Ichiro Suzuki Live

You may have heard. It was in all the papers. Ichiro notched the 3,000^th hit of his major league career yesterday. I remember when Ichiro first came into the league, and his rookie cards were hot items. I remember thinking that people buying his cards were crazy. Sure, he was a great player. Sure he’d have some good years. But, he was 27 already. Not only is that old to start a career, but his game is based almost entirely on speed. If he lost a step or two, it would really show when he stopped beating out infield hits. His career was limited. He wouldn’t have enough time left to have a Hall of Fame type career. He may hit almost 300 hits a year for a while, but he doesn’t have the time left to reach a career milestone like 2,500 hits. Certainly not 3,000.

Yeah, I’m an idiot.

That was my first though upon hearing the news. My second? A question.

How many of those 3,000 hits did I see in person? I knew I had seen Ichiro play live. I must have seen a bunch of those hits. So, I grabbed the scorebooks again to find the answer:

Yup. Two. Ichiro had 2 hits with me in the stadium, and 2,998 without me. Apparently I’m not a lucky charm of any sort. In fact, of the three games I saw him play, he only got a hit in one of them. 

The thing that I think is even more significant than the two hits, though, is the last entry. April 10 of 2007, Ichiro was 0-3 with three strikeouts. How often could that have happened in his career? Josh Beckett apparently knew something that other people did not. Or, Beckett was just THAT good in 2007.

Beyond that, the small sample size makes most of the other numbers meaningless. I don’t see Ichiro getting 189 walks in a season. Nor do I see him batting .286. 

But, that doesn’t really matter. The important thing is that I got to see a great player do what he does best. 

Twice.

How did Ichiro perform when you were in the park?

Hello? Is This On?

Hi there! Miss me? I  know, it's been weirdly quiet over here this last week or so. Basically, I was out of town for a bit, and didn't dare schedule posts over the trade deadline. I knew once I did, the Sox would package Betts and bradley in a trade and everything i said would look ridiculous. (Almost as ridiculous as packaging Betts and Bradley in any trade that didn't return Harper and Scherzer.) Things were odd enough with all the west coast games as it was. You did't need me spouting off on things that didn't happen.

So, what did happen? A mixed bag really. Lots of wins, some losses. The division and the wild card standings are so packed that the Sox can go from leading both to being out of the playoffs practically overnight. Various injuries have caused the Sox to be without their usual line-up for quite a while now. So, things are really jumbled. 

Which is good, in a way. The Sox went (and are going through) a stretch where they don't have Pedroia, Ortiz, and Hanley in the line-up at one time. But, they sit merely 2 games out of the division lead, and have the second wild card by half a game. Imagine what will happen when everyone is, you know, actually playing.

Same goes for the rest of the team. The Sox just got Kimbrel back from the DL, but Koji is still there. So, the bullpen isn't full strength yet. Even so, they were able to throw five scoreless innings the other night to help the team get a win. Once again, the Sox are holding their own without being at fill strength.

Imagine how much fun these last two months will be once they get rolling.

2 games will be nothing!

My Problem with Xander Bogaerts

It’s just the one problem, really. And it’s not even his fault.

He succeeded.

You see, Bogaerts was the most recent “can’t miss” prospect. He was going to be a star, just you wait and see. Everyone knew it. He was untouchable for as long as I’ve heard his name. This was the one you hold on to. It didn’t matter how much was being offered, if it started with Bogaerts, the deal was off the table. He was UNTOUCHABLE. In huge capital letters.

Now, he wasn’t the first can’t miss prospect the Red Sox have had in their system. Remember Frankie Rodriguez? Nobody was good enough for him. He was a star in the making. Until his stock fell so low that he was traded for a rental of a relief pitcher. Or Lars Anderson? The Red Sox could make any trade they want, as long as they didn’t touch him. Until, of course, his stock fell so much he quietly drifted away. Or Will Middlebrooks? Have to keep him. He was going to be a 30 home run hitting first baseman for years to come.

