Over the Monster

SBN Baseball Awards: Manager Of The Year

2009-11-09T11:00:22Z

about 1 month ago: Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy addresses the media during a news conference in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. The Rockies are scheduled to play the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League division baseball series on Wednesday in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Every year, us baseball bloggers at SB Nation vote for all the normal end of the year awards. Now it's time to get it started again for the 2009 season.

Every blog received two ballots for their respective league. For OTM, myself and E-Coli voted for all the American League awards. After the jump are the results for Manager of the Year for both the AL and NL

American League

Rk	Manager	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
1	Mike Scioscia	Los Angeles Angels	9	8	3	72
2	Ron Gardenhire	Minnesota Twins	9	5	1	61
3	Don Wakamatsu	Seattle Mariners	6	3	8	47
4	Joe Girardi	New York Yankees	2	4	2	24
5	Ron Washington	Texas Rangers	1	4	4	21
6	Terry Francona	Boston Red Sox	1	1	3	11
7	Jim Leyland	Detroit Tigers	-	2	4	10
8	Joe Maddon	Tampa Bay Rays	-	1	1	4
9	Ozzie Guillen	Chicago White Sox	-	-	1	1
10	Trey Hillman	Kansas City Royals	-	-	1	1

I forget how I exactly voted, but I know that I did not give Terry Francona the nod for Manager of the Year. I also do not know how E-Coli voted, but maybe there are some real Tito lovers out there that don't actually represent Red Sox Nation.

National League

Rk	Manager	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
1	Jim Tracy	Colorado Rockies	24	1	2	125
2	Tony LaRussa	St. Louis Cardinals	3	7	10	46
3	Fredi Gonzalez	Florida Marlins	2	6	5	33
4	Joe Torre	Los Angeles Dodgers	-	9	2	29
5	Charlie Manuel	Philadelphia Phillies	-	3	5	14
6	Bruce Bochy	San Francisco Giants	1	1	1	9
7	Bobby Cox	Atlanta Braves	-	1	4	7
8	Bud Black	San Diego Padres	-	1	1	4
9	John Russell	Pittsburgh Pirates	-	1	-	3

Unlike the AL, it was not close in NL voting for Manager of the Year. Jim Tracy just ran away with this competition. I'm surprised Bruce Bochy didn't receive more votes. I personally would have given him a top four spot at the worst.

Tomorrow I will post the results for Rookie of the Year.

Anyone Interested In An Over The Monster Book ... Club?

2009-11-09T02:01:06Z

Books are fun!

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A lot of other blogs do this, so I'll throw it out, too: is anyone interested in participating in an Over The Monster book club?

Essentially, we'd all agree on a Red Sox/baseball book and read it. That's the premise. There's a lot of different routes we can go: we can just say, 'hey, finish it in a month' and then I'll make a post and we can talk about it. Or we can do it in shifts, so read the first three chapters and then have a post. There's a lot of ways we can do it. We can even have people participating to write posts that are on the front page that get other discussion started, so it's not just left with me.

For example, a nice comment might be: "The symbolism of Dustin Pedroia's bat is his hatred for being so short." Obviously, that's a winner.

The OTMBC is just a good way to kill the offseason. We might as well educate ourselves while we wait for spring training, right?

There is a poll attached. Please answer it, homies.

Poll

Are you interested in an OTM book club?

Red Sox Decline SS Alex Gonzalez's $6M Option

2009-11-08T21:23:13Z

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox' Alex Gonzalez, center, celebrates with teammates Dustin Pedroia, right, and others after hitting a walkoff single to drive in the winning run for a 9-8 victory against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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The Red Sox declined Alex Gonzalez's $6M option for 2010, according to the Globe:

The Red Sox have declined a $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez, according to a source, but the club still may have interest in bringing the player back in 2010 on a lesser salary.

[...]

With Gonzalez now eligible for free agency, the Sox do not appear to have an everyday shortstop on their roster. When the season ended, even general manager Theo Epstein all but acknowledged that Jed Lowrie’s injury history has cast doubt on Lowrie’s ability to handle the position on a daily basis.

This is no surprise. While Gonzalez did perform much better than expected after his acquisition last year, he wasn't worth the $6M pricetag for 2010. It does look like the Sox will bring him back however, unless he wants to take a better offer elsewhere.

