62 - Ryan Dent

With the second compensation round pick #62 overall Boston selected 18-year old Ryan Dent from Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach California. The young shortstop has some pop in the bat and possibly projects as an outfielder. He has speed and some arm strength and hits to all fields. The 5'10" Dent bats right handed. He hit .425 with 23 runs and 26 RBI in 80 at bats. MLB video on Dent here. From Boston.com The skinny: Dent, 18, was ranked the No. 46 overall prospect and the No. 21 position player in the draft by Baseball America. In his senior year at Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA, the 5’10", 180-pounder hit .468 with 29 RBI and 28 stolen bases. The right-handed hitter helped the Wilson High School Bruins win the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division I title for the first time in 57 years this season. According to Baseball America, he has been clocked going from home to first from the right side in under 4.1 seconds. Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod says: "Ryan Dent is a tremendously gifted, athletic kid. He played in the middle of the field. He is versatile. He is athletic and brings speed to the diamond. He is also strong for his size. A kid that could certainly stay at shortstop but he could also play centerfield or second base, and one that we are excited to get." MLB.com says: "Dent was hurt last year, missing some of the summer showcases, but appeared healthy at the Urban Academy...With a strong bat and even better speed, Dent will be a very intriguing prospect for many teams. Athletes like this don’t grow on trees and Dent has shown the ability to hit to all fields and use his speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths. He may not be a middle infielder long-term, but many feel he’s athletic enough to handle a move to the outfield if needed." Perfect Game says:"Ryan Dent is a 2007 MIF from Woodrow Wilson HS, residing in Long Beach, CA, with a 6'0" 185 lb. frame. Selected for Top Prospect list. Body - lively, athletic, wiry strong. Offense - plus bat speed, hands are very quick, line drives, ball spins a lot of bat, has carry power, ball jumps off bat, uses whole field, easy swing, flat swing plane, hands inside, slasher. Defense - good set-up to ball, strong arm, good body control, has actions, soft hands, ball exits well, good range. Top tier D1 prospect, must follow pro prospect." Dent has a commitment to play baseball at UCLA.

55 - Nicholas Hagadone

The Red Sox used their first selection in the 2007 draft on big lefty from Washington. Used mostly in relief in 2007, Hagadone compiled a 6-1 record with a 2.77 ERA and 11 saves. He drastically increased his strikeout total over 2006 while cutting down on the walks. In three seasons at Washington he went 8-3 with 15 saves in 118.1 innings while striking out 108 and walking 43. From Boston.com The skinny: Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod says: "Nick Hagadone is a very big, strong-bodied college lefthander. He has big arm strength and the ability to spin a power breaking ball. He has been used in two roles, as a starter and a reliever. For us, we definitely see a kid that we'd like to come in and at least give him a chance to start. Someone we feel has upside left to him and can provide an impact to our organization." MLB.com says: "After spending last year starting behind Tim Lincecum, Hagadone became Washington's Friday night starter to begin the year. He was moved to the bullpen after two starts because of team need and has been oustanding for the Huskies, showing the ability to save games and pitch multiple innings. With a chance to have a good three-pitch mix, some teams may want to move him back into a rotation once drafted, but worst-case, they'd have a pretty good lefty setup man on their hands." The Washington Husky website says: "Hagadone, who was named first-team All-Pac-10 this season, was previously drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 36th round of the 2004 draft after his senior season at Sumner High. In 2007, Hagadone spent most of the college season as the Huskies' closer. Over 25 appearances, he went 6-1 with a 2.77 earned run average and 11 saves. In 68 and one-third innings, he allowed 62 hits and only 17 walks while strikingout 72." At the University of Washington, Hagadone combined with Lincecum to pitch a no-hitter against the Santa Clara Broncos in 2006.

Near Perfection

Julio Lugo is off the hook. Curt Schilling had a no-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Oakland this afternoon, the only baserunner to the point was a error by Lugo. However Shannon Stewart singled past Alex Cora with two outs to end the no hit bid. Schilling got the next batter for a complete game one-hitter. More later.

Tribe Takes Beau Mills

While not a Red Sox selection. Beau Mills is the son of Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills. Congratulations to Beau Mills being selected 13th overall by the Cleveland Indians. Video on Mills after the jump.

Live Draft Coverage

Live coverage of the Boston Red Sox draft selections will be covered here through out the day Thursday and Friday. As each selection is made, information on the chosen player will be posted in seperate posts that will be linked to from the draft board on the left column. Please feel free to leave feedback on the chosen players. I hope everyone enjoys the drafting of our future Sox stars.

Dirty!

Alex Rodriguez is up to his old habits. During last night's loss to Boston, Rodriguez going into second trying to break up a double play clearly going well off course to take out Dustin Pedroia with an elbow to the groin. Of course anyone who follows either team knows this is nothing new for the golden boy of Major League Baseball, whom everyone wants to root for if for no other reason then he will someday erase Barry Bonds' controversial rise past Hank Aaron from the record book. If nothing else with his dirty play, Rodriguez maybe limiting the high spenders who will get into a bidding war for him this offseason when he opts out of his Yankees contract. Any negotiations without Boston could easily leave millions on the table.

Sox Ride Bats & Arms To Sweep

The Boston Red Sox used a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays to extend their lead in the American League East to seven games over second place New York. Boston won each of the three games against Toronto in convincing fashion by 9-2, 9-3 and 8-0 scores. Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield were brilliant in their starts and the bullpen was effective in the limited opportunities they had in the series. Following this series Boston's team ERA stands at 3.17, the starters have a 3.49 ERA and the bullpen has a 2.38 ERA. Boston hit nine homeruns in the series with each of the regulars hitting atleast one except Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew. More importantly the series continued the solid hitting of Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia, two of Boston's hitter who had been struggling for much of the early season. Boston heads home for a 10 game homestand that will provide two stiff challenges for the Red Sox, Detroit comes to town for a four game set and Atlanta for a three game season. Last season Boston had a stellar record against the National League and hope to continue that this season. Julian Tavarez, Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett go for the Sox in the Baltimore series starting tomorrow. Tavarez will face rookie Brian Burres while Schilling goes against Steve Trachsel. Beckett faces Jeremy Guthrie. Boston should easily be favored in each of the three games.

Manny Loving Julian

Great video, and Remy or Orsillo can't stop laughing

JACKA$$ ROGER CLEMEN$ JOIN$ YANKEE$

For weeks, no months, hell since he did this last season, my friend warned me that Roger Clemens wasn't worth the fuss. I ignored the warnings, and had faith that Clemens would choose to end it where it all began. Foolish me! Seems Roger Clemens is the same money hungry asshole he has always been, and George Steinbrenner is the same money tossing douche he has always been. Together these two losers make a great couple, to the tune of $28 million for a 5-inning pitcher. Of course Boston very well may get the last laugh at this. The first laugh could come as soon as the first week of June when Clemens could face his former team in his first start of the season. I hope 2007 is the final season for Roger Clemens. I don't want to even have to live through Boston considering this jackass again in 2008. Clemens joins a pitching staff that is desperate for help, perhaps thats why he chose New York, it's by far the biggest challenge of the three. Boston is a far superior team to the Yankee team that has showed up thus far this season, one would think if Clemens care more about winning then about money Boston would have been the choice. But for Clemens $$ talked, and add in that he gets the same perks as he had in Houston it was a deal he couldn't refuse. A deal he agreed to without even letting Houston or Boston counter, not that either would have approached the absurd $28 million that puts New York back over the $200 million in total payroll. Have fun in New York Roger, have fun sputtering along with a washedup team. Enjoy watching the playoffs on TV.

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.