Sox in Six: Most Electric Red Sox Pitchers of Last 50 Years

Buchholz's record is still unblemished.

In leading the Red Sox to victory in Chicago during the final game of a nine-game road trip last night, Clay Buchholz ran his early-season record to 7-0. 

Buchholz's white-hot start, which includes a 1.73 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, is one of the best in franchise history. It also has Red Sox fans wondering -- is the wiry right-hander ready to join the list of elite pitchers in Red Sox annals?

These are the guys who didn't just win big games, but had the ballpark buzzing before they even walked in from the bullpen. 

Today's Sox in Six focuses on the most electric Red Sox pitchers of the past half-century:


Dick Radatz

Mickey Mantle gave Radatz his nickname -- "the Monster" -- after striking out for what seemed like the 100th straight time against the big right-hander. 

Actually, Mickey whiffed 44 times in 63 at-bats against Radatz, but you get the idea. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds (and likely larger), Radatz was a menacing figure on the mound, and he had the stuff to back up the big shadow he cast.

As a reliever with the Red Sox in the 1960s, Radatz was so overpowering that he drew standing ovations each time he came in from the Fenway bullpen. No matter what the score, fans would wait around to see if the Monster would make an appearance.

The Sox of this era were awful, but Radatz was still one of the best pitchers in baseball -- going 40-21 with 78 saves from 1962-64 with a 2.17 ERA and 487 strikeouts in 414 innings. In the era before closers and set-up men, he'd often pitch two or three innings for several nights in a row. 

The Monster flamed out before Yaz and the Impossible Dream team of 1967 revived Boston baseball. It's hard to imagine how good this guy could have been on a decent team.

Luis Tiant

Tiant was the David Ortiz of the 1970s Red Sox, a big-hearted jokster who was a clubhouse leader and a cold-hearted killer in the clutch. 

The Cuban righty with the crazy wind-up and a seemingly endless array of arm angles and deliveries won 20 games three times between 1973-76, and nearly pitched Boston to a title in the '75 World Series with two complete-game victories (plus seven more gritty innings) against the mighty Cincinnati Reds.

Posessing a Fu Manchu mustache and a visible passion for the game, "El Tiante" was a Fenway favorite who elicited loud cries of "LOOOOOOUIE!" from his adoring fans. Despite having lost his best fastball by his mid-30s he could still out-think the opposition and occasionally blow batters away.

Down the stretch of a season there was no one better -- as evidenced by Tiant's stellar .675 winning percentage in September/October. When Boston ownership let Louie walk after the '78 season, team captain Carl Yastrzemski lamented the loss of "our heart and soul."


Roger Clemens

Long before anybody was talking about steroids, Clemens was the heir to fellow Texan Nolan Ryan as the best power pitcher in the game.

"The Rocket" emerged from injuries early in his career to have one of the best seasons any pitcher could hope for in 1986 -- going 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts (including a 9-inning record of 20 on April 29). Like Tiant, he nearly led Boston to a title before the nightmare at Shea Stadium that October. 

The "K" cards flew often at Fenway during Clemens' heyday, as he averaged 239 strikeouts between 1986-92 while going 136-63 with a 2.66 ERA and notching three Cy Young Awards (as well as the '86 MVP). When the Red Sox struggled with an anemic offense in the early '90s, the Rocket often carried the club on his broad shoulders but also lost plenty of low-scoring games.

His Boston years ended ugly, with a drop-off in performance and conditioning that GM Dan Duquette saw as the beginning of his end, and the doping revelations of recent years have perhaps forever tainted Clemens' image. At his youthful peak, however, there was no one better.


Pedro Martinez

Starts by Martinez at Fenway were more than just ballgames -- they were happenings. 

Saluted with thunderous ovations and the waving of countless Dominican flags, Pedro was slight in stature at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds but a giant on the mound. Like perhaps no pitcher since Sandy Koufax, he dominated hitters to the point where it almost didn't seem fair. 

Whether in a pennant race (17 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium in September 1999) or an exhibition (whiffs of five elite NL batters in the '99 All-Star Game), "The Dominican Dandy" delivered a great show. Just as Babe Ruth once out-homered entire teams, Pedro made a mockery of the ERA race by dwarfing all other pitchers in runs allowed (including a 1.74 to 3.70 edge over runner-up Roger Clemens in 2000).

