A Glimpse of the Future in Arlington Last Night

The Red Sox gave Eduardo Rodriguez his first start in Texas last night, and the much-hyped pitching prospect sure didn't disappoint.

The lefty went 7 2/3 innings, allowed just three hits and two walks, no runs to a hot Texas Rangers lineup. He struck out five, and was never really in any serious trouble throughout the game. He showed lots of poise, and never seemed overwhelmed or intimidated.

It was the best MLB debut by a Red Sox starter since Billy Rohr's legendary near-no-hitter against the Yankees in 1967, when he pitched a shutout.

Even before Rodriguez' start last night, manager John Farrell said that no matter how it went that he would be returning to Pawtucket after it was over. But really, how do you send him back now?

Granted this is just one start, and he hasn't won any Cy Young Awards yet. But for a much-maligned starting rotation that has been much better of late, I don't see how you send back just yet. Rodriguez has earned a second look at the MLB level. He will probably be sent back at some point. But give him that first start at Fenway next week.

The moribund offense also came alive last night, especially Hanley Ramirez, who hit a bomb of a home run off Nick Martinez last night for the second Sox run. It was also nice to see the struggling Blake Swihart get two hits and drive in two runs that put the game on ice in the 8th inning.

It's been a slog of a season so far, but Eduardo Rodriguez sure gave Red Sox fans something to hope for last night. There's a long way to go, but the future may have been on display in Arlington, Texas last night.

And I hope NO ONE calls him "E-Rod."

Squandering Good Pitching Again and Again

This is getting monotonous, don't you think?

Another night of the Red Sox pitchers throwing well, and the hitters not showing up.

They dropped the series to the lowly Texas Rangers, who were struggling coming into the series. They were befuddled by two Texas lefties who aren't exactly household names.

The Red Sox offensive numbers over the last eight games are simply butt ugly. They are averaging less than 2 runs a game over the course of those games, while they have gotten a quality start from their starters in every game. They are 4-4 in those games, and with some decent support, could be 8-0.

The Sox fell behind 2-0 in the first inning last night with Clay Buchholz on the mound, and it was 3-1 by the fourth. Didn't it feel like they were 10-1 instead? That's what the pitiful lack of production has made it feel like, even when the opposition lead isn't insurmountable.

They left 12 men on base on Wednesday night, and could manage just one run. They are a staggering 0-for-12 with the bases loaded for the month of May.

OK, I'll stop there, as I could roll out many more depressingly pitiful offensive numbers, from a team that was suppose to be one of the dominant offensive forces in baseball.

Some good news: they are only three back in the rather weak AL East at 19-22. And rumors are flying that Rusney Castillo is about to be called up. He won't be a "savior" for this offense, but he could provide a spark the team desperately needs.

And sure beats watching Daniel Nava and his .172 average in right field.

An Even Split On The Road

That was one bizarre road trip the Red Sox just came off of.

They lost the first two games in Toronto by wide margins, right after firing pitching coach Juan Nieves. I was hoping they could split the ten games and not fall into last place to stay in the AL East. I thought after the first resounding defeats we'd see a 2-8 or 1-9 road trip.

Carl Willis took over as pitching coach on the last game in Toronto, and all of a sudden the pitching turned around in a hurry. (Coincidence? Perhaps.)

They beat the Blue Jays that Sunday, then went to Oakland and won the series there, and split four games in Seattle this past weekend, including beating Felix Hernandez on Saturday. They came out of the ten-game road trip 5-5.

The Sox had only one badly pitched game out west, losing the second game in Oakland, 9-2. Rick Porcello pitched two very good games and beat Hernandez. Wade Miley pitched well in Oakland and got a win, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings. Clay Buchholz was terrific last Friday night, allowing just a run in eight innings in Seattle while striking out 11. Rookie reliever Matt Barnes got two wins out of the pen this past week, and the bullpen overall was excellent.

But what also was on display out west was the Red Sox offense struggling mightily. They were shutout on Sunday, scored just one run on Friday in a loss, and two in wins on Wednesday and Thursday.

Now, you can thank goodness for the excellent pitching this past week, or this would really have been a disasterous trip out west.

