Only 19 More To Go: A Quest To Catch the Yanks (Red Sox)

[bmoseley07]

April 1st, 2006:
WEEI: In what could be considered as one of the most stunning moves since Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees, the Red Sox have announced that Theo Epstein will be stepping down from his post as the General Manager. Apparenlty, a conflict of interest played a part as the departed GM has expressed that he hopes to resume his career as a male model.

Taking his place is another boy wonder. One who has self-proclaimed himself as the next Theo Epstein. The 17-year old Ben Moseley will take the helm at an organization that just doesn't know when to say "You're just too young." For Ben this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Although he does play high school, we think that might be put on hold for now, same for his fantasy baseball team which is currently heading towards a championship.

[bmoseley07]

In a press statement released today, Ben Moseley said the following:

You may have your doubts. And rightfully so. I'm not saying I wouldn't either, but I will expecting the same as every other member of Red Sox Nation. This team is expected to go all the way. And it will.

There will be a minor shakeup taking place as we will try to maximize this team's potential. Right now the focus will be placed on the bullpen which I don't think is at all ready for this season nevermind the postseason. The great thing about this Boston organization is the depth of it's minor league system which has to be one of the strongest in the league. We will use this to our advantage. Making the nessecary trades and bring up the players that will help carry this ballclub.

No matter what happens, I want you to know that I expect no less then making it to late October, and will do anything and everything in my power to get this team their.

[bmoseley07]

Taking over the team, the current situation is the following:

Expenses:
Farm System: $7mil (2nd)
Scouting: $6mil (3rd)
Medical Staff: $7mil (5th)

Payroll: $125,454,000 (2nd)

Cash: $13,400,000 (3rd)

Current Lineup
CF: Coco Crisp (86)
2B: Mark Loretta (79)
LF: Manny Ramirez (91)
1B: David Ortiz (89)
DH: Wily Mo Pena (88)
RF: Trot Nixon (80)
C: Jason Varitek (89)
3B: Mike Lowell (82)
SS: Alex Gonzalez (82)

Current Bench
IF: Tony Graffanino (78)
1B: J.T. Snow (76)
C: Josh Bard (76)
OF: Gabe Kapler (75)
IF: Enrique Wilson (70)

Current Rotation
RH: Matt Clement (93)
RH: Josh Beckett (93)
RH: Tim Wakefield (89)
RH: Curt Schilling (80/81)
LH: David Wells (80)

Current Bullpen
CL: Keith Foulke (82)
SU: David Riske (80/81)
SR: Mike Timlin (82)
SR: Lenny DiNardo (77/78) L
MR: Julian Tavarez (80)
LR: Rudy Seanez (78)

Currently, the Farm System comprises of 26 batters and 31 pitchers. That will be reduced significantly. Updated Roster is coming next.

[bmoseley07]

Updated Roster: April 1st

Starting Lineup
Not much has changed her except some platooning.

CF: S Coco Crisp (86) Great leadoff hitter and centerfielder. Thing to watch out for is him keeping his batting average up around .300 or his on-base will suffer. Last two years he has BA's of .297 and .300 and on-bases of .344 and .345 respectively.

2B: R Mark Loretta (79) Great number two hitter (career .301 hitter) who can bunt and hit and run. Lacking range (58 rating) and will be subbed for in late innings.

LF: R Manny Ramirez (91) One of the best hitters in the league. Just does his thing. He's expected to hit around .300 with 40+ homers. Defense is shaky but hitting makes up for it.

1B: L David Ortiz (89) Has turned into one of the most feared hitters in the bigs. His last year's stats says it all: .300 BA, 47 HR, and 148 RBI.

DH: R Wily Mo Pena (88) Not a regular starter in his career still won't be here. With a high level of strikeouts (116 in only 311 AB's) he will sit out against strikeout pitchers. Also, how he hits against righties will be huge factor as he hit only .248 last year against them. Expect a huge amount of home runs and strikeouts.

RF: L Trot Nixon (80) Nixon will platoon with Pena, batting only against righties. Last year he batted only .254 against RH's. Has been injured the past couple of year so expect a big year. Expecting at least 20/25 HR's.

