BBS Awards: Tuukka Rask wins Varitek Award for Most Overrated Athlete

The Boston Blood Sox Awards (or Bloodies) are awarded for great success and/or pitiful failure in the 2014-15 sports year.

When you call someone overrated, you're not criticizing the person, you're criticizing the people who have unduly lifted that person up beyond where they should be lifted. Jason Varitek was an integral part of the Red Sox winning their first World Series since 1918. But he was horribly overrated by us Boston fans. That's why this award is named after him.

Being overrated isn't a direct criticism, but I will directly criticize Tuukka Rask. The Bruins goalie followed up on his Vezina winning season with disappointment, and almost nobody pointed it out. Sure, the team around him sucked, so there were plenty of guys for B's fans to hate on, but Rask seemed immune.

He was 14th in GAA, 10th in save percentage, and 19th in shutouts.

Rask wasn't a reason the Bruins lost, but he didn't do much to help them win. And since he was not criticized sufficiently for his average play, he was the most overrated athlete in Boston sports last year.

So You Want Jason Varitek to Manage the Red Sox?

I think anyone who suggests that Jason Varitek be the next Manager of the Red Sox should be castrated/spayed, and forced to carry, by hand, all the snow and ice out of Maine this winter, and build a giant igloo gulag for themselves somewhere in central Vermont.

Jason Varitek is already a "special assistant to the GM" which means he will advise marionette GM Ben Cherington in "Major League personnel decisions, evaluations, and mentorship and instruction of young players." It's never bad to have experienced baseball minds adding wisdom to a dialogue, but ultimately there can be only one GM. In 2013, it seems like the already impotent Cherington will be "helped" by Varitek and baseball numerologist Bill James.

I wonder if, as Special Assistant to the GM, Mr. Varitek will sew an "SAGM" patch on the collar of his suits and polo shirts. Just like he wore that gaudy "C" when he was Captain. And if he ever becomes Manager, will he have the clubhouse attendants sew an "M" on his jersey?

Jason Varitek is not the solution to the problems the Red Sox have. In fact, NO MANAGER is the solution. Managers aren't supposed to be solutions to clubhouse or personnel problems. They're supposed to put the players in the best position to do their best.

If you hire a Manager, any Manager, with the intention of solving your problems, you've already failed. If you have problems so pressing and urgent that they dictate who Manages your team, the problems are too complex, and too endemic to be solved by any Manager.

So just hire someone that knows baseball, that is somewhat respectable, that can communicate with players, and that can absorb/deflect/ignore the media's scrutiny (instead of trying to utilize it like Bobby Valentine did). And who doesn't let extra letters be sewn onto his jersey.

Varitek to Retire

Thank God.

I'm surprised that he waited until now to make this decision. Then again, this is the guy that accepted a gaudy "C" on his jersey when named a Team Captain. This is the same guy who continued to wear that "C" even as he became a part-time player.

Overall, I've liked Jason Varitek's tenure with the Sox. He was an important part to the team's two World Series wins. And he was very good at getting the best out of a pitching staff.

But he was also one of the most overrated, overhyped athletes in Boston. And that's saying something. He was good. Not great. At his best he was very good and he had occasional great moments. 7 RBI in the 2004 ALCS. Three All-Star Games. A Gold Glove. A Silver Slugger.

If the Red Sox had a different catcher in 2004 and 2007, I don't think they win those World Series. Even if they plugged in a "better" catcher.

But great? Sorry. He got too much credit for pitcher's successes, never any blame for their struggles. He got too much credit for being a good Captain, never any blame when teams have disintegrated.

The guy was important to this team. That was the past, though. I'm very glad he's retiring because his prime was 2004 and 2005.

I can't say I'll miss him. He had plenty of time here, and he got plenty of spotlight time too. But if he retired in 2004, I would have missed him then.

DICE-L

I really thought Daisuke was going to turn the Sox' fortunes around last night. He's always done well against Cleveland. And they tend to be free swingers. I was wrong.

He wasn't awful. But in typical Daisuke fashion, even when he does well, he fails to do well for long enough. And while it was the bullpen that ultimately lost this game, Daisuke gave the bullpen a chance to lose it, by only going 5 innings.

And during those 5 innings, he nibbled. And he nibbled. He threw a joke of a 90 MPH fastball right down the middle to Choo, and it was crushed. He nibbled some more. He walked batters. He hit a batter. He allowed 10 baserunners in 5 innings.

