by Ian Tasso
Spring is a time of new beginnings: the temperatures are on the rise, the sun is back out and the flowers are in bloom.
But most importantly, the cleats are back on.
Yes, for many, the most important thing about the calendar flipping to March is the dawning of baseball, the smearing of pine tar and the popping sound of twine colliding with maple.
Each new baseball season brings in tow plenty of new storylines; some more impressive than others. Whether it be a highly-touted free-agent making his debut in fresh colors, a young gun cracking the lineup or even a returning veteran trying to shed some cobwebs, Spring Training always arrives in March with its fair share of headlines.
And for the 2010 Boston Red Sox, this season is no exception. Josh Beckett’s contract situation and the questionable Boston offense headline a Spring Training that brings plenty of concerns to the table.
But none are more impeding than the suspense surrounding David Ortiz and his mysterious decline of 2009. Will the slugger bounce back to 2004 form? Will he continue to slide?
Only time will tell. But until then, let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated Spring Training debuts in recent Red Sox history.
Nomar Garciaparra, 1997:
No Red Sox player carried more expectations in recent memory than Nomar did back in the late 90’s.
Back then, Nomar was to Red Sox baseball what LeBron James is now to the Cavaliers – a beacon of hope. The Sox were a struggling team who hadn’t won a World Series since 1918, and Nomar gave Boston more than a chance: he gave them a face.
He came on as a youngster with the world on his shoulders, appearing in 21 games to close out the ’96 season, which only increased the hype – something that manifested itself in the hearts of New Englanders everywhere over the ensuing winter.
Along came the spring of ’97, where Nomar was finally a cemented member of the Red Sox lineup. The entire region of New England eagerly awaited number five’s debut in the Spring, wanting to see something – anything – from the man who was anointed the savior of Boston baseball in the late ‘90’s.
They got more than just something that spring, as Nomar raked all season long, going on to post a .306 average in his award-winning rookie season.
Thus began the legacy that is ‘Nomah.’
Pedro Martinez, 1998:
Similar to Nomar, Pedro was brought in as a savior of Boston baseball.
Following Garciaparra’s successful rookie campaign on the field, Boston attempted to bring him a capable wingman on the mound. Enter Pedro Martinez, a fire-balling righty from the Expos, whom the Sox acquired in a trade. Martinez was then signed to a lucrative six-year $75,000,000 contract, at the time the largest any baseball pitcher had ever seen. Naturally, the hype followed the money.
But unlike Garciaparra the year before, Boston never got a taste of Martinez – they never got to witness him for a few games the year before to wet their pallet.
No, instead Boston had to sit and wait over what may have been the slowest winter in recent baseball memory. Then finally, the spring arrived. And when it did, the three-time Cy Young Award winner walked into Fort Myers on top of the world.
He didn’t disappoint either – supplying 19 wins in his inaugural campaign with the Sox. Finally, Boston got their arm, one that remained in the Bean until 2005.
And the rest is history.
Edgar Renteria, 2005:
Boston was missing a shortstop. The beloved Nomar had been bounced to Chicago, and his replacement, the World Champion Orlando Cabrera, had already skipped off to Los Angeles.
Enter Edgar Renteria, a four-time All Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. The shortstop waltzed into Boston toting a shiny four-year $40 million deal, and the entire city of Boston drooled at the possibility. After all, Orlando was nice and all, but he couldn’t hit like Nomar.
Renteria on the other hand batted .287, .330 and .305 in his final three seasons with St. Louis, and topped 100 RBI only two seasons back in 2003. It smelled so good.
But after it arrived, it did nothing but stink. Renteria’s bat fell off, just .276, with a paltry eight home runs and 70 RBI in tow. And his glove? It appeared to have a hole in it, as he committed a career-high 30 errors, and posted a career-low .954 fielding percentage.
Needless to say, it didn’t work out for Renteria in Boston, as he left Boston after one season, signing with Atlanta the following year.
The shortstop was selected to his fifth All Star game in 2006, his first year with the Braves.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2007:
The international Nomar.
Daisuke Matsuzaka carried about the same amount of weight as Nomar did when he finally signed with Boston, only it was represented in throngs of crazed fans from all over the world rather than just drooling Bostonians.
Dice-K was an international sensation even before he joined the red and white, something he brought right with him from overseas. As a result, the scene from Fort Myers in 2007 was something from the circus – hundreds of fans snapping pictures, waving signs and shooting video of the newest member of Red Sox Nation.
They may not have got what they wanted, as Dice-K posted only a 15-12 record with a 4.40 ERA in what could be labled as a “transition” year, but nonetheless, the Japanese sensation had arrived.
And he brought with him a wave of a new era, as Red Sox Nation truly became an international sensation with the arrival of number 18.
Jacoby Ellsbury, 2008:
Fresh off a World Series ring in 2007, the 6’1” speedster from Oregon had it all – the looks, the wheels and a ring. Not to mention all the hype that followed.
Ellsbury joined the Red Sox at the end of the 2007 regular season, just before the call-up deadline hit. He then proceeded to bat at a .353 clip for the remainder of his stay, helping to propel a deep Sox playoff run. By the time the World Series came around, the two-time AL stolen base leader had all but replaced Coco Crisp in center field for Boston, as well as captured the hearts of nearly every New England bachelorette in the process.
Then the spring of 2008 rolled around, where every Bostonian – not just the women – eagerly awaited seeing the return of speed in human form. Not only that, but Boston couldn’t wait to see what this kid could do in his first full season campaign.
He responded with a .280 average, and a league-leading 50 stolen bases.
David Ortiz, 2010:
And here we are.
Papi’s spring debut is normally anticipated – simply because of who he is and what he means to the city of Boston. The 2004 clutch-hitter has become a stape in the hearts of Bostonians ever since he walked off against the Yankees twice in October, and has been greeted with nothing but smiles in For Myers ever since.
But this year, it’s a tad different.
In 2009, Ortiz began the season with a .185 average through the first two months, and a whopping one total home run. He finally hit his second dinger against Texas in June, but the struggles continued, and his average didn’t jump above .230 until the end of July.
To top it all off, the big lefty was linked with a positive steroid test, which rocked the Boston sports world. Papi’s power stroke did return at the end of the year, however, as he finished 2009 with 28 home runs, but the average still hung low, winding up at .238 for the year.
This year, everyone’s anxious to see how the big man fares. Will it be another long season for number 34? Will he pop 54 home runs like 2006? 47 like 2005? Will he even finish the season in Boston?
The questions are aplenty, but Ortiz made one thing clear yesterday afternoon as he blasted a two-run shot in Boston’s exhibition match against Northeastern University – he’s not going down without a fight.
What else can we expect from the slugger? Only time will tell. And it all started last week, when Boston took the field against the Twins to officially open Spring Training.
The rest, as they say, will be history.
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