Joe Torre to Manage the Red Sox?

*Update, Boston is now 0-6.

Not for a second do I believe the Red Sox aren't going to be able to turn around from their current 0-5 start.  But how long of a leash will the team give to Terry Francona if their investment isn't turned around by the end of April.  A weekend series against the Yankees, that is also Opening Day in Boston starts on Friday. It makes me wonder if Francona loses his job could Joe Torre be lured away from his gig with MLB by a mega contract offer from Theo Epstein to help reign in the flailing club?

Tell me for one minute that the fans in Boston would not love to beat the Yankees with their old manager.  And if you think the idea of beating the team who made it clear he wasn't wanted anymore isn't something that would make Torre salivate you  haven't been paying attention for the last decade.

Francona has done what nearly a century of Boston managers could not when he delivered two World Series Championships, but I am sure that I am not the first person to wonder how long the club will let him control the team if they continue to lose.

Phillies Just Know How to Win

Everything I said about the San Francisco Giants last night:  how being battle hardened enough to win the World Series was just proven to apply to the Phillies.  You don't let a team that is considered one of the top five teams in baseball hang around long enough when you knock Roy Halladay out of the game early.

I'd say the Astros blew a 4-2 lead, but the case is that the Phillies are a stacked team who know how to work counts and bear down on pitchers -- even solid closers -- in the 9th inning.  Single after single, a courageous steal of third and a shocking line drive over the head of a drawn in outfield... this team just knows how to win!

You want to play this team 18 times this year?  Good Luck Mets, Braves and Marlins because unless you blow them out of the water they are not going away. 

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Giant Fan Beaten At Dodger Stadium

*Update:  I just saw a news report here in LA that the fan who was beaten at Dodger Stadium is still in a medically induced coma.  He has severe brain swelling and may require the removal of a portion of his frontal lobe.  Witnessses say that there was a woman driving the getaway car with a young child on board.  I'm sick about this.

The AP is reporting that a San Francisco Giant fan was brutally beaten and hospitalized by two Dodger fans in the parking lot after the Dodger/Giant game last night. 

I really hate to say I told you so, but the main reason I started this blog is so I can do exactly that.  Click this link that will take you to my preview of last night's Dodger/Giant game and scroll down to the bottom of the page, right before the starting lineups where I literally ask Dodger fans not to kill any Giant fans in Chavez Ravine.

Listen, I live in Los Angeles and have been to dozens of Dodger games. It's one of the most gorgeous places to watch a ball game in America, but it has two very distinct personalities.  Down by the field you have studio executives, actress types, agents and producers (both music, tv and film) - all the requisite people who help make LA famous. Then take a trip to the upper deck and the outfield seats... and it's like you're Ethan Hawke 3/4 of the way through Training Day and Denzel just dropped your ass off with some guys ready to kill you.

This is not the first time this has happened to a Giant fan here and the Los Angeles Police and the Dodgers need to step up security to the nth degree at all Dodger games.
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Red Sox and Rangers Start Title Hunt

In 2011 the Yankees aren’t the only team telling themselves that the year will be a failure if they don’t win the World Series.  Both Boston and Texas are at the top of everyone’s lists to win their divisions and the fist game of the season for both teams can very well be a first round playoff match up.

Enough has been said over the last few months about the new Red Sox lineup and it goes live today in a big way in the hitter’s ballpark in Arlington. That’s the new name for the place, ‘The Hitter’s Ballpark at Arlington.” 

I’ve been alternately mocked and applauded for going out on a limb and saying that I think Jacoby Ellsbury will be in the hunt for the MVP this year with Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and the Ranger’s Josh Hamilton.  But it is my expectation that because he is finally healthy and will lead off for the best 1-6 hitters in all of baseball (yeah, I think the Boston lineup is more dangerous than the one in NY, maybe not more home run powerful, but definitely more dangerous) that Ellsbury will have a career year.

120+ runs scored, 70 stolen bases, a .310 average, and 90 RBI are not unreasonable numbers to expect from him. I also envision a move back to Centerfield at some point as I cannot see Mike Cameron sticking there all season, and that would put Ellsbury into one of the most important defensive positions in the game.  He may not hit 40 homers like Josh Hamilton, but Pedroia won an MVP a few years ago because of his overall impact on every game, which is the model I think Ellsbury’s year will take.

The Rangers probably won’t be as good this year with the loss of Cliff Lee, but they have a loaded lineup that will stomp through the AL West.  And with their new TV network getting ready to launch the Rangers are poised to take on salaries and make trades like the teams in the Northeast.

