Here’s his eighth installment.
John Lackey and Josh Beckett have virtually identical numbers and attitudes. What does it mean to have two front of the line starters who want the ball in their hands in the big moments? Also, what does Lackey bring to the clubhouse in terms of veteran knowledge for the younger guys like Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard and Junichi Tazawa?
–Bryan Shropshire, Duxbury, Mass.
Adding John Lackey to our rotation is huge! Our rotation just got a whole lot deeper. Beckett, Jon Lester, Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield and Buchholz are six really good names. As we have seen over the years, when you think you have too much pitching, get more! Our pitchers have a good reputation for working hard and Lackey will fit right in.
It’s hard to answer the part about leadership because I have only seen John from the other dugout, but he has a very good reputation when you talk to other coaches and players.
I am already pumped up for the 2010 season. My question for you is, would you consider putting Daniel Bard as the closer and Jonathan Papelbon as the setup guy? It seems that nobody can catch up with the heat that Bard throws.
–Joel Osborne, Framingham, Mass.
I guess my question would be: why? Pap is one of the top two or three closers in the game. Bard is a really exciting, up-and-coming dominant reliever in our league. But to reverse their roles doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. The more good relievers our team has, the better off we will be. With [Hideki] Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez added to those two, we have the beginnings of another very solid bullpen.
With the current turnover during this hot stove season, will the Red Sox lineup be stronger than some people are projecting, without a big name in the batting order? Also, in your view, is the farm system as over-extended as I have read?
–Dan, Nashua, N.H.
Not sure how big a name you are referring to. For me, Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew, David Ortiz and Victor Martinez are pretty big names! I think having Victor for the entire year — and adding Marco Scutaro right from the beginning — will certainly benefit our offense.
As for your question about our farm system being over-extended, I think we are just in a period when our impact prospects are a year or two away. We have been really fortunate to have so many good young players come through our system. Sometimes, you have to be patient!
How much do your assistant coaches help you? How is 2010 shaping up with your assistant coaches, especially after losing such a great bench coach?
–Patrick Parr, Cary, N.C.
Our coaches all have a lot of responsibility. John Farrell handles all the pitching duties. Dave Magadan handles the hitting. DeMarlo Hale is being moved from third-base coach to take over for Brad Mills and will be our bench coach. Tim Bogar will move from first base to third base and will also handle our infielders. Ron Johnson goes from being our Triple-A manager to being first-base coach. He will also handle our outfielders. Gary Tuck handles our catchers and all bullpen responsibilities.
The coaches get there early and stay late. They do a ton of work that goes unnoticed. I am very proud of our staff and the work they do!
Last year, baseball had the World Classic, and the year before, you had the Japan trip. Will this spring training feel more "normal" to you? Also, will you play a lot of young players this spring training knowing that the baseball season is a long one?
–Adam, Portland, Maine
It is very welcoming thought to go to spring training knowing we are going to have a “normal” routine. We will do what we always do: Let the veterans get ready for a long season and let the young kids try and make a good first impression. And let the group competing for jobs try and show what they can do. It can’t come soon enough!
