Here’s his 11th installment.
Do you think David Ortiz will regain his power?
–Chad, Wareham, Mass.
We have become so used to having David be such a force in the middle of our lineup. The first two months of last year were difficult for everyone. Then the last four months, he actually was one of the more productive hitters in baseball.
If we can get that for the entire season, we obviously will be a better team. We don’t need him to hit 40 home runs. We just need him to be a consistent force in our lineup that makes pitchers think twice about facing him.
How do you think Jacoby Ellsbury will do in left field?
–Brett, Peabody, Mass.
I think he will be outstanding! When he first joined us, we had Coco Crisp in center field and Jacoby played some left field. With his first-step quickness, I think he will be a huge asset to our outfield defense. In Fenway, it will be very difficult for runners to score on base hits, and on the road, he should be able to cover the bigger outfields. Anytime you can basically play two center fielders, your team defense should improve.
How do you plan to use Bill Hall?
— Erica, Ithaca, N.Y.
That is an interesting question. I think we would like to use him as a "super-sub" kind of player. He can play all over the diamond ,and we plan on doing that. In this situation, it is a little difficult to forecast how much and where a player will play because some of it relies on the health of others. We are excited to bring him to camp and to get to know him better. He has had some very productive offensive years, and if he can regain some of that with us, it can only help us win games.
What are your expectations for Daisuke Matsuzaka this season?
–Amanda, Elkridge, Md.
We have certainly had our ups and downs with Dice-K. I think any time a player commits to hard work, it is a lot easier for us to hold some loftier expectations. And from all reports, he has had a really good offseason.
I think with Dice-K, consistency is a huge word. If we can get to the point where we know what to expect with each outing, that will be a huge help. I know he puts a huge amount of pressure on himself to carry his load. Hopefully, that will all come together this year.
Even though you may not be obliged to answer, I was wondering if a player's possible use of steroids affects whether or not to acquire him. How big of an impact does this have on your evaluation of that player? Also, how much are the Red Sox concerned with having players that may or may not taken steroids? As a fan of your team, I am, of course, worried that it takes away from the team's accomplishments if these players did not hit their home runs on their own strength.
–Harry B, Newton, Mass.
That is probably an unfair question for me to try to answer, as nothing seems to be black and white. These are allegations (some with proof and some without). I think as an industry, we were guilty of not acting soon enough, and because of that, we are paying the price years later.
I get to see firsthand how hard these players work and the sacrifices they make, and I think the vast majority of players want more stringent testing so that they can prove to our loyal fans how great a game we actually have.
