Boston

Two years ago, the Red Sox drafted 18-year-old Casey Kelly in the first round of the MLB first-year player draft (pick No. 30 overall) out of Sarasota, Florida. At the time, he was a 195-pound two-sport schoolboy star who had signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at the University of Tennessee.

But then the Sox lured him to baseball with their checkbook and a promise that he could both pitch and play shortstop in the minor leagues. The agreement between the player and club was that he’d have to choose one or the other at the end of last season.

First published on Beantown Sports Observer

This past offseason was not only big for the Boston Red Sox, but for the teams in their division as well. New York, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and even Baltimore made some significant moves on their roster and though some more bad than good, the division will be tough this season.

Clay Buchholz: His future's so bright he's gotta wear shades!

The first time I interviewed Clay Buchholz (back in 2007), I asked him if he envisioned getting involved with a particular charity when he made it to the big leagues (a la Curt Schilling and his commitment to ALS).

Clay told me that he absolutely intended to be involved with charities, especially those involved in the fights against cancer and / or Alzheimer’s disease (which claimed the life of his grandmother).

We honor Dwight Evans as the Boston Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month. With the opening of the baseball season around the corner, the choice of “Dewey” Evans is fitting. He was a player who gave his all, all the time to the Boston Red Sox where he played from 1972 to 1990. He is one of the best players not in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

So says Beckett:

"Speaking on CSNNE’s SportsNet Central Thursday night, Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett said he would most likely not negotiate a new contract with the Red Sox during the 2010 season, saying 'Probably not,' when asked if he would participate in any in-season talks.

Spring training isn’t even a week old, and already questions are piling up for the Red Sox.

Will David Ortiz return to form? Will the Sox extend Josh Beckett’s contract? What will become of Mike Lowell? Can Jon Papelbon bounce back from his ALDS meltdown? What can we expect from the offense?

Yet out of all these questions, there remains one that I simply cannot wrap my head around: Will Tim Wakefield get a spot in the rotation? 

It was the summer of 2008. The first time I saw Daniel Bard pitch, he was holding down the back end of the Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A) bullpen.

He was summoned in the eighth inning of a close contest between the Sea Dogs and the NH Fisher Cats (TOR) with runners in scoring position.

From my perch in the third base dugout at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester, NH, I took a couple photos as Bard warmed up and then snapped one more picture as he threw his first pitch.

There has been a lot of hype about the Red Sox and their pitching and defensive upgrades this year, but because of all the focus on the defense, many people are claiming that the Sox will have a lower caliber offensive season. While the Beantown boys may have lost a key player this offseason, they spread the offense out among multiple players, while improving the defense as well. Overall, the offense will not be worse, and may in fact be better than the 2009 version. Ahead is the 2010 Red Sox projected line up, 1-9, compared to their 2009 counterparts.

(Photo caption: David Ortiz showed off his leaner physique today at spring training camp in Fort Myers. He quipped to reporters: “you should see me naked”.)

David Ortiz started the 2009 season bearing the weight of extraordinary Red Sox Nation expectations. Fellow slugger Manny Ramirez had been dealt to the Dodgers at the previous trade deadline, and while Jason Bay was expected to roughly replace Ramirez’s production, the eyes of the Nation turned to Ortiz.

Greetings Bleacher Reporters!

I’m Billy and I have been a contributor on this site for a few years now. Anyone who has read any of my articles knows I am incredibly passionate about my teams, especially the New York Yankees .

I am, like many on this site are or were at some time, a college student. I am a Communications Studies major at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA.