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Cherington effective despite distractions by Mike Ghika
First-year GM has performed admirably amidst manager debacle and financial restrictions
New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington’s first bit of business in his new role with the team was an important one – hiring a new manager.
But it was a managerial process like no other. After receiving public backing from ownership to carry out the interview process,Cherington met with a number of low-key candidates, many of which were seeking their first managerial job.
Then came the announcement of a second interview for former Sox third base coach Dale Sveum, whose only tenure as manager came with an interim tag during the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff run in 2008. The meeting took place in Milwaukee – the site of the GM Meetings – with Cherington, Sveum, John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner all present.
With Cherington’s sights clearly set on Sveum, an agreement seemed imminent when the Sox brass announced they would seek an individual with more managerial experience. In other words, Sox ownership put down the gavel, and overruled was the verdict on Cherington’s ...READ MORE!
Published on January 02, 2012 View Comment(s)
Sox Ownership Has Lost its Values by Mike Ghika
Closure in managerial search doesn't undo recent Red Sox disaster
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening, it was reported that Red Sox managerial candidate Gene Lamont was out of the running for the position. That report came via a tweet from ESPN’s Karl Ravech, who has been a colleague of soon-to-be Sox manager Bobby Valentine for quite some time now.
Less than a half hour later, Sox general manager Ben Cherington refuted that notion by saying there was nothing to report on Lamont.
Then what do you know? Local man Mike Lynch from Channel 5 tweeted at 7 p.m. that a verbal agreement was in place with Valentine.
And with that, finally, the Red Sox are no longer manager-less after what seemed to be an endless 60-day stretch.
But the drama that ensued late Tuesday evening was just the culmination of what has proven to be the dar...READ MORE!
Published on November 30, 2011 View Comment(s)
Sox bats fail to deliver by Mike Ghika
Offense leaves 11 men on base in wrong end of shutout
Once again, the Boston Red Sox succumbed to a lack of hitting with runners in scoring position on Saturday night, leaving 11 on base in a frustrating 2-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Sox starter John Lackey again was the tough luck loser for the second time in third starts. The righthander is now 1-2 in his last three outings despite a 1.35 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over that span.
His counterpart, Seattle righthander Doug Fister, threw 5.2 shutout innings despite allowing 10 baserunners as he lowered his season ERA to 2.70.
For the Sox, it was their second straight loss to the M’s and their fourth loss in five games coming off their four-game sweep of the Angels.
Fister, who made a habit of escaping jams on this night, loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an Adrian Gonzalez single in the first. But he got JD Drew to fly out deep to the triangle in center to end the threat.
After wasting a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury in the third, the Sox again missed a golden oppo...READ MORE!
Published on May 01, 2011 View Comment(s)
No dice for Angels by Mike Ghika
Matsuzaka allows one hit over eight scoreless as Sox appear to be hitting stride
While the Bruins were busy stealing the show here in Boston, the Boston Red Sox continued to roll over the opposition 3,000 miles to the west.
Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was the story on this night, throwing eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball with a season-high nine strikeouts as the Sox breezed to a 5-0 victory in Anaheim on Saturday night for their fourth straight win and seventh in eight games.
It has marked a rather absurd transition for Matsuzaka, who allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in just seven innings his first two starts before tossing seven scoreless his last time out. He allowed just one hit in that game as well, making him just the third pitcher in team history (Pedro Martinez – 2002, Howard Ehmke – 1923) to throw at least seven innings with just one hit allowed in consecutive starts, as Ian Browne of Redsox.com points out.
Matsuzaka has now cut his ERA by more than two thirds – from 12.86 to 4.09 – with 15 innings of two-hit ball over his last two outings. His e...READ MORE!
Published on April 24, 2011 View Comment(s)
Late night well worth the wait by Mike Ghika
Gonzalez’s game winner scores Pedroia (three hits) in 11th, Beckett strong again
The Boston Red Sox once again got a victory on Thursday night – the team’s fifth in six days – as this one finally saw a few breaks go in their favor.