The Sox are averaging 3.97 runs per game overall, which ranks them 12th overall in the AL, and have scored two or fewer runs 15 out of 38 games so far in 2015. Pretty feeble.

Once again, they are fortunate the AL East is not a strong division. They sit right now in third place, 3 1/2 games behind New York, at 18-20.

Time to get the bats heated up again. The Sox start a six-game homestand tomorrow with the Rangers and Angels.

Time To Go West

When I looked at the Red Sox schedule last Friday and saw a 10-game trip to Toronto, Oakland and Seattle, I figured they'd have to split the trip in order to get back on track.

It sure didn't start out encouraging.

Two lifeless defeats to the Blue Jays, 7-0, and 7-1. More games where the Sox didn't hit or pitch well at all. And changes began happening.

Pitching coach Juan Nieves was fired and replaced by former Indians and Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis. Edward Mujica was DFA'd and traded to the A's. Allen Craig and Robbie Ross were both sent down to Pawtucket, replaced by Jackie Bradley and Steven Wright.

David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia held a players-only meeting after Saturday's loss. In the short run, it seems to have helped.

Clay Buchholz went to the mound in yesterday's finale, and was given a 4-0 lead in the first, capped by a Mike Napoli three-run blast. Buchholz walked three in that inning, but a double play helped him out. It looked like another one of those games, but Clay settled down, allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara slammed the down to the get the Sox a much needed win, 6-3.

At this point, the Red Sox can really only look internally for help. Any pitching quality that teams might want to trade will not go until the July 31st deadline. At this point, their appear to be no changes to the rotation, but that could change if the next seven games prove to be a continuing misery.

BTW, how bad was Craig? Alex Speier had this incredible tidbit.

Of the 591 non-pitchers who've made at least 100 plate appearances in a Sox uniform, he has the all-time lowest BA, at .130 in 53 games. Talk about historically awful. This was from the same guy who led MLB in batting average with runners in scoring position in 2013. With Joe Kelly's struggles, it is making the John Lackey trade of last July 31 look like the worst move Ben Cherington has yet done. The Sox are stuck with Craig for two more years at $25 million. Maybe the Cardinals knew something. Yikes.

So, can the Sox take 4 of 7 from the A's and Mariners? The west coast has always been hard historically for the Red Sox, but neither team is doing well right now. (Nobody but Houston is over .500 in their division.) Right now, the Sox sit at 14-17, 5 1/2 games back.

Granted, nobody wins a pennant in May. But you can fall hopelessly out in May. It's an important week for the boys, make no mistake about that. Rick Porcello, who has been good the last two times out, begins the series in Oakland tonight.

The First Heads Roll At Fenway

As the Red Sox pitching struggles continued through Wednesday night, they took action on their Thursday off day on two fronts.

They fired pitching coach Juan Nieves. The Sox are ranked dead last in ERA in the AL, and next-to-last in MLB. Somebody as to take the fall for this slow start, and as the old saying goes "you can't fire the players," so Nieves is out. He was the pitching coach since 2013, and the Sox won it all in his first season. So, I guess he's gone from genius to dummy.

Will this have any long term positive effect on the pitching staff? Hard to say, as they have not named a replacement for him. Many people in the media are painting Nieves as a scapegoat for the Red Sox pitching troubles, and they maybe right. He didn't put together this underwhelming starting staff. I believe that is Ben Cherington's call.

Cherington said this yesterday:

"John and I simply got to the point where we felt that, in order to continue to push forward and make improvements, we needed to make a change and have a different voice in that particular position."

Make of that what you will.

Actually, the Red Sox did "fire" a player on Thursday, as the long national Edward Mujica nightmare has come to an end, as he was designated for assignment. He was a disaster of a free agent signing before the 2014 season, and this season he got off to a lousy start, with a 4.61 ERA in 13 innings. He blew the save in Yankee Stadium in early April that led to the 19 inning marathon the Sox eventually won.

It may be time to flush out more dead wood like Mujica, and the Sox brought up young reliever Matt Barnes to take his place. More moves are sure to follow.

Hangin' With Pedro

I had the distinct of pleasure of going to the book signing in Manhattan yesterday that featured one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, Pedro Martinez, autographing his new biography, "Pedro."