So, every time someone suggested a player’s potential was too high to dare trade away, it was pretty easy to come up with examples of where that was not the case.

And then came Xander Bogaerts.

Thus far, at least, he has been everything people thought he could be. Everyone has been pretty pleased that he wasn’t dealt away. He was the starting shortstop in this year’s All-Star game, and looks to have that spot on lock-down for years to come.

So, now all the prospectors have renewed faith and energy. See, you can’t trade prospects! You may be trading away an all-star! They’re all untouchable.

So, when the Red Sox recently traded away a high school kid for a current all-star, people felt they had reason to complain. They can’t be trading away a future Cy Young award winner. The return is no longer important. It doesn’t matter the caliber of player they’re getting. It’s all about the potential caliber of the player they’re giving away.

Which is why this next week will be very interesting as rumors float about. Will the potential of Moncada be more valuable that the present of Sale? Or Gray? 

Will people look and see that the Sox have something pretty special going on here in the present? Will they be more worried about the future? 

Will they all think that can’t miss prospects really can’t miss?

Because Bogaerts didn’t miss.

Rylee Field Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! This time Miss Vermont, Rylee Field, was nice enough to visit with us and answer some questions about the Red Sox and her time as Miss Vermont. After reading her blog entry about her most recent trip to Fenway, I was sure she’d be the perfect person to ask for a visit. Thankfully she agreed. So, let’s see what happens when Rylee Field visits Section 36!

Rylee and Governor Shumlin
Submitted by Rylee

What do you remember about your first trip to Fenway Park?

Actually the first time I went to Fenway was for a park tour. It was very touristy, but it was also filled with all sorts of historical facts and tidbits. That’s always one of my favorite things about tours like that - I love to hear the history!

If you can’t sit in Section 36, where do you (or where would you) like to sit while watching the Sox?

Well, when I last visited Fenway - for Vermont Day - I sat in the grandstands behind home plate, Section 23. Those seats were amazing! But of course, now I definitely have to visit Section 36.

You’ve been able to throw out the first pitch at a couple ballgames since being crowned Miss Vermont. How did you prepare for those pitches?

The first pitch I threw out was for our local NECBL team, the Vermont Mountaineers. Right in my hometown of Montpelier. So I actually practiced with my dad in my parent’s backyard for about 15 minutes before the game. That ended up being a great pitch - and such a fun game! The next pitch I threw was at Lake Monsters game in Burlington. And, because it was Princess and Superheroes night at the ballpark there were actually eight first pitches. I was the third, and thankfully the catcher was warmed up, because that pitch was not as perfect as the first.

Which Red Sox player, past or present, would you most like to have dinner with?

Dustin Pedroia. You know, over the last few years he’s be nominated for the Heart and Hustle Award - he actually just received the 2016 nomination too. I think this speaks so greatly to his character and who he is as an athlete.

Other than the chance to win, what are you most looking forward to about the Miss America competition?

Hanging out with all of my Miss America sisters! We just met in D.C. for Miss America Orientation, and I already can’t wait to see them again.

You’ve competed in several state pageants. What lessons from those experiences can you bring to Miss America in September?

I think the most important thing to understand whenever you compete is that you can only do your best, and your best is always going to be enough. So it’s not worth it to compare yourself to other contestants, or compare your dress to another dress, or so on. The only thing you can control is your ability to leave it all on stage, and that’s what’s important.

How did you celebrate being crowned Miss Vermont?

Mostly by hitting the ground running and embracing every moment that this new title has given me. But I also had Cheez Itz at about 1 AM the night I was crowned, and oh my goodness, those were good.

Section 36!
Submitted by Rylee

What do we all need to know or do in order to break down the barriers and stigmas surrounding mental health?

