WRIGLEY FIELD PRE GAME

SOX AND CUBS READY FOR GAME 2

– The Red Sox have placed Josh Beckett on the 15-day disabled list after the starter experienced inflammation in his right shoulder following his start in Miami last Monday. Taking Beckett’s place on the 25-man roster will be pitcher Clayton Mortensen.
Mortensen excelled in his previous stint with the Red Sox earlier this season, allowing one run on six hits over 9 1/3 innings, making three relief appearances. During the stretch the righty struck out 12 and didn’t walk a batter. With Triple-A Pawtucket, Mortensen pitched in 15 games (all in relief), going 4-2 with a 2.39 ERA, holding opponents to a .165 batting average against.

PEN IS MIGHTY: Sox relievers have tossed 7.0 scoreless innings over the last 4 contests…Since 4/23, Boston’s bullpen paces the Majors with a 2.04 ERA (35 ER/154.2 IP)…Red Sox relievers have lowered their combined ERA from 8.44 to 3.42 in that stretch.

FROM THE START: Since his selection to the Red Sox active roster on 5/22, Podsednik leads American Leaguers with a .382 AVG (21-for-55) (min. 50 PA)…He has reached base in all but 2 of his 14 starts for Boston, including 8 multi-hit efforts in those contests.

SPECIAL VISITORS: 43 teens from the Jimmy Fund are in Chicago this weekend and will attend tonight’s game at Wrigley Field and meet with Sox players prior to the game.

RED SOX INVADE WRIGLEY FIELD

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Sox continue a 7-day, 6-game road trip with the 1st of 3 contests in Chicago…They took 2 of 3 in Miami prior to yesterday’s off day to begin the trek…The Red Sox are 17-13 (.567) on the road, the 5th-best mark in the AL…They have posted a Major League-leading 16-8 (.667) road mark in 24 tilts away from home since 4/23 and have won 8 of their last 11 road contests.

BACK AT WRIGLEY: The Red Sox are playing their 2nd-ever series at Wrigley Field, having gone 1-2 against the Cubs in Chicago from 6/10-12/05…It also marks the 2 teams 3rd overall regular-season series, as the Sox hosted the Cubs at  Fenway Park last year and won 2 of 3 contests.

• The Red Sox and Cubs also met in the 1918 World Series with Boston winning in 6 games…Chicago’s home games in that series were played at Comiskey Park.

PAPI’S POP: David Ortiz knocked his team-leading 15th homer on Wednesday night in Miami, tied for 7th-most in the AL…He is 3rd in the Majors with 35 extra-base hits, trailing only Joey Votto (39) and Josh Hamilton (36).

At 393 career home runs, he is tied with Jim Edmonds for 53rd on the all-time list…He is 7 homers shy of 400 career, a mark only 7 active players have reached.

Since 2005, Ortiz has hit 18 homers in only 43 games and 159 at-bats as a 1st baseman, including Wednesday night’s blast, for a home run rate of 1 every 8.83 at-bats, tops in the Majors while playing 1st base during that span among players with at least 100 plate appearances at the position (Elias).

GOING ON 50: With a victory today, Daisuke Matsuzaka will pick up his 50th career Major League win…He would be the 3rd Japanese-born pitcher to reach the mark, joining Hideo Nomo (123) and Tomo Ohka (51).

THEO TO THE CUBS?

The Boston Herald is reporting that GM Theo Epstein is on the verge of accepting an offer from the Chicago Cubs to become President and GM.
Last week, the Cubs requested permission from MLB and the Red Sox to speak with Epstein.
The Herald is reporting that the deal could by consummated shortly but the question of compensation has become an issue between the clubs. 
Epstein currently has 1 year remaining on his contract.
KEVIN HARRIMAN

SOX-CUBS: JULIA RUTH STEVENS TO TOSS FIRST PITCH SATURDAY

Babe's daughter in the house at Fenway on Saturday

BY KEVIN HARRIMAN

Boston Sports Desk Publisher

 

In an exclusive interview with the Boston Sports Desk this afternoon, Julia Ruth Stevens, the last surviving child of Babe Ruth, revealed that she will be throwing out the first pitch Saturday night at Fenway Park when the Red Sox take on the Chicago Cubs in Game-2 of their 3-game weekend series.

