Red Sox mix in Kotsay

The Red Sox lineup for game two of their ALDS series with Anaheim:

Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
Dustin Pedroia (2nd)
David Ortiz (DH)
Kevin Youkilis (3rd)
J.D. Drew (RF)
Jason Bay (LF)
Mark Kotsay (1st)
Jason Varitek (C)
Alex Cora (SS)

No Mike Lowell tonight. Mark Kotsay provides an extra lefty bat against Ervin Santana, but it's the power hitters who get to the Angels right hander, not so much the contact guys.

Economy and Baseball

Will the economic crisis hurt baseball? According to the Boston Red Sox, it won't be bothering them. Most of their players contracts must not be paid through credit lines.

Dee said there are areas where Fenway Sports Group, which also owns a minor league baseball team, and consulting and representation businesses, may look to expand.

"There's undoubtedly going to be hard times ahead over the next couple years across the world of sports and entertainment," he said. "With hard times come opportunities."

While there are no plans to increase the stake in its NASCAR team, Dee said the company is looking to do more in racing, including possible marketing or representation deals.

"We're interested in expanding our footprint in racing," he said, pointing to the company's lack of knowledge in such areas as open-wheel racing, like the IndyCar series.

Dee agreed buying another minor league baseball team makes sense, but team valuations have become "a little crazy" over the past two decades. Representing or even buying top entertainment events also would interest him.

Fenway Sports Group's sports consulting business has been its fastest growing segment, with more than 15 corporate clients, including Major League Baseball's media unit, Dunkin' Donuts, Verizon Communications Inc's (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) wireless business and EMC Corp (EMC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), said Dee.

To further boost that business, Fenway Sports Group recently opened an office in San Diego with hopes of picking up deals on the West Coast.

Talk about diversification!

Baseball explains the election

After a couple of 'graphs I couldn't continue reading this, but you might.

Dunc back with Redbirds

Dave Duncan will be back as Cardinals pitching coach next season. Considering the work he did with a makeshift unit like this year, 2009 is going to be a breeze.

Rays - Sox game times set

The game times for the remainder of the best-of-five Rays-White Sox series have been set. All are EST:

Game 3 will start at 4:07 p.m. Sunday in Chicago. For many Tampa Bay sports fans, that will make for some channel surfing. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Denver Broncos on Sunday with kickoff scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Click here to find out more!

Game 4 of the Rays-Sox series, if necessary, is 5:07 p.m. Monday in Chicago.

If there is a Game 5 back at Tropicana Field, it will start at 6:07 p.m. Wednesday.

Are you SIRIUS?

Even after the announcement that SIRIUS customers could purchase XM channels and vice versa, there will be no MLB broadcasts on SIRIUS in the near future.

Reilly, the company spokesman, said that baseball is not part of the package because there is no agreement to have it there currently. He did say SIRIUS XM hopes to be able to add the MLB to the Best of XM package at some point.

Too bad.

Rays lineup - game 2

Two interesting notes in the Rays lineup today. First, Carlos Pena is back, as expected, from his minor eye injury on Thursday.

Also in Tampa's lineup is Rocco Baldelli. The chronic fatigue sufferer wears out Sox starter Mark Buehrle. He's hitting .500 with a home run and three RBI in 10 at bats for his career against the Chicago southpaw. Baldelli hit .292 vs. left handers this year in 48 at bats.

Update: Pena went through pregame workouts and decided he was unable to start. Willie Aybar took his place at first.

Junior sits in game 2

As predicted here in the wee hours of Friday morning, Ozzie Guillen benched Ken Griffey Junior for today's game against Tampa. It makes sense. Griffey is hitting just .202 vs. left handers while Rays starter Scott Kazmir is keeping lefties just under .200. Brian Anderson starts in his place in "centre" field. Gotta love the Canucks (hey they did post the story first!).

In a bit of a surprise, Paul Konerko, who's been hot of late at the plate including a home run in yesterday's 6-4 loss, will ride the pine in favor of Nick Swisher. Swisher, a switch hitter, is hitting just .197 against lefties. Call it Ozzie logic: one smart move, one head scratcher.

Update: Guillen came to his sense on Konerko. He started his regular first baseman as well as Swisher.

Cubs chances: not good

The Cubs will try to become just the second team in MLB history to go down 2-0 at home and rebound to win the series. The 2001 Yankees are the only team to get it done when they beat Oakland, 3-2. Here's MLB.com's list.

Rich Harden should be expected to help the Cubs win game three against Hiroki Kuroda, but Harden doesn't last very long in games.

Rivera shoulder surgery

Mariano Rivera is set to have minor shoulder surgery.

Rivera revealed late in September that he had pitched nearly the entire season in pain. Tests revealed inflammation and calcification on top of the AC joint in the 38-year-old reliever's right shoulder.

"You learn how to deal with it," Rivera said. "Obviously, there are days that you won't pitch because it hurts, because it's cranky, but I'm here to pitch. I don't come here to sit down and just see what happens."

The procedure is considered relatively minor and Rivera is expected to be ready for Spring Training, though he will likely assume his usual light workload -- skipping all road Grapefruit League games -- heading into the regular season.

That he still recorded 39 saves is impressive, even for the greatest closer in the history of the game.

Brewers boss bitching about revenue

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio thinks big market clubs need to share more revenue.