It was at the Barnes & Noble store on East 54th Street and 3rd Avenue. I got there just before noon, and there was a long line snaking its way around the second floor. Pedro showed up at exactly 12:30, the scheduled time, to much fanfare. He was warmly applauded, and he waved to the crowd, and got going signing his book.

I figured it would take about one hour to reach him, and literally when the clock struck 1: 30, there I was. Pedro was chatting with the fans as he was autographing. Oddly, he wasn't personalizing any copies, but he was taking selfies with the fans.

When I reached him, there was just one thing I wanted to tell him.

"Thanks Pedro, for making my life in New York City so much more bearable."

He let out a big laugh as he handed me the book.

I said the same thing to John Henry and Tom Werner (when I met them in a bar in 2007), Johnny Damon (at the signing of his book in 2005), and Terry Francona (when signing his book in 2013). And I got the same response each time. Smiles and laughter.

I couldn't hang too long, as there was a huge turnout and the Barnes & Noble people wanted to keep the line moving. But I enjoyed my brief time with one of the Red Sox all-time greats on Tuesday.

Take The High Road, Willie

Apparently, somebody hit home run number 660 last night.

The device has yet to be invented that can measure my indifference to the previous sentence.

I'm mostly pissed because it was the difference in the Red Sox' 3-2 loss to New York. And at that dumbass fan who reached out and may have taken an RBI away from Ryan Hanigan last night.

My sympathies to Willie Mays. But I'm sure he'll take the high road in all this, just as Hank Aaron did eight years ago when confronted with a similar situation.

And that's all I'll say on that subject.

So That's What a Well-Pitched Game Looks Like

In case you missed it last night, the Red Sox actually had a pitcher go seven innings and get a win.

Rick Porcello allowed just one run on three hits. He was superb in shutting down the Blue Jays as the Sox took two of three from Toronto, 4-1.

All the news was good on Wednesday. Hanley Ramirez hit his 10th home run of 2015, tied for the MLB lead with Nelson Cruz. He tied the team record for most home runs hit prior to May 1st.

Mookie Betts made another highlight-reel catch in center field, and the late inning bullpen team of Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara shut down Toronto in the last two innings. Koji looked vintage as he struck out the side in the ninth.

Yeah, it's been a rough last week pitching-wise for the Red Sox. I don't listen to sports radio any more, as it is a haven for knuckleheads. But I'll bet the cry on Boston radio has been for a shake up of the starting staff. Everyone wants to trade Wade Miley or Clay Buchholz. It just isn't happening right now. The Sox will go with the five they have now, and not rush any of their blue chip prospects up right now, like Brian Johnson or Eduardo Rodriguez.

And forget any deal for Cole Hamels right now. Prices are way too high, and the Phillies are content to wait until the deadline on July 31st. They clearly aren't going anywhere, so they can sit back and wait it out. Someone will blink and make them the best offer then. And there will be many teams going after Hamels, especially if he puts up good numbers this season.

And now, the Evil Empire makes its first trip to Fenway this weekend, with Justin Masterson, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly taking the hill. The Sox have allowed 119 runs in 22 games this year, the most in MLB. They need more games like last night to stem that tide. The Sox are not in a strong division, but averaging nearly 5 1/2 runs given up a game is not the recipe for any long term success.

Keep Calm. The Sox Will Pitch Better.

I got an interesting email from my friend Adam yesterday, who I have quoted from time to time on this blog. He is a dedicated Red Sox fan like I am, and this was from him about the struggles of the Sox' starting staff after Sunday's loss in Baltimore.

19 games is way too early to panic. All five members of the rotation have major-league track records that say they are solid. A stat like ERA are generally non-predictive because it doesn't really reflect individual performance. Right now, the Sox' rotation sits 8th of 15 AL teams by FIP; they're 6th best by xFIP and 5th by SIERA. Their results haven't matched their performance. In other words, they've been unlucky. While Miley's BB- and K-rates are a bit of a worry, we're only talking about 4 starts. Porcello has been pretty unlucky. 

 He sports a ridiculous 20.7% HR/FB, almost twice his career number. Remember when people like Buster Olney were talking about "red flags" and Clay Buchholz in the same sentence? If you take the MFY game away, Buchholz has thrown 19 inning in 3 starts, allowing 3 ER, and has struck out 26, while walking only 5 hitters. 

