Red Sox OF Ryan Kalish

The Boston Red Sox were essentially spectators at the trade deadline rather than a buyer or seller.  Team management believes that the solutions to the teams woes – bullpen, not enough offense from OF – can be addressed with solutions that are internal.  They began with addition by subtraction.  LF Jeremy Hermida was designated for assignment, and RP Ramon Ramirez was shipped to the San Franciso Giants for minor leaguer RP Daniel Turpen. 

Hermida was hitting just .203 at the time of his designation, and had been an absolute butcher in the field, botching numerous routine plays.  Ramirez, who was acquired from Kansas City for Coco Crisp after 2008, had a 4.46 Era in 2010, falling well below the expectations he had set in the first half of 2009, when he was very reliable.

In Hermida’s place steps outfield prospect Ryan Kalish, who was called up Saturday just before the 4:15 start at Fenway.  Kalish, who had 13 HR and 25 SB between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket got his Major League career to a good start, as the 22 year old went 2 for 4 with an RBI Saturday and picked up another RBI in Sunday’s win as well, both against the Detroit Tigers. 

Kalish will be depended on much more to come as Mike Cameron went on the DL today and will more than likely have abdominal surgery to end his season.  Daniel Nava was called up today and will be in Boston until Jacoby Ellsbury returns, which could be this week.

As for the bullpen, the hope is that Michael Bowden will be called up to help the Sox, as he is being converted to a relief pitcher in Pawtucket, as is lefty Felix Dubront, who made a few spot starts for the Red Sox in July which yielded mixed results.  That help needs to come sooner than later, as another lead vanished in yesterday’s near debacle, with Jonathan Papelbon blowing yet another save.

As the Red Sox sit 5.5 games in back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the Wild Card and 6.5 behind the Yankees, many things have to go right.  The good news is that they will have their cracks against both these teams in the nest two months, with 6 games vs. Tampa and 7 vs. the Yankees, 4 of which come this weekend at Yankee Stadium.   While it is still too early to count them out at this point, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

Struggling Red Sox RP Hideki Okajima

During their current West Coast road trip, the Boston Red Sox need for bullpen help has never been more present than it is right now.  While the offense has been silent lately, help is on the way as Victor Martinez will be back this week, Jacoby Ellsbury is on a rehab assignment, and Dustin Pedroia isn’t far from coming back.  There are no such reinforcements in sight internally for the Red sox.

Following Hideki Okajima’s horrendous performance yesterday – 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 inherited runner scored, and a blown save – one would think that a move would be coming very soon.  Okajima’s outing, combined with Manny Delcarmen’s brutal outing on Thursday – 4 batters faced, 0 outs recorded, 2 H, 4R, 1 BB – against the Seattle Mariners, the worst hitting lineup in the American League at a .233 batting average -has made the bullpen a priority at the trade deadline. 

It is June 26, and hope for a playoff berth is slipping away with by the day as the team continues to blow leads late, make crippling errors (see: Bill Hall and Eric Patterson), and get next to no production from their outfield.  The Yankees and Rays are taking full advantage as they continue to win easily against the dregs of the American League, which is something that this Red Sox team seems to have a hard time with between Oakland and the Mariners on this trip.

The road will not get any easier.  The Red Sox begin a 3 game set at Anaheim vs. the Angels tonight.  Tonight, they will have to face the newly acquired former Cy Young winner Dan Haren, who was absolutely thieved from Arizona for a struggling Joe Saunders and a pupu platter of questionable minor league prospects in a trade yesterday afternoon.  If they do not take 2 out of 3 from the Angels to salvage a .500 record for this trip, it may be panic time.

Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis

As the Red Sox bandwagon limps into the 2010 All-Star break with 2 broken wheels and a seizing engine, the team still finds itself in decent shape, with a 51-37 record, 5 games behind the Yankees and 2 behind the Rays for the Wild Card.  Not bad for a team with 12 players on the disabled list. 

In comparison, last season a healthy Red Sox team found itself with a 54-34 record at the break, 3 games ahead of the Yankees for the AL East lead, but one that they would eventually relinquish.  For the Red Sox to be only 3 games off last year’s pace with the number of injuries they currently have is nothing short of remarkable. 

To put it in perspective, 4 of the 6 Red Sox selected to play in the 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim cannot play due to injury.  Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Clay Buchholz, and Adrian Beltre – who strained his hamstring just yesterday – will not play.  Jon Lester and David Ortiz are the only Red Sox healthy enough to play for the American League, which has won 12 in a row, if you throw out the embarrassing tie in the 2002 All-Star Game.

