MERRY CHRISTMAS !

THE RED SOCKS BLOG would like to wish our readers a safe and  MERRY CHRISTMAS 

We will be returning with our POSTS right after New Years 2014. 
Also please remember 'Don't Drink & Drive'

Merry Christmas Everybody

RED SOX : News & Notes December 22,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 22,2013.





~ Youkilis to Japan : According to Nikkan Sports, former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis will play next season in Japan. Youkilis,who is 34, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. The deal is reportedly for $ 4 million with $ 1 million in incentives.

FOOTBALL AT FENWAY

~ Notre Dame Football at Fenway : For the first time since 1968 there will be a football game played at Fenway Park. Fenway will host the game between Boston College and Notre Dame on November 21,2015.The City of Boston will be ready to welcome Fighting Irish and Eagles fans alike when Fenway brings this historic rivalry to one of our most beloved landmarks in 2015,” mayor Thomas M. Menino said. “I'm looking forward to a memorable weekend that puts Boston, and all the great things our city has to offer, in the national spotlight.”The game between the Fighting Irish and Eagles will be the first football game at Fenway Park since Dec. 1, 1968, when – after five years of calling it home – the Patriots played their last game at the ballpark.

~Choo decides on Texas Rangers: Shin-Soo Choo has agreed to a seven-year $ 130 million deal with the Texas Rangers.Choo will give the Rangers a daunting middle of the lineup as he teams with third baseman Adrian Beltre and first baseman Prince Fielder, acquired from the Detroit Tigers last month.

RED SOX : Transactions December 22,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 22,2013.






12/16/13 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Miguel Celestino to a minor league contract.

RED SOX : Transactions December 20,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 20,2013.






12/05/13 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Dayan Diaz to a minor league contract.

BOLES TO MANAGE PAWSOX

KEVIN BOLES

Kevin Boles has been named the new manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox.

He will replace Gary DiSarcina, who left the organization to work for the Los Angeles Angels. This is a natural progression for Boles, as he moves up a notch from Double-A to Triple-A. The job also has added importance, as the Red Sox have many prospects on the Pawsox that are almost major league ready.

Boles who is 38, comes from a baseball family as his father, John Boles managed the Miami Marlins in 1996 and again from 1999-2001. 

The only other change this year on the Pawsox coaching staff is that Bruce Crabbe has been appointed the new pitching coach.

Here is a full list of the Red Sox minor league coaching staffs announced yesterday:

