The Red Sox Need The Right Fielder

By Markus Garcia –3/7/12
Cody Ross is playing baseball in a familiar state. For the majority of his career he has played for the Marlins in Florida. But during the offseason the Boston Red Sox signed him as a free agent right-fielder. Ross is currently on the Red Sox 40 man spring training roster.
Ross is battling Ryan Sweeney to be the team’s starting
right-fielder. Boston acquired Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics in a trade that involved two time All-Star closer, Andrew Bailey. Bailey and Sweeney landed in Boston, while Josh Reddick and two Red Sox prospects were sent to Oakland.
Lately,Ross has looked like the man for the job. In the
Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom of
the fourth Ross made a spectacular catch over the shoulder catch that kept a
combined no hitter alive. Ross also drove in one run with an RBI double.
However in todays game against the Blue Jays Ross struggled. In the bottom of the third Ross misplayed a fly ball to left field and allowed a run to score that gave Toronto a one to nothing lead.
Ross says he’s more than capable of earning
the starting role.”I came here to play every day.” said Ross. “That’s how you have to
prepare yourself. You have to come into camp ready to go.”
Ryan Sweeney also believes he is the right player for the job and says this
type of competition makes everyone involved better. “I think
competition in baseball good.” Said Sweeney “It makes you each want to go out
there and do better. I think we push each other.”
At the start of the season both players could be starting for the Red Sox
while left fielder Carl Crawford recovers from his wrist injury. When
Crawford returns Sweeney and Ross could split time in right field depending
on their performance in spring training and the regular season.