Home > Prep

All material is property of the site owner and all posted work is copy-written unless indicated.

TENSION RISING (SOX VS JAYS)

The games between Toronto and Boston seem to be getting a little more serious these days as Toronto is notorious for stealing signs and using them to their advantage. Now the Overbay slide has not helped things though he was somewhat close to the bag taking out Alex Cora which was quoted as saying "it was a tackle." Though Overbay was not blasted for his debatable slide, next time may be different as his good guy image may take a hit if the two tangle once again.

The Red Sox are taking advantage of the situation lately as Toronto is without their closer (BJ Ryan) who is their hammer and go-to-guy. They have had to scramble for different combinations as Jason Frasor has slightly taken the reigns, but has not showed well in this spot. Brandon League is not ready to come back as the setup manfor the Blue Jays. But when it comes to finishing a game Boston are worse now than when Papelbon decided to start after last season.

NESN -> Has added two more to add depth to reporting base, Ken Macha is expected to bring his extensive baseball knowledge and from a Japanese perspective Naoko Funayama will bring the aspects of Japanese baseball to the American viewers and such.
Some new perspectives, that I am always in favor of. To bring on new fresh talent but also hoping that they have something original to say.
Macha played in Japan from 1982-86; Funayama has the main job of working with Daisuke, but has yet to speak with him, he has however, interviewed Ichiro Suzuki thus far.

Dice-K mania readies for Yankees
Set to take on Chase Wright for Sunday before taking on the Blue Jays once again. I don't believe Matsuzaka will be out pitched, just the Yankees lineup may produce better than the Sox, indicated by Daisuke's 1-2 record after having great starts each time out so far, having a 2.70 ERA which should get you a win most nights.

RF roof seating at Fenway
The seats that may be added would be along the right field wall. This section is in need of renovation, but has been fit with bleachers in the previous off-season. Look for it to come at seasons end as they continue to renovate the 95 year old Fenway.

Forbes public findings
Puts out franchise values for MLB clubs, though highly contested as to their results, many find that it is somewhat amusing if taken with a grain of salt.
Yankees get top billing valued at $1.2 Billion. Which seems right but when you factor in their payroll and the fact they seem to be losing money with the revenue-sharing deal for Major League Baseball. The name brand of NYY is a great moneymaker just not for the originating source in the Yankees brass. Boston Red Sox come in at $724 Million ranked third behind the New York Mets.


Updates from Red Sox Nation: Three-Bagger Edition

Posted April 21st, 2007

Categories: General MLB News, Red Sox Games, Red Sox News

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Mike Timlin was first known on a larger scale, to the baseball world, for his efforts shown in the back-to-back World Series wins in the early part of his career.

Michael August Timlin was born March 10th, 1966 in Midland, Texas. He is attributed as being 6'4", 210 lbs and is 41 years of age with 16 years in the big leagues. His current contract with Boston, pays him just under $3 million a year, my research differs but all 2007 salary quotes are around that range.

Mike Timlin attended Southwestern in Texas and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 1987 amateur draft. Subsequently signed June 6th of that same year. Timlin made his Major League Baseball debut April 8th, 1991 for those same Blue Jays.

#50 has never been one to shy away from any hitter. He can still hit the mid-90s and can count on his slider, which makes him extremely tough on right-handed-batters. The big man out of the pen still remains a top option in any would be Major League bullpen. Age hasn't completely caught up to the 41 year-old. His stuff is still solid but he has consistently missed games over the past few years, no doubt stemming from being an aging pitcher and a long inning filled career. He has had a propensity to give up big-knocks, which cause comebacks to be insurmountable at times. Pressure has gotten to him at all stops he has had as a closer. The spot in the pen he occupies now fits best as he comes in usually before Jonathan Papelbon and I can't find a better spot for him in the Majors.

The transactions for Mike Timlin throughout his career have been firstly in '97, he with RP Paul Spoljaric were sent to Seattle for Jose Cruz Jr.
If memory serves me right the Mariners had one of the worst bullpens in MLB history in those years which sadly Timlin couldn't help. As a free-agent signed with Baltimore, and then was traded to St. Louis in 2000. Then in turn dealt in '02 to the Philadelphia Phillies, which included 3B Scott Rolen going to STL, finally signing with the Boston Red Sox December 24th, 2002.

