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Boston Red Sox News
In recent news, Japanese pitcher Denny Tomori has
agreed to a minor-league contract with Boston Red Sox. Tomori, 37, went
0-1 last season for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan's Central League and
has a career 18-28 record with 30 saves over 13 seasons in Japanese
professional baseball. Tomori will attend Boston's spring training camp
from Feb. 18 as a non-roster player and has agreed to a contract worth
$310,000. Tomori's best season in Japan was in 1998 when he went 7-4 with
eight saves, 68 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA for the Seibu Lions. In other
aquisition news, Boston Red Sox traded Doug Mientkiewicz to the Mets. In
exchange for Mientkiewicz and conditional cash considerations, the Sox
landed first base prospect Ian Bladergroen. The 21-year-old Bladergroen
gives the Sox a first base prospect for the future. The left-handed hitter
and thrower played at Class A last year. He has power and a good glove.
Mientkiewicz had a tough year offensively in 2004, hitting .238 with six
homers and driving in 35 runs in 391 at-bats. However, there were
extenuating circumstances as Mientkiewicz battled injuries and dealt with
a playing time crunch in Minnesota, and after being traded to Boston on
July 31. Recently, the Boston Red Sox also signed the top free agent
shortstop on the market, inking Edgar Renteria to a four-year pact worth
$40 million. Renteria's credentials speak for themselves. The four-time
All-Star is a .289 hitter over nine seasons. He has the ability to hit the
ball in the gap or over the wall. And he has stolen more than 15 bases
every year he has been in the Major Leagues. In news related to the Fenway
Park, the Boston Red Sox are expected to disclose details of Fenway Park
improvements planned for the next two seasons, including the addition in
2006 of a new category of premium seats in an area that will be called the
Pavilion. Larry Lucchino, president of the world champion Red Sox, has
said that the new premium seats will be added in the area of the .406
Club, behind home plate. The creation of a Pavilion and addition of some
higher-priced seats are part of a series of improvements, many less
visible, planned for the aging ballpark over the next two years. The Red
Sox are working with the city and seeking approval for plans for
improvements to be made this year and next. The Red Sox have previously
asked the city to approve expanding the total capacity of Fenway Park from
the current 36,298 to 39,928, a 10 percent increase. That request is
pending. Those numbers include both seats and standing-room space.
Lucchino said the team's management still has a goal of a total of between
37,000 and 38,000 actual seats for fans.
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