It could be said that no team needs the All-Star break like the Red Sox do, who in addition to the aforementioned infirmary all-stars, are currently missing ace Josh Beckett, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, captain C Jason Varitek, 3B Mike Lowell, OF Jeremy Hermida, and RP Manny Delcarmen.  Also, OF Mike Cameron – who is fighting through an abdominal tear – and SP Daisuke Matsuzaka have also battled injuries this year as well.

The ability of the Red Sox to be where they are now is a testament to the front office and manager Terry Francona, who has deployed numerous replacements that not many had heard of including CF Darnell McDonald, LF Daniel Nava, SP Felix Dubront, 2B/OF Eric Patterson, as well as veterans IF/OF Bill Hall and C Kevin Cash. 

While the Red Sox will apparently be getting healthier as time progresses, they will have their work cut out for them following the break.  They will host Texas for a 4-game set at Fenway, which is sure to include one game against the newly acquired ace Cliff Lee. 

They will then embark on a 10-game west coast road trip, (which is never easy) with 3 games at Oakland, 4 at Seattle, and 3 at the Angels and then host the Tigers (3) and Indians (4) before heading to Yankee Stadium for a 4-game weekend set. 

If the Red Sox can break even on the west coast trip and win both series at home before heading to the House That Jeter Built, they will still be in good shape.  For this to happen, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka must earn their keep, the front office must bring in another bullpen arm to buttress Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard, and some of the other pieces must get back into the fold as well. 

As Boston fans we want to see this team as the 2004 Patriots, who battled a ridiculous amount of injuries on their way to a third Superbowl title, rather than the 2006 Red Sox, who had an equal amount of freak injuries, but fell out of the race in August after being swept at home in a 5-game series by the Yankees.  By the time the series in New York is over on Monday August 9, we will know exactly where this team stands.

Bruins Draft Pick C Tyler Seguin

The Boston Bruins have been very busy this offseason, and seem to have been successful in plugging some of the holes that plagued them during their historical collapse in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.  After the losses of David Krejci and Marco Sturm during that series, the lack of scoring depth was a glaring problem.  So far, although it is still relatively early in the offseason, the Bruins have addressed this problem via the draft, as well as through trade.

When looking to add instant offense, it always helps to have a surefire talent fall into your lap at second overall.  With this pick, which was acquired from Toronto for Phil Kessel before last season, the Bruins selected 18-year old center Tyler Seguin from the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL.  Seguin, who is expected to contribute immediately, has been often compared to Detroit Red wings Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman.  Seguin tied for the lead in OHL scoring with 1^st pick Taylor Hall with 106 points.

Many including myself chastised the Bruins for dealing Kessel last season without getting anything to replace him for that season.  It appears that the Bruins will get the better end of the deal, as they also have Toronto’s 1^st round pick in 2011 as well, but obviously Kessel is a gifted scorer and Seguin has yet to play an NHL game yet.  As of this moment however the Bruins have the upper hand, but time will tell.

The Bruins added another explosive piece in former Florida Panthers LW Nathan Horton.  Horton, who was acquired in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, is a legitimate scoring threat.  The third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Horton has averaged 25 goals a season for the past 5 years, and one could argue that he did this with a lack of talent surrounding him.  The 25-year old’s work ethic was questioned down in Miami, but now that he has been shipped to a hockey hotbed and is surrounded by talented veterans, Horton is relishing the opportunity to shine.

On the defensive side, the Bruins resigned defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a 4-year deal.  Seidenberg was sorely missed during the Bruins’ playoff run, as he was injured with a lacerated wrist, but was an integral piece late in the regular season n helping the B’s climb their way into the 6-seed.  A full season of Seidenberg on the blueline should be an upgrade from Wideman, whose play was erratic at best during his time in Boston. 

The Bruins still have some work to do this offseason, namely on the blueline, but is still early.  They have an important trade chip in goalie Tim Thomas, who had his job taken from him thanks to an impressive rookie campaign by Tuukka Rask.  If the Bruins can acquire a top-4 defenseman for Thomas, and keep Marc Savard on the roster, they will be a legitimate threat to go deep in the playoffs in 2010-11.

