A Red Sox Dynasty: 1995-????

[Moriarty9]

Hunt for Red (Sox) October
September do or die for Boston
Saturday, September 1, 2012

BOSTON - Now that the dog days of August are behind them and the rosters have expanded, the Red Sox hope September is a surge month rather than a contiunation of their summer swoon.
With their 6-4 win over the Oakland Athletics last night, the Red Sox put a positive note on a dreary August, a month in which they went just 9-19. While Boston was in a freefall, the New York Yankees have won 27 of their last 39 games, rocketing past the Red Sox in the American League East division standings. The Red Sox enter the month of September down 7 1/2 in the division, 5 games in the Wild Card race.
"August was certainly an awful month for us but its done and over with," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said today. "We've got one month left in the season and we need to play the way we did for most of the first half, if not better, to get into the playoffs - which is where we belong."
To help the team in its push for the post-season, a number of minor leaguers have been called up today as part of the annual roster expansion.
Victor Waddell has earned a late-season callup for the fourth straight year after posting a 2.65 ERA in AAA Pawtucket this year. Waddell is 1-3 with one save and a 5.14 ERA in 12 big league games with Boston, including five starts.
Another key callup is left-handed reliever Danny Hanna. Hanna, 22, was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last year and was impressive over nine innings out of the bullpen for Boston last season, allowing seven hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts and posting a 1.00 ERA during that time. He started this year in the Red Sox bullpen but was demoted to Pawtucket after starting 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA in six appearances.
Eric McAllister, a 22-year-old southpaw, will spend his third straight September in the big leagues. The young starter is 2-3 with a 5.71 ERA in eight games, six starts, with Boston in 2010 and 2011.
Offensively, the team has made several other additions designed to help down the stretch.
Adrian Gonzalez, signed over the winter to compete for a starting job at first base, had only six at bats - in which he collected no hits - with Boston to start the season before being sent to Pawtucket as the roster was shuffled to accomodate players coming off the disabled list.
Bob Miles, acquired last July, performed well in AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket and hopes to improve on his .229, seven home run, 26 RBI performance in 74 games with Boston and the Kansas City Royals last year.
Veteran outfielder David Murphy will return to Boston after hitting .263 with three homers and 27 RBI in 205 at bats with Pawtucket this year, battling a bad back. He went just 1-for-7 with Boston earlier in the season and is a career .282 hitter with 14 home runs and 96 RBI in 730 big league at bats.
Adam McCormick, 26, earned a September call-up after hitting .334 with 13 homers and 71 RBI in 112 games with the PawSox. He went 2-for-7 with Boston earlier this year and is now 4-for-12 as a big-leaguer.
Although he played sparingly in Pawtucket and had a woeful 2011 time (.104, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 48 AB) with Boston last year, Antonio Andres will serve as a defensive replacement and pinch runner for the Red Sox the rest of the way.
The Red Sox are also heavily rumored to have a trade worked out a trade for a corner infielder with pop. The front office has not commented publicly on any potential trades, but sources have indicated the team has its eyes on a young firstbaseman from the American League Central. If a trade has, or will be, consumated, then all involved players would be placed on waivers and would have to go unclaimed in order for the trade to be processed by Major League Baseball.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox inch toward elimination
Boston sits 5 1/2 behind Detroit with 14 to go
Friday, September 15, 2012

BALTIMORE - The Boston Red Sox are inching closer and closer toward an early off-season for the first time in more than a decade after suffering a 6-3 loss to the Orioles tonight.
Orioles starter Chad Anderson pitched a strong ballgame for Baltimore, holding the Red Sox lineup to three runs on six hits and one walk over eight innings to improve to 8-6 on the season.
Boston jumped out to a quick lead with a George Avila RBI groundout in the top of the second inning, but was unable to hold it as Baltimore DH Larry Roberts hit a two-run double in the home half of the inning.
Dustin Pedroia quickly tied the game at two runs each with a RBI single in the top of the third. From there, both teams squandered a few scoring opportunities until the Orioles took the lead for good in the seventh inning.
A Roberts single drove the go-ahead run across the plate and Jimmie Martin soon followed with a RBI double.
With Bill Hopkins on third base and Julio Ramirez on second base in the eighth inning, before Anderson balked Hopkins across the plate to make it a one-run ballgame.
The Orioles pulled away in the home half of the inning with a Brandon Phillips home run and a Roberts RBI single, making it 6-3 Baltimore.
Boston tried to narrow the gap in the ninth inning with an Augusto Martinez single and Avila double but both men were stranded as Rafael Perez recorded his 31st save of the year.
In Detroit, the Tigers picked up a walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox, increasing their Wild Card lead to 5 1/2 games over the Red Sox and reducing their magic number to 10.
In Toronto, the New York Yankees lost to the Blue Jays, 6-3, but with the Boston loss, they maintained an 8 1/2 game division lead and dropped their magic number to clinch the division to six.
The Red Sox will send Dave Mason (13-8, 4.17 ERA) to the mound to take on Daniel Cabrera (8-10, 4.64 ERA) and the 66-82 Orioles tomorrow afternoon in Baltimore.
The Tigers have a favorable matchup as John Lackey (13-11, 2.88 ERA) is scheduled to face off against Chicago's Ivan Duarez (3-16, 6.19 ERA).
Boston will be cheering on former teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka (6-9, 5.97 ERA) as the Blue Jays hurler opposes John Maine (10-5, 4.04 ERA) and the Bronx Bombers.