Expect the Sox to continue to try and find a long-term solution at the shortstop position. The market has thinned with J.J. Hardy being dealt to the Twins last week.

Hermida for Pierre? [Promoted FanPost]

2009-11-08T04:38:42Z

So, let me throw a small hypothetical out to ya.

I'm not the stat research guy around here. As it turns out, YOU are my stats research. So, this may be the stupidest idea ever, I dunno.

But, how do we all feel about a potential Hermida for Juan Pierre trade with the Dodgers? I know that Pierre hits left, so he wouldn't be a replacement for Bay's right handed power bat for the Monster, but still.

If Bay & Holliday get to the point where they aren't worth the money/years, maybe Juan Pierre at 2 years/$18.5mil isn't such a bad idea for left field. After that, Reddick is ready for left?

So the deal is, Hermida for Pierre straight up. We get a quality starter at a much reduced wage, the Dodgers get rid of a $9mil bench player and now have money they can use elsewhere.

Discuss.

11/5,6,7 - Curfews,Catching Up, and Traveling

2009-11-07T10:00:20Z

Sorry about the lack of posts for the past few days - apparently, parents don't like realizing that they've raised an insomniac. Posts might be a little further spaced out, but with more links in each edition, depending on how much I can get done before I literally lose my Internet connection on school nights. Hey, that's what you get when a teenager is your news aggregator. Now, with that out of the way, here's the first set of links:

Does Boston's Trade for Jeremy Hermida Mean the End for Jason Bay in Beantown? - Bleacher Report

Though Hermida is by no means a middle-of-the-order slugger, this could very well signal the end of Jason Bay's tenure in Boston. Bay recently shot down a four-year, $60 million offer from the Sox, and his worth will only increase as the offseason wears on.

Among other reasons why Bay might not be returning, but if this sticks out to someone as a red flag of sorts, we'll have to see if they're right.

Marlins Trade Jeremy Hermida To Red Sox: A Sign of Things To Come - Bleacher Report

Due to the economy, these are the types of trades you are going to see this winter. Teams who can’t afford to wait on young players or can’t afford a player’s salary will be forced to trade them to teams who can.

Lots of different spins on this whole deal. Of course, Hermida was also part of another trade the Sox were involved in, or at least an attempt at one:

Let the Offseason Begin: Boston Red Sox Steal Hermida from Florida Marlins - Bleacher Report

That proposal didn’t gain any traction, and Hermida stayed with the Marlins, but despite missing out on his services, Boston remained infatuated with him and his potential, hoping he would someday be part of their quest for a World Series championship.

Totally forgot about the Manny-Marlins rumor. Although, now I do remember seeing a mockup of what Manny would look like in "fishstripes" on a Marlins' broadcast (don't remember why I was watching that). It was amazing how quickly they jumped on that rumor.

Jeremy Hermida: Bust Or Breakout - Bleacher Report

Seems to be more common view of the trade.

Yeah, I know, not much variety so far; it is interesting to see the variety of opinions available from relatively unconnected authors, as opposed to here, where the discussions can help figure out how we should feel about certain issues. After the jump, some more "independent" writing, an important discovery from YWA, and more general Hot Stove linkage.

4 Moves The Boston Red Sox Have To Make to Win The World Series In 2010 - Bleacher Report

After a quick exit from the MLB playoffs i quickly started to think, what could they do to get better? After a few weeks of research and asking my self questions i have come up with four moves they Red Sox must confront this off season if they want to win the 2010 World Series

BOW TO THE KNOWLEDGEABLE ONE. If you can make it past the sub-par writing quality (if you're reading this, than you probably can), have fun laughing at how many players are apparently good-for-nothing busts.

Rebuilding A Nation: BoSox in 2010 - Bleacher Report

If Theo has someone dedicated to researching the general public opinion of Red Sox Nation (hopefully not just looking at polls by the commercialized club), he probably gets a good laugh from some of the If-I-was-the-GM type articles.

Ranking the World Series Champions in the 2000s - Bleacher Report

Not sure what they're ranking them by.

Trade Market: Right Fielders - MLBTradeRumors.com

Market awareness link - also an opportunity to search for JD's safety net.

