During the off-season of 2008 into 2009, the Boston Red Sox made multiple additions. They picked up players such as Outfielder Rocco Baldelli, and Pitchers Brad Penny, John Smoltz and Takashi Saito.
The Red Sox seemed strong in Spring Training with a solid record of 20-14 to place fifth out of 16 teams in the Grapefruit League.
As the Red Sox prepared for the opening game on April 6, 2009, it was soon postponed due to the rain. They played the next day, April 7, with pre-game ceremonies beforehand, including the First Pitch thrown by Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy.
Opening Day was a chance to strike back against the Tampa Bay Rays who eliminated the Red Sox last postseason in the ALCS (American League Championship Series) and that is exactly what they did. Quickly the Red Sox took the lead from Dustin Pedroia’s first inning solo home run into the Monster Seats. The Sox would then score three runs in the third inning and a Jason Varitek home run in the sixth. This, along with a great performance by starting pitcher Josh Beckett who has a 1.29 ERA (earned run average) and 10 strikeouts, allowed the Red Sox to win with a final score of 5-3.
With their strong off-season additions, the Red Sox can be a very strong competitor in the Major League this year. Look for them to be in a very close battle for first place the whole year with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.
Their first game against their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees, will be at Fenway on April 24 at 7:10 p.m.