Pawtucket (Triple-A, International League)
Manager: Kevin Boles served as skipper of the Double-A Portland club for each of the last three seasons (2011-13) and is entering his seventh year in the Red Sox organization. He also managed high Single A Salem from 2008 through 2010.
Pitching coach: Rich Sauveur will return in the same capacity in 2014, marking his seventh year in the organization, all in that role.
Hitting coach: Dave Joppie enters his eighth year with the Red Sox and second as hitting coach at the Triple A level. An addition to the Pawtucket staff for this year is coach Bruce Crabbe, who managed Short-A Lowell last season. 2014 marks his 10th season in the Red Sox organization.
Athletic trainer: Jon Jochim will return to the PawSox for his 11th year with the Red Sox, and fifth in his current role.
Portland (Double-A, Eastern League)
Manager: Billy McMillon will replace Boles after two seasons as manager of High A Salem, where he led the club to the 2013 Mills Cup Championship. This year will mark his seventh year in the Red Sox organization, and his fifth as manager.
Pitching coach: Bob Kipper will serve for the fifth consecutive year, and his seventh year overall (also in 2003-04). 2014 will be his 15th season in the Red Sox organization.
Hitting coach: Rich Gedman is back for his second year at hitting coach. The Worcester native is in his fourth season in the Red Sox system as a coach.
Athletic trainer: Brandon Henry returns for his third season with the Sea Dogs, and his eighth overall with the Red Sox.
Salem (Single-A, Carolina League)
Manager: Carlos Febles spent the last two years as the manager at Single-A Greenville and is in his eighth year in the Red Sox system as a coach, and his fourth year as manager.
Pitching coach: Kevin Walker will return for his fourth season on the Salem staff. 2014 will mark his sixth year in the Red Sox organization.
Hitting coach: U.L. Washington is also shifting from Greenville to Salem. This season will mark Washington’s 13th year in the Red Sox minor league system, and 11th as a hitting coach.
Athletic trainer: David Herrera will return to Salem for his third season in that capacity, and his seventh year overall with the organization.
Greenville (Single-A, South Atlantic League)
Manager: Darren Fenster, who made his managerial debut with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox last year, will serve as Greenville’s skipper this season. 2014 marks the third year for Fenster in the Red Sox organization and his second year in Greenville, as he was hitting coach for the Drive in 2012.
Pitching coach: Paul Abbott will return to the Drive for his second year in that role. This year will mark his fourth season within the Red Sox system.
Hitting coach: Nelson Paulino was the hitting coach at Salem last season. He is entering his 17th consecutive year with the Red Sox.
Athletic trainer: Satoshi Kajiyama will move up from Short A Lowell to serve as athletic trainer for Greenville in 2014. He is in his second stint with the Red Sox, and fourth year overall in the organization.
Lowell (Short-A, New York-Penn League)
Manager: Not selected.
Pitching coach: Walter Miranda will return for the second straight year, and his fifth year overall, as he also held that position in 2005, 2006, and 2008. He has been a member of the Red Sox organization since 1999.
Hitting coach: Noah Hall returns for the second year and 2014 will mark his third year in the Red Sox system.
Athletic trainer: Nick Faciana is new to the Red Sox organization in 2014. The Ohio native has served as an graduate assistant and interim athletic trainer for the University of Akron varsity football team (2011-13), a rehabilitation intern with the Philadelphia Phillies (2013), and athletic trainer for Double A Akron in the Cleveland Indians organization (2010-12).
Gulf Coast League Red Sox (Rookie, Gulf Coast League
Manager: Tom Kotchman, who has 20-plus years of experience as a minor league manager, and 30-plus years of service overall in baseball, will be the GCL skipper in 2014. The father of MLB veteran, Casey Kotchman, Tom is in his second stint with the Red Sox, as he managed Single-A Winter Haven in 1982 and 1983. He returned to the Red Sox organization last year, where he served as a GCL coach.
Pitching coach: Dick Such will return for his second year in that role, and his sixth year overall in the system.
Dave Tomlin is back for his fourth straight year as a coach for the GCL Red Sox. 2014 will be his ninth straight year, and 13th overall in Boston’s farm system. Tomlin also managed the GCL club from 2006 through 2010.
Hitting coach: Raul Gonzalez will also return to the GCL staff. It will be his second year in that role, and with the organization.
Athletic trainer: Mauricio Elizondo will enter his second straight year. This year will mark his seventh season in the Red Sox organization.
Dominican Summer League Red Sox (Rookie, Dominican Summer League)
Manager: Jose Zapata will again serve as both manager for the DSL Red Sox, and as the Red Sox’ Latin American Field Coordinator, his eighth straight year in those roles.
Pitching coach: Amaury Telemaco will be back with the DSL club in 2014, marking his fifth straight year in that role. Oscar Lira will also return in 2014 as a pitching coach. It will be his third year in that capacity, and fourth year with the Red Sox.
Bench coach: Junior Zamora will be back for his seventh straight year in that role, and in the Red Sox system.
Wilton Veras, and Aly Gonzalez will also return as coaches on the DSL Red Sox staff. Veras is entering his third year with the Red Sox, and Gonzalez is back for his second year. Claudio Sanchez is back for his ninth year as a coaching assistant.Antonio Diaz also returns for his seventh season as strength and conditioning coach, and his 19th year in the Red Sox organization.
Athletic trainer: Guillermo Hinojosa will return for his fifth year in that role for the DSL Red Sox. 

FRANKLIN MORALES TRADED TO COLORADO

FRANKLIN MORALES

The Boston Red Sox have traded Franklin Morales and minor league reliever Chris Martin to the Colorado Rockies for infielder Jonathan Herrera.

Herrera will provide a little 'safety' in the infield with the impending loss of Stephen Drew.

Will Middlebrooks did not perform well last season and is not actually guaranteed a starters job at third base. He will be on a short leash next season.

Herrera hit .292 with a .364 OBP last season. He played at shortstop, second base and third base.