Martinez's '99 season (23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 213 innings) was his coronation as the game's greatest hurler, and although injuries and careful managers kept his innings down in later years, he was still an elite pitcher on many occasions -- and a key part of the team that finally ended Boston's 86-year World Series title drought in 2004. 


Curt Schilling

Whether or not they liked his right-wing politics, fans loved the right arm of the big-boned pitcher who talked big and then backed it up. 

Brought in to put Boston over the top and finally take down the Yankees, Schilling delivered -- eclipsing Martinez as the staff ace and going 21-6 for the 2004 champs. He was a power pitcher in the Clemens mold, and he shined best on the brightest stage -- going 6-1 in the postseason and helping the Red Sox to titles in '04 and 2007.  

His ALCS and World Series work in 2004 was the stuff of legend, complete with a sutured ankle and bloody socks that earned him hero status throughout New England. Schilling's problems in the business world have largely tainted that image, as have his political slants. But no teammates are giving back their rings.


Jonathan Papelbon

It's been two years since the Red Sox let Papelbon leave as a free agent, and they are still looking to replace their most dominant reliever since Dick Radatz.

When Papelbon entered most games in the ninth inning to the upbeat sounds of The Dropkick Murphys' classic "Shipping Off to Boston," Fenway fans knew in most cases they'd be hearing the victory anthem of "Dirty Water" a few minutes later. The big right-hander with the steely stare had a blazing fastball and tremendous control -- walking just 15 and striking out 88 while recording 37 regular-season saves and the final out of the 2007 World Series.

Second only to Mariano Rivera as an elite American League closer from 2006-09, Papelbon registered an outstanding aggregate 1.74 ERA and at least 35 saves each year. A big ERA jump to 3.90 in 2010 led ownership to assume his best days were behind him, and Papelbon has been proving them wrong ever since.




    

Sox in Six: Why Red Sox Fans Should Ignore David Ortiz Steroid Rumors

Innocent until proven guilty.

"It's like when you're winning really big at Monopoly, and people think you're stealing from the bank."

This was my 8-year-old daughter's response when I asked her for an example of when someone doing well might be unfairly accused of cheating. I posed the question after reading Dan Shaughnessy's column in Wednesday's Boston Globe, in which he detailed his locker room steroids chat with David Ortiz the previous afternoon. 

Since Ortiz emerged from seven months on the shelf nursing a bad heel to hit .426 in his first 14 games back in the Red Sox lineup, Shaughnessy posed, it was only natural that people suspect steroids were fueling the comeback. Ortiz denied any doping, and while I give Shaughnessy credit for questioning the slugger to his face, I felt the exchange deserved a paragraph low in Tuesday's game notes rather than a bold, top-of-the-fold headline.

Why should Red Sox fans ignore the steroids talk surrounding Ortiz's big start? That's the subject of today's Sox in Six.


He's following the rules -- and passing the tests

Unlike his old buddy, Ortiz passes each test.

As Ortiz explained to Shaughnessy Tuesday, he's subject to the same random testing as all big leaguers:

"They test me all the time," Ortiz said. "They make you pee and the test your blood, too. This year I would say I've probably been tested five times, peeing. Blood, just once. That was in spring training. They don't warn you. They just show up."

This information is probably easy enough to verify. It has been speculated that conspiring ballplayers, trainers, and chemists are constantly exploring ways to beat the system, but the fact remains that Ortiz has been repeatedly tested, and found to be clean.

Being on the 2003 list doesn't make him guilty

Young Papi was careless.

After Ortiz initially avoided the steroid scandal that tarnished the reputation of other superstars including Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa, he faced his first doping accusations in May 2009 when it was revealed his name was on the sealed list of roughly 100 MLB players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. 

The list was leaked by anonymous lawyers with knowledge of the results, who did not reveal which drugs had been detected in Ortiz's case. Within days of the news breaking Ortiz gave a heartfelt press conference in which he denied PED use but said he "definitely was a little bit careless back in those days when I was buying legal supplements and legal vitamins over the counter."

At the time Ortiz's name surfaced on the list, the New York Daily News reported that Ortiz could have been "one of eight players who were believed to have tested positive for a spiked dietary supplement in 2003, rather than for hard-core injectable steroids. The supplement 19-norandrostenedione was legal in 2003 and contained the steroid nandrolone, a hard-core performance-enhancing drug used to build muscle."