 I'm not saying Buchholz has "turned the corner." It's impossible to evaluate players based on a 19-game sample, and it's even harder to determine how good pitchers are based on 4 starts. Look, right now Jon Lester is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA. Is he a bust? Nope. He has a proven track record and FIP, xFIP, and SIERA all like him so far this year. The point is, Buchholz, Porcello, Miley, Kelly, and Masterson are solid veteran starters. One, two, or three bad starts are not predictive of a bad season. 

The Sox' IF defense is fine, assuming Bogaerts can play SS. Panda, Pedey, and Napoli are good defenders. Boston is also pretty solid behind the plate. In the OF, Betts is decent in CF and Victorino, when healthy, is good in RF. Hanley and Craig are awful, and Nava is average at best. 

 BTW, for those of you wondering, "FIP" is Fielding Independent Pitching, and it measures what a player’s ERA would look like over a given period of time if the pitcher were to have experienced league average results on balls in play and league average timing. "xFIP" is Expected Fielding Independent Pitching and it is calculated in the same way as FIP, except it replaces a pitcher’s home run total with an estimate of how many home runs they should have allowed given the number of fly balls they surrendered while assuming a league average home run to fly ball percentage. And "SIERA" is Skill Interactive Earned Run Average, and it estimates ERA through walk rate, strikeout rate and ground ball rate, eliminating the effects of defense, park and luck.

"The League of Outsider Baseball"

I just read a fascinating new book about some of the lesser known heroes of baseball throughtout the years, called "The League of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball's Forgotten Heroes."

It was put together by a professional artist and illustrator named Gary Cieradkowski. He searched the four corners of the baseball world for some of the most obscure baseball stories, and each subject has an illustration in the form of a portrait, almost like an old time baseball card.

There are plenty of the game's famous names included, like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Lefty Grove and Ted Williams. But the book's main focus is on stories of the lesser known names from the game, and it spans all different places, like the Negro Leagues, Japanese and Latin American players, female players, and plenty of "barnstormers, journeymen, rogues and odd balls." (The latter in the words of the author.)

I was fascinated with his section on The Black Sox, the White Sox players who were banned after throwing the infamous 1919 World Series, and what they did following their expulsion for MLB. The book also includes plenty of tragic figures, like Reds' catcher Willard Hershberger, who committed suicide during the 1940 season, Eddie Gaedel, the midget who batted once for the St. Louis Browns in 1951, and plenty of others whose names may not sound familiar but whose baseball dreams never amounted to much.

I was also interested in reading the baseball careers that some famous people from other areas once had, like Frank Sinatra, George H. W. Bush, Fidel Castro and Jack Kerouac.

There are also plenty of "I didn't know that" moments in the book, like the career of the real-life Moonlight Graham, whose one game MLB career was the basis of the movie "Field of Dreams." And that there was a baseball league of expatriate Americans in Russia after World War I. (That can ultimately be filed under "baseball tragedies".)

I did find a mistake or two in the book, but it well worth getting not just for the research but the excellent artwork that Cieradkowski has done. The book will be released on May 5th. I highly recommend to any baseball fan who enjoys reading about those players who were a little "out there."

15 Games: A Mixed Bag So Far

The first 15 Red Sox games of 2015 have been interesting to say the least.

The Sox are 9-6 and in first in the AL East. The division is very tight, as there is just two games separating top from bottom. They let one get away last night in St. Pete, as Joe Kelly blew a 5-1 lead in the 6th inning. He looked solid for the first five innings, but gave up four straight hits and a walk, and the game was tied at 5. In the next inning, John Farrell brought in Edward Mujica for some unknown reason, and he promptly gave up two runs, including a solo home run, and Tampa Bay went on to a 7-5 victory.

But once again, the Red Sox starters are NOT going deep in the game, and that is a concern. Starters have pitched at least 6 innings only 6 times so far this season, and that is clearly taxing the bullpen. The pen did a terrific job on Tuesday night in the 1-0 win over Tampa Bay, but couldn't get the job done last night.

Last night's game was also the 5th time the Sox have allowed 7 runs or more in a game. They are near the bottom in ERA in the AL right now.

