Kuzul

If you have read my website (www.sox1fan.com) over the last several years you know that I have an infinite amount of respect for Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. He has proven himself to be a man of courage and principle, as was proven when he traded fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra at the 2004 trade deadline and then took his stand against Larry Lucchino back in 2005.

He has also demonstrated he is bold in the way he will conduct his business, as was apparent when he spent Thanksgiving Day with the Schillings in 2003. There is no question that he is an astute assessor of talent, both on the field and in the front office (except when it comes to selection of a shortstop).

He’s done an incredible job building the farm system and continually replenishing the supply of talent in the minor leagues. Oh yeah, and he (and his protegees) have delivered a pair of world championships to Red Sox Nation.

The string of shortstop misjudgments aside (i.e., Edgar Renteria, Julio Lugo and Marco Scutaro), he hasn’t made many errors in his stewardship of the organization. I won’t fault him for Daisuke Matsuzaka, as the entire baseball world believed he scored a coup in that deal.

Brad Penny and John Smoltz? Roll of the dice largely caused by circumstances beyond his control. The Teixeira debacle? It was attributable to the ownership triad that would not go beyond seven years for the current Yankees first baseman.

Look, I’m not giving him a free pass, but no one is perfect. The pluses of his tenure far outweigh the minuses. That is why the just-concluded deal for Adrian Gonzalez just doesn’t make sense to me.

On the face of it, sending three of our top 10 prospects to the San Diego Padres for Gonzalez (with a fourth prospect to be named later) just doesn’t make sense—unless Gonzo has already signed his name to a contract extension.

But, reportedly, the ballclub and Gonzalez were unable to come to terms on such an extension during the 30-hour (+/-) window they were granted.

Regardless, the Sox have finalized the deal with the Padres. Gone are Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Rey Fuentes…and, ultimately, another prospect. Arrived is Adrian Gonzalez…essentially on a one-year rental. It doesn’t make sense to me.

If this deal was pulled off by most other GM’s, I would say it is pretty stupid. But, in this instance we are talking about Theo Epstein, and the more I contemplate the trade the more I’m convinced he has something up his sleeve.

Last year, the club and Josh Beckett agreed to a contract extension during February, but withheld formally announcing the agreement until after Opening Day so the club (read: owners) could save millions of dollars in luxury tax payments.

It is not the way the luxury tax system was designed to work, but the ever-shrewed Epstein found a loophole that allowed him to keep both Beckett AND has bosses happy. It was a nifty trick.

Could that be what is going on here? Would the Red Sox have sent four prospects to San Diego if they didn’t already have a deal in place with Gonzalez? Could it be that today’s failure is just a ruse, designed to allow the organization additional financial flexibility as it navigates through the remaining pool of free agents this winter?

“Signing” Gonzalez a-f-t-e-r Opening Day might save the club $five or $six million in luxury tax payments (as a second-time violator of the salary cap, the Sox would be required to pay a 30 percent tax on all salary in excess of the 2011 threshold).

That is money that could be used to sign Carl Crawford, or Scott Downs (or Brian Fuentes), or anyone else they may have designs on to repair their bullpen (RHP Jon Rauch?).

We aren’t privy to what transpires behind the closed doors along Yawkey Way. We don’t know what happened during today’s talks between Gonzalez, agent John Boggs and Red Sox officials, but finalizing this deal without an extension in place does not make a bit of sense. And based on Theo’s track record, it seems safe to assume there is more here than meets the eye.

Something smells fishy!

Thus, the conspiracy theories must be advanced. Is it possible an extension for Gonzalez is actually in place, and that he’s the 2011 version of Josh Beckett.

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One of the most often said phrases is “Keeping up with the Joneses,” a catchphrase referring to the comparison to one’s neighbor as a benchmark for social status or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to “keep up with the Joneses” is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.

In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan built up the Star Wars defense initiative and the Soviet Union tried to keep up but went bankrupt. Not until the Russians privatized their state industries did the Russian Mafia become the wealthy capitalists they are now.

In the case of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, it would be baseball inferiority, with the Yankees leading the way and Red Sox trying to keep up. Yanks get Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, the Red Sox get scared and re-sign Josh Beckett and go out and sign John Lackey.

