A winter of discontent?
Arroyo on Manny's attention span,Johnny's departure to the dark side,
and the state of Red Sox Nation
By Jon Chattman, for thecheappop.com February 2006
The Boston Red Sox's off-season has been as erratic as an "Oil Can" Boyd curveball or that former player's brainwaves anyway. While the organization scored big with acquisitions like Florida Marlins' ace Josh Beckett and Cleveland Indians' versatile Coco Crisp, Sox management have taken a beating for their handling of just about everything else this winter: General Manager Theo Epstein left, and while he ended up eventually returning, Johnny Damon, arguably the face of the franchise, bolted Beantown for the Bronx. Clubhouse leaders Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller leaving also stung about it, and when you factor in lingering talk of a Manny Ramirez swap, it's safe to say it was one helluva rocky winter. Lost in all the signings, exits, and returns, however, is the fact fan favorite Bronson Arroyo took a hometown discount to stay in Boston. The starting pitcher, who became an icon in the city after dominating the 2004 playoffs, notching 14 victories last year - not to mention his involvement in the infamous Alex Rodriguez bitch slap , signed a three-year contract extension which should keep him in Boston until 2008. In a recent interview, we covered all the bases with Arroyo, asking the hurler everything from the tumultuous off-season (he probably needs an off-season from the off-season) to his music career and finally, those priceless cornrows.
JC: Has it been a little discouraging that the Sox have gotten a bad rap this off-season?
BA: A little bit. I think Theo walking away when he did, especially for a guy who grew up in that environment: loving the Red Sox as a kid and having what seemed to be the dream job, and walking away from that and a pretty good contract kind of tarnished it a little bit I think. Having guys, who are so known and recognizable as Johnny and Kevin Millar leaving the team, and having a bunch of new guys coming in, [also was]. Our entire infield from third base to first base is going to be new faces, as well as center field. You mix all that in, and I think that's why we probably got some bad press.
JC: How do you usually spend your off-season?
BA: Prior to 2004, I would usually just train every day. I'd get up every morning. I'd go lift, run and do my things. After that, play golf a little bit. I used to scuba dive some, and just hang out with friends, do chores around the house, and just relax. The last two years have been more busy. 2004 was about signing autographs and going different places. I probably went to Boston six times to play music; different shows everywhere. When I get home I just like to relax and lift, and take care of myself.
JC: I don't get why this off-season was so nuts. It's not like the Sox went out and got a bunch of degenerates. The team got some pretty good guys.
BA: I think any time you put a team together when you have the kind of money the Red Sox do, you've got to look forward to having a chance to win a World Series especially if, like you said, the guys we picked up are all veterans. They've all played the game. They all can swing the bat a little bit. As long as we have Manny and [David] Ortiz in the middle of that order, I think we'll be okay [and] as long as our starting pitching can stay healthy. If Curt [Schilling] and Josh Beckett go out and do what people expect them to do, I think we'll be right there with everybody.
JC: Was it a little dicey before Theo came back? There was a time where the team, after trading Edgar Renteria and losing Damon, had a bunch of holes and everything seemed up in the air. Did you know the team was going to land on its feet?
BA: No, doubt about it. I think everybody was worried. If you're a Red Sox player or fan you had to be a little worried. Theo was leading the organization, which is a big part of what makes this thing go. For him to leave and then to see guys like Renteria and Johnny both leave, which both seemed like moves that really didn't make much sense at the time, I was definitely worried. Having the guys that we're bringing in now, you just hope everything gels together, like it did the last two or three years. It's hard to find something that clicks the way it did for us in 2004.
JC: This is a two-part question. Manny and Johnny have dominated the headlines. So, first, is Ramirez really as clueless as he seems, and second, are you kind of ticked off that Damon jumped ship especially to New York?
BA: [With] Manny, what you see in the media is his true personality. He's very proud and he's very happy-go-lucky. He seems to not know what's going on all the time. Internally, he's more aware of a lot of things than he leads on to, but he definitely does some things that are bizarre and don't make sense, and he doesn't talk to the media much so he never justifies himself which leads everyone else to make their own assumptions. The second part of that - not really.
If you play with Johnny Damon you know that he's one of the great guys in the game personality wise, and he's as nice as they come. He went over there for reasons that he felt were justified: one was money and two, he felt like the Red Sox where not showing as much as interest in a guy that should have been the No. 1 free agent at the time. They were out trying to sign other players, so Johnny, I think, was a little disrespected and that's why he left.
