June 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (44) doubles against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Boston won 11-1. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley put that all behind him when he got to Pawtucket, as he got extremely hot, slashing to a .354/.457/.544 line reminiscent of his numbers last year in High-A Salem (.359/.480/.526). The Red Sox have just had far too many injuries to let a prospect like that languish in the minors, so they called him up despite his struggles his first time around. Things have changed tremendously since then, as Bradley has made the necessary adjustments to become an effective major league player. His defense has been stellar and with his first major league home run last night, his hitting hasn’t been too far behind.

Since going 3-31 (.097) in early April, Bradley has made tangible improvements here. In his second stint with the club, he is batting .294 with his home run last night. It seems that he has vanquished his struggles with the inner part of the plate as, in his last 10 games, he is hitting .300 on pitches middle-in (according to ESPN’s Hot Zones).

When Jacoby Ellsbury returns (which could be tonight), Bradley will be demoted from the starting lineup, as he has started in center field the last four games. He will likely reside on the bench until Shane Victorino returns from the DL. There hasn’t been a formal announcement of a rehab assignment for Victorino yet, so that could be a week or two. It’s always nice to have a hot hitter on one’s bench, and that’s exactly what the Red Sox will have until Victorino sends Bradley back to the minors.

Apr 5, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (44) is tagged out by Toronto Blue Jays cacther J.P. Arencibia (9) in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Jr, will rejoin the team in Philadelphia, as Boston kicks off the second leg of their two-at home, two-away four game series against the Phillies.

The Sox had been carrying 13 pitchers and 12 position players, but opted to switch things up for the road trip, which will be played under National League rules. Unlike the last time Bradley Jr was called up, he will likely see most of his action come as a pinch runner, pinch hitter, or a late game defensive substitution.

The bulk of the playing time will go to the triumvirate of Jonny Gomes, Daniel Nava, and Mike Carp, none of whom profile as plus defenders anywhere on the diamond.

Bradley Jr had been swinging the bat well for Pawtucket of late, hitting .354 for Boston’s AAA club since his demotion on April 18.

(more…)

The Pitchers

• Allen Webster continued his dominant season with Pawtucket with an excellent start on Friday. He allowed 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 9 in 6 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.70 and picking up his first win of the year. If a Red Sox rotation member sees any struggles, it will likely be Webster that is called up as he has been great in Triple-A.
• Matt Barnes may finally be starting to rediscover his excellent stuff. He recorded a great start on Wednesday, going 6 innings while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks with 10 strikeouts. Barnes has been notoriously unlucky to start the year as despite a 27:8 K:BB ratio in 20 innings and an abundance of ground ball outs, he has a 6.75 ERA and .325 batting average against. Hopefully his luck is starting to turn and we’ll see more of the Barnes we saw last season.
• Henry Owens has been great to start his season in Salem, and that trend continued as he allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 10 yesterday. Owens has always had great strikeout stuff, and that has certainly been on display this year as he has 40 in 32 innings, but he has been generally much more effective than he was last year as he has a 2.25 ERA and a .153 batting average against. We could see him in Portland before too long if he continues this.
• Anthony Ranaudo’s marvelous return to form continued in his Thursday start as he allowed 1 run on 4 hits and a walk in 5.1 innings, striking out 4. Ranaudo has been phenomenal this season in Portland for the 23 year old and it’s looking like he’s ready to reclaim his spot as one of the Red Sox’ top prospects.

The Hitters

• Xander Bogaerts is quickly making people forget about his slow start, as he just finished up a magnificent week. He batted .313 with his first 2 home runs of the year and 3 RBIs. He is now up to a .303/.373/.465 slash line with 2 home runs, 11 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and an especially impressive 11 walks– plate discipline being his main flaw after last season.
  

  Apr 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley (44) grounds to the pitcher advancing two men during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Boston won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

• Jackie Bradley Jr. has finally begun to heat up after a slow start to his season at Pawtucket. Over the last week, he batted .500 (6-12) with 2 RBIs and 2 walks. Strikeouts have been a problem since his brief stint in the majors, but he has brought his overall slash line up to .302/.400/.349 with 0 homers and 4 RBIs.
• Garin Cecchini has continued his hot start in Salem, as he raked for another week, hitting at a clip of .375 with 1 home run and 5 RBIs. So far, he has looked deserving of a promotion as his slash line has been bumped to .394/.466/.636 with 3 homers, 16 RBIs, and 10 steals.

Apr 3, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (44) is hit by a wild pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The more thrill-seeking and fan oriented camps, myself included on this one, said reward him for flat out raking, turning away all competitors and inspiring Red Sox Nation to have more than just hope at the dawn of the 2013 season. Emotion and going with the gut carried the day. At least for now we’re witnessing a rookie who is struggling mightily with that decision.

After an improbable 0-2 opening day against the Yankees in which he walked three times and scored twice Bradley has looked every bit a rookie at the plate. He’s strayed from the plate discipline that allowed him to work his way into hitter’s counts.

Specifically, Bradley has faced a lot of good left handed pitching and since the start of the season has been unable to get a hit in the bigs off a lefty. That’s right. A goose egg.

Bradley appears to be handling it like a big leaguer, again impressing Red Sox management with his maturity. ”It’s one of those periods every hitter goes through,” Bradley told MLB.com’s Jason Mastrodonato. Since getting an RBI in each of his first three major league games, Bradley has gone 0-11 with five Ks and two walks. And it’s about to get more interesting.

