Red Sox Notebook: Ready To Open Spring

One hundred and twenty-two days after they finished off a World Series sweep of the Rockies in Colorado, the Red Sox take the field for a game today when they host Boston College and Northeastern in a day-night doubleheader at City of Palms Park. Both games will be seven-inning affairs.

Staff ace Josh Beckett is scheduled to start the opener against Boston College and will be followed by Kyle Snyder, Javier Lopez, Manny Delcarmen and Bryan Corey. Top prospect Justin Masterson will take the mound in the nightcap against Northeastern and will be followed by fellow farmhands Craig Hansen, Michael Bowden, Craig Breslow, Hunter Jones and Kyle Jackson.

“It serves a good purpose for us, especially if it can be our first day,” Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t like playing intrasquad games. This serves a really good purpose. First time out in the field in a game, this works out well. We can get everybody in games, get a couple of at-bats.

“The only thing [is] it’s a long day for the staff, but that’s OK. We get 14 innings of baseball, which is good.”

The Sox also released their likely lineups for the games:

Sox vs. Boston College: Jacoby Ellsbury CF; Dustin Pedroia 2B; David Ortiz DH; Mike Lowell 3B; Jason Varitek C; Kevin Youkilis 1B; Julio Lugo SS; Bobby Kielty RF; Brandon Moss LF

Sox vs. Northeastern: Coco Crisp CF; Alex Cora 2B; J.D. Drew RF; Manny Ramirez DH; Sean Casey 1B; Chris Carter LF; Doug Mirabelli C; Jed Lowrie SS; Keith Ginter 3B

The Sox open their Grapefruit League season Friday against the Twins—their crosstown Florida rivals—at the Twins’ complex at Hammond Stadium.


Hurst officially joins Sox: Former Sox ace Bruce Hurst, who went 108-73 for the Sox from 1980-88, was named a special instructor for player development by the Sox Monday.

Hurst, who participated in the Sox’ Rookie Development Program last month and has been serving as an instructor since Sox pitchers and catchers reported to Ft. Myers two weeks ago, will travel to each of the Sox’ farm clubs this season and will serve as an on-field pitching instructor as well as a player evaluator.

“We are very pleased that Bruce is returning to the Red Sox organization in a new role,” Sox director of player development Mike Hazen said in a statement released by the Sox. “He brings a great deal of experience and pitching knowledge to this position and he will be a great asset to our younger players.”

The return to Boston is a gratifying one for Hurst, who, like so many Sox of past generations, left on unhappy terms when he signed with the Padres as a free agent following the 1988 season. But he didn’t really establish roots with the Padres nor with the Rockies or Rangers, for whom he rounded out his career in 1993-94. Re-establishing contact with the Sox in 2004—when he was elected to the club’s Hall of Fame—allowed him to feel as if he was returning home.

“After I retired, I really didn’t have a home, a baseball home,” Hurst told reporters Monday. “And they were kind enough to put me in their Hall of Fame in ’04. That gave me a place to hang my baseball hat. That meant a lot to me on a personal level. To come back and be able to give back—they’ve given so much to me, hopefully I can give something back to them.”

Hurst, who spent four years as the pitching coach for the China National Team, was selected by the Sox in the first round of the 1976 draft and went 145-113 with a 3.92 ERA as a major leaguer. He posted a 2.29 ERA in seven postseason starts and went 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts during the 1986 World Series.