Bobby Valentine Irked by 4-4 Tie Between Sox and Yanks

Relief pitcher Clayton Mortensen is warming up to come into the 10th inning of a tie game against the New York Yankees in Spring Training. Mortensen, despite three appearances this spring comprised of six shutout innings, is a long shot for making the big league roster and needs to make the most of every opportunity he gets.

Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine is happy to give Mortensen another look. He deserves every chance to make the squad that the other pitchers get.

As Mortensen makes his way out to the mound, however, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi informs the head umpire that they don't want to play extra innings. I guess that's a wrap. The game ends in a 4-4 tie.

For Sox fans who love Valentine's fire and energy as a manager, it is pretty easy to understand why this whole situation has irked him quite a bit.

Bobby V claims that the Yankees had enough pitching to keep going. He suggested after the game that it was "probably too long of a ride" for New York back to their own Spring Training facilities more than two hours from Fort Myers.

"It was regretful that Mortensen warmed up and we were told we were not playing any extra innings. I didn't think that was very courteous," Valentine explained.

You have to love a new manager who is sticking up for every guy on his roster — even the ones who likely won't be at the ballpark with him this year — in the face of a lack of courtesy by their arch rivals.

It's just another sign of Valentine's fierce and unique style as a manager — a stark contrast to former manager Terry Francona, who was actually in attendance for the game and was seen shaking hands in the dugout with Valentine.

That unique managing style manifested itself within the game, as well. It got me pretty excited about the future. The Sox rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the final two innings of this game to force the 4-4 tie that ultimately became the controversial final score. Can you guess how the tying run crossed the plate?

Outfielder Jason Repko successfully laid down a suicide squeeze to bring home Boston's fourth run.

We'll have to wait and see how Valentine manages the egos and the personalities on his roster. Francona was exceptionally good at that for most of his tenure in Boston, but Tito never really managed the game with small ball tactics to manufacture runs. If Bobby V can keep his clubhouse in check and focused, his active style of managing could do wonders with the talent and versatility at his disposal.

The Sox are going to be a fun team to watch this season. Bobby Valentine has a mix of every element you could imagine in a manager, and the brand of baseball we're about to see at Fenway just might be something very different from what we've grown accustomed to.
 

What Brady's Restructured Deal Could Mean for the Pats

The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady have agreed to restructure the final three years of the star's contract, clearing an additional $7.2 million in cap space for the Pats in 2012.

According to ESPN, the new deal has Brady's base salary for this upcoming year reduced from $5.75 million to $950,000. The $4.8 million difference is tacked onto the roster bonus owed to the quarterback, amounting to a $10.8 million signing bonus to be paid to Brady. In the end, he makes the same figures — just in a different form.

What's the catch? In 2013 and 2014, Brady's salary cap hit will rise to nearly $22 million, a difficult number for a team to manage. What does all of this mean?

The Pats already have a pretty good cap situation. Why would they clear up $7.2 million more at a price that will cost them in the two years following? There are a few ideas on this one. The Pats could be clearing space in preparation to land a big signing and still maintain their cushion with the salary cap. But who's left? Most of the big names have been locked up other than former Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace, but any team who signs him will be forced to give up a first round draft choice as a tender.

Former Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell and Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo are strong candidates to be donning Patriots uniforms next season, but neither of those guys are so huge that they require a ton of shifting in the salary cap. I raise the question again — why would the Patriots arrange their cap in this manner for 2012 if it results in a tighter cap for 2013 and 2014?

You can never rule out the possibility of bringing in a player through the trade market, but there haven't been many speculations indicating an impending move. So I investigate one final possibility, as unlikely as that possibility is.

In addition to signing someone from the free agent market such as Bell or Castillo, could Bill Belichick finally have his eyes on moving up in the first round to select a premiere player? There is incredible talent in the upper half of the first round. Luke Kuechly, whose stock is rapidly rising, could be a perfect anchor in New England's defense and allow Jerod Mayo to finally move to outside linebacker and generate some edge pressure. Quinton Coples could be another answer on the edge of the defensive line. And as high as they would need to jump to land him, you have to admit — Trent Richardson would be a dream-come-true for an offense that just lost BenJarvus Green-Ellis to the Bengals and seeks more balance in their attack.

Having said all of this, I know that it is extremely unlikely that the Patriots jump up in the first round to select a player that costs more money and carries a greater reputation. It's not the Belichick style. But it's something to consider. Why would they sacrifice the future cap situation for the present if they have no intentions of making a splash?

The draft comes relatively soon, and I can't wait to see how things unfold.
 

Bookie Tip: Phoenix vs. Dallas 8:05 PM

Changing it up for the fellas today and taking a hockey game. I love hockey but it happens to be the hardest to make any dough off. But tonight I love the Coyotes money line. They are looking for a playoff push and the stars are on a two game losing streak. Enjoy.


The Pick: Phoenix, Money Line