Bob Ryan Q&A

Globe columnist Bob Ryan checked in from Southern California earlier today to answer your questions on the Red Sox. Here's a transcript of the chat:

corafan1: With Jed Lowrie's error the other night, any chance we see my boy Alex Cora crack the lineup?

Bob Ryan: And I love Alex, too. You'll see him in some capacity before it's over. What? His first error of the season at SS (two at 3B), followed by a very nice play in the hole, followed by a key single in the 8th? He's staying right there.

Dewey24Ever: Hey Bob, Love 'ya! I think the Angels will recover very nicely if they win this game. Starting pitching is everything. But, I think that Dice-K will reach the 7th because they're not patient enough and RS win 4-3. Do you see 7 from D-K?

Bob Ryan: That seems to be the big hope, that the Angels are bat-swingers more than pitch-takers, which, theoretically, would play into Dice-K's hands. I'd happily take six good ones from him. Seven would be a bonus. Eight would be idyllic. A CG would be a fantasy fulfilled.

Click the "full entry" link to view the entire Q&A.

Dewey24: Looks like Orlando Cabrera is on the outs in Chicago. Should the Sox consider bringing him back here next year, even with Lowrie?

Bob Ryan: There's a reason why he has bounced around that has nothing to do with what he does on the field, and we'll leave it at that.

rjc: Has anything that's happened this week made you change your Angels in 4 prediction or do you think they will sweep the next 3?

Bob Ryan: Sure, Lester winning Game 1 makes a significant difference. Understand this: I HATE being forced to make predictions. My boss knows this. But it's something that seems to go along with the job. And I say that as someone who picked the Celtics over the Lakers in 6. But I have never understood this newspaper fascination with having their people make public predictions against their will. What difference does it make? To me, the only meaningful predictions are those backed by the wallet.

corafan1: What's up with the Angels? Why can't they beat the Red Sox in the playoffs when they can beat them any other time?

Bob Ryan: Who, whoa, whoa. 1986 doesn't matter. 2004 doesn't matter. 2007 might matter a little. We've played one game, and Lackey was one mis-located pitch away from winning.

Jeff_from_Maine: What is a guy with kids to do when the Sox playoff games start at an ungodly hour for the kids? I mean, 10:00??? Are you kidding?

Bob Ryan: Perhaps it has not come to your attention that Boston, and the Eastern time zone, is not the center of civilization. There's a whole big country out there. Having said that, I do maintain that, in general terms, west coast folks are seldom asked to make a significant sacrifice (i.e. having a baseball playoff game start at 4 or 5 local in order to accommodate those of us in the east. And they are NEVER asked to make that sacrifice by the NBA and their network partners. Also...right now TBS is dealing with four series. You can't forget that. We all hate the late times. It kills us at the newspaper. But you can't be naive and ask why it's happening.

Man-Knee: Bob, watch 10.0 all the time, great show! My question is, who is the first line of defense out of the pen if Matsuzaka runs his pitch count up high and leaves early ... do we see Wake or Byrd come in for a few innings?

Bob Ryan: Good question. Byrd seems ideally qualified for that role. Wake, less so, due to the catcher problem.

SithLordSlayer: Good Afternoon Mr. Ryan and Thank You for joining us to chat. How likely is an MVP for either Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Youkilis, or are they both hurt by the fact that they are on the same team?

Bob Ryan: I really am dying of curiosity on this one. The wild card is K-Rod. I abhor the idea of closers ever winning the Cy, let alone the MVP, but that's me, and many others disagree. It's a very tough race to analyze. Morneau has a very bad ending to a so-so September, and September is what got it for him last time. Mauer never really had any traction, and he, too, was only average in September. Quentin, the favorite on Labor Day, is now safely out of sight, out of mind. I will hazard a shaky guess that Pedroia will sneak off with it. Pedroia has gotten a great deal of national attention and will definitely get some first place votes. Youkilis, my choice, is a Top 5 guy for sure.

Rich_D_: Bob...if you don't mind looking ahead a bit... 2008 World Series, Sox vs Dodgers, Fenway Park, first game… Manny announced...what do you think the reaction will be??

Bob Ryan: Cheers that will be heard atop Mt. Washington.

WayBack: Jon Lester, with that great cutter, gets compared to Andy Pettitte a lot now. Is there another pitcher he reminds you of?

Bob Ryan: More and more, Bruce Hurst.

titch: Hey Bob, is J.D. Drew now healthy enough to contribute in any significant way?

Bob Ryan: Who knows? He moved all right. He just had a routine 0fer. I expect some production from him, yes.

charles: How long do you think Mike Lowell can last as he is in obvious pain virtually every time you see him at bat or on the bases?

Bob Ryan: I fear we'll see Lowell do something that will have him crawling off the field. I hope I'm wrong.

JerseyJeff: Papi didn't seem quite right in Game 1. Was it the wrist or the pitching?

