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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
06/18/2012 - 6:58am
The making of Franklin Morales: His path to the Red Sox and effectiveness
Alex Speier
06/17/2012 - 8:45am
How history almost never happened: David Ortiz recalls the uncertain start of his Red Sox tenure
CHICAGO – An organization’s best moves are often the least noticed.
Alex Speier
06/15/2012 - 8:11pm
Breaking down Beckett: A history of the pitcher's shoulder concerns
CHICAGO – Anytime a pitcher misses a start and the word “shoulder” is involved, alarm bells should sound. A blown-out elbow is a speed-bump, typically a one-year Tommy John surgery followed by rehab with a tremendous likelihood of a return at full health. A damaged shoulder? A badly damaged shoulder? That’s often a dead end.
Alex Speier
06/15/2012 - 6:40am
Time for Adrian to go off: Could Wrigley's friendly confines be antidote for slugger's struggles?
CHICAGO -- No one knows. There’s no good, concise summary to explain what is arguably the most mystifying shortcoming on the Red Sox.
Alex Speier
06/14/2012 - 1:15pm
Bypassed by Red Sox, Dale Sveum working to create winning culture with Cubs
CHICAGO – Dale Sveum was a prime target of two of the most history-rich franchises in the majors last offseason. He became the manager of the Cubs, but not until a very prominent candidacy for the same position with the Red Sox.
Alex Speier
06/13/2012 - 11:14pm
How success bred a monster: Theo Epstein considers his Red Sox legacy
CHICAGO -- It was not the final note that Theo Epstein wanted in Boston.
Alex Speier
06/11/2012 - 8:55am
The next Hanley? Why Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts could be the next big thing
The Red Sox farm system has yielded numerous stars over the past decade.
Alex Speier
06/10/2012 - 7:56am
A tale of two rotations for Red Sox, Nationals
Under slightly different circumstances, it might have been Gio Gonzalez on the hill for the Red Sox on Saturday.
Alex Speier
06/08/2012 - 9:29am
A Nationals event: Red Sox marvel at Harper, Strasburg
In some ways, Adrian Gonzalez would seem like one of the few people in the world who can appreciate the phenomena of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.
Alex Speier
06/08/2012 - 12:43am
When 'really bad' is not so bad: Adrian Gonzalez sees an upswing
Context, Adrian Gonzalez insisted, was important. There had been worse stretches in his career.
Alex Speier
06/05/2012 - 6:49am
'Devils up the middle' : Sox first-rounder Deven Marrero hopes for fast track to play with Dustin Pedroia
Alex Speier
05/31/2012 - 9:00am
Entering the new world order: A 2012 Red Sox draft primer
This year’s draft represents a dramatic sea change for a Red Sox team that flexed its considerable financial muscle in the acquisition of top amateur talent in recent years.
Alex Speier
05/30/2012 - 2:15am
Return delivery: Why Red Sox want to see more of this Daniel Bard
Last Wednesday, in a 6-5 Red Sox win over the Orioles, Daniel Bard allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings before getting lifted with the bases empty after 90 pitches. Afterwards, he acknowledged that he didn’t feel like himself on the mound.
Alex Speier
05/29/2012 - 6:51am
Prince Felix? Why Doubront's season has been better than anyone realizes
So what exactly is Felix Doubront? What are we to glean from his first 10 starts of 2012?
Alex Speier
05/25/2012 - 7:34am
Beyond the radar gun: The evolution of Josh Beckett
The storyline could be a very different one.
Alex Speier
05/24/2012 - 8:10am
For the Red Sox, 20 lessons learned from 20 games in 20 days
BALTIMORE -- In a vacuum, it will hardly seem like a season-changing stretch. The Red Sox entered it two games under .500. They went 11-9 (a .550 winning percentage that would translate to 89 wins over a 162-game season) to pull themselves up to .500.
Alex Speier
05/23/2012 - 6:16pm
Daniel Bard continues search for himself (and strikeouts) as a starter
BALTIMORE – No one expected the transition to be seamless, but at the same time, no one expected it to be this extreme.
Alex Speier
05/23/2012 - 8:08am
Help is on the way? For Red Sox, Kevin Youkilis' return is a start
BALTIMORE -- In defeat, a single swing offered an important reminder. For the Red Sox, the 2012 season has been dominated by injuries. Already this year, the team has placed a staggering 16 players on the disabled list.
Alex Speier
05/22/2012 - 9:00am
A Will and a way: Middlebrooks makes statement that he belongs
BALTIMORE – It’s decision day, and Will Middlebrooks is suppressing his curiosity.
Alex Speier
05/18/2012 - 3:03am
Why Daniel Bard is thinking a lot about hitting these days
The sight was foreign but necessary. Daniel Bard navigated the Red Sox clubhouse on a few occasions over the past week, wielding what seemed like a foreign implement.
Alex Speier
05/15/2012 - 6:16am
Still the one: Jon Lester's season has a familiar top-of-the-rotation shape
There was pitch No. 119, a 93 mph fastball that was up, in and past the swinging bat of overmatched Mariners hitter Alex Liddi.
Alex Speier
05/12/2012 - 9:27am
Caught in between: Bobby Valentine's rotation management
Bobby Valentine was caught in between. Again.
Alex Speier
05/11/2012 - 6:47am
One season later, Red Sox have yet to fix their clubhouse culture
"I know that we have the players in our clubhouse who are committed to winning, who have the talent to do it, and are motivated to put 2011 behind them and prove to everyone that they're worthy of the fans' trust." -- Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington at the press conference introducing him as general manager
Alex Speier
05/10/2012 - 10:00am
The talent gap: Red Sox struggles reflect state of the roster
Jacoby Ellsbury would have made the play.
Alex Speier
05/08/2012 - 9:00am
Improving on greatness: Dustin Pedroia looks poised for career year in 2012
The Rushmore of Red Sox second baseman has two faces on it. So what does Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, now 94, think of Dustin Pedroia, who more than a half-century after Doerr’s retirement has emerged as a game-changing player at the position?


