4-4-2010: Opening Day, Sox down Yankees 9-7

Opening Day on Easter Sunday was quite the spectacle. I’m glad they brought in Pedro Martinez to throw the first pitch, and it was entertaining to have Steve Tyler and Neil Diamond sing (even if they weren’t so good). 5-year old Joshua Sacco’s reciting the speech from “Miracle” was entertaining, though I wouldn’t want my own 5-year old boy saying, “Screw ‘em!”.

Some notes from game 1 yesterday:

2010 AL East Preview: Sox, Yankees reloaded

As Spring Training finally dawns, we are looking at two teams at the top of the division with significant turnover from this offseason. The Yankees have shed several older, oft-injured players and added a powerful left-handed bat in OF Curtis Granderson. For their part, Boston has decided to focus on run prevention with the signing of John Lackey and even sacrificed OBP in order to improve their team defense in this “bridge year”. The Tampa Rays have another year of development and polish on their young and talented core. Meanwhile, Toronto has gone into rebuilding mode with the trade of Roy Halladay to the Phillies, and the Orioles’ youth movement is on the cusp of paying dividends. What can we expect to see in 2010?

Links 12-09-2009: Granderson, offseason approach, another Ramon Ramirez, Delcarmen

The Red Sox apparently had first shot at acquiring Curtis Granderson, but when Detroit asked for Jacoby Ellsbury or Clay Buchholz in return, we gave them a big fat NO. Michael Silverman tweeted that the Tigers wanted both players, but I find that hard to believe. I’m glad we didn’t give up either player for Granderson, but it’s not so fun to watch him go to the Yankees, either.

Hot Stove 2010: Options to fill LF

The offseason is all about choices, especially for a big market team like the Red Sox. What choices give you the best chance of winning, while preserving value and organizational depth? Filling a hole by getting the best available player now may not be the best move, because it could leave you hamstrung somewhere else. As a team with a number of needs this offseason, let’s take a look at some of the options to fill left-field and compare them.

Hot Stove 2010: But what about Miguel Cabrera?

Judging from the popularity of certain posts in recent days, it seems that a lot of people are interested in acquiring Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers are desperate to trim payroll, and they’re poking around to gauge interest in case they want to dump one or two of a number of young and still productive players, including Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and now Cabrera. And who wouldn’t want to add a right-handed, 26-year old 30-HR hitter with a .311/.383/.542 resume? My suggestion to you is to read this great article by Matt Klaassen at FanGraphs.

23-14: Sox take 3 of 4 in Detroit

The Red Sox kept the momentum going from the sweep of Tampa, and really took it to Detroit this series. We are beginning to put some distance between us and the rest of the Division. Whoa, deja vu. The Tigers have an elite offense when healthy, but it sure doesn’t look healthy to me. Gary Sheffield and Miguel Cabrera are nursing injuries; that and an underperforming pitching staff has ensured their poor start.

4-4: Dice-K slams the door on the Tigers, 5-0

First off, hats off to the Sox front office for giving the Fenway Opening Day first pitch to Bill Buckner. Few people have been so undeservingly maligned by a whole geographic region for 22 years, and it was clearly a powerful emotional moment for him as well as Red Sox Nation. The guy was a great player and trooper for Boston, and doesn’t deserve all the blame he got for 1986.

The Red Sox received their long-awaited bling for 2007, then proceeded to shut out the Detroit Tigers for their first home game of 2008.