In other words, there is a good chance Ortiz did nothing wrong in '03, the year he joined the Red  Sox and had his first breakout season with 31 home runs.

His stats don't match a "typical" steroid user

Ortiz hits with more consistency today.

Ortiz has been a 30-homer, 100-RBI guy for a decade, with only two years in which his totals went up considerably (2005-06, when he had 47 and 54 homers). Most accused steroid users like A-Rod have seen their offensive output plummet in recent years with the introduction of random testing, but Papi has actually enjoyed a resurgence the past two seasons.

This was a big part of Shaughnessy's premise -- that "athletes do not get better as they mature into their late 30s." But if you look closely at Ortiz's numbers, they are not the result of his suddenly becoming stronger -- but rather his getting smarter.

Ortiz has improved as an all-around hitter 

Lefty or righty, pitchers feel Papi's power.

For most of his career, Ortiz had a tough time against left-handed pitchers. In 2004, for instance, he had 31 home runs and a .326 average against righties but only 10 homers and a .250 mark against lefties. By 2010 the disparity was worse than ever: 30 homers and a .297 average vs. righties, just TWO homers and .222 vs. lefties. 

Another hole in his game was Ortiz's inability to consistently hit the ball to left field. Like they had once done against Ted Williams, opposing teams exploited this by employing a "Papi Shift" in which the shortstop moved to the right of second base during Ortiz's at-bats and other infielders and outfielders also drifted in that direction. 

For years Ortiz struggled against the shift, but now he is rendering it useless. For the past one-and-a-half seasons, he has batted nearly .320 against lefties and is hitting the ball to left far more consistently. His pure power may not be at 54-homer strength anymore, but he's finding the holes and harming more pitchers.

He's lost weight, not gained bulk

A healthy choice for his career.

Compare a 1990 Barry Bonds baseball card with a 2002 Bonds card, and you have the poster boy for steroids. Whereas the young Bonds was trim and taut, the older version was bulky to a cartoonish degree.

Now take a look at Ortiz. In the past season, he's actually shed considerable pounds off his husky frame, which has helped him keep his bat speed quick and is not consistent with PED use. Unlike past big-boned Sox sluggers like George Scott and Mo Vaughn who fizzled quickly in their mid-30s, Ortiz realizes that stepping away from the table may be his ticket to a longer career and maybe even the Hall of Fame.

He's earned a large degree of trust

Like Brady, Ortiz commands respect.

During the past 10 years, only Tom Brady has achieved the cult status of Ortiz among Boston athletes. Big Papi has been a tower of strength on the field, a leader in the clubhouse, and a champion of the Jimmy Fund and numerous other charities. Like Brady, he's been his best in the clutch and a driving force on championship teams.

Red Sox Nation may never truly know if Papi ever cheated, or, if he did, whether he did so knowingly. In the meantime, it is no more fair to suspect him of juicing when he is hitting .426 than it is to claim he has come clean if he goes 1-for-14 -- as he has since his talk with Shaughnessy.

What is clear is this: if the Red Sox hope to have any chance of making the playoffs, they need a healthy and happy Ortiz in the middle of their batting order.

Sox in Six: Balance, Daniel-San!

The Red Sox have found balance.

Remember that scene in The Karate Kid when Mr. Miyagi has Daniel stand up in a row boat doing karate moves, then shakes the boat so he falls in? "Must learn balance, Daniel-san!" the  sensei yells, and while Daniel hates the chill and calls him crazy, the master's intent becomes clear a few scenes later.

Baseball is a game where titles are won by teams achieving a proper balance -- with pitching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning all playing a part. A team can always use a big star or two in the lineup or rotation, but role players who can jump in and produce when asked are also key ingredients.

As they stand today atop the American League East, the Red Sox are achieving this balance with the best record in baseball. What are the key reasons? That's the focus of today's Sox in Six: 

Passing the Buck to Buchholz

Buchholz has had near no-hit stuff this season.

Coming off yet another win last night at Toronto, Clay Buchholz is emerging as a staff ace capable of winning 20 games and maybe even a Cy Young Award.

His April was, quite simply, one of the best in Red Sox history. It was only the fourth time a Sox pitcher had five victories during the season's first month, putting Clay in the company of Josh Beckett (in 2007), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Babe Ruth (1917).