Free Agent Friday: First Base 2010 - Beyond the Box Score

Again, not that we're interested, but it's a good idea of what's available.

2010 Red Sox Preview: First Base - Yawkey Way Academy

See? Probably not going to need to be looking at the Free Agents here.

Report: Red Sox Interested in Cuban First Baseman - NESN.com

Although the younger prospects are always worth looking into.

Theo’s "95-Win Team", Beckett’s Extension, Falling Dominoes, and the Mailbag - Fire Brand of the AL

In recent years, one of the most important axioms put forth by the Theo Epstein and the Red Sox front office is the law of the "95-Win Team". According to this directive, the team’s goal is to target 95-wins annually in an effort to compete every season. This is really a great piece of wisdom, as a team that wins 95 games will make the playoffs most years. In fact, the Wild Card winner since 2003 – the first year Theo took the esteemed office of Red Sox General Manger – has averaged a record of just about 95-67.

Theo Epstein can’t just wait ’til next year - BostonHerald.com

Apparently - jumped on Hermida on the first day. Of course, there seems to be a lot of activity happening really early this year.

Umpire Strike Zone Analysis - The Basics and Batter Handedness - Beyond the Box Score

2009 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies' Pedro Martinez exits in a hurry - ESPN

Pedro Martinez's outing in Game 6 of the World Series was brief, as was his bizarre session with reporters after he tried to bolt the Phillies' clubhouse without speaking to the media.

All you can do is wear it - Extra Bases

Revisiting 2009: Did we get what we expected? - Fire Brand of the AL

Which catcher would you least like to see go on free agency? - Fire Brand of the American League

Umm... duh. Seems like the question was supposed to be more mind-blowing than it is, but somehow the effect got lost in transcribing it.

Not cuckoo for Coco - Extra Bases

Unless he's really cheap - could help if Ells is still having issues this season. Not sure he's worth the roster spot though...

With Earlier Offseason Regimen, David Ortiz Expects to Slug Away in 2010 - NESN.com

Learning to Pitch with Josh Beckett - Yawkey Way Academy

Haven't seen this info anywhere else - Beckett's becoming a pitcher rather than a thrower with a curve. If he can figure it all out this year, he'd be a lot better prepared for his post-peak years, which should be starting with his next contract.

Hideki Okajima is a Key Part of Red Sox' 2010 Puzzle - NESN.com

Green to have surgery - Full Count

SS = surgically sidelined, apparently.

Ten players the Sox could pursue - Boston.com

Not a lot of surprising names, but there are a few new ideas.

New Elias: Harden, Beltre Type B’s; Figgins an A, so’s Billy Wagner - Clubhouse Insider

A: Figgins, Wagner, Bay (tied Markickass for best AL outfielder - hint at how primitive their evaluation statistics are)

B: Harden, Beltre, Tek, Zaun

Unranked: Gonzo (muhahaha)

Comments, links, ideas on how to convince my parents that it's not harmful for me to write for OTM (I've tried describing it as a critical thinking exercise and a brain after-exercise-stretch), etc. Oh, and I'll be traveling on a five-day weekend, so I might be absent for a day or two. I'm sure one of the editors wouldn't mind bumping a links Fanpost up if anyone finds a bunch of really good links.

According to a baseball source, the Sox had been engaging with the Brewers in on-and-off...

2009-11-07T01:37:54Z

According to a baseball source, the Sox had been engaging with the Brewers in on-and-off discussions involving Hardy since the trading deadline, roughly two weeks before Milwaukee sent the struggling shortstop to the minor leagues. Talks continued up until recently, when the Brewers agreed to send Hardy to the Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez.

According to the same source, Milwaukee wanted either starter Clay Buchholz or reliever Daniel Bard for Hardy. The Sox were not willing to offer either pitcher. Milwaukee was not interested in righthander Michael Bowden, whom the Sox would have been willing to part with, and the Sox did not have a center field prospect who could match Gomez’s skill set.

Sox were in on Hardy - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

Twins Acquire J.J. Hardy

2009-11-06T17:50:55Z

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Well, there goes that option... (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

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The Twins traded Carlos Gomez for the Brewers shorstop earlier today. Hardy, who had seemingly lost his starting position in Milwaukee to upcoming prospect Alcides Escobar, was being tossed around by many as a possible option for the Red Sox next year.