JC: Are you guys friends? I know he played on your rock CD "Covering the bases" last year.
BA: Yeah definitely, he called me a few days ago. He was sitting with [White Sox catcher] A.J Pierzinski down in Miami because they both live close to each other in Orlando. We were just talking to each other a little bit and he said, "Bronson hey, just make sure you don't hit me this year, you're always hitting somebody. Hit Jeter, hit somebody else besides me."
JC: I know the rivalry is huge with the Yankees, but is there a big camaraderie between the players? Obviously you have respect for the guys, but you deep down hate them because you guys are neck-and-neck every year, right?
BA: I think at certain points, maybe with certain players there can definitely be a little bit of animosity there. The way the game is these days, people move around, you know Johnny's played with [Jason] Giambi and a lot of these guys come to each other's golf tournaments in the off-season and stuff. So, there's not as much hatred in there as the media and the fans make it. Once the game gets going [though], it kind of all comes together and it turns up a notch.
JC: Do you think a guy like [George] Steinbrenner's actually good for baseball?
BA: Yeah, I think he is. It's hard to find an owner in this day and age who isn't just about making money. If you can find a guy like him who is willing to give millions and millions of dollars in revenue sharing that he doesn't have to do to put a pretty good product on the field to try and win a World Series every year, I think it's good for the game. It shows somebody wants to win and it makes everyone else bring it up a level.
JC: Jumping back, before you signed the three-year deal, there was a lot of talk of you being traded. I would think it's unnerving. Did you have butterflies the whole off-season?
BA: A little bit. It's something you come accustomed to. You know if you're a young starting pitcher especially in a market like Boston, and you get a lot of notoriety, [it's possible.] I was a little bit more worried about it the two years prior to that, especially in 2004 right around the trade deadline. This off-season I just tried to not worry about it, and just pay attention with what I can control, and that's signing a multi-year deal with these guys, and hope they don't ship me off to Tampa.
JC: Oh man, TampaBay would be terrible. There are rumors that they're renaming the Devil Rays, any suggestions for a name change?
BO: I don't know. Honestly, instead of renaming them, they might want to get a new venue to play in. I think the ballpark is tough for them to bring people in to have a good time at the game inside of the dome.
JC: Spring training is starting. Do you see any needs that the Sox could really use, or is it hard to say until you really get in there?
BA: It's tough to say. I think having our No. 1 starter and having some guys in the bullpen healthy all year [is crucial]. Keith Foulke didn't have a great season, having two knee surgeries, and we really could have used a closer last year. I'm hoping he comes back healthy this year. I know we picked up guys like [Julian] Tavarez that are going to help the back end of the bullpen, and help [Mike] Timlin down there. As long as Curt and Beckett are healthy as starting pitchers, I think both of those guys can be No. 1s, and that's going to be the key of us being good down the stretch.
JC: With all the changes, who's the clubhouse leader now?
BA: Personality-wise, it's probably going to land on Ortiz, and maybe a little bit to Manny. They'll be kind of like sidekicks. On the field, Jason Varitek has always been the leader. Taking over for [Kevin] Millar is probably going to have to be Ortiz.
JC: How are you in the clubhouse? Do you keep to yourself?
BA: I keep to myself for the most part. I'm not quiet like a [Mark] Bellhorn or a Billy Mueller, but I'm not ranting and raving ten minutes before the game like Millar, Derek Lowe, Pedro [Martinez], Curtis Leskanic, those guys were the highlights of coming to the clubhouse.
JC: You mentioned Pedro and Derek. Are you looking forward to pitching against your old teammates?
BA: It's definitely going to be fun. When you're as close to the guys as we were over the last few years, if you see Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon in the box and I'm standing on the mound, I can equate it to the same way I felt in little league pitching against my best friend or next door neighbor. You almost have a hard time not cracking a smile during the game. It was similar with Derek Lowe, I pitched against him in spring training, and I had to hit against him last year. I got a hit off of him and I'm just laughing running to first base; you know we worked out together every day a season before.
JC: Moving on, how do you feel about the World Baseball Classic coming up? Are you for or against it, or you don't really care either way?
BA: I don't really care. I definitely wouldn't want to be a part of it right now. Being a starting pitcher, it's hard enough getting your arm in shape much less in the middle of March. Hopefully it will be good for the game, and get a little of exposure out there, maybe reaching parts that Major League Baseball doesn't reach.