Including last night's seven shutout innings versus the Blue Jays, Buchholz ranks first in the majors in victories (6-0), second in ERA (1.01), and tied for fourth with 47 strikeouts in a MLB-high 44.2 innings. Not since Roger Clemens 2001 has a Boston pitcher had an ERA this low after six starts. 

Clemens, Martinez, and Ruth -- that's pretty good company. 


Strong Supporting Cast

Carp in contemplation.

As dominant as Buchholz has been, the true strength of the Boston rotation has been the lack of a weak link among the top foursome. Lester (4-1), Ryan Dempster (3.32 ERA), and Felix Doubront (3-0) have all been effective, going deep into games and piling up the strikeouts (the Sox had 255 in April, a team record). 

Even the fifth spot recently vacated by the oft-injured John Lackey has not been a total washout, with Lackey and Triple A Pawtucket ace Alan Webster turning in some solid efforts. Fellow fifth man Alfredo Aceves has been the only real disappointment, proving so ineffective and immature that he was sent to Pawtucket to (hopefully) regain his form. 

All told, Boston starters have an ERA hovering around 3.20 and a 16-4 record -- the best mark of any MLB starting staff. Giving the managerial reigns to a successful, well-liked pitching coach in John Farrell seems to be paying off for Red Sox ownership.      

The Lineup: Touching Them All 

Another run for the Red Sox.

While Boston pitchers keep opponents off the board, Red Sox hitters are racking up runs without the benefit of their traditionally large home run totals. 

Boston ranks just seventh in the AL (tied with Texas) with 31 homers, but is still scoring with abundance thanks to doubles (second in the AL with 61), triples (first with 9), and walks (third, with 101). Six regulars in the lineup are hitting .280 or better, and even .200 hitters Stephen Drew and Will Middlebrooks have had clutch hits to help win games.

The backups, when called upon, have been dependable. Outfielder/first baseman Mike Carp is hitting .480 (12-for-25), Pedro Ciriaco has provided his usual grit and versatility, and David Ross has shown pop in spelling Jarrod Saltalamacchia at catcher.

One would expect Carp to be leading the team with his lofty average, but that's not the case here because...

Papi is Channeling The Kid

Papi lets one rip. 

Each time the experts (and many fans) think David Ortiz's days as a huge factor in the Red Sox lineup are over, the big guy comes back to surprise us again.

A major heel injury sidelined Ortiz almost all of last year's second half, the bulk of spring training, and for the first 16 games of this season as well. Most figured it would take Papi several weeks to get back his bat speed, and his .222 average in a brief rehab stint at Pawtucket surprised no one.

What he's done since coming back to the big league lineup, however, has been nothing short of astounding. Not since Ted Williams has a Red Sox player returned from a prolonged absence with such ferocity. Ortiz is batting .487 in 10 games with 3 homers, 7 doubles, 15 RBI and a ridiculous OPS of 1.409. He also has a 22-game hitting streak dating to last year, the longest of his career.

Most hitters emerge from major injuries rusty at the plate. Papi is hotter than ever, a feat that Williams, the Hall of Famer acknowledged by many to be baseball's greatest all-time hitter, performed often during his career.

In 1941, for instance, a bad ankle hobbled The Splendid Splinter for a month during the end of spring training and the early season, but he batted .462 in his first eight games back en route to a .406 season -- the last .400 campaign in big league history.

After a Triple Crown season in 1942 (.356, 37, 137), Ted missed all of 1943-45 while a Navy pilot during World War II. He didn't skip a beat, however, coming back in 1946 to hit .342 with 38 homers.

Williams served his country yet again as a Marine fighter pilot during the Korean War, and missed most of the 1952 and '53 seasons. Unlike most big leaguers he rarely touched a baseball during his absence, yet returned late in 1953 and hit an incredible .407 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI in just 37 games.

So while Ortiz may be doing something astounding, it is not unprecedented in Red Sox history. Just ask the really old-timers at Fenway Park.

No Whining, Just Winning

 John Farrell -- still smiling after a month. 

Bobby Valentine received a nice bouquet of positive headlines when he was brought in to succeed Terry Francona as manager in 2012, but the good vibrations didn't last long.  

