Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Moschella

Brandon Moss is Unlikely Hero for Red Sox in Season Opener

Matt Moschella — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:08:55 -0400

Brandon Moss will never get the top billing as a Red Sox outfielder. In fact, he won't even be the top athlete named Moss in the city he plays in. But Tuesday morning, half a world away from home, Moss began the Red Sox title defense in heroic fashion.

Moss expected to begin 2008 a bench player for the Red Sox, but was given the chance to start the season in right field when the oft-injured JD Drew hurt his back during batting practice. "He looked great. I didn't know anything was going on," Moss said of Drew's pregame regimen. When told he might be given an opportunity to start, Moss surprisingly replied, "oh, ok."

When the rookie stepped to the plate in the sixth inning of a tie game with Manny Ramirez on second base and hit Joe Blanton's pitch into right field, he brought Ramirez to the plate, gave the Red Sox their first lead of the season, and perhaps most importantly, chased Blanton from the game. Prior to that inning, Boston had managed just four hits off of Blanton and no runners had reached third base.

The Red Sox lead, however, would be short lived. Jack Hannahan's two run homer off of Kyle Snyder in the bottom half of the inning would give Oakland a 4-3 lead.

The score would stay that way until the top half of the ninth. Oakland's 24 year-old closer Huston Street had saved 76 games over the past three seasons, more than any other pitcher had at age 24. Moss was not about to let his first save of 2008 come at the Red Sox' expense. Moss drove Street's 2-2 offering into the stands at the Tokyo Dome, tying the game at four runs apiece. It was Moss's first career homerun.

The Red Sox would go on to win in 10 innings.

While it may be an unfortunate circumstance that thrust Moss into the spotlight, his performance Tuesday will allow a team already suffering from the injury bug to rest a bit easier.

Hindsight's 20/20: Mike Lowell Trade a No-Brainer for Red Sox

Matt Moschella — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:34:55 -0400

In late 2005, the Red Sox had a decision to make.

The club was in a position to add Josh Beckett to their pitching rotation via a trade with the Florida Marlins.

However, if they were to acquire Beckett and give the rotation a one-two punch they hadn't had since their World Series run in 2004, they would need to take Mike Lowell's contract off of Florida's books.

At that time, Lowell was coming off the worst season of his career: .236 batting average, .298 on-base percentage, eight home runs, 58 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

These were the lowest numbers that Lowell had put up since becoming a regular starter for the Fish.

Despite Lowell's numbers, the Red Sox pulled the trigger on the deal, sending Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and two other minor leaguers to South Florida for Lowell, Beckett, and Guillermo Mota.

Going into 2006, the Boston media filled the sports pages and talk radio airwaves with Lowell speculation. Could he return to form? Was he injured in '05? Was he a product of the steroid era? Will a change of scenery help? Is he too old? Are the Sox really paying $9 million for this guy?

Following the 2007 season, re-signing Lowell became a top priority for the Red Sox front-office. Lowell took a home town discount, signing a deal that will keep him in a Red Sox uniform through 2010 when he will be 36 years old.

What happened in two seasons that caused the change in opinion about the third baseman?

2007 was a career year for Lowell. He led the Red Sox in RBI, and finished second to slugger David Ortiz in home runs and slugging percentage. He was the Red Sox regular season MVP, and won the World Series MVP award.

Lowell has clearly returned to form following his arrival in Boston.

He has batted in the fifth or sixth slot in the Red Sox lineup, which puts him behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. This happenstance has given Lowell the chance to see hittable pitches and the veteran has taken full of advantage of it.

In two years in Boston, Lowell has driven in 200 runs and scored 154 times. Lowell's 84 doubles over that span rank amongst the top in the American League.

Lowell also has a large, green target in left field for 81 games a year. The Green Monster has turned what would be fly ball outs in Florida into singles and doubles.

Perhaps a change of scenery was what Mike Lowell needed to get back to his old self. The Red Sox certainly believed so.

Although there are few certainties in baseball, Lowell will have three more years in a Red Sox uniform to continue to put up large numbers and hopefully lead the team to more championships. One thing, though, is certain:

Lowell no longer has anything to prove.

Red Sox Infield: Dustin Pedroia, Julio Lugo Bring Stability...Finally

Matt Moschella — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:26:39 -0500

Not since Jose Offerman and Nomar Garciaparra patrolled the infield at Fenway Park have the Red Sox begun a season the way they plan to this year: with a double-play duo, having been teamed up and tested in the previous season.

While guys like Todd Walker, Mark Bellhorn, and Orlando Cabrera have had their memorable moments at Fenway, some other ex-Sox middle infielders have been more than forgettable: Offerman, Rey Sanchez, and certainly Edgar Renteria.

The familiarity at second and short this season will provide a welcome change for the Fenway Faithful.

The fact that Dustin Pedroia and Julio Lugo have played together before could have a positive effect on the defense. Last season the two combined to commit just 25 errors—although this is a far cry from the combined 11 committed by Mark Loretta and Alex Gonzalez the year before.

It’s true that perennial Gold Glove candidates are not necessarily known for their offense.

Pedroia is still making a name for himself as a defensive second baseman. At just 5'9", the former Rookie of the Year still has a long way to go before he’s able to command the respect of American League hitters.

A shortstop by trade, Pedroia began playing second base in 2005 at the AA level when the Red Sox determined there would be no need for him at shortstop at the Major League level.

His biggest MLB play came on September 1st, making a diving stop of a Miguel Tejada ground ball to preserve Clay Buchholz's no hitter. It has been speculated that the exposure he garnered for that play secured Pedroia the Rookie of the Year Award.

