The Sox also announced Tuesday that their 2011 rookie program will begin Monday. Eleven of Bostons top prospects will take part in the two-week program, which is designed to expose the players to the expectations of being major-leaguers for the Red Sox.
Ten of the participants in the Rookie Program spent all of 2010 in the Red Sox organization: pitchers Robert Coello, Stephen Fife, Stolmy Pimentel, Jason Rice, Alex Wilson; catchers Tim Federowicz and Ryan Lavarnway; infielders Will Middlebrooks and Oscar Tejeda, and outfielder Juan Linares. Also taking part will be pitcher Clevelan Santeliz, who was signed as a free agent in December 2010 after playing for the White Sox Triple-A Charlotte club.
The program includes two workouts daily that emphasize conditioning and strength training as well as concentration on fundamentals. In addition, the players are attending a number of seminars that will focus on the assimilation into Major League life off the field and will visit the Dana Faber Cancer Institute to meet with young patients receiving treatments at the Jimmy Fund. They will also participate in a community service project with the Red Sox Foundation at The Children's Services of Roxbury Day Care facility.
A number of individuals will speak to the group, including PresidentCEO Larry Lucchino, general manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona, coaches Dave Magadan and Curt Young, and Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.