still be a productive number eight hitter. While taking a dip in power numbers last year for Florida, Gonzalez dropped his strikeout total to 81 and came 2 shy of his career high for walks. In 2004 he also hit 24 home runs, so he has the potential to provide some pop for an offense that is already showing a lot of power. As a number eight hitter, he would please many fans if he could return to his 2004 form.

   As every Spring training goes, there will be question marks surrounding some players. Whether Trot stays healthy or not will impact the lineup. Lowell returning to form; Youkilis' performance as a starter; Gonzalez's offenseive performance at Fenway; Loretta's health; and Coco's ability to play in Boston; will all be questions that will hopefully be answered in Spring training and during the beginning of the season.

   I feel very good about this lineup, and I feel better about having the possible option of Dustin Pedroia to plug into the equation if someone gets hurt. He could surprise a lot of people in Spring Training. David Murphy could as well.

   I am going to go out on a limb and say that Coco starts off very well, and rides the wave of fan support all the way through the season. Unlike Renteria, he is not switching leagues, and will have the benefit of facing all of the same pitchers that he faced last year.

   This offense is as good as if not better than any other team's, with the obvious exception of the Yankees. They may be dethroned as the number one offense, but number two overall should belong to them. The pitching should continue to see excellent run support, and an improved pitching staff and defense should translate into more wins.

As always, I welcome all opinions and comments.

Stay tuned for Part 2 : The Starting Rotation

Adam Dunn was recently reported to have played the entire '05 season with a fractured hand. He was also told by the doctors to put a splint on his hand this off season in order for it to heal properly. His response was "The heck with that."

In the modern day of baseball where players will sit out when they have a hang nail, or because they feel unbalanced because they always have three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, but only had enough bread for two, this story comes as a little surprising but very refreshing. Players like Dunn are few and far between these days.

However, he may have put his season in jeopardy by not allowing his hand to heal properly. Fractures simply do not just go away.

On a side not, the Reds desperately need to get a new GM in the office. They have way too much offense. A pitching staff led by Eric Milton could certainly use an upgrade. I would think a player the caliber of Dunn could fetch a solid starter, even in this depleted market.

I hear Boston has a surplus of starters.....

   Even the big guys hurt. No more so than the man always known as the "big hurt" did from the so-called disrespect from the White Sox. After signing with the Oakland Athletics a couple days ago, Frank Thomas lashed out in an immature and well, characteristic manner. Frank mad! Frank smash!

   This type of thing always appears to happen with aging superstars who have a tough time grasping the nature of the business. Nomar was upset when he was dealt, even though the two injury riddled seasons that followed only made Theo Epstein look even more intelligent for making the move. Unfortunately, fans really don't give a damn when their "franchise" player spends all of his time nursing his wounds instead of playing the game, which is what they are paid to do.

   Frank took playground shots at Jim Thome in his interview, saying his injuries were worse than Thomas' own injuries last year, and that his Dad could beat up Thome's Dad. A desperate shot from a desperate player. Thomas believed that Chicago should have given him money based on what he did in the past, even though the chances of him playing over 50 games this year is probably slim to none. Frank seems to forget that baseball is a business.

   Frank went on to say that he never received a courtesy call from the GM, a chance at redeeming himself to the club, or even a hug.  The GM of the White Sox, was numb to Thomas's shots at the club's integrity and professionalism.

   We all know full well that the Big Hurts only mission is to get to 500 home runs and hopefully punch his ticket to the Hall of Fame. If not, maybe he can write a sequel to Canseco's highly acclaimed book on MLB and it's steroid use. Of course nobody would ever suspect Thomas of ever using a banned substance. That would be absurd.