News about Pedro Martinez, Red Sox pitcher, for the 2002 Boston Red Soxseason (March 18-24)

pedro martinez
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News Archive for March 18-24, 2002
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March 24, 2002

Are Pedro’s best days behind him?
Lenny Megliola, Metrowest Daily News

He uses the word hopefully now, which is what you do when you’re not sure. Pedro Martinez no longer a sure thing? Frightening thought. Is he the best pitcher in baseball? That is the perception, but in his case perception isn’t necessarily reality. If you can’t pitch due to injury, or if you can’t get batters out with the ease of old, the perception takes a hit.

Caution sign on Pedro
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Grady Little remained coy when repeatedly asked about Pedro Martinez’ health and said the three-time Cy Young Award winner will be held to only 55-60 pitches in his final spring start on Wednesday in order to protect him for Opening Day.

Martinez, who was not on yesterday’s travel roster, was limited to 18 starts last season due to shoulder problems but said that it hasn’t bothered him in his inconsistent spring starts. Pushing Martinez to 100 pitches by the end of spring training was one of former manager Joe Kerrigan’s intentions, but not for Little. “At this point, it’s not in our mind,” he said. “When it’s clear in his mind there’s no pain in the shoulder, we’ll starting working him up there.”

A Count Manager — Little To Reduce Pedro’s Pitches
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

Taking into account his recent medical history and knowing how much he means to the team, the Red Sox will be cautious with Pedro Martinez when he makes his final start of spring training later this week.

Manager Grady Little said Martinez will throw 55-60 pitches Wednesday. The fact he threw 80 in his last outing raises some questions, although it’s not uncommon to throw fewer pitches in a final tuneup. “We don’t want to overload him going into Opening Day,” Little said.

Little did not announce his rotation Saturday because the team is “checking on the health of some people and how they’re feeling.” He would not identify the pitchers but suggested there’s nothing wrong with Martinez, who has a 10.05 ERA his last three starts.

Red Sox watch
Mark Sheldon, mlb.com

Pedro Martinez will be limited to 60 pitches in his final spring start, next Wednesday against Cincinnati at City of Palms. “We probably won’t stretch him out a long ways on Wednesday, 55 or 60 pitches. Just get him ready to start on Opening Day,” said manager Grady Little, who added the limit is a precaution until the ace is “clear in his mind” that he is fully healthy. Martinez is still slated to start the season opener. Little added that he will leave camp with 11 pitchers.

A nice design to these Sox
Michael Holley, Boston Globe

Give the Red Sox’ architect credit. He finally got it right. A couple of months before he was fired, Dan Duquette had already begun to sketch a killer baseball blueprint. He envisioned a team that would have power, speed, good pitching, and a joyful personality.  Now he has it. It’s not surprising that the Duke has made a couple of pop visits to the ballpark, just to glance at his craftsmanship.

New atmosphere surrounds Sox
Peter Gammons, espn.com

The Red Sox team that at the end of last season seemed like a stage version of “Lords of the Flies” has, since the club reported to spring training, new ownership, a new general manager, a new manager, a new pitching coach and a lot of new people standing in the shadows as folks wonder who’s next? ..

Is it a great team? No, but a very good team, especially if they can make a couple of moves during the season. That is … If Pedro remains healthy. ..

“It’s funny, last spring people were picking us to win it all and there was all kinds of excitement,” says Garciaparra, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the magazine guarantee of a 2001 World Championship. “Then came all the injuries, and so much went wrong. Now, here we are this spring.”

Could this team be better than the one with all the hype? “Absolutely,” says Garciaparra. “I actually feel very good about this team, about the attitude, about the talent. We probably are better than we were at this time last year.”

5 cuts reduce roster to 32
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

The Red Sox moved closer to finalizing their roster for Opening Day by releasing two players yesterday and sending three others to the minor leagues. Released outright were infielder Quilvio Veras and pitcher Butch Henry. Sent to the minor-league camp were first baseman Juan Diaz , outfielders Dernell Stenson and Damon Buford. The moves left the Sox with 32 players in camp, meaning seven more have to go before the season-opener on April 1.

Letting go
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

The cuts and demotions leave 32 players on the active roster, with seven players yet to go. They almost certainly include pitchers Pena, Willie Banks, and Derek Hasselhoff, and catchers Henry Mercedes and Luis Rodriguez.