 

The appearance by the Cubs at Fenway is their first since the two teams played in the  1918 World Series. To comemorate the event, Ruth-Stevens will participate in the pre-game ceremonies along with her family members Tom Stevens (Babe’s grandson), Amanda Stevens (Babe’s great grand-daughter) and special family friend, Joe Brill.

 

During the wide-ranging phone interview, Ruth-Stevens reflected back on her father’s career that started in Boston. “I’m very excited about throwing out the first pitch Saturday night,” she said. “I’m doing it to honor my Daddy. He started his career here in Boston and I can’t think of a better place to be than at Fenway with the Red Sox playing the Cubs.

 

“I just hope we have some good weather for the game. Its going to be sold out and should be a great night for baseball fans.” 

 

Ruth-Stevens, still an avid baseball fan at 94 years young, is well aware of the Red Sox, Cubs and Yankee histories that have captivated baseball fans for years.

 

“I was only two-years old back in 1918 when the Cubs last played at Fenway. I obviously have no recolection of that game, but I remember my parents telling me about the series,” she said, recalling her childhood with her famous father and stage-performing mother. “There were so many stories that I was told about and I saw so many games, the Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs all have a special place for me.

 

“I was in school at the time my Daddy (Babe Ruth) called the shot in the World Series game against the Cubs. I really wish that I had been able to see that game, but I was in school getting my education. But that moment is such a big part of baseball history. The Cubs and the Yankees were always at one another in those days. They had some great games.”

 

Ruth-Stevens is refering to Babe Ruth’s “called shot”in the fifth inning of Game-3 of the 1932 World Series on October 1 at Wrigley Field.   During the at-bat,  Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers. It was supposedly a declaration that he would hit a home run to this part of the park. On the next offering from pitcher Charlie Root, Ruth hit a home run to center field.

 

Ruth Stevens is no stranger to tossing out the first pitch at MLB events. She was called on to throw out the first pitch in the last game at Yankee Stadium and has taken her place on the mound innumerable times throughout her life.

 

“It was quite and honor,” the nonagenarian said of her last visit to the Bronx. “I was very proud to be included in the last game at Yankee Stadium. I did that for my father just like here on Saturday night, I’m doing it for him (Babe).”

 

The Red Sox reached out to Brill two months ago to put this ceremony together and the Stevens family agreed. The team also announced today that the Cubs and the Sox will wear special uniforms for the game. A”special uniform” has also been crafted for Ruth-Stevens, which she has not seen as of this writing.

 

“Julia will be wearing a specially made shirt that the Red Sox had made for her to commemorate the event”, said Brill. “She hasn’t seen it yet, but I hear that its quite nice.”

 

Both the Red Sox and Cubs will wear uniforms that replicate the style worn in 1918, the last time these two teams faced each other in Boston.  The Red Sox home uniform will be a blank button-up with no lettering and a slight off-white or ivory color. The hat will also have a blank off-white tint, and the socks will be a three-part white/red/white composition.  The Red Sox used this uniform and hat combination as their primary home look for most of the 1910s, and did not have any lettering on the front of their uniform for the bulk of that decade and the entire 1920s. The team did not wear the familiar blue cap with a red “B” until the early 1930s.

 

The Cubs will wear navy blue pinstripes and lettering on a grayish uniform. On the front left-hand side of the uniform, there will be a horizontal outline of a “C” enclosing “UBS” in smaller, navy blue letters. The Cubs will sport a five-part sock with grey, blue, white, blue and grey color sections. The road hat will have a navy blue bill and pinstripes (but no “C” or any other lettering on the cap). The Cubs used this uniform for only one season, as they changed their road uniforms on an almost-yearly basis during the 1910s.

 

Fenway Park won’t be the only stop on the MLB circuit for Ruth-Stevens this year. She revealed that she will be taking part in a series of events in Baltimore later this summer sponsored by the Orioles.

 

The Red Sox media staff declined to officially comment on Saturday night’s ceremony and for this story.