[Moriarty9]

Seven-run third spur Sox to victory
Tigers win reduces elimination number to seven
Monday, September 17, 2012

BOSTON - Thanks in part to a seven-run third inning, the Red Sox did their part to stay alive in the playoff push, but the Detroit Tigers did their job to keep the local nine out of the post-season.
The Red Sox took advantage of some sloppy play as they topped the Tampa Bay Rays 11-6 at Fenway Park tonight but were unable to gain any ground on the Wild Card leading Tigers, who picked up a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim later in the evening.
The bulk of Boston's runs came during, and all of theirs run came by the end of, the third inning as they put seven men across the plate to take the lead for good.
After a walk, a botched popup to shortstop and a single, Boston had loaded the bases only for Reggie Willits to drive in two with a basehit, followed by a RBI single from Ichiro Suzuki. After a walk to Miguel Cabrera loaded the bases, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run single which was followed by a two-run single off the batt of Augusto Martinez.
Suzuki paced all hitters with three hits in the contest and each of the top five batters in the Boston lineup had two RBI. Martinez is the only Red Sox player in the lineup that did not score a run.
Bryan Brake struggled early on but settled down nicely as the game progressed, giving up five runs, three earned, on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts over seven innings of work against the Rays. Victor Waddell finished out the game with two innings of work in which he gave up one run on three hits and a walk.
Boston currently sits 6 1/2 games behind the Tigers in the Wild Card race, 8 behind the idle New York Yankees in the division race. New York's magic number to clinch the division is five while the Tigers are counting down from 7.
Tomorrow night, the Red Sox will host Tampa Bay, 64-87, in the second game of this three-game set. Johan Santana (14-7, 3.24 ERA) will take the mound for Boston and will be opposed by Brandon Webb (11-14, 4.13 ERA). The Yankees, 90-60, will host the 75-74 Chicago White Sox and send Joe Myers (14-8, 3.82 ERA) to the hill against Wayne Williams (16-11, 4.01 ERA). The Tigers have a favorable matchup as they play the Angels in Anaheim with Felipe Paulino (13-12, 3.49 ERA) squaring off against Micah Owings (3-12, 6.07 ERA).

[Moriarty9]

Boston eliminated from playoff contention
Believer it or not, Red Sox will not play October baseball
Saturday, September 22, 2012

BOSTON - For the first time since 1999, the Red Sox will have to watch playoff baseball on television.
After being shut out 1-0 by the visiting Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon, Boston was eliminated from both the American League East and Wild Card races, ending a string of 12 straight post-season appearances and 11 consecutive division crowns.
The New York Yankees won the American League East while the Detroit Tigers claimed the Wild Card spot in the playoffs, even though both teams lost their ballgames today.
"It's definitely a disappointment," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said of being eliminated from the playoff race in game #154 of the season. "We've grown accustomed to letting some of the kids get some playing time in the last week of the season while we set up our rotation and rest some of these guys but this year we'll be letting some of the kids play without setting up any sort of rotation."
Asked about published speculation that his job may be in jeopardy, Kennedy declined to comment, stating only: "I've given the club everything I've had over the last nearly 20 years and I'm under contract through next year."
No members of the Boston front office commented on the manager's status other to confirm Kennedy is under contract through 2013.

[Moriarty9]

End of the year notes, highlights and news.

• The Philadelphia Phillies were in the World Series once again but were swept by the Cleveland Indians in four games.
• Chipper Jones had retired and been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jones spent 19 years in the big leagues, 16 of which were with the Atlanta Braves, and hit .298 with 460 home runs and 4,709 RBI in 2,523 games. A seven-time All Star, he won a Gold Glove at third base in 2004 and was the 1996 National League MVP after hitting .350 with 33 home runs and 132 RBI in 153 games.
• Before giving the Boston Red Sox an opportunity to act on a team option for 2013, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki decided to call it a career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Suzuki spent his entire 13-year-career with Boston, hitting .323 with 2,260 hits, 117 home runs, 776 RBI, 508 stolen bases and 1,166 runs scored in 1,607 games. Ichiro hit .309 with five triples, eight home runs, 56 RBI, 77 runs and 28 stolen bases in 132 games with the Red Sox this year.
• Reliever Keith Foulke (2-1, 9.99 ERA in 18 G) decided to retire after a disappointing season with Boston. He retires after 17 years with the California/Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Boston. He went 52-57 with 103 saves and a 3.99 ERA in 941 appearances.
• Catcher Mike Rivera (.202, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 114 AB) retired after 11 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. He hit .238 with 63 homers and 326 RBI in 860 big league games.
• Long-time bench coach Rick Down has retired from Kevin Kennedy's coaching staff.
• Several managers were fired after losing seasons in 2012: The Baltimore Orioles (73-89) fired rookie manager Cal Eldred, the New York Mets (78-84) fired Jose Lopez and the Cincinnati Reds (74-88) fired first-year manager Eugene Dunbar.
• Taking over as interim manager at the end of the 2012 season, Ruben Rios watched as the Houston Astros went 6-13 during his tenure. He will not be back with the club next year.
• Willie Vaughan, recruited from the collegiate ranks to take over the Los Angeles Dodgers joined GM Dennis Rasmussen in the unemployment line as the club made changes in its heirarchy. Vaughan led the Dodgers to a 46-60 record during his time as manager.
• American League Gold Glove winners: Orioles pitcher Melvin Watkins, White Sox catcher Russell Martin, Orioles firstbaseman Roberto Najera, Twins secondbaseman Wilson Betemit, Indians thirdbaseman Garrett Atkins, Blue Jays shortstop Felipe Lopez, Twins outfielder Patrick Harris, Yankees outfielder Domingo Medina, former Red Sox outfielder Nick Markakis of the Tigers.
• National League Gold Glove winners: Brewers pitcher Glenn Curry, Marlins catcher Ed Harris, Marlins firstbaseman Chad Tracy, Phillies secondbaseman Alonso Gutierrez, Phillies thirdbaseman Ryan Braun, Marlins shortstop Adrian Poole, Marlins outfielder Chris Jones, Rockies outfielder Lance Berkman and Astros outfielder Keith Godfrey.
• Santiago Sevares of the Detroit Tigers took home the AL Rookie of the Year award. Sevares hit .309 with 22 homers, 81 RBI, 81 runs and 15 stolen bases in 118 games with ther Tigers. In the NL, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Sean Simms took home the award. He hit .297 with 18 homers, 63 RBI, 84 runs and 18 stolen bases in 146 games.
• Forrest Jordan of the Angels was the AL's top pitcher in 2012, going 20-9 with a 3.62 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 36 starts. Franklin Morales of the Nationals won the NL Cy Young with an 18-8 record, 1.88 ERA, 28 walks and 298 strikeouts in 219 2/3 innings of work for Washington.
• Indians outfielder Hunter Pence was awarded with the AL MVP for 2012, hitting .335 with 222 hits, 50 doubles, 12 triples, 33 home runs, 103 RBI, 112 runs and 16 stolen bases in 154 games while playing a flawless centerfield for 1,384 1/3 innings.
• Former Red Sox star Ryan Howard won his fourth MVP award as he hit .292 with 55 homers and 138 RBI for the Atlanta Braves this year.
• The Red Sox surprised many with the free agent signing of future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez to a one-year deal worth just less than $800,000. Ramirez had been seeking more money but decided to return to Boston, where he spent 15 of his 20 years in the big leagues. Ramirez left Boston as a free agent following the 2010 season, in which he hit .303 with 31 homers and 99 RBI in 147 games. He struggled mightily with the Chicago White Sox the last two seasons, hitting .217 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI over 406 at bats. A lifetime .298 hitter with 577 homers and 1,798 RBI, many expect Manny to be back at Fenway for a swan song before heading off into the sunset.
• Vernon Wells, who played with Boston from 1999-2002, has signed a three-year deal with the San Francisco Giants worth more than $63 million. Wells hit .284 with 27 homers and 91 RBI in 127 games with the Cincinnati Reds last year.
• In an attempt to improve their starting rotation, the Red Sox signed Kameron Loe to a one-year, $6 million deal with a player option for $6 million in 2014. Loe, 31, went 10-14 with a 3.88 ERA in 32 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals last year. In his big league career, he has gone 57-76 with a 4.73 ERA in 195 starts.
• After going 107-49 with a 3.86 ERA in eight seasons with the Red Sox, Erik Bedard has signed with the Colorado Rockies. The 2008 Cy Young winner will earn more than $45.6 million over three years with Colorado - the third season being a player option. The Rockies also signed Tim Lincecum, a 28-year-old starter who went 14-8 with a 3.24 ERA for the Chicago White Sox this year. Lincecum (86-49 with a 3.27 ERA in six years) was inked to a four-year deal worth nearly $71 million.
• With Erik Bedard leaving Boston, the Red Sox signed Danny Haren as his replacement. Haren, 32, signed a one-year deal worth $12.5 million with a mutual option for the same amount in 2014. Haren was 13-8 with a 3.68 ERA in 32 starts for the New York Mets last year. In his 10-year career, Haren has gone 109-142 with a 4.50 ERA.
• Nick Markakis, a Boston outfielder from 2006-2011, has signed a three-year deal worth almost $50.3 million with the Philadelphia Phillies. Markakis hit .289 with 18 homers and 84 RBI in 128 games with Detroit last year and is a lifetime .299 hitter.

