World Series Hangover? Or World Series Do-over?

OPENING GAME: Monday, March 31 at Baltimore Orioles

OPENING GAME AT HOME: Friday, April 4 vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Scouting Report from The Sister Turned Red Sox Fanatic

Will the Red Sox avoid the dreaded “World Series Hangover?”

Fans and critics are both anxiously watching as to whether the Red Sox will avoid the dreaded fall from grace that followed them in 2005 and 2008 after winning World Series titles. I don’t think the season will be a disaster by a long shot. I also think they have their work cut out for them. 
 

Clearly one of the biggest concerns is whether the starting pitching rotation can stay healthy.  At spring training, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, and Peavy looked strong while John Lackey who is in the best physical shape ever cannot find his groove.  Doubront is uneven but when he’s on, he’s excellent.  Chris Capuano offers the team promise as a starter but might also play an important role as a relief pitcher depending on what happens in the bull pen.  Andrew Miller and  Rubby (pronounced “ruby”)De La Rosa look strong as relief pitchers .  The big question is what will happen for Koji Uehara this year.  At 38 coming off a near impossible to believe season, it would be a miracle for him to repeat his phenomenal World Series win but he appears to have picked up just where he left off.  Let’s hope!

 

A.J. Pierzynski offers the Red Sox great hope as both a solid catcher and a strong hitter although it is hard to see that just yet.  David Ross, a club and fan favorite, offers less flash and a bit more substance in catching but not in hitting.  Both are 37 and need to stay healthy.  Rumors abound that Ryan Larvarnway will be traded to make way for Christian Vasquez or Blake Swihart from the minors.  Whoever comes up, he needs to be young!

Dustin Pedroia (2B), Will Middlebrooks (3B) and Mike Napoli (1B) all look terrific and I think we will see them as great infielders and strong batters. However, the Red Sox are missing a reliable back-up for Napoli at first base. If Napoli who has been plagued by hip injuries gets hurt again, the team will be scrambling. However, good thing is that with so many strong outfielders (too many actually), Mike Carp (LF) or Daniel Nava (LF) could play first. Xander Bogaerts (SS) has been exciting to watch and I predict he becomes a major fan favorite.  Prepare to see a crop of baby boys named Xander now that the Jasons, Jacobys, and Justins are gone. The Sox will miss Jacoby Ellsbury more for his speed and spirit but I think the Yankees bought an expensive “maybe” for the upcoming season. 

Despite his talents, Mike Carp is rumored to be on the list to be traded if difficult decisions need to be made about the outfield. Grady Sizemore’s triumphant return combined with Jackie Bradley, Jr.’s backup give the Sox solid support in center field.  Jonny Gomes who is unbelievably “hot” without the beard seems confident in left field while Shane Victorino (when he has played in spring training) is high-energy and fun to watch. 

I think the Red Sox have an excellent chance of taking the American League East and I suspect it will be Tampa Bay they struggle with, rather than the Yankees. But I also believe that it will take a dozen games or more before we know whether the World Series Hangover will veer its ugly head.  The Sox won’t win if they aren’t hungry—2013 was a great example of what good talent but great spirit can produce! Play ball!

 

NOTE:   This was a serious scouting report. Check out the Sister's Report from Spring Training in the Grapefruit League.

So what’s the hype about spring training?

A Report From Boston Red Sox Spring Training

--Submitted by The Sister Turned Red Sox Fanatic

My husband and I just returned from Boston Red Sox Spring Training at JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers, Florida, USA. I felt like I should add U.S.A because it totally felt like an other-world experience. Going to spring training at least once appears on (almost) every Red Sox fan’s “bucket list. So is it worth the hype? Absolutely.  And then some.  It’s magic!
 

Let me make one thing clear up front—going to spring training is only a tiny bit about baseball.  Actually, the seven games we saw in two weeks were probably some of the lamest baseball, I have ever seen.  The first four innings might offer a hint of what will happen in the season ahead as at least some of the big leaguers show up early in the game. The starting pitchers rotate in and out like divas. The infielders spend a lot of time man-hugging their buds from opposing teams. The outfielders turn their faces into the warm Florida rays like sunflowers until the crowd noises suggest that someone hit the ball and they snap back into action. The umpires strut just because that’s what they do. Their “protective equipment” is probably a bit snug after a winter of whatever. Instant replays this year in MLB will make them pay a bit more attention.  And no one spits.

By the fifth inning, sooner if the manager deems, Red Sox wannabes rotate into the game; the roster can go to complete unknowns in seconds. Lots of Bryces and Brooks and Bretts coming up, I see.   Then the chaos begins. I saw innings with 5 errors, six walks prior to the first out, rookies knocking over anyone near home plate on the slide in, and spectacular bobbles in the outfield. And the crowd, so not Fenway. 

Missing were the beer-soaked four-sport fans from Boston who bad- mouth the players and the managers because they can (so not Fenway). The vendors actually sell beer in the cheap seats (so not Fenway).  Fans from other teams with training facilities in Florida just come to the game because it’s fun (that is so like Fenway). Even Yankee fans were pretty tolerable, so not Fenway (ok, we all drank a lot of beer).

So what’s the hype?  Just approaching JetBlue Park amidst the fluttering flags declaring “Fenway South”, the oversize banner proclaiming the Boston Red Sox as champions of the universe (took some literary liberty there) and a replica of the Ted Williams statue at Fenway were emotionally overwhelming. You aren’t even in the park yet and you are bleeding Red Sox proud!  When you enter the park, you are struck by the eerie familiarity of the Green Monster and the Pesky Pole. Sitting in a game at Spring Training drinking a beer when it’s 85 degrees makes you believe that despite arguably the longest winter in history, that summer will come again and with it the promise that all things are possible (or possible again in the case of the Red Sox). Hearing the familiar “play ball!” and the national anthem, and Sweet Caroline, and “Get Your Beer Here!” made me very emotional (ok, I sobbed). 

Generations of Red Sox fans from newborns in “B” emblazed onesies to wizened retirees (half of New England retires in Florida) offer a collective embrace of the new season. The intimacy of the park with only 11,000 seats encourages spontaneous conversation and free flowing opinions about “their chances” this year. Lots of high fives are exchanged as well as occasional bemoaning about who deserted the Red Sox for more money. There is predictably, enthusiastic cheering when the scoreboard shows the Yankees losing to anyone. So as the experience is so not Fenway, it is so Fenway. It is such a wonderful illustration of the paradox that is baseball in New England.  As fans we want everthing to be different but we don’t want anything to change. 

Yes, spring training is definitely worth the hype!