March 23, 2002

Weighty issue: Martinez adjusting
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

As his recent outings have underscored, Pedro Martinez is in the midst of a crucial passage in his career. He is learning to pitch with a new body, laden with more than 15 pounds of muscle he amassed to try to bolster his ailing shoulder. By all indications, it’s a major transition. “He’s got to get used to pitching with his extra weight on him,” manager Grady Little said yesterday … “It’s all an adjusting period.” …

The Sox plan to help Martinez through the transition by giving him five days of rest – instead of the usual four – for at least his first four starts of the season. He is tentatively scheduled to face the Blue Jays on Opening Day April 1 at Fenway, the Orioles April 7 in Baltimore, the Yankees April 13 at Fenway, and the Royals April 19 in Kansas City.

Little, Varitek optimistic about Pedro
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Red Sox manager Grady Little wants to make it clear to New England that there’s no need to panic about Pedro Martinez’ rough spring training. …

Catcher Jason Varitek said the true indication of Martinez’ health is his strength, which hasn’t been an issue. “He’s been strong in all of his outings. If he’s not strong and he’s missing location, then we’d all need to be scratching our heads. If he was laboring, then we’d have a problem. Pedro’s not one who relies on big movement on his fastball. “He relies on the location of the pitch and changing planes with the fastball.”

Art’s Notebook (March 22)
Art Martone, Providence Journal

Jason Varitek, Rich Garces, Darren Oliver, Frank Castillo. … We’ll finish up the player ratings Tuesday.

What would Sox ace Martinez say if he let loose?
Lenny Megliola, MetroWest Daily News

An imaginary, completely made up, you wouldn’t believe it anyway (or would you?) interview with Pedro Martinez …

Question: Manny Ramirez said he was uncomfortable in the clubhouse last year. What do you think he meant by that?

Pedro: Manny lives at the Ritz. Hello? You been in the Red Sox clubhouse lately? Manny’s sock drawer at the Ritz is bigger. …

Question: I say Grady Little, you say?…

Pedro: Talks really funny. I can’t wait for him and Rickey Henderson to have a conversation. Maybe Sunny Kim’s interpreter can break it down for us. …

Boston Red Sox 2002 Preview
Andrew Sutton The Sports Network

March 22, 2002

Links to stories about Pedro’s start against St. Louis are here.

Minor matters
Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe

Grady Little is getting closer to naming his rotation after Pedro Martinez. It’s expected the ace will be followed by Derek Lowe, Burkett, and Dustin Hermanson.

Boston pitching is ‘iffy’
Garry Brown, Springfield Union-News

With the season opener just 10 days away, it’s time for Red Sox fans to start worrying about the Yankees. Make that more specific — it’s time for Red Sox fans to start worrying about Yankee pitching. Never mind the man-for-man matchups in the everyday lineups of the Sox and Yanks. What really matters is the man-for-man matchups in the starting rotations.

Cone wants to watch Yankees’ home opener in bleachers
Associated Press

David Cone plans to be at Yankee Stadium for the four-time defending AL champions home opener on April 5. Not in the dugout or mound, but in the bleachers. ”I’ve never watched a major league game from the bleachers,” Cone said Thursday. ”The bleacher creatures, they’re the best fans.”

March 21, 2002

Numbers game
Nick Carfardo, Boston Globe

Grady Little, who will head a big staff meeting today in Fort Myers, said he will have an idea of who his positional players will be by the end of the week. There’s a possibility the Red Sox could clear out bodies via trade, especially with Lou Merloni, Wilton Veras , and Brian Daubach all having some value. Little also said he may only announce a four-man rotation, because he won’t need a fifth starter until April 10 … Little said he sees no reason why he’ll change the 3-4-5 spots in the batting order – Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, and Tony Clark.

Little says get used to seeing Henderson, Damon at the top of the order
Jay Lindsay, Associated Press

Expect Rickey Henderson and Johnny Damon to bat 1-2 in the Red Sox order this season, at least against left-handed pitching. After batting Henderson and Damon 1-2 several times in the past week, manager Grady Little said Wednesday that, barring any drastic personnel changes, the pair will start the year in the first two spots against left-handers. …

Henderson said he and Damon can do the job at leadoff, and added it might be fun batting second once in a while. ”I’ve really never had a guy with flat-out speed in front of me,” he said. ”It might be a thrill. I might get more fastballs.”

Lineup in order
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

Against right-handers, a number of DH’s can be used, including Brian Daubach, Jose Offerman and Manny Ramirez, with Henderson or Daubach in left field when Ramirez is the DH. … Trying to figure out where usual No. 2 hitter Trot Nixon should hit against left-handed starters remains an unfinished puzzle, Little said.

