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Sox on pace to shatter Fort Myers attendance record

The Red Sox reported today that ticket sales for spring-training games at City of Palms Park are on pace to break the record set last year. The Sox are on pace to sell more than 126,000 tickets for this year's games, which would top last year's mark of 124,123.

Today, the Sox face the Minnesota Twins for the fifth time, at the Twins' Fort Myers stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN at 1. Matt Clement will start for the Sox, who also plan to use pitchers Rudy Seanez, Manny Delcarmen and Mike Holtz.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:43 AM | Permalink

Machado sent down

The Red Sox today announced that infielder Alejandro Machado has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The club also reassigned outfielder Ron Calloway and right-handed pitcher Jimmy Serrano to minor-league camp. The moves bring the team's major-league cadre to 37 players, including 8 nonroster invitees.

Machado had seen a lot of action this spring in Fort Myers, partly because of the absence of Alex Cora, who played in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico. Journal sportswriter Sean McAdam reported this morning that the Sox' plans seem to allow for six infielders to start the season in Texas: Cora, Mike Lowell, Alex Gonzalez, Mark Loretta, Kevin Youkilis and J.T. Snow. The future remains uncertain for last year's second baseman Tony Graffanino, who could be traded soon, and for veteran utility man Willie Harris.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:34 AM | Permalink

Splendid memories of Ted Williams

By dissing Ted Williams recently, the San Francisco Chronicle ironically ended up bringing out a story that shows the softer side of the Splendid Splinter.

After reading a column in which a Chronicle writer named Williams into its "Baseball Hall of Fame All-Dysfunctional Wing," the slugger's nephew, a man from Oakland also named Ted Williams, just had to respond.

While acknowledging his uncle's tempestuous personality and occasional disdain for the fans and the press, Williams says that his uncle was far from self-centered. The younger Ted Williams relates the story of how the Boston Red Sox star, even while putting the finishing touches on his great career, flew his only brother -- Danny, the father of Ted Williams from Oakland -- around the country for leukemia treatments. The slugger Ted Williams, who because of his work with the Jimmy Fund became well-known in New England as an anti-cancer crusader, probably spent more on his brother during Danny's last year of life than he made playing for the Red Sox that year, his grateful nephew says.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:15 AM | Permalink