So when the Red Sox did not advance past the first round of the playoffs in 2009, getting swept by the Los Angeles Angels, and then FAILED to make the post season last year, they have to do something else now, right?

The Red Sox must be thinking, “We can’t let the Evil Empire go out and get Cliff Lee. And now they are talking about getting Carl Crawford?”

We must do something!

Theo Epstein had to move quickly to get the guy he has always desired, Adrian Gonzalez. Reports have Gonzalez already in Boston for a physical to complete the deal.

Confirmed reports say it definitely includes RHP Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymond Fuentes. The Sox are giving up their top pitching and positional prospect available to trade (Anthony Renaudo can not be traded yet) and what potential studs they had at the higher levels of their farm system are now gone.

*I feel the Padres got rooked in this deal, and that the deal was basically a give back to Theo from his former assistants Jed Hoyer and Josh Byrnes. Rizzo is two years away, as is Kelly, while Fuentes, an outstanding defensive outfielder, might be four years away. None of these guys are major league ready talent.

Most of their next wave of Red Sox positional talent is down in the lower levels.

But the Red Sox do have a set pitching staff entering 2011 with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Beckett, Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Felix Doubront, who the Padres did not receive, is a very capable reserve starter.

That is it, though. There are no other starting pitchers in their higher up system who is any good. So the Red Sox have a top six with no others to complement them if there is an injury.

Also, while their lineup will be better with Gonzalez, a lineup of Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Ortiz, Drew, Varitek, Scutaro is top heavy. While it is not easy to navigate, many of the guys can be pitched to.

It is not nearly as good as the names suggest.

Pedroia, Ellsbury and Youkilis are coming off injuries and Ortiz will get off to his usual slow start. What if one of the aging guys gets hurt? Where do they go for help? Will Drew continue to decline in his final year? Varitek getting another 400 plate appearances like he did in 2009 is enough for any Red Sox fan to groan. 

Is Jed Lowrie (always injured) or Ryan Kalish the answer? Darnell McDonald? C’mon. Since no one of very high talent is coming through the system now, the Red Sox will be required to dig deep again into their pocketbooks and sign Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.

The reason for going and getting Gonzalez and needing Crawford/Werth is that the Sox missed out on Mark Teixeira two years ago. They put all their eggs in the Tex basket, but when Mark decided on the Yankees, Theo needed to go to Plan B.

They traded for Victor Martinez last season (even though they gave up nothing) but V-Mart left and created a huge hole the Sox could not fill internally. Now the trade of more young players for Gonzalez. 

The Red Sox are trying to keep up with what the Yankees are projecting by boosting their lineup with Gonzalez and possibly Crawford/Werth.

But the A.L. East is based upon pitching to these stacked lineups and the Red Sox are treading on thin ice with their starting staff and bullpen.

The Red Sox staff of Clay Buchholz and John Lester were good, while Beckett, Lackey and Dice-K were basically ineffective.

Victor Martinez gave them a pretty good hitter in the middle of their lineup last season, a switch hitter with some power. Gonzalez gives them Gold Glove defense (although Youk was pretty good over there, too) and will probably hit 35-40 HRs.

Is A-Gon’s productivity enough of a difference over what they got with Martinez last season to justify trading away their top pitching and positional prospects? AGon’s WAR last year was 6.3 while VMart, in 154 less plate appearances was 3.8.

Will Youkilis be a good enough defender at third base for an entire season?

Trying to keep up with the Yankees is tough to do as the Yankees have many more pieces in their farm system they can trade off. Plus, if the organization allows them to, more who will be able to contribute within two years.

Keeping up with the Yankees via outside, high-priced talent is going to eventually bankrupt the Red Sox, both in the terms of money and a farm system to replace their senior citizen players with internal talent.

You can’t keep up with the Joneses, let alone the “Evil Empire” in the Bronx.

The other Evil Empire learned that 30 years ago

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New York Yankee SS Derek Jeter has been reportedly told he will not be offered arbitration by the club.  It has been widely reported that there is a large gap between the Jeter and Yankee camps.  Rumor has it that the Yankees are holding fast at a three-year offer in the neighborhood of $15 million per season.  Meanwhile Jeter’s camp is reportedly looking for more years and a higher annual salary. 