Decision on second coming
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

Judgment day is coming at second base, and all signs point to Rey Sanchez. When Little was asked yesterday how close he was choosing his starter at the position, he smiled and said: “Pretty close. By the end of the weekend, we should have it narrowed down pretty good.” … The Sox returned outfielder Jeff Abbott and pitcher Jamie Brewinginton to minor-league camp, giving them 39 players in camp.

Giants may not look other way if Kent violated deal
espn.com

As evidence mounts that Jeff Kent’s broken wrist had more to do with his admiration for the Knievel family than his disdain for car washes, Giants GM Brian Sabean told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark on Wednesday that he can’t promise the club’s owners will look the other way if it’s proven Kent was injured while violating his contract. Kent said he injured his wrist while washing his truck, but other reports say the injury came when he was riding a motorcycle in violation of his contract with the Giants.

It’s shaping up as more of the same: Pray for Pedro and wait till next year
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated

Since Feb. 27 Boston has changed owners, general managers, managers, scouting directors, managers again, hitting coaches and corporate cultures. For all those machinations, though, absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the fate of the ball club: It falls hard and heavy on the spindly frame of Martinez.

An opposing team’s scout sizes up the Red Sox: “I think this club can stay with the Yankees. … Boston’s problems will be with middle relief and its ability to catch the ball in the infield. … Pedro Martinez is healthy and throwing well. … Derek Lowe has really taken to the rotation. He gets to use his heavy sinker, his curve is back, and he can lengthen himself out. … Tony Clark will improve because of the lineup he’s hitting in. If he’s sandwiched between Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez , he’ll get a lot of pitches to hit. He’s better from the right side and has power he can use all over the field. … Johnny Damon is a big improvement over Carl Everett in center.”

March Madness: Has Selig Gone Too Far This Time?
Doug Pappas, baseballprospectus.com

The second week of March may have marked a permanent change in Commissioner Bud Selig’s status. He’s no longer simply an incompetent, lying, permanently conflicted embarrassment to an office once held by judges and senators. Unless the owners who hired him wake up in time to stop him, Czar Bud will have become an active threat to their own wallets and a walking advertisement for the repeal of MLB’s anti-trust exemption.

Give Selig credit for planning his coup. Last November 27, just days after announcing that under his leadership MLB had purportedly lost $519 million in 2001, Selig called a meeting for the sole purpose of giving himself a raise and a three-year contract extension. He forced out MLB President Paul Beeston, widely seen as a moderate on labor issues, replacing Beeston with his own personal lawyer. Selig also broadened the owners’ traditional gag rule on labor issues, enforceable through fines of up to $1 million per incident, to bar clubs from discussing labor matters with one another.

Think about that for a minute. In a multi-billion-dollar industry whose largest investors include Disney, News Corp., AOL Time Warner, and the Tribune Company, a car dealer from Milwaukee not only dictates labor policy, but forbids his employers from discussing the wisdom of his chosen course among themselves. The Iraqi Parliament has more freedom.

Now, with two mind-boggling decisions, Selig has made clear just how much he intends to abuse his absolute authority. …

As this article on MLB.com explains, the owners’ formula would withhold $100 million of revenue-sharing receipts from the normal distribution. This money would be deposited in what the article describes as “a $100 million discretionary fund at Commissioner Bud Selig’s disposal.” That’s right: a $100 million slush fund for Selig to use as he pleases. To put this number in perspective, it represents … more than the total revenues of 11 clubs. … 

Incredibly, this wasn’t even Selig’s most outrageous act of the week. That came when he announced that he planned to enforce MLB’s long-ignored 40% debt-to-value limit as of June, using arbitrary, economically illiterate definitions of “debt” and “value” that will permanently cripple at least two clubs and damage a dozen more for years to come. …

Since the last out of the 2001 World Series, Major League Baseball has sustained a non-stop series of self-inflicted wounds. Commissioner Selig has antagonized the entire state of Minnesota, insulted the intelligence of a roomful of Congressmen, rigged the sale of the Boston Red Sox, and brazenly ignored decades-old rules against cross-ownership and conflicts of interest. But those abuses benefited his employers, the owners. Last week he may finally have gone too far.