JC: Roger Clemens is probably going to start for the US in the Classic. How do you feel about buzz the Red Sox are wooing him? Would you welcome him back if the opportunity presents itself?
BA: How can you not want to pitch next to a guy like that? I've had the opportunity to pitch next to Pedro and Curt, and just to see their styles and training regimens, and all those things. These guys are going to be Hall of Famers, and Roger Clemens is no exception. I'd love to be in the same dugout with a guy like that every night; if that would happen it would definitely be good.
JC: Can you still be a fan of the game even though you're a player?
BA: It's a different mentality. I can honestly say I'm a fan of the game, because I love coming to the park every day and playing. It's definitely a different feeling, probably after a year and a half of playing in the major leagues. My first year and a half, I would come to the park and stand on the mound or sit in the dugout, and watch guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Greg Maddux, and kind of still be looking at them the same way I did when I watched them as a kid. But over time, you feel more and more that you deserve to be on this level, and you're here competing and you're on the same level as these guys. It becomes a little more of a job; you know you want to get everybody out. It's hard to see a guy like Sammy Sosa at the plate and think of him the same way as I did as a kid, especially when you're pitching against him now.
JC: Who'd you root for as a kid?
BA: I grew up in Florida, and Ozzie Smith was my favorite player. I was a Cardinal fan until he retired.
JC: Totally shifting gears here, the cornrows or anything, do we expect any wacked-out hairstyle or any fad this season?
BA: Team-wise, I have no idea, we got so many new guys. For me, you're probably going to see mostly the same thing.
JC: The cornrows...
BA: My hair's gotten a little bit longer, and at some point, I'm sure I'll put it back in cornrows.
JC: You're named after Charles Bronson right? Maybe you should get the mustache going on.
BA: That is one thing you'll never see: me looking like David Wells back in the '80's.
JC: Who's had or has the best baseball moustache?
BA: I'm trying to think. One day, Johnny on an off day wore a moustache. He took pictures and shaved it before the game. It was hilarious. He looked like a porn star or something. I can't think of anybody other than David Wells. That was pretty bad. You know how there's certain things that people can get away with and make them look good? I have yet to see a guy with just a moustache pull it off and make it look killer. Imagine Derek Jeter with a fucking moustache? It would be like a joke.
Arroyo on Manny's attention span,Johnny's departure to the dark side,
and the state of Red Sox Nation
By Jon Chattman, for thecheappop.com February 2006
The Boston Red Sox's off-season has been as erratic as an "Oil Can" Boyd curveball or that former player's brainwaves anyway. While the organization scored big with acquisitions like Florida Marlins' ace Josh Beckett and Cleveland Indians' versatile Coco Crisp, Sox management have taken a beating for their handling of just about everything else this winter: General Manager Theo Epstein left, and while he ended up eventually returning, Johnny Damon, arguably the face of the franchise, bolted Beantown for the Bronx. Clubhouse leaders Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller leaving also stung about it, and when you factor in lingering talk of a Manny Ramirez swap, it's safe to say it was one helluva rocky winter. Lost in all the signings, exits, and returns, however, is the fact fan favorite Bronson Arroyo took a hometown discount to stay in Boston. The starting pitcher, who became an icon in the city after dominating the 2004 playoffs, notching 14 victories last year - not to mention his involvement in the infamous Alex Rodriguez bitch slap , signed a three-year contract extension which should keep him in Boston until 2008. In a recent interview, we covered all the bases with Arroyo, asking the hurler everything from the tumultuous off-season (he probably needs an off-season from the off-season) to his music career and finally, those priceless cornrows.
JC: Has it been a little discouraging that the Sox have gotten a bad rap this off-season?
BA: A little bit. I think Theo walking away when he did, especially for a guy who grew up in that environment: loving the Red Sox as a kid and having what seemed to be the dream job, and walking away from that and a pretty good contract kind of tarnished it a little bit I think. Having guys, who are so known and recognizable as Johnny and Kevin Millar leaving the team, and having a bunch of new guys coming in, [also was]. Our entire infield from third base to first base is going to be new faces, as well as center field. You mix all that in, and I think that's why we probably got some bad press.
JC: How do you usually spend your off-season?
BA: Prior to 2004, I would usually just train every day. I'd get up every morning. I'd go lift, run and do my things. After that, play golf a little bit. I used to scuba dive some, and just hang out with friends, do chores around the house, and just relax. The last two years have been more busy. 2004 was about signing autographs and going different places. I probably went to Boston six times to play music; different shows everywhere. When I get home I just like to relax and lift, and take care of myself.
