Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump...where the Sox are being cautious on Middlebrooks.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Will Middlebrooks continued to say he was fine and that Red Sox medical staff and trainers told him there's nothing structurally wrong with his right wrist.

But the Red Sox were also exercising caution after Middlebrooks left the first inning of Wednesday night’s 5-3 loss against the Baltimore Orioles holding his right wrist against his side and in pain,

The pain went away quickly, but the Sox have scheduled a visit with a wrist specialist this morning and that will determine whether further tests will be conducted.

Middlebrooks broke the same wrist when he was hit by a pitch last August.

It was the first time, he said, that he had checked his swing that abruptly and the feeling is he might have jarred some scar tissue.

Globe: Middlebrooks to see wrist specialist

Of all people to get hit, not Middlebrooks and definitely not his surgically repaired wrist. Bad memories of Nomar Garciaparra came immediately to mind. Things were in full on panic mode on the Twittersphere for a few hours until the news came that there was no structural damage. 

The Sox are going to be extremely cautious with this and make sure everything is OK. For this team to have any sort of chance of becoming a contender this season, they need to have Middlebrooks in the middle of the lineu and play a full season. There is no backup plan.

The Sox dodged a bullet this time around. Here's hoping that we don't have another scare in Spring Training.

Rest of the Links: Globe: Scare for Middlebrooks | Sox angling for trades? | Herald: Middlebrooks gets wrist scare | Napoli debut on tap | Gomes brings his proven chemistry formula to Sox | CSNNE: Bullpen key to Sox success? | Should Jackie Bradley start the season in the Majors? | Middlebrooks on injury: "Nothing's broken, nothing's torn" | WEEI: An uncomfortable reminder | Middlebrooks on wrist: "I'm not hurt" | Gomes homers, Middlebtooks OK in loss to O's

Your Morning Dump...where everyone loves Jackie Bradley Jr.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Manager John Farrell gave us our first hint that Boston’s thinking may be changing. When I posed the question to Farrell Tuesday morning on whether it was “far-fetched” that Bradley could make the team, the response was, well, telling. There was a pause and then he said, “That’s a good question.”

Farrell is enamored with Bradley. So are the coaches.

There’s nothing not to like. He has poise, speed, the ability to track balls in the outfield. He hits lefties and righties. He seems to have no fear, whether it’s high-velocity throwers or finesse guys. His jumps on the ball in the outfield are phenomenal.

He is Jacoby Ellsbury’s replacement next season, should Ellsbury leave in free agency. But Farrell revealed that when Shane Victorino departs for the World Baseball Classic at the end of the week, Bradley will play some right field.

As for Farrell’s eventual response to the “far-fetched” question, it was interesting.

“The best way to answer it, we didn’t have that [making the team] as a strong possibility, and we’re four games into the game schedule. He would be served well to get at-bats in the minor leagues before he comes up, but again he’s making a strong impression in camp.

Globe:  Big jump for Bradley?

First off, I love that Farrell and the coaches love Jackie Bradley Jr. He's been doing everything right and he's had a good start to Spring Training thus far going 5-for-9. He'll get more of a chance to play once Shane Victorino leaves for the World Baseball Classic and he could make a case to at least be in a platoon for right field and make Victorino move to left. An all-CF outfield would be amazing to watch defensively, just think of all the ground they could cover!

If JB Jr. does continue to play well it puts Cherington in a quandary. Surely you want to promote the effort by giving him a shot in the Bigs but would he give him the shot right away and start his Service Time clock on Opening Day? Doing so could lose some flexibility for the Sox as he could become eligible for free agency in 2018. But if they decides to wait it out for a little, much like the Tampa Bay Rays did with Desmond Jennings back in 2011, the Sox would gain another year and keep him under wraps until 2019, which is huge if he turns out to be the player we all hope and dream he will become. 

Then there's the issue of rushing him up: he's only played professional ball for a year. Between his base running and defensive abilities, he can very well help this team win now but would the jump from AA to MLB pitching hurt his development at the plate? It's being a bit over-protective of Bradley and that's thanks in large part to Theo Epstein's old mindset is to make sure they develop naturally. Yes, there are some times where he pushed players agressively, like Jacoby Ellsbury, but it happened because there were injuries and it was a better idea to being up Ellsbury instead of trading for another player. 

All signs are pointing to Jackie Bradley joining the majors in 2013, it's just a matter of when. And when he does get to the Majors, those that aren't enamored with JB Jr. already will surely fall under his spell soon. He's that damn good.

 

Rest of the Links: Globe: Dempster's debut is very striking | Herald: Bradley a quick study in major league camp | Pitching with purpose | Youk at peace as a Yankee | CSNNE:  Brand new ballgame | Cardinals do most damage after Mortensen exits | WEEI: Bard: "I feel good about where [I'm] heading | How close is Jackie Bradley Jr. to the Big Leagues?