Bob Ryan: He was uncharacteristically jumpy, swing early in the count, at least until the last time. The wrist is always a factor now.

Jeff_from_Maine: Re: Cabrera. Don't reporters have a responsibility to, you know, report, instead of protecting the players and maintaining ridiculous unspoken "rules?"

Bob Ryan: It has nothing to do with "rules." It has to do with not wanting to get sued if you're wrong. I'm just telling you there's a reason why he's been bouncing around.

Law2005: Knowing what we experienced in Boston before '04, what do you make of the Cubs situation? Will they need a Schilling-esque hero to ride into the Windy City to rescue them?

Bob Ryan: They need SOMETHHING. It will be ugly if they lose. It was a nice civic ha-ha until 2003. Then came Bartman, followed by the Red Sox winning, the White Sox winning and the Red Sox winning again. People have invested a lot in this team and it's laid two gigantic Brontosaurus eggs right in the middle of Wrigley.

joeysox04: Bob, what did you think of Jacoby's Game 1 performance?

Bob Ryan: Just kidding. Lets see...three hits, a three-base error that was crushed, two stolen bases, a great inning-ending, rally-killing catch perhaps only he could have made. To borrow a phrase, What the (naughty word) do you think I think? What kind of a (naughty word) question is that?

rjc11: Do you think they use Masterson in the eighth again if it's close? It was a real rollercoaster Wednesday.

Bob Ryan: What an immediate show of faith, huh? With a day off on both sides, damn right you can expect to see him again.

retire14: Is it me or are the Angels the Utah Jazz of baseball?

Bob Ryan: Interesting analogy, but I prefer to wait until we've seen Dice-K vs. Santana and Whichever Josh Will Show Up vs. Joe Saunders.

Rice_4_HOF: Were you surprised the Red Sox didn't bring in Coco Crisp in the ninth for defensive reasons (replacing JD Drew and sliding Jacoby over to right)?

Bob Ryan: Can't disagree, although no one has ever questioned J.D.'s defense. I guess it means Tito thinks he's sufficiently healthy. But Coco would improve the overall situation by degrees, sure.

JerseyJeff: Any chance of Jason Bay seeing a fastball tonight?

Bob Ryan: Bu8t after seeing him flail away at those breaking balls, I'd say any fastball he sees will be so far out of the strike zone even Vladdy would let it go by. Not in that location.

BennyB: Hey Bob, Considering Lowell's injury, Mark Kotsay's great numbers against Ervin Santana (.389 BA, .450 OBP, .500 SLG), and Kotsay's good glove at first base against the bunting/slap-hitting angels, do you think it would make sense to move Youk over to 3B and to put Kotsay at 1B for game 2?

Bob Ryan: All the great Kotsay numbers in the world will not produce that scenario if the skipper thinks "Mikey Lowell," as he loves to call him, can play.

Hub_Guy: Hi Bob, Love your work. Please be and sure to tell Dan Le Batard that a manager DOES make a difference in baseball and the decisions he is making and not making are a big reason for our current success! He is so behind on that one in my opinion...agree?

Bob Ryan: Dan's a friend, and a good man, but he is so wrong on this one it's frightening.

weyfairma: Bob, I know this getting waaaaay ahead of ourselves, but is there enough media in this town to provide sufficient coverage if it ends up being the Sox agains the Dodgers?

Bob Ryan: I can't even wrap my head around it. Truly.

Drumahh: Hi Bob. Who is LA routing for more, the Dodgers or the Angels? How 'bout that Manny!

Bob Ryan: It's a Dodger town. The Angels are Orange County's team.

Mike_2: Bob, Love your show. If Lowell is unable to go is there a way to get Drew, Ellsbury, Crisp and Bay into the same lineup by moving Papi to first? I would like to have both Crisp and Ellsbury making things happen on the bases.

Bob Ryan: Take this to the savings institution of your choice: the only time you'll see Papi at 1B is in Games 3, 4 and (if necessary, which it usually isn't),5 of the Fall Classic.

big_youk: Bob, What was up with Vlad Guerrero this year? I'm pretty sure his numbers where down across the board? Is he over the hill?

Bob Ryan: Yup. OK, a little explanation. At 33, his body is shot. He's a DH now, a DH who carries a Steinway around the bases, as you've seen.

I_K_: Bob, you going to make it back for Sports Reporters on Sunday? Don't know if I can handle Michael Kay.

Bob Ryan: (No, folks, this isn't a plant). Yes, I'll be there. It's out 20th anniversary show. My 19th. Check out page 3C of today's USA Today. Well, thanks for this one.

dino: Why on earth does K-Rod think he's worth $75 million?

Bob Ryan: He's good, but Rivera and Nathan actually had better years. And Pap's pretty good, too. 62 saves has something to do with it. And he's still young.

MattH: Bob, do you think the Red Sox will make a conscious effort to find a quality catcher to either share time with Varitek or replace Varitek altogether?

