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About Alex Speier

Before he joined WEEI.com, Alex covered the Red Sox for several New England and national publications, including the New Hampshire Union Leader, Boston Metro, Boston Herald and Baseball America. Alex graduated from Harvard, where he served as the captain of the debate team, an experience that has been of surprisingly little use in press boxes across the country.

 
COLUMNS
Alex Speier
04/03/2013 - 8:22am
Jackie Bradley Jr.'s unexpected path to the Red Sox (and not the Yankees)
NEW YORK -- In retrospect, the idea that the Red Sox had the opportunity to draft Jackie Bradley Jr. in 2011 seems hard to fathom.
Alex Speier
04/02/2013 - 9:16am
This Red Sox offense just might be good enough after all
NEW YORK -- The logic seemed unassailable. Without David Ortiz, the Red Sox lineup faced a likely struggle.
Alex Speier
04/01/2013 - 7:44pm
No save, but a security blanket: Red Sox bullpen offers unusual blueprint to victory
NEW YORK -- It's a terrible formula for victory.
Alex Speier
04/01/2013 - 3:13am
A new beginning? Red Sox look to move on, build from embarrassment of 2012
NEW YORK -- And so, here they are again, seeking a fresh start in the very venue where their previous season came to such a humiliating end.
Alex Speier
03/29/2013 - 8:17am
Jacoby Ellsbury and the gap between perception and reality
The reaction was swift.
Alex Speier
03/27/2013 - 9:25am
Daniel Bard's quest to reclaim 100: A reliever's past, present and future
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The suggestion elicited a double-take. "I think," said one talent evaluator who watched Daniel Bard this spring, "that by the end of the season's first month, he might throw 100 again."
Alex Speier
03/26/2013 - 8:24am
On the clock: What Dustin Pedroia's Red Sox history means for Jackie Bradley Jr.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jackie Bradley Jr. is presenting the Red Sox with the kind of dilemma that they've almost never faced. Almost. The question of whether or not to commit to a rookie on Opening Day -- with the service time implications that came with such a decision -- is one that hasn't come up for the team for a handful of years. But it has cropped up before.
Alex Speier
03/25/2013 - 7:54am
How Jackie Bradley Jr.'s baseball education put him on the fast track
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The outcome was precisely as planned.
Alex Speier
03/24/2013 - 7:44am
Ready for his close-up: Opportunity knocks for Brandon Workman
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It's fitting that Brandon Workman should make his first appearance in a big league spring training game in Clearwater. After all, he very easily could have made that venue the point of departure for his professional career.
Alex Speier
03/24/2013 - 6:47am
Breaking down the Red Sox' final roster decisions
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The end is nigh. The spring training that felt like it might never end is, in fact, approaching its terminus.
Alex Speier
03/23/2013 - 7:10am
No clear path: How John Farrell navigates the fine line between prospect success and failure
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- John Farrell understands it because he has lived it in many different guises. And he is living it again in his first spring as Red Sox manager.
Alex Speier
03/22/2013 - 7:04am
A world of difference in a year: Why Daniel Nava does not take 2013 for granted
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The fascination with Jackie Bradley Jr. this spring, quite understandably, has been so far reaching that it has inspired a form of myopia.
Alex Speier
03/19/2013 - 7:16am
From shortcoming to strength? Red Sox' hopes for 2013 may rest on turnaround of pitching, defense
History lesson: In 2008, the Red Sox lost David Ortiz for nearly two months in the middle of the season due to a wrist injury. Without the pillar in the middle of their lineup, the Sox offense was expected to take a considerable hit -- and indeed it did.
Alex Speier
03/14/2013 - 2:52pm
What Mike Trout means for Jackie Bradley Jr.
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- At a time when the hot-button topic in Red Sox spring training is the question of whether or not Jackie Bradley Jr. should open the year in the big leagues, it's worth considering the case of Mike Trout.
Alex Speier
03/13/2013 - 7:54am
Why Red Sox prospect Allen Webster may be poised for a breakthrough
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- There has never been a question, during Allen Webster's still relatively brief career as a pitcher, about whether the right-hander had the stuff to be a big league starting pitcher.
Alex Speier
03/12/2013 - 7:37am
Closer behind the plate: The making of Christian Vazquez, catching prospect
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When Red Sox director of pro scouting Jared Porter looked down at his stopwatch on Friday night, he did a double take. When catcher Christian Vazquez fired a bullet to cut down Twins shortstop Trevor Plouffe on a stolen base attempt, his stopwatch registered something Porter had never seen: a 1.69 pop time from Vazquez's glove to the glove of second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Alex Speier
03/09/2013 - 8:53am
Why Dwight Evans offers David Ortiz a beacon of hope
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The mystery surrounding the Achilles tendon of David Ortiz and the longer-than-expected recovery from an injury that occurred more than seven months ago has taken the slugger on something of an odyssey to find answers.
Alex Speier
03/04/2013 - 8:56am
A new Will Middlebrooks has emerged in Red Sox clubhouse
This is part of what drew the Red Sox to Will Middlebrooks. 
Alex Speier
03/03/2013 - 8:35am
Don't call it a comeback: Clay Buchholz looks to build on, not forget, 2012
So much of the conversation between the Red Sox involves the intertwined fates of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and similarly, the entanglement of their performances and the fate of the 2013 Sox. "If Lester and Buchholz bounce back … and if they don't ..." has become the standard issue disclaimer as predictions about the team filter in.
Alex Speier
03/02/2013 - 7:24am
Arms dealers? How Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster might transform Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The stuff was breathtaking. Rubby De La Rosa's performance in a spring training game on Friday night, in which he snapped off knee-buckling curveballs, squeezed changeups that dove from bats and, by the way, unloaded explosive 94-96 mph fastballs was the sort of thing that sends a buzz through a crowd and an organization.
Alex Speier
02/27/2013 - 3:23am
How close is Jackie Bradley Jr. to big leagues? History offers a guide
There was a fascinating vagueness in the answer, an undefined space that lent itself to speculation.
Alex Speier
02/26/2013 - 8:56am
The unexpected prospect: How Red Sox pitcher Allen Webster became the next big thing
It was the sort of performance that forces anyone watching to take notice.
Alex Speier
02/21/2013 - 3:31am
The unveiling: As he readies for his close-up, a history of Xander Bogaerts' first impressions
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It has been a different spring for Xander Bogaerts.
Alex Speier
02/19/2013 - 9:23am
For Mike Napoli, a new outlook at a new position
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- There is a bit of a misconception about Mike Napoli. Admittedly, the 31-year-old is amidst a career transition to a full-time first baseman. That shift in role for the longtime catcher is the byproduct both of the Red Sox' need at first and the fact that the degenerative condition (avascular necrosis) in his hips suggests there is wisdom in subjecting the 31-year-old to a less physically punishing position.
Alex Speier
02/17/2013 - 10:29am
Red Sox reunion for Joel Hanrahan and Shane Victorino brings careers full circle
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For Shane Victorino and Joel Hanrahan, baseball life has come full circle now that they are playing together for the Red Sox this spring.


