Full Count
A Furiously Updated Red Sox Blog
WEEI.com Blog Network
RSS
Ryan Lavarnway excited to return to majors, lose ‘smartest guy in the room’ label 08.01.12 at 6:22 pm ET
By Alex Speier

Ryan Lavarnway was summoned to the big leagues on Wednesday afternoon (AP)

When Ryan Lavarnway heard of the Red Sox’ acquisition of fellow Yale alum Craig Breslow, he immediately reached out to the left-hander to express his enthusiasm. Though the two were never teammates at Yale (Breslow was drafted in 2002, three years before Lavarnway started at the school), they have gotten to know each other through the years.

Within hours of the Sox’ trade for Breslow, however, Lavarnway learned that he and Breslow would not merely be in the same organization but instead on the same team. Shortly after Triple-A Pawtucket’s rain-soaked game in Rochester, Lavarnway was told that he was heading to Boston, likely for a call-up, in the aftermath of an injury that catcher Kelly Shoppach incurred when slamming a foul ball off his left shin.

“We finished our rain-delayed game last night around midnight. They said I was going to come, sit in the hotel and wait,” Lavarnway said.

Today, he made his way back into the Red Sox clubhouse where he spent two stretches last year during call-ups in August and then September. It represented an opportunity for which Lavarnway had been hoping even as he’d tried to keep it out of the foreground of his thoughts.

“If you focus on the day-to-day routine, then it’s easy [not to think about a call-up]. If you get away from that, it’s a little tougher. … You try to focus as best as you can,” he said. “It’s great to be back. It doesn’t matter what the situation.”

For now, the situation is not entirely clear. With Shoppach’s availability limited, the 24-year-old will be available as a backup catcher and a right-handed bat off the bench on Wednesday night against the Tigers. Beyond that, it remains to be seen for how long he will remain in the majors, and in what capacity, though with David Ortiz still working his way back from tendinitis in his Achilles, the addition of Lavarnway to the roster gives the Sox not only a bench option but also more options for mixing and matching with an offensive threat at DH between Lavarnway, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Shoppach. Lavarnway was told by manager Bobby Valentine that they will discuss a plan for the call-up tomorrow.

“I don’t know anything more than you do at this point,” Lavarnway said of his role.

Regardless, Lavarnway has done just about everything to position himself as a big league option both offensively and defensively. He’s hitting .295 with a .376 OBP, .439 slugging mark and .815 OPS along with eight homers in 83 games. Those numbers are down from the spectacular offensive display he had a year ago in Pawtucket, when he hit .295/.390/.612/1.002 with 18 homers in 61 days, but the circumstances have been drastically different.

Last year, Lavarnway was splitting time between catcher and DH, putting himself in position to be major league-ready as a hitter. This year, he’s already caught 80 games — 14 more than his prior career high for a full season, set in 2009 in Single-A Greenville — and it’s been a different undertaking as the Sox have tried to conclude Lavarnway’s defensive apprenticeship at the game’s most demanding position.

“This has been my first opportunity to catch on an everyday basis. I’ve got to tell you — it’s a lot different than DH-ing half the time. It’s more of a physical grind,” said Lavarnway. “But I’ve got a great postgame routine. I’m staying in shape a lot better this year, working on my flexibility and my body feels great.

“This is the best my body has felt this deep into the year regardless of how many games I’ve caught. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in in August,” he added. “There’s been the greater degree [of physical stress from catching], but I’ve focused a lot heavier on my diet than I have in past years. I haven’t put on the weight I have in past years. I’ve focused a lot more on flexibility with the long haul in mind.”

In the short-term, however, he has put himself to be back up in the majors and to be both an offensive and defensive option for the Red Sox. And he has put himself in position to enjoy a unique pairing with Breslow, as the two will become the first major league teammates ever from Yale.

And that, in turn, will position Lavarnway for a novel experience.

“I’ve never claimed to be the smartest guy in any room,” Lavarnway mused, “but it might be the first time that people don’t give me credit for it.”

Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • caperick

    stay classy spike.

  • Anonymous

    Your thugs almost got beat. Go dress in black for your next funeral. Your team looks like a prison inmate gang.. 0 class.

  • Anonymous

    From Johnny Spygate to Spike Lee. SOS!

  • Yankee27 alpha coward

    Fail. Coward. Hey fatso, how many beatings did you get by kids half your size growing up.? Exactly. A real tough guy…and how many rings have the Knicks got? What was that? I can’t hear you. So now that the C’s are gone, what thread will your pathetic fingers pop up on? The Sox are sure to lose a few games so I guess we can expect you there…..and no matter how many ID’s you use, you’re still the biggest loser in the history of the Internet.

  • Heatpeopleschampions

    Celtics announce KG and Pierce will be back…Leprechaun symbol at half-court to shed the cane….will have a walker

  • Ty

    Don’t you mean Melo with fake injury? Gotta love how absolutely none of the Knicks players even glanced at him, nevermind walked over to him, to see if he was okay. That sure is some basketball “team” NY’s got there.

