Still, there is plenty to take in at "The Fort" on Edison Avenue. Here are nine items from the first 10 days of camp, enough to carry you into game action this weekend. It is our weekly edition of the Red Sox Lineup.
1. The love affair with Jarrod Saltalamcchia these first two weeks is worth noting. Not only have many of his teammates and his manager sung his virtues, but Saltalamacchia appears entirely unfazed by it all and extremely comfortable in his Red Sox skin. We couldn't say that last summer, when he only had action in a few games before being sidelined with a leg infection, the latest in a long line of obstacles for the 25-year-old. He is healthy, happy, and has a very definitive leadership vibe around him right now.
In this lineup, Saltalamacchia doesn't need to be Johnny Bench. He does have to gain the respect of the pitching staff and the coaches and prove he can handle the role as the new starting catcher in Boston. Early returns are excellent on each front.
2. Another guy who is also just 25 but also already in his third organization is Andrew Miller. He, too, is turning some heads. Consider Terry Francona's gushing words when asked about Miller's progress:
"Guys like Randy Johnson. You see some of the taller guys. It takes a while. The biggest thing is to repeat your delivery. When you've got that much body, it's hard to repeat. But man when he hits it right, it's awful pretty."
For all the talk of the hard-throwing trio at the back end of Boston's bullpen, Miller could make that a quartet if he can find his groove and realize his awesome potential.
3. Even before the injuries destroyed the Red Sox roster last year, a fellow reporter stood next to me, surveyed the clubhouse and said that something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but a lack of clubhouse pizazz was a subject that others brought up later in the year. Certainly, the injuries had a lot to do with it. Guys have a harder time being in the mix on a daily basis when they are undergoing surgeries, rehabbing, etc.
The vibe in 2011, although it is extremely early, is much more tangible. There are enough characters to keep the clubhouse loose and a distinct professionalism. Plus, all of the players that were rushed into duty last year or brand new to the club — John Lackey, Scott Atchison, Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava, to name a few — are now walking in knowing their role and knowing their surroundings. It makes a difference, and you can feel it.
4. Contrary to Camp Sunshine in Fort Myers, the Yankees have continued their offseason of back-and-forth barbs in the media. Brian Cashman's discussions of Joba Chamberlain's weight and Hank Steinbrenner's issues with players' condos have come on the heels of the whole Derek Jeter contract saga, the Rafael Soriano hubbub and the fallout from the Cliff Lee swing-and-a-miss. This is nothing new to the Bronx Bombers, who always have a spotlight on their actions and whose higher-ups never shy from speaking their mind. Still, the contrast between the two rivals in late February is striking, at least in matters off the field.
5. We know who the Red Sox will face when they open the season at Texas on April 1. Rangers manager Ron Washington announced Tuesday it will be left-hander C.J. Wilson, who was 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts against Boston last year. As for the Sox, we won't know for some time.
As managers around the league make public their Opening Day starter, Francona will do no such thing.
"Just doesn't make a lot of sense [to announce it]," Francona said Wednesday. "Someone has to answer a lot of questions, including myself. I'd rather get through the bulk of the spring and know for a fact that that's the way it's gonna happen. If somebody is struggling a little bit, or somebody slips on the mound and misses a start [we don't have to make another announcement]."
Francona announced his Opening Day starter for 2010 on March 26, giving the nod to Josh Beckett. Presumably, Jon Lester will get the ball opposite Wilson, but for another month or so that will be pure speculation.
6. In case anyone is wondering who is working out where in the infield, this is the rundown. Jed Lowrie has been taking all of his grounders at shortstop. He said that getting infield practice in there prepares him for other spots, so his play at the other three positions might be limited for now. Behind Kevin Youkilis has been Hector Luna, a veteran infielder who has played in just 51 games in the majors since 2006. Drew Sutton is the guy playing with Dustin Pedroia.
It is a certainty that the Red Sox will not survive the year with only Jed Lowrie as a backup infielder. At some point, they will need another player who can man those positions while Lowrie fills in for an injured starter or something along those lines. Luna and Sutton appear to have the very early inside track to claim one of those spots.
David Ortiz, of course, has been the only one taking grounders at first base with Adrian Gonzalez, laughing his way through much of it, as is his custom.
7. Speaking of Ortiz, it will be interesting to see how much he hits this spring. Perhaps in a bid to get things going a bit faster after the slow starts of 2008 and 2009, he led the Red Sox in spring training at-bats last year. He looked OK, batting .284 with three homers, but again limped out of the gate. He's been busy in the cages early on this year. Francona said he doesn't have any plans to alter the plan of attack in March. Something to keep an eye on after three straight poor starts for Big Papi.
8. We had a few birthdays in camp this week. Josh Reddick turned 24 on Saturday and fellow outfielder Daniel Nava was 28 on Tuesday. Word must have been leaked on Nava's big day, for when he jogged out to the field for workouts that morning, a large crowd of fans yelled "Happy Birthday." It caused Nava to jolt a bit before flashing a big smile.
Mike Lowell turns 37 on Thursday. Just thought someone might be interested.
9. Time for our weekly (or bi-weekly, as the case may be) shameless self-promotion. Just a quick word that beginning with Saturday afternoon's tilt with Boston College, we will be live blogging every Red Sox game this spring. For those of you unfamiliar with the dominating way in which we carry you through game day, here is a sample. Check the site Saturday morning for the start of seven (maybe eight?) more months of live blogs.