Lowell joins the alumni gang at camp

Spring Training so far certainly has a theme going on this year..."Alumni Weekend".

CSNNE

...Tuesday morning, there was another familiar face back in a Boston uniform for the first time since he retired in 2010: Mike Lowell.

Former teammate Dustin Pedroia reached out to Lowell recently and asked him to come in and work with third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

"It's just something, we've been in touch with him over the past few days,'' said Middlebrooks. "He's in Miami, so he's close. I didn't want to pull him away from his family and his kids. I was like, 'Hey, if you get a chance.' Pedey and I had been talking to him, 'Come over, just talk about stuff.' He had a couple days, so he came by.''

"Pedroia mentioned to [Middlebrooks] that we had a good relationship turning double plays,'' said Lowell. "I'm not sure it's something he does wrong, but maybe something he wants to do better. I spoke to him a little this morning, spoke to [third base coach and infield instructor Brian] Butterfield. I think sometimes it might be something someone says that maybe triggers doing something mechancially a little better.

"He's very impressive when you see him. He has all the makings of being a tremendous player so I'm actually looking forward to it.''

Joining Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakfield, Lowell has joined a solid group of Red Sox alumni to mentor younger players. The former Red Sox third baseman will be working with current third baseman and, possible future face of the franchise, Will Middlebrooks.

The fact that Pedroia reached out to Lowell seems to indicate that Middlebrooks could use some fine defensive tuning, especially turning double plays. Who better to track down than Lowell? He's a champion and a World Series MVP, defensively gifted at third base, and is the utmost professional.

As long as the "Alumni Team" isn't showing up on NESN's goofy programming or passing out food vouchers, I have zero problem with this. This is the right core of guys these current youngsters should be learning from.

For fun, who's next to show up at camp? Trot Nixon? Curt Schilling? EL GUAPO??

Bobby V is out of his mind

As many of you know, Bobby Valentine is the new athletic director at Sacred Heart University (smooth move Sacred Heart). During his introduction, Valentine made a statement that consisted of some absolute nonsense.

WEEI

“I thought I did a hell of a job in Boston,” Valentine said. “I thought what had to be done there was done except for winning a pennant. But Connie Mack wasn’t going to win with that team.”

Added Valentine: “It’s six months of a 62-year life. It’s six months of a 42-year career in baseball. It’s a blip, a little spot on the radar, as far as I’m concerned.”

In an interview with the Connecticut Post on Monday, Valentine insisted he’s not taking the job for the publicity.

“Why would I need the publicity?” he said. “I wouldn’t understand the question and I wouldn’t dignify it with an answer.”

Valentine also chatted with Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley on Monday, telling Buckley that he had no interest in rebutting some of the critical remarks made about him at Red Sox spring training.

“I don’t want to comment on stupid things that stupid people say,” Valentine said. “I’m not going to comment on any of that.”

WHAT? Bobby, you are out of your (insert custom expletive) mind! Somehow, he made an absolutely screwed up situation beyond worse.The team had talent and potential that didn't click. It never would have clicked under his management.

If we saw things the way Bobby does, The Royals have been doing a hell of a job, they just haven't won any pennants. 

Valentine ended it nicely, referring to members of the Red Sox as stupid people saying stupid things. Nice job keeping this shit show going.

Your Morning Dump...Where knuckleballs are knuckling

AP/ Nathan Denette

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Steven Wright took the mound for the Red Sox yesterday, where R.A. Dickey of the Blue Jays opposed him. Meanwhile, Tim Wakefield sat behind home plate. What do they all have in common?

Knuckleballs!

It’s rare to see one knuckleballer at the park. There were three at inelegantly named Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

“Today was a good day just for the game itself,” Sox manager John Farrell said.

Wright threw two scoreless innings in a 4-2 victory for the Sox. He struck out three and added to the organization’s belief that he can help the major league team this season.

“I was a little nervous. Not scared, just a little nervous,” Wright said. “You want to do your best in general. Once I got out there, I felt pretty good. A little antsy at first, but I felt I was able to get that in order and compete.”

Globe: Wakefield gets look at the stuff of Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright

Although it was getting hammered into our heads all day like an annoying Top-40 radio station playing Ke$ha every half an hour, the trio knuckleballers involved in the game really was an interesting and rare circumstance.

You have a 28-year-old Wright, who is trying to make the big leauges. You have a Cy-Young Award winner in Dickey, who is a comeback story in itself. And, you have a future Red Sox Hall of Famer in Wakefield taking it all in and playing the role of Wright's mentor. Pretty cool stuff, if you ask me.