[Moriarty9]

During spring training, the Red Sox made a couple of trades that will present opportunities for some of the younger players in the organization at various levels.

In one trade, left-handed starter Jon Lester was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league reliever Aaron Haas. Lester, 29, struggled mightily with Boston in 2012, going 5-10 with a 6.08 ERA in 28 games, including 24 starts. In 62 games, including 34 starts, over his four years with the Red Sox, Lester has gone 11-15 with a 5.24 ERA. He will join former Sox southpaw Scott Kazmir in the Dodgers rotation, opening the season as the #5 starter in the LA rotation.
Haas, 26, went 1-2 with three saves and a 3.45 ERA in 35 relief appearances with AAA Las Vegas. He will open the season with Boston's AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox.

With a bit of backstop talent in the pipeline, the Red Sox opted to move veteran minor leaguer catcher Lorenzo Romero to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitching prospect Julian Wright.
Romero, 28, is a .307 hitter with 38 homers and 335 RBI in 2,473 minor league at bats. He has been an All Star in the minor league three times, won two equivalents of the Golden Glove and was the MVP of the 2008 Class A league. Romero will open the year as St. Louis' starting catcher and bat eighth in the lineup.
Wright, 23, made 18 appearances, including 14 starts, with St. Louis last year, going 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA. He has posted a 55-32 record over his minor league career and was the Eastern League's pitcher of the year in 2009. He will open the year as Pawtucket's #2 starter.

[Moriarty9]

Opening Day Roster

A look at Kevin Kennedy's opening day roster for the 2013 Boston Red Sox.

Pitching Staff
Johan Santana will serve as the ace of the staff and will pitch against Oakland on opening day. Santana went 15-8 with a 3.11 ERA and 208 strikeouts last season and has earned the title of ace by going 183-72 with a 3.22 ERA and 2,494 strikeouts in his 12-year career with the Red Sox.
Roy Oswalt, 35, will assume the #2 spot in the rotation. He went 13-15 with a 4.35 ERA in 32 games with Boston last season and is 56-37 in 108 starts during his Red Sox career, 195-156 with a 3.63 ERA in his big league career.
Free agent acquisition Danny Haren will start the season as the #3 starter. Haren went 13-8 with a 3.68 ERA for the New York Mets last year, one of the finest seasons of his 10-year career. Haren has gone 109-142 with a 4.50 ERA in 331 big league starts and returns to the AL for the first time since he went 12-17 with a 5.04 ERA for the 2008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Kameron Loe, also signed this winter, will begin the year in the #4 spot in the rotation. Loe, 31, went 10-14 with a 3.88 ERA in 32 starts with the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals. Loe went 6-7 with a 3.47 ERA for Milwaukee, 4-6, 4.25 ERA in Washington. Over his career, Loe has gone 57-76 with a 4.73 ERA in 195 starts.
Bryan Brake, acquired from the Dodgers last year, went 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA with Boston to finish the season with a 10-6 record and 4.30 ERA. In his brief career, Brake, 23, has gone 13-8 with a 4.09 ERA.
Rookie hurler Johnny Petty will open the season in the bullpen and serve as the team's spot starter. Petty, 24, has gone 25-20 with a 3.28 ERA in his minor league career. He went 12-6 with a 2.79 ERA in 27 starts with AAA Pawtucket last year.
In his first season as the Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon was one of the game's elite. Papelbon went 3-5 with 35 saves and a 1.90 ERA in 50 appearances, holding opponents to a .236 average. He'll be back in the bullpen as the closer this year.
Former Dodgers closer Francisco Rodriguez, acquired from Los Angeles last year, will serve as a setup man to bridge the gap to Papelbon. K-Rod, 31, was 3-3 with a 7.94 ERA in 14 games with Boston last year after going 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 47 games with LA last year. The Sox hope he'll rebound and revert to his old form, putting up numbers more consistent with his 50-43, 240 saves, 3.31 ERA career.
Joba Chamberlain will join K-Rod as a late inning reliever to help get Papelbon the ball with the lead. Chamberlain, 27, went 2-3 with two saves and a 3.27 ERA in 37 games with Boston last year. He is 13-11 with six saves and a 3.54 ERA in 160 big league games with the Red Sox.
Terry Allen will be the lone lefty in the Boston bullpen. Allen, 29, went 0-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 42 games with the Red Sox in 2012. He is 4-2 with a save and a 3.87 ERA in 103 career appearances.
Rounding out the bullpen to start the year will be Xiao-yan Lew. The Taiwanese reliever pitched well as a rookie last year, going 2-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 25 appearances. The 22-year-old was 3-3 with two saves and a 2.82 ERA in 41 appearancers with AA Portland last year.

