Chris Carter, by his own admission is an intense dude. Sox fans may be familiar with him as the minor leaguer Boston received when they dealt away the raw power supply known as Wily Mo Pena last summer.

Carter and Pena are actually similar players in a lot of ways in that they are offensive talents that simply don't seem to have a home defensively. Carter has struggled in the minors and in the winter leagues while manning first base, and Sox officials have experimented with him in the outfield this spring.

The one big advantage that Carter has over Pena is that he doesn't have the same kind of holes in his swing that big Wily Mo does. He seems to have a much better plan when he gets up to the plate, and he won't be as easily pitched to as Pena was when he got prolonged spurts of playing time. 

He's proven this spring that he can rake, mash, drive frozen ropes all over the field...whatever you prefer. He's leading the Sox with 10 hits this spring and is hitting at a .357 clip and looked like a Major League hitter when I was in Fort Myers over the last few weeks. 




What have you been working on at the plate?
CC: I’ve been working on [hitting the ball hard] and hitting line drives. Things feel good right now.

Do you feel like in camp you’ve been able to show Red Sox management what you’re able to do with the bat during this camp?
CC: That’s a good question. You know what, every at bat is the most important at bat to me and I’m doing the best I can every single time I go out there. I’m sure the Red Sox people see that every time I go out there and I hope that they are happy that I work hard and play hard and do everything I can in every single at bat.

What have you been working on specifically in this camp?
CC: I’ve been working on everything in this camp. I get here early and leave late and cover all the bases, no pun intended.

Have you always been one of those guys who is one of the first to the field and one of the last to leave? One of those guys that coaches have to pull off the field?
CC: I’ve had that from my both of my parents, who taught me that. Elementary School to Middle School to high school and college, I’ve always had it pounded into me that that’s what you need to do to be the best that you can be and I firmly believe that.

Do you find that at this point you’re working more on defensive stuff, whether it’s the outfielder or first base?
CC: I’ve been doing both first base work and outfield work and everything I can do to get better and pick up anything I can. I’ve been talking to Coco, talking to Ellsbury and talking to our outfield coach ‘D’ [DeMarlo Hale], and I’m just trying to be like a sponge and soak everything up. I’ve been talking to Kevin Youkilis about playing first base, and just going out there and being comfortable, confident and that every day I’ll go out there and get better. It’s just about going out there and doing the best that I can every single day.

Guys like Coco, Ellsbury, DeMarlo…I’m sure you’ve worked with them quite a bit. What have you learned from those guys?
CC: DeMarlo Hale, man. He’s an incredible coach and just a good person. He’s taught me a lot. One thing has been the footwork and taking the good first step back that I take. Coco and Ellsbury and DeMarlo have all said the same thing: just be comfortable out there, be loose and relaxed and just let your natural ability take over. To be quick you’ve got to be relaxed. Just be comfortable. Ellsbury, Coco, DeMarlo are amazing and easy to talk to and I’m glad that I’m working with them.

Is it hard to be relaxed in the outfield when it’s a place you haven’t played much before?
CC: I’m really intense and this is the first [spring training] with this organization and they’re just a great bunch of dudes. I am comfortable, but not so comfortable to relax. I’m still working hard, don’t get me wrong. But I feel comfortable around these guys knowing that everyone around is here to win and they definitely have a winning attitude. It’s a cool thing to be a part of.

How is this different than any other spring training camp that you’ve been a part of?
CC: The focus on the Red Sox is different because they’re here to win Championships and win World Series titles. The first day of camp that’s the first thing they talked about, and that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. I got goose bumps…I really did. It was really great to hear that…to hear that we’re here to win Championships.  




Also in the "Something Completely Different" category, courtesy of the Boston Herald's Inside Track...apparently Clay Buchholz is living up to his nickname of Clayboy. The second girl from the right is Penthouse Pet Erica Ellyson, who is the flavor of the Month for Buchholz according to an interview his dad gave with the WZLX radio station.

 

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