``It's always amusing to me to hear the Yankees, they can't get into the playoffs with $200 million, and they say, `well, we've done enough,''' Attanasio, the chief investment officer at money management firm TCW Group Inc., said in an interview with Bloomberg Radio's ``On the Ball'' program that will air tomorrow. ``The advantages that you're given in the bigger market teams -- if they really wanted to have a fair fight they would do more revenue sharing, but I guess the obvious battle lines are drawn on that.''

Making the playoffs, something Milwaukee finally did this year for the first time since 1982, doesn't always have to do with money. Since Attanasio's team last qualified for postseason ball the money-challenged Marlins have won two World Series with two entirely different teams.

Revenue sharing helps small market teams survive, if not stay competitive financially. Staying competitive on the field has more to do with finding good players for good bargains and hiring management with good baseball sense.

Here's wondering if Milwaukee makes a DVD about the Yankees' payroll and sends it to MLB.

Sabathia deal completed

Cleveland receives outfielder Michael Brantley from Milwaukee's farm system to complete the CC Sabathia trade. Brantley is a solid hitter for average, and he can swipe a base. I think Cleveland got the better end of this trade then, and I still think so now. The could re-sign Sabathia in the offseason.

Wall Streeters don't know baseball

Wall Street Journal readers probably paid too much attention to baseball this year. They didn't get their picks right in the MLB marketplace, either.

Longoria in short company

Evan Longoria's bust-out against the White Sox got me thinking: has anyone else homered in their first two MLB postseason at bats? The answer is yes, just one: Gary Gaetti. Here's guessing that Longoria has the better career between the two third sackers.

Friday predictions

Only two games on the docket for Friday, and I'm probably only going to see half of each. Oh well, here goes:

Chicago White Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays
Buehrle (15-12, 3.79) vs. Kazmir (12-8, 3.49)

-Mark Buehrle's really done a good job on righties the past couple of seasons, and that's helped him against Evan Longoria (0-6 vs. Buehrle). The Rays, however, have a number of players with robust numbers against the White Sox left hander, including Carlos Pena's .500 mark. The Rays will hope he can get back in the lineup after scratching his eye in Thursday's opener. Buehrle didn't have much success against the Rays, going 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA in three starts.

He'll meet hard-throwing lefty Scott Kazmir, who struggled in two of his last three outings. Kazmir, however, had the better year between the two pitchers, and he's dominant at home. Kazmir won eight of his 12 games at the Trop, and held opposing hitters to a .197 average. The White Sox will stack righties against him as Kazmir served up 22 of his 23 home runs to right handed hitters. Expect Nick Swisher to take one outfield spot, and perhaps Brian Anderson to start in center over Ken Griffey Junior. Expect the Rays to win, too. Kazmir is too tough at home, and the White Sox looked sloppy fielding in the dome on Thursday.

Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels
Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90) vs. Santana (16-7, 3.49)

-Boston always beats Los Angeles, but not when Daisuke Matsuzaka's pitching. In his only meeting with the Angles this year, the BoSox ace gave up six runs in five innings to pick up the loss. Matsuzaka was cruising, however, until giving up five earned runs in the sixth inning.

Quick, who was the best pitcher in baseball named Santana this year? You might be surprised to learn that Ervin Santana matched or exceeded Johan Santana in several categories this year. The two had identical records (16-7), Ervin struck out more batters in fewer innings the Johan, and Ervin also owned the better WHIP at 1.12 to 1.15 for Johan. Then again, he wasn't better at keeping those runners from scoring, as Johan's ERA ended up almost a full point lower. The point is, the Angels young right hander came into his own in 2008, or came into conversations with the game's elite, which is incredibly good. Where he struggled, however, was in pressure situations. With runners in scoring position, Santana's ERA soared to 8.29. He's even worse in the clutch, posting an ERA of 19.68 with RISP and two out. Here's guessing that a potent Red Sox lineup is just too much. Boston takes game two, but it's a close one. Matsuzaka will enjoy his revenge.

Thursday picks revisited

Winning two of three is pretty good in baseball, so I should be happy with calling the Dodgers and Phillies wins on Thursday while misfiring on the Rays' 6-4 win over the White Sox.

After writing that Javier Vazquez would outperform a rusty Rays offense, I read in the paper that Vazquez's 16 losses were second most in baseball history for a pitcher throwing game one of a series. I should've remembered how poor his September went, but I'm of the opinion that hot streaks are abnormalities, as are cold streaks. Players typically even-out over time, and I figured a rested Vazquez against the wide-eyed Rays would do the trick. Ozzie Guillen must've thought the same thing. Nope.

Cubs crazies

This is funny. Cubs fans are some of the more irrational in sports, especially when the Cubs go belly up.

Fukudome will sit in game three

Lou Piniella responded angrily to a post game question regarding Kosuke Fukudome. Before the reporter finished, Piniella said Fukudome would not be playing any more. The Cubs right fielder, who struck out three times in four trips to the plate Wednesday night, does not yet have a hit in the series.

Piniella said "The kid's struggling." Then he walked off the podium. Piniella said Mike Fontenot or Reed Johnson would be taking Fukudome's place. Which one plays depends on the health of Mark DeRosa, who's been nursing a strained calf. DeRosa was considered unavailable to play right field because of the injury, as he started at second base instead. DeRosa made a key error in the second inning as the Dodgers scored four undearned runs.

With the Dodgers up 2-0 headed back to Los Angeles after a 10-3 win in game three, the Cubs have been outscored 17-5. They need better bats in the lineup. If DeRosa can play right, Fontenot is probably the better option at second defensively.