If the owners allow Selig’s interpretation of the 40% debt limit to stand, as of June he will have the unfettered power to ruin half the franchises in Major League Baseball–franchises that until last week had no reason to suspect they were doing anything wrong. … Bud Selig is a cancer on Major League Baseball. So long as he remains commissioner, MLB will grow sicker and sicker.

Rivera Puts Blame on Brosius
Jack Curry, New York Times

The Yankees should have had a double play. Really, they should have had two outs. History could have been so much different. Before Tony Womack slapped his game-tying double off Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of last year’s World Series, Rivera thought the Yankees were assured of securing two outs on a bunt play. But Scott Brosius held the ball. For some reason, he held the ball. After Brosius caught the ball, he looked at second. Bell was at least 40 feet from first, so a simple flip would have sufficed. But Brosius held the ball. …

A week later, the play still mystifying him, Rivera turned to Manager Joe Torre. “I asked Joe if we had a double play there,” Rivera recalled. “He said absolutely.” … Torre said that the replays indicated Brosius had plenty of time to get a double play. Brosius did not return to New York after the game, and he announced his retirement later in November, so Torre has never asked him about it. …

March 20, 2002

Pedro hopes to warm up to owners
Michael Silverman and Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez misses former general manager Dan Duquette. As much as he likes the new ownership group and the people they have put in place in baseball operations, Martinez still does not have the same strong link to the Red Sox front office that he had with Duquette. It was Duquette who traded for Martinez twice, once with the Expos and once with the Red Sox.

“As a person, it’s not the same. As a player, (the new owners) know my reputation, they know what I’m made of – as a person, they don’t know me. That’s something me and Dan always had clear. He knew me as a person, I knew him as a person and whatever happened, happened. But Dan trusted me as a man. Regardless of what anyone wants to think, every promise Dan made to me, he came through with. Remember when I first came to Boston, I always asked for a team that was a contender, and we were. Every time we were a contending team.”

Player analysis, Part Four (March 19)
Art Martone, Providence Journal

… Lou Merloni, Doug Mirabelli, Shea Hillenbrand, Jose Offerman …

Decision time close for Little
Mike Petraglia, mlb.com

When Grady Little was named manager of the Red Sox on March 11, he knew the day was coming when he would have some tough choices to make. … Among the most pressing issues to be resolved are:

Order of the rotation (Pedro Martinez, John Burkett, Dustin Hermanson, Derek Lowe, fifth starter)
Fifth starter (Frank Castillo, Tim Wakefield, Darren Oliver, Juan Pena)
Fifth outfielder (Michael Coleman, Damon Buford)
Starting second baseman (Jose Offerman, Rey Sanchez)
Utility infielder (Lou Merloni, Quilvio Veras, Carlos Baerga, Wilton Veras)
Back-up first baseman (Offerman, Brian Daubach)

Pedro Martinez has two starts remaining this spring to prove to everyone — including himself — that he is ready to go. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has reported no ill effects from the rotator cuff ailment that shortened his 2001 season, but he is trying to shake off the rust in his mechanics. Once that is resolved, Little can formulate his staff and his rotation.

“I have one legal pad next to my desk with eight different pitching orders on it,” said Little. “We’re going to get together with all the scouts on Thursday who have seen all these pitchers and see what we have.”

The Stat-Head Revolution
Geeks Infiltrate Baseball’s Front Offices; Conventional Wisdom Flees
Neil deMause, Village Voice

The implications of a “sabermetric” revolution could shake the foundations of baseball common wisdom and convert also-rans into contenders overnight. In fact, it’s already begun.

Statistical analysis and baseball go way back, of course, at least since George Stallings of the 1914 Miracle Braves introduced the first full-scale righty-lefty platoons. But the modern surge in sabermetrics—a coinage from the acronym of the Society for American Baseball Research—can be traced back directly to Bill James, a Kansas baseball junkie whose self-published Baseball Abstracts in the ’70s brought sophisticated mathematical tools to the masses for the first time.

Field of schemes: Unsavory scalpers control stadium sidewalks
Jonathan Wells, Maggie Mulvihill and Jack Meyers, Boston Herald

A violent ring of scalpers, some with lengthy criminal records and ties to organized crime, has come to dominate Boston’s street-level ticket resale racket, reaping large illegal profits year round at the area’s major sports and entertainment venues. Operating openly in the past year with virtually no fear of harassment or arrest, the highly organized group buys and resells tickets at sometimes huge markups for virtually every event at Fenway Park, the FleetCenter and Foxboro Stadium.

