The Baseball Highlight of My Spring Break

Truthfully, the highlights of my spring break all involve time spent with family. But the highlight of the baseball side of things has to be the procurement of Rocco Baldelli's St. Patrick's Day baseball cap.

Shortly before game time, while waiting for autograph opportunities (none whatsoever this year) and watching the players stretch and relax on the field, Sox outfielder Baldelli walked toward the third base box seats, pulled off his cap, and threw it into the crowd. Coming right toward me, I reached up my left arm and hauled it in. There is no great story here. I simply caught the hat with no fanfare whatsoever. It was a cool moment.

The surprising moment came when I examined the hat. The hat was ripped badly in the back and had been cut on the inside. No wonder Baldelli did not want the hat anymore. He was the cleanup hitter in Boston's lineup that day, and had a great new cap the next time I saw him in right field. Baldelli went on to have a horrendous game at the plate.

What makes this interesting is that Baldelli grew up about five miles from my home, but this won't make it any easier to get him to autograph the hat.

What I Did on My Spring Break

The annual pilgrimage to beautiful City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, spring home of the Boston Red Sox, was a resounding success. Not only was the weather outstanding and the seats terrific, but the Red Sox won a nice game against the Twins.

The game began with an exciting matchup of Scott Baker and Josh Beckett. I was left being impressed by some powerful Boston bats. Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jason Bay all homered to put the game out of reach. In case you're wondering, it was the St. Patrick's Day game, and the crowd was a sea of green that matched the bases and the writing on the home team's jerseys.

Photos: The starting lineups of the Twins and Red Sox on Tuesday, March 17; NESN reporter Heidi Watney; Sox Mascot Wally the Green Monster; and Sox ace Josh Beckett pitching in the second inning.

Lamenting the World Baseball Classic

I really do hate to be a poor loser, and it's really not about that at all. I'm a baseball fan, but I can't really warm up to the Classic. Not that it can't be good baseball. Not that it can't be exciting. What bothers me is that it can be so dangerous to major league players and so difficult to manage.

Six major injuries to players on Team USA is probably not even the worst story to come out of the American side of things. So much second guessing is heard about Davey Johnson's managerial decisions; in reality, Johnson may not be as guilty as we might think, upon closer scrutiny. Of course, we can ask why he stayed with Roy Oswalt so long in the final, loser-go-home game? We can even ask a team with two shortstops named Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins would choose to start Jeter in such an important game, relegating Rollins to the DH role?

Could any person manage a team of major leaguers under the constant scrutiny of 30 major league clubs? I'm not sure this is possible or even fair to ask.

Rob Dibble, on MLB Home Plate (XM Radio), said that MLB looks silly sponsoring a tournament in which Team USA cannot in two attempts make the final game. Dibble, as always, has a real point. For Team USA, it has to be about winning, but getting the formula just right is proving to be very difficult.

Commissioner Bud Selig will put a positive spin on the entire Classic, and maybe rightfully so for the overall worldwide good of the game. Many MLB players and certainly MLB managers and general managers must curse the entire event.

A Salute But Not a Goodbye to Curt Schilling

Well, we no longer will have Curt Schilling to kick around anymore ... or will we? Would Curt ever go away completely? I sure hope not. What we now have is the beginning of the Schilling Hall of Fame debate. Today is the day that debate officially begins. My call is that he will indeed make the Hall, though probably not on the first ballot.

What makes Schilling a Hall of Famer? We have about 216 career wins (I think, but I'm not looking at his stats) which is impressive, but that's not the best story. Without a doubt, it's his 11-2 postseason record accompanied by a microscopic ERA. Simply put, he was the big-game pitcher of his generation and led two ballclubs to World Championships: the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. Heck, his last appearance was winning a game in the 2007 postseason. I see Schill entering the Hall as a Diamondback and delivering a long, elegant, and heartfelt speech.

Hats off and future celebrations for the great Curt Schilling.

Spring Thoughts

Oh, so much has happened since I last blogged, much of it encouraging, some of it frustrating, but all of it fascinating.