JC: I don't get why this off-season was so nuts. It's not like the Sox went out and got a bunch of degenerates. The team got some pretty good guys.
BA: I think any time you put a team together when you have the kind of money the Red Sox do, you've got to look forward to having a chance to win a World Series especially if, like you said, the guys we picked up are all veterans. They've all played the game. They all can swing the bat a little bit. As long as we have Manny and [David] Ortiz in the middle of that order, I think we'll be okay [and] as long as our starting pitching can stay healthy. If Curt [Schilling] and Josh Beckett go out and do what people expect them to do, I think we'll be right there with everybody.
JC: Was it a little dicey before Theo came back? There was a time where the team, after trading Edgar Renteria and losing Damon, had a bunch of holes and everything seemed up in the air. Did you know the team was going to land on its feet?
BA: No, doubt about it. I think everybody was worried. If you're a Red Sox player or fan you had to be a little worried. Theo was leading the organization, which is a big part of what makes this thing go. For him to leave and then to see guys like Renteria and Johnny both leave, which both seemed like moves that really didn't make much sense at the time, I was definitely worried. Having the guys that we're bringing in now, you just hope everything gels together, like it did the last two or three years. It's hard to find something that clicks the way it did for us in 2004.
JC: This is a two-part question. Manny and Johnny have dominated the headlines. So, first, is Ramirez really as clueless as he seems, and second, are you kind of ticked off that Damon jumped ship especially to New York?
BA: [With] Manny, what you see in the media is his true personality. He's very proud and he's very happy-go-lucky. He seems to not know what's going on all the time. Internally, he's more aware of a lot of things than he leads on to, but he definitely does some things that are bizarre and don't make sense, and he doesn't talk to the media much so he never justifies himself which leads everyone else to make their own assumptions. The second part of that - not really.
If you play with Johnny Damon you know that he's one of the great guys in the game personality wise, and he's as nice as they come. He went over there for reasons that he felt were justified: one was money and two, he felt like the Red Sox where not showing as much as interest in a guy that should have been the No. 1 free agent at the time. They were out trying to sign other players, so Johnny, I think, was a little disrespected and that's why he left.
JC: Are you guys friends? I know he played on your rock CD "Covering the bases" last year.
BA: Yeah definitely, he called me a few days ago. He was sitting with [White Sox catcher] A.J Pierzinski down in Miami because they both live close to each other in Orlando. We were just talking to each other a little bit and he said, "Bronson hey, just make sure you don't hit me this year, you're always hitting somebody. Hit Jeter, hit somebody else besides me."
JC: I know the rivalry is huge with the Yankees, but is there a big camaraderie between the players? Obviously you have respect for the guys, but you deep down hate them because you guys are neck-and-neck every year, right?
BA: I think at certain points, maybe with certain players there can definitely be a little bit of animosity there. The way the game is these days, people move around, you know Johnny's played with [Jason] Giambi and a lot of these guys come to each other's golf tournaments in the off-season and stuff. So, there's not as much hatred in there as the media and the fans make it. Once the game gets going [though], it kind of all comes together and it turns up a notch.
JC: Do you think a guy like [George] Steinbrenner's actually good for baseball?
BA: Yeah, I think he is. It's hard to find an owner in this day and age who isn't just about making money. If you can find a guy like him who is willing to give millions and millions of dollars in revenue sharing that he doesn't have to do to put a pretty good product on the field to try and win a World Series every year, I think it's good for the game. It shows somebody wants to win and it makes everyone else bring it up a level.
JC: Jumping back, before you signed the three-year deal, there was a lot of talk of you being traded. I would think it's unnerving. Did you have butterflies the whole off-season?
BA: A little bit. It's something you come accustomed to. You know if you're a young starting pitcher especially in a market like Boston, and you get a lot of notoriety, [it's possible.] I was a little bit more worried about it the two years prior to that, especially in 2004 right around the trade deadline. This off-season I just tried to not worry about it, and just pay attention with what I can control, and that's signing a multi-year deal with these guys, and hope they don't ship me off to Tampa.
JC: Oh man, TampaBay would be terrible. There are rumors that they're renaming the Devil Rays, any suggestions for a name change?
BO: I don't know. Honestly, instead of renaming them, they might want to get a new venue to play in. I think the ballpark is tough for them to bring people in to have a good time at the game inside of the dome.