Cops, Sox turn a blind eye to brazen ticket scalpers
Jonathan Wells, Maggie Mulvihill, and Jack Meyers, Boston Herald

Boston police and Red Sox officials have allowed an organized band of criminals, some with violent backgrounds and ties to organized crime, to brazenly operate a near-monopoly on illegal ticket scalping at Fenway Park. Observations by the Herald last season found, and public records show, that police almost never interfere with the scalping crew … Boston police officers and Red Sox officials chat, joke and casually interact with the scalpers who act as if they own Lansdowne Street, Brookline Avenue and Yawkey Way. Over the course of the entire baseball season last year – covering 81 home games – Boston police made only 11 scalping arrests. They were all made in a space of five days: from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

Violent group controls coveted sports tickets
Jonathan Wells, Jack Meyers and Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Herald

Members of the Cartolano family of Medford have dabbled in a lot of things – armed robbery, heroin, assault with a baseball bat, witness intimidation – but for many years their bread and butter has been ticket scalping. The Cartolanos have at least one ticket agency licensed by the state, Main Street Ticket, Inc., which is run out of their two-family home at 44-46 Medford St. in Medford.

State gives agencies a free ticket: Oversight nearly nonexistent
Jack Meyers, Maggie Mulvihill and Jonathan Wells, Boston Herald

There are 64 licensed companies in Massachusetts reselling sports and concert tickets at sometimes wildly inflated prices, but the firms have little to fear from police or regulators. Despite state laws governing the business and limiting ticket markups, resale operations face little or no scrutiny by the government.

March 19, 2002

Video star
Mike Petraglia, mlb.com

Pedro Martinez went to the videotape Sunday for some answers to the three homers he surrendered during Saturday’s loss to the Yankees. Monday, he said them. “I was flying open so I went back to look at one of the videos,” said Martinez. “I took some good tips and slowed down everything.” …

Martinez, who had a side session Monday, feels he should be ready to face Toronto on April 1 at Fenway. “My shoulder is fine. I haven’t experienced any pain. I’m trying to be careful with it. I know I’m going to get everything to come around eventually. I won’t be [fully] ready until I get at least three starts into the season — nobody is. But good enough to pitch on Opening Day? I should be.”

Pedro not fooling around — Ace preps for Opening Day
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez is quite encouraged by the condition of his throwing shoulder, and he and the ball club are nearly certain that he will get the Opening Day start at Fenway Park on April 1. …

All things being equal and with the hope that March goes out like a lamb, Martinez expects to be on the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:05 p.m. … I’m right where I want to be,” Martinez said. “The fact that I’m not having so much command on my breaking ball might be a little weird to me, but looking back, I haven’t pitched since August. It’s a little longer than normal. I’m stronger, I’m getting used to more weight in my body, more strength, so there’s a lot of things I have to put in perspective and things I have to realize are going on with me.”

‘Slower’ Pedro making progress
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

Pedro Martinez had his usual between-starts side session yesterday morning, and he said he made significant progress with the command of his breaking ball. “I slowed my mechanics down and the curveball was much better. … I haven’t experienced pain in the shoulder. That hasn’t been a concern. I know that if I’m healthy, I’m going to be fine. I’m just trying to stay healthy.” Martinez will make his next start Thursday against Montreal.

Decision day fast approaching for Sox
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

New manager Grady Little and interim general manager Mike Port will begin assessing the roster in a staff meeting Thursday. Here’s a look at how the 25-man roster is shaping up as the days dwindle to a precious few for decision-making.

Little high on ‘Big Three’
Ken Maguire, Associated Press

Martinez is scheduled to make his fourth start Thursday. Martinez is scheduled to make a fifth start in Florida and would start opening day, April 1, barring setbacks. Little said Martinez should be ready to pitch five to seven innings on opening day.

Also: Right-hander Jamie Brewington and outfielder Jeff Abbott were returned to the Red Sox minor league camp yesterday morning.

They’re still thinking of Oakland
Gregg Bell, Sacramento Bee 

“Not quite the frat house in here.” That’s how former A’s center fielder Johnny Damon contrasted his unlikely, new baseball life from his most recent one, using the popular Oakland clubhouse metaphor recently inside the Boston Red Sox’s garage-like, spring-training clubhouse at City of Palms Park.