Other options still remain for the Red Sox to either backup Jed Lowrie or platoon with him. Alex Gonzalez would have to give up his starting position and likely have to accept a good deal less than his $6 million option to return. Old friend Alex Cora remains a free agent. And another guy coming off a down season--Mike Aviles--has had his name pop up once or twice.

Trade Analysis: Huh?mida

2009-11-06T03:26:57Z

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - ASSOCIATED PRESS

What role will Jeremy Hermida have with the Sox? (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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After Tuesday's trade with the fabulous floundering fish, the Florida Marlins, the Red Sox have a new outfielder, Jeremy Hermida. This unexpected deal raises the question of what role he'll have on the team.

Hermida was a forner top prospect who has largely disappointed in the bigs. His best year was without doubt 2007: .296 / .369 / .501 (.870 OPS), 18 HR, 32 doubles in 123 games. Unfortunately, Hermida's star has fallen significantly since then, along with his OPS, which was .729 in '08 and .740 this year. Defensively, Hermida is not impressive, with a career -26.7 UZR, mostly in right field. In left, his numbers aren't very impressive, and he's spent almost no time in center.

My initial thought was that the Sox wanted Hermida as a bench player / 4th outfielder or as a piece for a trade. But Theo's remarks yesterday suggest they see something more:

"Hermida is a player who hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet. We acquired him today for a reasonable cost to see if he might be able to fulfill that potential with us. He’s somebody who has positive indicators that future performance might be better than his past performance. His minor-league track record, his age, his draft pedigree, our scouting reports over the year indicate there’s a chance that he can turn into the player he was once thought to be." Source

Maybe the Front Office thinks they can bottle lightning with Hermida. Theo has gambled on high ceiling position players before - think Wily Mo Pena or David Ortiz. Assuming Theo is high on Hermida, hopefully he's still looking at outfielders, because otherwise Hermida is going to be under a lot of pressure to replace Jason Bay's production. Holliday or Bay,or leaving a horse head in Andrew Friedman's bed and grabbing Crawford, should be the Red Sox plan for LF this year.

Poll

Where do you see Jeremy Hermida ending up?

"This was not a blockbuster. This was a value trade, a chance to get a guy with unfulfilled...

2009-11-06T02:23:13Z

"This was not a blockbuster. This was a value trade, a chance to get a guy with unfulfilled potential at a reasonable cost.

"The last two years, there were high expectations that didn’t come together for him. His performance certainly hasn’t been as good the last two years as it was in 2007. I can tell you that’s the reason we were able to acquire him today. Had he maintained that performance or had linear progression from 2007 to today, there’s no way we would have been trading for him, let alone in this kind of a deal.

"Hermida is a player who hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet. We acquired him today for a reasonable cost to see if he might be able to fulfill that potential with us. He’s somebody who has positive indicators that future performance might be better than his past performance. His minor-league track record, his age, his draft pedigree, our scouting reports over the year indicate there’s a chance that he can turn into the player he was once thought to be.

"Certainly this is a good time to acquire him when his value is a little bit low and to see if with a change of scenery he will be able to fulfill his potential.

"He is somebody who had and we feel may still have considerable promise. This is a player who was highly sought after as an amateur. We liked him in the draft.

"He’s about to move into his prime years. Sometimes talented young players who struggle at the big-league level put it all together and sometimes they don’t. We had a chance to acquire one for what we deemed to be a very reasonable cost."

Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

Theo Epstein on Jeremy Hermida.

Early Thoughts On Jeremy Hermida Trade

2009-11-06T01:37:33Z

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

3 days ago: FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2009, file photo, Boston Red Sox's Hunter Jones poses for a photo. Jones and teammate Jose Alvarez were traded to the Florida Marlins for the Marlins' Jeremy Hermida, the Red Sox baseball team said Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Steven Senne,file)

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It's been a few hours and the Jeremy Hermida trade is still a head scratcher.

