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Red Sox camp report
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Five things to know about the Boston Red Sox:
1. You want to know one of the strangest things going on in baseball right now? Manager Terry Francona has steered Boston to two World Series titles in four seasons and yet he's entering the final year of his contract. Red Sox ownership, and general manager Theo Epstein, took Francona out to dinner the other night as negotiations continued, and Francona is expected to be re-signed soon to a multiyear deal (probably three years) in the $3 million to $4 million per year range. "I love doing what I'm doing here," Francona says. "It's hard to explain this place. This is the best job I've ever had and this is the hardest job I've ever had. I don't know if you could have both the passion for this team without the criticism that goes with it."
2. The Red Sox first full-squad workout is scheduled for Friday, and early reports regarding David Ortiz, who played much of last year with an aching left knee, are good. Ortiz batted .332 with 35 homers and 117 RBI last summer before undergoing offseason arthroscopic surgery. "I think the surgery was needed, and it appears to have been successful," Epstein says. "He's pretty close to 100 percent. He feels a lot of pain relief, which is good. We're going to monitor him this spring, and Tito (Francona) is going to be smart with how we use him. We're hopeful it will be a non-issue this year."
3. Still some tension in the air when right-hander Curt Schilling's name is broached. Schilling is in daily around 6 a.m. to do some of his rehab and he's usually gone from Camp Red Sox by 9 a.m. or so. Epstein says it will be six to eight weeks before the club can really gauge where it is with him. With Big Schill expected to be lost through the All-Star break at a minimum -- and possibly for the season -- the fifth spot in the rotation appears to be between Clay Buchholz, who famously pitched a no-hitter last summer, veteran swingman Julian Tavarez and possibly Kyle Snyder. Boston's first four starters are Cy Young runner-up Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield and, probably, Jon Lester.
4. Beckett is coming off of a career year and no, he isn't changing much. For example, you won't see him training with Manny Ramirez at Phoenix's Athletes' Performance Institute. "I didn't do anything different," Beckett says. "I've got my own personal trainer in Texas." Yes, good luck getting him out of Texas during the offseason. "I went to Las Vegas with my girlfriend, and that was like pulling teeth," he says.
5. It's still just plain nuts around this Fever Pitch of a team that has an insane grip on the hearts and minds of its followers. NESN -- the New England Sports Channel -- is televising these early workouts back to the denizens. True story: The Red Sox's first full-squad workout isn't even until Friday, and yet Thursday, NESN slotted a two-hour live broadcast -- 10 a.m. to noon -- so New Englanders could get their fix of Red Sox stretching, playing catch and pitchers throwing in the bullpen.