The Sox will sink of swim with the five starters they have now. It's been mixed results so far, especially from Justin Masterson and Wade Miley. They were both solid this week, but both got lit up in their starts last week. Joe Kelly is averaging a strikeout an inning, and shows the stuff he can be a top-of-the-rotation guy. Rick Porcello has been bitten by the home run ball too much in the early going. And who knows which Clay Buchholz will show up on a given night.

I've been impressed with the Red Sox ability to make the opposition pay for their mistakes on defense so far. They lead MLB with 19 runs scored on unearned runs, and the opposition has made 22 errors against them so far. (The Sox won the 1-0 game on Tuesday after Mookie Betts slid hard into second and a DP throw was thrown away allowing Ryan Hanigan to score.) They are an opportunistic team so far.

And they haven't had a runner thrown out stealing yet this season, having gone 10-for-10 on the bases so far, the first time they have ever accomplished that feat.

In the 1-0 win on Tuesday, it was the first time since April 2005 the Sox won a 1-0 game on an unearned run. I remember the last time well, as I saw it live. It was the only time I have seen at a game a Camden Yards in Baltimore. And Matt Clement pitched eight scoreless innings that night for the win. Remember him? (My thanks to Allan at The Joy of Sox for the last two Red Sox factoids.)

There's a lot to like so far in this Red Sox season, and some things to be concerned about. It's a long year, so sit back and enjoy it.

"Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius"

As you all know, I am not a fan of the New York Yankees. But I was recently offered the chance to read a new book about the legendary manager Billy Martin, and I decided to give it a chance. It's called "Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius" by sportswriter Bill Pennington.

I'm glad I did.

It's the story of a complex man, who was best known for taking baseball teams and improving them and his legendary dustups with umpires. But he was far more than that. He led quite the colorful life, both on and off the field.

The book takes the reader back to Martin's days growing up in West Berkeley, California, and his eventual forays into organized baseball, and his relationship with Oakland Oaks and future Yankees manager Casey Stengel. Baseball was clearly Billy Martin's most important thing in life, even more than his family life.

But the book also highlights Martin away from the bright lights, delving into his religious faith. Billy was a devout Catholic. When he won the award for the 1953 World Series MVP, he was awarded a new car, a Cadillac. He very quietly gave the car to his local parish priest in West Berkeley, Father Dennis Moore, who had helped his family when they were struggling financially when he was growing up. He also spent many hours in church, looking above for guidance.

Pennington also portrays a man who was fascinated by history, and talked for hours on end with writers about subjects like the Civil War. But he also shows a man who had his demons, and alcoholism plays a very heavy role in the life of Billy Martin.

He also goes into great detail about some of the legendary incidents that Martin will forever be known for, such as the legendary fight at Copacabana in 1957 that eventually got him traded, his dugout confrontation with Reggie Jackson at Fenway Park in 1977, the fight in Baltimore with pitcher Ed Whitson in 1985 (that was especially interesting with all the minute details Pennington gives the reader), and many others.

No book about Billy Martin would be complete without a detailed description of his complex relationship with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. I thought Steinbrenner came off more sympathetic than anything else in this book. He hired/fired Billy 5 times, and had genuine affection for him. Steinbrenner was, of course, a paranoid blowhard, treated many employees like crap, but he is presented here more of a friend who cared for Billy. I suppose you could write a whole book just on their relationship alone, but that's for someone else to do.

Billy Martin clearly loved the limelight, and being a celebrity. He is also shown to be generous with people, such as giving outrageously high tips to regular people. But towards the end of his life, he is portrayed as a man looking for peace in his life. He had been through four marriages, and had settled outside of Binghamton, New York. But the old devil drink came back, after he had given it up for a while. And it would play a prominent role in the accident that caused his death on Christmas Day of 1989.

Martin was indeed a complex individual, and this new book takes us on a journey with this man, who 25 years after his sudden passing has been overlooked by many in the subject of MLB's best managers. "Billy Martin: Baseball's Flawed Genius" is definitely worth your time to read, whether he played for or managed your favorite team or not.

Glove, Speed, Power. Mookie Does It All.

It was The Mookie Betts Show for the 104th Opening Day in the history of  Fenway Park yesterday.

And I am so glad I was there to witness it live and in person with The BLOHARDS.