The Week In Quotes, March 4-17
Derek Zumsteg, baseballprospectus.com

“There are some things I want to tinker with. I don’t want to let that first pitch go by that much anymore.”
Nick Johnson, Yankees infielder

“I’ll try sometimes. But then I just have to swing.”
Cristian Guzman, Twins infielder, on trying plate discipline

“But I’m only 32 in the Dominican Republic.”
Tim Raines Sr., Marlins outfielder, on his advanced (42) age

After All These Years, Orioles Are Showing Their True Colors
Thomas Boswell, Washington Post

The Orioles should be ashamed. But then they’d have to be capable of feeling shame. As they’ve proved for years, in dealings with every part of baseball society, the Orioles are shameless. … The main goal of the 2002 season in Baltimore came into clear focus in Monday’s Washington Post: Keep baseball out of Washington at all costs — even if it means fielding a cheap, boring team to kill your own attendance. …

The Orioles apparently will put the most fan-repellent team possible on the field in Camden Yards so attendance will be as low as possible. Finally, after a lousy season, they’ll poor-mouth: Please, don’t put a team in D.C. You’ll kill us. In my opinion, that’s what’s happening.

Bell angry at notion of competing for right-field spot
Associated Press

Derek Bell, who hit only .173 last season: “Nobody told me I was in competition. If there is competition, somebody better let me know. If there is competition, they better eliminate me out of the race and go ahead and do what they’re going to do with me. I ain’t never hit in spring training and I never will. If it ain’t settled with me out there, then they can trade me. I ain’t going out there to hurt myself in spring training battling for a job. If it is (a competition), then I’m going into ‘Operation Shutdown.’ Tell them exactly what I said. I haven’t competed for a job since 1991.” …

Bell was one of the majors’ worst-performing players last season, hitting five homers with 13 RBIs in 46 games in the first year of a $9 million, two-year contract. … This spring, Bell is 4-for-27 (.148) with three RBIs. Bell’s big contract, which he landed despite hitting below .200 in the second half of the 2000 season with the Mets, is believed to have contributed to former Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay’s firing in June.

March 18, 2002

No Pain For Pedro
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

Pedro Martinez is scheduled to throw on the side today. He reported no discomfort Sunday after throwing 68 pitches in four innings Saturday against the Yankees.

Vital sign: Varitek says ‘I’m ready’
Ken Maguire, Associated Press

Pedro Martinez’s next start likely would be Thursday at home against St. Louis, with Frank Castillo going on Friday, but Little hasn’t announced it yet. Castillo could go Thursday if Martinez needs the extra day.

Left is all right to Ramirez
Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe

Grady Little has been on the job only a few days, but the decision-making process has been accelerated. … One decision that apparently has been made is that Manny Ramirez will play a lot in left field. … Ramirez’s reaction was what you would expect. ”That’s fine,” he said. ”Whatever Grady wants me to do. No problem. I like playing the outfield. If I play it every day, that’s fine. Nothing’s a problem.” …

Pitchers Mike Drumright, Rolando Viera, and Tim Young, and outfielder Edgard Clemente also were assigned to minor league camp. Pitcher Sun Woo Kim was optioned to Pawtucket.

No surprises for Sox: Little plans to spell out roles
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

“They’re going to know everything about me before April the 1st, as far as what to expect,” manager Grady Little said before the club’s 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday. “I don’t want surprises from them, and I know they’re human beings, they don’t want surprises from me. … It’s when a person gets surprised with something, he is not very effective sometimes. I don’t believe in keeping a player guessing too much as to what’s going to be on the card every day when they walk in.”

Peter Gammons: Understand, I really, really hate Dan Duquette
Posted by Sean Forman @ Sox Therapy [baseballprimer.com]

Peter continues to “analyze” the Sox and calls them “one of the worst messes ever”. A team that has the sixth best record over the last seven years, a team that has a broadcast network which will be a huge moneymaker over the next decade, a team that has three 30-or-under superstars, a team that sells out practically every game is “one of the worst messes ever”?

How many franchises top-to-bottom would you be willing to trade straight up for the Red Sox? By franchises, I mean every player in the franchise? By Peter’s account you should be able to say a resounding “Yes” for every other team in the major leagues.

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 9
Associated Press

Shortstop Tim Olson committed four of Arizona’s 10 errors but had an RBI single in the ninth to lift the Diamondbacks to a 10-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies in a split-squad game Sunday.

Arizona   320 003 002 – 10 15 10
Colorado  120 230 010 –  9 11  0

March 17, 2002

Links to stories about Pedro’s start against New York are here.

Anyone Want To Guess When Pedro’s Arm Will Fall Off? May? June?
(the bad news & more bad news)

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