Columnists
RSS Feed  RSS
Weei » Columnists » Rob Bradford » Rob Bradford Archive
ArchivesBlog
About Rob Bradford

Rob Bradford joined WEEI.com after serving as a Red Sox beat writer for the Boston Herald and the Eagle-Tribune (Lawrence, Mass.). Prior to manning the Red Sox beat, he spent several years at the Lowell Sun. He has written two books: “Chasing Steinbrenner,” following the front offices of the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays through the 2003 season, and “Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Discovering the Champion Within,” which he co-authored with Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell.

 
COLUMNS
Rob Bradford
11/11/2009 - 8:57am
Three Men Who Could Help Shape the Red Sox' Offseason
CHICAGO — Theo Epstein issued the first defining words of the offseason in a secluded corner of the downstairs lobby at the O’Hare International Airport Hilton Tuesday.
Rob Bradford
11/10/2009 - 5:07am
The Day the Red Sox' World Started To Change
CHICAGO — The lobby-standing was all too familiar. Other elements in the initial day of the general managers meetings at the O’Hare International Airport Hilton, however, offered a reminder that times are a changing.
Rob Bradford
10/27/2009 - 12:57am
In Defense of Jason Bay's Defense
Joe Urbon and his team at CAA Sports have made it clear they’re prepared to enter the offseason starting blocks. Their client, Jason Bay, is on the verge of becoming one of the most sought-after free agents this winter, and whether it’s continuing negotiations with the Red Sox or introducing the outfielder’s abilities to another suitor, Urbon and his crew are set to make Bay's case.
Rob Bradford
10/13/2009 - 10:30am
What Lies Ahead For These Red Sox
It was just moments after the end of his first full season as a Red Sox. The sting was still there, and the moving boxes weren’t too far behind. But Jason Bay also realized the reality of his situation: Something exciting — something he had been playing all of his life for, in a sense — was around the corner.
Rob Bradford
10/12/2009 - 7:54am
What Happened, and What Now, For the Red Sox
So, how exactly did this happen?
Rob Bradford
10/10/2009 - 6:33am
Five Things We Learned: The Red Sox Can't Quite Solve This Riddle
ANAHEIM, Calif. — For Dustin Pedroia, it was simple. “Get hits,” he said. David Ortiz offered an even more bare-bones explanation. “Hit the damn ball,” noted the designated hitter.
Rob Bradford
10/09/2009 - 4:53am
Beckett, Red Sox Don't Need Sentimentality, They Need Wins
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The rumors were flying Thursday: Jason Varitek was going to get his start. It was being whispered throughout Angels Stadium leading into the opening game of the American League Division Series that Red Sox manager Terry Francona was ready veer from a path most everybody believed he had locked onto. The captain would be Josh Beckett’s battery-mate once again. Not so much.
Rob Bradford
10/08/2009 - 5:35am
How Victor Martinez Landed With the Red Sox
ANAHEIM, Calif. — They were perhaps the most important few days of the Red Sox’ season. Those moments in late July, when the Sox were determining exactly what could and couldn’t be done prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, played an enormous role in helping the Red Sox land in their current lot, the American League Division Series. The final destination was the acquisition of Victor Martinez. How the Red Sox got there is a story with the kind of twists and turns usually reserved for the final few days of July.
Rob Bradford
10/07/2009 - 4:31am
Forget Mark Teixeira, Bobby Abreu Might Be the Red Sox' Biggest Obstacle
ANAHEIM, Calif. — This was John Lackey following the fourth, and final, game of the 2008 American League Division Series. “We are way better than they are,” the Angels pitcher said. “We lost to a team not as good as us.”
Rob Bradford
10/02/2009 - 8:39am
Billy Wagner and the Challenges of His New Life With the Red Sox
Friday night might be the night for Billy Wagner. It might be the game he creeps closer to feeling a bit more like his old self. In among the meaningless innings that encompassed much of the Red Sox’ 3-0 win over the Indians on Thursday night at Fenway Park, there were a few things that offered some importance.
Rob Bradford
09/29/2009 - 6:57am
Five Things We Learned: How Worried Should Red Sox Fans Be?
