Random Thoughts (July 8, 2009)

Two columns in this morning's Boston newspapers - one you will enjoy and one you probably won't - tell a good story about Dustin Pedroia's absence from Monday's game to be with his pregnant wife Kelli, who went into premature labor. Dustin was back in the lineup last night with the blessing of his wife. What really struck me in reading both columns was how much Terry Francona supported Pedroia's decision to be with his wife on Monday. Even with the Red Sox struggling lately and with the Yankees gaining fast in the division, Francona knew what was really important and made the right decision. His interest in his players goes beyond what happens on the field and it is why he is the best manager in the game... Blue Jays general manager J.P Ricciardi announced that he will be willing to listen to offers for Roy Halladay, the 2003 Cy Young winner. Anytime a player of Halladay's caliber is made available, the Red Sox (as well as the Yankees) have to be discussed as a possible landing point. The question is, should the Sox invest three or four of their top prospects to land a 32-year-old pitcher? A potential deal for Halladay is not going to come cheap. Ricciardi would have to start any talks with Theo Epstein by asking for top pitching prospects Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden, who are both pitching extremly well at Triple-A Pawtucket. From there, Ricciardi might want Double-A Portland first baseman Lars Anderson. He might also demand one or two lower level prospects as well to help rebuild Toronto into a contender for the first time since the early 1990s. If the Red Sox do get involved into negotiations for Halladay they will have to decide between trying to win in the short term versus the long term. As great as Halladay is, he will probably be retired by the time Buchholz, Bowden, and Anderson - the three top prospects in the Sox organization - reach their primes. A Red Sox starting rotation of Halladay, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, and John Smoltz/Daisuke Matsuzaka (for the sake of the argument, I would think the Sox would move Brad Penny if they were to acquire Halladay) would be the best in the entire game. Without Halladay, the Sox have the best pitching in baseball. With him, they would have the most dominant 1-2-3 punch, something that would make their rivals - you hear me New York? - cringe in fear. Other than being the prohibitive favorite to win the 2009 World Series, acquiring Halladay would also keep him out of the Bronx. As great as the Boston staff would look with Halladay, a rotation of Halladay, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett would be equally great. In talking about any major deal, both sides of the case must be argued. If the Sox were to trade Buchholz, Bowden, and Anderson within the division, they will have to make peace with having three-to-five years of a Cy Young-caliber pitching from Halladay in exchange for the strong possibility that the players they send to Canada could beat them for well over a decade. Right now this is strictly hypothetical but all things considered, making a move for Roy Halladay would be awfully hard to turn down if I were in Epstein's position... If the rumors are to be believed, free agent forward Grant Hill looks like he will choose a bigger bi-weekly paycheck over the chance to compete for the first championship in his fifteen year career. Hill looks to be heading to New York to play for the rebuilding Knicks. The Celtics - the team considered to be one of a small handful of favorites to win the 2010 championship - are also very interested in acquiring the services of the 36-year-old Hill. I really believed that Hill would choose Boston so he could seriously compete for a championship. Hill's career, that looked to be Hall of Fame worthy, was derailed by injuries. The seven-time All-Star and 1995 Rookie of the Year has also made well over $120-million in the NBA. At this point, a championship ring should be the only concern. If Hill does choose dollars over winning, it will further prove my point that the education at Duke is wildly overrated... Speaking of Duke, Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski has reportedly agreed to coach the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The 2012 Games could be the curtain call for Coach K. He has already won three NCAA championships (1991, 1992, 2001), appeared in the Final Four ten times, and has won the ACC regular season title eleven times while winning the ACC tournament title ten times. He also coached the 2008 Olympic team - the "Redeem Team" - to a gold medal in Sydney. By 2012, Krzyzewski will also be approaching his 1000th career victory. After finishing the 2008-09 season with a 30-7 record, Coach K has a career record of 833 - 274 (760 - 215 at Duke). The 2001 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee will also be 65-years-old after the London Olympics. At that point, will he still have the drive to continue coaching? I say he retires... With the Red Sox needing a bat off their bench, coupled with the wave of good feelings at Fenway Park on Monday night, is it possible that Nomar Garciaparra could return to Boston as a 3B/1B/DH? That is one sequel I would love to see... Enjoy Happy 28th Birthday...