By the end of April, Valentine had already alienated one of the team's most popular players, Kevin Youkilis, by suggesting that the veteran known for playing hard and hurt was not putting forth his best effort. Given a chance to alter his comments, Bobby V stayed firm -- a stance that set the stage for a season of griping and sniping among the manager, players, and press.

This year's club epitomizes team harmony. The firing of Valentine and appointment of Farrell to replace him, had some pundits scratching their heads. His record in two years leading the Blue Jays was uninspiring, but Red Sox players (some of who knew him as the club's pitching coach from 2007-10) have quickly embraced his approach.

There has been literally no controversy in the clubhouse or elsewhere, a direct contrast to last year. Even those situations where problems could have emerged -- Jose Iglesias' demotion upon Drew's return from injury, despite a .450 batting average and sterling defense; Joel Hanrahan not getting back his closer's role upon his return from the DL -- have passed without incident.

Everybody is doing and saying the right thing, and those positive vibes are surely helping guys stay loose and productive. It also makes them more fun to watch than the dugout brooders of last year, because on this club there are....

No Stars, Just Success

Nava is in the thick of things. 

Yes, Ortiz is an elite player with more than 400 homers; sure Dustin Pedroia has a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and two Gold Glove trophies to his credit. Jon Lester has won a World Series clincher and appeared on several All-Star teams.

But while nobody is denying the importance these established veterans bring to the table, this is a Boston team seemingly devoid of superstar "types" -- the prima donnas that can bring down a ballclub. Papi is keeping things lose and relishing in the terrific start of new first baseman Mike Napoli -- currently leading all of baseball with 31 RBI and 14 doubles.

The breakthrough start by Daniel Nava, whose story is one filled with roadblocks to success, has been widely celebrated by his teammates, as has the re-emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury as a 50-steal threat. Everyone loves seeing Buchholz dominate, but relievers like Alex Wilson and Koji Uehara helped the club to a team record-tying 18 April wins. 
  

The club's improvement over this point last year is stunning. Boston was 11-14 and in last place in the AL East after 25 games in 2012, and didn't win its 18th game until May 18. There is still plenty of time for this club to falter as well, but right now the Red Sox look poised and primed to hang around.

Sox in Six: Pride, Pitching, and Another Curse Broken

Plenty to smile about so far.

A week after ending the longest sellout streak in major professional sports annals, the Red Sox helped fill hearts with pride after one of Boston's darkest days. Then they continued their own shocking revival.

Nobody could have predicted the horrific events that struck the city on Marathon Day, and few could have anticipated the start that has quickly reestablished the Sox -- at least for now -- as a viable force in the American League. Timely hitting, near-historic starting pitching, and a new attitude infused by new manager John Farrell has resulted in the AL's best record (13-6, tied with Texas) out of the gate.

Even more surprising than the speed with which Farrell seems to have turned around the clubhouse mojo is how quick the Red Sox have regained the respect of fans disillusioned by the woeful 2012 season and the calamitous reign of Bobby Valentine. It is still too early to compare this team to the feel-good squads of 1967 and 1975, but as they did in those memorable summers, the Sox are winning with a roster that has few established superstars but plenty of likable characters for whom it's easy to cheer.

Here's a look at the Sox in Six:

Give Papi a Bleeping Break

Papi spoke from the heart.

The events of last Saturday, from the majestic entrance of the Hoyts and other heroes to Neil Diamond's live crooning of "Sweet Caroline," have been well-documented elsewhere. But before moving on to the team itself, a thought on David Ortiz's much-discussed pregame speech in which he told fans, "This is our [expletive] city, and nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."

While expletives like the one Papi uttered are usually frowned upon in a public gathering, especially with thousands of kids listening in, this is one case where we should give the big guy a pass. My preteen son and I heard his address over the radio, where the word in question appeared to be blocked out, but when Jason asked me what I thought Ortiz had said, I countered with, "I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it's OK."

There are times when tough times warrant tough words. Papi's pride for his adopted homeland and city shone through in his comments, and to me this seemed a time parents could say to their kids, "That's not a nice word to say, but sometimes adults are so angry they can't help themselves."

As Ortiz reporters after the game, he wanted to get things "out of my chest." In doing so, he spoke for millions of people in New England and beyond.

No Chicken Around Here

Co-aces once again.