C: S Jason Varitek (89) Leader and captain of the team. Good hitting catcher. His arm is some concern which only threw out 33 runners like season (82 rating), but other then that he's a great player to have on your team. Look for a .275 BA, 20 HR's and 75 RBI.

3B: R Mike Lowell (82) Coming off his worst season yet (.236/8/58) he will look to rebound to his usual .275/25/90. A great fielding third baseman who won his first gold glove last year.

SS: R Alex Gonzalez (82) A capable number 9 hitter. Who has problems with his eye and is lucky to draw 30 walks in a season. He's on the team for defensive prowness. How long he stays will depend on how long management can put up with his career sub-.300 on-base (.291).

Bench
Only difference here is Wilson and Graffanino have been replaced with Youkilis and Cora (for the time being). Youkilis and Snow will see a good amount of playing time while Kapler, Bard, and Cora will be seen only for their talent in the field.

1B/3B: R Kevin Youkilis (77/87) The Greek God of Walks has made it to the Show. He will split time between himself, Snow, Ortiz, and Pena depending on the starter (lefties only for now) and/or ballpark (defense reasons). In two seasons of limited playing time he has an on-base of .376 including last season's .400.

IF: L Alex Cora (78) Former starting SS converted 2B in LA has taken the role of back-up infielder for the Indians and now Sox. A career .244 batting average is what keeps him on the bench. Look for him at the end of game replacing Loretta for defensive purposes.

OF: R Gabe Kapler (75) Lone back-up outfielder on the team will see playing time in CF and LF.

1B: L J.T. Snow (76) Will take some of Pena's time when a strikeout pitcher's on the hill or defense is needed at first (Ortiz will take DH meaning Pena sits the bench). 6 time gold glover ('95-'00) has seen his defensive skills degrade a little at 38 but still good enough for late inning replacement.

C: S Josh Bard (76) Has seen four seasons of limited play and will get the same treatment here. His arm will be greatly appreciated (89 rating) and will catch for Wakefield.

Pitching staff reviewed next.

[bmoseley07]

Updated Pitching Staff: April 1st

Starting Rotation
This rotation is one of the best in the league. You have two young hurlers in Josh Beckett and Matt Clement who know how to pitch (until Clement gets hit by a come-backer for the first time), followed by three veterans. The weak link in all this is 42-year old David Wells who is treading thin ice (something you shouldn't do when you weigh 250).

RH: Josh Beckett (93) 25yo A power pitcher who came over in the trade with Lowell has taken the role of staff ace with his dominating fastball that touches 98+ consistently. The only thing that keeps him from being a true staff ace is his lack of health which has kept him from reaching 30 starts and 200 innings and a true staff ace title.

RH: Matt Clement (93) 31yo Has yet to prove himself as a consistent starter finishing only two seasons under a 4.00 ERA ('02 and '04). He can get the 200 innings/ 30 starts and should be good for 15 wins.

RH: Curt Schilling (80/81) 39yo After injuring his ankle in '04 it took much of 2005 to get back and it didn't happen as his ERA somehow stayed below 6 at 5.69 and opponents teed off him batting .308 against the former ace.

RH: Tim Wakefield (89) 39yo A knuckleballer who has been with the club the longest of any players. He's 39 and the knuckleball is what has kept him effective.

LH: David Wells (80) 42yo He's running out of gas. The the former workhorse has lost it and expect him to be replaced long before playoffs.

Bullpen
The bullpen is the weakest point on the ballclub. The have no real stopper and will be praying mightly in the late innings. The plan here is to wait for the young guns on the farm to make it to the Show by July (Papelbon, Meredith, and Hansen). The best thing about this bullpen if anything is that

CL R David Riske (80/81) 29yo Has taken the closer role from Foulke. This move was based on his ERA and OBA (opponents batting average) from last year (3.10/.204) and his ratings Control: 87 Power: 80 Movement: 87.

SU R Mike Timlin (82) 40yo At 40 it looks like he'll never slow down. Last season he had a 2.24 ERA and filled in at the closer role for a while earning himself 13 saves will appearing in half the games that year.