David Ortiz is due to be activated April 19 and Daniel Nava is mashing it (currently hitting .421, right about what Bradley hit in spring training). If Bradley continues to slump the Red Sox will have to make a decision.

If Bradley does end up going down, the silver lining is that if he goes down for 20 days Boston will be able to reclaim their 2019 player control year that was lost when he was promoted to the starting lineup to start the season.

Manager John Farrell is also seeing what I have been seeing; Bradley is getting jammed down and in. “They’ve probably exploited the inside part of the plate on him a little bit more,” Farrell said of Bradley’s struggles. “The one thing that has shown up a little bit is that in Spring Training or even the first series of the year, early in the count when he swung the bat, he was getting his pitch and he was squaring some pitches up. Now those pitches are being fouled back.”

I still the think the kids has got the goods. At least for now, the goods may not yet be on the top shelf.

Although your dad was named after singer Jackie Wilson, and that tradition was passed on to you, your Twitter page pays homage to that other Jackie, number 42.  And you tweeted:

Jackie Bradley Jr. ‏@JackieBradleyJr 16 Oct

I get the chills every time I watch this. Watching just this short clip is so powerful http://bit.ly/R30Ubw

The film “42” tells the iconic story of Jackie Robinson, the baseball player who broke the color line; it celebrates him as a superior athlete and a man with dignity, strength of character, and class.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and your Twitter page makes your connection to another famous Jackie quite clear:

“My quote on Twitter is from Jackie Robinson, my favorite baseball player of all time. Without Jackie doing what he did, I am not here playing baseball. I try to give baseball as well as life my all each and every day because you can’t take anything for granted. When I see someone who needs a little boost or help, I want to be that person to lend them a hand to bring them to a better place in their lives.”

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and there are already reminders of your connections to the great former Negro League players, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

The nonpareil Hall of Famer, Willie Mays, would tell the story of how his Auntie Sarah Satterwhite, would roll a ball to him on the floor, before Willie was old enough to walk.

At the age of three, Willie was playing catch with his father, William Howard Mays, who played center field for the Birmingham Industrial League Semi Pro team.

Jackie Bradley’s mother said: “I discovered he had a gift when he was 18 months old…That’s when I bought him a little tee ball set, which we set up in the front yard. He took his bat and hit one into the street. I was shocked.”

When signing a Red Sox jersey for a charity auction, Bradley took his time. In neat cursive, he signed: “Jackie Bradley Jr., 44.”

“Whoa, that’s weird. Forty-four,” Bradley said as he finished.

The number 44 had just been given to him to wear. He did not ask why the Red Sox gave him that number, although 44 resonates in baseball history, worn by, among others, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson and Willie McCovey.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and there are already comparisons to the first Jackie; you are a game-changer with your bat, glove, and speed; you are a man of noble character; you are a thoughtful, sensitive man; if your power develops [especially to opposite field Green Monster], you could put up very similar stats to Jackie The First.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and you keep that “Jr.” on the back of your uniform, because, as you joked: “My dad always told me, ‘You better put Junior in there because if you ever get in trouble, I’m not going to jail for you.’”

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and with a total of just 138 games of Minor league apprenticeship, you are the first position player from your 2011 draft class, one of the deepest and most talented pools in years, to reach the big leagues.

You won’t turn 23 until April 19^th this year, but you are the first Red Sox rookie to make his big-league debut on Opening Day since Shea Hillenbrand in 2001. You are the youngest left fielder to open the season for the Sox since Carl Yastrzemski, who was 21 when he made his debut in 1961.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and your prospects for being drafted by a team in MLB tanked, when you suffered a mid-season wrist injury, while diving for a ball against Vanderbilt. You missed much of the final two months of the regular season — the period that led up to the draft.

You would not be seen on the field again before the draft; denying you the opportunity to go on a hot streak and led MLB scouts to wonder about your health; especially if the injury would negatively affect you swing at bat.

The injury probably caused you to slide down the draft boards and right into the waiting arms of the Red Sox organization.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and your sudden arrival on the Boston roster is a stark contrast to a player who tried out for the team in 1945.  It took a City Councilman to threaten to not approve Red Sox games on Sundays [due to Blue Laws], to force the franchise to reluctantly to give the man a tryout at Fenway.

But, the team stalled for three days and the player was forced to sit in a hotel room, until a local paper broke the story.  When the player and two other black players ran onto the field, it was reported, anecdotaly, that someone yelled out “Get those niggers off the field,” but not in any newspaper.

“It burns me up to come fifteen hundred miles to have them give me the runaround…Not for one minute did we think the tryout was sincere.” [Jackie Robinson]

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and you are familiar with the racist history of the Boston Red Sox franchise:  it was the last team to put a black player on its Major league roster.  Cantankerous owner [1933-76], Tom Yawkey was a racist:

“The Red Sox had several black players in their farm system during the 1950s. Many would have good seasons but then, without explanation, be traded away or even released outright, while the slow, lumbering power-oriented white players that typified the Red Sox were no longer in style in the major leagues. Against his personal wishes, Yawkey finally allowed the team to be integrated. In 1959, the Red Sox became the last major league team to field a black player, (Pumpsie Green), twelve years after Jackie Robinson‘s rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers.”  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Yawkey]

“We scouted them right along, but we didn’t want one because he was a Negro. We wanted a ballplayer,” said Yawkey.

