Wow, was that gross or what? I'm actually just going to pretend that the whole ex-Devil Rays series never happened...not a whole lot to say about this series, just need to wake the bats back up. Papi sat 2 of 3 games which is a little worrisome...hope that knee is holding up and for GOD'S SAKE Papi, please cut the crap with the head first slide/dives...you're going to break something one of these times, we'd much rather have your bat in the lineup tomorrow versus you beating out hit into the shift...relax a little, just a little, it is April after all...the only good news is that we pitched well in these games so one would think that if we keep that up we're in pretty good shape when we have the full lineup back...for now we'll give the Devils their due and congratulate them on their little sweep and for being atop the AL East right now...enjoy it while it lasts, you're a talented little team and you'll provide some more problems than usual this year, but I just don't think the pitching for this club will be the same in July, August and September as it is now...and that'll kill them if they manage to hang around that long...
One fun note, the return to the Red Sox of Brian Corey!!! Woo hoooooooo...I love having him around...he's like a comic book character out there...and he's one of the 7 players that makes me think I could have played pro baseball...thanks for that Brian, now enjoy getting shelled in 3 of every 4 outings...
We have a much needed day off today and then the ever underachieving Blue Jays coming in, so hopefully we can get back on track with a little R&R and a home-cooked meal...
GO SAWX!!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Who Were Those guys?
So, the Halos series came and went and I couldn't bring myself to blog about it until it was over...a couple of reasons for that but I think most importantly it was that I didn't recognize half of the players on your 2008 Boston Red Sox during these last 3 games...that might be a slight exaggeration, but the pitching certainly was affected and with Tek and Lowell out, plus some rest due, the lineup wasn't exactly at its most fierce...not sure if we underestimated these guys (not likely) or are just more concerned with getting healthy right now (more likely) but this was a highly forgettable series for the Sox, full of ups and downs but in the end we dropped 2 of 3 and it's not really bugging me too much...
For game 1, the crazy flu bug that's going around and killing the Sox (not to mention my fantasy team, but that's like 30 blogs for another time/place) took Josh Beckett out of the equation...instead of the ace that shut the Angels out in game 1 of last year's ALDS they'd instead get David Pauley...whose jersey I have hanging right up next to my Manny one (obviously a joke, I don't even know what number he wears)...so, Pauley is supposedly a sinkerballer, and as I watch him pitch, whaddya know, he throws a pretty mean sinker...using that pitch he gets though the first couple of innings, no sweat...meanwhile Jacoby hits a line drive leadoff homer to stake us to a quick lead...Weaver looked hittable early and was able to work around some damage to stay in the game...sadly, Pauley didn't work around his damage and suddenly the Angels had 5 runs...I don't even remember how they did it...they're one of the offenses that scores somehow, but I can't figure it out...Weaver settled down and even struck out Dusty, Papi and Manny consecutively their second time through...but the third time they got him back! Dusty doubled, Papi singled him in and Manny got robbed of a hit, but again Weaver was fooling no one...Youk proved that out with a dinger to tie the game at 5...the next inning Jacoby powers up and hits another! A 2 dinger game and the Sox lead...the Angels threatened against Julian Tavarez but Oki came in and pulled off another miracle...no idea how that guy gets out of the jams he does, it's insane...he struck out Torii Hunter to get the last out of the 7th and just calmly jogged off of the mound...in the 8th though Oki did surrender a pop-fly right field home run to Kotchman...one of those annoying slicers that sneaks out a little past the Pesky Pole...always seems like those go against us, and this time it tied the game at 6...in our half of the 8th though, the kids cam through yet again...Jacoby led off with a bunt single (talk about doing what's best for the team...you've got a shot at 3 HR and you bunt single to get the W...did I mention that I like this kid?)...Dusty then rips a double down the line that reachers the monster, more than enough time for Jacoby to score...and you know what that means...it's Papeltime!!! Struck out Matthews, then Guerrero (hitting 100 on the gun in the process by the way...uh...HEAT)...and then a weak fly to end it...the Sox show some resilience and squeak out a hard fought W...the kids get this one done as Jacoby and Dusty go a combined 7-10 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI...
The other two games of the series didn't go so well...but I'll give the brief lowlights anyway...
Lester started game 2...he's so frigging maddeningly inconsistent...drives me NUTS!!! I think he's still young enough to get this straight but now he just throws too many balls and can't quite find the corners when he needs them...I'll give him a little break for this one since this was Dice's normal spot, but guess what? He was scratched with the flu...absurd...anyway, Lester gives up 4 runs in 5 innings but the boys strike back in the bottom of the 5th to tie it 4-4...last year, this is our game, but this year's bullpen has yet to show the same level of competence as last year's (Oki and Pap excepted of course)...Timlin needs time to get back into form and Lopez, Aardsma and Delcarmen just seem to also have their ups and downs...of course, then there's Craig Hansen...he was called up due to the pitching ailments and the results were about the same as they always are...1.2 inning, 3 Ks and of course, 1 HR allowed so 1 ER...this kid is just hard to watch...he throws the ball soooo easily...the gun says 98 MPH and you're just floored...you think he's just gotta be a stud, but then you notice that every fastball directly on a line from his hand to the hitter's bat...I mean, he throws one of the straightest balls I've ever seen, no movement AT ALL, and these hitters just aren't going to miss that...they should have sold high on this kid a couple of years ago, but now we might be stuck with him...maybe if someone can teach this kid a cutter or something, but he should very rarely throw his straight fastball, even at 98...we couldn't muster any more offense off of another good Angels pen and Timlin gave up a meaningless run...Sox lose 6-4...ugh...
