About Rizzo, Bard and a doubleheader

You might recall the popular t-shirt about a decade ago that read "Baseball is Life." That phrase is accurate for ardent baseball enthusiasts who consider the game a passion. Yet, sometimes an unfortunate event happens that reminds us that baseball is indeed just a sport, and life is life.

Last night, the Red Sox announced that 18-year-old first base prospect Anthony Rizzo has been diagnosed with Limited Stage Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is being treated as an outpatient at Massachusetts General Hospital. He will return to his home in Miami to continue treatment, which is expected to take six to eight months. The statement released by the Red Sox reports that, "he has an excellent chance of cure and complete recovery."

Drafted by Boston in the sixth round last year out of high school in south Florida, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Rizzo is a solid left-handed first baseman. That he is only 18 and playing at Single-A Greenville - and not the Gulf Coast League or short-season Lowell like most kids selected out of high school - is a testament to his potential to reach the big leagues. Rizzo was hitting .373 in 83 at-bats.

Of course, right now baseball is not important for Rizzo. Regaining his health is what matters most. Hopefully, like Jon Lester recovered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Rizzo does the same with his bout with cancer. Obviously, if he is back on the field, that means he is healthy again and chasing his dream. Here's to a full recovery for Rizzo.

Daniel Bard promoted to Double-A Portland

Last year - in his first full professional season since being picked by Boston in the first round of the 2006 draft - was frustrating for Daniel Bard. His control was erratic, and he was knocked around at Single-A Greenville and Single-A Lancaster as a starter.

Bard's fortunes improved when he changed his arm angle and was converted to a reliever before the 2008 season. The result was a 0.64 ERA with 43 strikeouts and four walks in 28 innings for Greenville. THe Red Sox are so pleased with Bard's progress that they promoted him directly to Double-A Portland, skipping advanced Single-A Lancaster.

Likely, the Red Sox allowed Bard to bypass Lancaster because the California League is where a pitcher's confidence is tested with the windy weather and the hitting-friendly ballparks. Bard is 23, and he should be pitching at the Double-A level.

It is my ideal vision to see a Red Sox bullpen that features Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, David Aardsma, Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, Dustin Richardson (another left-hander) and Daniel Bard. That could happen as soon as 2009, though the Red Sox are unsure whether Masterson is better suited as a starter or a reliever. Bard is a power pitcher with an array of effective secondary pitches. He seems to thrive as a reliever, so he will give Boston another power arm to accompany Aardsma, Delcarmen and Papelbon.

Are you ready for a Saturday of baseball?

A doubleheader is not the best scenario for Boston right now. The Red Sox are still banged up with Julio Lugo recovering from a slight concussion, J.D. Drew mending from a hyperextended left wrist and Coco Crisp regaining strength after feeling nauseated and experiencing headaches. All three are expected to play today. Obviously, Alex Cora will play one of the two games at shortstop, and Jonathan Van Every will play center field in one of the games. That means Lugo, Drew and Crisp will be required for just one game each.

A doubleheader sweep would help the struggling Red Sox in the standings. At 24-19, they are 1.5 games behind the surprising Tampa Bay Rays, which defeated St. Louis last night.