[http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/smoking-gun-red-sox-owner-was-blatant-racist-27047]

Until 1959, they rejected players who were not up to Yawkey’s “ballplayer standard”—Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, while all the other MLB teams were signing Lary Doby, Satchel Paige, Hank Thompson, Monty Irvin, and Hall of Fame SS, “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks.

“The Red Sox were one of the most racist teams in baseball. You’ve got a 50-year legacy of difficulties between the Red Sox and the African-American population.” [Howard Bryant, author of Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston (2002).

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and you have been privately tipped off about Boston’s “dirty little secret”—an entrenched racism under the thin liberal patina created by the faculty and students of its many universities and colleges.

“Bolstered by the undertone of racial apartheid that long was otherwise-liberal Boston’s dirty little secret, Yawkey’s Red Sox neither sought nor signed African-American players [until 1966]… Pumpsie Green was the token black player’s name, and he had to play for a manager, Yawkey pal Mike Higgins, who was an unrepentant southern racist who could have stepped into Rod Steiger’s “In the Heat of the Night” role without an acting coach.”

[http://ethicsalarms.com/2009/11/20/the-ethics-of-bigotry-part-iiitom-yawkeys-red-sox-racism-and-how-not-to-prove-it/]

Although “[Mike] Higgins was prone to using racist slurs…Yawkey not only kept him on as manager for several years, he promoted him to general manager.”

Yawkey explained:

“I have no feeling against colored people. I employ a lot of them in the South. But they are clannish…”

[http://ethicsalarms.com/2009/11/20/the-ethics-of-bigotry-part-iiitom-yawkeys-red-sox-racism-and-how-not-to-prove-it/]

Yawkey and his ilk tended toward a more Klan-ish attitude.

Boston general manager and Hall of Fame infielder Eddie Collins claimed in March, 1944:

“We [the Red Sox] have never had a single request for a try-out by a colored applicant.”

But, almost a year later at approximately 10:30 in the morning on Monday, April 16, 1945, Boston city Councilman Isadore Muchnick and sportswriter Wendell Smith and three African-American baseball players from the Negro leagues arrived at Boston’s Fenway Park.

One month earlier the Red Sox reluctantly agreed to hold a tryout for African American ballplayers:  Shortstop Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs, second baseman Marvin Williams of the Philadelphia Stars and outfielder Sam Jethroe of the Cleveland Buckeyes.

The audition of the three players took a little over one year to arrange and lasted only a perfunctory ninety minutes. A blatant insult.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and you are aware that there are more recent examples of racism by the franchise:

When the Sox fired Tommy Harper in 1985 he filed a successful suit through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In 1990, outfielder Ellis Burks was the only African American player on the Red Sox roster, just like it was in 1959, when then General Manager, Lou Gorman said:  “I know it’s out there but I really don’t know what you can do about it.”

There were issues with the treatment African American players, such as star Mo Vaughn, and off-field Red Sox employees.

In 1998, Thomas Sneed, the African American manager of the club’s “600 Club,” a private restaurant with club seating at Fenway Park, filed a complaint with MCAD.  Someone defaced a photograph on his desk of his white girlfriend.  When he complained, the Red Sox took no action.

Thus, for at least the third time in their history, race inspired legal action against the Red Sox organization.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and maybe you’ve heard about this city’s recent history:

There was undercover officer Michael Cox’s beating at the hands of white colleagues who mistook him for a criminal.

In March, 2012 a 23-year-old butcher from Roxbury walked into a Dorchester bar called Twelve Bens around midnight, the only black man in an Irish pub was with a 27-year-old white friend, and, after they had ordered a few drinks and started playing darts, a half dozen drunken white men approached them, according to the police report.

The word “nigger” was thrown at the black man, and he was taunted for being a black hockey fan wearing a Bruins shirt. His friend stepped in and was branded a “nigger lover.”

The two men asked the bartender for help; he allegedly snapped, “Mind your own business.” They left, but the group followed them and a fight erupted in the parking lot, six men pummeling one into the pavement. No one was arrested, though the bar’s owner was cited for failing to notify police.

The incident went all but unreported in the media.

[http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/divided-we-stand/]

And, then there was that ugly incident in 2012 when the Boston Bruins lost the Stanley Cup to the Washington Capitals, when Caps’ right winger—a  black hockey player— Joel Ward fired a puck past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.

Boston fans were outraged, not just because their team lost, but because they had been beaten by “a nigger.”

Listen to the racist carrion Tweet:

• “Joel ward you fucking nigger you suck 6 goals all season you fucking plug nigger bitch”
• “Hey Joel Ward!! You fuckin spear chucking monkey, why don’t you actually DO SOMETHING. You’re totally irrelevant”
• “Joel Ward doe. yet again, slowly taking over everything the white man holds near and dear”
• “The only reason Joel ward is playing hockey is because he got cut from the basketball team in high school #gorilla”
• “Fuck joel ward. Fuck black hockey players. the bruins blackhawks all day niggas”
• “Joel ward is a fuckin nigger #FuckYou”
• “How the fuck did Joel ward get out of my plantation? #WheresMyCotton”
• “Warning to Joel Ward. Your one of three black guys in Canada. I will find you…and I will kill you.”