But he didn't lose this game by himself. Not by a longshot. Ellsbury struck out 3 times and went 0 for 5. We're still waiting for him to hit. Youkilis went 0 for 4, continuing his struggles. And Varitek messed up a defensive play, turning what should have been an out into a Cleveland run. His mistake of not tagging Buck at the plate was inexcusable for a veteran and a "Captain."

Then the bullpen. That's worrying me more than anything else right now. The starting pitching is what it is. The offense will inevitably improve. Guys like Ellsbury and Youkilis are not sub-.200 hitters. They'll come around. The bullpen, however, has been nothing but a disaster so far. Dan Wheeler was supposed to be the 2nd set-up man alongside Bard. He's allowed 2 homeruns already. And Reyes was supposed to add depth. He's only added mass, and a heavy ERA.

A few bright notes from last night: Gonzalez hit his first homerun with the team. And Crawford got on base, then ran, stealing his first 2 bases of the season.

The rotoation starts all over again, and maybe that's what this club needs. Lester faces Fausto Carmona, who allowed 10 runs in 3 innings against Chicago. First pitch at 12:05 this afternoon.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo

2011 RED SOX PREVIEW: HITTING

The Red Sox scored the 2nd most runs in baseball last year. They were 2nd in homeruns, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in slugging, 1st in OPS. In other words, they were pretty good at the plate. And they should be even better in 2011.

Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were the big stories of the off-season. Not to mention the returns of Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, who only played in 102 and 75 games last year, respectively. These newcomers and returning producers should more than offset the loss of Beltre and Victor Martinez.

The middle of the lineup will be fierce. Gonzalez, liberated from San Diego's pitcher friendly park, should hit over .300, with an OBP close to .400, slug near .600, and approach 40 homers. Youkilis should hit nearly 30 homers, with an OBP well over .400, and slug around .570.

Putting Crawford and Pedroia ahead of them will result in abundant runs. Gonzalez could knock in 120, and Youkilis should easily surpass 100 RBI.

JD Drew's contract is up, so I think he'll actually play more than 140 games and produce. Then there's Ortiz, whose 32 homers and 102 RBIs were impressive in 2010. But he really struggled against lefties. Drew also can't hit southpaws. So against righties, the Sox will have an excellent 5-6 to keep the pressure on. Against lefties, you'll see plenty of innings ended by Drew and Ortiz.

The bottom of the lineup will be solid enough. I like Ellsbury as a 7th or 9th hitter, either keeping the middle of the orders' rallies going, or helping Crawford and Pedroia start a new one. He should hit .300, with a .350 OBP that keeps him from being a good leadoff option. Minimal power, but plenty of speed.

Scutaro had a decent year last season. But we've all sort of forgotten. So did Lowrie. Having both of them as options is a nice luxury. Both play good defense, and neither are easy outs. That's all you really want or need from the 8th spot in your lineup.

Speaking of easy outs, we come to Varitek/Saltalamacchia. They'll ground into so many double plays. That is, if they even make contact with the ball.

Anyway you stack it, this lineup is pretty sick. Mike Cameron can fill in for Drew against lefties. And the speed of Crawford and Ellsbury can help keep the whole batting order from slumping. And even if a tough lefty is on the mound, guys like Youkilis (.404 against LHP last year), can still give them problems.

The Sox scored 818 runs last year, or 5.05 per game. If they stay healthy, they'll score over 900.

You have an amazing offense, and suspect pitching. I'm reminded of the Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1999. They'll be fun to watch. They'll win 100 regular season games. And they'll lose the World Series to a team with superior pitching. I'm thinking the Phillies. 1946 all over again.

LESTER MATCHES SANTANA IN DUEL

The Red Sox travelled to the Atlantic coast once again, this time to take on the Mets. Luckily for the Sox who made the trip (only 3 starting position players did), the team is willing to charter flights for the 150+ mile trip, as opposed to taking the bus.

Jon Lester got the start against Johan Santana. But both pitchers had surprisingly similar pitching lines. Lester went 4 innings, allowed 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, and struck out 5. Santana also went 4, also allowed 2 hits, also allowed 0 runs, didn't walk any, and struck out 4.




Ellsbury, one of the few regulars to make the trip, went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles. Jed Lowrie continued to struggle, going 0 for 4 with a strikeout and 4 men left on base. He was also picked off of 1st base. Julio Lugo can relax a bit as his potential replacement is currently hitting .107 in grapefruit League play.

Jason Varitek went 0 for 3, but backup George Kotteras went 1 for 1 with a double. Kotteras is hitting .625 this spring, and is making a good case for himself to be the #3 catcher on the depth chart.

Hideki Okajima pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing only 1 hit and striking 1 man out.

