Chadd, respected as a keen talent evaluator, had served the same role under Sox principal owner John Henry in Florida. Henry had given Chadd license in Florida to pay for talent, and wanted to see a similar approach with the Sox.

The seriousness of that commitment was immediately apparent. On the same day that Chadd's hiring was announced, the Sox also added an area scout and four cross-checkers as part of a commitment to bolster a previously understaffed (and somewhat demoralized) operation.

Under Chadd's stewardship, the 2002 draft yielded high-school starter Jon Lester. After the season, Theo Epstein was named general manager, and the Sox started directing their scouting attention to college players, whose professional performance was considered more predictable.

In some circles, that turn was sneeringly characterized as a "Moneyball" approach that devalued traditional scouting. Such criticisms missed the mark.

"(Critics) thought that, because we included some form of statistical evaluation in our reports, that we were 'Moneyball,'" said one member of the front office. "The reason why we went that heavily on college kids the first two years was because (our farm) system was so depleted."

The Sox have taken a systematic approach to that goal. As much as possible, the Sox try to make the major-league environment a comfortable one for prospects even before they get there, thereby allowing players to perform to their capabilities once called up.

The team's two-week Rookie Development program every winter -- believed to be just one of a handful in baseball -- is an important part of that process. Players who might reach the majors within 18 months live with host families, sign autographs for fans, meet members of the media and learn how to navigate one-way streets around Fenway Park.

Even the loaded draft class of 2005 has had its share of disappointments. The Sox first pick was the 23rd overall that year. Four of the six players drafted immediately before that selection -- C.J. Henry (17), John Mayberry (19), Mark Pawelek (20) and Cliff Pennington (21) -- are draft bust candidates.

Even the Sox had their misses that year. The first two players whom the Sox took outside of the first round -- high-schoolers Jon Egan and William Blue -- are already out of pro baseball.

"I think that path is probably the more normal one (than success) in the game, to be honest with you," said farm director Mike Hazen.

Aware of those realities, the Sox sought balance in their picks. They could complement players who combined risk and enormous potential with those who seemed safer bets.

"When I played, coming up through A-ball, we weren't competitive. Now, it seems that every team is full of prospects and they're competitive and want to win," Lester said this spring. "We've got a lot of depth. You look in the big leagues and in Triple-A and Double-A, guys who should be in Triple-A this year might be in Double-A just because we've got so many pitchers.

"That's a tribute to (general manager) Theo (Epstein) and the organization for scouting. They want guys to win and to get used to winning. If you get that ingrained in people's heads, when they get up (to the majors) it makes it easier for them."

James fought through the tough beginning to get through five innings, allowing four runs but picking up the win. By the time James left the game, the JetHawks had built a comfortable lead. The Storm committed two errors in the third inning, leading to a two-run double by Nava and a two-run single by Anderson to help put the JetHawks into an 11-4 lead.

Richie Lentz and Jason Blackey allowed just one run over the final four innings of relief to seal the win. Anderson led the offense with three hits and three runs driven in. Nava had three hits and four RBI. Farkes had two hits and scored a career high four runs, while Reid Engel extended his season-starting hitting streak to eight straight.

The Greenville Drive won the first Applebee's Park series of the season three games to one by upending the Legends 5-2 Thursday night.

Mike Jones and Ty Weeden homered to highlight Greenville's eight-hit offense.

The Legends were held to three hits by leadoff man Matt Cusick and two by No. 2 hitter Craig Corrado. The Legends struck out 11 times while losing their second in a row.

Drive starter Nick Hagadone (1-1) struck out at least one batter in each of the first four innings. He worked five innings in all, finishing with seven K's and no walks.

"He's obviously got a good arm," Legends Manager Gregg Langbehn said. "That's the best left-handed arm we've seen. He pitched well.

Randy Whitehouse - Sea Dogs finally open up at home

Even when fifth starter Chris Smith was called up to Triple-A Pawtucket to fill in for the injured Bartolo Colon, relievers Daniel Haigwood, Miguel Asencio, Kyle Jackson, and Beau Vaughan combined to two-hit the Connecticut Defenders in Wednesday's 1-0 victory.

The pitching prospects, particularly Masterson and Bowden, are generating a buzz similar to that which surrounded Clay Buchholz, who pitched in 16 games for Portland last season and later threw a no-hitter for Boston in his second major-league start.

...

Richardson fanned 10 in five innings and gave up two hits in his Double-A debut Monday. Johnson worked 4 1/3 innings and surrendered two runs on five hits on Sunday.

The strong pitching couldn't be more timely for Portland's offense, which is sputtering with a .192 team batting average. Wagner (.143), Bell (.130) and Bates (.091) hope the sight of the Maine Monster gets their bats going.

