The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins are discussing Johan Santana possible deal that would have the Red Sox sending 4 players to the Twins in return for the 2-time Cy Young Award winner, including Coco Crisp, Jon Lester and Jed Lowrie. The trio is going to anchor the deal. Boston pitcher Michael Bowden has been discussed as a possible 4th player but the identity of the 4th player is not known yet. However, the New York Yankees, involved in regular conversation with Minnesota about Johan Santana this week, may be trying to push the price high for the Red Sox.

Jon Lester, who returned from a cancer diagnosis last season to win this year’s WS clincher for the Boston Red Sox, was honored yesterday with the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity through spirit, determination, and courage. The 23-year-old Jon Lester was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in summer 2006. After cancer treatment, the pitcher started the season on the DL. The sportsman was recalled in July and finished the season 4-0 with a 4.57 ERA.

The Red Sox spring training ended 2 weeks earlier. This happened because of the season-opening trip to Japan, so the camp will open 2 days earlier. The team’s manager Terry Francona said yesterday that catchers and pitchers would report to Fort Myers on February 14, with the full squad due to report on February 20. Francona stated that the earlier start is going to give pitchers an extra-supervised turn on the mound before the beginning of the exhibition season on February 27. The team will break camp around March 18 before they head to Japan for 2 exhibition games.

A rookie ML manager named Dick Williams reported to Spring Training in 1967, immediately developed a no-nonsense approach and turned a last-place team from the previous season into the AL champions. In fact, it remains one of the greatest turnarounds in Major League Baseball history. Williams’ 1967 club is regarded as the most improbable Red Sox playoff team in the history of the club. After winning just seventy games the year before, Williams predicted they would win more than they had lost.

It’s obvious you want to make certain that you are making the right deal. So far, this offseason, Theo Epstein is two for two. The GM signed Schilling to a 1-year, $8 million contract. He threw in innings-pitched incentives in order to protect the team in case Curt breaks down. He gave in to the player’s weight clause that could earn him an additional two million. Yesterday, 3B Lowell agreed to terms on a 3-year, $37.5 million contract, which is pretty good for the Sox. Epstein knew there would be a limited 4-year market, and even if the Phillies were willing to offer 4 years at $50 million

Former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, while on the campaign trail as a Republican presidential candidate, could not help but mention the Yankees in between discussing oil prices, the war in Iraq, and push polling. Recently, he has expressed hope that Joe Torre would be back as manager and said former right fielder Maris should be in the Hall of Fame. Rudy Giuliani also discussed the club’s intent to re-sign 3B Alex Rodriguez.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox pitcher is bracing for a dilemma as the WS winners plan to play next year in his home country at just about the same time his wife is due to give birth to their second child. It is the 3rd time that United States MLB teams will open their seasons in Japan and comes as the also look to play exhibition matches in China in order to fuel international growth of baseball. According to MLB websites, Boston will play against the Athletics on March 25 and 26 at the Tokyo Dome.

The Boston Red Sox won a victory over the Colorado Rockies with the score 4-3 on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007. In fact, the Boston Red Sox have swept the last two World Series in which they’ve appeared. Last off-season, the Sox overpaid for two free agents, outfielder J.D. Drew and Japanese pitching phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka (see the previous posts to find out more about this outstanding player). However, exactly these players produced much of the game in the post-season: Drew’s grand slam against the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series helped the Sox to win over the Tribe; Matsuzaka’s clutch pitching, and hitting, in Game 3 against the Colorado Rockies helped the team to complete the sweep.

Major League Baseball is opening its regular season in Japan’s 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome next March. The festivities will be held five days, and will include regular-season games between the two clubs on March 25 and 26, exhibition day-night doubleheaders against Nippon Professional Baseball teams on March 22 and 23, and an off-day workout that will take place in between on March 24. The Red Sox, with former Japanese League pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, are expected to be the principal draw in Tokyo – similarly to the Yankees in 2004 when former Yomiuri Giants slugger Hideki Matsui returned for the first time wearing the famous pinstripes.

The Boston Red Sox is a notable baseball team. Apart from their previous stunning playing the team has showed distinguished records over the recent years. They have set an overall season winning percentage of .513, a record of 8497-7960 since their foundation in 1901.This year its players Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek set a team history record of hitting four runs in succession. By the way, this fall the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and thus managed to seed for the postseason games for the forth time during the last five years. The team is still improvong and striving for the better results.