Bob Ryan: Win, lose or forfeit, the number one post-season issue will be the disposition of the catcher situation. Too bad we don't live in a rational world where you can offer 'Tek, say, $4-$5 M for one year, plus team option, and he says, "Where do I sign?"

Southern_Sox: Bob, enjoy your work!! The old line: "one game at a time" or "it's a marathon not a sprint.." are always tied to baseball because of the long season. That said, from your perch, do you see these guys get jacked up for a series like the fan base does?

Bob Ryan: Those of us who love baseball, as opposed to those of us who are more generic, or who favor something else, love this time of the year, except for the brutal starting times.

Trot_for_Govenor: Having these off days, you have got to think Tito will throw Papelbon every game in this series if need be. Do you ever remember a reliever completely dominating another team the way he has been able to dominate these Angels?

Bob Ryan: I'm guessing you don't remember '59, when Larry Sherry won two and saved two for the Dodgers against the ChiSox. And what about Rollie Fingers all those years?

I_K_: I bought a nice sectional from Jordan's Furniture, you think it will be free?
Bob Ryan: I still can't get used to only one Teitelbaum brother doing the commercials.

matt_2: I'm a lifelong sox fan living in NY and Michael Kay is a pretty knowledgeable baseball guy... but you gotta listen to his radio show...he can intelligently trash the Yankees better than anyone....there's a reason he's been doing the Yankee games for so long...he's good.

Bob Ryan: You don't have to sell me on Michael Kay. I've known him a long time. But from what I gather there are two electronic Michael Kays, the Yankee apologist on YES and the real MK on radio and in person.

Matt: Hi Bob, what is your perception of Ortiz and his state of mind? It seems he simply isn’t having as much fun with Manny gone. He just doesn’t seem to be himself (personality wise).

Bob Ryan: Oh, he's OK. I think any apparent change in disposition has more to do with worries about his wrist than pining for Manny, even in a professional/3-4 in the order sense. He's smart enough to know Manny wanted out and Theo had to do what he did.

RedSoxinNYC: Bob, the final 6 games against Tampa really made me question if Boston can beat them in a close game. Their players come up big when they really need them. Longoria's performance in Game 1 against Chicago only made me fear them more, should Boston advance to the ALCS. Thoughts?

Bob Ryan: Be careful with the absolutes. "Always" and "never" are two dangerous words. The Rays surely did win two out of three twice, each time after dropping Game 1. They're very much for real. But they're not invincible, and I'd welcome a TB-Boston ALCS.

Boz_Man_in_Pa: Bob, you've covered some pretty amazing games over the years in all sports...if you could pick one to attend/write about again....which one would it be? And why?

Bob Ryan: There just isn't any one answer. The three signature basketball games for me were the Phoenix Triple OT, Villanova-Georgetown and Duke-Kentucky. There's about a 10-way tie for first in the Bird era, although I think he was never more truly dominant than he was in Game 6 against the Rockets in '86. In baseball, I did cover Game 6 in '75. That was pretty good stuff. But perhaps the greatest rush came from the combination of Games 4 and 5 against the Yankees in '04. More than 11 hours of riveting baseball. I'd gladly re-live those 11 hours.

mcmere: Hey Bob, remember when Peter Gammons had blonde hair down to his shoulders?

Bob Ryan: That must have been before we met as Globe interns on June 10, 1968.

wojo96: Can you confirm that that was indeed Scott Boras standing behind home plate all throughout game 1?

Bob Ryan: Yes. Mr. Boras has a field level box at Angels Stadium.

patto: Bob, Do you see the Sox going after my boy #32 D Lowe this offseason?

Bob Ryan: Never say never. Far stranger things have happened. That said, I have no inside knowledge whatsoever on the subject.

JerseyJeff: Does Manny Delcarmen have a cutter? Seems think he has the stuff to be Mariano-like if the ball is less straight.

Bob Ryan: Not to my knowledge. He's got the 95 mph heater and a decent curve.

scoot: Bob, speaking of Manny, don't you think his revitalization and his numbers, hustle and attitude prove he was dogging it with the sox? And who do you think was the cause, Manny or Boras?

Bob Ryan: It's far too easy to paint Boras as the Svengali figure. We've always known that Manny never should have left Cleveland, where he was perfectly happy. We always assumed he was manipulated by Jeff Moorad. But this is eight years later. He's goofy, but not stupid. He has wants and druthers. I prefer to think he knows what he wants and by choosing Boras he thinks he can get it. Without any question, Manny was dogging his way out of town. But that's the package. Can't wait to see where he ends up in '09. But isn't it unspeakably maddening to see what he's doing? I don't understand how the Manny enabler fans can't see how selfish and completely unprofessional he can be. Thank you, everybody, for some good questions. I'm outta here, in search of the nearest In-N-Out Burger.