Jake & Joes

The two of us stare up at the newly built restaurant from the parking lot at Jake & Joes in Norwood, located conveniently right off the Auto Mile. I had first saw this new restaurant when I was taking my daily drive to work. Working on the Auto Mile has its perks, car central, plenty of restaurants, and more. The manager of Jake & Joes entered our dealership and handed out invitations that offered a free appetizer, four free entrées, and free drinks. So, needless to say, I couldn’t turn down a free meal! We arrive at Jake & Joes Wednesday night for their grand opening. The parking lot is packed, so we think, first night of an opening usually leads to some chaos in service.

However, immediately when we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with a warm hello and seated. The walk over to our table featured a walk through historical sports moments highlighting the best in Boston sports with Memorabilia from the Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, and the Bruins. To compliment the sports feel they feature 9 TV’s on each side of the bar (1 monster 50 inch TV!) They have plenty of TV’s dispersed throughout the restaurant to ensure you don’t miss a beat in the Boston sports world. With it being a sports bar it surprisingly wasn’t as loud as your typical bar setting, which was a plus for conducting conversation!

Onto the food! My fiancé and I ordered the Chicken Quesadilla to start and for the Main Event we ordered the Chicken Under The Brick (Joe’s Way) and The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. Our waitress Jessica was very responsive, witty, and friendly. She brought over our drinks in a flash and within 10 mins (expected time) we had our Quesadillas arrive. The appearance was mouth watering…

… they were very full, colorful, and waiting for the first bite. Analyzing the Quesadilla we spotted the tender Pulled Chicken, Diced Tomatoes, Fresh Cilantro, Diced Jalapenos, Onions and Monterey Jack Cheese. All of this was bundled into the warm flour tortilla and was served with sides of Sour Cream, Salsa and Guacamole. The first bites quickly lead to the dish being consumed! Very pleased, granted it’s a Quesadilla, but a fine one at that!

After the Appetizer was demolished, our Entrées followed within 5 minutes of consumption. My Chicken was the reason the food had taken awhile (they do mention in the menu that the chicken takes at least 15 minutes to cook,) but when the dish was placed down in front of me, it appeared to be worth the suspense. The dish featured Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Vegetable of The Day (Mixed Vegetables,) and the Chicken (Very generous Portion.) I cut the Chicken and you could tell how delicious, moist, and tender it was going to taste! The potatoes were very filling with the garlic, butter, and pan gravy (a little dry without the gravy.) The Pulled Pork was ok (very basic) and the size of the sandwich was less than impressive, the onion rings were not very good (tasted more like a Chinese Chicken Tender – Very Greasy.) The deserts were good, but nothing over the top spectacular (Not freshly baked treats, which isn’t a total loss because remember it is a sports bar after all.)

Long story short, I will eat at Jake & Joes again and would eat at this sports bar without question over a chain like the 99 Restaurant. Make sure you sign up for the free MVP awards when you go there and you’ll get a point per dollar spent, discounts on food, and $15 free on your birthday!

Rating: 3.8/5

Location:

475 Providence Highway
Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 349-4880

http://www.jakenjoes.com/

Price: House Bread Sticks $2.99; appetizers, $5.99 to $14.99; main courses, $8.99 to $18.99; dessert, $5.99 to $8.99. Extensive Wine and Beer List.

Details: Open 11:30 am for lunch daily; kitchen closes 11:00 pm except Thursday-Saturday 11:30 pm. Full bar open till 12:00 am.

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality.

Red Sox CF Mike Cameron

Despite the fact that the Boston Red Sox seem to be dropping like flies, they remain just 2 games behind the hated Yankees for first place in the American League East.  After today’s game at the Giants, the Red Sox head home to face the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles.  They will be happy to get out of San Francisco alive at this point. 

In what can be described simply as a freak injury, second baseman Dustin Pedroia could be lost for up to two months after breaking his foot when he fouled a ball off of it in Friday night’s game.  Pedroia is an irreplaceable piece of both the offensive and defensive picture, and will be sorely missed.  Hopefully the Sox can tread water with Bill Hall at second, who has been below average at best as an outfielder.  Here’s to hoping he doesn’t butcher too many double-play balls in the next few weeks.

Clay Buchholz suffered a scare in yesterday’s game, in which he pilled up lame running the bases.  Thankfully it turned out to be just a hyperextension of the knee, and Buchholz should be good to go for his next start, which should be Saturday at home vs. the Orioles.

Elsewhere in the Red Sox infirmary, there is a one Jacoby Ellsbury, who is still apparently not close to resuming baseball activities in the wake of what must be the most horrific rib injury ever suffered by a professional athlete.  