Larry Lucchino, Sam Kennedy and Co. certainly hoped that Farrell's successful stint as pitching coach for Boston from 2007-10 would help him turn around the club's disappointing starting staff as manager. The early returns have been very encouraging; in fact, they've been unlike almost anything seen before.

In helping the team to its best start (12-4) in more than a decade, Red Sox starters allowed three runs or fewer in the first 16 games of the season through last Saturday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this feat had been accomplished just twice in American League history -- by the 1978 and 1981 Oakland A's -- and the Sox were one ground ball single off Sunday's Game 1 starter Ryan Dempster from stretching the streak to 17 straight. Entering tonight, Boston is the only team in baseball that has had no starter allow more than 4 runs in a game.

Leading the way through this stretch has been last year's biggest flops -- Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Boston is 8-0 in games started by the top two men in the rotation, and Buchholz leads the American League with an 0.90 ERA entering tonight (Lester is fourth at 1.73). 

K Men

Dempster brings some heat.

It's tough to win if you can't hit the ball, and Boston pitchers have been piling up strikeouts at a fantastic rate. 

Entering tonight, the Red Sox lead MLB with 189 strikeouts and 9.94 punchouts per game. Sox starters and relievers have combined for 12 games with at least 10 strikeouts, and starters Lester, Buchholz, Dempster, and Felix Doubront have registered 106 whiffs in just 96.2 innings. The relievers have not been too shabby either; closer Andrew Bailey, for instance, has 17 strikeouts in 10.1 frames.

Speed Demons

Ellsbury is on the run again.

While the pitchers are blowing away opposing batters, Boston base runners are turning on the speed as well. Boston trails only Oakland in the AL with 18 stolen bases, led by a resurgent Jacob Ellsbury -- tops in the league with 9 steals in 9 attempts. 

Speed has also been key for Boston on defense, where new additions Shane Victorino and Jackie Bradley have tracked down many a deep fly ball in the outfield and the infield of Will Middlebrooks (3B), Dustin Jose Iglesias/Stephen Drew (SS), Pedroia (2B), Mike Napoli (IB), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia/David Ross (C) has been airtight. Boston's 4 errors are the fewest in baseball, and its .994 fielding percentage the best.

Napoli a Net Gain

Napoli drives in four -- with one swing.

Boston's well-rounded offense has been another key to its great start, but Napoli has stood out in the clutch.

Although his .278 average is fifth among Red Sox regulars, his 25 RBI (on just 22 hits) leads the team and the majors. Last night he had 5 RBI including a grand slam, and he's had at least one ribbie in 8 of the last 10 games.

Napoli's career high in RBI is 75 -- and he's already one-third of the way there.

The (Next) Curse has Been Lifted

The truth shall set you free.

Another more ballyhooed curse may have been toppled by the Red Sox nine years ago, but when Fenway Park attendance fell below full capacity in the second home game this season, it marked the end of another streak.

Any fan who has attended games since the September swoon of 2011 or watched on TV has observed many contests in which there were thousands of empty seats at Fenway, yet the Red Sox' home sellout streaks "officially" reached 794 regular season games and 820 overall (including playoffs) before mercifully ending on April 10 against Baltimore. The sellout stretch had started on May 15, 2003, nearly two full seasons BEFORE the Red Sox captured the 2004 World Series.

Management always maintained it had sold enough tickets to qualify home games as sellouts, but media and fans scoffed at the splotches of blue and red throughout Fenway and stories emerged of the team literally giving away tickets online during the last-place 2013 season.   Now that the pressure is off, the Sox can focus on playing well enough that the park is full or nearly full most of the time.

The strategy seems to be working pretty well so far.

Oh Yeah, the Red Sox Won

Not to be forgotten. (Associated Press)

Last night I actually forgot the Red Sox had a ballgame. It was completely out of character, but also completely understandable.  

As a Bostonian far from home, my thoughts the last two days have been dominated by the horrific events that took place Monday at the marathon finish line. I grew up a few blocks from Heartbreak Hill, and have been cheering on friends and strangers in this great race all my life. More times than I can count, I've thought of running it myself.  

Now, like New Yorkers who can never completely separate themselves from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, those of us who love the Boston Marathon will be forced to make room in our memories for what transpired this week. We will cheer again, but there will always be sadness and fear ready to creep in. 

