Long Live Frank Fixaris!

Ok, it was against Northeastern, but it was actually game action.

Casey Kelly started and struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning of work.

Ortiz homered. Yeah, it was off a college pitcher, but it was a lefty college pitcher, so that has to mean something, right?

Someone in Ortiz's uniform grounded out in the fifth. Turns out it was coach Ino Guerrero. So clearly, this game meant everything.

Sox win 15-0 in 7 innings.

Game 2 of the college doubleheader starts on NESN at 6.

Go Boof!

Did they have to forfeit for using an ineligible player? Goddamn Terry!

No, lucky for Terry, the game was only scheduled for seven innings. Lucky because we all know it's the late innings where he really likes to screw things up.

I know it is Spring training and it is Boston College but I am looking forward to having the game on this evening just because it is Baseball. MLB Network will have games on most nights also.

I've got to be on the road tomorrow night, it'll be nice to hear the Sox on the radio again.

I even miss this: 1-800-54-GIANT, 1-800-54-GIANT, 1-800-54-GIANT.

It has to be the first televised spring training game of the season...I feel strangely comforted by the sight of Varitek flailing hopelessly at a 59 foot breaking ball for strike three.

That sight will have me breaking things if I see it in June.

So far in camp some of the kids have looked good...Kalish and Iglesias to be specific. We all know that Iglesias has the glove, but if he shows he has the bat then we could see him at some point next season. I know it's only 2 college teams but I was encouraged to see Papi go deep and to see Boof look pretty sharp considering he hasn't faced live game action in quite some time. Baseball's back baby!

After seeing yesterday's games, I seen enough to make a prediction that I am fully confident in: The 2010 Red Sox will go 107-55, winning the AL East by 13 games, and lose only two games in the post-season on their way to a third World Series title in seven years, cementing their place as the team of the milennia.

You're being pessimistic, TFGAR. Their Pythagorean record projects to be 161.6 - 0.4. Undefeated, baby!

Friendly reminder to those interested, the Sox game today against the Pirates is going to be on NESN at 1pm. WEEI's carrying the game as well...so it might be on the radio locally.

Today's starting lineup ought to be a fairly good preview of what we'll see April 4 at Fenway:

Ellsbury - LF
Pedroia - 2B
Martinez - C
Youkilis - 1B
Ortiz - DH
Drew - RF
Beltre - 3B
Cameron - CF
Scutaro - SS

Buchholz on the mound.

I was hoping Dustin Richardson would pitch today and throw against Brandon Moss, but I see he isn't scheduled to pitch. He probably still has his leg bothering him. It would have been fun to see ex-roomie against ex-roomie.

Lowrie has Mono:

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/ne ... id=5002871

Ugh. I had that as a senior in high school. It took a full 3 months before I felt 100% again. He seems to be snake bitten.

There's also a report that Ellsbury is sitting out with a sore throat. Hopefully it is just that, and not a pre-cursor to his own infection.

Since this is a spring training thread, I'm going to take the opportunity to say that if Adrian Beltre makes a habit of playing the kind of defense he's played today, we are all in for a treat this year. He's made two impressive plays so far this afternoon. One was a ball off Lackey's ankle that he had to change directions on, bare-hand and throw to first submarine style while on the run. He threw an absolute strike to get Cora by a step. It's the kind of play that Mike Lowell might have made one or two out of ten when he was 100%. Beltre made it look almost routine.

I keep hearing people say the games this year will be "boring" because of the so-called lack of pop in the lineup. But with defense like this, there should be a couple WOW moments a game. That's plenty exciting for me.

And there's plenty of offense.

Who's the hottie? And who's the chick with him?

I'm glad he's on the team, but I'm not looking forward to repeated closeups of John Lackey's face for the next few years. He's a goofy-looking guy.

He looks kind of like a frat boy at a wedding reception in this shot.

It wasn't him I was focusing on...

I believe Lackey's wife is from Maine originally.

Sanford native, I believe.

Alan Embree is back. http://www.easternmainesportsblog.com/2 ... h-sox.html

Tony Fossas wasn't available?

And thus ends the Brian Shouse era?

I hear Matt Young is looking for work. Granted, he's looking for work at warehouses and grocery stores, but still...

Matt Young, as in the 8-inning No-Hit Matt Young?

Buchholz has been horrific this spring so far. He has now allowed eight runs in 6 2/3 innings resulting in a 10.80 ERA. Because Dice won't be ready he will most likely be in the rotation, but he better get his act together if he wants it to be a permanent move.

I suggested at some point this winter that the Red Sox might consider starting Buchholz in AAA if Wakefield proved himself healthy enough to start the season. With Matsuzaka looking like he won't be ready to go until at least a couple weeks in, I think Buchholz's struggles might open the door for Wake to start the season as the fourth starter with Buchholz beginning the year in Pawtucket.

Starting tomorrow, when Matsuzaka makes his first live game appearance, he will be on pace to have five outings in spring training/extended spring training and be on full rest on April 18. With the scheduled off-days, the team shouldn't need a fifth starter until that date, and it would appear that they might be targeting it as Matsuzaka's first regular season start.

It's been assumed that until that point, it would be Beckett, Lester, Lackey and Buchholz taking those first eleven starts, with Wakefield staying in extended spring training or pitching out of the bullpen. Maybe now they might be forced to replace Buchholz with Wakefield based on the contrast between their spring performances.

Normally, I don't think spring results would matter all that much, but I don't know that Buchholz has established himself enough as a major leaguer to be given a free pass on this rough of a spring.

It appears Beckett will be the Opening Day starter, at least based on this "slip of the tongue" by Francona today. In talking about the team's exhibition against the Nationals in DC on April 3, Francona said that everyone was going, "even Beckett". That he singled out Beckett seems to imply that he would accompany the team rather than fly ahead to Boston in anticipation of Opening Day the next day.

Not really a surprise.