Boston Red Sox

Get yer links hee-yah . . .

By Chad Finn

3 minutes to read

With no ballgame today and the season’s first Sox-Yanks brouhaha just a day away, it seems like a good time to take a spin around the web and catch up on some Sox-related chatter . . .

  • Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees’ starter in the series opener Friday, has made something of a habit of throwing at Red Sox hitters — namely, Kevin Youkilis, who has been buzzed by Chamberlain four times since 2007. But has that helped him get inside their heads? Judging by David Ortiz’s comments to the New York Post this morning, it’s not out of the realm of possibility:

    “None of that, man — just play the game the way it’s supposed to be, and that’s about it,” Ortiz said, referring to Chamberlain.

    “This is a guy, as good as he is, the next step for him will be to earn respect from everybody in the league. He’s not a bad guy, but when things like that happen, people get the wrong idea.”

    Translation: Knock it off, kid, or there will be repercussions.

  • Roger Rubin in the New York Daily News writes about Ortiz’s early season struggles at the plate. Ortiz showed some encouraging signs of snapping out of his funk against the Twins yesterday, using the Wall to his advantage, and Rubin notes that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he fully rediscovers his power stroke against the Yankees:

    It shouldn’t surprise Yankees fans if Ortiz is getting right just in time for the weekend series at Fenway. In 118 games against the Bombers, he is hitting .313 with 25 home runs and 90 RBI. ‘He always liked the ‘big feel’ games,” [manager Terry] Francona said.

    In a way, it’s too bad this series isn’t in the Bronx. That new launching pad of a stadium — particularly to right field — might be exactly what Ortiz needs right now to really get rolling.

  • Conventional wisdom suggests that Daisuke Matsuzaka’s ineffectiveness in his first two starts of the season were a direct result of his participation in the World Baseball Classic, and his current stint on the 15-day disabled list should help him return to his 2008 form. But CNNSI’s Tom Verducci wonders if Matsuzaka’s tired shoulder is more ominous than Red Sox fans seem to realize:

    The Red Sox, however, better hope it is only the WBC that caused Matsuzaka’s fatigue. When Boston placed him on the disabled list, I thought not only about the WBC, but also about a story I did about Matsuzaka prior to the 2007 season, his first in the majors after a distinguished, and grueling, career in Japan. What stuck with me is how both the Red Sox and Scott Boras, the agent for Matsuzaka, were concerned about the ominous track record of Japanese starting pitchers when they jump to the big leagues. Both the club and the agent knew about a pattern in which Japanese starters have success in the majors for a year or two, but wear down in years three and four.

    So what do you think? Should Sox fans be more concerned about Dice-K than they already are?

  • Alex Speier at WEEI.com talks contract with free-agent-to-be Jason Bay, who — not surprisingly — sounds perfectly reasonable in what he’s hoping for in his next deal, whether it’s with the Sox or elsewhere:

    “My agents and the company put together a big fancy package and all that stuff. I’ve seen the numbers. But I understand that it’s a completely different economic time, and that there are some concessions. That being said, I’ve played the game for six years. I’m not looking to set any records. I’m basically looking for what’s fair. Whether it’s here or not remains to be seen. I’m not trying to set a precedent.”

    We’re sticking with our prediction that a deal between the Sox and Bay gets done quietly before the summer is over. The fit is ideal for both sides, and it cannot have gone unnoticed that Matt Holliday — another free agent after season, and one whose numbers are similar to Bay’s — apparently is intent on catching the Yankees’ attention.

  • Finally, a warm, hilarious, you-gotta-read-this tribute to Dave Roberts from one of our favorite Sox blogs, Surviving Grady. (Be forewarned: The post is probably rated PG-13. No nudity, though.)

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