Audio On Demand

It Is What It Is Cast: Ex…

It Is What It Is Cast: Examining the New England Patriots offseason

In the latest edition of the "It Is What It Is" podcast, Chris Price and CSNNE's Mike Giardi take a look at the Patriots offseason on both sides of the ball, try and get a handle on which new guys will make an impact first, and whether or not the Patriots have altered their style when it comes to drafting and developing wide receivers.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Tebow's release

Mike Florio joined the program to discuss the Jets decision to release Tim Tebow, he said the situation is as disaster all around for the Jets and that the problems begins with owner Woody Johnson. Mike also said that he was disappointed with the Pats moving back in the first round.

Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com, Sits Down with Butch Stearns to Help Break Down the Pats Draft

One of the hardest working men in the biz, Mike Petraglia aka "Trags", sits down with Butch Stearns live in Foxborough to help break down all the latest Pats moves. He discusses his reaction to the trade in Round 1 and the guys those picks produced. Also, the boys talk about the decent trade the Pats made in acquiring LeGarrette Blount from Tampa Bay for Jeff Demps and a 7th rounder.

Celtics President Danny A…

Celtics President Danny Ainge with Salk and Holley

We check in with Danny Ainge for our first talk to him since the Celtics season ended last weekend. We talk about the future of the team, KG, Pierce, Doc Rivers and more, as Danny directly answers the rumors being floated by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Jackie MacMullan, ESPNBoston.com: "Gut" tells me Doc will stay

Jackie Mac joins the show to discuss the trade rumors swirling around Paul Pierce, KG, Doc Rivers and the Celtics. She also discusses the future of the Celtics head coach.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his rumored Celtics Clippers trade

Stephen A. joined the program to discuss the trade rumors he has reported regarding a possible trade including Doc Rivers and the Clippers. Stephen A. also told the guys that he has heard that Danny and Doc may be tiring of working together.