As for Wright's outing, he was pretty flawless, throwing two scoreless innings and compiling three strikeouts. There's chance he could make the major league club right out of camp in a bullpen role. However, he's more of a "5-A" rotation option and will likely start the year in Pawtucket.

Keep an eye on this guy. He doesn't throw big floating knucklers like Wakefield, but throws more along the lines of a hard knuckler, like Dickey. If and when one of the Sox starters goes down to injury, Wright will be the first option to get the call.

Rest of the links- Globe: Aceves hanging in there | Herald: Farrell still provokes inquisition from Blue Jays | Bard looks for small signs | CSNNE.com: Webster puts in a Special K performance | ESPNBoston.com: Pedroia pain-free | Projo: Sox have plenty of arms...just in case

Your Morning Dump...where Lester's spring debut was promising

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

On top of trying to repair his pitching mechanics and trying to regain his form of 2010, when he went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA, Lester wants to put aside the embarrassment and humiliation he felt last season, when he went 9-14 with a career-high ERA of 4.82.

“Absolutely,” he said about being the ace. “That’s what I pitch for. I come here every year and want to be the best pitcher I can be. It’s nothing I’m going to call myself, but if the other four guys want to call me that and want me to be that guy, I want it.”

Lester took his first step toward that Sunday when he pitched two scoreless, hitless innings with one strikeout (against Carlos Beltran) in a 5-3 Red Sox win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Lester threw 24 pitches (17 strikes), a tidy six in the second inning. He threw a 93-mile-per-hour fastball past Beltran for his K.

Globe | Jon Lester wants to be the ace of the Red Sox 

The designation of "ace" or a leader of the staff seems on the surface relatively arbitrary and unimportant. What does it mean to lead a staff? It's not like being the opening day starter matters after three weeks, when various bye weeks, injuries, spot starts, or scheduling fluctuations cause every team's starting rotation to diverge. Jon Lester will not face CC Sabathia in each Yankees game this year; he could just as easily face anyone else.

That said, baseball players seem to make a big fuss over it. And the press, even more so. For the last three years there's been a consistent argument as to whether Lester or Beckett was the leader of the staff, and what the implications were to the rest of the pitchers.

This year might give us an indication as to how much this sort of thing matters. Gone is Beckett's "toxic" effect on the team -- even though his teammates all liked him -- and in his stead Lester stands as the "ace," while John Lackey is undergoing a relentless image overhaul in the press (serious question: did he hire an image consultant or PR rep?). If we see better performance staff-wide, look for there to be a lot of press talking about how important Lester's leadership is. And if we don't, expect to hear that Beckett poisoned the well and Lester's a jerk and Lackey is still chicken-and-beering. Maybe it's easier than discussing the on-the-field performance. 

As to that, Lester looked good in his spring debut. I'm happiest to see the efficiency, with 24 pitches over two innings, and 17 of them being strikes. If there's anything I'd like to see from Red Sox pitching, it's aggressiveness. Pound the strike zone, make the hitters put it in play. (I'd feel even better about this if Jose Iglesias were the starting shortstop, but we've already touched on that a few thousand times.)

On page 2, from the present ace to the (possible) future ace.

Your Morning Dump...Where John Lackey gets back on the mound

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Lackey had gone 515 days without pitching in a real game. His right elbow gave out by the end of the 2011 season, the ulnar collateral ligament so frayed that doctors were surprised he found a way to get the ball to the plate.

Tommy John reconstruction surgery and months of rehabilitation followed.

Lackey finally took the mound Saturday as the Red Sox opened their spring training schedule with a 4-3 loss to a Tampa Bay Rays split squad at JetBlue Park. He threw just one inning but rarely have 20 pitches been so satisfying.

“I missed playing baseball," said Lackey. “It was fun being back out there.”

Lackey warmed up like he normally would. But there was one change to his usual routine.

“I kind of took a second before I went on the mound on the bench and kind of reflected on the past year and a half,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work. I’ve got to thank a lot of trainers, a lot of people that helped me get back to this point. I was excited to be back out there.”

Lackey loaded the bases on 10 pitches, his excitement causing his fastball to ride high in the strike zone. He walked Ben Zobrist before Desmond Jennings singled. Lackey then hit Matt Joyce in the back.

“He was pretty charged up,” catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. “But then he settled down. It was the old Lack.”

Globe: John Lackey returns to the mound for Red Sox

Let me start by reflecting on the last line of that selected quote...WE DON'T WANT THE OLD LACK! Lackey changed some stuff up, got out of a jam, and looked decent in the spring training opener. He gave us hope for a new Lackey, and that is everything we want from him going into the season.