Most surprising though may be the public nature of some of the comments issued by each camp.  A quote attributed to Yankee GM Brian Cashman appeared on ESPNNewYork.com.  “We’ve encouraged him to test the market and see if there’s something he would prefer other than this.  If he can, fine.  That’s the way it works.”

Wow.  I can’t imagine this type of public announcement can sit well with Jeter.  So what does Jeter do next?  Look there are scenarios that may be more plausible but if Jeter really feels jilted and is not willing to take (in his opinion) a “hometown discount” I may just have the solution.

Imagine if there was one place that Jeter could go that would:

A. Be a good fit

B. Hit Cashman where it counts

Well as it turns out there is such a place: The Boston Red Sox.

OK. It sounds crazy, and it probably is, but can you imagine the reaction?  The Red Sox have two championships in the last seven years so to some extent they have exorcised all demons from their tormented past. 

However a quick check of baseball history shows a decidedly pro-Yankee slant when looking at players who have moved from one organization to the other.  Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater…really? 

Free agents like Wade Boggs and Johnny Damon left the Sox for greener ($$$) Yankee pastures.  Roger Clemens had a two-year stint in Toronto post-Boston, but ultimately ended up winning another (tainted) Cy Young award in the Big Apple.  And then there’s George Herman Ruth and the ensuing 86 years of angst.  There is an inequity here evident to even the most casual baseball fan. 

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is cool customer himself when it comes to making baseball decisions, rarely letting emotion dictate his course of action.  It is unlikely that Epstein and Co. would pursue Jeter just to stick it to the bombers.  But could there be solid baseball reasons for making the move? 

Jeter is coming off a disappointing 2010 season and will turn 37 next season.  The chance of him getting a contract offer from Boston longer than the three years offered by the Yankees is probably slim to none.  However no one has ever questioned Jeter’s conditioning and with an incentive to live up to the hype (potentially at the Yankees’ expense) Jeter could work in a Sox uniform for the next three years.  There certainly could be a need.

Think about it.  It’s been reported today that Victor Martinez has signed a four-year contract with the Tigers.  Martinez played nearly 40 games at first over the last couple seasons in Boston.  He’s gone.  Meanwhile third baseman Adrian Beltre is testing the free-agent market.  Epstein has talked about moving Kevin Youkilis to third but with no Martinez the 1B spot gets a little thin. 

David Ortiz can play some first but it’s no secret that he’s probably a better fit at DH.  Jeter could fit into the third-base slot leaving Youkilis to stay where he is.  Jeter is probably a better defensive fit at third base at this point in his career (regardless of the insane Gold Glove award he just received). 

Meanwhile the Sox have some uncertainty at SS and have reportedly had offers for incumbent SS Marco Scutaro.  Imagine having the luxury of using Derek Jeter as your SS “in a pinch.”

OK, back to reality.  This is probably never going to happen.  The money and years Jeter is looking for would seem to preclude any serious consideration.  And I’m not sure Jeter would offer the power that the Sox would ideally like to get out of a corner infielder either.  But wow, would this be a shot across the bow of the Evil Empire. 

The ultimate dagger to the Yankee nation heart. 

I wonder how it would be received.  Would Red Sox fans welcome him with open arms?  Jeter has been the symbol of all things Yankee for 2,300 games…can that just be switched off?  I doubt we will ever find out, but it sure is fun to think about.

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It is not crazy to say that without injuries to almost every major player, Boston would have made the playoffs last season. The team was a lot stronger offensively than people predicted and if Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek and Mike Cameron had been healthy all year, they would have made a serious run at the Rays and Yankees in the AL East.

But they weren’t, and they didn’t. Now, with free agency leaving holes in their lineup, and the tantalising prospect of signing Adrian Gonzales next year to be taken into account, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2011 lineup.

Gonzalez’ agent has said the slugger will test the free agent waters after next season and it is almost certain the Red Sox will be interested. That does create a rather awkward situation at first or third for 2011, depending on where Kevin Youkilis plays, and whom the Red Sox get as a bridge to Gonzalez.