Boston Strong in Cleveland (Boston Red Sox)

I learned about what happened like most people, in bits and pieces. It was just after 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon when I signed onto my iPhone for a brief look at the Red Sox and marathon results. Vacationing with my family in Washington, D.C., I needed a quick fix of the Patriot's Day fun we were missing.

On Boston.com, along with details of a Sox victory over the Rays and the men's and women's marathon winners, there was a small account of "loud noises" at the race's Copley Square finish line. I didn't think much of it, and only mentioned it briefly to my wife and brother while in line with our kids waiting to enter the Museum of American History.

A few hours before the horrors unfolded. 

I was curious enough to check my phone again a few minutes later, however, by which point the game and race had been knocked from the online headlines by the horrors unfolding on Boylston Street. Trying to stay composed for the sake of the two 8-year-olds in our party, the adults took turns swapping phones during the next two-plus hours as the news grew increasingly grim.

By the time we left the museum at 5:30 p.m., there were sirens sounding through the streets as Washington went into a semi-lockdown mode. We had plans to meet an old friend for dinner that night, but wound up staying in and ordering pizza; transfixed by the footage and eyewitness accounts on CNN, we forced ourselves to switch over to pay-per-view and the silly diversion of "Here Comes the Boom." It was nice to laugh along with the kids. 

Kind sentiments from Tito's team.

Now, after more than 36 hours of Copley Square coverage, I am trying to get myself focused back on the Red Sox -- both as an additional escape and to help fill the pages of Fenway Reflections. I'll be back home tomorrow and will be starting a regular weekly column with odds and ends about the team.

It's clear Red Sox Nation is ready to cheer again even while the crying goes on. Tuesday afternoon my wife saw online that "Sweet Caroline" would be played that night at Yankee Stadium during New York's game against the Diamondbacks. Then she read me one of the comments beneath the story, and I had another welcome laugh.

"Nice thought," the reader mentioned, "but the Yankees still suck."

The feeling was mutual -- for most. (NY Daily News)

Opening Day at Fenway--What a Difference Seven Months Makes

The energy has been infectious early on.

From the moment one turned off Brookline Avenue and onto Yawkey Way on Monday afternoon, the change was apparent.

As the sun shone down and hawkers handed out "K" cards reading "NEW TEAM-OCTOBER DREAM," fans approached Gate A at Fenway Park for Opening Day displaying vastly different emotions from the somber crowd that departed the ballpark last Sept. 26. Whereas that dismal home finale served as just one of the eight straight losses that capped the worst Red Sox season in a half-century, those entering the ballpark seven months later had good reason to be smiling and laughing.

By winning two of three in both New York and Toronto to start the 2013 campaign, Boston was 4-2 and in first place as it readied to take on the Baltimore Orioles. New manager John Farrell had the club playing with an energy that was sorely lacking last year, and numerous newcomers like outfielders Shane Victorino and Jackie Bradley Jr., shortstop Jose Iglesias, and first baseman Mike Napoli were making their presence felt in the lineup and in the field. Pitching, a big problem in 2012, also appeared to be solidified with excellent starting performances and a lights-out bullpen during the first week.

Buchholz kept "K" card holders busy.

Well before right-hander Clay Buchholz took the mound in this contest, Fenway was awash with positive vibes. The Red Sox honored their 60-year partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund charity during pregame ceremonies, which featured a stirring rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" by current and former cancer patients, family members, and Dana-Farber staffers. Cancer survivors from each of the last seven decades paired up with past Sox players in a simultaneous first pitch, and young patients and their siblings yelled "Play Ball!" with help from former Boston ace Pedro Martinez.

Once Martinez and Co. were done, Buchholz and Orioles lefty Wei-Yin Chen did their best Pedro impersonations in a game that was scoreless through six. There were not many baserunners for either side, but fans didn't seem to mind the lack of offense. There were great fielding plays by both sides, a slew of strikeouts by Buchholz, and (thank you Larry Lucchino) two-for-one Fenway Franks and $5.00 beers.

Inspiration from the Jimmy Fund Chorus

After another scoreless frame for Buchholz -- punctuated by a strikeout of Steve Pearce on his 113th and final pitch -- the Jimmy Fund Chorus came back out during the seventh inning stretch to offer renditions of "God Bless America" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Fans joined in with fervor that matched anything heard at Wrigley Field during the Harry Carray years, and perhaps the feel-good moment woke up the Sox bats. After two men reached against Chen in the bottom of the frame, Daniel Nava smashed a pitch across Lansdowne Street for a 3-0 lead.

