Getting David Ortiz on Track Remains Red Sox’ Top Priority

The Red Sox have had an eventful first week. The Yankees visited Boston, Aerosmith announced they will play Fenway Park and controversies already are in midseason form.

Just another April in the Hub.

What do you think about the Red Sox’ start this season?
–Sarah, Portland, Maine

I think it is too early to cast many views on how things are going. It is a small sample size, and you tend to make too many wrong assumptions after four games. I think after 20 is a fair marker of where the Red Sox are. It is also important to remember that things change quickly and one pattern that was true early generally changes through different stretches.

All of that said, I think you have to be concerned with David Ortiz and hope the bullpen can be consistent for Terry Francona. In order to get where they want to go in the end, the Red Sox have to take care of business against the lesser teams in the American League. They cannot afford to blow leads and not take advantage of these games in particular. The contributions from the new players have been a positive. Check back with me in a couple weeks.

If David Ortiz continues to struggle at the plate, will Terry Francona use Mike Lowell at designated hitter?
–Sam, Braintree, Mass.

I think they are going to give David every possible opportunity to play in the first month. I think they will play him most days, maybe even to a fault. They need to find out if he will come out of this, or find out that this is what it is and David may not be able to come out of it.

When and if they replace him some, I am not sure if Mike Lowell will be used exclusively. I think they will use that available spot to get at-bats for many guys off the bench. Terry has struggled to find playing time for the bench, and those players have not hit since the spring. So to split it up among them would be one way to help keep them fresh. But to find out about David is number one on the list.

Once Daisuke Matsuzaka is ready to return to the majors, how is the rotation going to look?
–Xavier, Boston
 
He could go to the bullpen. Generally, when you have been a starter your entire life it is hard to make the adjustment and teams are unwilling. I think it would be good to have a guy who can go multiple innings come out of your 'pen. Sort of the way Joe Girardi used Chan Ho Park at Fenway. A three-inning guy who gets people out is pretty valuable. As we saw in the past, Matsuzaka’s pitch count was generally around a hundred by the fifth inning. You could control things better pitch count-wise from the 'pen.

I just think Tim Wakefield should remain in the rotation. He continues to eat innings and be effective. He goes deep into games and can be a built-in night off for a lot of your relievers. Daisuke Matsuzaka has not proven that he can go much deeper than five or six innings in his outings, even in his best seasons.

Are the Red Sox worried at all about Jonathan Papelbon?
–Joseph, Hanover, N.H.

 I am not yet. I think things will be fine. Last year, the results, with the exception of the postseason, were solid in the end. He certainly took a different route to get those results, throwing many fastballs and allowing more baserunners than we are used to seeing.

He worked on using secondary pitches during the spring. The idea is that by putting another thought in the minds of hitters, they won’t solely expect the heat and be able to gear up for that heat.

I was impressed last year with the way Papelbon handled the addition of Billy Wagner. With the pressure of having an accomplished closer like Wagner join the team, Papelbon did not let it affect him, and he continued to be successful. To be an elite closer, you have to handle all this stuff that is thrown at you, and Papelbon always has done it, and I think he will continue.

I also think his year-to-year contract status actually drives him as well.

Was Joe West out of line with his comments about the length of Red Sox-Yankees games? Some are saying he should be penalized. Others are saying he should be rewarded. What’s your take?
–Sally, Bronx, N.Y.
 
I agree with Joe West that the games are long and players are not moving as quickly to pitch or hit or anything. However, the magnitude of importance of these games can decide your season. You only have the 18 head-to-head matchups to control. The rest is against other opponents, and you hope you can take care of business head-to-head.

I agree games are long. I do not agree with the fact that these comments came from an umpire. Going through the media to send a message from an MLB official is the wrong forum. If the umpires (West, Angel Hernandez, etc.) stated to each manager prior to the series that time will be an issue and timeouts will not be granted, it would make more sense than a postgame reaction that changes nothing after a series.