Josh Beckett had a no-hitter into the sixth and had a 2-0 lead in the seventh before Torii Hunter squared up a fastball for a two-run homer to tie it up. Still, the Sox overcame the fact they left 15 runners on base and won 4-2 in extra innings, as Adrian Gonzalez came through with a game-winning double in the 11th.
Kevin Youkilis left the game after fouling a ball off his shin in the second inning, as Marco Scutaro was forced to enter the game while starting shortstop Jed Lowrie slid over to third. The injury to Youkilis was somewhat reminiscent of Dustin Pedroia’s injury last year, who was hitting .374 in the month of June before fouling a pitch off his foot June 25 at San Francisco. Luckily, x-rays were negative for the All-Star third baseman.
Despite his team-high three hits on Thursday, Pedroia also got lucky a couple of ...READ MORE!
Published on April 22, 2011 View Comment(s)
Better late than never for Sox starters by Mike Ghika
Rotation mates have allowed one run or less in five straight
Red Sox starters have managed just seven quality starts in 2011, and five have come in the last five days.
The most recent turn through the rotation is a little closer to what the team and fans had expected coming into the season, as Boston’s starting pitchers have posted a 1.15 ERA in five games since Saturday. Most importantly, the Sox have gotten four wins in that span.
Although the offense overall has been slow out of the gate, the starting rotation is what has truly ailed the Sox early on. They limped to a 2-10 start as their starters combined for a 6.71 ERA in the team’s first 12 games, quickly stripping away the preseason expectations of being a consensus candidate to reach the World Series.
After the Sox had taken two of three from the New York Yankees, they were swept last week by the Tampa Bay Rays and dropped the first game of a four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. But Josh Beckett, as he has so many times in the past, played the role of stopper last Saturday...READ MORE!
Published on April 21, 2011 View Comment(s)
Ghika: 2010 National League Preview by Mike Ghika
SSN's Mike Ghika breaks down the National League
NL East
Phillies – Roy Halladay matching up against NL lineups is heavenly for the reigning league champs, and the lineup is still dangerous as ever with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, free agent to be Jayson Werth, and newly added Placido Polanco. Expect a big bounce back year from a rejuvenated Cole Hamels, but something has to be done at the back end of the bullpen after closer Brad Lidge's disastrous 2009 (7.21 ERA).
Braves* – This will be manager Bobby Cox's 25th and final year at the helm, and 20-year-old Jason Heyward spotlights a team hopeful of a September playoff chase. Even despite dealing Javier Vazquez to the Yankees in a salary dump, the rotation is very deep, but the comebacks of first baseman Troy Glaus and closer Billy Wagner could decide Atlanta's fate.
Marlins – The team won 84 games in 2008 and three more last year despite the lowest payroll in baseball. Although Hanley Ramirez and Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan a...READ MORE!
Published on March 30, 2010 View Comment(s)
Let's address Boston's winter performance, shall we? by Mike Ghika
Sox are positioned well for 2010 and beyond
So yes, I've been out of commission for quite some time here on the blog, but what better time to regain your composure with the holidays a thing of the past and the pitchers and catchers' report date only about a month away? Here is a tightly-packed collection of thoughts on the hot-button topics of the offseason thus far, with minimal criticism from myself at most, because the Sox' assembling of the 2010 team has been done with a pristine plan in mind.
On the loss of Jason Bay: It seems as if the Sox had been going through the motions on a Bay deal since the All-Star break, when talks inconsequently broke down because of management's fears over the left fielder's health and defense moving forward. Personally, I think even more so it came down to the simple question: Is Bay the right guy to anchor this lineup for years to come? At $16 million per year, he was never going to hit .330, and it is hard to argue in his favor that he could consistently match his career highs of ...READ MORE!
