Sunday, November 4, 2007

Sox Retain Tavarez/Wakefield, More Free Agents File

The Boston Red Sox today exercised the 2008 contract options on righthanded pitchers Julian Tavarez and Tim Wakefield.

In addition, Boston has acquired outfielder Sean Danielson from St. Louis to complete the trade that sent righthanded pitcher Joel Pineiro from the Red Sox to the Cardinals on July 31.

The announcements were made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

Tavarez was 7-11 with a 5.15 earned run average in 34 games/23 starts for the Red Sox in 2007, his second season with the club. The righthander was 6-11, 5.22 in 23 starts and 1-0, 4.50 in 11 relief appearances. His 77 strikeouts were the second most of his career. Tavarez is 84-70, 4.42 in 734 career major league appearances.

Wakefield posted a 17-12 record and a 4.76 earned run average in 31 starts this season. He ranked second on the staff and eighth in the American League in victories, matching his career best, and was third on the club with 189.0 innings and 110 strikeouts. The righthander earned a decision in each of his first 26 starts, the longest such streak by a Red Sox pitcher since 1929 and was 4-1, 2.45 in August to earn team player of the month honors.

Wakefield is 168-146 in 511 career major league games and ranks second on Boston's all-time list with 474 appearances and 337 starts. He was limited to one post-season start due to inflammation behind his right shoulder.

Danielson combined to hit .296 with four homers, 36 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 103 games with Single-A Palm Beach and Double-A Springfield in the Cardinals organization. After beginning the year with a .355 average in 12 games at Palm Beach, the switch-hitter spent the rest of the season in the Texas League, batting .291 in 91 games. Danielson has a career .283 batting average with 61 stolen bases in 263 games in his three seasons in the St. Louis system. He led all Cardinal minor leaguers with a .407 on-base percentage and ranked second with a .342 batting average in his pro debut in 2005.

Danielson has been assigned to the Double-A Portland roster.

The Red Sox also announced that catcher Kevin Cash has elected free agency after declining an outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket. Cash batted .111 with four RBI in 12 games with the Red Sox in 2007.

More Info

TomC

McDonald Strikes Twice In Hoops Win!



Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Rugby Park, Kilmarnock


KILMARNOCK…1
(Wright 55)


CELTIC…2
(McDonald 34, 36)

KILMARNOCK (4-4-2) Combe; O’Leary, Hay, Wright, Ford (Jarvis 88); Fowler, Invincibile, Hamill (Locke 46), Gibson (Bryson 46); Wales, Nish

Subs not used: Harpur, Dodds, Clancy, Taouil

CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Caldwell, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor; Jarosik, S.Brown, Hartley, McGeady; McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink

Subs not used: M.Brown, O’Dea, O’Brien, Sno, Killen, Riordan, Donati



Scott McDonald grabbed a clinical double as Celtic warmed up for Tuesday’s vital UEFA Champions League match against Benfica by beating Kilmarnock 2-1.

The SPL leaders maintained their position at the top of the table as the on-form Australian continued his prolific scoring run with two first-half goals.

McDonald has now scored 10 goals in 10 league games – an impressive record in his first few months as a Celt.

And what a goals they were. Paul Hartley dinked a pass on to the head of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who played in McDonald. Faced with Simon Ford, the Aussie twisted into space and curled a sublime finish into the bottom corner.

It was a stunning strike, but McDonald wouldn’t have to wait long for his second. Barely two minutes later, McGeady burst free on the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross to the front post.

McDonald, showing superb sharpness, eluded his markers and glanced a header home from four yards to leave the Hoops 2-0 up at half-time.

Yet, Killie were looking far more dangerous and they pulled a goal back just 10 minutes after the restart. Locke floated a free-kick into the penalty box and Frazer Wright climbed above the Hoops defence to nod home. Thankfully that was the end of the scoring.

HAIL! HAIL!

TomC