Ellsbury broke his ribs the first week of the season after colliding with third baseman Arian Beltre.  He made an attempt at a comeback about a month ago but went back on the DL after just 3 games.  Maybe we’ll see him sometime before 2012, get well Jacoby.  Good thing you didn’t use your 4.3 40-yd dash time to make a play as a wide receiver, because things such as hangnails are generally not seen as serious injuries in the NFL.

On the other side of the spectrum, Mike Cameron continues to gut his way (no pun intended) through an abdominal tear, playing just about every other game.  Cameron put his body on the line, making a spectacular catch in the 8^th inning yesterday to save extra bases on a shot from Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval.  Cameron also supplied the offense, smashing a 3-run bomb.

In the face of adversity, the Red sox have managed to find ways to win.  They have had a great month of June, going 16-8, helping to circumvent their slow start.  Hopefully, the impending return of Josh Beckett and the continued success of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz will help them stay afloat until Pedroia’s return.

Red Sox RP Hideki Okajima

The bullpen woes of the Boston Red Sox have come to the forefront. After their 4-3 loss last night at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, the dependability of the relief staff has come into question.  No Red Sox starting pitcher has figured into a decision yet in the first 4 games of the 2010 regular season. 

Last night’s culprit was Daniel Bard, who was the unfortunate victim of a 2-run broken-bat, bloop single by Royals center fielder Rick Ankiel in the bottom of the 8^th inning which erased the Red Sox’ 3-2 lead, and a quality start by Tim Wakefield.  One of the two runs was charged to Hideki Okajima, whom Bard relieved in the 8^th.  Okajima in his 3 appearances thus far has looked very shaky to start the season, as he has allowed a total of 6 baserunners in just 2 innings of work for a putrid WHIP of 3.00. 

While they have not been too detrimental to the cause as of yet, the fact that the Red Sox brought Scott Atchison back from Japan after a 2-year stint, and picked up lefty-specialist Scott Schoenweis off the scrap heap goes to show that there was not much stock put into improving the bullpen this off season, despite the organization’s mantra of run prevention for 2010.  They have also failed to address the issues regarding Manny Delcarmen, whose velocity is clearly down from past years.  Delcarmen has had arm issues in the past, as he has Tommy John Surgery as a minor leaguer. 

Both John Lackey and Wakefield have posted quality starts with nothing to show for it.  They have done their part in putting the Red Sox in a position to win ballgames.  The Sox have invested a lot of money into their starting rotation recently, but it may as well be a waste if the bullpen cannot support the rotation to help provide it with wins. 

While it is still very early, do not be surprised to see some shakeup in the bullpen.  It is no secret that the Yankees and Rays have superior offenses when compared to the Red Sox.  In the particular case of the Yankees, who are adept at working counts and grinding a starting pitcher into an early exit, the need for a steady bullpen is a necessity.

Red Sox SP Josh Beckett

Coming off a 17- win campaign in 2009, Beckett was in the club option year of his 3 year-$30 million deal that he signed after being acquired via trade from the Florida Marlins following the 2005 season.  He was slated to become a free agent after this season.  Had he tested the free agent waters this fall, popular opinion is that he could have secured a C.C. Sabathia-esque deal in the neighborhood of $200 million.

Even though his performance last night against the New York Yankees was disappointing, with 5 earned runs allowed in just 4.2 innings, Beckett remains one of the best big-game pitchers in baseball.  In 13 career postseason starts, he is 7-3 with 99 strikeouts, a 3.07 ERA and 3 complete game shutouts.  He also owns two World Series rings; one with Florida in 2003, and one with the Red Sox in 2007. 

As long as they stay healthy, the Red Sox will now have arguably the best pitching rotation in baseball for at least the next 4 years.  This could also give the team flexibility to explore trading younger, more inexpensive starting pitchers such as Clay Buchholz in a potential blockbuster for someone like the Padres’ first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has been long rumored to be headed to Boston. 

A move like this would also open up a spot in the rotation for Daisuke Matsuzaka who is currently on the disabled list with a neck issue.  Given their financial obligations to Matsuzaka through the year 2012, it is highly unlikely that many teams would want absorb his contract. 

Buchholz’ miniscule contract dictates that his trade value is high, and he could be dangled at the trade deadline if the Red Sox offense proves to be unsatisfactory. Others might argue that you can never have enough pitching, and Buchholz is needed as insurance if 45- year old Tim Wakefield’s back begins to act up again, or if Matsuzaka’s neck injury proves to be a long-term problem. 