On the field today

Jon Lester has pitched better against the Rangers than his career average numbers.  In 7 games he’s gone 3-1 with a 2.94 ERA and gets almost a strike out per inning (48Ks in 49 innings pitched).  He’s the Boston Ace this year and while the team is starting a run for a World Series title, he’s in the hunt for the Cy Young.

Red Flag for Lester:  Going through the Ranger lineup I was surprised to see that the only person with more than ten career At Bats against him is Josh Hamilton (5-16 with a HR).  While that means they aren’t overly familiar with him, it also means there isn’t a large sample size to choose from so things could get a little shaky for Boston at times today.

CJ Wilson, the Ranger Pitcher, is only making his 4^th career start against the Red Sox, although he’s faced them 15 times total including relief appearances.  It’s scary when you see that in 31.2 innings he’s given up 16 hits and 17 walks.  His ERA is only 1.42, but you have to think that with so many base runners allowed he managed to get out of jams in the past that I don’t expect this Boston team to concede this year.

Expect the Red Sox to put a lot of men on base today, at an average of at least 1 base runner per inning.  And expect them to cash them in today.  I have to think that this is going to be a 7-4 win for Boston with Lester going into the 7^th inning.  Then we’ll really get to see if their new rotation can live up to their new lineup.

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San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day Preview

Outside of the AL East there are only a handful of truly vicious rivalries that have the history of the Giants and Dodgers.  But no matter how much bad blood between the teams historically there might be the 2011 versions of each team feel like they are going in very different directions.

Last year the Giants came from seemingly no where to win the World Series while the Dodgers parted ways with on of baseballs most iconic managers in Joe Torre.

While the Giants are battle hardened and learned exactly how to win games they now have a target on their back and will be taught a lesson that teams like the Red Sox and Yankees have faced: life is different when you get every team's best shot day in and day out.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees: Opening Day Recap

Justin Verlander served up one of the greatest Opening Day starts of his career today.  Six innings, three runs, and with two men on in a tie game he strikes out Nick Swisher and then Jorge Posada on his 114^th pitch to end the 6^th inning?

CC Sabathia vs Phillies: Too Dominant to be Interesting

New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies 3-20-11 Recap
The complete package showed up for the New York Yankees today from CC Sabathia to the bullpen to the lineup and from power to small ball.

This was the perfect example of why the Yankees have a chance to win every start CC makes and how the power of this team can overwhelm even a very good pitcher like Joe Blanton while one of the best aces in all of baseball can keep a good team like the Phillies down.

Let’s go ahead and make the note here that the Yanks used their DH (Arod) and the Phils let the pitcher bat. These are still exhibition games and everyone has things they need to work on still.

That being said, of every player on this roster I think I devote the fewest words to CC Sabathia for one very simple reason: He is the best starter on the staff and comes with zero question marks. What am I going to say about the guy except: CC’s great. CC’s going to give you 7+ innings every start, CC lost weight, he could win the Cy Young.

BOOOORRRRRING!

AJ Burnett - His Importance as the Yankee's #2 Starter

Earlier today AJ Burnett was announced as the second starter for the Yanks to begin the season. Whether or not you think that job was better suited for Phil Hughes or that because of his inconsistencies Burnett should have been more of a back end of a rotation guy so he could get skipped once in a while until he proved more stable on the mound is a moot point now.

When AJ is on I have always felt he is one of the top ten pitchers in the American League, with absolutely unhittable stuff. When’s he’s off… let’s just not bother with that anymore because if you’re reading this you know what happens when he doesn’t have his command.

Now that we know where AJ lines up in the rotation I want to take a look at the early part of the season and dissect a little bit of what to expect from him and how a poor start could affect the Yankee chances of winning games.

Yankee Rotation: Facts of Life

I fear that the Yankee Rotation is going to be so inconsistent that we are going to be forced to “Take the Good and Take the Bad” all season long. We don’t need a pitching coach; we need Mrs. Garrett.

So, without further ado, introducing the 2011 New York Yankee Rotation; from left to right:  Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Pitching Coach Larry Rothschild, AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia.

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Yankee Offense Relies on Long Ball Against Rays

Two hits until the 6^th.

Last night, the Yanks put up 10 runs, but what a lot of people don’t know is that Baltimore only sent a series of relief pitchers against the Yanks.  And tonight?  Well, tonight the Rays also sent a series of relief pitchers against the regular Yankee lineup and provided a very different result.  Until the 7^th inning the Yanks only managed to eek out two hits.