Strangely enough, Lugo was brought to Boston for his offensive abilities.

His defense is considered average for a shortstop, but his speed gives him a larger range than many of his counterparts. He's above average when it comes to balls in the air, never afraid to make a big jump to make any kind of play.

Lugo put up his best career defensive numbers in 2002. This success may have been partly due to the fact that he’d been partnered in the same double-play duo two years running.

In 2005—the last time Lugo spent a full season with the same team he’d been part of the previous season—his errors decreased, his fielding percentage increased, and he completed more double plays. Statistics show that consistency is beneficial to Lugo.

The Red Sox have Gold Glove winners at the corner infield positions. A sophomore plays second base. A player anxious to prove himself will man shortstop.

There are no questions when it comes to Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis. Perhaps any questions about the Red Sox middle infield can be answered with familiarity, consistency, stability.

Boston Red Sox: Questions Linger for the Defending Champs

Matt Moschella — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:40:02 -0500

While the Boston Red Sox starting nine has remained intact from its World Series run a year ago, the defending champs still have a number of questions that will need to be answered if the team expects to compete for a second straight title.

Can Dustin Pedroia avoid the "Sophomore Slump?"
Remember Bob Hamelin? Angel Berroa? Marty Cordova? Perhaps you remember Erik Hinske. All of these players fell victim to the dreaded "Sophomore Slump" following their award-winning rookie seasons. While most of 2007 was excellent for the scrappy second baseman, he'll need to continue to get on base at the top of the order and avoid slumps like he did last April for the Sox to remain competitive.

What happens to Coco Crisp?
Let's face it. Jacoby Ellsbury is the center fielder of choice for the Red Sox, and Coco Crisp is most likely not going to accept the backup role. With one year left on his deal, does Theo Epstein deal Crisp prior to the season to fill some holes that become visible while the team is in Fort Minors?

Perhaps the Sox will hold on to Crisp until the July 31 trading deadline to see if a National League contender is in need of a speedy outfielder. Crisp could stay with the Sox in case they actually trade Manny Ramirez when he inevitably demands a trade.

Is Julio Lugo really that bad?
Lugo is signed through the 2010 season, making roughly $9 million a year. Simply put, he's going to have to put up better numbers than .237 BA, .294 OBP, and .349 SLG if he wants to remain in a Boston uniform. Jed Lowrie is in Pawtucket and ready to take over if Lugo can't perform. Epstein put up with Lugo's poor showing a year ago, don't think he won't be quick to make a move if he sees fit.

Is Jon Lester really that good?
Since Jon Lester took the mound in Game 4 of the World Series, he's become somewhat of a Red Sox legend. The cancer survivor returned to the mound in 2007 to post a 4.57 ERA in 63 innings while winning just four of his 11 starts. Yet he was considered as one of the Red Sox top pitchers, and even was included in a potential deal for the best pitcher in MLB, Johan Santana.

Throughout his career, Lester has won 11 of 26 career starts. That's a number that's going to have to get better if Lester is to remain in the Sox' rotation.

Can Jason Varitek still hack it?
He's been called the "smartest catcher." He's caught as many no-hitters as any catcher in the history of the league. He's the Captain. And frankly, he's getting old (he turns 36 in April).

Varitek's days as an All Star are long gone. His 20 HR days are gone. At his age, most catchers are splitting time at DH or 1B, but with David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis in place, the Captain is stuck behind the plate. He already had major surgery on one knee (following 2006). Will he be able to make it through another season behind the plate?

Why is Doug Mirabelli still around?
Okay, so Mirabelli's still around because no one else in the world can catch a knuckleball. So maybe the question should be is Tim Wakefield good enough to warrant two roster spots?

Mirabelli has 85 hits in the past three seasons (89 if you count his month in San Diego). While 33 of those hits have gone for extra bases, that's not the same Mirabelli who was good enough as a backup to get traded for a starting 2B back in 2006. Mirabelli is going to need to produce at the plate, or Wakefield is going to need to morph into Cy Young for the Sox to justify bringing him back.

Was Mike Lowell worth it?
Mike Lowell won the World Series MVP in 2007. He then re-signed as a free agent with the Red Sox for three years, $37.5 million. Two other third basemen were on the market that Red Sox did not acquire: Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera.

Can JD Drew bounce back?
2007 was one of the worst years in David Jonathan Drew's career. Hopefully for the Red Sox, he just needed a year to adjust to Fenway Park and American League pitching. If Drew can get back to his career averages of .284/25/84, then he'll be a welcome addition behind Mike Lowell in the Sox' lineup.

All signs, based on the end of the '07 season, point to a productive year for Drew. If he's unable to return to form, then it might be a good idea for Epstein to hold on to Crisp.

And what's with Schilling's shoulder?
Curt Schilling's injured right shoulder will not be going under a surgeon's knife any time soon, if the Red Sox have anything to say about it. He's already taken a cortisone shot and begun rehab, which the Sox hope will allow him to return by July. More importantly than Schilling actually playing, however, is the potential media circus that this could become. There have been rumors of the Sox wanting to void his contract if he does not play this year. Schilling is no stranger to the media, and if this gets ugly, it could become a major distraction for the team.

Red Sox Nation is filled with confidence about the Sox chances going into 2008. Josh Beckett is still the ace, and Cinco-Ocho is still at the back of the bullpen. Big Papi's contagious smile is still in the dugout and Manny is still Manny.

The team is built to repeat as champions, but 162 games will have to be played first.