Kevin Millar

Former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar appeared on the Mut & Merloni show Friday for his weekly spot to comment on Adrian Gonzalez‘s home run prediction, the Red Sox rotation, the state of leadership in the Sox clubhouse and Jonathan Papelbon. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

Gonzalez made a comment Wednesday night saying that he was going to hit a home run in Thursday’s game against the Rays. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Matt Moore might have responded to those comments by hitting Gonzalez with a pitch Thursday. Millar, though, enjoyed Gonzalez’s comments as well as Moore’s response.

“I don’t know how Adrian was saying it, a little sarcastic, but a little bit serious. It’s all in fun. I don’t know if Moore went out there and drilled him on purpose. Only they know. I like Adrian with a little fire, saying, ‘You know what, I’m going to go deep.’ I like to see that out of him. If you ask me, that’s what he lacks.”

Added Millar: “Yeah, I liked it. I liked both sides.”

With the Red Sox winning six out of their last seven, Millar expressed optimism with the season going forward.

“The season will play itself out,” he said. “We get so caught up in numbers, ERAs and stats in the beginning of the season. We can’t forget we played the game, we struggled, we got off to bad starts. … When the dust settles, everyone goes back to where they’re at.”

Millar of the Red Sox starting pitching, specifically Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz: “Beckett will settle in. He’s not a seven ERA pitcher and Buchholz is not a nine ERA pitcher. Are they going to go 21-4 like everyone wants? Probably not.”

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Kevin Millar and Pedro Martinez served as toastmasters for the 100th birthday celebration of Fenway Park. (AP)

Pedro Martinez once again brought a jolt of electricity to Fenway Park with his presence, as his entry onto the field through the tunnel in center field drew one of the most emotional reactions of the day from the crowd, with the three-time Cy Young winner returning the affection by pointing to several parts of the park to express his affection for the place of his most lasting baseball memories.

Few players have ever had the affair with Fenway Park that Martinez did. Indeed, as Martinez noted, he is one of the few Red Sox stars who left town as a free agent yet continued to be a beloved figure in the city and region.

“I don’t want to curse this — and I don’t think I can anymore, because I’m not going to be playing anymore, and my love for Boston is always going to be in my heart,” Martinez prefaced. “I might be the only player that has gone away from Boston and still had the same support from the fans. Gone and being here, has the same support I got. I’m very privileged to the be that player that was never booed and never left a sour grape in Boston.”

That being the case, the pitcher’s affinity for Boston and for Fenway Park remains undampened, as fresh now as it was during the seven seasons he spent with the Sox from 1998-2004. The Sox recognized that in selecting Martinez (along with Kevin Millar, another member of the iconic 2004 team that claimed the first Red Sox World Series in 86 years) to deliver the pre-game toast to Fenway Park. After the toast, Martinez described the magic that he feels inside of the ballpark that celebrated its 100th birthday on Friday.

“My feeling is unique toward Fenway, unique toward the city, unique in every aspect. Fenway has a way that you can’t find it anywhere else,” said Martinez. “You might find [it in] Chicago, with a little bit of tradition. But when it comes to Fenway, there’s nothing you can compare it to. I have been in many other fields and I have been all around the leagues, played in the National League, too. Even the old Yankee Stadium, there’s nothing that can be compared to Fenway. It must be the closeness that the stadium gives you. If you messed it up, you’re going to hear it. They’re going to let you know. And you can hear it. The same way when you do something good for Boston, you’re going to hear it and they’re going to embrace you. You’re going to feel, sometimes, people breathing close to you. That’s how close they are to you at Fenway. Fenway’s the only stadium that can give you that. Fenway becomes a unique place, and it should remain that way.” Read the rest of this entry »

Kevin Millar

Former Red Sox player and current MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar joined Mut & Merloni to give his take on Boston’s imminent hiring of Bobby Valentine as manager.

While it was reported last week that the managerial search had come down to Valentine and Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont, Millar said that Lamont never really had a shot.

“I think the writing was on the wall for the last couple of weeks,” Millar said. “I don’t think Gene Lamont was going to be in consideration at that point, and when I saw those two names, I thought Bobby V. was going to be the guy. It was just a matter of time and what goes on behind the scenes.”

Added Millar: “I think this will be a good situation for the Red Sox.”

It has been speculated that Valentine’s more hard-line approach toward players will be difficult for some of the Red Sox to adjust to after playing for Terry Francona. Millar said that while Valentine’s personality can hurt him, he might have changed since last managing in the MLB in 2002.

He hasn’t managed in, what, the last 10 years in the big leagues? We can all learn from our mistakes,” Millar said. “There is an ego there, that’s a fact. I think that’s Bobby’s downside. I think that’s what makes him not appealing to other clubs. But right now I think the man’s 61 years old, and of age, you get smarter, you learn some stuff, he’s been able to sit here and analyze the game on television. He’s coached in Japan for six years. He brings some of that fire that I think the city likes to see.”

Following are more highlights from the conversation. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

On how Valentine will deal with the players: “He wasn’t liked at times. But as a manager, you don’t have to be liked by everybody. I think you have to create some kind of fear. You have to fear somebody when you play this game.

“The best approach is to treat men like men, these are dads, these are baseball players, these are great athletes. There are some situations that need to be tightened up, whether that’s the conditioning situation, whether that’s the eyes in the clubhouse situation. One thing I don’t want is snitches. What happened with the [John] Lackey and the [Josh] Beckett and the [Jon] Lester, and all this stuff about beer and chicken: snitches. I don’t want anybody snitching.”

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Kevin Millar

MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar made his weekly appearance on the Mut & Merloni show Friday to talk about the struggling Red Sox.