“This is the time of the year where everybody is struggling physically.” From David Ortiz’ mouth to more than half of the ears in the Red Sox clubhouse. The most important moments of Monday night's game came well before the first pitch was thrown in what would turn out to be a rain-shortened, 11-5 Red Sox loss at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
Rob Bradford
09/25/2009 - 3:52am
Five Things We Learned: The Red Sox Have Found Their Man In Buchholz
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay Buchholz fought through a head cold that had lingered for the past few days. He also weathered the storm that came with helping entertain his fiancée’s family, who made the 45-minute drive from nearby Richmond, Mo., each of these four games to watch Buchholz’ team take on the Royals. No, pitching at Kauffman Stadium Thursday night wasn’t easy for Buchholz. But he sure made it seem that way.
Rob Bradford
09/24/2009 - 5:44am
This Lineup Means October Is Around the Corner
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Red Sox had just claimed a 9-2 win over the Royals on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium, and the music was blaring in the visitors clubhouse. Van Halen’s “Jump” was the choice this time around, the kind of tune that seemed fit for the polyester-wearing baseball players of the early 1980s, but certainly not this group. “It’s a nice change, isn’t it?” Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew said.
Rob Bradford
09/23/2009 - 9:54am
A Little Rest Could Go a Long Way For Josh Beckett
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Josh Beckett and the Red Sox still remember the success of 2007 and what it took to get there: a skin avulsion, a trip to the disabled list, and a two-week hiatus from pitching. In other words, Beckett got some time off, and it paid off in the form of one of the most dominant postseasons ever. With that in mind, this week — which included an extra day of rest for Beckett — has become of utmost importance when looking at the big picture.
Rob Bradford
09/22/2009 - 7:23am
Five Things We Learned: On a Bad Night, Wakefield Did Some Good
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — So, what did Monday night’s 12-9 loss to the Royals mean in the long run for the Red Sox? The Sox are still going to make the playoffs, even if that magic number stood strong at 6. Few are going to push the panic button, considering the Red Sox still have won 10 of their last 12.
Rob Bradford
09/21/2009 - 12:54am
Five Things We Learned: Bay Has Earned His Stripes
BALTIMORE — David Ortiz was worried about the middle of the Red Sox batting order. Sitting on a wooden bench just outside the Red Sox’ minor league training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., he said as much. No longer. Jason Bay, who thrives with his unassuming persona, has sold himself on Ortiz.
Rob Bradford
09/20/2009 - 2:39am
Five Things We Learned: Lester Has Left Quite An Impression
BALTIMORE — While taking a break from watching the action in the Virginia Tech-Nebraska football game on Saturday afternoon in the visitors clubhouse at Camden Yards, Billy Wagner took the time to offer some high praise for his new Red Sox teammate, Jon Lester.
Rob Bradford
09/19/2009 - 3:26am
Five Things We Learned: The Evolution of Clay Buchholz Took Another Step Forward
BALTIMORE — The voice was that of his father. “Trust your pitches. Trust your pitches.” Skip Buchholz was nowhere to be found in or around Camden Yards, where his son helped lead the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Orioles Friday night. But the words he, and a variety of coaches and mentors, had implanted in Clay Buchholz’ head might have been the difference this time around.
Rob Bradford
09/17/2009 - 8:27am
In the End, Green Did Have a Leg To Stand On
The moment was almost as unexpected as his entire season. First, the instance from Wednesday night’s 9-8 Red Sox win over the Angels at Fenway Park. “When I stepped in the batter's box,” Red Sox infielder Nick Green said, “I was like, ‘Oh (expletive)!' ”
Rob Bradford
09/16/2009 - 9:00am
Five Things We Learned: Matsuzaka Shouldn't Be Alone In Receiving Kudos
Nobody seems to remember the moment the decision was made. Neither pitching coach John Farrell nor members of the Red Sox front office. It would seem like such an instance might be frozen in time — the surfacing of an idea that had never been executed before. The premise was to take a fairly healthy major league pitcher in the middle of a season and use June, July and August to serve as the spring training months of February and March. Things not working out, let’s just start over.