Hermida, who hasn't done much at the MLB level, has potential. That's about all he has. And a $2M+ price tag, but nothing the Sox can't afford. Perhaps Theo Epstein will be using Hermida as an insurance policy if he can't get a better left fielder via free agency. Maybe Theo just plans to use him off the bench. Who really knows?

The Globe's Amalie Benjamin via Twitter on the Hermida trade:

1) Baseball source said #RedSox made the deal bc they got Hermida on the cheap, and there's a chance he performs better than did with FL.

2) Source also said Hermida might not factor into the team in 2010. Appears to be some early insurance for the #RedSox.

So, basically, the beat writers don't know either.

Just looking at the trade right now, let's grade it. To clarify, the Sox get Hermida and the Marlins receive Hunter Jones, a decent left-handed option out of the 'pen, and Jose Alvarez, a young left-handed pitcher.

Poll

As of now, grade the Hermida/Jones-Alvarez trade.

Red Sox Trade for Marlins Outfielder Jeremy Hermida

2009-11-05T23:04:05Z

More photos » by Matt York - AP

4 months ago: Florida Marlins' Jeremy Hermida throws his bat after striking out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game in Phoenix, Saturday, July 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The Red Sox have reportedly acquired Florida Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida:

The Boston Red Sox have acquired outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for minor-league left-handers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Hermida hit .258 with 13 home runs with 47 RBIs for the Marlins last season. Florida drafted Hermida as the 11th pick in the first round of the 2002 draft.

Jones, 25, was 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 36 appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket last season. He had 9.24 ERA in 11 appearances in two major-league stints with the Red Sox.

Interesting move by the Sox here. Hermida could potentially replace Jason Bay in left field, but there would certainly be a drop in numbers between Bay and Hermida. However, Hermida does have a lot of potential -- that's been the word on him for a few years. Could he break out in Boston? Does Theo Epstein think a full-time gig for Hermida could be a cheap cure for left field? It's possible. Or, Hermida will just be a backup outfielder with, potentially, Rocco Baldelli.

We'll have more on this trade soon.

Community Projections: Y'all Under Estimated Jacoby Ellsbury

2009-11-05T11:15:18Z

It's not an over statement that the Over The Monster community under estimated what Jacoby Ellsbury would do this season.

Nobody was really that close at all. Only one guess was actually over his batting average this season and the closest guess for stolen bases was still 14 off. Rough.

The categories for Ellsbury were: AB, HR, BA, OBP, SLG and SB. His actual stats:

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jacoby Ellsbury	153	624	94	188	27	10	8	60	49	74	70	12	.301	.355	.415

Here's how the predictions broke down:

NAME	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	SB
laxtonto	--	12	.284	.341	.402	56
B Cap	520	14	.293	.356	.410	45
bs.uf15bosox9bears23	520	6	.267	.320	.350	38
drabidea	575	10	.305	.360	.420	42
BTLove	563	9	.292	.348	.408	48
E5	310	1	.265	.335	.395	41
BoSox415	550	11	.285	.370	.420	45
DougieWentDeep	530	9	.291	.349	.416	42

KEY: Everything bolded and italicized represents a guess that was within 5 units of the actual answer. Anything with a background that is RED is a dead-on prediction.

No one was even close with at-bats. Maybe people thought he'd be hitting 8th or 9th all season long. Home runs were steady across the board and we had some close slugging numbers, but outside of that nothing was really close. Like mentioned above, no one even sniffed Ellsbury's true stolen base numbers.

VICTORY REWARDED TO: drabidea ... again. He was within five units of four of the six categories. B Cap, BoSox415 and DougieWentDeep take second places. E5 gets the walk of shame on this one.

drabidea, here are your winnings (NSFW):

New York Yankees Win World Series

2009-11-05T04:51:35Z

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

4 days ago: New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera pitches to the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning of Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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The New York Yankees are the 2009 World Series champions.

The Philadelphia Phillies were a great team this season, but the Yankees were the best -- all season long. So it wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to see this happen tonight.

Congrats, Yankees, but the Red Sox will be gunning for you in 2010.

Pedro Martinez/Game 6 Open Thread

2009-11-05T00:57:36Z

via cache.boston.com

View full size photo »

Pedro! Pedro! Pedro!

I'm ready to see Pedro Martinez push the World Series to a game seven. Go for it, buddy!

