Post by John on Jun 8, 2006 17:13:00 GMT -4
Young arms thrown into fire: No time for kid gloves
June 8, 2006
Boston Herald
NEW YORK - We are bound to find out now, one way or another, slowly but surely. In the coming days and weeks, we are destined to learn whether the future of the Red Sox is as bright as we have been led to believe or the result of propaganda and hype.
The Sox and New York Yankees were rained out at Yankee Stadium last night in this rainy season like no other, and that would seem to be good news for a Sox team whose clubhouse is turning into "Romper Room." Jacob Wirth now has pitchers older than the Red Sox do, and at times like this, a manager has little choice but to cross his fingers and hope.
"With my player development background, I lean more toward having an understanding of younger players coming to the big leagues," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I get excited about it. I think they bring a certain amount of energy and that's good for the veteran players. Look at (Kevin) Youkilis.. .. But I don't know if you can have (young players) in bunches."
The Red Sox have them in bunches now, especially on the pitching staff, which includes a cast of young men who cannot yet rent a car. Craig Hansen and David Pauley are 22. Manny Delcarmen is 24. On the road, they have no choice but to pile in with Jonathan Papelbon or Josh Beckett, the latter a 25-year-old starter who looks middle-aged by comparison.
Just wondering: Does Hertz equip its vehicles with safety seats?
Of course, injuries are a part of every sports season, from baseball to badminton. They can destroy a team or they can bond it, and sometimes they can do both at the same time. The latter is precisely what is happening to the Yankees, who have lost Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui to significant injuries and a host of other players to an array of lesser problems.
Know what has happened? Melky Cabrera and Andy Phillips have emerged from a Yankees farm system that was supposed to be as fertile as a sandbox. There is no telling what, or if, Phillips and Cabrera can contribute over a period of months instead of weeks, but the Yankees certainly do not appear to have missed a beat in the absence of proven, veteran players.
All of this brings us back to the $135 million Red Sox, who are going through a well-publicized transition from old to young. Sox officials have adhered to their pledge of rebuilding the minor league system, something that will allow the club to cut costs and spend more prudently on the open market. Even Pauley, who was obtained in the trade the sent Dave Roberts to the San Diego Padres in December 2004, was obtained with the idea of amassing young talent.
Now the young guys are being thrown into the fire, ready or not, and there really is no telling what they will do. Baseball officials have been clustered in their respective bunkers conducting the annual draft the past two days, but the truth is that even they are guessing a large percentage of the time. As many draft selections are the result of good fortune as they are of tireless preparation.
Pauley? Delcarmen? Hansen? Jon Lester? They will get their chances now. The hope is that they will be better off for it, that it will aid their development, that the Red Sox are building something for the long haul for the first time in years.
In the meantime, the 2006 Red Sox season hangs in the balance.
June 8, 2006
Boston Herald
NEW YORK - We are bound to find out now, one way or another, slowly but surely. In the coming days and weeks, we are destined to learn whether the future of the Red Sox is as bright as we have been led to believe or the result of propaganda and hype.
The Sox and New York Yankees were rained out at Yankee Stadium last night in this rainy season like no other, and that would seem to be good news for a Sox team whose clubhouse is turning into "Romper Room." Jacob Wirth now has pitchers older than the Red Sox do, and at times like this, a manager has little choice but to cross his fingers and hope.
"With my player development background, I lean more toward having an understanding of younger players coming to the big leagues," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I get excited about it. I think they bring a certain amount of energy and that's good for the veteran players. Look at (Kevin) Youkilis.. .. But I don't know if you can have (young players) in bunches."
The Red Sox have them in bunches now, especially on the pitching staff, which includes a cast of young men who cannot yet rent a car. Craig Hansen and David Pauley are 22. Manny Delcarmen is 24. On the road, they have no choice but to pile in with Jonathan Papelbon or Josh Beckett, the latter a 25-year-old starter who looks middle-aged by comparison.
Just wondering: Does Hertz equip its vehicles with safety seats?
Of course, injuries are a part of every sports season, from baseball to badminton. They can destroy a team or they can bond it, and sometimes they can do both at the same time. The latter is precisely what is happening to the Yankees, who have lost Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui to significant injuries and a host of other players to an array of lesser problems.
Know what has happened? Melky Cabrera and Andy Phillips have emerged from a Yankees farm system that was supposed to be as fertile as a sandbox. There is no telling what, or if, Phillips and Cabrera can contribute over a period of months instead of weeks, but the Yankees certainly do not appear to have missed a beat in the absence of proven, veteran players.
All of this brings us back to the $135 million Red Sox, who are going through a well-publicized transition from old to young. Sox officials have adhered to their pledge of rebuilding the minor league system, something that will allow the club to cut costs and spend more prudently on the open market. Even Pauley, who was obtained in the trade the sent Dave Roberts to the San Diego Padres in December 2004, was obtained with the idea of amassing young talent.
Now the young guys are being thrown into the fire, ready or not, and there really is no telling what they will do. Baseball officials have been clustered in their respective bunkers conducting the annual draft the past two days, but the truth is that even they are guessing a large percentage of the time. As many draft selections are the result of good fortune as they are of tireless preparation.
Pauley? Delcarmen? Hansen? Jon Lester? They will get their chances now. The hope is that they will be better off for it, that it will aid their development, that the Red Sox are building something for the long haul for the first time in years.
In the meantime, the 2006 Red Sox season hangs in the balance.