Look At Me! Look At Me!

So it looks like our little corner of internet here was recently featured on the pages Dirty Water News! This is an amazing thing for us, we are excited to get the plug and humbled at the honor of being featured like that. Thank you Dirty Water News for recognizing that even little ol’ blogs can provide a little punch in the vast webiverse.

Again, this is a great attribute for us and as we move towards the start 2011 season we look forward to providing quality coverage throughout. Of course changes are in store and this lil’ blog will be blossoming in the coming month or so, but the aim will never change and that is to shine a bright light on the up-and-coming stars and the top-notch Minor League Baseball organizations around New England…and Beyond!

Not familiar with the publication? Well then, here’s a brief snippet of what DWN is all about:

“Dirty Water News is a lifestyle and entertainment newspaper that's going to be a great addition to local Boston media. Our feature articles include Restaurant Profile, Dirty Water Sports, Activity Spotlights, Boston Living, Trends, Comic Relief, Backstage among others. We have a comprehensive compilation of Calendars to keep you up on "what's up" in Boston including, Calendar of Events, Music Calendar and Coming Attractions (a guide to whats coming up in our next issue).”

You can grab a copy of Dirty Water News at bars, restraints and stores around Boston. Apparently you can also snag a copy if you hop a Cape Air flight to Providence, White Plains and Rutland, Vermont...seriously!

There is also an electronic version of the current edition available directly on their website. Click here to check it out (We're on Page 2). Also check out all of the other great things that Dirty Water News is doing as there is a vast

We love that Dirty Water (News) and we think you should too!

A BIG HEADS UP TO FELLOW BLOGGERS:

“DIRTY WATER NEWS is excited to introduce our newest section called “Boston Blogs.” Now everyone has the chance to get printed inside Boston’s Best Bar Rag and on our growing website at www.dirtywaternews. com. What we are looking for is the most interesting blog content in the Boston area. We’re open to all types and all genres, impassioned hobbyists and starving artists alike. If you think you got the stuff then send an email to blogs@dirtywaternews.com and write “Request For Submission Guidelines” in the Subject Line and we will send a short submission guideline sheet for you to fill out.”

I guess we are one of the first blogs to be bestowed with the honor of being featured and the great news is that they are looking for more local content to show off to their followers, so if you have your own little corner of the internet, shoot them a line, it won’t hurt I promise. And be sure to ask for the “Son of Fuzzy”...tell him C40 sent ya!

Experts rate leatherbound Sox prospect as best in the system

This week we were inundated with Minor League Baseball experts, pundits and prognosticators stepping up with their annual pre-season player rankings. Jonathan Mayo introduced his Top 50 Prospects via a 90-minute special on the MLB Network. Baseball America’s annual bible, the “Prospect Handbook”, has been shipped and received by the masses. ESPN’s Keith Law one-upped Mayo by dropping his Top 100 Prospects List and Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein released his Top 11 Red Sox Prospects for his weekly Future Shock column.

The one thing that we learned from all of this, in the wake of the departure of former top organizational prospect Casey Kelly, is that the Boston Red Sox best crop on the farm is now, unequivocally shortstop Jose Iglesias.

Law (#45) and Mayo (#42) both list Iglesias as one of the 50 best players in the minors right now. Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus both have Iglesias as the #1 prospect for the Red Sox.

Now granted, we should take these overall rankings with a grain of salt because they are, in fact, just one person’s thoughts on who they think is best. But there should be no denying that Iglesias is indeed a real-deal prospect and head and shoulders above the rest in the Sox organization (you can argue for the Kalishes and Navas of the world, but they used up their prospect/rookie status last year in the bigs...and Anthony Renaudo, although very good, has yet to pitch in pro ball).

I was lucky enough to catch Iglesias a couple of times last season in both Portland and Lowell and what these “experts” write is dead on. His glove work is a thing of beauty and he possesses all of the fielding skills to be a future Gold Glove candidate. He is an exciting player to watch in the field and makes things look effortless at times, turning an out-of-range grounder into a routine play.

He hits the ball well and is improving at the plate, has great bat speed and he makes solid contact on the ball. However, he is far from a power guy (0 homers in 261 at-bats) and projects to be somewhere in the 7th, 8th or 9th slot in a big league lineup. His 57/15 Ks-to-walk ratio will definitely need some work too, but patience usually comes with experience of which Iglesias only had only 70 total games played between Portland and Lowell in 2010.