First and foremost, the A-Rod saga keeps getting more interesting, and I'm not talking about his ailing hip. Has there ever been a human being -- other than maybe John Wilkes Booth -- who has been so successful at creating a never-ending factory of negativity. Seems like just yesterday that I was snickering about his infamous mirror kiss. Literally, today, I am rolling on the floor laughing at his involvement in New York's famous prostitution ring. Apparently, it's all true, not just because the Daily News says so, but because text messages offer proof.

Second, and relating to the hometown team, many things have occurred that are worth mentioning. We have the Julio Lugo surgery, which opens the door for Jed Lowrie to open the season at shortstop. We have minor World Baseball Classic injuries to Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. We have the continued healing of outfielder-first baseman Mark Kotsay. We have the occasional homerun being hit by Captain Jason Varitek this spring. We have the release of backup catcher Josh Bard and the anointing of new backup receiver George Kottaras, who just happens to be out of options (I read where some MLB executives feel that another shoe will drop, and the Sox may be on the verge of acquiring someone like Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Miguel Montero). We have, perhaps, the return to health (and shape) of very important starter Brad Penny. We have the continued spring success of starter Clay Buchholz. We have the steady health progress of third baseman Mike Lowell. We have a little competition for the temporary position of backup utility infielder (will Nick Green keep the seat warm for Lowrie?). And we wonder if veteran outfielder Brad Wilkerson will make the opening day roster or be shown the door in lieu of his astounding spring strikeout total.

We have seen the beginning of Lars Anderson and Junichi Tazawa, and see why Tazawa will surely be welcomed to the major leagues.

Other topics will be covered in upcoming postings, like some thoughts on the World Baseball Classic, the retirement of Curt Schilling, and my own spring training visit to Fort Myers. The MLB Network continues to provide outstanding coverage of spring games, and I can hardly wait for the nightly show when the season finally begins. It has been a long spring training, but apparently not long enough for the great Pedro Martinez, a man who is still unemployed.

Photo: Future Sox first baseman Lars Anderson in the on deck circle at the Red Sox Player Development Complex in Fort Myers.

Disharmony in the Bronx

I try to think of myself as a person that does not enjoy the pain visited upon other people, but I confess that I enjoy the developing drama that Joe Torre's pen has begun. Certain controversial quotes that were released yesterday made great talk show fodder all day long. The New York Post questioned the integrity and loyalty of Torre. Torre questioned the loyalty of GM Brian Cashman. Apparently the Yankee clubhouse has questioned the genuineness of star infielder Alex Rodriguez, otherwise known as the best player in baseball. And everyone is now questioning the parenting skills of Bernie Williams?

One can question why Torre felt the need to embark on a public finger-pointing expedition against his former club. As the Post said, isn't it time for Torre to move on, as the Yankees did when Torre did not accept the team's one-year invitation to return as manager for 2008?

The brilliant MLB Home Plate on XM Radio (I don't know which show or host) stated that chants of "A-Fraud" would be heard all summer long in MLB cities visited by the Yankees.

Other books may follow, but the intriguing aspect of this one is that we likely will see how the Yankee clubhouse changed from the championship years under Torre (1996-2000) to the less than successful years (2001-present). How much of the blame will be laid at the feet of the glamorous A-Rod, supposedly portrayed by Torre as a jealous Derek Jeter wannabe?

The 2009 Yankees will survive this latest embarrassing episode, and Torre will probably survive his New York City book tour and his one day Hall of Fame induction with a Yankee cap.

A new stadium deserves a new soap opera, and the Yankees deserve a new controversy to kick around. Now, if we can only be assured that Mark Teixeira will get off to his usual slow start and that C. C. Sabathia will crash and burn early in postseason.

A Word or Two About Jason Varitek

Believe me, I am hoping that the Red Sox and Scott Boras/Jason Varitek (they are one and the same, right) can work out a new contract that will bring Varitek back to Boston for another season. And that's about as nice as I can say it. Now for some detail on my real feelings.