Red Sox Manager John Farr…

Red Sox Manager John Farrell with Salk and Holley

We check in with Red Sox Manager John Farrell live from Chicago and get his take on a good week for the Sox, a tough series since then in Chicago, and other team related notes.

Buster Olney, ESPN, on Ellsbury's future with Sox

Buster Olney joins Mut and Merloni to talk about the struggling Ellsbury and what that is doing to his contract value when he becomes a free agent.

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona catches up with D&C

Terry Francona joins the Dennis and Callahan Show to discuss his first-place Indians team as well as his time in Boston. The former Boston manager also touches on his recent book co-authored by Dan Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy's recent dust-up with David Ortiz.

Pierre McGuire, NBC Sport…

Pierre McGuire, NBC Sports: B's have instilled "fear" "concern" and "doubt" into Rangers

McGuire joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the Bruins game 3 win, the Rangers awful power play, and the Shawn Thornton Derek Dorsett altercation.

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

NESN's Barry Pederson on the Bruins dominance

Cleveland Indians hottest team in baseball, yet remain last in attendance May 19, 2013 By AJ Kaufman 6 Comments There’s a scene in Major League where Bob Uecker, portraying the radio voice of the Indians, bemoans, “In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.” Well, that was nearly 25 years ago and fictional, but today’s reality is that Cleveland has won 17 of its last 21, and currently tops the AL Central with a mark of 25-17. No one in the majors is better than the Indians in the past month (20-7). That’s great news. The bad news, however, is the Tribe somehow remain in the MLB cellar when it comes to attendance. How can this be? The fact that I wrote on this same topic almost to the day last year – when only Tampa Bay drew fewer fans than Cleveland - may be even more troubling. Though roughly 34,000 watched a walk-off win Friday night against Seattle, perfect weather and free caps weren’t enough to draw more than 36,000 Saturday and Sunday combined. What did the Indians do in those tilts? They nabbed another walk-off win on Saturday, then the Indians crushed the great Felix Hernandez Sunday behind Justin Masterson, arguably the AL’s best pitcher right now. Fun fact: The Indians have already faced eight Cy Young Award winners in 2013: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jake Peavy, David Price, Justin Verlander and Hernandez. They have won seven out those eight matchups. Simply astounding. This offseason, the much-maligned Indians front office finally made a legitimate attempt to improve the team through free agency. I’m not talking an Ubaldo Jimenez-like trade, but rather smart acquisitions that brought veterans Mike Aviles, Michael Bourn, Jason Giambi, Scott Kazmir, Brett Myers, Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs and Nick Swisher to Cleveland. In addition to being a fantastic place to watch a game due to great egress and ingress, with extremely affordable tickets, the best promo lineup anywhere, Jacobs Field boasts overall, cooler, less muggy summer weather than most Midwestern locales. The team also lowered beer and hot dog prices to $4 and $3 respectively. What other professional stadium in any sport offers that? I have visited 28 of the 30 current Major League Baseball stadia, and few top The Jake when all angles are considered. I say that as a baseball fan, not an Indians fan. As for the putative “economic” angle, these are the same people who spend insane amounts of money to watch terrible football every fall and show up in decent numbers for putrid basketball in the winter. Irrespective of season length, those sports charge up to 10 times the price for a ticket, and the atmosphere isn’t half as fan-friendly as baseball. I understand fans’ lack of willingness to get on board to some degree. A decent recap of Cleveland’s decade of “rebuilding” can be read here and the team suffered a horrific collapse last August. However, in addition to all the benefits of attending games at Jacobs (now Progressive) Field, fans should also realize the team has potential and often exceeds preseason aspirations at any point without warning. Cleveland hosts the rival Detroit Tigers — heavy favorites to repeat as AL Central champs — Tuesday and Wednesday nights before hitting the road. The temperature should be pleasant at first pitch each evening so you’d expect The Jake to be full to watch the best hitter on the planet right now — but don’t count on it.