  • Ty

    Gotta love that Celtics pride. Thanks for fighting till the bitter end, C’s. Go get ‘em next season.

  • Spike Lee’s movies suck

    Amazing how tough you are hiding in your moms basement..

  • Anonymous

    Thank God, African Handball Season here is over

  • Bruinman86

    When was the last time you made a movie someone actually watched??? LOL

  • Franky

    Reminded me of those old boxing fights, with the old veteran making a last stand to defend his belt. At least they went out fighting. We could analyze the lack of offense, etc. Lets just all step back and say thanks for all the memories from Paul and Kevin, if that was their last games in green, they sure went out fighting.

  • pete

    Paul pierce sucks so bad but because Rivers blo——s him Boston just kept giving the ball to Pierce so he could blow the whole series. Pierce is a waste and did not even try tonight. 14 years he suck with only 1 good year and nobody wants to play with that piece of scum get out of Boston.

  • mikeb

    Celtics suck and will suck for a long time
    Every player on the Celtics is a reject that no other team wanted.
    proof nobody wanted Pierce Garnet or Terry at the trade deadline because they suck

  • Pete is a Mensa student

    Suck an scum no buddy want scum and suck balls cuz him suck and scum when 14 years is nobody wants they scum and suck. Proof I am like below scum and suck nobody wants me proof down wit it. Jiggy. Fresh. Sketchy.

  • Dan in N.

    I’ve been a long C’s fan for many years.. (as with all Boston teams) .. but this game was painfull to watch for me. P.P. is driving me crazy.. He set the tone during the first quarter missing his 3′s.. (live by the 3.. die bye the 3) .. He died.

    Again with the turnovers .. I believe that the game 1 loss is what did this team in.
    It was their game to win.
    I dont know how anyone else feels but I can say that I honestly do not want to see P.P in a C’s jersey again next year..

  • Joshua Jock

    Bye Bye celtics. Have fun in the offseason you old men.. Couldnt comeback like the Red Sox right?? Maybe you need it some steroids like how Manny and Ortiz did for that comeback right??

  • christopher mehegan

    hey,spike do yourself a good huge favor take ur pathetice unused new york knickerbocker trash the knicks are gonna get the new york stuffings knocked out of them by the pacers celtics green and white forever go celtics

  • rilawman

    Thanks for stopping by a-hole!!!

  • Ty

    At this point in his career, Paul just needs a little more support around him, or in other words, someone who can handle the ball! He’s not a point guard for a reason, and you saw some sloppy turnovers from him when he was handling the ball. He’s got to be better, but it’s clear that with Rondo healthy, this is a completely different team, and I don’t think you see Pierce have as many turnovers. I want to see him in a Celtics jersey for life, so I’m a little biased, but I still think it would be a mistake to let him go if he wants to play one more year. He’s had one heck of a career though, that’s for sure.

  • Joshua Jock eats Mikeb

    You mean Arod, Clemens, David Justice, Chuck Knoblach, Andy Pettite, Gay Sheffield….just waiting for Mark Teixeira to get on one of the lists…worthless piece of crap that you are…

  • Dan in N

    It will be very interesting to see what happens with PP and Garnet.. thats for sure !!.. I totally agree that PP and ( Garnet) had/have one heck of a career. One thing though.. no matter who was the point guard .. those 3′s didnt miss because of that.. unless you are saying that he wouldnt have taken them if Rondo was on the court..That we will never know.

  • RP87

    It’s not really a comeback if you don’t win, so spare me one of the greatest comebacks speech

  • Ty

    I think there’s something to be said for how good Rondo’s passes really are… they often turn into assists because of how he delivers them to other guys in rhythm, in the flow of the offense. Maybe Pierce hits some of those shots because they’re simply taken within a better flow of the offense, but it also looked like he basically had no more legs last night. The guy gave everything he had, and that’s really all you can ask for. I wish he had a better game last night, but I appreciate the effort nonetheless.

  • Uncle Buck

    Wow, looky here, trolls on center stage. Funny. Where are they when the teams win. Weird those trolls. Just plain weird.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shanique.mackey Shanique Mackey

    Remember NY was the 2nd seed they were expected to win. it is as if the Knicks have reach their NBA ceiling it shows when you are not use to winning you do not understand your real goal. They will not win the finals so actually NY and Boston will have the same thing when its all said and done NO RING this season.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shanique.mackey Shanique Mackey

    Bring KG and the Truth back let them come of the bench go after Dwight Howard or Al Jefferson and send Rondo to get Josh Smith and sign a good back up point guard.
    Starters RONDO GREEN AL JEFFERSON JOSH SMITH SULLY
    Bench KG PP JET LEE BRADLEY New Point guard T Williamsa Bass

Red Sox Box Score
Red Sox Schedule
Baseball Analytics Blog
Red Sox Headlines
Red Sox Minor League News
Red Sox Team Leaders
MLB Headlines
Tips & Feedback

Verify