The Varitek situation (although the catcher might be tempted to call it a "fiasco" before all is said and done) has reminded me of a few things that never really left my mind. First, superagent Boras hugely misread the market for his client. Second, the client and the Red Sox spent the better part of the winter engaged in a pointless staring contest that will ultimately be won by the Red Sox, who will save a few million dollars. Third, the catcher will likely head to Fort Myers looking like a financial loser in this whole situation. Fourth, the Red Sox will likely have to put together a contract with a second year attached (easily achieved through reachable incentives) that will allow their captain to save face next month. And fifth, the Red Sox --so far -- have not seriously entertained the notion of going outside the organization to deal for our catcher of the future, you know, the one that our esteemed captain is supposed to tutor in 2009.

There is plenty of blame to go around on this one. And there will be a winner (hopefully, the team) and a couple of losers (the agent and the catcher). If the Red Sox don't locate and acquire the receiver who will fill Varitek's big shoes for years to come, the team could also be considered a loser in the long run.

You might not be able to tell, but I do want Varitek to return ... for one year at reasonable dollars. The Sox must identify a successor ASAP and get the show on the road. Wouldn't it be nice to have the catcher be part of the Sox system from Day One of spring training?

Neither side needed the drama that has played out this winter. Varitek himself may pay a heavy price in the eyes of fans for these protracted negotiations and the feeling that he overvalued himself.

Experts say that there is nothing harder than managing an aging player with fading skills. I think Theo Epstein would agree that serving as General Manager is no picnic either.

A Comment About the MLB Network

While I truly love having the MLB Network as a go-to cable channel and really enjoy MLB Hot Stove, Prime 9, and another chance to catch the sensational documentary on baseball by Ken Burns, I find myself having to comment, a little critically, about one feature that I have seen now three times. I speak of the segment when Harold Reynolds takes to the studio field with a player to demonstrate something or other.

The first segment I viewed was a demonstration by Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin on fielding a ball hit down the left field line and throwing it back into the infield. In all honesty, I would have to be eight years old to find this interesting or valuable.

The incomparable and personality-filled Kevin Millar was a guest for the second segment that I viewed. Millar was asked to show how to hit a ball over the Green Monster, aka Fenway's left field wall. At first glance, this seemed a logical thing to have Kevin demonstrate, as he was a noted pull hitter in his years in Boston. Reynolds knelt down and proceeded to feed lobs to Millar, who hacked away several times, banging line drives to left center field and down the line, as well as a pop fly that banged and clanged off the studio ceiling. Bottom line: Millar couldn't pull off the trick. I really felt for Millar, who as a free agent in need of a job, failed to hit a ball out of a studio ball field. Worth noting: Millar as a guest panelist is excellent. He exudes logic as well as his patented personality and works well with Reynolds, Joe Magrane, and the gang.

The most recent segment that I viewed was easily the best: 2008 NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum was in town to demonstrate his "different" all-out pitching wind-up. The viewer received a full explanation complete with video of Lincecum's father throwing much the same way as well as Little League shots of a young Tim toiling on the mound. This was an interesting learning experience for me.

I think I can already say that the studio demonstrations can be overdone and overused by the MLB Network. Less is more, guys.

Getting Ready to Rant

Well, that's not a very positive title for this posting. It's time now to address the situation of Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice's candidacy for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Voting is announced on Monday at 2 p.m., and this year represents Rice's last shot at entering the Hall through the balloting of the baseball writers.

Rice's candidacy has gained steam over the years, arriving within about three percentage points of enshrinement in 2008.

Some things that help Rice: He played in an era not tainted by steroids. He was, perhaps, the dominant slugger of his era. He had a healthy career and had the chance to participate in a World Series (1986). He won an AL MVP Award in 1978 and was a perennial All-Star. He often played left field in a town known for its star left fielders. He never, ever disgraced himself off the field.