Published on January 14, 2010 View Comment(s)
A willing Wagner VS. a pretentious Papelbon by Mike Ghika
Pap's need to speak has become a problem
The music cues as the bullpen door swings open. The Dropkicks overtake the sound system at Fenway. Our beloved (“The Legend”) Detective Billy Dunn holds out his fist for the traditional pound. Next, closer Jonathan Papelbon gets the loudest ovation that any Sox player in fact receives on a nightly basis as he heads to the mound.
By all means, there is bevy of benefits in having Papelbon as the Red Sox’ closer. He is a competitor. An intimidator. A proven winner. A World Champion. But at the same time, although I’m not sure how many members of the Nation even recognize it, Jonathan Papelbon can at times be a problem. Let’s face it, the Mississippi native isn’t exactly known as a class act.
And with the most recent development in the Sox trade market – one in which GM Theo Epstein has a chance to acquire the best left-handed closer ever – Papelbon has stated in his clear opposition to the idea. The deadline for the decision is tomorrow, so we will soon know whether or not relieve...READ MORE!
Published on August 24, 2009 View Comment(s)
Epstein prepares for long haul at deadline by Mike Ghika
Sox acquire V-Mart for Masterson, Kotchman for LaRoche
The July 31st non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, and the Boston Red Sox have made two deals (one major, one wash), leaving a bevy of possibilities still to play out on the major league roster.
Long before the 4pm deadline, the Sox acquired switch-hitting catcher/first baseman and three-time All-Star Victor Martinez from Cleveland in exchange for Justin Masterson and minor league starters Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, as was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. After an injury-riddled 2008 season in which V-Mart appeared in only 73 games, he has bounced back to hit .284/.368/.464 with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs this year.
In a somewhat corresponding move to make room for V-Mart, the Sox sent newly-acquired first-baseman Adam LaRoche to Atlanta in exchange for former Angels prospect and fellow first-baseman Casey Kotchman, according to READ MORE!
Published on July 31, 2009 View Comment(s)
List all his blogs!
Pages: 1 2 3 ... 90 91 92 - Next
First-year GM has performed admirably amidst manager debacle and financial restrictions
New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington’s first bit of business in his new role with the team was an important one – hiring a new manager.
But it was a managerial process like no other. After receiving public backing from ownership to carry out the interview process,Cherington met with a number of low-key candidates, many of which were seeking their first managerial job.
Then came the announcement of a second interview for former Sox third base coach Dale Sveum, whose only tenure as manager came with an interim tag during the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff run in 2008. The meeting took place in Milwaukee – the site of the GM Meetings – with Cherington, Sveum, John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner all present.
With Cherington’s sights clearly set on Sveum, an agreement seemed imminent when the Sox brass announced they would seek an individual with more managerial experience. In other words, Sox ownership put down the gavel, and overruled was the verdict on Cherington’s ...READ MORE!
Published on January 02, 2012 View Comment(s)
Sox Ownership Has Lost its Values by Mike Ghika
Closure in managerial search doesn't undo recent Red Sox disaster
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening, it was reported that Red Sox managerial candidate Gene Lamont was out of the running for the position. That report came via a tweet from ESPN’s Karl Ravech, who has been a colleague of soon-to-be Sox manager Bobby Valentine for quite some time now.
Less than a half hour later, Sox general manager Ben Cherington refuted that notion by saying there was nothing to report on Lamont.
Then what do you know? Local man Mike Lynch from Channel 5 tweeted at 7 p.m. that a verbal agreement was in place with Valentine.
And with that, finally, the Red Sox are no longer manager-less after what seemed to be an endless 60-day stretch.
But the drama that ensued late Tuesday evening was just the culmination of what has proven to be the dar...READ MORE!
Published on November 30, 2011 View Comment(s)
Sox bats fail to deliver by Mike Ghika
Offense leaves 11 men on base in wrong end of shutout
Once again, the Boston Red Sox succumbed to a lack of hitting with runners in scoring position on Saturday night, leaving 11 on base in a frustrating 2-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Sox starter John Lackey again was the tough luck loser for the second time in third starts. The righthander is now 1-2 in his last three outings despite a 1.35 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over that span.