Former Red Sox manager Te…

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona catches up with D&C

Terry Francona joins the Dennis and Callahan Show to discuss his first-place Indians team as well as his time in Boston. The former Boston manager also touches on his recent book co-authored by Dan Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy's recent dust-up with David Ortiz.

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

The boys respond to Salk's attack

Our afternoon host Mike Salk was offended at Gerry and Kirk's conversation on his favorite band Rush, the guys responded.

Pierre McGuire, NBC Sport…

Pierre McGuire, NBC Sports: B's have instilled "fear" "concern" and "doubt" into Rangers

McGuire joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the Bruins game 3 win, the Rangers awful power play, and the Shawn Thornton Derek Dorsett altercation.

Buster Olney, ESPN, on Ellsbury's future with Sox

Buster Olney joins Mut and Merloni to talk about the struggling Ellsbury and what that is doing to his contract value when he becomes a free agent.

Shawn Thornton sticks up for Marchand as Derek Dorsett backs down

Mut and Merloni discuss the Derek Dorsett, Brad Marchand, and Shawn Thornton altercation and how great it was.

An hour with Jack Edwards…

An hour with Jack Edwards: Bruins win all four line match-ups with Rangers

With the Bruins up 3-0 in the series, we talk to Jack Edwards and take your calls. We touch on all things B's-Rangers and also focus on the future of the Bruins three promising young defensemen.

Salk and Holley's Four at Four - 05/22/13

We touch on four topics we haven't talked about today... topics today include: Brian Urlacher retires, NFL schedule expansion, Sergio Garcia and more...

Golfer Sergio Garcia goes 'Fuzzy Zoeller' and gets racial against Tiger Woods

We discuss Spain's Sergio Garcia and his ignorant, racist comments against Tiger Woods.

Daily Planet Tuesday May …

Daily Planet Tuesday May 21st

The Bruins look to take a 3-0 series lead, Jon Lester gets his first loss, Dwight Howard has options in free agency.

Daily Planet Monday May 20th

Today on the Daily Planet the Bruins have a 2-0 lead over the New york Rangers, the Red Sox are back on the winning sde of things, and the noteable birthdays of the day.

Daily Planet Thursday May 9th

The Bruins have almost finished raking the Leafs, the Red Sox struggle from the mound, Miami Heat fans show their level of class.

Salk and Holley's Miked U…

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/22/13

The Jerks are joined by another, Jerk Minihane.

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/21/13

They're like a ray of morning sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question 05/21/13

....uhhhh.....a bunch of bombs over there....

Linda calls in to describ…

Linda calls in to describe the scene on Dexter St in Watertown

Linda explains how the shootout transpired in Watertown during the early morning hours. She saw the first suspect mortally wounded and police beginning the manhunt for the second suspect.

More from this show

Boston bombing hero Jeff …

Boston bombing hero Jeff Bauman: "He's dead and I'm still here"

Jeff Bauman, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing, joined the show to give the guys an update of his condition and a first-hand account of that terrible day. Jeff told the guys how he wrote the description of the bomber as soon as he could. Mr. Bauman added that he is aided every day with the knowledge that he is alive and the terrorist that detonated the bomb is dead.

More from this show

Shawn Thornton on the Bru…

Shawn Thornton on the Bruins game 2 win

Shawn joined the show to discuss the teams great performance in game two against the Rangers. Shawn said that he wouldn't mind playing for John Tortorella because he seems like a funny guy.

More from this show

Elliotte Friedman of CBC …

Elliotte Friedman of CBC on the Bruins dominance of the Rangers

Elliotte Friedman joined the show to discuss the Bruins domination of the series thus far. He said that while nothing is certain he cannot see a way in which the Rangers come back and win the series.

More from this show

Minor Details Ep. 49: Man…

Minor Details Ep. 49: Managerial development with Torey Lovullo and Arnie Beyeler

By and large, the focus of development in the minor leagues is on players. Still, there is a developmental path for coaches and managers in the farm system, as is evident from the fact that the previous two managers of the Red Sox' Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket -- Torey Lovullo (2010) and Arnie Beyeler (2011-12) are now both on the Red Sox' big league coaching staff. They share their insights about the differences between player and coaching expectations in Triple-A vs. the majors, while discussing professional development from the perspective of former minor league managers who aspire to similar positions in the big leagues.

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