Some things that hurt Rice: He only played in one World Series (which could have been two had the late Vern Ruhle not plunked him in the hand in the last week of the 1975 regular season). He did not get 3,000 hits and fell just short of 400 homeruns. He only won one MVP Award. While he played a decent left field, he was never considered a Gold Glove fielder. He was, perhaps, aided offensively by playing in Fenway Park. He served as a designated hitter too often for his own good (remember when Yaz still played left field before moving to first base as well as Juan Beniquez and the first years of Mike Greenwell). Last, Rice developed a well-deserved reputation for being surly with the media over his career.

I was impressed by a panelist last evening on the new MLB Network who prided himself in not changing his Hall of Fame votes for players over the years. He did admit to rethinking the case of Rice and voting for him. Rice only needs a few writers to take this stance to ensure his 2009 enshrinement.

Without a doubt, Rice belongs in the Hall of Fame. My prediction is that he makes it in 2009, and I for one plan to attend the ceremony in Cooperstown in late July ... to honor Rice (and the great Rickey Henderson).

If Rice is not voted in, prepare for a loud rant.

Sox Busy in January

As December (and all of 2008) drew to a close, Sox fans were hanging their heads with the news that the Evil Empire had reeled in a stud first baseman (Mark Teixeira), a stud starting pitcher (C. C. Sabathia), and a guy who always seems to pitch well in his contract year (A. J. Burnett). A simple turn of the calendar page has caused a Boston buzz as five potential key free agents were added to provide depth to an already strong 2009 Red Sox club. While none of the acquisitions are equal in talent and cost to the recent spending spree of the Yankees, all offer great upside with good health, careful monitoring, and a little luck.

Brad Penney -- The upside here is that he simply returns to the dominant form that he was in 2006 and 2007 when he won 32 games. Brought to Boston in an incentive-laden one-year deal for a guaranteed $5 million, Penney is playing for his 2010 contract while performing for Red Sox fans in 2009. That's a nice place for the Red Sox to be. Truth be told, Penney is expected to leave Fort Myers in good health (shoulder tendinitis dogged him with the Dodgers in 2008) and a contributing member of the opening day starting rotation. Keep in mind that Penney is making the switch from the laid back National League West to the pressure cooker of the American League East.

Rocco Baldelli -- Lured away from the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, Baldelli returns to his hometown as a fourth outfielder. Baldelli's guaranteed money is a paltry $500,000 in 2009 with a strange bunch of incentives that can greatly increase his salary. While some of his incentives kick in just for good health and remaining on the active roster, some of the incentives call for an outlandish number of plate appearances (600) that no fourth outfielder in the history of the game could possibly attain. Baldelli's right handed bat is clearly important to the team's outfield situation (Drew and Ellsbury), so guys like the lefty hitting Jim Edmonds were not likely to catch the interest of Sox GM Theo Epstein. Keep in mind how often J. D. Drew finds himself injured; then take a look at the number of games Baldelli has played the past two seasons. Without a doubt, there is some serious risk here, but the low money and potential upside could reap huge benefits for both the Red Sox and Baldelli.

Mark Kotsay -- Thanks to a market that took a huge downturn for second-tier free agents, Kotsay was not the apple of anyone's eye as a starting outfielder this offseason. All of baseball watched Kotsay play a very solid first base in the American League Champion Series last fall, and Kotsay felt he had one more go-around as a full-time player in his future. Kotsay's value to the 2009 Red Sox is his ability to play all three outfield positions (especially center field) as well as first base. For a known entity like Kotsay, $1.5 million in guaranteed salary sounds just right to the Red Sox. In a perfect world, Kotsay will not have to exceed 175 plate appearances.

John Smoltz -- Future Hall of Famer Smoltz brings his legendary competitive spirit to the Red Sox after a tremendous twenty-year career as an Atlanta Brave. Smoltz, on $5 million guaranteed money, is not expected to be a factor until mid-May at the earliest, as he is recovering from serious arm surgery at age 41. Smoltz is never to be underestimated, and his signing most assuredly slams the door on the team bringing back Curt Schilling. In a perfect world, this class act contributes 15-18 quality starts in the second half of the season, and the Sox ride him into the playoffs.