Mookie made his presence known right away, as he robbed Bryce Harper of a two-run home run in the first inning, as he leaped high above the bullpen to snatch it. And in the bottom of the first, with David Ortiz batting and a shift on, Mookie, on first base, stole second, and then immediately high-tailed it over to third, as no one was covering the bag, and just made it ahead of pitcher Jordan Zimmermann's tag. It was just the 11th time in the last 100 years a player stole two bases on one play. (The last being Dustin Pedroia last August.) He scored on Papi's single for the first Red Sox run.

With the score 4-0, Mookie came up with two on in the second, and hit a line shot into the Monster seats for his second home run and it gave the Sox a 4-0 lead.

It was a really bad day all around for the Nationals, as two outfield misplays were centered around a four-run Red Sox third, and it was 8-0. They knocked out Zimmermann, who was charged with 7 earned runs. David Ortiz added a home run into the Monster seats in center in the sixth that made it 9-2.

Rick Porcello went eight solid innings, giving up four runs. The bullpen needed the rest after being stretched out twice in New York. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless ninth to complete the 9-4 Opening Day win.

The Sox are now 10-1 in their last 11 openers at Fenway. But this day will be remembered for the heroics of one Markus Lynn Betts. We may have seen the emergence of a star yesterday.

And I'm so glad I was there to see it in real time.

Long Night's Journey Into Morning

I detest Edward Mujica.

I thought he was an awful free agent signing by the Red Sox after the 2013 World Series win. He was the closer for the St. Louis Cardinals, and was so awful down the stretch, he was barely used by them in their run to the World Series. So for what ever unfathomable reason, the Sox signed him to a two-year deal. And with Koji Uehara's hamstring injury (thank God he returns on Monday), John Farrell made him the temporary closer. Yikes.

And he gave it up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, allowing a game-tying home run to a struggling Chase Headley. The game goes to extra-innings. 10 extra-innings.

It was the longest game by time in Red Sox history: 6 hours and 49 minutes. It included a 16-minute power outage delay in the 12th inning, and the Sox scoring runs in the 16th (David Ortiz' first HR of 2015) and 18th innings, only for New York to tie it both times.

The Sox scored the game winner in the 19th on Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly in the top of the 19th. They turned a sparkling DP started by Xander Bogaerts to conclude matters at 2:13 AM. The Red Sox used up the entire bullpen, with Steven Wright pitching the last four innings for his first win.

I think Steven Wright can put this gritty performance into his collection of his "Very Best Of":


The only longer game between the two rivals was in 1967, with New York winning the second game of a doubleheader (remember those?) in 20 innings.

The teams play their second game of the weekend series at 1 PM today. Barely 11 hours after the final pitch of Friday night/Saturday morning's game ended.

And everyone has a stiff named Edward Mujica to thank for it.

Once Again, I'm a Free Agent

I'm sad to have to say that Trivia at Foley's will no longer be happening. Unfortunately, we weren't able to bring out enough of a crowd on Sunday nights to continue it, and yesterday it was mutually agreed to bring it to a close. I want to thank Shaun and everyone else at Foley's for the opportunity to try a Trivia Night there, and he and his staff were terrific to me. It's a great bar where all kinds of sports is the top priority and should be. Trivia just didn't fit in. But if you are ever in midtown Manhattan, I would encourage you to go there and check it out, especially if you are a baseball fan.

And now I will again attempt to find a new home for my Trivia Night. If any of you know of an establishment looking to start a Trivia Night, please do let me know. (You can drop me a line at: jbq1462@hotmail.com.) I will keep everyone updated with my progress in achieving that goal. Thanks to all of you for your continuing support of my Trivia Night. You are all the best!

I'd Say That Was a Good Start

Well, the Red Sox wasted no time on Monday to put 2014 far into the rear view mirror, as they blasted 5 home runs and got a near-flawless performance from Clay Buchholz in routing the Phillies on Opening Day, 8-0.

Dustin Pedroia blasted two dingers, Mookie Betts had a solo shot, and Hanley Ramirez went deep twice, including banging a grand slam off the left field foul pole late to put the win on ice.