Audio On Demand

Former Patriot Matt Light…

Former Patriot Matt Light on the Pats offseason

Matt joined the program to discuss his first ever cornhole contest and to break down the Patriots offseason. He told the guys that he was upset that the Pats were unable to bring Wes Welker back to the team.

Tom Brady on the loss of Wes Welker

Tom Brady joined the program to discuss his upcoming charitable event supporting Best Buddies and his off-season. Tom said that he has learned not to worry about free agency decisions since he cant control any of them. Lastly he defended his over the top celebration at the Kentucky Derby.

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.

Jackie MacMullan on Doc: …

Jackie MacMullan on Doc: "He's coming back"

Jackie MacMullan joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the latest rumors surrounding Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and whether he'll be back next season with the team.

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.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington…

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington on Jacoby Ellsbury

Ben joined the program to discuss the return of Terry Francona and said that he always had a good relationship with the former manager. Ben added that he thinks Ellsbury is in a slump due in part to the amount of left handed pitchers the team has faced.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia postgame with Joe and Dave

Salty spoke with Joe Castiglione & Dave O'Brien after he helped his team to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox tonight. The Red Sox return to Fenway after going 6-3 on the road trip.

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.

Rangers analyst Dave Malo…

Rangers analyst Dave Maloney on game 4

Dave Maloney returned to the show to discuss his Rangers unlikely win in game 4. He said that in all his years playing and calling hockey games he had not seen a softer goal than the one Rask allowed.

Andy Brickley, NESN, on why B's match up well against Rangers

Andy Brickley joins the show to discuss what he expects to see from the Rangers tonight, why the Bruins match up well against them, and potentially closing out the series tonight

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.

Rangers analyst Dave Malo…

Rangers analyst Dave Maloney on game 4

Dave Maloney returned to the show to discuss his Rangers unlikely win in game 4. He said that in all his years playing and calling hockey games he had not seen a softer goal than the one Rask allowed.

Andy the bee keeper on his hives

Andy from Dartmouth called in to talk Bruins but the discussion quickly got off track when he mentioned his nine bee hives.

Bruins give away game 4

The guys opened the show discussing a missed opportunity by the Bruins last night. They broke down the poor plays made by Rask and Chara.

Andy Brickley, NESN, on w…

Andy Brickley, NESN, on why B's match up well against Rangers

Andy Brickley joins the show to discuss what he expects to see from the Rangers tonight, why the Bruins match up well against them, and potentially closing out the series tonight.

M&M's Voice Activated Texts- Motor Mouth Meg in the Cape

One of the many Mut and Merloni callers, Meg in the Cape, chats with Mike and Lou about the Bruins and a whole bunch of other stuff in the span of about 2 min. Afterwards, Mut and Merloni hear some voice activated text messages from people listening in to Meg.

Jackie MacMullan on Doc: "He's coming back"

Jackie MacMullan joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the latest rumors surrounding Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and whether he'll be back next season with the team.

Tom Brady plays the good …

Tom Brady plays the good soldier role in discussing departure of Wes Welker

Tom Brady appeared with D and C this morning and talked about the team's OTA's, the comings and goings, and most importantly what went down when Wes Welker left town, and how does he feel about it?

Salk and Holley's Four at Four - 05/23/13

Four guys, four topics we haven't mentioned today. Mark Sanchez, the Pacers blow it and more.

John Tortorella's Fraud Flag is flying, plus who's your 2013 Bruins MVP?

We talk about the mystique and respect around John Tortorella, and whether or not it's warranted. Plus we discuss with you who the 2013 Bruins MVP has to be. Tuuka? Bergeron? Claude?

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 - 05/23/13

Kirk's still a jerk, but we want a SWEEP!

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.

Tom Brady on the loss of …

Tom Brady on the loss of Wes Welker

Tom Brady joined the program to discuss his upcoming charitable event supporting Best Buddies and his off-season. Tom said that he has learned not to worry about free agency decisions since he cant control any of them. Lastly he defended his over the top celebration at the Kentucky Derby.

More from this show

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

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.

More from this show

Buster Olney, ESPN, on El…

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.

More from this show

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington…

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington on Jacoby Ellsbury

Ben joined the program to discuss the return of Terry Francona and said that he always had a good relationship with the former manager. Ben added that he thinks Ellsbury is in a slump due in part to the amount of left handed pitchers the team has faced.

More from this show

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