A few Red Sox notes and tidbits as 2020 unravels
Several former Boston Red Sox are on the move in baseball with a former player – Mark Kotsay – now the third base coach for the Oakland Athletics. Kotsay was in Boston long enough to pick up a map for the Green Line playing in just 49 games over two seasons (2008-2009). The lefty hitter banged out just a .241 average but hit .276 over a lengthy 17 seasons.
Sam Travis put in several seasons as a top ten prospect in the Red Sox system but the smooth swinging right-hand hitter never put up the numbers expected. An injury history in college and the professional ranks certainly didn’t help Travis who hit just .230 in 111 games spread over three seasons. Travis – now 27-years-old – has signed a minor league deal with the Mariners
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For the last four seasons, utility player Tzu-Wei Lin was a regular call up during the season. Lin can play anywhere on the diamond but when you hit just .223 over 101 games one can understand the trips up and down I-95. Lin never produced the numbers expected in the minors (.249), but was an excellent late-inning defensive replacement and adept bunter. Lin – a native of Taiwan – has signed a minor league deal with the Twins.
A number one draft choice who is a pitcher is synonymous in Red Sox lore as doomed to failure. Right-hander Casey Kelly was shipped to the Padres and later surface with Atlanta and San Francisco to the tune of 2-11. In a “Did you miss it?” moment I did as Kelly signed a $1.5 MM contract to pitch for the Twins – no – the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization. Kelly’s second season with the Twins and is now one of the best in the KBO from the hill (15-7, 3.32).
Baseball is filled on the executive ranks with Red Sox executives at various levels. Josh Byrnes was the assistant GM when they won that historic 2004 title. Since then Byrnes has been on the more – Arizona, Padres, and now another championship team the Dodgers. Byrnes is now in the mix for becoming GM of the Phillies.
Mike Shalin is a name I am familiar with as a long time reader of the Boston Herald. Shalin passed away recently from cancer at 66-years-old. Shalin covered the team for 13 years and was the official scorer at Fenway Park for 17 years and for the last several seasons did freelance work.
The next item may be more appropriate for “Where are they now?” but I need to fill space and recently came across the name of former Red Sox lefty Felix Doubront. Doubront – now 33-years-old – had two seasons of 11 wins each back in 2012 – 2013 and picked up a win in the World Seris against the Cards. That was really it for the Red Sox answer to “King Felix.”
Doubront bounced around a few more MLB seasons with the Cubs, Blue Jays, and A’s before heading to the KBO. After a less than successful KBO stint (6-9, 4.92) Doubront returned to become join up with the Mexican League and with his native Venzualean League pitching winter and summer in both Mexico and Venezuela.
Shakespeare had some reputable insight on lawyers and that has now surfaced centuries later in MLB. This time it is not the management-labor disputes but MLB collectively suing their insurance providers over lost revenue for the COVID season. MLB claims their policies and an “All-Risk” proviso.
The losses claimed by MLB are in the billions with losses in ticket sales, media, advertising, merchandising, and even parking. The list of insurers is substantial with all the familiar names one would expect. The Bard knew well and his truths have carried down to the present.
And now for an edition of what could have been. Matt Barnes recently signed a $4.5 MM contract which certainly caused very mixed emotions among the denizens of Red Sox Nation. A travel back in time to the 2011 draft when the Red Sox selected Barnes with the 19th pick, but they had their eyes on Sonny Gray who the A’s selected in the 18th slot. Gray has frequently been mentioned as a possible trade target and had an excellent 2020 for the Reds (5-3, 3.70).