Hope for Varitek?...but, Too Early to Interpret Signs

A Few Thoughts After Opening Series with Rays:

In some ways, the series with the Rays suggested that some of last year's dynamics (in terms of Sox strengths/weaknesses vs. top teams) seem to have carried over to the 2009 season. It's WAY too early to know.

• The Rays look damned good again. The hitters at the top of their line-up somehow looked even more intimidating than last year. (Crawford is healthy, for ex.) Garza looked very impressive and Kazmir looked sharper than he did last year at times.. Plus, I worry - like many Sox fans - if our line-up has enough "contact hitters" to keep us in games against good pitchers. Guys like Ellsbury, Bay, Varitek, Lowell, Lowrie have sometimes struggled when facing pitchers who throw more than straight fastballs.


• It may sound crazy, but perhaps the most important early sign is that Jason Varitek has hit the ball hard a few times. TwoHRs in three games! Last year, he had stretches when it seemed you'd be grateful whe he hit a foulball! Maybe his work with Dave Magadan will pay off a bit. The Captain looks better at the plate - Maybe we have 9 real batters again.


• Relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez pitched well. He could be a key bullpen contributor.


• I think the losses by Lester and Matzusaka don't mean anything - but, when Dice-K himself acknowledged afterward that his fastball had no life, it made me hope there's no physical problem here. He looked tired on the mound, to me - Mayb it was WBC fatigue.


• It's too early to judge Big Papi - He never hits Kazmir and Garza was awesome yesterday. I did see Ortiz swing and miss at one Garza fastball down the middle and thought: "Ortiz used to hit that pitch every time a few summers ago" We'll see....but, I, for one, believe that if his wrist is OK, Ortiz should start to hit soon. He's too good a hitter to not hit. If he has any long slump, that's not just a bad sign, but, a VERY bad sign for him and the entire team. Without Manny, the Sox are so dependent on Papi -- I think they need another slugger.
• I worry a bit about Ellsbury - Has he improved his hitting? One Ray pitcher threw the ball inside on him effectively for an entire at-bat. He had that problem last year - It's time for him to adjust.
• It's going to be a tough, long season competing against the Rays and the Yankees. Before it's over, I have a feeling the Red Sox will have to add a hitter. The Rays hitting even seemed better than the Red Sox in the first series. I never had that feeling before.