SR R Keith Foulke (82) 33yo A one-time lock at the closer role with a career 3.23 ERA and and 6 straight seasons of sub-3.00 ball, his knees have taken over. Last season he had an ERA of 5.91. Expect something closer to 4.50 but he definitely won't be at top form.

SR R Julian Tavarez (80) 32yo Failed as a starter with three different teams. As a reliever he's been a bit more trustworthy but not enough to move any higher then middle of the bullpen.

MR L Lenny DiNardo (77/78) 26yo This rookie has had some experience in the bigs and Sox hope that his 1.84 ERA last season in 14 innings is somewhat of a sign of good things to come.

LR R Rudy Seanez (78) 37yo Never was a stopper. His stuff will earn him some wiffs but not enough to keep him in the bigs for long. Looking for an emergency starter to take this spot. Somebody with at least a 50 endurance rating.

Farm System

This is loaded farm system, full of future stars and present wash-ups. Once we filter out the excess we're looking at farm system that can help the team need be if and when injuries pop up.

We are very strong at starting pitching, shortstop (3 in the minors), CF (another 3), and first base (3), and second base with Pedroia and Machado who are both major league quality. This is something we can use to our advantage in filling out the bullpen and other weak spots.

[bmoseley07]

April 1st (still)

Trade Update

WEEI:

I don't even know this is legal but the Boston Red Sox have just made a trade that could be one of the ludicrous in all of baseball. In a 16 player trade, the Sox dumped just about every washed-up vet this side of Sylvester Stallone. There's no real other way to say other then show you a list of the names:

Going to St. Louis:
IF- Enrique Wilson (70)
OF- Dustin Mohr (75)
C- Ken Huckaby (75)
3B- Earl Snyder (66)
RF- Juan Gonzalez (72)
IF- Trent Durrington (67)
RP- Rudy Seanez (78)
RP- Josias Manzanillo (76)
RP- Matt Ginter (71)
RP- Jason Shiell (67)
RP- Reynaldo Garcia (66)
RP- Brad Thomas (60)
RP- Craig Breslow (71)
1B- Ian Bladergroen (75/79)

Going to Boston:
SP- Chris Gissell (78)
RP- Brad Thompson (79/87)

The only reason Bladergroen got in there is because the Sox also wanted Thompson who is great pitching prospect. Last year in his rookie season he had a 2.95 with 4-0 record in 40 games. He has pinpoint control (15 BB's in 55 innings) and good movement (opponents batting only .223 against him). He's not a big strikeout guy with a 4.75 K/9 but he gets the job done and that's all the Sox are going to ask from him.

Ben Moseley:

This trade was neccesary to get rid of the excess floating around in our farm system that wasn't going anywhere. Gissell is long reliever who can start and is great addition to the team while Thompson is an up and coming pitcher who has pinpoint control. These two will take the last two spots in the bullpen with DiNardo being optioned to Pawtucket. We still don't have a bonafide closer by I have faith in Riske and the rest of the bullpen that they can get the job done. This trade may not have looked like a big one but Gissell will help out tremendously in the bullpen, a guy who can give us 2,3,4 innings and let the others rest when need be.

[HoustonGM]

I highly doubt that trade would be allowed in real life!

Interesting so far. Judging from the player comments, I assume you'll be playing every game in pitch-by-pitch or Manager mode?

[bmoseley07]

I highly doubt that trade would be allowed in real life!

Interesting so far. Judging from the player comments, I assume you'll be playing every game in pitch-by-pitch or Manager mode?

haha probably not, but I'll take it.

And manager mode for sure. I tell you, I really get into this game sometimes. So bad that I curse players out. It's pretty bad. lol

[bmoseley07]

Down on the Farm Report

The Minor League system for the Sox is by far the best in majors. They are a bit top heavy at a couple of positions but could easily make them up need be with the talent in this organization.

Lineups

AAA Pawtucket
With almost a full-roster, the PawSox are loaded with future stars and a few solid replacement players.