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The offseason for the Florida Marlins has been quite a whirlwind and it a surprise twist blew the Marlins way when Dan Uggla stunned the front office be rejecting a four year, $48 million extension. This past season, Uggla had career highs in batting average (.287), home runs (33) and RBIs (105) with a steady salary of $7.8 million. 

Why would Dan Uggla reject the Marlins offer? For starters, Dan Uggla has essentially raised the bar on power hitting second basemen by hitting 30 home runs in four consecutive seasons, no second baseman has done that in the history of baseball, not even Chase Utley or Jeff Kent have accomplished that feat. 

The Florida Marlins are also hesitant to offer a long-term deal to a player whose production might begin to decline. Dan Uggla will be 31 by Opening Day and if he gets his way will be 36 by the end of the five year deal, something the Marlins want to avoid considering Uggla isn’t great with the glove at second. Uggla is expected to earn $10 million + in 2011 and gradually rise for the next few seasons of his contract. 

While these contract talks are akin to the Josh Johnson fiasco of the last offseason, Johnson is four years younger than Uggla at 26 and the Marlins are tend to shy away from offering long-term deals to players who are over 30. 

At the end of the day, I expect the Marlins to get a deal done with Dan Uggla just because this is the last thing the front office needs a season prior to the opening of their new stadium, bad publicity and another infamous jettison of a cornerstone player, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis are prime examples. 

 If a deal gets done, expect for the fifth-year to include somewhere in the neighborhood of a mutual option or a vesting option which would give Uggla his dough if he achieves certain seasonal milestones. 

But what if nothing gets done? Here are five possible trade destinations for Dan Uggla if the Marlins deem Uggla out of their range..

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Call it a transition year. Call it an unlucky year. Call it whatever you want, but the 2010 Boston Red Sox simply failed to meet the expectations of management, fans, and baseball pundits across the country.

There are a handful of factors worthy of blame here, including general manager Theo Epstein’s reluctance to part with prospects to shore up the bullpen or acquire a top-flight pitcher like Cliff Lee. But pointing fingers is no way to win a World Series.

So with the 2010 Red Sox season officially in the books, let’s forget the past and take a closer look at the decisions that will help shape the 2011 Boston Red Sox. First up, Boston’s free agent and arbitration-eligible players.

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Mike Lowell will be honored tonight by the Boston Red Sox with “Thanks, Mike Night”, as we say goodbye to the consummate professional after 13 remarkable seasons. Lowell has announced that he will retire at the end of this season.

It’s been a tumultuous year for the once slick-fielding third baseman. Lowell has been on the verge of being granted his outright release multiple times throughout the season, and has had to endure being relegated to the bench for the first time in his career.

But good things come to those who wait, as Lowell will finish his major league career this weekend against the New York Yankees as the Red Sox starting third baseman. Adrian Beltre, Boston’s regular third baseman and Lowell’s replacement in 2010, has left the team to witness the birth of his third child.

So with Lowell at the plate and bat at the ready, let’s take a look back at the career of one of the most humble athletes to every play the game.

Mike Lowell, we honor you.

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Not since David Wright’s May slump have there been any serious rumblings about the Mets trading their star third baseman, but the question has recently been posed: Would Wright match up well with the Boston Red Sox, and would a trade be possible this winter?

The question itself is not without merit given Boston third baseman Adrian Beltre’s impending free agency, Wright’s burgeoning salary and declining production, and the Mets’ aging roster of annual under achievers.

Surely some Mets fans will consider the question itself just another demonstration of the Red Sox Nation’s arrogance, for how could anyone possibly think the Mets would or should part with the face of their franchise?

Just as surely, many the Red Sox Faithful will leap at the prospect like lobsters from a boiling pot, for who wouldn’t want to acquire David Wright?

Let’s examine the facts and see how desirable and possible a Wright-to-Boston deal might be.

Wright turns 28 this December and remains under contract through 2012 with a club option for 2013, so Wright will still be a relatively young 30-year-old player when he hits free agency.