[MORE HERE with IDs attached: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/27-racist-and-homophobic-reactions-to-black-hockey]

Red Sox Century, traced the racial history of the Red Sox back to the Jackie Robinson tryout and asserted that racism- not the spurious “Curse of the Bambino”–was the major factor that prevented the Red Sox from winning a world championship since 1945.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and you know that on February 22, 2002, presumably, the Yawkey Jim Crow Era ended when he sold the club to New England Sports Ventures.

Nearly a year later, on January 31, Jackie Robinson’s birthday, the club sponsored a “teach in” of sorts on Robinson for a group of adolescents.

It appears that the new Red Sox ownership, by not denying, dismissing, or distorting the facts of the club’s racist reputation, seem willing to treat that era as a lesson learned and move into the post-integration epoch.

YOU’RE JACKIE BRADLEY, JR. and it appears that the equality that your hero, Jackie Robinson, worked so hard for, may finally be realized in the Red Sox organization.

Still, Mr. Bradley, as a young man from the South, take it from an ancient Irishman who has been to–and knows–Southie, it would be prudent for you to avoid the south of Boston.

Because, even today, if you were walking down Broadway in Southie, and you were approached by a group of white adolescents with bats, it could still mean one of two things:

1. They recognize you as their hero Red Sox outfielder and want you to autograph their bats.

                                               OR

2. They do not know who you are and–in the ugliest tradition of Southie racism–they will use those bats to        beat you to within an inch of your life.

Welcome to the team that let its blatant racism send Jackie Robinson away, after the future Hall of Famer was humiliated, forced to wait for days for a try out that lasted only 90 minutes.

Welcome to a city with a long, sordid history of hatred toward black people.

Welcome to what the former Mayor, in his parochial accent called, quite accurately:

“The Shitty of Bawsh-tun.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

March 24, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (74) works out prior to the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been very impressed with how Bradley has played this spring and he’s played well to justify this promotion. Being an Omaha, Nebraska native, I had the privilege of watching Bradley play in the College World Series. As a sophomore, he was a catalyst in the University of South Carolina’s 2010 national championship (the first of two in a row). The Red Sox pulled off quite the heist in the 2011 draft. Bradley had a subpar 2011 season due to a lingering wrist injury. Had it not been for that injury, chances are the Red Sox wouldn’t have even been able to get Bradley with their top overall pick (19th overall which they used on RHP Matt Barnes). Instead they were able to burn the 19th, 26th (catcher Blake Swihart), and 36th (LHP Henry Owens) before taking Bradley with the 40th overall pick.

Bradley recovered nicely from the wrist injury and started to climb the ladder quickly in 2012, ending the season with Double A Portland. This spring, Bradley has had the best numbers out of all the players in camp. He definitely is the best overall option to pencil in the lineup with David Ortiz recovers from a wrist injury (not to mention we don’t know if Jose Iglesias will finally start to hit with Stephen Drew out).

However, I still feel it would’ve been for the best to start Bradley out with Triple A Pawtucket. Spring training stats are probably not the best way to decided if a guy is ready for The Show or not (though John Farrell keeps saying there were other intangibles he sees in the kid to go with those numbers). This will also start his club control clock. Had the Sox waited until the tenth game of the season they would’ve guaranteed themselves control of Bradley’s services for 2019, Bradley’s age 29 season.

Not unlike Jacoby Ellsbury, Jackie Bradley is also represented by Scott Boras. Boras clients tend to bleed out the arbitration years and hit the open market after the club control expires. For most players, the age 29 season is a middle of his prime season. If the Red Sox fail to keep Bradley off the 25 man roster for less than 172 days, Bradley will hit the market after 2018. The Red Sox would then either do A. Lose him to another club or B. Risk signing him to a deal fit for a Boras client. Have a feeling scenario B could bring back Carl Crawford deja vu.

Of course, there is still hope. The Red Sox could option Bradley to Pawtucket for a few weeks once Ortiz returns. That would keep 2019 intact. But I fear two things might happen: 1. If Bradley really struggles out of the gate, could it do serious damage to his psyche (he seems to have a demeanor that would prevent that but still…) 2. If Bradley does indeed to well and prove himself major league-ready, how do you explain why you’re demoting the kid? It just seems that the Red Sox could’ve avoided a potential controversy by just simply outrighting Bradley for two weeks and have Ryan Sweeney play placeholder in the meantime.

There also have been a few Boras clients who were exceptions to the rule (Jared Weaver to name one) who opted to sign an extension. If Bradley truly loves being in Boston, maybe he’ll do the same. As a fan, I hope he plays well enough so the club will actually want to extend him. In his prime, I see a 20/20 ceiling with a very good average and awesome OBP. Will also hit a good share of doubles and triples and play gold glove defense. For 2013: A potential ROY candidate. .270-.275 average, .345 OBP, 5-10 homers. At some point, maybe John Farrell will decide to have the stronger-armed and rangier Bradley swap spots with Jacoby Ellsbury as well. We shall see…

Here’s my 2012 predictions:

AL East
1. Blue Jays
2. *Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Yankees

This division could be a dogfight all season long. On paper, Toronto is the favorite. Just comes down to how all these big name acquisitions gel. The Red Sox will be much improved with better pitching and team chemistry. If the Jays don’t gel, look for the Sox to steal the division. Otherwise I do have them winning a wild card. Tampa’s pitching staff was depleted somewhat and I still think Wil Meyers benefited from the hitter-friendly PCL. Baltimore didn’t do much to upgrade this winter and it’s doubtful they go 29-9 in one run games again. But they still do have an emerging young core. Can’t say that about New York. Another year older and not much depth.

