Porcello looks high and Lowe
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
FORT MYERS — Derek Lowe doesn’t have the Cy Young Award that Rick Porcello can tout, but he does have 176 wins over 17 major league seasons as a sinkerballer to his name.
Porcello can appreciate that.
The former Red Sox right-hander, now 44 and retired since 2013, showed up to camp yesterday at the request of Porcello, who he met in January at the Baseball Winter Weekend hosted by the club.
“I think he wants to get better,” Lowe said of Porcello. “People always look at the dollars these guys make and say, ‘Are they really driven?’ These guys are driven. This guy wants to get better. Cy Young a couple years ago, probably didn’t have the year he wanted (last year). But putting your pride aside and saying, ‘Will you help me?’ is a great attribute to have.”
Lowe also is close with new pitching coach Dana LeVangie. In short sleeves and shorts instead of full uniform, Lowe spent time on the field with LeVangie and Pedro Martinez while also working with Porcello. What did they talk about? “Grips,” Lowe said. “Everyone holds it differently. Maybe how to use the rubber a little differently. But let’s be honest, they have 50 coaches over here. I talked more minor things you can actually bring into a game as far as moving your thumb more or something like that.”
Said Porcello, “He’s got a little bit more insight because he was a sinkerballer his entire career. Pedro was a four-seam guy. There’s certain things I can relate to more with Derek as far as grip and what it takes to throw a sinker and execute it and the mindset that you have to have. It’s a contact pitch. You’re going to give up hits, but it’s so important to be aggressive at the bottom of the zone. If they hit the ball on the ground, you’re not going to get hurt by it.”
Alex Cora said it was one of his goals this year to get former players to camp to help out the first-time manager.
“It’s something I always envisioned before I got this job,” Cora said.
Learning by legends
On deck to visit the Red Sox next? Mike Lowell.
The former third baseman will work with 21-year-old Rafael Devers for a few days.
“Not only because Mikey, he’s a great player, and I think he still is No.1 in the history of the game in fielding percentage — I think it was .989 or something,” Cora said. “But also the language (Spanish). We have Carlos Febles and me and Ramon Vazquez. I think they can connect. It’s nothing special. He’s not coming here to redo (Devers’) setup or whatever. He already had some video. We’ve been talking about it the last few weeks. He’ll work with him and I’ll take care of him, dinner-wise. I’ll pay for dinner.”
Cora said he learned from Dodgers greats in his first few seasons in Los Angeles and he hopes many on the Red Sox can do the same.
“Some of them know the history of the game and know who Mike Lowell is,” Cora said. “Some of them don’t. It’s always good to bring guys like that and all of a sudden it’s who is this guy? And they start talking and realize he was a good player in 2007, (World Series) MVP, all that. Same with D-Lowe. Some guys are like, ‘Who is that guy?’ You explain who it is. We talk about connecting with them as a person, but you have to connect them with the history of the game. This is a cool game. There’s a lot of history. The more they know the better they are.”
Opening statements
Principal owner John Henry and team chairman Tom Werner are expected to be in camp today while Cora addresses the team for the first official fullsquad workout.
Cora said he’s been preparing for his speech for some time.
“I know how big that first day is, not only for the baseball team, for the players, but for the organization,” Cora said. “Looking forward to that. It’s an opportunity to — it’s not that you have to make a statement; they know what’s at stake — but to get some points across. I’m glad that everybody is here. It’s going to be a tough day, schedule-wise. We’re going to be all over the place. That’s what it’s all about now. Now we go.”
Asked if he’ll have rules for the team, Cora said, “Yeah. I will. We’ll talk about them throughout the season, throughout spring training. There will be rules.”
Henry is expected to meet with reporters afterward for his annual spring training press conference.
Right into action
With only three days of full-squad workouts to prepare before the Red Sox’ first games against Northeastern and Boston College on Thursday, the Sox will have to do a crash course on signs, run-downs, cutoffs, bunt plays and pop-up priorities, Cora said.
None of the Red Sox regular starting pitchers will throw the first time through the rotation.