In a 98-pitch flurry of low-90 fastballs, changeups and curveballs, it was his only slider of the night that did in Buchholz. The fifth-inning offering resulted in a run-scoring double off the left field wall by New York's Jose Molina, scoring Hideki Matsui with the game's first run.

Other than that hiccup, however, the evening was the first time since last year that Buchholz resembled the pitcher who was lifted in the air following September's no-hitter.

"Last year I hardly had any miscues, so when I had to face a little adversity earlier this spring it was sort of (a reality) check," Buchholz said. "I told myself it really isn't that easy, and you can't go out and pitch as good all the time as I did last year. Basically, this is the first time everything has fallen into place."

Francona does not want Jed Lowrie, who was called up to replace Mike Lowell (sprained left thumb) on Thursday, to get stale on the Red Sox [team stats] bench. With Lowell out a "minimum" of two weeks, Francona said, "what we don't want to do is have (Lowrie) sit every day. That would get in the way of his development. We'll probably try to work him in there a couple of times a week at the minimum."

With Lowrie playing third, Kevin Youkilis [stats] would return to first.

Brendan McGair - Pauley getting stronger

As much as PawSox skipper Ron Johnson would like to see his starting pitchers earn victories, there's a much greater good to take into account. "I think there's more of a concern for the quality of [Pauley's] outing and stuff rather than leaving him out there to face a few more hitters," said Johnson. "I totally comprehend that not one of my starting pitchers would understand, and I don't want them to.

"I'm a believer in everything that we do in this organization, and it has proven to be correct," Johnson continued. "Our focus is to get guys quality innings and pitch efficiency."

If that means sacrificing wins, so be it.

Pauley's "cameo" amounted to five hits, one run (a solo home run off the bat of IronPigs catcher Jason Jarmillo), two walks and one strikeout, which came against the final hitter he faced.

Boston's conservation approach falls more in line with long-range planning than anything. The hurlers down on the farm might not be crazy about going out with a specific pitch count, but so be the decree from Yawkey Way.

Eric Harding - Revenge secondary for JetHawks

The JetHawks inserted 21-year-old Luis Segovia into the lineup at shortstop Friday night, his second appearance in the lineup this season.

The Venezuela native is a switch hitter signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2003 and made only one start at shortstop last season at short-season Single-A Lowell, but 19 at second base. Segovia went on the disabled list on Sept. 4 last season with a groin strain and missed a good portion at the end of the season. He is only a .225 career minor league hitter and struggled batting .118 last year, but is an exceptional fielder.

A three run third, sixth and ninth inning lifted the Lake Elsinore Storm to a 10-6 win over the JetHawks Friday night at The Hangar.

Left fielder Reid Engel doubled to begin ninth as Storm right fielder Mike Baxter slipped and the ball landed, but Engel rounded second too far, and was thrown out trying to retreat to the bag. The JetHawks went quietly from that first out, and Lake Elsinore evened the series 1-1 with two remaining this weekend.

"I thought (center fielder) caught it," JetHawks manager Chad Epperson said. "When I realized he didn't, (Engel) was in no mans land. He was caught."

JetHawks starter Chris Jones lasted just 3¹/³ innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, losing for the first time this season.

...

The JetHawks cut the deficit to 7-5 in the bottom of the frame on Dennis Blackmon's double to right center off Lake Elsinore reliever John Madden.

Anderson went deep to left field in the bottom of the seventh, bringing Lancaster to within 7-6.

Dennis Blackmon singled home two in the sixth and Lars Anderson homered in the seventh inning to give the JetHawks a chance, down by just one run. But another error hurt Lancaster in the ninth. Jeremy Hunt hit a chopper to third that Jorge Jimenez couldn't get out of his glove. The next three batters all singled, creating three more unearned runs and giving the Storm the victory.

Blackmon led the JetHawks offense with three hits and two runs driven in while Jimenez added three hits of his own. Daniel Nava had two hits while Anderson walked three times in addition to his home run. Reid Engel saw his eight-game hit streak come to a close as he went 0-5. Chris Jones suffered the loss after allowing four runs and nine hits in three and a third innings of work.

The current temporary fix might be to appease the veteran Crisp, but Ellsbury needs to play every day. Not in Pawtucket, but in Boston.

"The biggest thing is to stay focused on the days you're not playing," Ellsbury said after yesterday's game. "You need to prepare every day like you're playing, even though you're not. You have to make the best of the opportunities when you are in there. When you're not out there every day, you definitely want to be on more often than you're not. You have to show them you can go out there and do the job. For me, it's more mental than anything, being ready to go even when your name is not in the lineup. You have to be ready to go in there defensively and then . . . getting that one AB. It's about staying mentally locked in every day."

Ellsbury has blazing speed and nothing gives him a bigger thrill than stealing a base.

"I love stealing bases," he said. "Getting in scoring position and scoring a run is a big rush for me. That's part of my game so I need to be able to do that cleanly. It's important for me to score runs."