The playoffs are now upon us as the Boston Red Sox get ready to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight in the ALDS for the right to go the ALCS. For us on the east coast it means another late night of watching baseball and a Thursday morning where offices will be less productive and smelling of Dunkin Donuts coffee.
The biggest questions entering yesterday’s workout for the Red Sox were the health of Josh Beckett, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell. The news is encouraging about all three.
Beckett threw 30 pitches from 60 feet, 20 pitches from 90 feet and then threw again from 60 feet for a unknown number of pitchers. This is what Terry Francona had to offer up about Beckett:
“The ball came out of his hand real well, everything was very encouraging,” Francona said. “He’ll long-toss [today] and throw a side Thursday. Everything was real positive
Drew had an impressive batting practice session and said he’s ready to go:
“In my mind, yes,” Drew said. “Everything else is up to Tito, but if he needs me in there, 100 percent, unless something crazy happens today.”
Before the workout Lowell spoke with reporters about the his ailing hip and after the workout said he felt good.
“If I don’t test it, I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t want to try to go after the ball any differently than I would during the game. I think you’re almost trying to trick yourself into thinking you’re ready. The writing will be on the wall. I’ll either keel over because it hurts or I won’t. I don’t think there’s going to be any mystery.”
“I think I’ll know pretty quickly. Moving left and right was what bothered me before. We purposely haven’t made those movements (in the last few days) because there’s no reason to re-aggravate it. Where we were in the season, we could take things slow, so we did it that way.”
On how he feels now: “I feel great just walking around and sitting, there’s really nothing,” he said. “The action of swinging has never really caused pain.”
How he approaches playing through pain in the postseason: “I think you’ve just kind of got to (man) up and go…Playing Wiffle Ball growing up, I never said, ‘Hey–this is a meaningless game in June. You always put yourself in the postseason.”
Links from the assembled media after the jump.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a great article about the friendship of David Ortiz and Torii Hunter. Did you know Big Papi has a barber’s chair in his garage?
Dan over at Red Sox Monster held another roundtable discussion. This time he has the Sexy Sox Girls.
The Red Sox hope to do better against the Angels then they did in the regular season.
Reggie Jackson says the Angels need to improve their postseason approach.
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe says the Red Sox starting pitching is the key for their success in the ALDS and the postseason.
Vladimir Guerrero is no Mr. October.
Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe previews the Red Sox vs. Angels in the ALDS.
The Angels are relying on homegrown pitching talent.
David Ortiz is very happy with this Red Sox team.
Angels skipper Mike Scioscia says the Red Sox are a different team without that old leftfielder guy.
Jon Lester knows what to expect this postseason.
The Angels Game 1 hopes rest on the right arm of John Lackey.
Kevin Youkilis has always reached for the stars.
Gary Marbry of WEEI.com has some more postseason nuggets for us.
If you really want to know what the Curly Haired Boyfriend said in his chat yesterday, click on that link back there. If you don’t care what he says, that’s cool with me too. Another blowhard, Tony Massarotti is up for the chat on Boston.com.
As soon as the Red Sox 25-man ALDS roster is posted, I’ll be sure to get that up for y’all in a separate post.
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant and Providence Journal websites.
And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the LA Times, Orange County Register and LA Daily News websites.