But what was most encouraging was the start by Buchholz, who was superb for seven innings, striking out 9 and walking just one. He was in complete command all game, and only ran into any trouble in the 7th, when the Phillies got back-to-back hits off him. Buchholz clearly seemed comfortable with new starting catcher Ryan Hanigan, and seemed to be on the same page all day.

Both David Ortiz and Pablo Sandoval took the collar, but the rest of the cast picked up the slack.

Pedroia became just the second second baseman in history to hit two home runs on Opening Day, and Ramirez' grand slam was the first on Opening Day by a Sox player since Jack Clark in 1991.

The Sox hit the first four home runs, all solo shots, off former future Sox hurler and current Phillie ace Cole Hamels. (I have a feeling the call to trade for Hamels, especially if it involves Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart, has abated for now.)

And on this same day, future Tommy John surgical patient Masahiro Tanaka was lit up by the Toronto Blue Jays in New York, and the Yankees went quietly in a 6-1 loss. The Mets won a gritty 3-1 game in Washington, as they never seem to lose on Opening Day.

Yes, Opening Day. One of my favorite days. Why can't results be like this more often?

Now We Play For Real

The Spring Training schedule officially came to an end on Saturday. The Red Sox ended the spring at 17-12. (Not that that matters now, as everyone is 0-0 as I write this.)

The opener is Monday afternoon in Philadelphia. Clay Buchholz takes the mound in his first ever Opening Day start, and there is plenty of pressure on him. Few people think of him as an ace, and he sure hasn't pitched like on the last few seasons. He got off to that great start in 2013, going 10-1 before injuries curtailed his season. You have to figure that if injuries and /or ineffectiveness ruin another season, he'll be pitching somewhere else in 2016.

They will miss Christian Vazquez badly, as he had Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will miss the season. He is an adept handler of pitchers, and will be replaced by Ryan Hanigan. And we will see rookie Blake Swihart at some point this year. When is the big question.

Koji Uehara and Joe Kelly will begin the year on the DL. Sounds like neither will miss much time. John Farrell has said he may go by closer-by-committee, but Edward Muijica will get most of the opportunities.

The outfield will be Hanley Ramirez in left, Mookie Betts in center and Shane Victorino. Ramirez had a good spring, both at the plate and in the field, having made just one error. Betts was terrific in all phases of the game, and he looks like a superstar on the rise. Victorino is coming off back surgery, and the job is his. We'll see how long he lasts.

The infield is Mike Napoli at first, Dustin Pedroia at second, Xander Bogaerts at shortstop and Pablo Sandoval at third. Napoli was blasting away this spring, Bogaerts looked better at short, and Pedroia was again Pedroia after having surgery this past winter on his wrist. Sandoval should be an interesting case study this season. His weight will become an issue if he's not pulling his weight (forgive me, I couldn't resist) at the plate.

David Ortiz will be the DH, with Ryan Hanigan doing most of the catching with Sandy Leon backing him up.

The rotation has been much discussed, as the Sox rebuilt it over the winter with the trades for Wade Miley and Rick Porcello, and the signing of old friend Justin Masterson as a free agent. Both Porcello and Buchholz were the most consistent starters in the spring, and Porcello figures to be the number two man. They made no big trade for a "legitimate" ace, but that could still happen if the need arises during the season.

Where will the Sox finish in 2015? I think this is a playoff team, as the AL East is not a strong division. I'll leave the predictions to the so-called "experts."

Off we go with another baseball season tomorrow. I'll be at Fenway next Monday for the home opener with the BLOHARDS. Here's to a "worst-to-first-to-worst-to-first" season!

Buchholz To Start The Opener In Philly

Opening Day is exactly one week away for the Red Sox, and members of the battery made news this week.

Clay Buchholz was named the Opening Day starter for next Monday in Philadelphia. He's "the old man" of the revamped starting staff, and his numbers this spring aren't bad, despite giving up 12 hits and 4 runs over 5 innings last Friday. (And you obviously take Spring Training numbers with a grain of salt.)

2015 is a make it or break it year for Buchholz. He has to prove he is a top-of-the-rotation starter, and stay healthy at the same time. Most Red Sox fans don't believe he is a number one starter, and I don't either. But he's had the most experience of any of the starting pitchers the Sox have, so he almost gets it by default.