1B L Jeremy West (77/86) 24yo: Future Mark Grace except with a little iron in the glove. Definitely a .300+ batter with HR's topping out at 15. Good eye and not a bad glove.

1B L Jeff Bailey (72/75) 27yo: Recently converted to 1B when his arm (78) was deemed not major league grade. He will not be a major league starter and with West on the team the brass will be looking to ship him elsewhere.

2B L Willie Harris (83) 27yo: A small fleet middle infielder with absolutely no power whatsoever. He will only be used as a pinch runner or fielder. Both are his strong points.

2B R Dustin Pedroia (81/90) 22yo: A Mark Loretta type batter with little power but can handle the bat. He also has remarkable range and a good glove.

2B L Brandon Moss (78/92) 22yo: He's still a few years off from hitting his peak, but I think we're looking at an Alfonzo Soriano-type player here. He has power and some speed. Not a bad fielder either.

2B R Tony Graffanino (79) 33yo: A backup infielder his whole career will see that in Boston too. A decent contact hitter (batted .309 last season) who won't be subbing for defensive purposes.

SS L Kenny Perez (75/80) 24yo: He's got great range and a cannon for an arm. On a playoff team he would be batting either 8th or 9th but would be one of the best 9 hole hitters in the game. Not really expected to make it as anything more then a backup with Lowrie in Single A.

3B L Chris Spann (75/86) 22yo: Next Wade Boggs. Future batting champ and gold glover. Need I say more?

LF L Billy McMillon (77) 34yo: Backup outfielder who can hit a bit but will never see starting time because of his 10 pound iron glove.

CF L David Murphy (70/81) 24yo: Hard to say what this kid will turn out to be. Could be a centerfield Trot Nixon, but nothing more.

RF L Adam Stern (71/72) 26yo: Has tremendous speed in the Coco Crisp mold. Good contact and speed, but not enough of an eye to be a great leadoff man. Only a decent fielder- lacking in arm strength.

AA Portland
This class has a bunch of fringe players who probably won't make it except for Machado who is being held back because of a log-jam in AAA.

C L Alberto Concepcion (70/76) 25yo: Great fielder catch along the lines of Matheny. Years of catching have already taken a toll on his speed (56) and any batting skills he previously might have had. Great backup catcher. Not being able to get over .250 in the minors after his first season will hinder him.

1B L Stefan Bailie (71/80) 25yo: Good power but not enough of an eye to make it with Sox (a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio). Not good. Good with the glove though.

2B S Alejandro Machado (70/87) 23yo: Great speed and a fair fielder. Will be leading off for a team somewhere, whether it be for the Sox or not. Should be at the AAA level if it weren't for Pedroia and Moss.

SS L Luis Soto (70/81) 20yo: Good fielder but lacking mightly in his ability to control the strike zone. Laser eye surgury could only go so far. Lack of discipline and power will keep him out of the starting lineup.

CF L Jacoby Ellsbury (65/81) 22yo: Juries out on this guy. The speed is there and has a good arm. The batting will come but how much of it is the question.

A Wilmington
Only two players here. A very promising shortstop and a centerfielder that could go either way.

SS S Jed Lowrie (69/86) 21yo: Promising prospect. Has a lot of upside. Could be a future Nomar. Hard to tell at this point. Above average in the field.

CF L Mickey Hall (72/81) 20yo: Good fielder with excellent speed. Vying for a top of the lineup spot.

R Lowell

SS L Christian Lara (72/81) 20yo: Great fielder with above average speed.

Farm System Pitching Round-up next.

[bmoseley07]

Down on the Farm Report

Pitching Staffs
With four out of the five starters on the big league ballclub in their final contract year and 3 of them will be 40 or older, at least one prospect will be in the rotation next year. If possible, we would like to see that before the All-star break in which he could take over for Wells.

AAA Pawtucket
Probably the deepest staff in the minors. Will help out the big league ball club immensly.

SP: LH Talley Haines (79/81) 29yo: He's being around for a while at 29. Played AA for the last 5 years (last year he was 17-2). He projects to be a number 4 starter at best. Will most likely be up for Wells before the season ends.