Franklin Morales had been with the Red Sox since 2011. He appeared in 20 games last season due to injuries. Morales has played for Colorado before from 2007 to 2011.

Chris Martin spent last season at Double A Portland.

RED SOX : Transactions December 19,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 19,2013.






12/17/13 Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Shunsuke Watanabe to a minor league contract.

12/18/13 Colorado Rockies traded SS Jonathan Herrera to Boston Red Sox for LHP Franklin Morales and RHP Chris Martin

RED SOX : News & Notes December 18,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 18,2013.





~ Red Sox 'Under' Luxury Tax threshold: The Red Sox have come in under the $ 178 million luxury tax threshold in 2013, by less than half of the 2014 minimum player salary. With their payroll at $ 177,774,334 the Red Sox fell $ 225,666 short of the penalty inducing number.

~ Yankees sign Thornton: Matt Thornton has signed a two-year contract with the New York Yankees. After spending the last five years as one of the premier relievers, Thornton showed signs of age last year in his number of strikeouts and his 'pitch speed'.

~ Red Sox sign Watanabe: Thirty-seven year old Shunsuke Watanabe of Japan, has signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. Watanabe will report to minor league 'spring training' in March and is slated to be a relief pitcher. Wantanabe has a submarine-style delivery than ends with him releasing the ball inches from the mound. He was 87-82 with a 3.65 ERA in 12 seasons in Japan.

~ Chris Carpenter released: The Red Sox have released Chris Carpenter so he could sign with the Yakult Swallow of the Japanese Central League. Carpenter appeared in eight games for the Red Sox last year and allowed six earned runs on 7 hits and 10 walks over 6 innings.

GREG MADDUX

~ Greg Maddux favored: Bill Dean has been predicting the 'Hall of Fame' vote for the past 30 years. His accuracy rate is 80%. So what does he think about this years vote ? Greg Maddux and no one else. Dean's predictions can be found at http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2013/12/15/2014-hall-fame-election-forecast/ .

RED SOX : Transactions December 17,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 17,2013.

12/04/13

Boston Red Sox signed free agent 3B Carlos Rivero to a minor league contract.

RED SOX : News & Notes December 17,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 17,2013.





~Victorino has thumb surgery: The Red Sox have announced that Shane Victorino had surgery on his right thumb,Monday. Dr. Thomas Graham, preformed the 'nerve release surgery' and Victorino is expected to be ready for spring training. The thumb injury is one of the many ailments Victorino had last year, including back and hamstring problems.

~Tanaka 'Latest': Yesterday the Rakuten Golden Eagles were trying to persuade Masahiro Tanaka to stay in Japan. This morning there are reports in the Los Angeles Times that they will grant his wish to be posted after all. The new 'posting' system has a maximum bid of $ 20 million so there should be no shortage of teams looking to sign him.


~KIDS CORNER;Rudolph's Baseball Card: The good folks at Baseball-Reference have created a page for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Visit it here http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/rudolph.html .


~More Yankee moves: The New York Yankees continued their offseason spending spree today, by agreeing to a one year deal with Brian Roberts for $ 2 million.

RED SOX : News & Notes December 16,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 16,2013.

JARRY PARK MONTREAL 1971

~ Montreal jive: There was talk again this weekend about major league baseball returning to Montreal. Much has been made of a 'feasibility study' that claims that under a certain set of circumstances a baseball team could be 'financially feasible'. This is what it is, a study on paper. There is no one with influence or money in Montreal, be they 'private' citizens or government who has thus far pledged one dollar. What the 'fuss' is about, of coarse, is major league baseballs attempt to extort the people in Tampa Bay, into supplying the Rays with a new stadium at their expense. In the meantime Montreal makes a nice 'point of leverage', n'est pas.

BILL 'SPACEMAN' LEE 

~'Spaceman' in spirit ! : Former Red Sox Bill 'Spaceman' Lee showed his Christmas spirit at the Christmas at Fenway event this past weekend. Joining Bill were Craig Breslow, Ryan Lavarnway and assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez.

~ More on Ryan Freel's suicide: The family of Ryan Freel have announced he was suffering from a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he committed suicide last year. CTE is a disease that can be caused by brain trama. Freel was reported to have suffered nine or ten concussions in his career. Former NFL star Tony Dorsett recently revealed that he was diagnosed with CTE.