RED SOX ANNOUNCEMENT

 “TURN BACK THE CLOCK” ON SATURDAY, MAY 21

 TO MARK RETURN OF CHICAGO CUBS TO FENWAY PARK AFTER 93 YEARS Both Teams to Wear 1918 Replica Uniforms BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today announced they will “turn back the clock” on Saturday, May 21 during the 7:10 p.m. game against the Chicago Cubs to mark 93 years since the clubs’ last matchup at Fenway Park. Both the Red Sox and Cubs will wear uniforms that replicate the style worn in 1918, the last time these two teams faced each other in Boston. The Red Sox home uniform will be a blank button-up with no lettering and a slight off-white or ivory color. The hat will also have a blank off-white tint, and the socks will be a three-part white/red/white composition. The Red Sox used this uniform and hat combination as their primary home look for most of the 1910s, and did not have any lettering on the front of their uniform for the bulk of that decade and the entire 1920s. The team did not wear the familiar blue cap with a red “B” until the early 1930s. The Cubs will wear navy blue pinstripes and lettering on a grayish uniform. On the front left-hand side of the uniform, there will be a horizontal outline of a “C” enclosing “UBS” in smaller, navy blue letters. The Cubs will sport a five-part sock with grey, blue, white, blue and grey color sections. The road hat will have a navy blue bill and pinstripes (but no “C” or any other lettering on the cap). The Cubs used this uniform for only one season, as they changed their road uniforms on an almost-yearly basis during the 1910s. The uniforms were made by Majestic Athletic, the official apparel provider of Major League Baseball, and are made of the same 100% polyester material as the teams’ current uniforms. Each Red Sox player will sign his replica uniform after the game, and all uniforms will be auctioned to support the Red Sox Foundation. More information will be announced soon. There are also plans for additional elements of the Saturday pre-game ceremony and game presentation that will be reminiscent of the fans’ experience in 1918. The Red Sox and Cubs last played at Fenway Park on September 11, 1918, in the sixth and final game of that year’s World Series. Concluding a season that was abbreviated because of the ongoing World War I conflict, the Red Sox won two of the series’ first three games in Chicago. Boston returned home to take Game Four, before the Cubs staved off elimination in Game Five. The Red Sox then closed out the series in Game Six with a 2-1 victory, clinching their fourth title of the decade and their third championship in the preceding four years.

RED SOX NOTES: TIGERS GAME 2

Thursday, May 19, 2011 ● 7:10 p.m. ET

Fenway Park ● Boston, MA

RHP Josh Beckett (3-1, 1.75) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (4-3, 2.91)

Game No. 43 ● Home Game No. 23 (13-9)

SWEET HOME: The Red Sox continue a 7-game, 7-day homestand tonight with the last of 2 against the Tigers after taking the series opener 1-0 last night…The Sox opened the homestand with a win over the Orioles on Monday night before Tuesday’s rainout…Boston welcomes the Cubs in a 3-game Interleague set beginning tomorrow night…After Sunday’s game, the Red Sox hit the road for a 7-day, 7-game road trip through Cleveland (5/23-25) and Detroit (5/26-29).

Boston has won a season-high 5 straight home games, the club’s longest home streak since a 7-gamer from 6/15-29, and have taken 8 of their last 11 at Fenway Park…The Sox started the season 2-4 at home but have since gone 11-5 (.688) in Boston dating back to 4/16, tied with St. Louis (11-5) for the Majors’2nd best home mark in that time behind Cleveland (10-2, .833).

The Sox are hitting .275 (209-for-761) at home and own a .355 home on-base percentage, both 2nd in the AL behind Cleveland (.283 AVG, .357 OBP)…Boston ranks among the top 3 AL clubs in doubles (2nd, 49), hits (3rd), extra-base hits (3rd, 74), walks (3rd, 88) and OPS (3rd, .785) at home.

ON THE RECORD: The Red Sox have won each of their last 5 games, matching their season-high win streak, also from 4/20-24…They last had a longer streak with a 6-gamer from 6/15-20/10…The Sox have won 8 of their last 10 and lead the AL (T-2nd in ML) at 11-5 (.688) since the

start of May…Boston is tied with Tampa Bay for the best record in the Majors beginning 4/16 with both clubs at 20-10 (.667) in that time…The Red Sox taken 22 of its last 36 games after opening the year with 6 straight losses, the club’s longest season-opening drought since 1945 (0-8). The Sox are a season-high 2.0 games over .500 after reaching .500 for the 1st time on Sunday.