During his appearance last Friday, Millar predicted that the Sox had a postseason berth locked up. That was before the Rays made a big push, including four wins over the Sox in the past seven days. However, Millar said of the Rays’ chances: “In my opinion, it’s still a tough uphill battle. You’re looking at the Red Sox to keep losing.”

Added Millar of the Sox: “You’re three games up. You’re not chasing three games. And you’re in your house. I know you’re depleted. I know you’re beat up. … Win a game.”

Following are more highlights from the conversation. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

On Kevin Youkilis: “You sign this Adrian Gonzalez, now you’re asking Youk to move to another position that’s taxing on your body. It’s really kind of hurt him this year. … That’s a tough position to play in the show when he doesn’t have the arm strength, that big body to go over to third base. He’s a scrappy ballplayer, but he was doing just fine at first base also.”

On Daniel Bard: “He needs to concentrate. He has the velocity, he has the seam. He’s been throwing his breaking ball great this year. I watched him come in throwing his slider a lot more, making his fastball even more effective before this little stretch. But he needs to get back to hitting his spots. Go down and away. Hit your spot. You can’t go down the middle. Focus on down and away, focus on inside — whatever that seam’s going to be. You can’t get away at the big league level — you can get away with it a little bit more when you have that velocity, but you’re starting to get hit now because of the location, in my opinion.”

Kevin Millar

MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar made his weekly appearance on the Mut & Merloni show Friday, as the Red Sox head to Tampa for what has turned into a key three-game series.

Millar said that despite the Red Sox’ slump and the Rays closing to within 6 1/2 games, he’s not worried about Tampa Bay threatening Boston’s postseason bid.

Said Millar of the Rays: “In my opinion, I don’t think they’re in it. … Mathematically, they still are. But I just don’t see them making a dent in this wild card run, because I still think the Red Sox and the Yankees offense, they hit. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Rays pitch. But I just think it’s too big of an uphill battle. But they can make it interesting if something went wrong in Tampa [this weekend].”

Following are more highlights from the conversation. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

On Rays manager Joe Maddon: “He does a great job with his payroll and with what he’s given, the hand he’s dealt. Wow, I’m with Lou, I think he’s the best in the game.”

On the American League West race: “I still think the Rangers are the superior club. Offensively, they just have so much balance. … I still think the Rangers win that West [over the Angels].”

On Justin Verlander not being an MVP candidate because he’s a pitcher: “He is a Cy Young candidate, period. And a Cy Young slam-dunk winner this year. I’m not giving a pitcher — 36 times a year that he competes on that bump — an MVP. I’m sorry, there’s too many other games that we’ve got to wake up with sore fingers, backs, necks, knees, travel flights, this and that — the starting pitchers fly home early to get their rest in case we’re in a late game. … I’m giving it to a position player.”

Kevin Millar

MLB Network analyst and former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar made his weekly appearance on the Mut & Merloni show Friday to offer his thoughts on the Red Sox following a three-game series with the second-place Yankees.

To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

Millar attended Thursday night’s game (and was featured prominently on NESN’s telecast). He saw a 4-2 Red Sox loss that lasted four hours and 21 minutes.

“The problem is the atmosphere — the fans are out of it,” Millar said. “They didn’t get up until basically bases loaded when [Adrian Gonzalez] got up [in the ninth inning]. It’s just the way it is now. It’s just like, long, drawn out. I don’t understand it. … It was very odd for a Sox-Yankees rivalry last night. It was quieter than I’ve ever heard it.”

Asked who shares more blame, the pitchers or hitters, Millar said: “It’s not even close. It’s the pitchers. The pitchers control all the tempo.”

Yankees backup catcher Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch from John Lackey Tuesday night after being demonstrative following a home run in his previous at-bat.

“This is the bottom line: This is the big leagues, right? If you do something silly in the big leagues, you’re going to have to pay for it,” Millar said. “Obviously, if he waited two more steps and headed toward the Yankee dugout and clapped, it’s not a problem.

“Did Francisco do it because he’s a crazy guy and he’s a mean guy? No. But he stepped on home plate, simultaneously clapped his hands, [Jarrod Saltalamacchia] is about two feet away from him and was a little tired.

“That being said, this isn’t winter ball. This is the big leagues. You as a pitcher, John Lackey’s out there, sees this. It’s not taken greatly. … To clap at home that close to Salty, the catcher, it’s not necessary. If he would have waited, just waited a couple of steps toward that on-deck circle, get fired up. That’s what it’s all about. I don’t have any problem with a player showing enthusiasm. But play the game right, play the game hard.”

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Kevin Millar

MLB Network analyst and former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar chatted with Mut & Merloni Friday morning. To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page.

Millar said the biggest problem with the Red Sox is their lack of a quality third starter for the playoffs. He said that Andrew Miller couldn’t fill that role.

“I don’t think he can be a factor in a rotation, especially in a five-game series,” Millar said. “Now, can he help this club get to where they want to be and start tuning up? Yeah. I don’t know if he’s going to be the guy, though, you’re going to throw in the third game if it’s a 1-1 series against the Rangers or Detroit.”

Millar said he wasn’t surprised that Adrian Gonzalez hit five home runs in three games against the Rangers, a feat last accomplished by Millar.

“He’s a home run hitter, he’s going to have his 30-plus homers,” Millar said. “These guys that do that, they can hit 10 in five days. That’s what’s amazing with power guys.”

Millar also weighed in on the MVP race, saying he wouldn’t vote for Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander because no matter how good Verlander is, he’ll only play in about 36 games out of 162.

However, Millar said, “There’s no slam dunk for the MVP right now.”

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