Regardless if a trade occurs or not, the fact is that the Red Sox took a giant step today in ensuring their viability in the AL East for the immediate future.  They are built to win for this season as well as years to come.  There aren’t many lineups in baseball who will be excited to face the 3-headed monster of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a playoff series for the next few seasons.  With this rotation, come October, the Red Sox will have an excellent shot to return to the World Series.

Red Sox Prospect Casey Kelly

As the Boston Red Sox enter the 2010 season, hope springs eternal as expectations for the team are high as always.  The pressure will always be on to catch the hated Yankees in the AL East.  But what does the future hold?  Boston fans can rest assured that the future of the team looks secure, as there are many exciting players in the minor league system to replenish the team for years to come.  Spring training is a great showcase for young players and prospects, and the Sox camp is full of them.

The Sox’ most prized prospect is pitcher Casey Kelly. Just age 20, Kelly features the standard arsenal for a young right hander with a low to mid-90’s fastball, curve, and change-up.  He is most likely to stay at AA Portland this year to continue his development and probably debut at some point in 2011.  The former shortstop and 2008 1^st round pick is the Red Sox most untouchable minor leaguer.

Ryan Westmoreland is local product from Portsmouth, Rhode Island.  A 19-year old outfielder, Westmoreland projects as a top-notch defensive player with great speed and base running ability.  He is a patient and disciplined left-hander hitter who can spray the ball to all fields.  Keep your eye on him, as he is still in the lower levels of the minors, but should be a fast riser and be in Boston in a few years.

Jose Iglesias is a 20-year old defensive prodigy at shortstop.  Signed in September as an international free agent from Cuba, Iglesias has already wowed the team’s staff in Ft. Myers.  While scouts say he must improve at the plate, he did manage to hit .275 in the Arizona Fall League in 2009.  Given the volatility at the position, this potential Gold-Glover could be in Boston sooner than expected.

While many Major League Baseball and American League teams play checkers, the Red Sox brass continue to play chess.  Excellent drafting and scouting has kept the team competitive for the last decade, and this trend will almost surely continue for the next ten years.  As other teams splurge on free-agents that are well past their prime, the Sox invest a vast amount of resources into their minor league system as they grow talent on the cheap.

Patriots QB Tom Brady

Coming off an extremely disappointing season, the New England Patriots will look to upgrade in many areas for the 2010 season.  Boston-area fans will be happy to know that the Pats have 4 selections in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, and because of the 2010 uncapped season, they could break the bank for a big-time free agent acquisition.  There are many holes to fill on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.  Here are the team’s most dire needs as the 2010 offseason kicks off.

Pass Rushing DE/OLB

The Patriots inability to pressure the quarterback last season was a major reason for their losses vs. the Colts, Broncos, and Saints last season.  Both leading pass-rushers from last year Tully Banta-Cain (9.5 sacks) and Derrick Burgess (5 sacks) are free-agents in 2010.  The Patriots will be almost forced to keep at last one of them, with the smart money on Banta-Cain, who knows Bill Belichick’s system more thoroughly than Burgess.  Look for the Pats to upgrade with a free-agent signing like the Cardinals’ OLB Karlos Dansby, or to address this early in the draft with a player like Michigan’s Brandon Graham or Texas’ Sergio Kindle. 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

With Wes Welker’s status up in the air for 2010, the need for another legitimate target for Tom Brady has become all the more pressing.  Tight End Ben Watson also figures to leave in free agency.  There are a slew of restricted free-agents available such as Dallas’ Miles Austin, San Diego’s Vincent Jackson, and Denver’s Brandon Marshall.  However, signing one of these receivers will cost both a 1^st and 3^rd round pick, so the Patriots would more likely go in the direction of an unrestricted free agent like Kevin Walter or Derrick Mason.  They will also need some help via the draft.  Notre Dame’s Golden Tate and USC’s Damian Williams come to mind for second-round options.  Some mock drafts have the Patriots selecting Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham in the 1^st, which could be unlikely due to more pressing needs. 

Running Back

The Patriots have not had a 1,000 yard rusher since Corey Dillon in 2004.  While last years’ signing of Fred Taylor looked like a steal, the fact is that he’s not getting any younger, and can’t stay on the field.  Laurence Maroney may have finally fumbled his way out of town after numerous chances to impress.  There will be free agents available such as Larry Johnson, and possibly LaDainian Tomlinson, but they have also hit the dreaded age of 30 for backs.  With 3 second round picks, expect one of them to be invested in a possible solution, but don’t be surprised if they spend a 1^st-rounder on some one like Clemson’s C.J. Spiller or California’s Jahvid Best to take the pressure off the passing game.