AL Central
1. Tigers
2. Royals
3. White Sox
4. Indians
5. Twins

KC will be the runner up in a division Detroit should run away with. The ChiSox have talent and could give KC a fit for second place. The Indians made some nice additions with Michael Bourne and Nick Swisher. The former a solid leadoff guy and the latter’s a reliable power/OBP guy, but not a middle of the order threat. Still didn’t do enough on the pitching front. The Twins are still in rebuilding mode.

AL West
1. Angels
2.*Rangers
3. A’s
4. Mariners
5. Astros

The Halos look very, very good. Two former MVPs in Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols are backing up budding young stars in Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo. The rotation is solid, but not great. Still should be enough to fend off the Rangers who were gutted but are still a very talented club. Still don’t know how the A’s made the playoffs last year. Seattle should be better. All four of these teams get to beat up on the Astros a good 18 times each. That should help the old winning percentage.

*-denotes Wild Card

March 24, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (74) is congratulated by assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez (57) after he hit a 3-run home run during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The debate is over. The Red Sox have decided to both reward Jackie Bradley Jr. for his stellar spring training outing and throw down the gauntlet right here, right now.

Over a team second highest 62 at bats Bradley batted .419 during spring training. He led or was at the top of nearly every significant offensive category, doing it with poise and maturity beyond his 22-years.

By making the move, Boston management is foregoing an additional year of club control. It’s a gutsy compete here and now move. Some say it’s bad business business. I think it’s great for baseball and signals to both the fan base and the rest of the AL East that Boston is all in for the 2013 campaign.

Manager John Farrell told reporters, ”The fact that he’s played at a high-level or high profile even as an amateur — some of the things were in place even before he was drafted by the Red Sox. I don’t want to say he’s unflappable, but at the same time he has a very consistent approach.”

By keeping Bradley on the roster, Jonny Gomes will serve Monday as Boston’s designated hitter against the Yankees and lefty starter CC Sabathia, a better matchup for Gomes who hits lefties 50 points higher than righties. First baseman Mauro Gomez was designated for assignment to make room for Bradley on the 40-man roster.

March 25, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (74) works out prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

As always when a top prospect makes his debut, there is going to be tons of hype for the 22 year old. Bradley seems very mature and collected for his age and with an easy-going demeanor and a polished approach, it looks like he’s going to be the next great Red Sox player. However, though Bradley has the skills and maturity to become an above average player and a fan favorite, one has to look at the facts and expert opinions before jumping to conclusions.

Bradley is not going to continue to hit over .400; pitchers will figure out the youngster but he ought to be able to recover. One cannot expect him to be an absolute monster who wins multiple MVP’s en route to a Hall of Fame berth. However, it’s entirely reasonable to expect Bradley to be a .300 hitter who adds double-digit home runs and steals while providing excellent defense in his prime.

As a 22 year old (Bradley turns 23 on April 19), Bradley isn’t particularly close to his prime though. He has no experience above Double-A ball, where he didn’t exactly light the world on fire, batting .271/.373/.437. Don’t be fooled by his spring training stats (after all, Darnell McDonald led the Red Sox in hitting last spring), but also don’t be overly negative. Because of his advanced approach at the plate, it seems reasonable to expect Bradley to hit somewhere in the .250-.280 range with a high walk rate and great defense.

If it were up to me, Bradley would spend at least the 11 days in Pawtucket necessary to keep him from becoming a free agent after 2018. However, it appears unlikely that the Red Sox will go by this route, as they’ve all but announced his accomplishment by releasing Ryan Sweeney earlier today. It seems to me that Bradley will be a good player in Boston, and maybe as soon as this year. However, he’s probably not going to be a great player, so hamper your expectations if you expect anything close to the hype which various Boston media centers have been pumping since early March.

—————————————–

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March 20, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (74) doubles during the first inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Luckily for Workman, he was backed by some good offense– even against one of the toughest lefties in the game in Cliff Lee. After a 1-2-3 first inning, the Red Sox put two men on base to start the second before the big blow. That blow was a three-run, opposite field, lefty-on-lefty home run by none other than Jackie Bradley Jr., who continued his ridiculous spring by giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

The offense continued in the third inning as three consecutive hard-hit singles by Shane Victorino, Dustin Pedroia, and Mike Napoli loaded the bases with no outs. It looked as if the Phillies may be en route to escaping the little jam when Will Middlebrooks hit a hard grounder just to the left of shortstop Jimmy Rollins. However, it got by the veteran shortstop, deflecting off his glove to score two runs and give the Red Sox a 5-0 lead. The Red Sox got one more run on a sacrifice fly to center by Jackie Bradley Jr., his 4th RBI of the game and 9th of the spring.

After those runs were all scored, the Red Sox allowed the Phillies to get back into the ballgame, starting with two runs allowed by Workman in the third. Workman was followed by a perfect inning by Andrew Bailey, before Daniel Bard ran into some trouble. He would allow an unearned run on two hits in the inning. Sean Henn and Noe Ramirez worked scoreless 6th and 7th innings before the big bats did some damage for the Phils.