DEREK JETER'S PLACE !

~Derek Jeter's privacy: If your luckey enough to get invited to Derek Jeter's place, you'll have to leave your cell phone at the door. According to the New York Post, Jeter has a 'strict' no camera or phone policy at his Tampa mansion. "He points and says, 'Phones go there,' so no one can take pictures inside his house", the Post reported.

DAVID ORTIZ LOOKING TO EXTEND CONTRACT ADDITIONAL YEAR

DAVID ORTIZ

David Ortiz is looking to extend his contract through the 2015 season.

"My lawyers are talking with the Red Sox to see if we can get, another year, and we'll see what happens later", Ortiz told ESPN during his annual golf tournament. "Maybe I'll play another year or two more years. I'm at a stage where I'll play depending on how I feel physically. Looking at Cano's deal and the rest of the boys that came only yesterday to the big leagues, signing those contracts, one says, 'that's why we're here' ".

Ortiz 38. is coming of a  'great season' where he batted .309 with 30 home runs. The homers were the most he has hit since 2010 when he 'dinged' 32. His 103 RBI's were the most he's had since 2007 when his total was 117.

In the postseason he was even better. He hit .353 with five home runs and 13 RBI's and a OPS of 1.206. He batted a space age .688 in the World Series.

Ben Cherington, when informed of Ortiz's comments, had this to say. "Well, as you know, as a policy, we prefer not to talk about our conversations with players. Out of respect for David, it's hard for me to respond, because I wasn't there and don't know exactly what he said. What I can say is that we have incredible respect for David, and as I've said before and I'll reiterate, our hope certainly is that he finishes his career in a Red Sox uniform. So at some point there will be a conversation about that. I don't know when that will be. It's early December and there are still things we're looking to do this offseason, working on different ways to improve the team. The door will always be open to David, and I'm sure at the appropriate time there will be an appropriate time to have the conversation -- and I hope he's in a Red Sox uniform the rest of his career".

Ortiz becomes the second Red Sox player this offseason who publicly stated he would like a contract extension. Jon Lester expressed similar statements last week.

RED SOX : News & Notes December 15,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 15,2013.





~ A-Rod confident: Alex Rodriguez appeared at the David Ortiz Golf Classic yesterday. He is confident a decision will come soon in his appeal of his suspension, "I'm optimistic, hopefully. It's been a very tough several months. Very tough year. I'm optimistic that ( a decision ) will come soon. We can get it behind us and take all the stuff off the back pages and focus on playing baseball and all the great things that are happening with the game. Make a decision, whatever happens, let's move forward".

~ Iglesias update: Jose Iglesias said he watched every game of the World Series rooting for the Red Sox. Iglesias said he was shocked by the trade when it happened but he got use to it once he got to know his new teammates in Motown. "This was my first organization. I've got a great memory of the organization that built the player that I am and the player that I will be. Later on, when my son says, 'What team did you used to play for, daddy ?' I'll say, 'I played for the Red Sox. Hey, look, I got a ring from the Red Sox.' I feel a big part of that win, as well, because I helped the team a lot".

~ Red Sox ink Snyder: The Red Sox have signed infielder Brandon Snyder to a minor league contract with a invitation to spring training. Snyder played 27 games for the Red Sox last season, hitting .180. Snyder has played in a total of 83 games in the major leagues.

JACOBY A YANKEE

~ Ellsbury officially a Yankee: Jacoby Ellsbury was officially introduced as a New York Yankee on Friday. "I'm proud to be a New York Yankee," he said, "From the get go, the Yankees showed a great interest and showed that they really wanted me. I always enjoyed playing here, I love the tradition, the fans, it will be nice having them on my side now, but it's just a great place to be, I'm honored to be here, and I'm excited".

JOHN ELY

~ John Ely gets chance with Red Sox: John Ely with get a chance with the Red Sox. Friday, Boston signed him to a minor league contract with a invitation to spring training. Ely missed the entire 2013 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He was given his release by the Houston Astros in November.

THE CONFUSION OVER 'VIDEO REPLAY'

VIDEO REPLAY 'CONFUSION'

There seems to be some confusion concerning the final rules for the 'video replay system' the owners are planning to implement next season. 