The only blemish on the day was a shaky ninth inning from Joel Hanrahan, who allowed a home run to Adam Jones and put the tying runs on base before finishing up the 3-1 win. But even when Hanrahan struggled, the boo-birds did not emerge. This was too much of a feel-good crowd to resort to its familiar habit of bashing closers for not being Jon Papelbon. 

Now its up to yet another newcomer -- tonight's starter Ryan Dempster -- to keep the good times rolling. And even if he's bombed, he can always lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The guy does a killer Harry Caray imitation.

Big League Brian and fans all had a ball.

What must new Red Sox do to make chemistry worth it?

Time to see if the new Red Sox have the right fuel.

Much has been made about the concerted effort by the Red Sox to go for character over sex appeal in reconstructing their roster. But if they want to rebound from their worst season since the Beatles played Boston, the Sox need performances to match the chemistry.

Case in point among the newcomers facing the Yankees on Opening Day this afternoon is Shane Victorino. Everyone agrees he's a great guy with a great glove. But can he adjust to the vast expenses of Fenway's right field and hit enough to justify an everyday spot in the lineup? He's hit as many as 18 home runs in a season, but had just 2 in 53 games with the Dodgers last year -- and none in 45 at-bats this spring training.

Can Dempster deliver more than a quick wit?

Then there is Ryan Dempster, the newest member of the starting rotation. Good with a joke (which was surely handy on the Cubs), he comes here boasting durability (an average of 199 innings for the past five years). But John Lackey arrived in town with much the same credentials -- and experience as a World Series winner. How's that turned out so far?

The new closer is Joel Hanrahan, who put up some pretty gaudy strikeout numbers in the low-stress atmosphere of Pittsburgh. But Eric Gagne whiffed all comers as well with the Dodgers, and he was a disaster when put into the Boston pressure cooker. Boston is still seeking a closer with the eye of the tiger Jonathan Papelbon possessed; Hanrahan is next to make the attempt.

Will Farrell be loving on Gomes come June?

Jonny Gomes was not expected to be the starting DH, but David Ortiz's uncooperative heel has necessitated it for now. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe calls Gomes "baseball's chemistry professor, a positive clubhouse presence wherever he goes." That will only take him so far if he fails to start strong, and last year he had a .220 average through May with Oakland. And what's with the missing "h" anyway?

The rookies in today's lineup, also apparently strong pieces in the chemistry mix, have to prove they can be everyday big leaguers.

Shortstop Jose Iglesias, another guy getting his Opening Day shot due to an injury -- Stephen Drew's concussion -- already has Gold Glove skills. His bat, however, has been very suspect in limited MLB trials (although his .294 spring training performance was encouraging). Ozzie Smith spent several years early in his Hall of Fame career as a .220 hitter, but it's hard to imagine Boston fans being that patient with Iglesias -- especially with Drew and minor league phenom Xander Bogaerts waiting in the wings.

Iglesias (left) and Bradley will both get their shot.

Projected to make his debut at Yankee Stadium is a 22-year-old who was the best story of spring training for the Red Sox -- left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. He was Mr. Everything during the Grapefruit League schedule, hitting .419 with power and running with poise and purpose on the field and the basepaths. He's the guy Boston fans can't wait to see at Fenway, but the annals of baseball are filled with rookie phenoms who went bust before the All-Star break.

There is, of course, one other newcomer on the team -- Manager John Farrell. He's not an unfamiliar face to Red Sox fans, having been a well-liked and successful pitching coach with Boston from 2007-2010. But reviews of his performance as Blue Jays manager were mixed, and the results (a 154-170 record) rather tepid. Ownership thought Bobby Valentine was the answer last year, and the result was a chemistry explosion. Farrell seems a better fit for Boston in the early going, but you can be sure Joe Kerrigan (the last Red Sox pitching coach elevated to manager) is on his mind.

Unless Farrell and the other newest parts of the Red Sox potion perform at a high level, nobody will much mind whether they keep the clubhouse happy and help old ladies across the street. In fact, the old ladies will likely be kicking them in the shins if they try.