JC: Spring training is starting. Do you see any needs that the Sox could really use, or is it hard to say until you really get in there?
BA: It's tough to say. I think having our No. 1 starter and having some guys in the bullpen healthy all year [is crucial]. Keith Foulke didn't have a great season, having two knee surgeries, and we really could have used a closer last year. I'm hoping he comes back healthy this year. I know we picked up guys like [Julian] Tavarez that are going to help the back end of the bullpen, and help [Mike] Timlin down there. As long as Curt and Beckett are healthy as starting pitchers, I think both of those guys can be No. 1s, and that's going to be the key of us being good down the stretch.
JC: With all the changes, who's the clubhouse leader now?
BA: Personality-wise, it's probably going to land on Ortiz, and maybe a little bit to Manny. They'll be kind of like sidekicks. On the field, Jason Varitek has always been the leader. Taking over for [Kevin] Millar is probably going to have to be Ortiz.
JC: How are you in the clubhouse? Do you keep to yourself?
BA: I keep to myself for the most part. I'm not quiet like a [Mark] Bellhorn or a Billy Mueller, but I'm not ranting and raving ten minutes before the game like Millar, Derek Lowe, Pedro [Martinez], Curtis Leskanic, those guys were the highlights of coming to the clubhouse.
JC: You mentioned Pedro and Derek. Are you looking forward to pitching against your old teammates?
BA: It's definitely going to be fun. When you're as close to the guys as we were over the last few years, if you see Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon in the box and I'm standing on the mound, I can equate it to the same way I felt in little league pitching against my best friend or next door neighbor. You almost have a hard time not cracking a smile during the game. It was similar with Derek Lowe, I pitched against him in spring training, and I had to hit against him last year. I got a hit off of him and I'm just laughing running to first base; you know we worked out together every day a season before.
JC: Moving on, how do you feel about the World Baseball Classic coming up? Are you for or against it, or you don't really care either way?
BA: I don't really care. I definitely wouldn't want to be a part of it right now. Being a starting pitcher, it's hard enough getting your arm in shape much less in the middle of March. Hopefully it will be good for the game, and get a little of exposure out there, maybe reaching parts that Major League Baseball doesn't reach.
JC: Roger Clemens is probably going to start for the US in the Classic. How do you feel about buzz the Red Sox are wooing him? Would you welcome him back if the opportunity presents itself?
BA: How can you not want to pitch next to a guy like that? I've had the opportunity to pitch next to Pedro and Curt, and just to see their styles and training regimens, and all those things. These guys are going to be Hall of Famers, and Roger Clemens is no exception. I'd love to be in the same dugout with a guy like that every night; if that would happen it would definitely be good.
JC: Can you still be a fan of the game even though you're a player?
BA: It's a different mentality. I can honestly say I'm a fan of the game, because I love coming to the park every day and playing. It's definitely a different feeling, probably after a year and a half of playing in the major leagues. My first year and a half, I would come to the park and stand on the mound or sit in the dugout, and watch guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Greg Maddux, and kind of still be looking at them the same way I did when I watched them as a kid. But over time, you feel more and more that you deserve to be on this level, and you're here competing and you're on the same level as these guys. It becomes a little more of a job; you know you want to get everybody out. It's hard to see a guy like Sammy Sosa at the plate and think of him the same way as I did as a kid, especially when you're pitching against him now.
JC: Who'd you root for as a kid?
BA: I grew up in Florida, and Ozzie Smith was my favorite player. I was a Cardinal fan until he retired.
JC: Totally shifting gears here, the cornrows or anything, do we expect any wacked-out hairstyle or any fad this season?
BA: Team-wise, I have no idea, we got so many new guys. For me, you're probably going to see mostly the same thing.
JC: The cornrows...
BA: My hair's gotten a little bit longer, and at some point, I'm sure I'll put it back in cornrows.
JC: You're named after Charles Bronson right? Maybe you should get the mustache going on.
BA: That is one thing you'll never see: me looking like David Wells back in the '80's.
JC: Who's had or has the best baseball moustache?
BA: I'm trying to think. One day, Johnny on an off day wore a moustache. He took pictures and shaved it before the game. It was hilarious. He looked like a porn star or something. I can't think of anybody other than David Wells. That was pretty bad. You know how there's certain things that people can get away with and make them look good? I have yet to see a guy with just a moustache pull it off and make it look killer. Imagine Derek Jeter with a fucking moustache? It would be like a joke.
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