After an excellent seventh inning, John Farrell left Ramirez in for the eighth. He would allow plenty of damage in his additional third of an inning as he allowed back-to-back home runs: a two run shot to Chase Utley and a solo homer to Ryan Howard. Ryan Rowland-Smith got out of the jam, and the Red Sox got back in front on a ninth inning RBI by Shannon Wilkerson. Marco Duarte would close out of the game with a perfect inning and notch his second save of the spring to give the Red Sox a 15-14 spring record.

March 20, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (74) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome Sox fans to the first of a regular installment called Red Sox Roundtable. Each week you and the Bosox Injection writers get to kick around a hot topic of the week. This week’s question is Should Jackie Bradley Junior Start The Season in The Bigs?

I published a piece on Monday suggesting that Bradley not only should start the season with the Red Sox but should be in the starting lineup. I’m tired of the intellectual and business discussions regarding Bradley. I get that by putting him in the starting lineup up in 2013 his service clock starts ticking a year earlier than the Red Sox had expected. I understand that Boston wants to give him another year of seasoning and maturity. I also feel it in my baseball bones that if the Red Sox are serious about competing this year you gotta play this kid.

What do you think? The commenting period is now OPEN!

March 31, 2012; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Darnell McDonald (54) singles in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during their spring training game at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, the general public puts way too much stock in spring training statistics when assessing a player’s future performance. I understand it, I really do. People simply want their team’s players to do well, and spring training success acts as a confirmation bias of sorts.

For example, a player on your favorite team hits .400 and suddenly, he’s primed for a breakout season. Or maybe a career journeyman catches fire, and is now expected to be  a legitimate starter for a club with playoff aspirations. Perhaps a strong spring justifies the big contract given out to a player the previous winter. Yet, when the games actually begin to MATTER, some players fail to live up to the pre-season hype. It’s not that the players succumb to the pressure of playing major league ball. These guys have been playing baseball their entire life; playing games that matter shouldn’t alter their psyche or approach. It’s the idea that expectations based on incredibly small sample sizes are meaningful at all.

In fact, all of the above examples were real cases of 2012 spring training success stories but regular season disappointment. Eric Hosmer, following a superb rookie campaign, hit .398 and led the circuit with 29 RBI in the spring. When it mattered, he hit .232 and saw his power disappear, hitting only 14 home runs and slugged .359. Longtime journeyman Darnell McDonald tried to make his spring performance a launch pad for his career, hitting .427/.512/.816 in eighteen games. However, once the regular season began, McDonald remained the same old McDonald, and was later designated for assignment in June. Additionally, Albert Pujols hit .385 and had a league leading 7 home runs following the inking of his mega-contract signed earlier that offseason. While Pujols was still productive, it was the worst season of his career and certainly did not match the expectations produced from his contract and productive spring.

Incredibly, year after year, people continue to fall for the farce of spring training statistics. Statistically speaking, there is practically no evidence linking spring training numbers to regular season production. Using the coefficient of determination (r²), a number’s correlation to other data can be determined. It may seem a bit math-y, but it is really quite simple.  An r² value close to zero (0) represents data that has practically no correlation while values closer to 1.0 show data that greatly supports and correlates with the data. I know in Earl’s piece, he stated there was an r² value of .21 for spring training statistics, but more recent data suggests even less correlation. In a piece from Beyond the Box Score, Lance Rinker found that a hitter’s average, on-base, and slugging numbers had r² values of .034, .002, and .052, respectively. This correlation is as close to meaningless as possible, and further proves the lack of predicative value spring training numbers provide.

Just as Earl perfectly detailed in his piece, spring training is full of fallacies. One such example was that of the young phenom, who is prematurely labeled as baseball’s next big thing. Sure, while there are guys like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, who blow past every expectation imaginable and truly live up to the hype, most players are not Trout and Harper. Unsurprisingly, following the seasons put together by last year’s rookies of the year, people are already clamoring for baseball’s next young star.

To many, that next young star is Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley has hit a robust .484/.590/.645 this spring with plenty claiming he should start the season in the majors. Don’t get me wrong, I am plenty excited for Bradley to be in a Sox uniform. It’s just that rushing him to the Majors because of a couple of spring training at-bats is short-sighted and lazy. First off, the Sox have no nowhere for him to play. A little more seasoning never hurt anyone and would almost certainly benefit from playing every day. Furthermore, it is unfair and ridiculous to think that just because Bradley has crushed spring pitching, it is a foregone conclusion that he will perform at the Major League level. It is common knowledge that pitchers specifically work on things in spring training and quite honestly just do not give 100% in effort to stay healthy. Lastly, the sample sizes seen in spring training numbers are way too minute to credibly give any definite conclusion regarding a player. Just like a coin flipped twice might land twice on heads, it doesn’t mean there is an 100% chance of getting heads; it is simply too small of a sample.

So please, stop quoting spring training statistics and act like they mean something. They don’t.

Mar 11, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley (right) is greeted by teammate shortstop Brock Holt (left) after Bradley hit a first pitch home run in the first inning against the Miami Marlins during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Not to be outdone, Will Middlebrooks added to the offense with a home run of his own, collecting two RBI on his 7th inning shot.  This shot put the Sox up six heading into the bottom of the seventh, where the bullpen proceeded to blow that lead in an increasingly typical Red Sox fashion.

Rubby De La Rosa, one of the talented arms acquired in the midsummer Dodger blockbuster, struggled mightily with his control, walking the very first two batters he faced. After giving up a single to former Red Sox first baseman, Casey Kotchman, De La Rosa furthered his poor outing by walking the next two batters, allowing two runs to score. He capped off his inning of work by giving up a bases-clearing double to Kevin Kouzmanoff, which narrowed the lead to just one run.