Lefty Dustin Richardson, who pitched three games in the majors, was named to the all-star game in...

2009-11-04T20:39:54Z

Lefty Dustin Richardson, who pitched three games in the majors, was named to the all-star game in the Arizona Fall League. It will be played on Saturday. He has had mixed results in seven games — 7.2 9 5 5 5 11 — but has thrown the ball well according to several scouts.

The 6-foot-6 lefty, who spent the 2009 season with Portland for the most part, was a draft pick in 2006 out of Texas Tech.

Richardson an all-star in Arizona - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

Curt Schilling: Be A Man, Pitch On Three Days Rest

2009-11-04T20:38:38Z

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In a Feb. 24, 2008, file photo, then-Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schiling poses for a photo in Fort Meyers, Fla. Schilling won't run for Edward M. Kennedy's seat in the U.S. Senate. Schilling made the announcement on "Joe Buck Live" on HBO on Tuesday night, Sept. 22, 2009. Earlier this month, the 42-year-old Schilling expressed interest in running for the seat held by the Massachusetts Democrat for almost 50 years before he died in August. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

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If Curt Schilling was still playing, he'd be pitching on three days rest tonight. Why? Because that was the man Curt Schilling was:

From a starting pitcher’s standpoint, three days’ rest in October was never an issue, because from the time you’re 5 years old, doing that "World Series" replay in your back yard, it’s the game, the innings, the at-bats you’ve always dreamed about having the ball in your hand for.

I’ve always appreciated the respect pitching on three days’ rest in October got you, but go back to 2001, go to 2004 and beyond, and when you look at anyone pitching on three days’ rest you realize there were far bigger goings-on.

[...]

I always felt the other teams thought that they were going to be getting a "lesser version" of me on three days’ rest. The Yankees said as much after the 2001 World Series. I thought that gave me a huge advantage. Before they could figure out I wasn’t "less," and didn’t have diminished stuff, we’d be in the third or fourth inning.

I guess for me it comes back to the player. I always felt the need to make sure the manager KNEW I wanted to do it, and ya, I’d put up a fight to get the shot to be able to do it. If as a player you don’t assert this, you leave the manager sitting there in a no-win, really. If he does it, and you don’t do well, it’s his fault for pushing you. If he doesn’t do it, and you lose, it’s not your fault because he didn’t ask. That’s the easy way, I think, and I’ve watched guys take it more than once. Being the "quiet type," I never could. You may never be there again, and the belief that in October I could not be outpitched, regardless of whether it was true or not, made me push to get the ball in my hands if at all possible.

Some gems from Mr. Schilling in his post. It's nice to get an inside look at a Hall of Fame pitcher (yes, he is. Should we have that conversation, too?) when it comes to the postseason. I'd like to see Schilling on these damn Fox pregame shows. Now that would be fun to watch.

Here's my favorite part of the story, though, which gave me goosebumps:

Sitting on the bench before heading to the bullpen to start warming up for Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, I was sitting next to Brian Matuzas, our bullpen catcher and a good friend. In my head I’d just had a conversation with my Dad, who passed away suddenly when I was 21. I was nervous, scared as hell, really, and I can remember his voice popping into my head.

"What the hell are you afraid of? You’ve worked your ass off, you’re going to go down, get loose, and then you’re going to take the mound in front of billions of people for Game 7 of the World Series against Clemens and the Yankees. All that fluff aside, after the first pitch you are doing what you’ve loved, what you’ve done your whole life. You’ll bust your ass, give it everything you have, and hopefully you win, but at the end of this night you’ll have nothing left to give."

When I finished the thought I was smiling, sort of laughing at how casual he was about what many consider high-stress situations.

Tooz’ looks at me, he’s literally sweating, "Dude, what the hell! How can you be smiling right now?"

"What? What’s not to smile about, man? I am starting Game 7 of the fricking World Series against Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees? How cool is that?"

He replies, "Schill, I’m the f-ing bullpen catcher and I can’t breathe."

Community Projections: J.D. Drew Lovers In The House

2009-11-04T17:21:49Z

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew waits to hit during practice in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in preparation for the team's upcoming American League division series baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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It's that time of the year again: community projections results time!

