Up, up, and Ellsway!?
Now let me get this straight. There’s ‘talk’ that the Boston Red Sox want to trade away Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason?
And I write ‘talk’ because this isn’t exactly a rumor being concocted. Actually, it’s more of a prediction, literally.
This past week, all ignited by The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, Ellsbury’s name has been swirling around, along with Jonathan Papelbon, in what appears to be some sort of scare tactic by Red Sox management.
Some people are claiming that Boston’s center fielder (sorry Mike Cameron, you are not Boston’s true center fielder) isn’t as achy as he says to be, which is posing some problems.
Let’s see. Cracked ribs?
Now I have no experience whatsoever with cracked ribs, let alone a broken bone (knock on wood), but can we cut the kid some slack?
Yes, it was a blow when he finally came back off the disabled list on May 25, then five games later was put back on it. But to throw out there, trade Ellsbury away to send him a message is asinine.
He is what the Boston organization has been dreaming of in a long time. Speed (70 steals in 2009), defense, and small ball seems to be a rare find in Beantown and you want to oust him? What seems to be the issue lately with Red Sox management and their players? Is this the second coming of George Steinbrenner?
Pre-Madonna Red Sox or messed up management?
Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock, there have been no question, a lot of issues this season. The Ellsbury deal is now the sixth.
It all started with Mike Lowell trying to be traded away and we all know how that turned out.
The Texas Rangers wanted him to have his physical and it turned out Lowell had a broken thumb. So Lowell returns to the Sox and ends up on the 25-man roster on Opening Day.
Next was who to play more in the designated hitter role, Lowell or David Ortiz?
Apparently Lowell doesn’t like to DH very much, he’d rather play in the field, then of course you get Ortiz who literally had hissy fits when he wasn’t getting enough of at-bats. Then all of a sudden Papi started popping home runs left and right leaving Mikey in a predicament.
If that wasn’t enough, when Daisuke Matsuzaka returned after being placed on the 15-day DL to start the season, someone has to be kicked into the bullpen.
Well hello Tim Wakefield.
Even though you’ve been pitching great we really got no choice. I mean we can’t demote Josh Beckett to the pen who we just signed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension. And Clay Buchholz is finally becoming the pitcher we all thought of him to be in 2007 when he dished that no-hitter to the Baltimore Orioles.
And what’s up with Jonathan Papelbon?
The base of Cafardo’s Sunday notebook was about Daniel Bard being the next Red Sox closer.
Well, we all heard that before…last season…spring training…now. What’s the difference?
And it’s Nava here!
At least there is some happy news to report about.
His name?
Daniel Nava.
You weren’t alone being mind boggled on Saturday. ‘Who the hell is Daniel Nava?’
Ron Chimelis of The Springfield Republican has the background story on this 27-year-old who didn’t even make his college team as a walk-on and had to settle being the equipment manager at Santa Clara.
Nava joined Bill Duggleby Jeremy Hermida, and Kevin Kouzmanoff as the only other players in the big league to smash a grand slam in their first career at-bat. Nava is the second to do it on the first pitch as Kouzmanoff did it in 2006 for the Cleveland Indians.
That makes two great stories for rookies this season for the Sox. First it was Darnell McDonald and now Nava.
Hhhmmm, I guess the Ellsbury and Cameron injuries have been blessings in disguise after all.
Amanda Bruno is a freelance sportswriter for The Springfield Republican. She also writes over at Batter-up with Bruno where she shares her thoughts about the Boston Red Sox and the Boston sports media. You can follow her on Twitter @batterupbruno and can reach Amanda through email at brunosportshawk[at]gmail.com.