Position Players
Javier Ramirez had a strong 2012 campaign, hitting .268 with 15 home runs and 72 RBI in 132 games while throwing out 25% of would-be base-stealers and posting a .990 fielding percentage. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old will start the season as Boston's backup backstop.
Brian St. John has been considered the catcher of the future since he was drafted in 2010, hitting well at each stop in his minor league career. St. John, 25, will make his big league debut as Boston's starting catcher on opening day.
At first base, Augusto Martinez has earned the starting nod. Martinez, 26, was acquired in a trade with the White Sox last year and hit .333 with two homers and 12 RBI in 22 games with Boston after hitting .289 with 19 homers and 65 RBI in 105 games with Chicago.
George Avila will get playing time at first base as well as getting some at bats as the designated hitter. Avila, 29, hit just .228 last year but did hit 16 home runs and 65 RBI in 120 games.
Nick Huggins will be in the starting lineup on opening day at second base due to an injury that will keep Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list for the first several days of the season. Huggins, 25, is a left-handed hitter that can play each infield position and hit .263 with two RBI in 19 at bats with Boston last year. He hit .361 with five homers and 35 RBI in 105 games with Pawtucket last year.
Miguel Cabrera, 29, is well on his way to the Hall of Fame and hopes to further his credentials in 2013. Cabrera hit .306 with 35 homers and 110 RBI in 132 games last season. In his 11-year-career, he has hit .333 with 303 homers, 1,221 RBI and 2,048 hits.
Hanley Ramirez, 29, begins his eighth season with the Red Sox and will be, once again, the starting shortstop. Ramirez hit .302 with 43 doubles, 16 triples, 11 homers, 87 RBI, 102 runs and 24 stolen bases in 150 games last year. He is a lifetime .295 hitter.
Bill Hopkins will open the year as the utility infielder. Hopkins, 27, hit just .179 with a solo homer in 28 at bats with Boston last year, .300 with a homer and 16 RBI in 100 at bats with Pawtucket.
A lifetime .324 hitter over 1,071 at bats, Reggie Willits will once again be in the lineup for the Red Sox in 2013. Willits hit .341 with no homers, 42 RBI, 83 runs and 13 stolen bases in 127 games with Boston last year.
Grady Sizemore, 30, will be in the middle of the lineup and in centerfield. Sizemore hit .276 with 21 homers and 92 RBI in 151 games last year.
The Red Sox hope Matt Kemp will return to the slugger he was in 2009, when he hit .353 with 30 homers, 100 RBI, 130 runs and 38 stolen bases. He hit .271 with 14 homers and 76 RBI in 142 games last year and is a career .299 hitter.
Lou Farsey opens the year as the fourth outfielder after hitting .289 with five homers, 35 RBI, 45 runs and 13 stolen bases in 108 games in 2012 - his first full season with a big league team.
Boston's fifth outfielder to start the year will be Adam McCormick, who hit .219 with four RBI in 32 at bats with the Red Sox last year. He hit .334 with 13 homers and 71 RBI in 112 games with AAA Pawtucket.
Future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez is slated to begin the year as Boston's designated hitter. Ramirez, 40, hit just .261 with five homers and 20 RBI in 153 at bats with the Chicago White Sox last year. While the Red Sox are not expecting him to put up the numbers locals are accustomed to seeing out of him after 15 seasons with Boston, but hope he can be a productive member of the team. He is a lifetime .298 hitter with 577 homers and 1,798 RBI in 2,421 games.

Disabled List
To open the season, Boston has two big league ballplayers on the disabled list - pitcher Dave Mason and secondbaseman Dustin Pedroia.
Mason, a 23-year-old Somerville, Mass. native entering his third season with the Red Sox, strained a bicep tendon during spring training and will miss the season-opening series against Oakland but will return shortly after. Mason went 13-11 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts with Boston last year.
Pedroia, 29, will miss the first week of the season but will then be back in the starting lineup. He hit .319 with 16 homers and 95 RBI in 142 games last year and is a .290 career hitter in five seasons with Boston.

[Moriarty9]

Cabrera stars on Opening Day
Slugger hits two homers, drives in five
Monday, April 1, 2013

OAKLAND - Some familiar names in the Boston Red Sox lineup led the club to a lopsided 11-3 victory over the Athletics to open the season with a win.
Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp had three hits each for the Red Sox, driving in a combined nine runs while Johan Santana held the A's to three runs on six hits and four walks over seven innings of work.
Cabrera was the star of the game, going 3-for-4 with a double and two home runs, scoring three times and driving in five runs. He hit a two-run homer off Oakland starter Cole Hamels in the fourth inning and then drove a two-run shot out of the ballpark off reliever Brandon Backe in the sixth inning.
Ramirez' three hits included a RBI triple off Hamels in the fourth inning. He scored two runs in the ballgame.
Kemp had a pair of singles and a two-run double. He had a run scored and drove in three.
All three of Oakland's runs came in the first inning as Santana struggled to settle into the ballgame.
William Rigsby led off the inning with a double and was quickly moved to third base by a Claudio Vargas sacrifice bunt. A Michael Young single drove Rigsby across the plate just before Austin Kearns picked up a basehit and Gary Matthews drew a walk to load the bases. Roberto Casteanon ended an eight-pitch at bat with a two-run single, putting the A's up 3-0. Santana then bore down, striking out Carlos Lee and inducing a routine groundout to end the inning.
Oakland was unable to threaten the rest of the game, not once sending more than four men to the plate in an inning.