Even after the ugly seventh inning, the Red Sox managed to sustain their lead heading into the ninth, when Chris Carpenter (the one acquired in the Theo trade, not the former Cardinals ace) entered the game to close things out. After two quick outs to lead off the inning, Carpenter allowed a hit to Kouzmanoff, putting the tying run at first and the winning run at the plate. Continuing with the young talent theme, Marlins’ stud prospect, Christian Yelich (15th overall on BA’s Top 100), promptly ended the game with a walk-off blast to the deepest part of the park in center.

Prior to the bullpen’s collapse, the Red Sox once again got a productive start out of Jon Lester. Lester lowered his spring ERA to a solid 1.29, striking out four in five innings of work. Lester was a groundball machine, recording eight groundball outs while only giving up one fly ball. Hopefully, Lester continues this trend since the long ball was a recurring problem during a disappointing 2012  season in which he allowed a career high 25 homers.

Spring training games are more about preparation and process than results. The Red Sox should be pleased with some of the performances they’ve seen thus far. The continued development of Bradley should give Red Sox Nation a sense of comfort with the likely departure of Ellsbury. Additionally, Lester’s early success should at least provide some optimism for those that have their doubts following last year.

NOTE: Got a Baseball Question? “Just Ask Earl”

Just Ask Earl is a new feature that Bosox Injection is pleased to present. Esteemed BSI Senior Writer and certified baseball junkie Earl Nash will answer your questions related to baseball: rating prospects, fantasy trade advice, baseball cards, history, pitching techniques, strategy, rules, Red Sox issues, HOF candidates, MLB policies–you name it. If you can think it up, Earl will answer your questions.

Send your questions to bosoxinjection@gmail.com and Earl will publish the questions and answers on the Bosox Injection site, ensuring that you get your 15 minutes of fame.

Feb 25, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley (74) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the top of the first inning of a spring training split squad game at Florida Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The 22-year old Bradley has quickly moved through the ranks of Boston’s farm system, screaming through lower A Lowell and Greenville in 2011 and high A Salem and AA Portland in 2012. This spring he is putting the heat on a so far mediocre Jacoby Ellsbury.

In four spring training games Bradley is Boston’s number one hitter, going 5-9 (.556) with a .636 OBP, .667 slugging percentage and a 1.303 on base plus slugging percentage. Conversely, Ellsbury is Boston’s number 19 hitter with a slash line of .200/.333/.400/.733.

I know what you’re thinking. “Does this guy really think that nine at bats is going to sell me on a Jackie Bradley for President ticket?” Agreed. Bradley still has a lot to prove. I do, however, also believe in tipping points, momentum and my eyes.

Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are proof positive that when a player is ready they’re ready, no matter the age. This is, after all, America where the culture of youth abounds in many disciplines, including sports. In a sport like baseball that has its fair share of long tenured players, there’s something thrilling about a brash youngster breaking in and simply killing it. Bradley has the potential to be one of those players.

I love Jacoby Ellsbury. I loved his potential. I loved 2010. I loved the way he broke into Boston’s lineup suddenly and spectacularly.  Above all, I love it when the Red Sox win. Right now, I think Jackie Bradley gives them the best chance to do that not just here and now but for a long time to come.

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Workman posted a combined 10-8 record and 3.50 ERA on the year over 25 starts between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. The 2010 Draft pick (2nd Round) impressed in his second professional season, finishing among the organization’s minor league leaders in wins (4th) and strikeouts (tied for 2nd). The former University of Texas product threw a total of 138.2 innings on the year, walking 25 while striking out 130 and allowing just 127 hits. While he did receive a handful of starts (five) at Double-A to close out the season, that is likely where his 2013 campaign will begin. Workman was ranked 15th in Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook prior to the 2012 season, so it will be interesting to see how much higher his stock has grown thanks to his 2012 performance.

(Image Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE)

Bogaerts, meanwhile, has already stepped into the role of the team’s top overall prospect by most accounts and only turns 20 years old today. Over 532 plate appearances between Salem and Portland, Bogaerts batted .307/.373/.523 on the year, adding 20 HR and 81 RBI. Bogaerts finished the season among the organizational leaders in home runs (tied for 2nd), RBI (3rd), and batting average (4th). He was also named to the Carolina League Mid-Season All Star roster and participated in the MLB Futures Game in Kansas City, a game in which he went 1 for 4 as the World team’s starting designated hitter. Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Bogaerts isn’t what he’ll accomplish once he reaches the Major Leagues, but rather what position he’ll ultimately play once he reaches Boston. Many scouts seem to believe that he’ll eventually outgrow the shortstop position and could slide over to third base, but with the presence of Will Middlebrooks at the hot corner that may not prove to be a viable option, barring a move involving Middlebrooks. Bogaerts could end up in a corner outfield spot, potentially, but there doesn’t seem to be any rush to make any significant changes to the plan surrounding his development.

Bradley and Cecchini both also figure prominently in the team’s top prospect lists and future plans, though one is certainly more well known than the other. Bradley is often viewed as a possible in-house replacement in center field after the 2013 season if the team is unable to keep Jacoby Ellsbury under contract. He hit .315/.430/.482 on the year, split between Salem and Portland, while displaying all five tools and the potential for Gold Glove defense. Meanwhile, Cecchini is further back in the organization that the rest of this year’s award winners, having spent the 2012 season with Class-A Greenville. The third baseman hit .305/.394/.433 and added 51 stolen bases.