Mike Timlin may be done sooner than later but the BoSox are still better off with the aging veterans like Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield and the aforementioned Timlin, than not. As any team has a need for a hard throwing setup man, an astute ace starter that has immeasurable experience and a change of pace knuckleballer.


Player Profile: Mike Timlin

Posted April 15th, 2007

Categories: Editorials, Red Sox News

____________________________________________________________________________

First off the name Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a big headline throughout the off-season. He has also coined his own nickname before throwing a pitch in Dice-K. This has been derived from the pronunciation of his first name in Daisuke.

The numbers were big, the pressure and expectations are high. As is to be understood when it costs fifty-plus million just to talk to a player. This then in turn was a fifty-plus million dollar contract to the equation added. So what is to be the outcome from such a precedent setting move? An all-star pitcher, a rookie-of-the-year candidate or just an over hyped five-hundred pitcher. What they received is the best pitcher not in the Major Leagues. Which means what exactly? A well proven pitcher tops in his league who won’t overpower hitters and for him to be a success he’ll have to rely on his variety of pitches, because in this league batters will turn on his ninety-two mile per hour inside fastball that got him out of trouble in Japan.

Some like to see the comparisons of Matsuzaka to recent import from the New York Yankees, Kei Igawa. Who is from Japan also, although the two Japanese hurlers have differences as Daisuke is a right-handed pitcher. Igawa pitches lefty and their pitching styles are different to. Kei Igawa will not overpower hitters with his fastball hitting the high-eighties low-nineties. The General Manager for the New York Yankees Brian Cashman has said “he’s not a blower and he’s not a soft tosser. He’s somewhere in between, “I think he knows how to pitch. I know he’s a competitor.” Igawa and the Yankees agreed to terms inking a twenty million dollar, five year deal and paid twenty five-plus million dollars for his negotiating price. He is twenty-seven years of age and will wear jersey number twenty-nine. One of the telling responses from the Yankees GM was in regards to Kei Igawa being compared to Matsuzaka. “He’s not Matsuzaka” remarked Cashman. “Matsuzaka is a front-end-of-the-rotation guy.”

Hearing Boston Red Sox interviews and press conferences has opened my eyes to the hundred million dollar deal that has brought Daisuke Matsuzaka to Major League Baseball. At the start of hearing the fight over negotiations for the Tokyo, Japan product, I had a viewpoint of a cynical nature, I am not afraid to say. The six-foot, one-hundred-eighty plus pound pitcher has continued to win me over as his enthusiasm and smiles with reporters when questions are asked, that he can’t understand without his interpreter and his answers seem to project someone of strong character with a fun-loving spirit and mindset. Matsuzaka looks to be confident in what he brings and truly looks forward to just getting out there and playing some baseball.

One big factor in making Daisuke Matsuzaka a success and to help Boston get back to the playoffs is for Dice-K to trust and learn to completely communicate things with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who has caught previously for pitcher Hideo Nomo. Pitcher and teammate Josh Beckett said if he had any advice for Daisuke “it would have to be to trust ‘Tek (Varitek).” “‘Tek spends more time on hitters. I’ve never seen anyone prepare like him.” Varitek has been forthcoming with comments and his support of the move and situation this year. Jason has said that “it comes down to a pitcher’s strengths, what he can and can’t do. And it looks like, in Daisuke’s case, there’s a lot he can do.” Varitek seems to not be fazed by questions coming about his poor offensive numbers of last season, as he was quoted by saying “We’re going to be in this relationship for a while” insinuating that he plans to be the starting catcher in Boston for the next few years. His leadership, the way he handles pitchers and batters is second to none. That is why Manager Terry Francona doesn’t seem worried by the switch-hitting catcher’s output last season.

‘Tek has said “If I have (to learn Japanese) I will, whatever’s going to make him (Matsuzaka) comfortable. I think the fact that Daisuke has Varitek to count on, Schilling, Beckett and Wakefield as fellow starters and key veteran presence to count on he is in the best environment possible for him to succeed.

I will continue to look on with anticipation, as should all baseball fans. It should be fun to watch it unfold with this unknown twenty-six year old rookie jolted into the spotlight. Will it be super stardom or mediocrity stay tuned!

Written by Scott Penny

Published by SoxNest {03-13-07}