The most valuable thing I can tell people about mental health is that you have to talk about it. One of the principle reasons that there are so many negative perceptions surrounding what it means to live with mental health issues is that people simply don’t understand what that means. A large part of my platform is speaking to individuals that don’t suffer from mental illness, and helping them understand how to embrace those that afflicted, and how to have frank discussions about what healthy mental health looks like.

How do you see the 2016 Red Sox season finishing?

As of last night, I think they’re in a great place, coming out on top of the AL East. However, wherever they finish this year I think we are still seeing some amazing players coming out of this season. You know, building brand around players like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. is part of what keeps such a strong Red Sox fan base. These are players we want to watch - even with the highs and lows of a season. 

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Have to love Rylee’s attitude towards the Sox this season and beyond!

I definitely want to thank Rylee for taking the time to visit with us. I know she’s extremely busy with her new duties as Miss Vermont, especially as the Miss America competition grown closer. I’m grateful that she was able to squeeze in a visit. I’m also glad she was willing to send along some pictures from her trip to Fenway. They make the interview all the more interesting.

If you want to hear more from Rylee, I highly recommend checking out her blog. You can also follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and just about everywhere else on social media. 

And, of course, I'd like to wish Rylee good luck at Miss America in September! I know she’ll do a great job.

Thanks again Rylee!

Great Now, or Good Later?

When Theo was here, I used to wonder about his philosophy. He loved his farm system. He loved the idea of bringing up cheap young players to form the basis of your team. He often referenced the Atlanta Braves, and their ability to call up one key contributor seemingly every year. There was always something that bothered me about that analogy, though. The Braves only won a single title in their decade plus of dominance. They were always very good, but seemingly never great.

I felt that was a trap that Theo fell into. He held onto his prospects like they were solid gold. He felt they were needed in the future. He wasn’t going to mortgage the future for the present. It’s a good plan, really. But like every good plan, there needs to be some flexibility in it. Dave Dombrowski seems to understand that.

Let’s look at the Red Sox right now. There’s David Ortiz playing in his final season. So, there’s the temptation to say this is an “all-in” sort of move to send him off with a ring. But, look a little further. When David Price signed, everyone kept telling be it was a deal contract because of the three-year opt out. The Sox would pay for is best years at the beginning of the contract, then he’s be on another team while he grew old. So, the Sox have a couple years left with their ace. Rick Porcello only has a few years left on his contract. Pedroia’s almost 33 years old. Hanley Ramirez has three years left on his deal. That’s a pretty big glut of stars that are short timers. And the kids? This isn’t the seventies anymore. When you have a young stud, he’s not yours for the next 20 years. You’re looking at around six years of control. Bogaerts, the Boras client, is about halfway through that. 

What’s my point?

There’s a window here. There’s about a three to five year window where the Sox can really do some damage. You know who can’t help you during that window? Anderson Espinoza. You know who can help you during that window? Drew Pomeranz can.

This wasn’t a rental. The Sox didn’t send their top pitching prospect for three months of someone. This was a trade that helps the Sox for three seasons. The three most important seasons. This is a trade that makes the Sox great right now.

Will they be good later? I have no idea. Neither do you. Maybe Espinoza is everything people think he could possibly be. Maybe he ends up being Pedro Martinez. But, by the time he gets here, the team will have practically turned over. If the Sox fill the holes with talent, the team will be good. If they fill those holes with stiffs, they won’t be. Espinoza doesn’t solve that any more than Pedro could. With so much other work to do, one player isn’t the key to it all.

If he’s the next Pedro? I’ll be bummed that I won’t get to watch him pitch every day. If he’s the one that actually comes through, unlike all the other top of the rotation talent the Sox have had in the minor leagues. But, that’ll be tempered a bit why what I assume the Sox will be able to accomplish by the time he reaches those heights. The Sox have filled three glaring holes in the last two weeks on a team that was just a couple games out of first anyway. They made themselves a force to be reckoned with. I’ll take the trade to make them great today.

I’m willing to see just how good they’ll be tomorrow.