20 VISION: Tonight the Sox play their 6th contest in a season-long tying stretch of 20 scheduled games in 20 days before an off day on 6/2, including Tuesday night’s rainout…The Sox are 5-0 thus far in the stretch…They also have 20 straight tilts without an off day, 7/22-8/10.

VS. THE TIGERS: The Red Sox and Tigers close out a 2-game set tonight, Detroit’s only trip to Fenway Park this season…The teams close out their 6-game season set with 4 games at Comerica Park, 5/26-29…A win tonight would give Boston its 1st sweep of the Tigers since 6/2-4/09 at Detroit in 3 games…The Sox last swept the Tigers in Boston in a 4-game set from 8/26-29/04. Boston has won or split the season set with DET in 8 of the last 9 years since 2002 (2007, 3-4).

The Sox have the best record in the Majors against the Tigers since the start of the 2008 campaign at 15-6 (.714)…It is Boston’s best mark against any AL club in that time…Each of Boston’s last 4 contests against Detroit since 7/30/10 have been decided by 1 run (3-1). The Sox have won 10 of 13, 12 of 16 and 24 of 31 home tilts against Detroit beginning in 2003.

JOSHING AROUND: Tonight’s starter Josh Beckett leads the AL with a 1.75 ERA (10 ER/51.1 IP), 3rd in the Majors after STL’s Jaime Garcia and FLA’s Josh Johnson (both 1.64)…Beckett has allowed just 1 run over 26.1 innings at Fenway Park this season for an AL-low 0.34 ERA at home, 2nd in the Majors to Garcia (0.29)…He also ranks among AL leaders in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (5th, 8.59), win pct. (T-8th, .750) and night ERA (3rd, 1.83).

Since 1972, the only Red Sox to post an ERA as low as Beckett’s 1.75 mark in at least 6 starts through the club’s 1st 42 games were Pedro Martinez (2000, 2001) and Roger Clemens (1992). Beckett has not allowed a run in 3 straight starts, the only Major Leaguer with a streak of that length this season, and leads the Majors with 4 scoreless starts overall in 2011…He has not allowed a run in his last 18.1 innings dating back to the 6th inning on 4/27 at BAL, the longest active scoreless streak among Major League starters and tied for his longest career single-season scoreless streak, also 8/26-9/8/04 with the Marlins.

Beckett matches up with DET’s Justin Verlander for the 2nd time in his career after earning the 5-1 win on 5/8/08 at Comerica Park with 7.0 innings of 1-run ball and 8 strikeouts…The 2 hurlers enter the match-up ranked 1st and 2nd in the Majors in opponent average, with Verlander ahead, .1747 (40-for-229) to .1751 (31-for-177).

1-RUN WIN: The Sox defeated the Tigers 1-0 last night, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia driving in Carl Crawford with an 8th-inning double for the game’s only run…It was Boston’s 1st 1-0 win since 5/29/10 vs. KC and the 1st 1-0 tilt between these teams in Boston since a Sox win on 9/28/78.

Last night, Clay Buchholz set a career-high with 127 pitches, the most by any Red Sox pitcher since Jon Lester tossed 130 pitches in a no-hitter against Kansas City 3-years ago today on 5/19/08…Only PHI’s Roy Halladay has thrown more pitches in a ML game this year with 130 on 4/24 at SD…DET’s Justin Verlander and SF’s Tim Lincecum also had 127-pitch outings in 2011.

RUN REDUCTION: Red Sox starters have now combined for 11 scoreless outings this year, tops in the Majors (MIL, LAD, BAL next at 8)…Boston’s 6 team shutouts are tied for the Major League lead (also PHI, MIL, DET, ATL)…The Sox have held foes to 1 run or less 11 times in 2011, 3rd most among ML clubs after OAK and ATL (both 12).

