Kuzul

Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President and General Manager Theo Epstein knew what he was getting in to this past offseason when he acquired Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres.The acquisition was made in exchange for outfielder Reymond Fuentes, right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and a player to be named later. The question is, did the Red Sox know Gonzalez might be viewed by some as a legitimate Triple Crown Candidate in his first year with the club and worth every dime of his 2011 $5.5 million contract? A batter earns the Triple Crown when he leads the league in three specific categories, those being, home runs (HR), runs batted in (RBI) and batting average (AVG). The Triple Crown generally refers to leading a specific league such as the American League (AL) or National League (NL) in these three major categories. Through the first 63 games, ...

I'm writing this article as a follow-up to MLB Prospects: Kansas City Royals' Tim Collins Pitching Taller Than He Really Is. 5' 7", 175-pound Tim Collins wasn't on the 40-man roster when camp opened up for the Kansas City Royals on February 14, in Surprise, AZ. In fact, Collins wasn't even drafted. He will, however, be on the team's opening day roster as Kansas City hosts the the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.A unique story to say the least—to learn more about Collins' rise to the major leagues please follow this link.  Collins' fastball reaches in upwards of 95 mph or higher, probably about 10-12 mph more then when he signed at about 145 pounds. He's gained strength and put on weight, having been training with a program set up by trainer Eric Cressey, who's catered to Red Sox superstars including Curt Schilling and Kevin Youkilis at his gym, Cressey Performance in Hudson, Mass. ...

It's been a horrific spring training so far for Daisuke (Dice-K) Matsuzaka.  He's pitched just one clean inning in nine chances this spring. Matsuzaka was hit hard again on Thursday by the Florida Marlins, giving up five hits, five earned runs and two walks in 3.2 innings.  In his three spring training starts, he's allowed 11 earned runs on 12 hits, five base on balls and three home runs in 8.2 innings.  But the Boston Red Sox aren't going to panic yet, claims Terry Francona. Matsuzaka's their fifth starter for a reason.  Still, his performances have been troublesome to watch. The Red Sox won negotiation rights to Matsuzaka by posting a $51.1 million bid back in November 2006, which led to his six-year, $52 million contract through 2012. He is now in the fifth season of the deal and will make an estimated $10 million in 2011.   Sure, it's only spring training, but am I the ...

It's no secret that in 2010 Josh Beckett probably had one of his worst years, if not the worst year of his Major League Baseball career, depending on who you talk to. He finished 6-6 with only 127 innings pitched and an ERA of 5.78. Aside from all the team injuries, Beckett's lost season was a HUGE reason why the Red Sox finished out of playoff contention in 2010. The Red Sox were still able to win 89 games and finished seven games out of first place in the American League East. At the close of the 2010 regular season, Terry Francona stated, "not everything has gone right. But you can bet Beckett is going to go home and work. He needs a clean slate, that will be good for him." Theo and the Red Sox brass went out this offseason and made the necessary acquisitions by adding Crawford and Gonzalez, making them one ...

Voted on by baseball fans and members of the media, the Roberto Clemente Award has been given annually since 1971 to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individuals contribution to his team".  Named after 12-time All-Star and Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente in 1973, the award was named after Clemente died on New Year's Eve 1972 while trying to deliver supplies to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake. Each year, a panel of baseball dignitaries selects one player from 30 nominees, one from each team. Some of the past receipts of this award were such baseball greats as Mays, Carew, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, Albert Pujois and Derek Jeter. This marked the eighth time Wakefield was nominated by the Red Sox, but the first time he's actually won. The 44-year-old righty was recognized for his selfless actions on Thursday, accepting the award ...

Of course we could all speculate on the greatest moments in World Series history.But as you will see, I've taken moments from many different eras and tried to compile what I believe to be some of the World Series' greatest moments.Some may surprise you, and others were probably forgotten about.Let's take a look.Begin Slideshow