When the Red Sox hired the veteran skipper this offseason, there were plenty of people who said that Valentine's tenure would be a lot of things, but it would never be boring.
So far, so good on that one.
Valentine helped steal the Marathon Monday show with his comments about Kevin Youkilis on Sunday night, and that's where we start this week's 6-4-3.
Six Red Sox Thoughts
1. Bobby Valentine is finding out what it's like to manage in Boston…
Valentine came into this situation having not managed in America in roughly a decade. His last job in MLB was in New York, so he knows what it's like managing in a pressure-cooker city like New York, but things are different now and they're different in Boston. Following the Red Sox is a way of life for fans in Boston, so when Valentine makes comments like he did on Sunday, those are almost always going to get blown up to the biggest degree, no matter the intent or context. Throw that into the fire that is social media, and you're going to have an explosion. That's the way it is. If Valentine has no intention of quieting down moving forward — and all indications say he doesn't — expect more of these little sagas as the season go on, whether he wants them to or not.
2. … especially when you make decisions that don't turn out so well.
The manager made a big mistake when he elected to let Daniel Bard stay in the game to face Evan Longoria in the seventh inning on Monday, and he admitted as much after the game. Bard struggled with his command all day (seven walks) and had just issued a four-pitch walk. A year removed from working a few innings a week, Bard was over 100 pitches. It was kind of a no-brainer. Valentine left Bard in, and the righty walked in the game's only run — on four pitches. Valentine was booed on his way back to the dugout, and to his credit, he wore it after the game. That being said, if Valentine didn't know what he was getting himself into before Monday, he certainly does now.
3. It's good to come home
At this time last week, the Sox were in big trouble. They're not totally out of the woods yet, but coming home certainly helped. Despite being shut down on Monday by James Shields, Boston enjoyed a big, big weekend against one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. The offense was clicking, evidenced by 31 runs over the four-game set, despite being blanked Monday. In fact, had the Sox come away with the sweep, they would have been at .500 on the young season. They didn't reach that point until May 15 last season.
4. The bullpen is starting to take shape
The bullpen struggled, and it struggled mightily in the season's first week. When you look back on it, that could have been expected. There's a lot to be said for role familiarity when it comes to bullpen success, and the Sox had none of that early on, thanks in large part to the Andrew Bailey injury that forced the team to reshuffle its bullpen deck. With the bullpen picture clearing up, the results have started to come. This was the bullpen's line over the weekend: 9 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB. The Rays aren't exactly the '27 Yankees, but after the season's first week, those numbers are certainly encouraging.
5. David Ortiz truly is "a man on a mission"
We won't try to figure out what is truly motivating David Ortiz, instead, we'll just sit back and admire his start. The once notorious slow starter has been swinging a hot stick this season on his way to a scorching .410 start. And get this: He continues to hit left-handers better than righties. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise, though, considering Ortiz was almost 30 points better against southpaws last season, too. If he can continue that, it may help "balance" a lefty-heavy lineup, and allow Ortiz to stay in the five-hole where he's hitting .538 with a 1.418 OPS this season.
6. Cody Ross may be poised to become Fenway's next cult hero
There are obvious comparisons between Cody Ross and Trot Nixon, and it has more to do with than just the fact that they both wear No. 7 and play right field. Ross has shown this season that he's got the type of grit and hustle that Boston sports fans just devour, and some early-season success doesn't hurt. He was a wildly popular player in San Francisco, and it looks like he's catching on here in Boston, too. He could become even more popular, too, as he gets more time in Fenway, a park in which he was born to hit in.
Four Observations Around Baseball
1. What is up with Tim Lincecum?
One of the best right-handers in the game, Tim Lincecum has been abysmal this season. The Giants ace got lit up again on Monday night (five earned in six innings), and he's now saddled with a 10.54 ERA through three starts. Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that his velocity is down some, which always makes you wonder whether health is a factor. It's early, so there's plenty of time to bounce back, but it's worth watching. If he doesn't bounce back, the Giants are done.
2. The Dodgers are red-hot, and Matt Kemp may be the best player in baseball
The Dodgers have jumped out to a sizzling start, thanks in part to a ridiculously soft schedule, but the real reason has been the play of Matt Kemp. Through 10 games, Kemp is hitting .487 with six home runs and 16 RBIs. His OPS is 1.548. Those numbers, except the average, are good for best in the league. There were many who thought Kemp was robbed of the MVP last year. If he continues on anything resembling this pace, he'll have no problem taking that trophy home this year.
3. Just Verlander threw 131 pitches on Monday night, the last of which was a 100 mph fastball
This is obviously fact, and not an observation, but it's just so nutty that it's worth mentioning. Justin Verlander is a horse of a horse, and he certainly earned his first win of the season with an MVP effort on Monday against the Royals.
4. You Can't Predict Baseball is a can't-miss Twitter account
If you're into Twitter, make sure you're following You Can't Predict Baseball or YCPB (@cantpredictball). It's a great account with a collection of tidbits that define the sometimes absurd nature of baseball. Tweets like "Both Kelly Shoppach and Cody Ross have been IBB'd. In the same game," and "Mark Teixeira stole a base" continue to remind you how unpredictable this game really is.
Three Things to Watch This Week
1. Josh Beckett looks for continued success
Josh Beckett helped ease some concerns with a stellar outing in the home opener, but he'll get a real test on Wednesday with the defending AL champion Rangers in town. Beckett shut down the Rangers in his only start against them last year, but in two career starts against Texas at Fenway, Beckett has given up 12 runs in 12 innings.
2. Can the Dodgers and Nationals keep it up?
We've touched on how good the Dodgers have been this year, but don't forget about the Nationals, either. Washington leads the NL East with an 8-3 record entering Tuesday, while the Dodgers' six-game win streak has them atop the West at 9-1. The good news for both teams is that they'll both do battle with the Astros this week.
3. What's in store for Fenway's birthday party?
Fenway Park has a birthday coming up, and you probably won't need a Facebook reminder for this one. There's probably going to be a pretty memorable ceremony on Friday for the actual anniversary, especially with the Yankees in town, too. We can only hope that Phil Plantier makes it back for the bash.