GOING GONZO: Adrian Gonzalez is tied with TEX’s Adrian Beltre for the Major League lead with 37 RBI, including 15 RBI over his last 9 games…He is tied for the ML lead in multi-RBI games (11, also NYY’s Curtis Granderson)…Gonzalez is tied for the ML lead with 24 extra-base hits (also TOR’s Jose Bautista and TB’s Ben Zobrist) and his 98 total bases are 2nd in the Majors to Bautista (102).

He leads the Majors with 8 homers in May, hitting all 8 over his last 14 games beginning 5/3.

INTERLEAGUE SUCCESS: The Sox kick off their 2011 Interleague schedule against the Cubs tomorrow night…Boston led the Majors with 109 runs scored during 2010 Interleague action and finished tied for 3rd in the Majors with a 13-5 (.722) Interleague record…Since Interleague Play began in 1997, the Sox have the 4th-best all-time Interleague record at 140-107 (.567).

LIVELY BATS: The Sox lead the Majors in slugging (.441), OPS (.786) and total bases (253) in May…Boston is 2nd in the Majors with an AL-high .280 team average, trailing only the Cubs (.290).

WALK THIS WAY: Boston ranks 3rd in the Majors with an AL-high 163 walks (NYM, 168; STL, 167) and ranks 2nd in the AL with a .337 on-base percentage (CLE, .338) in 2011…The Red Sox are the only team that can boast 4 different players with at least 20 walks this season.

PAPI NEARING 300 WITH SOX: David Ortiz is tied for 2nd on the team with 7 home runs and stands 2 homers shy of becoming the 5th player to reach the 300 mark with the Red Sox…He would join Ted Williams (521), Carl Yastrzemski (452), Jim Rice (382) and Dwight Evans (379). Ortiz has hit 140 career homers at Fenway Park, 2 shy of tying Manny Ramriez (142) for 6th on the list.

RED SOX ANNOUNCE HOME GAME TIMES

RED SOX ANNOUNCE 2011 HOME GAME TIMES

 

 

 

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today announced the start times for their 2011 home games at Fenway Park.  The Red Sox 2011 regular season general ticket on-sale begins this Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m.

 Boston’s 2011 home opener will take place at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees on Friday, April 8 at 2:05 p.m and will be broadcast on the club’s television rightsholder, NESN.  That series will continue with two nationally televised games, a 1:10 p.m. start on Saturday, April 9 on FOX and an 8:05 p.m. contest on Sunday, April 10 on ESPN.

 The Red Sox will play six Saturday day games at Fenway Park during the 2011 regular season and, in addition to the home opener, Boston has eight weekday afternoon contests scheduled, including Patriots Day, Monday, April 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays at 11:05 a.m. 

 The Red Sox will host the Chicago Cubs in Interleague Play from Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22.  The Friday and Saturday games will begin at 7:10 p.m., with Saturday’s contest being televised on FOX.  The Sunday, May 22 matchup between the Red Sox and Cubs will be featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball with an 8:05 p.m. start time.  Additional Red Sox Saturday home games scheduled to air on FOX include May 7 vs. the Minnesota Twins at 1:10 p.m. and August 6 vs. the Yankees at 4:10 p.m.

 All week night and Saturday night games at Fenway Park are scheduled as 7:10 p.m. starts while Sunday day games are slated to begin at 1:35 p.m.

 To purchase tickets beginning on January 29, fans can log on to www.redsox.com or call the automated ticket line at 888-REDSOX6.  Fans will be able to purchase tickets to all games at Fenway Park, with the exception of all games with the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs for which a special random drawing will be held at a later date.  Tickets for the Green Monster and Budweiser Right Field Deck will also be sold via the random drawing.  Fans who require accessible seating can call 877-REDSOX9.  Hearing impaired fans may call the Red Sox TTY line at (617) 226-6644. 

 The Red Sox open the 2011 season on the road with a three-game set against the Texas Rangers beginning on Friday, April 1 at 4:05 p.m. ET at the Ballpark in Arlington.  Boston’s complete 2011 home and road schedule is attached.  All times included in the attached schedule are Eastern Time and subject to change.  All regular season games are televised on NESN (with the exception of FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday Night Games) and broadcast in on WEEI 850 AM and network affiliates. 

 KEVIN HARRIMAN