At the end of last weeks winter meetings the managers indicated that what they were told at the GM's meetings last month, is far different than the regulations that were being discussed at the winter meetings.

Joe Torre, the MLB vice president for baseball operations, disagreed with this perception. "The fact of the matter is we still have to receive approval from the MLBPA and umpires union, so there is really nothing that is in stone at this point in time. But I thought it was a good opportunity to give the managers a little head's up, and especially the fact that the next time we see them it will be Spring Training, just give them something to think about, and to let them call us with any questions or suggestions".

Torre added, "So it certainly wasn't a meeting where we said, 'This is the way it's going to be', it was basically, 'This is where we are right now', and I really don't want to go into it only because it may not be the same thing we start the season with. We have a pretty good idea of where we want to be, but, again, we still have to wait for the unions to sign off".

What a difference a month makes. Last month, Torre was talking about ways to keep managers from 'stalling' to allow others in the press box to look at replays and give a signal as to whether the play should be appealed.

More than one manager though, at this weeks meetings were under the impression not only would electronic help be available but that it would be ready within 10 seconds, and that each ballpark would have equal access in both dugouts.

When asked about this specifically, Torre said, "It's just that we've talked about a lot of stuff. The one thing in this process that our goal is to make everything uniform for all the teams. So you have a road team and a home team, we are making sure that the home team is not going to have an advantage over the road team. We plan on having the technology standardized for everybody".

As well, the managers were told, that they would be given just one challenge per game and if it was upheld they would get another.

"Umpires are my responsibility," Torre said, "I'd like to see no challenges through the course of the ballgame. We have to be realistic, but the fewer, the better. Right now, I think our take on it is we've missed like one call every 5.7 or 5.8 games. The fact is that there is nothing insignificant about any play that happens during the course of a game, because it can turn into something big. We just sort of planted some seeds today on some of our thinking, on how we're thinking. As far as how many challenges, you know, the fewer the better for me."

One thing that will not change is that the review will be made by 'MLB Advanced Media' headquarters in New York City.

MLB has been aware from the beginning about 'the pace of the game', and how it would be impacted by the changes.

Torre elaborated, "The game is the most important thing. I know we have the technology. We can't ignore it. But we certainly don't want to affect the rhythm of the game. Our sport is a little different than other sports. We don't have the built-in timeouts that other sports have where they can do stuff. And we're trying to make sense of what we can do without interfering, and what is important for us".

Joe Torre and MLB remain confident there will be a replay system in place for 2014, the system has been tested already in the Arizona Fall League. But there obviously are a few wrinkles to iron out yet.

Last word to Joe, " I think it can come together very quickly. We're certainly not going to force something if we're not ready to do it the right way. We're pretty confident we can do it with the six or seven weeks of Spring Training, and that will be our practice ground both in Florida and Arizona. I think we'll be in pretty good shape by that time. But they're just loose ends not tied up. It's not like we're all over the place."

JACOBY ELLSBURY THANKS RED SOX FANS !

Jacoby Ellsbury took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe to thank Red Sox fans yesterday.

DANIEL NAVA SUPPLIES RED SOX WITH 'SUPER-SUB'

DANIEL NAVA

BILL LANNO
THE RED SOCKS BLOG
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Daniel Nava began last season as a bench player for the Boston Red Sox, with a good story about how his perseverance got him to the big leagues. 

Daniel finished 2013 as one of just 12 hitters in the American League to hit over .300. The 'Super Sub' had arrived.

If your looking for one reason Ben Cherington's work was easy at this weeks winter meetings, you only have to look as far as Daniel Nava."He is a popular guy in baseball." Ben Cherington said last week. We assume Ben has been receiving many phone calls these days about Nava. 

Nava has become every managers dream. A switch-hitter who sees a average of 4.1 pitches per plate appearance. John Farrell used him as a key to constructing his lineup daily. Add to this that he made only $ 500,000 last season and isn't eligible for arbitration until after next season, well you can see why Ben's phone has been ringing.

You can all start breathing again - Daniel Nava isn't going anywhere. "He's a key guy, because his value is above his raw offensive numbers, because of what you're saying," Cherington said when asked if having a player so versatile helped in his offseason plans. "John and I both feel he's a very important guy for out team."