Takashi Saito -- As of this writing, Saito is the newest Red Sox and maybe their quietest offseason signing (next to utility infielder Nick Green). Saito, 39, is recovering from non-surgical treatment for a serious arm issue. Experts say that Saito is likely to pitch again, but not as a closer. This is what potentially works so well for Boston, with a healthy Jonathan Papelbon nailing down the ninth inning. Saito is slated to join countryman Hideki Okajima as a primary set-up man in the late innings. One wonders if a healthy Saito could cause the Red Sox to shift Justin Masterson back to the starting rotation and lead to a trade of someone like Clay Buchholz for catching help. Saito's guaranteed money is believed to be in the neighborhood of $2 million.

It is impossible not to contrast the Red Sox spending pattern (approximately $14 million in guaranteed money to six players, including catcher Josh Bard) to the drunken sailor spending of the New York Yankees ($450 million on three players). If it's a case of "You get what you pay for," it could be a long, frustrating summer for Red Sox fans. MLB Home Plate on XM Radio feels that the Red Sox spent smart money on hungry players with something to prove. Likely, not everyone will return to splendid health in 2009, but the potential is there for something special. The Sox have used January so far to add depth to the bench, the starting rotation, and the bullpen. It's likely that the remainder of the month and perhaps into February will be used to determine one way or another what to do about the catching position.

Highly Recommended: MLB Network's "Prime 9"

Earlier this evening, I gave the MLB Network's "Prime 9" premiere show a fair chance to win me over. Well, it did. Tonight, the back-to-back episodes shared their top nine centerfielders of the modern era of baseball (1901-present) and the top nine homeruns of all time. Very interesting results, of course. The network claims that their top nine of anything in any category will start rather than settle arguments, and I am inclined to agree. Here are their choices:

TOP CENTERFIELDERS OF ALL TIME (1901-present)

9. Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins
8. Jim Edmonds, California Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs
7. Duke Snider, Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants
6. Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox
5. Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees
4. Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Athletics
3. Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees
2. Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics
1. Willie Mays, New York-San Francisco Giants, New York Mets

TOP NINE HOMERUNS OF ALL TIME (1901-present)

9. Chris Chambliss, 1976
8. Aaron Boone, 2003
7. Carlton Fisk, 1975
6. Babe Ruth, 1932
5. Hank Aaron, 1974
4. Kirk Gibson, 1988
3. Joe Carter, 1993
2. Bill Mazeroski, 1960
1. Bobby Thomson, 1951

Excellent choices, one and all. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, the Carlton Fisk shot off the left field foul pole at Fenway Park that ended Game 6 of the World Series will always rank high, but in its proper historical perspective, I think it got placed just about right.

For the next several Tuesday evenings at 8:00, MLB Network will be showing the tremendous Ken Burns "Baseball."

Sean McAdam's Take on Jason Varitek

Sean McAdam of the Boston Globe continues to warn that the Jason Varitek-Scott Boras negotiations with the Red Sox might not end with what Red Sox fans view as inevitable: Varitek may not re-sign with the Red Sox due to leftover unpleasantness from the failed Teixeira negotiations. McAdam's reasoning appears sound, and Sox fans have already been bowled over by Teixeira signing with the Yankees. My take is that someway, somehow Varitek will find his way back to Boston because it makes the most sense for everyone involved.

I believe that Boston could have pulled the trigger already for a trade for a major league ready catcher, with the names Miguel Montero, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden, and Ivan Rodriguez coming to mind. The signing of Josh Bard works as a backup only or as a complement to Varitek. One only wonders how deep the stubbornness of the Red Sox or Boras could make these negotiations more prolonged or less successful in outcome.

Appreciating Tony Massarotti

While Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe continues to be portrayed by fans as negative when it comes to the standstill offseason of the Red Sox, I feel that he is just telling things as they are. Massarotti puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Red Sox for not reeling in the only free agent that they truly panted after: Mark Teixeira. Massarotti does allow that Teixeira may not have ever wanted to come to Boston, but the more likely scenario is that the Sox misplayed the negotiations and allowed the Yankees to swoop in and get business done. There are some similarities here on both sides to the Johnny Damon negotiations a while back.