Gather 'round, kids, as I reveal how the community at Over The Monster was able to predict the season's of some of the Sox's players. We did eight in the preseason, including the whole lineup except David Ortiz (should have ... that would be interesting). I try to get to every player before the season starts, but that's usually unrealistic. Eight, though, is a pretty good number.

Today we start with everyone's favorite right fielder, J.D. Drew.

I asked all that wanted to participate to guess Drew's statistics for the following categories:

AB:
HR:
BA:
OBP:
SLG:

Special category:

Total games played in the regular season:

Here is how Drew actually performed when 2010 was all said and done:

AB: 452
HR: 24
BA: .279
OBP: .392
SLG: .522

Special category:

Total games played in the regular season: 137

A pretty solid year by all accounts (better than Jason Bay? Oh, we've had that fight already. Get over it). But this is how the community predicted Drew's season would go down:

NAME	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	G
0157h7	430	18	.280	.370	.510	130
Schulz	400	18	.285	.390	.500	120
ya_down_with_obp	440	22	.286	.396	.521	--
RSNexile	460	18	.270	.380	.470	132
NJBillsFan	540	26	.279	.401	.566	150
BoSox415	450	23	.280	.395	.500	140
drabidea	435	21	.280	.390	.520	138
badlydrawnjeff	200	5	.260	.340	.400	50
E5	300	7	.280	.375	.435	100
bs.uf15bosox9bears23	500	35	.320	.415	.520	130
DANNDANN	460	16	.283	.374	.533	119
DougieWentDeep	442	17	.278	.391	.480	132

KEY: Everything bolded and italicized represents a guess that was within 5 units of the actual answer. Anything with a background that is RED is a dead-on prediction.

This one is almost too close to call.

As you can see, both BoSox415 and drabidea guessed within five units of five of the six categories. That's impressive. NJBillsFan pulls off the only perfect prediction, correctly guessing Drew's .279 batting average. Some were close (DougieWentDeep on both BA and OBP -- one point off) while others were a little too optimistic (BS?). Everyone -- except badlydrawnjeff, who predicted an injury-plagued season -- had at least one guess that came within five points.

VICTORY AWARDED TO: BoSox415 and drabidea. Good job, gentlemen. You, my friends, are the best of the best of the best, sirs! Your reward? That YouTube video I just linked to. Congrats.

11/4 - Red Sox National Pedro Day

2009-11-04T10:00:14Z

I declare it so. I don't care that I don't have the authority to do so, in my world, it's officially Pedro Day again in the Nation.

Game 6 script perfect for [Pedro] Martinez - The Boston Globe

Oh, man, this is going to be SWEEEEEEET: it's the first time that we've had a really good reason to not care what logo is on Pedro's cap since he left us. In fact, more than just one reason...

Jim Donaldson: 27 reasons to root against the Yankees - The Providence Journal

In case anyone was leaning towards Mazz's crazy side.

Now, in more directly related news:

Red Sox pitcher Buchholz prepared to play mind games - The Boston Globe

Sounds like he's maturing. I would absolutely love to see Buch prove me wrong and become the ace that replaces Beckett as Lester's partner in crime. Also, we're pretty damn spoiled to be able to talk about phasing one of a pair of aces out with another one. Of course, we'd be rotten to keep all three, right?

Valuing Josh Beckett - Yawkey Way Academy

Going against popular opinion here; an argument FOR signing Beckett to a relatively large extension.

After the jump, more links, likely in rapid fire mode, because it's hard to focus with it being a national holiday and what not.

Tito says splitter is key to Papelbon’s success - The Bottom Line

Pitch F/X'd. But if Tito knows this, why isn't Paps acting on it? Perhaps Farrell and Tito are having a bit of disagreement?

Is Johnny Damon a fit in Boston? - The Bottom Line

Not unless a lot of stuff doesn't go our way.

Red Sox Tasked With Finding Bench Coach, Role for Jason Varitek - NESN.com

Envision one of those Saturday morning cartoons where the cat gets its punk head beat in by the mouse (sorry, dog person here). Now imagine the shaking vision view from the cat's perspective, where everything is in multiples, and slowly stabilizing into one solid picture. The bench coach role and Jason Varitek are like that, to me - and no, I didn't get my head beat in by a rodent. Unless I did, and I just can't remember...