Brandon Moss had the only RBI for the Sox with a sac-fly in the 9th. Craig Hansen continued to struggle, allowing the only Met run to score in the 8th. The game ended a 1-1 tie after 10 innings.

The teams also set an attendance record for Tradition Stadium at 7,353. But according to Hank Steinbrenner, nobody cares about the Red Sox.



Source:
BostonRedSox.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/James A. Finley

SOX TAKE OPENING ROUND OF MAYOR'S CUP

Every year, the Red Sox and Twins play each other five or six times in Spring Training. They're both stationed in Fort Myers, so scheduling each other so often is very convenient.

But the two teams also play for hardware. The Lee County Mayor's Cup is rewarded to the team with the best record in the spring series.

This trophy is so prestigious, that it is kept secret from most. Sean Casey didn't even know it existed until asked about it the other day. Most Sox fans don't know what it is. And only 0.01% of people knows what it looks like (basically a $10 trophy that a junior high would customize for the top scorer in intramural floor hockey).

The Red Sox won it in 2007, and took a major step to holding onto it by beating Minnesota 8-3.

Daisuke Matsuzaka took the mound for the Sox, going 2 scoreless innings. He allowed 2 hits, but a pair of double play balls kept him out of trouble.

Hideki Okajima and Mike Timlin each pitched hitless innings. Julian Tavarez allowed a solo homerun in 2 innings of work.

Julio Lugo went 0 for 3. Coco Crisp went 2 for 2 and stole 2 bases. Youkilis and Varitek hit back-to-back homers in the 4th. Backup backup catcher George Kotteras had the most explosive night going 2 for 2 with a double and a 3 run homer. He's 4 for 5 in two games, with 3 doubles and a homer.

Source:
BostonRedSox.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Steven Senne

RED SOX 2008 PREVIEW: CATCHER

Jason Varitek enters his 12th season as Red Sox catcher, and will undoubtedly start on Opening Day, barring some unforeseen injury.

To sum up Jason Varitek's offensive contributions, he's not a liability, but he's not much of an asset. He's not someone you mind having in the lineup, so long as he's batting no higher than 7th.

Varitek hit a subpar .255 last season, and slugged a mere .421. He hit 17 homers and knocked in 68 runs. However, his tidy OBP of .367 was above league average, and kept Tek from being a hole in the lineup. Jason had a career high 71 walks to assist his nice OBP.

But two numbers alarm me: 122 and .219.

122 is the number of times Varitek struck out. It wasn't a career high. In 2004 he struck out 126 times. But he also hit .296 with a .390 OBP and .482 slugging that year. In 2005, he struck out 117 times, but also hit .281 with 22 homers. But 122 strikeouts in 2007 was just too many.

.219 was his average with runners in scoring position. Varitek had a decent amount of RBI (68), but he had more than a good number of opportunities. He had 137 ABs with runners in scoring position, and 225 ABs with runners on base. He had 15 more at-bats with runners on than he did with nobody on. He slugged a measly .307 with runners in scoring position.

But he's still a good catcher to have for the sake of the pitching staff. One can't argue with a man who has caught 3 no-hitters from 3 different pitchers. And with young pitchers like Bucholz and Lester coming, it's important that they have a catcher they can trust.

Jason will be backed up by Doug Mirabelli. Now Doug is a real hole in the lineup when he plays. He hit .202 last year, which was sadly an improvement from his 2006 average of .191. He struck out 41 times in 114 at-bats. That's a K every 2.78 ABs.

You've got to give Mirabelli credit for his prowess at catching the knuckleball. But who knows how many knucklers will be thrown this season. Frankly, I think Wakefield should be used out of the bullpen, but that's for another preview post.



There's a rumor that the Red Sox will acquire Japanese catcher Hayato Doue of the Kagawa Olive Guyners. That's a team in an independent Japanese league. He's 25, right-handed, hit .322 in '07 and .327 in '06. The Sox would sign him to a minor league deal. If things worked out, he might possibly make it to 3rd in the organizational depth chart at catcher.

Here's a video of him.



Twenty-four year old catching prospect George Kotteras had a disappointing year in AAA Pawtucket, hitting .241. Dusty Brown, 25, hit .268 in AA Portland and could be playing in AAA this year. Along with several low-level minor league prospects, there are 4 or 5 different players contending to be the #3 catcher on the team. With Mirabelli being an offensive liability, and Tim Wakefield potentially leaving the rotation, the #3 catcher spot is much more important than it may seem.

Sources and Resources:
Baseball-Reference.com
ESPN.com
Boston.com's Extra Bases
JapaneseBallplayers.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo, 3/16/05