He has drawn comparisons to Orlando Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez and I think that he may fall somewhere in between. He obviously will never have the pop that Hanley does, but can certainly contribute more offensively than Cabrera provided he puts in the work.

Iglesias should be a fan favorite down in Pawtucket this season and may even warrant a September call-up should all go well. He had a few injury issues in 2010 but came back strong and even put in some time in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season ended.

With his $6+ million dollar signing bonus serving as the highest paid to any player in the organization’s history, there is no doubt that the Sox are banking on Iglesias as their starting shortstop. In the meantime, Marco Scutaro will keep things warm for him and we’ll all get to enjoy watching him blossom on the farm.

Kel-ing me softly, with his Tweets…

It wasn’t until I started following Casey Kelly (@caseykelly23) on Twitter that I began to take notice of this top rated prospect in a more colloquial way. I was well aware of his athletic background and his work on the diamond, but now I was "friends" with THE Casey Kelly, ready to hang on his every tweet and laugh at his audacious wit and humor…he’s not following me, yet, but when he does I know the feelings will be mutual!

Now Kelly’s Twitter feed doesn't hit home like other outspoken athletes and it certainly does not entertain like a blockbuster movie might, but he does make you feel like you’re sitting in the same room with him, sipping some oolong tea and talking about whatever's going on in the world. He gives you that that campy, bubble gummy, minty-fresh feeling with his tweets. He keeps it real while keeping it simple:

Tell me about it Case!

We were with him as trade rumors swirled back in December and recall how he remained poised and stoic to his mighty flock of followers. He made sure to choose his response wisely and speak candidly. Then he dropped this amazing 140-character prose upon us:

So genuine and earnest…it just has to be heart-breaking to go to a place with an average temp of 80 degrees.

He was there to help teammate and trade mate Anthony Rizzo (@rizzman25) when he started his own Twitter account. Of course this included a little bit of that 21st century locker room ribbing that comes with the territory:


Hilarious Kel! It's funny 'cuz it's true! (Update: @rizzman25 now knows how to write back FYI).

He champions the feeds of his fellow comrades of the diamond, consistently pleading with us to give them a follow and see what they have to offer. Some are hit and miss…

You know I trust you CK, but I’m two more awful @datdudeBP tweets away from dropping him.

Recently he even brought us along as he made a trip out to San Diego to visit his new ballclub. This is the kind of direct, at-the-moment, first-hand information that makes something like this worthwhile.

Who doesn’t love hearing about a warm beach on a cold New England day?

Recently Baseball America named Kelly the #1 prospect in the San Diego Padres system only two months after receiving the honor as the Sox #1 guy following the 2010 season and one month after being traded for Adrian Gonzalez.

I’m just afraid that in leaving the Red Sox system, Kelly will no longer be a part of the daily lives of New England baseball fans like he used to be and I’m afraid that it will tear apart what we've built here. I don’t know if I can handle long distance relationtwits.

But just as easy as Twitter gives, it takes away. I shall now seek out a new local prospect to be my faux-migo…I’ve got my eye on you Will Middlebrooks!

Changes Are Coming!

Not sure if anyone is still checking in here, but for those who may have gotten a sudden itch for some baseball (thanks Pats!), we are a mere 27 days until pitchers and catchers begin to report to Spring Training.

Last year was certainly a fun one for us here at Beyond Fenway and as the season ended things picked up in TheC40 household as we welcomed the newest addition to the family, TheK40! (More about him at a later date).

Needless to say, I've been occupied with other things, but have finally been able to get back into the swing of things baseball-wise and wanted to post up about the exciting changes we have in store for you in 2011.

We are currently working very hard to launch our brand new website, which will feature all of the coverage that you came to expect in 2010 and then some. "We" will actually be a "WE" this time around, as I have gathered some great scribes to contribute throughout the season...I know you will enjoy their fresh insight and we will also have plenty of opportunities for YOU to contribute as well.

We are working real hard to spice up the new website before we launch it and we should be ready to go right around Spring Training time...the best time of year! I will give you advanced notice once we get closer to launching so be sure to keep an eye out for updates and announcements.

I am excited, the writers I have on board are excited and I hope you all are excited for another great season of baseball in 2011...New England offers up so many great, comparable baseball alternatives to the expensive hassles of going to Fenway Park and we are here to keep you updated on the Minor League options that are right here in our own back yard...and Beyond!