Through 2010, Wright has been paid $23.5 million on his seven-year, $68.5 million deal, so this heavily back-loaded contract is about to come home to roost. At season’s end, Wright will still be owed $45 million, including that 2013 option.

That said, Wright’s production has been down significantly since the beginning of 2009.

In 2009, Wright hit .307 with only 10 homers and a career-worst 837 OPS. In 2010, Wright has improved offensively, hitting .290 with 23 homers and an 864 OPS. Still, Wright’s overall production on both offense and defense is dramatically lower than what it once was.

During his first four full seasons, from 2005 to 2008, Wright produced an average of $26.7 million in sabermetric value. In 2009 and 2010, Wright has respectively produced only $15.3 million and $15.6 million.

This sharp drop is due in large part to Wright’s declining defensive production. A Gold-Glove winner in 2007 and 2008, Wright has played below-average defense over the past two years. In fact, Wright’s range has decreased to such an extent that he is now a below-average defender for his career.

None of this is to suggest that David Wright is a has-been star. Perhaps, Wright’s bat and glove have only temporarily slacked off. Certainly, maintaining MVP-caliber production year after year is no easy task.

Yet these numbers should cast doubt on the sagacity of any team, not just the Red Sox, trading for David Wright.

Given Boston general manager Theo Epstein’s alacrity for sabermetrics and run prevention, Wright would seem a poor match with Boston.

Wright’s declining defense speaks for itself, and should his sabermetric value hold steady around $15 million annually, Wright would only just be worth the remaining money on his contract.

As an alternative to resigning Beltre, Wright would probably cost the same in yearly salary and produce less.

What’s more, retaining Beltre can be achieved with the mere stroke of the pen, but acquiring the face of the Mets would surely require prized prospects and major-league-ready talent in addition to an equivalent financial commitment.

At the end of the day, Boston wouldn’t and shouldn’t be interested in trading for Wright, but New York should definitely be thinking about shipping him elsewhere.

For breaking Red Sox news updates, follow Peter on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers phoned the Boston Red Sox today to tell them they finally pulled a prank equal to the one done to them three years ago when they got Manny Ramirezed. The Dodgers famously fell for a classic Manny Ramirez, one of the most popular juvenile pranks, when they took Manny off waivers from Boston in 2007.

He went on to let minor injuries hamper his play until he finally fell out of favor with LA, and left the same way he was let go from Boston. But the hilarity ensued as the Dodgers phoned the White Sox to tell them they were placing Manny Ramirez on waivers.

“Yeah, the White Sox totally fell for the oldest trick in the book!” said coach Joe Torre as he talked to Theo Epstein. “I had to stifle the laughter as I told Ozzie Guillen I had a possible future hall of fame player who could help his team get in the playoffs this year. The fool actually went for it! He actually thinks Manny can help their team get to the playoffs!

“I put Manny in a box and sent him next day delivery via UPS immediately! These suckers aren’t going to know what hits them when they open up this package!”

While this is only the latest most famous trick, a Manny Ramirezing is a common prank for kids. Many people have been called by children, asking if their refrigerator is running…and also if they would like to pick up Manny Ramirez off waivers.

If they should be foolish enough to say yes, they are then sent the troublesome player who proceeds to bring down the morale of their entire household. He refuses to run out ground balls, take out the trash, clean his hair and pine tar out of the bathtub after a shower, or play a day game of Dominoes after a night game.

Eventually, the family has no choice but to place Manny on waivers in their front yard until a neighbor picks him up in a truck and takes him to their team.

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Moneyball is a baseball film starring Brad Pitt and Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, and it’s set to open sometime in 2011.

Hoffman will perform as former big league manager Art Howe, and Pitt — one of the most famous people in the universe — will be playing Billy Beane, the “mastermind” general manager of the Oakland A’s.

Can you imagine that? Beane has been so successful in Oakland that a movie is being made about his innovations and triumphs as the A’s leading man. Not only is the film being made, but Beane’s character was given to one of the most recognizable faces in the business — a sex symbol, nonetheless.

And who can blame Hollywood for wanting a piece of this action? Beane has achieved so much during his time in Oakland…wait a second…

Has a Beane-led A’s team ever won anything?