The sample size was small, with Lackey only throwing 20 pitches, but you could see the difference. We will obviously get a better idea of what the rebuilt John Lackey will be like over his next few starts.

Oh, and Jose Igleasias went deep in the game...good for him. Cue the love from the rest of the Ted's Army staff. He is not going to get any form me.

Related: WEEI: John Lackey on his spring debut: 'I missed playing baseball' | Herald: Lackey alters delivery | CSNNE: Lackey gets complete makeover

On Page 2, Clay Buchholz has no issues with him hamstring

Your Morning Dump... Where Papi still isn't running

 

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“I’d like to be in a game tomorrow, no question,” Ortiz said yesterday after testing his right Achilles in agility drills under strength and condition coach Pat Sandora’s supervision. “Just being smart, trying not to rush it. I got another six weeks still. They want to make sure when I’m in, there’s no bounce-back, no setback.”

Ortiz, who missed the final two months of last season with a small tear in his Achilles, is taking batting practice and even fielding grounders at first base. But the 37-year-old slugger has yet to run the bases, likely the final hurdle before he’s cleared to play. Manager John Farrell said the club doesn’t have a timetable for when that will occur.

Although Ortiz’ injury didn’t necessitate offseason surgery, it required an extensive rehabilitation. And while he’s “very happy” with his progress, he still experiences soreness after lengthy workouts.

Herald - Ortiz taking time to get in games

I can't stress enough how uneasy this Ortiz situation is making me.  Somewhere in the pit of my stomach I have a feeling that Papi is going to start the season on the DL.  Hopefully I'm just paranoid.

Maybe I'm completely wrong and the Sox medical staff is simply babying the bajeezus out of Ortiz's achilles.  Maybe he could start jogging around the bases with no ill effects (beyond some expected soreness).  That's entirely possible. 

They have him taking cuts in batting practice and even fielding some ground balls, so it's not as if his achilles is non-functional still.  And, let's be honest: other than getting in a little better shape, it's not as if Papi has much to gain by practicing his work on the basepaths.  He's still going to be slow and awkward rounding second.  Taking a few practice turns won't ever change that.

In the piece by the Herald Ortiz does say that his tear is completely healed and the picture of his achilles looks like a "brand new achilles", so all of my fretting and hand-wringing may be a big waste of time.  Still though, if my fears are legitimate, we're going to be sorting through the Lyle Overbay, Mike Carp, Mauro Gomez discount bin of batters to find someone to plug into our lineup.  Just so you're prepared.

On Page 2, Larry Bird's impact on the Red Sox

Jonny Gomes and David Ross have a fun afternoon ahead of them

Via Jacoby Ellsbury's Twitter comes this great picture that really doesn't need much explanation.

That's Red Sox newcomers Jonny Gomes and David Ross decked out to do some huntin' and killin'. No word as to whether Gomes is a dead-pull shooter.

In other news, Peter Abraham has the full pitching plans for the next week.

Your Morning Dump...Where Bard strikes out the side

Matthew West / Boston Herald

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Daniel Bard took to the mound in the season's first spring training game. Did he walk six guys? Did he take out a poor Northeastern player's knee cap with a rouge fastball?

Not quite.

...all eyes focused on Bard again yesterday when he pitched the second inning of an exhibition against Northeastern University at JetBlue Park.

“I feel like I have something to prove,” Bard said. “I think that’s a good thing.”

In that case, this was a positive first step, at least to whatever degree such a conclusion may be drawn from an 18-pitch outing against college kids. Bard gave up a jam-shot single to Huskies center fielder Connor Lyons, then struck out the side, mixing in several sliders with his fastball and throwing 13 strikes, including five swings-and-misses.

“I’m satisfied,” Bard said. “Not perfect, obviously, but it’s a huge step in the right direction.”

After last season, there’s really only one direction for Bard to go.

Herald: All eyes on reliever

We all know sending Bard to the rotation was a collosal mistake last year. The funny part is, the majority of media and fans were concerned about the move right from the start.

Sure, yesterday was against a bunch of college guys. But, this is still a major step forward for Bard. He gave up a cheap single, then recovered and struck out the side. More importantly, he threw 13 of 18 pitches for strikes and commanded his slider effectively.  I also find it interesting that new C David Ross was behind the plate. Ross is renouned for guiding pitchers and calling an effective game, so lets keep an eye on the Ross/Bard relationship throughout spring training.

He will certainly be a project this year. But Farrell, who served as Bard's pitching coach in his rookie year in 2009, is the guy to turn him around.

Rest of the links- Globe: Former BC captain Frates ever courageous | Herald: Offering up a few trades | Herald: John Lackey: Juices flow for elbow test | CSSNE.com: The closer opens for the Red Sox |