Rob Bradford
09/14/2009 - 2:10am
Five Things We Learned: The Red Sox Have Landed On Their Feet
David Ortiz, in his quest to leave Fenway Park after two wins and 17 innings of baseball behind him, was simplistic in his analysis. "That's what you need this time of year,” he said, “for those guys to step up and do their thing.” Billy Wagner, balancing numerous bags of ice with the satisfaction of throwing in his first ninth inning since Aug. 2, 2008, was significantly more dramatic.
Rob Bradford
09/11/2009 - 11:27am
The Bradford Files: It's Not About the Money For Billy Wagner
When it comes to what awaits, Billy Wagner knows the deal. “I know [the Red Sox] are going to offer me arbitration and of course I’m probably going to turn it down,” said the Red Sox reliever. “I have a million people telling me why would you turn down the option, or why would you do this or that. Well, I didn’t come in this game looking for money, I was just good enough to make some. If I’m going to go chasing money… I haven’t been wise with my money to begin with.”
Rob Bradford
09/10/2009 - 7:46am
Five Things We Learned: Byrd's Master Plan Has Blossomed... Unlike His Pumpkins
Prior to Wednesday night’s 7-5 Red Sox win over Baltimore (for recap click here), Kym Byrd had her concerns. Some time after her family’s decision in January that Paul Byrd, her husband, would stiff-arm legitimate offers to play major-league baseball to be with his family for the next six months, and well before the 38-year-old’s five-inning, two-run performance against the Orioles, at Fenway Park, doubts had crept into Kym’s psyche.
Rob Bradford
09/07/2009 - 9:04am
Five Things We Learned: These Are Two Very Important Days For the Red Sox
It could have been bad for these Red Sox. The fact this team was coming off two straight uneasy losses to the White Sox heading into the tail-end of the Labor Day weekend was tolerable. The rust of Paul Byrd and health of Tim Wakefield made both defeats somewhat palatable, at least this time around. But then there was Jon Lester and Josh Beckett.
Rob Bradford
09/04/2009 - 7:08am
Wakefield Slated To Start Saturday
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tim Wakefield is on the verge of giving it another shot. After a 25-pitch side session prior to the Red Sox’ 6-3 win over the Rays on Thursday at Tropicana Field, Wakefield was told that if there is no physical setbacks regarding his back or calf he will start Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox.


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.

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.

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.

John Lackey postgame guest after the last game of the Minnesota series

Joe Castiglione talked with John Lackey after he picked up the W against the Twins. Lackey threw seven innings, and retired the 1st twelve batters of the game.

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.

Full tilt, full time. New…

Full tilt, full time. Newest inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame Tedy Bruschi with Salk and Holley

We talk to #54 about his career and well deserved induction to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Salk and Holley's Four (or Five) at Four - 05/21/13

We tackle four off-topic topics! Today including RGIII's wedding registry, Tiger Woods, new putters in golf and more.

Barry Melrose: Sit the injured veteran defensemen until you need them, until you lose

We check in with ESPN's great hockey analyst and former NHL coach Barry Melrose to get his take on this Bruins-Rangers series. We also ask the coach in him how he'd deal with the great play of the rookie defensemen when the vets get healthy... and his answer might surprise you.

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 - 05/21/13

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....

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/17/13

Sounds like a prostate exam to me!

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

Buster Olney, ESPN: Ellsb…

Buster Olney, ESPN: Ellsbury play will hurt him in free agency

Buster Olney joins the show to discuss the muddled AL East, the average play of Ellsbury and how that will affect him in free agency, and Tropicana Field.

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

Weei Writers