His counterpart, Seattle righthander Doug Fister, threw 5.2 shutout innings despite allowing 10 baserunners as he lowered his season ERA to 2.70.
For the Sox, it was their second straight loss to the M’s and their fourth loss in five games coming off their four-game sweep of the Angels.
Fister, who made a habit of escaping jams on this night, loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an Adrian Gonzalez single in the first. But he got JD Drew to fly out deep to the triangle in center to end the threat.
After wasting a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury in the third, the Sox again missed a golden oppo...READ MORE!
Published on May 01, 2011 View Comment(s)
No dice for Angels by Mike Ghika
Matsuzaka allows one hit over eight scoreless as Sox appear to be hitting stride
While the Bruins were busy stealing the show here in Boston, the Boston Red Sox continued to roll over the opposition 3,000 miles to the west.
Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was the story on this night, throwing eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball with a season-high nine strikeouts as the Sox breezed to a 5-0 victory in Anaheim on Saturday night for their fourth straight win and seventh in eight games.
It has marked a rather absurd transition for Matsuzaka, who allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in just seven innings his first two starts before tossing seven scoreless his last time out. He allowed just one hit in that game as well, making him just the third pitcher in team history (Pedro Martinez – 2002, Howard Ehmke – 1923) to throw at least seven innings with just one hit allowed in consecutive starts, as Ian Browne of Redsox.com points out.
Matsuzaka has now cut his ERA by more than two thirds – from 12.86 to 4.09 – with 15 innings of two-hit ball over his last two outings. His e...READ MORE!
Published on April 24, 2011 View Comment(s)
Late night well worth the wait by Mike Ghika
Gonzalez’s game winner scores Pedroia (three hits) in 11th, Beckett strong again
The Boston Red Sox once again got a victory on Thursday night – the team’s fifth in six days – as this one finally saw a few breaks go in their favor.
Josh Beckett had a no-hitter into the sixth and had a 2-0 lead in the seventh before Torii Hunter squared up a fastball for a two-run homer to tie it up. Still, the Sox overcame the fact they left 15 runners on base and won 4-2 in extra innings, as Adrian Gonzalez came through with a game-winning double in the 11th.
Kevin Youkilis left the game after fouling a ball off his shin in the second inning, as Marco Scutaro was forced to enter the game while starting shortstop Jed Lowrie slid over to third. The injury to Youkilis was somewhat reminiscent of Dustin Pedroia’s injury last year, who was hitting .374 in the month of June before fouling a pitch off his foot June 25 at San Francisco. Luckily, x-rays were negative for the All-Star third baseman.
Despite his team-high three hits on Thursday, Pedroia also got lucky a couple of ...READ MORE!
Published on April 22, 2011 View Comment(s)
Better late than never for Sox starters by Mike Ghika
Rotation mates have allowed one run or less in five straight
Red Sox starters have managed just seven quality starts in 2011, and five have come in the last five days.
The most recent turn through the rotation is a little closer to what the team and fans had expected coming into the season, as Boston’s starting pitchers have posted a 1.15 ERA in five games since Saturday. Most importantly, the Sox have gotten four wins in that span.
Although the offense overall has been slow out of the gate, the starting rotation is what has truly ailed the Sox early on. They limped to a 2-10 start as their starters combined for a 6.71 ERA in the team’s first 12 games, quickly stripping away the preseason expectations of being a consensus candidate to reach the World Series.
After the Sox had taken two of three from the New York Yankees, they were swept last week by the Tampa Bay Rays and dropped the first game of a four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. But Josh Beckett, as he has so many times in the past, played the role of stopper last Saturday...READ MORE!