Nava's value to the Red Sox cannot be overstated. With Jacoby Ellsbury leaving for the Bronx, Farrell would be comfortable with moving Shane Victorino over to center, because he has Nava.

Daniel Nava isn't buying all the fuss about him. He said last week from his home in California, "I feel like I can do better. I wasn't happy with how things turned out for me defensively. I know it was a step in the right direction, but, still, I held myself to a high standard. From last year it was a easy thing to improve on because the bar was so low. But next year I really want to keep going in that direction of improving, knowing swings, knowing our pitchers. That stuff really helps in terms of getting those extra steps."

Cherington also thinks that Nava could hit leadoff. "We have a number of guys who have a history of getting on base either at the major league level or the minor league level. If that's the number one criteria for that spot, which I believe it is, and John believes it is, I think we have some guys that can handle that, or a combination of guys that can handle that if they need to. The leadoff prototype has on-base and speed and power all combined, and those guys that have all of those things are hard to find. I'm not sure we have one guy that has all those things, or has proven they have all those things at the major league level, but if we're getting on base at the top of the lineup and we do a good enough job building depth in the lineup, then we'll have a chance to score runs."

In keeping with Nava's versatility, we may even see him give Mike Napoli the odd day off at first base. Nava played first last year for over 86 innings and at one point was listed behind Napoli on the 'Depth Chart'.

Nava discussed his first base exploits, "I think I have a lot of work to do personally. They obviously felt comfortable enough to have me out there, which encourages me to give myself a little more credit than I'm willing to give myself. When your only exposed to a limited amount, there's a lot of things that don't happen that over a long haul may expose you more. I personally think I need a lot more experience to get to the level I want to be at. But I understand it was trial by fire, so maybe in spring training I'll get more."

If Nava does start to learn first base he would be no better off than Napoli was last year, never having played the position. But Napoli learned fast and finished the season a 'Gold Glove' caliber first baseman.

Look for Daniel Nava to be a very important component of the 2014 Red Sox.
Not bad for a kid that was all but out of baseball just two years ago.

RED SOX : Transactions December 13,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 13,2013.






Dec.12th: Boston Red Sox signed free agent 1B Mike Napoli.
Dec.12th: Boston Red Sox designated RF Alex Castellanos for assignment.

RED SOX : News & Notes December 13,2013.

RED SOX : News & Notes
December 13,2013.

MICHAEL ALMANZAR

~ Red Sox lose one in Rule 5 Draft: The Red Sox have lost one minor-leaguer in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 draft held yesterday. Michael Almanzar, a 23 year old third baseman from the Dominican Republic, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles. Almanzar hit .268 with 16 home runs, 81 RBI's and 42 walks last season for the Double A Portland Sea Dogs. The Orioles must keep Almanzar on the major-league roster all season or offer him back to the Red Sox. In the Triple A portion of the draft the Red Sox picked up shortstop Jonathan Roof from the Philadelphia Phillies.

~ Ortiz Tournament under way: The sixth annual David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic is underway in the Dominican Republic. The event supports the David Ortiz Children's Fund which has given millions to pediatric care over the years. Ortiz does not play golf, but in his 'good natured' way putts with every group. Even Alex Rodriguez is on the way.

~ Halem appointed VP of Labor Relations: Dan Halem has been appointed executive vice president of labor relations for Major League Baseball yesterday. Halem will report to MLB CEO Rob Manfred. "I am pleased to expand Dan's role with Major League Baseball," said a statement issued by Selig. "Rob, Dan and their team have superbly managed a number of significant initiatives for our industry and I believe that they will continue to support the work of our Clubs with distinction in the future".

'MONSTER SLED'

~ Citi 'Frozen Fenway': Again this year Fenway Park will be transformed into a 'winter wonderland' from December 28th to January 13th. In addition to the NHL regulation ice surface across the infield there will also be a 75 foot 'Monster Sled' run in center field. Available for groups of 100 or more. Call the Red Sox at 617-226-6791 to book a ride.



~ New York tabloids are classy: The New York Mets signing brought out the best in the New York City tabloids. I imagine there are no 'fat' Yankee fans !

RED SOX : Transactions December 12,2013.

RED SOX : Transactions
December 12,2013.






Dec. 12th : Baltimore Orioles claimed 3B Michael Almanzar off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.