SP: LH Tim Bausher (79/83) 27yo: Has yet to get his ERA under 4.36 in minors, but still has potential. Number 4 starter at best.

SP: RH Charlie Zink (75/84) 26yo: Another guy who hasn't had stats to match what he's capable of. Has the most upside of the any of the starts in this rotation. Maybe a number 3 projected.

SP: LH Abe Alvarez (77/81) 23yo: His endurance isn't up to everybody else's which could keep him out of the rotation. He has imeccable control.

RP: RH Craig Hansen (77/80) 22yo: Outstanding control of the strike zone. Has two pitches and will probably be used as a short reliever or setup man.

RP: RH Jonathon Papelbon (76/86) 25yo: Pitched very well in his September callup and will most likely be up with team by around June or July. Projects to be a closer.

RP: RH Cla Meredith (75) 22yo: Great control, but probably won't be more then a short reliever near the back-end of the rotation.

RP: LH Lenny DiNardo (78/79) 26yo: Had a 1.84 ERA in 14 innings last season. Will be the first reliever up if anybody gets in trouble.

RP: RH Manny Delcarmen (74/76) 24yo: Doesn't look like's going to make it. Lacks control among other things.

RP: RH Jermaine Van Buren (72) 25yo: At 25 he's either going to make it this year or not. And we're leaning towards not. Doesn't project well at the major league level.

RP: LH Phil Seibel (71) 27yo: Another old rook who doesn't look like he's getting anymore then a cup of coffee at the Show.

AA Portland
The talent here is hard to judge. None of the starters have much upside.

SP: RH Chris Smith (77/81) 25yo: Will be up in AAA before the end of the season. Projects to be 4th starter at best.

SP: RH Joe Vaquedano (77/81) 24yo: Went 14-5 last year in Single A. 4th starter at best.

SP: RH Tommy Hottovy (77/83) 24yo: Projects to be a third starter a best.

SP: RH Beau Vaughn (76/81) 24yo: Decent pitcher but 4th starter at best.

SP: RH Jarrett Gardner (76/81) 24yo: Projects to be a 4th starter at best.

RP: LH Randy Beam (75/82) 23yo: Had a 2.35 ERA in Single A. Has some upside and projects to be a short reliever or setup man.

RP: RH Edgar Martinez (71/81) 24yo: Good upside. Needs a lot of work on his pitches and control.

A Wilmington
There is some talent here, especially with Lester and Vermilyea.

SP: LH Andrew Dobies (74/83) 22yo: Good pitching prospect. Above average power and good see the number 3 spot in a rotation.

SP: LH Jon Lester (71/91) 22yo: Projects to be number 2 starter or staff ace. Someone to keep an eye on.

SP: RH David Pauley (71/82) 22yo: Projects to be number 3 starter at best.

RP: RH Jamie Vermilyea (74/83) 24yo: Looks to be a good setup man at the major league level. Will be moved up to Double A if performs up to level.

R Lowell

SP: RH Clay Buchholz (71/88) 18yo: This 18 year old rookie has a ton of upside. Enough to a top of the rotation starter.

[bmoseley07]

Pre-Opening Day News

Red Sox News
1B J.T. Snow was released.
2B Willie Harris was called up to replace him.
2B Alex Cora was sold to the Diamondbacks for $1 million.
2B Tony Graffanino was promoted to the majors.

Snow's services were no longer needed, while the need for a pinch-runner and fielder was. With three second basemen down on AAA, at least one more had to go and Graffanino beat out Cora for the second backup infielder position.

MLB News
Marlins signed both 1B Brad Fullmer ($2.7mil) and SP Ismael Valdez ($3.75mil) to one-year deals.
Nationals signed RP Chad Fox to a one-year $1.9mil deal who cannot pitch for at least another two months.
Mariners signed SP Hideo Nomo to a $1.9mil one-year deal and RP Steve Reed to a $1.55mil deal (1 year).
Diamondbacks signed 3B Rob Mackowiak to a one-year deal of $4.5mil.
Rockies signed RF Richard Hidalgo to a $3.1mil deal (1 year).
Giants signed SP Kevin Brown to one-year deal ($2.2mil).