Rick Porcello will pitch the second game in Philadelphia, and either Wade Miley or Justin Masterson will complete the opening series.

In far more troubling news, the Sox placed Christian Vazquez on the 60-day disabled list today, and acquired catcher Sandy Leon from the Washington Nationals for cash considerations. Vazquez has been having right elbow discomfort, and is scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday for a second opinion. Unfortunately, this has "Tommy John surgery" written all over it.

Leon is strictly catching depth for the Sox, who will go with Ryan Hanigan as their number one catcher with Vazquez out. Blake Swihart has had a good spring, but figures to play everyday at Pawtucket, as he is not ready. And all of a sudden, that Hanigan for Will Middlebrooks deal the Sox made this past winter is looking more and more crucial.

And in more injury news, it sounds like Koji Uehara will not be on the roster for Opening Day, as his hamstring injury will not be settled by then, and John Farrell said yesterday that Edward Mujica (God help us) will be the primary closer, but he did not rule out going to a closer-by-committee until Koji is ready to return.

So Pete Rose Wants Back In

I haven't written much on baseball so far in this new year of 2015, but with 13 days to go until the season gets under way, and the cold weather finally abating, let's do it!

Earlier this month, Pete Rose made his intentions known that he is applying for reinstatement, after being banned since 1989 for betting on baseball. With a new commissioner at the helm in Rob Manfred, he figures to try and strike while the iron is hot and hopes that the new commissioner will be sympathetic to his case.

Manfred announced he will give Rose's case a look, but has not hinted in which direction he will go.

We all know the facts of Rose's banishment. He was basically caught red-handed having placed bets on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds, and screamed for years that he never actually did it. He says he accepted the lifetime ban with the idea that after one year he would file for reinstatement. He also figured that he was still eligible for the Hall of Fame at the time, so that wouldn't be affected. (The Hall of Fame then banned all players on the Permanently Ineligible List shortly thereafter.) But Bart Giamatti, who rightly gave Rose the boot, died one week after the whole sordid matter ended, and the two commissioners that followed him, Fay Vincent and Bud Selig, kept the ban in place.

Rose lied in his deposition in 1989, and smeared the reputations of the men who brought the evidence against him 26 years ago, and has never offered any kind of apology to them.

Everyone in baseball knows that betting on the game is the sport's mortal sin. Every locker room in MLB has signs posted about that. The Black Sox scandal of 1919 came close to sinking the sport.

And have you noticed there has not been one case of illegal betting on baseball by anyone in MLB since Rose was banned?

I was in Rose's camp in early 2000s that he had served a long enough sentence for this case, and maybe it was finally time to reconsider his ban. But then in 2004, simply to sell yet another autobiography he'd written, Rose decided to come clean and admit, "yeah, I bet on baseball." For 15 years, he insisted to all his loyal fans and supporters that he hadn't bet on the game, and it was all trumped up by MLB.

And to make more money, Charlie Hustle admitted he hustled the fans. Treated us all like chumps.

So as far as I am concerned, Pete Rose can stay banned from MLB.

Listen, the Hall of Fame has plenty of members of rather dubious character, and the PED scandals have really played havoc with the election process. But that's a whole different story. I'm sure Rob Manfred will give Rose a shot here, but I bet he is in no rush to make any kind of ruling.

Rose doesn't have my support. And many Hall of Famers feel the same way. Everyone knows the rules. YOU DON'T BET ON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. He knew that, did it anyway because he was (and probably still is) a degenerate gambler. He of course merits induction for what he did as an MLB player.

But he ruined his career after he became a manager. I have always felt that somewhere down the road he will be reinstated and will enter the Hall of Fame by way of the Veterans Committee. But let it happen after he dies, so he's not there to enjoy it.

Sorry, Pete. No sympathy from me. You treated us like fools for years. Don't bet (pun intended) on getting back in MLB's good graces. Let your cries for reinstatement fall on deaf ears.

Trivia Will Return On April 12

Due to the continuing NCAA Tournament basketball playoffs on March 29th, and the opening of the baseball season on April 5th (and it also being Easter Sunday), Trivia Night at Foley's will be taking off the next two weeks.

We'll be back with another edition of Trivia on Sunday night, April 12th at 7 PM.

Hope to see you then!