Mike Napoli

2012 Stats: 108 Games, .227 BA, 24 HRs, 56 RBIs & .812 OPS

Mike Napoli signed with the Boston Red Sox this off-season. Napoli will spend most of his time playing 1B with the possibility of an occasional game as catcher. Napoli's deal was originally a 3 year contract worth $39 million but due to a hip injury they reworked the deal to be for only one year worth $5 million. Napoli has never hit more than 30 HRs in a season but has had great success at Fenway Park.

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Kevin Youkilis

2012 Stats: 122 Games, .235 BA, 19 HRs, 60 RBIs & .745 OPS

The New York Yankees signed Kevin Youkilis to a one year deal worth $12 million. Youk spent 2012 with the Red Sox & White Sox. He will play 3B to start the season as Alex Rodriguez will be out for a large portion of the season. Although he only batted .235 last season he still had a .336 OBP. Look for him to play well this year and get a big time contract next off-season.

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Shane Victorino

2012 Stats: 154 Games, .255 BA, 11 HRs, 55 RBIs, 39 SBs, .704 OPS and 72 Runs Scored

Shane Victorino spent the 2012 season between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Victorino signed this off-season with the Boston Red Sox for $39 million over 3 years. Victorino had a down year in 2012 but will look to rebound in a lineup that will include Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz & Jonny Gomes among others. Victorino will have the ability to bat in the lower part of the lineup and alleviate some of the pressure he felt in the first half of last season in Philadelphia. Victorino has been in the top five in the NL from 2008-2011 in triples and look for him to have a solid amount of triples this season as he will be playing in Fenway Park.

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David Ortiz

2012 Stats: 90 Games, .318 BA, 23 HRs, 60 RBIs & 1.026 OPS

The Boston Red Sox resigned DH David Ortiz to a 2 year 26 million dollar deal. Ortiz spent part of 2011 on the DL and that helped contribute to Boston's disappointing season and the firing of Manager Bobby Valentine. New Manager John Farrell will be happy to have Ortiz back in the lineup. Also Ortiz is closing in on 2,000 career hits as he is only 137 hits from the milestone.

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This Day in Sports History - 5/10/1970

Defenseman Bobby Orr scores 40 seconds into sudden death overtime to lift the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues at the Boston Garden to complete a four-game sweep in the Stanley Cup Finals. After scoring the goal, Orr raises his arms in triumph and is accidentally tripped by St. Louis defenseman Noel Picard. Orr, almost horizontal to the ice, appears to fly through the air. It is the first Stanley Cup championship for the Bruins since 1941. One of six expansion teams that began play during the 1967-68 season, the Blues reached the finals in each of their three seasons only to be swept on each occasion. St. Louis lost to the Montreal Canadiens in both 1968 & 1969.

This Day in Sports History - 4/20/1912

The Red Sox play their first regular-season game at Fenway Park and win, 7-6, in 11 innings over the New York Highlanders. The crowd is 27,000. Buck O'Brien is the starting pitcher for Boston and puts the club in a 5-1 hole in the third inning. The home team rallies with three runs in the fourth and ties the contest, 5-5, in the sixth. Both teams score in the eighth. In the 11th, Red Sox 2B Steve Yerkes reaches second on an error by 3B Cozy Dolan and scores on a single by CF Tris Speaker. Yerkes has five hits, two of them doubles, in seven at-bats, but also commits three errors. The winning pitcher is Charley "Sea Lion" Hall, his nickname derives from his deep, booming voice. The loser is James "Hippo" Vaughn, so named because at 6'4" and 215 lbs. he's one of the largest players of the era.

David Ortiz

The Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration with David Ortiz by signing him to a one year deal. Ortiz has been a big part of the Red Sox recent good play. Ortiz has 387 career HRs and has averaged 35.5 HRs per season that Ortiz has been a member of Soxnation (since 2003). Bringing back Ortiz was a good move for Boston as he is an excellent team leader and Jason Varitek retired.

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Happy Birhtday Babe Ruth

Today is Babe Ruth's birthday. Here is a video from "The Batting Stance Guy" about Babe Ruth.

Jonathan Papelbon

The Philadelphia Phillies continued their off-season moves with the signing of closer Jonathan Papelbon to a 4 year $50 million deal. Papelbon is a 4 time All-Star and has 219 career saves. The Phillies' starting pitching is formidable and with a closer like Papelbon who has a career 2.33 ERA & 1.02 WHIP the Phillies will now have a better chance to win games that they may have lost in past years with Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson closing.

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This Day in Sports History - 4/13/1957

Paced by rookies Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics win their first NBA title by outlasting the St. Louis Hawks in double overtime of Game 7. The score is tied at 103 at the end of regulation and 113 at the close of the first overtime period. With one second left in the second OT, Jim Loscutoff hits a free throw to put the Celtics up 125 - 123. Hawks player-coach Alex Hannum takes the ball out of bounds and heaves it the length of the court, but it clanks off the backboard. Bob Pettit grabs the carom and takes a shot. The ball bounces off the rim, and Boston prevails.

This Day in Sports History - 4/6/1973

The New York Yankees' Ron Blomberg becomes the first designated hitter in major league history as he draws a walk from Luis Tiant in the first inning of a 15 - 5 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Orlando Cepeda is Boston's DH in the same game. Also on this date, during an 8 - 3 victory over the Athletics in Oakland, the Minnesota Twins' Tony Oliva becomes the first DH to come through with a home run.

This Day in Sports History - 4/4/2001

In his first game with the Boston Red Sox, Hideo Nomo pitches his second no-hitter for a 3 - 0 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. It's also the first no-hitter by a Red Sox pitcher since Dave Morehead's on September 16, 1965. Nomo throws 110 pitches, walks 3 and strikes out 11. Second baseman Mike Lansing saves the no-hitter when he makes a tumbling backhand catch of Mike Bordick's soft looper for the second out of the ninth inning; two pitches later, Delino DeShields hits a routine fly ball to Troy O'Leary in right field for the final out. Nomo's first no-hitter was with the Dodgers on September 17, 1996, against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Adrian Beltre

The Texas Rangers signed 3B Adrian Beltre to a 6 year $96 million contract. Beltre is 111 hits away from 2,000 and 22 homeruns away from 300. Besides for his offensive numbers Beltre brings a great glove at third base, as he won a Gold Glove in 2007 & 2008. Texas did make the World Series last year and they hope that although they lost Cliff Lee that they can return to the World Series and the signing of Beltre will definitely help.

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Carl Crawford

The Boston Red Sox signed LF Carl Crawford to a 7 year $142 million contract. The signing came a few days after the Red Sox traded for 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford is a four-time All-Star, and won the All-Star game MVP in 2009. Crawford has five seasons with at least 50 stolen bases and a career high of 60 in 2009. Crawford won a Gold Glove in 2010.

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Happy Birthday Larry Bird

Today is the birthday of Boston Celtics great Larry Bird. Here is a video of Bird's top 10 plays in the Playoffs.

Victor Martinez

Victor Martinez signed a 4 year contract to play for the Detroit Tigers. Martinez has played mostly as a catcher but can easily find some playing time at 1B and DH. Martinez is a switch-hitter who will bring some pop to the middle of the lineup with Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers are probably not done considering they want to re-sign Magglio Ordonez and GM Dave Dombrowski is a very active GM. Even if they don't re-sign Ordonez the Tigers look like a big contender in the AL Central.


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