The Spaceman Speaks..Spring Training Almost Here

Ex-Boston Red Sox lefthander Bill Lee, popularly know as "the Spaceman," really let Jim Rice have it. He was comparing Jim Ed to Hall of Fame nominee Andre Dawson. Here's what he said...

“Hawk’s (Dawson) a leader,” Lee told the newspaper. “He led by example through pain and suffering, going out there every day and laying it on the line. Character. I’d take him over Rice any day of the week. Rice had one of the greatest years in ’78, but over the course of a career? Hawk could play the outfield. Rice was a good outfielder there for a while, but then he got heavy. He got sedentary. He really didn’t work as hard as Hawk had to work every day. He was a pain in the ass.”

Ya know, he might be right (not about the pain in the butt part). I always thought that Rice's slumping late numbers had to do with growing nearsightedness. I still do, in fact. Yes, he became a little heavier in his "later" years but that happens to a lot of players. Without near perfect vision, hitting the round baseball becomes next to impossible. Remember, this was in the days before RK and Lasic surgery. It was glasses or contac lenses or not play. That's it.

It almost Fort Myers time! Players are to report to the Florida training headquarters February 23rd. Pitchers and catchers are due February 19th...hey, that's less than month! The first spring game will be March 3 and the first regular season game will be on April 4th against the NY Yankees. We're into the final weeks of the off season and I can't wait to hear the ump call out "play ball." Music to my ears. And yours, I hope.

That's it for this Thursday. I have an early appointment and I have to scoot. Click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL. Thanks.