Papi Magic On The Farm?

In his time in Boston, David Ortiz has become known as the best clutch hitter in baseball with several walk-off hits to his credit. While 2007 has been a down year for Mr. Ortiz while he struggles along with some injuries that will require off-season surgery and plenty of rest, the kids of the future were channeling some Papi Power Saturday. In the first game between the Red Sox short-season affiliate Lowell of the New York-Penn Leauge and the Hudson Valley Renegades, the score was tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Luis Segovia led off by being hit by a pitch, he was followed by Carlos Fernandez-Oliva, who laid down a sacrifice bunt moving Segovia to second. After a pop out Jorge Jimenez hit a line drive over the head of Hudson Valley right fielder Angel Fermin to drive in the game-winning run as Lowell clipped Hudson Valley in a 2-1. Not to be outdone by their younger comrades the Portland Sea Dogs would have there own magic in the second game of the double-header. Jay Johnson would have the big hit in this game as Portland rallied back twice against the Harrisburg Senators. Trailing 12-9 going to the bottom of the ninth, Portland got a lead off single from Andrew Pinckney and was followed by a walk to Iggy Suarez. Zach Borowiak sacrificed them over as Portland was playing for a tie and possibly extra innings at the very least. Jeff Natale followed the sacrifice by getting walked. Following a pitching change Portland's Jay Johnson hit a bases clearing, game winning double. In other games today Boston beat Baltimore 6-2 behind a stellar performance by Josh Beckett who became the majors first 15-game winner. Greenville lost 10-1 while Pawtucket won. Lancaster is still playing, but plated five in the first inning.

Future On Display

Beggining tomorrow and lasting throughout most of the remainder of the season, the future of the Boston Red Sox will be on display at Fenway Park. Portland and Lowell will both play games at Fenway on Saturday while the Sox are playing in Baltimore. Portland will play the Harrisburg Senators (Washington) while Lowell plays the Hudson Valley Renegades (Tampa Bay). The Lowell game is at 12:05 followed by Portland. In just a couple weeks a handful of top prospects could find themeselves with a September callup. Jacoby Ellsbury is one who is very likely to get the call to provide speed off the bench down the stretch. Should he continue his solid play from earlier this year when he was up he could also find himself on the bench in the playoffs. Boston won't discount the importance of a speedster on the bench, its the very reason they won the World Series in 2004. George Kottaras could also find himself in Fenway park in September. He is the only minor league catcher on the Sox 40 man roster and they would love to have a third catcher around to give Varitek added rest, assuming the division race isnt close. There are no infielders on the 40 man roster who aren't already in Boston. The Red Sox do have 2 spots on the 40 man roster open and also can move Brendan Donnelly to the 60-day disabled list if they needed another spot. We know Bobby Kielty likely will be called up sooner then later and that would require a spot, though his arrival would depend on Wily Mo Pena's departure which would clear another spot. Another spot to be taken on the 40 man will be for Clay Buchholz and that could be as soon as next week when the Sox play a double header. Buchholz has been dominant in the minors this year and could join a powerful young rotation next year that will include Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. Other pitchers who could see time in Fenway in September are Javy Lopez who was recently sent down to make room for Curt Schilling, Craig Hansen who has been very good the past several weeks and Craig Breslow could provide another solid left handed arm from the bullpen. Brandon Moss could join Ellsbury in the outfield mix in September after a recent three day stay with the Sox in California.

From Sea To Shining Sea

So as I was in bed last night, unable to sleep after the Red Sox game, which Boston should have won but failed to do so, I began to revisit a post I was thinking about over the weekend. A writer on Boston.com sorta touched on the subject yesterday, but that's ok, I know that this was in my head before that. What finally led me to write this post was comments made by the New Hampshire Fishercats manager, a AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. As you can see in a post made last night, he was unhappy the fans in Manchester, New Hampshire gave a standing ovation to Portland's Clay Buchholz, aka the ace in waiting who these same fans will be cheering for for years to come in Boston. We as Red Sox fans have witnessed over the years some great Sox crowds on enemy fields, usually Toronto and Baltimore and Tampa Bay. But over the past few years that seems to be happening more and more. This season I have witnessed either on telelvision or the background noise on radio some rather loud pro Sox crowd noise in cities such as Atlanta, San Diego, Oakland (another usual suspect) and even Seattle. Some will say that its the effect of winning the World Series in 2004. But I don't buy that. Even in St. Louis that year there was a strong Sox contigent of fans. I get around the web a lot. Over at Yanksfan vs Soxfan the Red Sox fan base appears to be stretched very wide. For those who visit there know for example SF is in the "heart" of Yankee nation. I use quotations around heart because while Yankee fans will tell you that New York City is Yankee Territory I don't buy into that, I think they are more behind the Mets and even though my friend Hennessy, a Mets fan in Queens, NY goes on and on abouit being a fan of both the Mets and Yankees, you just know most of the time the fans hate the other team. I myself reside in Brooklyn, New York. I moved here in 2005 and while it was hard to get used to coming from Manchester, New Hampshire, I think its finally normal to me. When I first moved here Yankee fans were generally civil with my Red Sox gear, I got more comments from Jets fans over my Patriots gear. Now the tune has changed and Yankee fans get more nasty, the result of having a bad team I suppose. I even got told one day to take my ass back to Boston. Back to the topic now. How did Red Sox nation grow so wide? It's rather simple. Boston and New England offer some of the best schools in the country. Students come here for four years and by the time they leave they have fallen in love with the Red Sox. A good example of this is Singapore Sox Fan. He is one of my favorite bloggers, because he is so inteligent and it shows in his posts, I only wish he posted more then he does. As a result of having such a large university base around the region it exposes thousands and thousands of people to the team, they graduate and either return home, or a new home and take there love of the Sox with them. To bring this post back around to where it started. Bill Masse should probably sit back and enjoy when his fans cheer for Red Sox minor leaguer's, after all these players will be feeling the same atmosphere when their in Toronto in a few years. Calling it a learning experience. Red Sox nation goes beyond New England, it has no boundries. Right now the space station is the limit, one that will forever expand.

Sox Promote Jacoby Ellsbury

The Boston Red Sox today promoted Jacoby Ellsbury from Portland to Pawtucket. The move was expected after Ellsbury tore apart AA pitchers in the first month of the season with a minor league baseball high .452 average. Ellsbury's stop in Pawtucket could be brief or extended til September depending on what the Red Sox do in terms of trades in July. Ellsbury has stolen 8 bases and has a .644 slugging percent despite no HRs yet this season. He has 10 doubles and two triples in 73 at bats. His OBP was .518. More after the jump. Boston could of course revisit the Todd Helton talks as a lot has changed since Spring Training. Craig Hansen signed a major league contract when he was drafted and is now in the third year of the four year deal. Boston has Jonathan Papelbon back in the closers spot and Bryson Cox is performing well in the minors since being drafted last season. This makes Hansen expendable. One deal Boston could look at is unloading Hansen along with Coco Crisp and Mike Lowell for Helton. Crisp comes at a rather good deal and Lowell would come off Colorado's books at seasons end. If Boston pulled this deal off that would open a spot immediately for Ellsbury in Boston.