Injuries
Yankees sent 3 players to the disabled list including RP Colter Bean (3 months- ruptured cervical disk), SP Sean Henn (8 months- broken back vertebra), and RP Kris Wilson (1 month- sprained lower back).
Orioles RP Ricky Bottalico will miss two weeks with a pulled groin.

[bmoseley07]

April 4-7 Anaheim Angels (0-0) @ Boston Red Sox (0-0)

Projected Starters: Last year's stats
April 4: John Lackey (14-5, 3.44) vs. Josh Beckett (15-8, 3.38)
April 6: Jeff Weaver (14-11, 4.22) vs. Matt Clement (13-6, 4.57)
April 7: Bartolor Colon (21-8, 3.48) vs. Curt Schilling (8-8, 5.69)

Game Recaps
April 4: Beckett it got off to a tough start give up 2 runs in the first but settled down going six and striking out 8. Lackey only went 2 innings giving up 5 runs. Ortiz went 2 for 4 while knocking in 3. Angels 2, Red Sox 7

April 6: Both starters pitched well going 7 innings, Clement leaving with a 2-0 lead. Manny makes up for Timlin letting in a run with a home run. Riske blows the game serving up a 2-run homer to Juan Rivera. Bullpens brought the game to 13th where Manny had a walk-off sac fly. Angels 3, Red Sox 4 (13 innings)

April 7th: A tired bullpen couldn't hold the lead for Schilling who went 7 allowing only 2 runs. Timlin earned the blown save giving up a run in the 8th, while Tavarez lost it in the same inning. Ortiz continued to hit well driving in 2. Angels 4, Red Sox 3

Player of the Series
1B David Ortiz who carried the team with his bat, hitting .385 with 6 RBI's and 3 doubles.

Red Sox News
-RP Mike Timlin lost his setup role to rookie RP Brad Thompson.

Down on the Farm
AAA PawSox: Adam Stern hit .364 in 6 games knocking in 5. Charlie Zink has a 2.84 ERA in two starts.
AA Portland: Stefan Bailie hit .250 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI's in 6 games. Alejandro Machado hit .455 with 6 RBI's in 6 games.
A Wilmington: David Pauley struck out 8 in 7 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Mickey Hall is batting .320 with 2 HR's and 6 RBI in 6 games.
R Lowell: Clay Buchholz gave up only 3 runs in 7 2/3 innings while striking out 5 for a quality start.

Division Leaders
AL East: New York (3-0) 1 GA
AL Central: Minnesota (3-0) 1 GA
AL West: Seattle (3-0) 2 GA
AL Wildcard: 4 tied at 2-1 including the Red Sox

NL East: 3 tied at 2-1
NL Central: Houston (2-0) 0.5 GA
NL West: 3 tied at 2-1
NL Wildcard: 5 tied at 2-1

League Leaders
Batting Average: Indians RF Casey Blake (.600)
Hits: 3 tied at 7
Home Runs: 7 tied at 2
RBIs: Red Sox 1B David Ortiz (6)
ERA: too many (0.00)
Wins: too many (1)
Strikeouts: Twins SP Johan Santana (9)
Saves: 2 tied at 2

MLB News
Braves sign RP Jim Mercer to a one-year deal worth $1.85mil.
Nationals sign CF Alex Sanchez to a one-year $2.75mil deal.
Mariners sign RP Scott Sullivan to a one-year $1.45mil deal.

Injuries
Twins CF Torii Hunter will miss 2 weeks with a finger stress fracture.
A's LF Jay Payton will miss 3 weeks with a dislocated shoulder.
Rockies SP Mike Cosgrove will miss 2 weeks with a pull groin.
Tigers SP Justin Verlander will miss 1 month with torn quadriceps.

[Tigers 94]

good luck

[bmoseley07]

Both the rotation and bullpen have pitched as advertised; 3 for 3 in quality starts while 0 for 1 in save opportunities. Thank god for Papi though.

good luck

Thanks. I'm gonna need it with this bullpen.

[Tigers 94]

lol,just hope the relievers won't blow late innings games!