[Moriarty9]

Oswalt notches 200th win
Monday, May 27, 2013

BALTIMORE - The division-leading Boston Red Sox knocked the last place Orioles to 12 games back in the American League East with a 10-2 victory today, the 200th win in Roy Oswalt's fine career.
Oswalt, 35, threw a complete game tonight, giving up two runs on 10 hits and one walk with six strikeouts in nine innings of work. With the win, he improves to 5-2 on the season and 200-158 in his career.
"It's special to win 200 games. You don't do it yourself. You do it with good stuff and a good bullpen. You are only as good as the guys behind you," Oswalt said after the game. "Years from now I might look back on it and give myself a little pat on the back."
Offensively, Grady Sizemore led the Red Sox with a 4-for-4 performance that included two doubles and a two-run home run, walking once, scoring three runs and knocking in four runs. Miguel Cabrera had two hits, including a two-run homer and Dustin Pedroia picked up three hits.
With the win, Boston now holds a five-game lead over the second place New York Yankees, 7 1/2 games over the Tampa Bay Rays, eight games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays and 12 over the Orioles.

[Moriarty9]

2013 All Star rosters announced
Seven Red Sox players on AL squad
Sunday, July 7, 2013

The names of baseball's elite were brought into the public eye today as the rosters for the All Star Game were announced today.
In Boston, there were a number of familiar names as seven Red Sox players were named to the American League's mid-summer classic team.
Starting pitchers Roy Oswalt, Bryan Brake and Johan Santana will be joined by firstbaseman Augusto Martinez, thirdbaseman Miguel Cabrera, shortstop Hanley Ramirez and centerfielder Grady Sizemore.
This is the sixth All Star selection for Oswalt, 35, and his fourth in the last five seasons. He is 12-2 with a 3.79 ERA in 18 starts this season, on pace to go 22-4.
Brake, 23, came into the season with 30 big league appearances in his career and was initially working out of the Boston bullpen. He quickly found himself in the starting rotation and has been impressive enough to earn his first All Star selection. Brake is 9-2 with two saves and a 3.41 ERA in 18 games, 15 of which have been starts.
This is the eighth selection for Santana, 34, but his first since 2010. The lefty is 10-5 with a 3.78 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 18 starts this year.
Sizemore has become a regular at the mid-summer classic as he will appear in his sixth straight All Star Game. He is off to a fantastic start, hitting .329 with 30 doubles, 12 home runs, 67 RBI, 68 runs and 12 stolen bases.
Another All Star Game regular is Cabrera, 30, who has been selected for the ninth time. Cabrera's .342 average, 14 homers, 70 RBI and 65 runs scored have made him an easy choice for the squad.
Ramirez will make his third All Star appearance, having hit .315 with 11 triples, four home runs, 47 RBI, 82 runs and 13 stolen bases in 85 games.
Martinez, 26, has been named to his first All Star team after hitting .349 with 19 homers and 82 RBI in 87 games.
Former Red Sox players Austin Kearns (Oakland Athletics outfielder) and Ryan Howard (Atlanta Braves firstbaseman) will also appear in the All Star Game.

[Moriarty9]

The following is a statistical look at the Boston Red Sox as of the 2013 All-Star break.

The Red Sox enter the All-Star break with the best record in the American League at 53-36, good enough for a five game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, 8 1/2 game lead over the Baltimore Orioles, 10 1/2 games over the Toronto Blue Jays and 11 games ahead of the defending division champion New York Yankees.
Only the San Diego Padres (57-31) and Houston Astros (54-34) have better records in all of baseball.
Boston is on pace to go 96-66 this year.

The pitching staff has been strong, posting a 4.90 ERA, the fourth lowest in the American League. Boston's 30 saves is second in the AL only to the Kansas City Royals, only the Chicago White Sox (224) have walked fewer batters (248), and only three AL staffs have struck out more batters.

JOHAN SANTANA is 11-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 starts at the break, on pace to finish the season at 20-9 with 217 strikeouts. That win total would be his best since winning 20 games in 2007. Santana earned a spot on the American League All Star team this year, his eighth selection. He is signed through at least next year and there is a mutual option for 2015 at a $16 million pricetag.
Santana's 11 wins are good enough to put him a tie for the second most in baseball behind teammate Roy Oswalt.

ROY OSWALT recorded the 200th win of his career in May and is on pace to enjoy the best season of his 14-year career. The 35-year-old was named to his sixth All Star team after going 12-2 with a 3.79 ERA in his first 18 starts of the year. He went 6-0 with a 3.35 ERA in June and hasn't been charged with a loss since April 25 in Minnesota. Oswalt is on pace to finish the year at 22-4 in 33 starts.
He is the only 12-game winner in the Majors.

BRYAN BRAKE started the year in the bullpen, recorded two saves in long relief in his first two outings and was soon moved to the rotation where he has been stellar. The 23-year-old earned his first All Star selection with a 9-2, 2 save, 3.41 ERA start to the season. He is on pace to go 16-4 on the season.
Brake has the fifth lowest ERA in the AL.

DANNY HAREN has been inconsistent for the Red Sox, but has pitched deep enough into his starts that he's had only three no decisions in 17 games. Haren entered the All Star break with a 7-7 record and 5.71 ERA, putting him on pace to go 13-13 in 31 starts.

DAVE MASON has been a disappointment for Boston. After going 13-11 with a 4.23 ERA in the backend of the rotation last year, the Red Sox hoped for a little growth and improvement from the 24-year-old. There has been little growth and no improvement as Mason has battled his way to a 3-5 record and 7.43 ERA in 11 starts. He is on pace to finish the year at 5-9 with an opponents average against of .325.

KAMERON LOE has struggled in his first year with the Red Sox, making it a difficult choice for manager Kevin Kennedy as to who should be the club's number five starter - Mason or Loe. Loe, 31, is 3-5 with a 6.47 ERA in 21 games, nine of which have been starts. He is on pace to go 5-9 with an opponents average against of .337.

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ has not adapted well to baseball on the east coast or working as a setup man for Jonathan Papelbon. K-Rod struggled after being acquired by Boston last year and this year has been no different for the 31-year-old reliever. Rodriguez is 1-3 with one save and a 5.70 ERA in 47 1/3 innings of relief work.

CRAIG HANSEN was called up to the Red Sox in hopes of helping out the bullpen earlier this year and the 29-year-old has performed adequately. Hansen is 1-1 with one save and a 4.20 ERA in 15 innings over 11 appearances.

JOBA CHAMBERLAIN has become the primary setup man for Papelbon after going 2-0 with five saves and a 4.41 ERA in 28 appearances this year. He is on pace to go 4-0 with nine saves in 51 games.