Published on April 21, 2011 View Comment(s)
Ghika: 2010 National League Preview by Mike Ghika
SSN's Mike Ghika breaks down the National League
Phillies – Roy Halladay matching up against NL lineups is heavenly for the reigning league champs, and the lineup is still dangerous as ever with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, free agent to be Jayson Werth, and newly added Placido Polanco. Expect a big bounce back year from a rejuvenated Cole Hamels, but something has to be done at the back end of the bullpen after closer Brad Lidge's disastrous 2009 (7.21 ERA).
Braves* – This will be manager Bobby Cox's 25th and final year at the helm, and 20-year-old Jason Heyward spotlights a team hopeful of a September playoff chase. Even despite dealing Javier Vazquez to the Yankees in a salary dump, the rotation is very deep, but the comebacks of first baseman Troy Glaus and closer Billy Wagner could decide Atlanta's fate.
Marlins – The team won 84 games in 2008 and three more last year despite the lowest payroll in baseball. Although Hanley Ramirez and Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan a...READ MORE!
Published on March 30, 2010 View Comment(s)
Let's address Boston's winter performance, shall we? by Mike Ghika
Sox are positioned well for 2010 and beyond
So yes, I've been out of commission for quite some time here on the blog, but what better time to regain your composure with the holidays a thing of the past and the pitchers and catchers' report date only about a month away? Here is a tightly-packed collection of thoughts on the hot-button topics of the offseason thus far, with minimal criticism from myself at most, because the Sox' assembling of the 2010 team has been done with a pristine plan in mind.
On the loss of Jason Bay: It seems as if the Sox had been going through the motions on a Bay deal since the All-Star break, when talks inconsequently broke down because of management's fears over the left fielder's health and defense moving forward. Personally, I think even more so it came down to the simple question: Is Bay the right guy to anchor this lineup for years to come? At $16 million per year, he was never going to hit .330, and it is hard to argue in his favor that he could consistently match his career highs of ...READ MORE!
Published on January 14, 2010 View Comment(s)
A willing Wagner VS. a pretentious Papelbon by Mike Ghika
Pap's need to speak has become a problem
The music cues as the bullpen door swings open. The Dropkicks overtake the sound system at Fenway. Our beloved (“The Legend”) Detective Billy Dunn holds out his fist for the traditional pound. Next, closer Jonathan Papelbon gets the loudest ovation that any Sox player in fact receives on a nightly basis as he heads to the mound.
By all means, there is bevy of benefits in having Papelbon as the Red Sox’ closer. He is a competitor. An intimidator. A proven winner. A World Champion. But at the same time, although I’m not sure how many members of the Nation even recognize it, Jonathan Papelbon can at times be a problem. Let’s face it, the Mississippi native isn’t exactly known as a class act.
And with the most recent development in the Sox trade market – one in which GM Theo Epstein has a chance to acquire the best left-handed closer ever – Papelbon has stated in his clear opposition to the idea. The deadline for the decision is tomorrow, so we will soon know whether or not relieve...READ MORE!
Published on August 24, 2009 View Comment(s)
Epstein prepares for long haul at deadline by Mike Ghika
Sox acquire V-Mart for Masterson, Kotchman for LaRoche
The July 31st non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, and the Boston Red Sox have made two deals (one major, one wash), leaving a bevy of possibilities still to play out on the major league roster.
Long before the 4pm deadline, the Sox acquired switch-hitting catcher/first baseman and three-time All-Star Victor Martinez from Cleveland in exchange for Justin Masterson and minor league starters Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, as was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. After an injury-riddled 2008 season in which V-Mart appeared in only 73 games, he has bounced back to hit .284/.368/.464 with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs this year.
In a somewhat corresponding move to make room for V-Mart, the Sox sent newly-acquired first-baseman Adam LaRoche to Atlanta in exchange for former Angels prospect and fellow first-baseman Casey Kotchman, according to READ MORE!
Published on July 31, 2009 View Comment(s)
List all his blogs!
Pages: 1 2 3 ... 90 91 92 - Next
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