The Batter's Box Quiz 2 - NESN.com

Boredom kill. First one is beyond obvious, even to someone who apparently lost a fight with a mouse.

Should baseball expand replay? - Extra Bases

Yes. If the fairweather fans don't like it, they can go spend their money on something that will instantly gratify them - microwaveable pasta.

BoSox AFL Update - Fire Brand of the American League

Uh oh, USG's got competition. Well, maybe. I still prefer to see all the stats laid out along with the story.

2010 Red Sox Preview: Catcher - Yawkey Way Academy

Interesting point about the gain from a full season of Vic starting. Maybe we don't need to worry about losing out on Bay if we go after Holliday after all?

Negative Team WAR - 2009 Edition - Beyond the Box Score

Hey, we sucked the second least!

Patience Is A Virtue: Looking Back At The Ramon Ramirez Trade - Bleacher Report

So while visions of trading for Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera or Felix Hernandez dance in our heads, it's important to note that even the smallest trades can become impact moves. A one-for-one deal in December can pay dividends in July, even if it doesn't involve sexy names or big contracts.

Pretty good article, actually. Every once in a while, BR surprises me; would be nice to see more authors using better stats in their articles though. Oh, wait, that's pretty much what most SB Nation users do. Seriously, it's amazing how this network seems to filter fans down to the most intelligent and committed (not always both though).

Regressing UZR toward the Fans’ Scouting Report - Inside the Book

The comments section is where the meat is here - lots of good points about considering the connections between stats before deciding to regress one to another, among other things. If anyone wants to use the formulas they present to project, say, Ells, be my guest. If not:

Trade Market: Center Fielders - MLBTradeRumors.com

I really hope Ells can develop an eye for reading balls off the bat, but there are some options available.

Adrian Gonzalez Trade Talks - MLB Daily Dish

Might as well help out another SB Nation blog.

Links, comments, favorite Pedey stories - let it all out.

If You Don't Love Pedro Martinez, Shame On You

2009-11-04T02:29:26Z

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

5 days ago: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez speaks to reporters at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, in New York. Martinez is scheduled to pitch against the New York Yankees on Wednesday in Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Pedro Martinez is the man. I think most of us can agree on that. But it's not just what kind of pitcher that he was (or is?) -- it's also the character that he brings to the table. I, for one, will always remember some of his classical quotes ("Wake up the damn Bambino..."), but he's still dishing them out as a Philly:

On Red Sox fans: "I know they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games."

He also said that he still considers himself a Bostonian and that he treasures his relationship with Red Sox fans. Earlier, he joked with reporters that he "wants his props" now and not when he dies.

[...]

On Red Sox fans: "I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try and beat the Yankees and I'm going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They're special fans and they will always have my respect."

Pedro also reflected on his legacy as a Major League pitcher, one that will make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer:

"I'm pretty sure my name will be mentioned. I don't know in which way. But maybe after I retire, because normally when you die, people tend to actually give you props about the good things. But that's after you die. So I'm hoping to get it before I die. I don't want to die and hear everybody say, 'Oh, there goes one of the best players ever.' If you're going to give me props, just give them to me right now."

Hey, Pedro. Go out and win game six, buddy. I hope you get another ring. You deserve it.

Josh Beckett, Red Sox Expected To Meet About Contract

2009-11-04T00:53:45Z

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett argues with the home plate umpire during the seventh inning of the Red Sox 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 2 of the American League division baseball series Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Josh Beckett, his agent and Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein are expected to talk contract with Beckett within the next couple of weeks:

Josh Beckett, who was in Boston to be honored for his commitment to Children’s Hospital, told WEEI.com that he and his agent, Michael Moye, are planning to meet with Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein in the coming weeks to discuss the . pitcher’s future with the team.

"We’re just letting things die down a little bit," Beckett said. Beckett is entering the last year of his contract with the Red Sox after having his option for the 2010 season vest thanks to making 28 starts in ‘09

This is sort of surprising to me considering Beckett already has his money for 2010 and it seems too early to talk about 2011. Theo has more important things to worry about -- like a left fielder. Or a shortstop. Or just making that offense thump a little bit more. Beckett can't wait a little bit.