TERRY ALLEN is Boston's sole lefty out of the bullpen and filled in for Papelbon when the closer was injured. He is 4-3 with eight saves and a 4.79 ERA in 28 games. Allen is on pace to go 7-5 in 51 outings.

JONATHAN PAPELBON has been fantastic when on the mound this year, starting the year at 0-1 with 10 saves in 11 opportunities and a 2.03 ERA in 17 games.

Offensively, the Red Sox lead the American League in batting average (.307), RBI (539) and walks (353), and are tied with the Minnesota Twins for the most runs scored (570) in the AL. They are third in the AL in hits (981) and doubles (185).

BRIAN ST. JOHN has shown that Kennedy's decision to name him the starting catcher was the right one as the 26-year-old has hit .324 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI in his first 72 games in the big leagues, putting him on pace to hit .324 with 20 homers and 106 RBI with 91 runs in 131 games as a rookie.
He has the third highest batting average among qualified AL rookies, fourth most RBI and runs scored, sixth most hits and is tied for the seventh most home runs by an AL rookie.

JAVIER RAMIREZ has not played well as the team's backup catcher, hitting just .232 (30 points below his career average) with three homers and 18 RBI in 46 games.

AUGUSTO MARTINEZ was named to his first All Star team after hitting .348 with 20 homers and 83 RBI in 88 games. Those numbers put him on a pace to hit 36 home runs, 151 RBI and score 118 runs - production numbers sorely needed.
His 83 RBI are the most in baseball and Martinez is tied for fourth for doubles (26) and is fifth in hits (121) in the AL.

GEORGE AVILA will likely get more playing time in the second half of the season after hitting .320 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in just 169 at bats thus far, putting him on pace to hit 13 homers and 71 RBI in only 308 at bats. He hit 16 homers and 65 RBI in 435 at bats last year.

DUSTIN PEDROIA has struggled some this year, hitting .264 with five homers and 41 RBI in 82 games, on pace to hit nine homers and 75 RBI - production numbers down from the last few seasons.

NICK HUGGINS has earned his spot on the roster as the team's utility infielder, hitting .297 with 10 RBI in 74 at bats.

MIGUEL CABRERA has been as solid as anyone in the lineup this year, hitting .339 with 14 home runs and 72 RBI in his first 86 games played. Cabrera is on pace to hit 25 homers, drive in 131 runs and score 118 runs.
He leads the AL in doubles with 31.

HANLEY RAMIREZ was named to his third All Star team after hitting .317 with 11 triples, four homers and scoring 83 runs in 86 games so far. He is on pace to score 151 times, hit 20 triples, seven home runs and drive in 86 runs.
Ramirez' 11 triples is the most in baseball and his 83 runs scored are the most in the American League.

REGGIE WILLITS continues to surprise many as he just hits and hits and hits. The 32-year-old is hitting .333 with 15 RBI and 40 runs scored in 240 at bats this year, putting him on pace for 73 runs in 437 at bats.
His .437 on base percentage is third best in the American League.

GRADY SIZEMORE earned his sixth-consecutive All Star selection after hitting .329 with 12 homers, 67 RBI and 68 runs scored so far, good enough to put him on pace to hit 22 homers, 122 RBI and score 124 runs.
He is second in the league with a .445 on base percentage.
Only Miguel Cabrera has more doubles (31) than Sizemore (30) in the American League. Sizemore leads the AL in walks with 59 and is on pace to be given a base on balls 107 times.

MATT KEMP has seen diminished playing time compared to past seasons but has performed well when in the field. In 212 at bats so far, Kemp has hit .297 with three homers, 26 RBI and 32 runs.

ADAM McCORMICK has done a fine job as a spare outfielder off the bench, hitting .286 with two home runs, 19 RBI and 23 runs over 98 at bats.

LOU FARSEY has settled in nicely as the fourth outfielder, hitting .298 with three homers, 22 RBI and 32 runs in 188 at bats. He is on pace to hit five homers, drive in 40 runs and score 58 runs in 342 at bats.

MANNY RAMIREZ has already matched his RBI total from last year but his average and power is certainly down. The 41-year-old is hitting just .225 with no home runs, 20 RBI and 16 runs over 120 at bats thus far.

[Moriarty9]

Astros, Red Sox agree to deal
Brooks, 10-1, to join Boston rotation
Friday, July 26, 2010

BOSTON - Looking to improve its pitching staff, the Red Sox today dealt acquired a little known 25-year-old Texan with a 10-1 record.
George Brooks was traded by the Houston Astros to Boston for minor league firstbaseman Reynaldo Zuniga and reliever Xiao-yan Lew.
Brooks went 10-1 with one save and a 3.35 ERA in 29 appearances with Houston, including 12 starts. Dave Mason (3-5, 6.97 ERA) was sent to AAA Pawtucket to make room for Brooks.
"I'm not sure when the kid will get here or when he'll start, or if we'll use him out of the bullpen for now, or what," Boston manager Kevin Kennedy said. "To be honest, I don't know a whole hell of a lot about the guy other than the front office guys like him and think he can help the ballclub. Long as he's got an arm that will help us win ballgames I'll be happy."
Reports indicate Brooks will join the team at some point during this weekend's series against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
"We think he's got some big upside and obviously his performance so far this year shows that he's capable of helping us down the stretch run and hopefully in the playoffs," said Red Sox GM Shaun Moriarty said in a press release. "We certainly gave up some talent but we hope the investment pays off."
The team certainly did deal away some projected talent as Zuniga, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, had hit .328 with 31 home runs and 127 RBI in 106 games with AAA Pawtucket this year. Zuniga has no big league experience and hit .312 with 14 homers and 94 RBI in 126 games with Pawtucket last season. Reports out of Houston indicate that despite his projected power abilities, the Astros will keep Zuniga in the minor leagues for the time being. Houston currently has veteran Marlon Anderson, 39, manning firstbase. Anderson is hitting .314 with 13 homers and 60 RBI this year.
Lew, a 23-year-old reliever from Taiwan, will join the Astros bullpen immediately. He struggled with Boston earlier this year, posting a 10.88 ERA in 24 innings of relief work before being sent to Pawtucket where he went 1-1 with two saves and a 3.45 ERA in 30 outings.