This is Beane’s 13th season as GM of the Athletics, and his club has won the World Series zero times during his reign. Wait, it gets better.

In the previous 12 seasons, the A’s have won zero American League championships.

During that time period, they’ve only appeared in the ALCS once (2006). Beane’s Athletics performed well in that series against the Detroit Tigers…if “well” means getting swept. The Tigers made quick work of the light-hitting boys from Oakland.

Simply put, these results don’t make any sense. They don’t make any sense because Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is likely the most popular baseball book in publishing history. It may not only be the most popular baseball book of all time, it is arguably the most popular book of all sports.

Lewis’ detailed work elevated Beane to a stratosphere never before occupied by a general manager. As far as media coverage and attention, GM’s are often secondary to the skippers that patrol the dugouts of their respective teams.

Thanks to Lewis and Moneyball, things are quite different in Oakland. Beane is the star. The managers (Howe, Ken Macha, and Bob Geren) are puppets manipulated by the front office’s many strings and hindrances. 

The question is: does Beane deserve the stature he has achieved?

Many consider him the best general manager in the game; is he worthy of that distinction?

Well, at the very least, I can’t argue with his ability to evaluate starting pitching. It started with the extremely impressive trio of RHP Tim Hudson (an all-star again this year), LHP Barry Zito (having a bit of a bounce-back season), and LHP Mark Mulder.

Then there was RHP Rich Harden, an incredible but oft-injured talent. RHP Justin Duchscherer has been an all-star, and Beane’s trade for RHP Dan Haren came at exactly the right time in his career.

Today the A’s have a slew of capable young arms, including sinkerballer Trevor Cahill, flame-throwing lefty Gio Gonzalez, workhorse Dallas Braden (of the Perfect Game fame), electric closer Andrew Bailey, and potential long-term ace LHP Brett Anderson.

But the 2010 Oakland Athletics are a mere .500 ballclub. This infusion of impressive arms isn’t leading them to playoff-type success. And why, you ask?

Because Billy Beane teams don’t hit. Not since the steroid star power of 1B Jason Giambi and then-SS Miguel Tejada have the A’s had a lineup for opposing pitchers to fear. Their leading regulars this season are OF Ryan Sweeney (.294 BA) and limited-pop 1B Daric Barton (.279).

Although for Beane, it’s not about batting average; it’s about OBP and OPS. Unfortunately, Oakland’s on-base experts are 25th in the bigs in runs scored. What good is a razor-sharp understanding of the strikezone if you can’t drive in runners in scoring position?

Not much good at all, of course.

While we’re on the topic of offense, I can’t ignore the fact that Beane traded OF Carlos Gonzalez (aka “Cargo”).

Cargo, now an immensely popular member of the Colorado Rockies, is currently leading the National League in batting average at .326. In addition to that impressive average, he has 29 HR, 90 RBI, 20 SB, 86 R, and a .955 OPS.

With those outstanding numbers in mind, Cargo is locked in a nip-and-tuck MVP battle with Reds’ 1B Joey Votto. Both candidates have the statistics to warrant an MVP award, but Cargo is the better all-around player.

If the Rockies find a way into the postseason, in my opinion, Cargo should take home the hardware.

Can you imagine that? Beane, the “mastermind” at the helm of an offensively-starved franchise, traded an all-world talent when he was just 23 years old. Even worse, he traded Cargo for a one-year rental in LF Matt Holliday, who was shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals as soon as the wheels fell off the A’s 2009 season. 

Go figure.

And yet, in the end, I know Billy Beane is a talented executive. I completely understand the financial deficiencies of the Oakland A’s franchise. I know that Beane has drafted and developed some excellent major league ballplayers.

But…the best general manager in professional baseball? Really?

Hollywood, a full-length movie, and Brad Pitt? Really?

I’m sorry folks, but I’m not buyin’ it…

Unless Billy Beane is sellin’ it. I’d probably rip him off in a deal.

(John Frascella is the author of “Theo-logy: How a Boy Wonder Led the Red Sox to the Promised Land,” the first and only book centered on Boston ‘s popular GM Theo Epstein. Check it out on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble online. Follow John on Twitter @RedSoxAuthor.)

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