Tim Wakefield will be sticking around, at least through next year -- possibly even longer.
That's the best news I've heard all day.
The
Globe's
Chris Snow reports that the team has signed the knuckleballer to an extension for 2006, with club options for 2007 and beyond. He'll make $4 million in base salary, and if he makes 30 starts, a performance bonus will bump that up to $5.25 million.
He deserves every penny. He's a class-act, of course: a tireless community presence, and a fan favorite. The longest tenured Red Sox, he just passed Cy Young on the team's all-time strike out list. And he's the Yankees' worst nightmare.
At the moment, he also has the
lowest ERA in the American League.
A very wise move for the team to lock-up such a versatile and selfless player for what could end up being several more years.
Etc.It was little noticed down here, but the Red Sox' Double-A affiliate, the Eastern League
Portland Sea Dogs, began their season with a torrid 10-game winning streak, the longest in all of professional baseball. It ended last night with a loss to the
Binghamton Mets, but tonight they'll look to start up another one as they take on the Mets again at Hadlock Field.
With a line-up that includes superman shortstop
Hanley Ramirez and outfielder
Brandon Moss, a rotation featuring fireballer
Jon Papelbon, and a bullpen boasting Boston's own
Manny Delcarmen, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Ramirez and Papelbon should be promoted to Pawtucket by mid-summer, and it's even conceivable they could see some time in Fenway when the roster expands in September.
As the weather gets warmer, it's well worth a weekend journey up to Portland to catch a game or two at Hadlock. It's a beautiful field, and
tickets are cheap. And it's a great way to keep an eye on the players who may well play big roles in the big club's future.