[Moriarty9]

Boston adds depth as roster expands
Martinez, Cabrera to return from DL soon
Sunday, September 1, 2013

BOSTON - With the big bats of Augusto Martinez and Miguel Cabrera sitting on the disabled list, along with backup outfielder Lou Farsey, the Red Sox lineup and bench has been a bit thin. Manager Kevin Kennedy hopes that problem will be remedied as the roster has expanded and a number of players have been called up to help fill in.
David Murphy will make his return to Boston, providing a left-handed bat off the bench. Murphy appeared in five games with the Red Sox earlier this season and spent a portion of the season injured, limiting him to just 36 at bats in Pawtucket, in which he has hit .444 with nine RBI. Murphy is a lifetime .282 hitter at the big league level with Boston.
Rajai Davis, a 32-year-old journeyman outfielder signed to compete for a roster spot out of spring training, will be an option of the Boston bench. Davis hit .268 with three home runs and 47 RBI in 115 games with AAA Pawtucket. While he struggled against right-handed pitchers - hitting just .231 against them - he had success against southpaws, hitting .344 against them. He can play each outfield position and has played some first base.
With Cabrera expected to be on the disabled list for another couple weeks, Boston has brought up minor league thirdbaseman Anthony Morris. Morris, 24, hit .293 with 39 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs, 79 RBI and 83 runs scored in 124 games with Pawtucket.
Morris may become the starting thirdbaseman, a spot currently held together primarily by Nick Huggins - who has hit .335 with three homers and 21 RBI over 197 at bats this year.
Among the pitchers brought up to provide extra arms in the bullpen and to make a spot start here or there is Dave Mason, who had been sent down to Pawtucket after struggling earlier this season. Mason, 24, had gone just 3-5 with a 6.97 ERA in 15 games, including 11 starts, with Boston before being demoted. He has not fared much better in Pawtucket, surprising many in the organization after going 13-11 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts last season, 7-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 18 starts in 2011.
There will be several other minor league players - primarily pitchers - called up today and over the next week or so.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox claim American League East title
Boston wins 12th division crown in 13 seasons
Monday, September 23, 2013

BALTIMORE - After missing the playoffs last year, the Boston Red Sox refocused themselves and tonight won their 12th American League East division championship in 13 seasons.
Boston picked up a 15-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards as Johan Santana improved to 20-8 on the year with leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez picking up four hits, including his 14th triple of the season, and Brian St. John and Miguel Cabrera had three hits each.
The Red Sox jumped on the board right away, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, three in the second and another run in the third inning, staking Santana to a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third. Santana pitched fairly well before running into trouble in the sixth inning, giving up three runs in the inning.
Winning the division is not something new to the Red Sox. Although they finished eight games behind the New York Yankees last year and were unable to secure the Wild Card playoff spot, Boston has won the division 12 of the last 13 seasons, 15 times in the last 19 years. Last year was just the second time in the last 19 seaons in which the Red Sox did not qualify for the playoffs.
"Last year was a real eye opener for us," Boston manager Kevin Kennedy said. "Its gotten more and more difficult over the years to be able to hold onto some of the guys that have made this organization so great but the front office guys have drafted pretty well and we have young talent as well. I think some of us kind of took certain things for granted, including the playoffs. We have a number of guys who have come up through the system and have watched us go into the playoffs year after year after year and they just kind of expect that its going to happen. Its not going to happen unless we work at it and thats just what this club has done. This is one of the most satisfying division titles we've won, in my mind."
The Red Sox do have the best record in the American League at 91-66 but there are three National League clubs with better records thus far: the San Diego Padres are 100-56, the Houston Astros are 94-63 and the Philadelphia Phillies are 92-64.

[Moriarty9]

2013: Year-end wrap-up
Tuesday, October 1, 2013

With the 2013 playoffs set to begin tomorrow in four cities across the country, we take a quick look at how everything wrapped up across Major League Baseball this year.
The Boston Red Sox won their 12th division title in 13 seasons with a 95-67 record, finishing 10 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, 13 ahead of the New York Yankees, and 20 games ahead of both the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, who finished at 75-87 each.
The Kansas City Royals won the American League Central with an 88-74 record, six games up on the Minnesota Twins, 10 ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and 14 ahead of both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians, who finished at 74-88 each.
The West was won by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after they beat the Texas Rangers, 9-8, in a one-game playoff to determine which of the two teams would win the division and which would win the Wild Card. The Angels finished at 87-76 with the Rangers at 86-77. The Seattle Mariners, 75-87, finished 11 1/2 games behind the Angels while the Oakland Athletics, owners of the AL's worst-record at 73-89, finished 13 1/2 games back.
The Rays finished just a half-game behind the Texas Rangers for the Wild Card spot with the Twins 3 1/2 back.
In the National League East, the Philadelphia Phillies once again won the division, this time going 94-68 and placing six games ahead of the Wild Card-winning Washington Nationals. The Atlanta Braves, 84-78, finished 10 games out, the New York Mets 19 out and the Florida Marlins 23 back.
The Houston Astros, 97-65, finished 13 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central, 14 games in front of the St. Louis Cardinals, 20 up on the Pittsburgh Pirates, 23 ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and 26 games up on the Chicago Cubs.
In the NL West, the San Diego Padres put together baseball's best record by going 102-60, pushing the 81-81 San Francisco Giants to 21 games back in the division. The Colorado Rockies finished 26 back, the Arizona Diamondbacks 28 back and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished 31 games behind the Padres.

In the playoffs, the Red Sox will host the Rangers, the Angels will be in Kansas City, the Nationals play in San Diego and the Phillies and Astros lock horns in Houston.

Minnesota's Patrick Harris won his first batting crown by hitting .380 on the year, edging out two-time batting champion Joe Mauer of the Orioles by just .004. Harris also led the AL in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Harris' teammate Randy Johnson, a 27-year-old rightfielder, used his legs to lead the league in stolen bases (89) and doubles (52) while finishing second in triples (10).

Hanley Ramirez of the Red Sox led the AL in triples with 14 and in runs scored with 148. Ramirez finished second in doubles with 50 and third in hits with 222.

As good as Boston's rookie backstop Brian St. John was this year (.331, 22 HR, 105 RBI), Baltimore's rookie firstbaseman Jose Mateo was better - winning two legs of the triple crown with an AL best 48 home runs and 156 RBI.