The Lou Gorman Award is given annually to a Red Sox minor leaguer who’s persevered and worked to overcome obstacles while playing for the organization and Nava is certainly a deserving recipient. His story is one that’s also largely well known by the team’s fan base – he was a standout hitter in college but went undrafted and unsigned, leading to a stint in an independent league, before finally signing an unlikely minor league contract with the Red Sox in 2008. He’d work his way up to the Major Leagues, debuting on June 12, 2010 in historic fashion, becoming just the second player in Major League history to hit a grand slam on the very first pitch seen in his debut at bat. Nava’s spent a fair amount of the 2012 season with Boston’s big club, receiving 300 plate appearances over 84 games in which he batted .246/.356/.373 and played well enough to get himself into the discussion for next season’s Opening Day roster.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Ever since I really got into the Red Sox and major league baseball in general, one part of baseball that’s really fascinated me is prospects. The Red Sox may not have the best farm system in baseball, but it’s certainly an entertaining one. To give all the readers of BoSox Injection an accurate representation of the potential of these minor leaguers, I’ve compiled a full 25-man roster of them. As a whole, this looks like a well rounded and impressive group of top prospects. Fast forward a few years and pretend every current member of the Red Sox is gone, their team may look something like this group I’ve put together.

The Starting Lineup:

1. Garin Cecchini 3B (.301/.383/.426, 4 home runs, 50 RBIs, 32 stolen bases with single-A Greenville)
2. Jackie Bradley CF (.339/.449/.503, 5 home runs, 51 RBIs, 21 stolen bases between single-A Salem and double-A Portland)
3. Xander Bogaerts SS (.284/.358/.466, 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 20 doubles with single-A Salem)
4. Ryan Lavarnway C (.300/.386/.451, 8 home runs, 41 RBIs, 21 doubles with triple-A Pawtucket)
5. Bryce Brentz RF (.274/.340/.444, 12 home runs, 50 RBIs, 21 doubles with double-A Portland)
6. Keury De La Cruz LF (.309/.356/.526, 14 home runs, 59 RBIs, 6 triples with single-A Greenville)
7. Travis Shaw 1B (.317/.418/.565, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, 30 doubles with single-A Salem)
8. Brandon Jacobs DH (.279/.336/.429, 8 home runs, 48 RBIs, 12 steals with single-A Salem)
9. Sean Coyle 2B (.243/.305/.383, 7 home runs, 45 RBIs, 25 doubles with single-A Salem)

The Bench:

1. Michael Almanzar 1B/3B (.296/.348/.451, 8 home runs, 39 RBIs, 27 doubles with single-A Salem)
2. Alex Hassan OF (.262/.381/.384, 7 home runs, 45 RBIs, 13 doubles with triple-A Pawtucket)
3. Jose Iglesias SS (.260/.305/.298, 1 home run, 20 RBIs, 10 stolen bases between single-A Lowell and triple-A Pawtucket)
4. Blake Swihart C (.268/.316/.402, 5 home runs, 37 RBIs, 4 triples with single-A Greenville)

The Starting Rotation:

1. Matt Barnes (7-3, 2.33 ERA, 110 strikeouts, 89 innings pitched between single-A Greenville and single-A Salem)
2. Brandon Workman (7-6, 3.40 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 95.1 innings pitched with single-A Salem)
3. Chris Hernandez (4-8, 3.12 ERA, 64 strikeouts, 109.2 innings pitched between double-A Portland and triple-A Pawtucket)
4. Miguel Pena (5-5, 2.60 ERA, 68 strikeouts, 72.2 innings pitched with single-A Greenville)
5. Noe Ramirez (0-2, 2.93 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 40 innings pitched with single-A Greenville)

The Bullpen:

1. Alex Wilson LRP/RHP (5-2, 3.41 ERA, 61 strikeouts, 58 innings pitched with triple-A Pawtucket)
2. Aaron Kurcz LRP/RHP (3-4, 3.04 ERA, 72 strikeouts, 50.1 innings pitched with double-A Portland)
3. Will Inman MRP/RHP (1-3, 2.48 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 40 innings pitched with triple-A Pawtucket)
4. Josh Fields MRP/RHP (3-3, 3.03 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 38.2 innings pitched with double-A Portland)
5. Junichi Tazawa SU/RHP (3-2, 2.55 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 42.1 innings pitched with triple-A Pawtucket)
6. Chris Carpenter SU/RHP (0-0, 3.27 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 11 innings pitched between GCL, single-A Salem, double-A Portland, and triple-A Pawtucket)
7. Michael Olmsted CP/RHP (0-2, 2.29 ERA, 61 strikeouts, 39.1 innings pitched with single-A Salem)

There you go, that’s my representation of who I’d pick to be on an All-Red Sox team. Would you have done anything different? Please comment and thanks for reading.

Although players drafted this past June most likely will not be playing at the big league level anytime soon, these players still deserve to be discussed because one day they could be the next big league stars. The Red Sox have seen plenty of talented players that they drafted move right through their system and to Fenway. These include Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.

In last June’s draft the Red Sox had four of the first 40 picks, and it would not be too far fetched to see one of if not a few of these players in the big leagues one day.

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