[Moriarty9]

Youkilis homer brings Texas victory
Rangers edge Red Sox with 3-2 Game 1 win
Wednesday, October 2, 2013

BOSTON - Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jim Johnson didn't need a whole lot of help but Kevin Youkilis gave him just enough help in the ninth inning to defeat the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Youkilis went 2-for-4 in the first game of the best-of-five series and picked up a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, breaking a 2-2 tie and giving the Rangers a 3-2 win over the Red Sox.
"I don't get a whole lot of them but hitting a big home run like that, late in the ballgame to give your team the lead, man, there's nothing like it," Youkilis said. "Santana is one of the best to ever pitch in this game and to be able to do some damage feels good."
Johan Santana went the distance for the Red Sox, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on eight hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts in nine innings of work.
Johnson, however, outdueled the lefty as he held the Red Sox to two runs on three hits and no walks with five strikeouts in eight innings of work. Rangers closer Juan Morillo retired the side in order in the ninth inning, throwing just 10 pitches to do so.

[Moriarty9]

Rangers, Angels fight for pennant
Red Sox ousted in Game 5 of ALDS by Texas
Tuesday, October 8, 2013

BOSTON - The season came to an end for the Red Sox tonight as they fell to the Texas Rangers, 8-2, in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Red Sox starter Johan Santana seemed to be on cruise control for much of his outing, working with a 2-0 lead through 4 2/3 innings before the Rangers were able to strike. Juan Encarnacion and Willy Aybar had consecutive singles with one out in the fifth inning before being advanced by a Norris Hopper bunt, leaving two men in scoring position with two outs. Santana was quickly ahead of Jose Perez before the Texas shortstop roped a two-run double, which was followed by a Dave Rose RBI single, erasing Boston's lead and putting the Rangers ahead, 3-2.
Texas continued to attack Santana in the sixth inning as Chris Snyder hit a leadoff home run and Hopper knocked in a run on a groundout.
As the Red Sox lineup failed to produce any signs of a rally after losing its lead, the Rangers continued to keep the pressure on Boston and were able to score three more runs off the bullpen as the game progressed.
For the Red Sox, the loss brings an end to their season with a bit of disappointment. For Texas, it presents the opportunity to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the right to represent the American League in the World Series against either the Philadelphia Phillies or San Diego Padres.

[Moriarty9]

• The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rallied for five runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-6, in Game 7 of the 2013 World Series.
• Kevin Kennedy signed a one-year contract extension as manager of the Boston Red Sox. Kennedy had been rumored to be seeking four years but agreed to Boston's offer of one year.
• The Red Sox and Miguel Cabrera agreed to exercise their mutual option for 2014, which will pay Cabrera $23 million with a $600,000 bonus if he wins the MVP.
• The Red Sox and Roy Oswalt agreed to exercise their mutual option for 2014, which will pay Oswalt $19 million with a $600,000 bonus if he wins the Cy Young Award.
• Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez has retired and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ramirez played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball, including 16 years with the Red Sox. In his 2,493 games played, Ramirez hit .296 with 578 home runs and 1,830 RBI. He was an eight-time All Star.
• Disappointed with their performance this year, the ownership in Cleveland has decided to make changes by firing GM Alair Hickman and manager Dave Valle. Valle had managed the Indians since 2010, winning the division each of his first three seasons and the World Series in 2012. The Indians fell to last place this season at 74-88, enough for the ownership to fire Valle, who had led the Indians to a 358-290 record during his time at the helm.
• After just one season with New York, the Mets have fired manager Ron Allison. The rookie manager went 75-87 with the Mets, finishing in fourth place in the National League East.
• Michael Hudson was fired by the Chicago Cubs after two seasons at Wrigley Field. Hudson's Cubs went 71-91 this year - the worst record in baseball - after going 84-78 in his first season with the club, 2012.
• The San Francisco Giants traded thirdbaseman Luis Escobedo and minor league firstbaseman Sterling Wallace to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Reed Johnson and cash. The veteran Johnson, 36, hit .296 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 79 games with Toronto this season and is a lifetime .272 hitter with 110 homers and 1,449 hits. Escobedo, 26, hit .344 with 13 RBI in 96 at bats with the Giants this year and hit .391 with 20 RBI in 53 games in AAA Fresno. Wallace, 23, hit .311 with six home runs and 61 RBI between San Francisco's class A and AA affiliates this year.
• The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Robbie West and a pitching prospect from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for firstbaseman Alex Mendoza and a pitching prospect. West, 27, hit .288 with 17 home runs and 81 RBI for Colorado this year. In 47 games with the White Sox this year, Mendoza hit .312 with five homers and 15 RBI.
• Danny Haren of the Red Sox was the best defensive pitcher in the league and was awarded with the AL Gold Glove for the position. Former Boston shortstop Rafael Furcal of the Texas Rangers and former Sox outfielder Nick Markakis of the Philadelphia Phillies also won Gold Gloves.
• Lee Gordon of the Tampa Bay Rays was voted the top rookie in the American League this year. Gordon hit .362 with 43 home runs and 148 RBI in 149 games for the Rays.
• Angels pitcher Forrest Jordan has won his second consecutive Cy Young award after going 21-4 with a 3.17 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 221 1/3 innings of work.
• Franklin Morales of the Washington Nationals won his second consecutive Cy Young as well, going 19-5 with a 1.71 ERA and 326 strikeouts in 241 2/3 innings.
• Patrick Harris of the Twins was the AL MVP this year, hitting .380 with 46 homers and 136 RBI for Minnesota.
• Lawrence "Critter" Montgomery of the Pittsburgh Pirates won his first MVP after hitting .380 with 44 home runs and 139 RBI this year.

[Moriarty9]

Haren leaves Sox for Rox
Pitcher signs four-year deal
Friday, December 20, 2013

DENVER - Veteran pitcher Danny Haren has signed a four-year contract with the Colorado Rockies worth $3.54 million annually.
Haren, 33, went 11-12 with a 5.70 ERA in 30 starts for the Boston Red Sox last season. He had signed a one-year deal with Boston last winter but was not offered an extension by the club this year. Although he pitched in Boston for just one season, the Red Sox will get Colorado's second-round draft pick as compensation for the free agent signing.
In his 11-year-career, Haren has posted a 120-154 record and 4.60 ERA in 361 starts with the Anaheim Angels, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Boston. He was an All Star in 2012 with the Mets and won the AL Gold Glove with the Red Sox last year.