And, your starter for the rubber match, Justin Masterson! I sh*t you not...this must be an endemic flu, because the Angles are fine, but we can't play a regular to save our lives...ironically in this one, Masterson was awesome...gave up 1 run over 6 innings and never really had too much trouble...maybe this kid is nearly ready for prime time, it's just too bad we have 8 starters ahead of him in line...really the same sad story in this one, we were up 3-1 going to the 7th but the trio of Lopez, Aardsma and Delcarmen gave up 5 runs...we made some noise in the 9th as Papi continues to rake (2-run blast off of Scot Shields, who kills everyone but us...we own him) and closed the gap to 7-5, but K-Rod came on to shut the door...gross...remember how I said that the Angels score and I don't know how? In this one Vlad, Torri and Garrett Anderson were 0-10, but Isturiz, Aybar and Mike Napoli were 4-10 with 5 runs scored...they're WAY at the bottom of the Angels lineup, and, sorry, but if you can't get those guys out just take the loss and grab a drink...
So the Halos stole 2 of 3 at Fenway against some watered-down pitching...I'm not worried...and tonight we start up with the Tampa Bay (don't call me Devil) Rays...a plucky and talented team but if we're healthy our boys should feast on the pitching...Wake going game one and of course that means it's a coin flip...had the early lead, but currently it's 4-3 Rays in the 4th...something tells me this one is FAR from over...
GO SAWX!!!
For game 1, the crazy flu bug that's going around and killing the Sox (not to mention my fantasy team, but that's like 30 blogs for another time/place) took Josh Beckett out of the equation...instead of the ace that shut the Angels out in game 1 of last year's ALDS they'd instead get David Pauley...whose jersey I have hanging right up next to my Manny one (obviously a joke, I don't even know what number he wears)...so, Pauley is supposedly a sinkerballer, and as I watch him pitch, whaddya know, he throws a pretty mean sinker...using that pitch he gets though the first couple of innings, no sweat...meanwhile Jacoby hits a line drive leadoff homer to stake us to a quick lead...Weaver looked hittable early and was able to work around some damage to stay in the game...sadly, Pauley didn't work around his damage and suddenly the Angels had 5 runs...I don't even remember how they did it...they're one of the offenses that scores somehow, but I can't figure it out...Weaver settled down and even struck out Dusty, Papi and Manny consecutively their second time through...but the third time they got him back! Dusty doubled, Papi singled him in and Manny got robbed of a hit, but again Weaver was fooling no one...Youk proved that out with a dinger to tie the game at 5...the next inning Jacoby powers up and hits another! A 2 dinger game and the Sox lead...the Angels threatened against Julian Tavarez but Oki came in and pulled off another miracle...no idea how that guy gets out of the jams he does, it's insane...he struck out Torii Hunter to get the last out of the 7th and just calmly jogged off of the mound...in the 8th though Oki did surrender a pop-fly right field home run to Kotchman...one of those annoying slicers that sneaks out a little past the Pesky Pole...always seems like those go against us, and this time it tied the game at 6...in our half of the 8th though, the kids cam through yet again...Jacoby led off with a bunt single (talk about doing what's best for the team...you've got a shot at 3 HR and you bunt single to get the W...did I mention that I like this kid?)...Dusty then rips a double down the line that reachers the monster, more than enough time for Jacoby to score...and you know what that means...it's Papeltime!!! Struck out Matthews, then Guerrero (hitting 100 on the gun in the process by the way...uh...HEAT)...and then a weak fly to end it...the Sox show some resilience and squeak out a hard fought W...the kids get this one done as Jacoby and Dusty go a combined 7-10 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI...
The other two games of the series didn't go so well...but I'll give the brief lowlights anyway...
Lester started game 2...he's so frigging maddeningly inconsistent...drives me NUTS!!! I think he's still young enough to get this straight but now he just throws too many balls and can't quite find the corners when he needs them...I'll give him a little break for this one since this was Dice's normal spot, but guess what? He was scratched with the flu...absurd...anyway, Lester gives up 4 runs in 5 innings but the boys strike back in the bottom of the 5th to tie it 4-4...last year, this is our game, but this year's bullpen has yet to show the same level of competence as last year's (Oki and Pap excepted of course)...Timlin needs time to get back into form and Lopez, Aardsma and Delcarmen just seem to also have their ups and downs...of course, then there's Craig Hansen...he was called up due to the pitching ailments and the results were about the same as they always are...1.2 inning, 3 Ks and of course, 1 HR allowed so 1 ER...this kid is just hard to watch...he throws the ball soooo easily...the gun says 98 MPH and you're just floored...you think he's just gotta be a stud, but then you notice that every fastball directly on a line from his hand to the hitter's bat...I mean, he throws one of the straightest balls I've ever seen, no movement AT ALL, and these hitters just aren't going to miss that...they should have sold high on this kid a couple of years ago, but now we might be stuck with him...maybe if someone can teach this kid a cutter or something, but he should very rarely throw his straight fastball, even at 98...we couldn't muster any more offense off of another good Angels pen and Timlin gave up a meaningless run...Sox lose 6-4...ugh...
And, your starter for the rubber match, Justin Masterson! I sh*t you not...this must be an endemic flu, because the Angles are fine, but we can't play a regular to save our lives...ironically in this one, Masterson was awesome...gave up 1 run over 6 innings and never really had too much trouble...maybe this kid is nearly ready for prime time, it's just too bad we have 8 starters ahead of him in line...really the same sad story in this one, we were up 3-1 going to the 7th but the trio of Lopez, Aardsma and Delcarmen gave up 5 runs...we made some noise in the 9th as Papi continues to rake (2-run blast off of Scot Shields, who kills everyone but us...we own him) and closed the gap to 7-5, but K-Rod came on to shut the door...gross...remember how I said that the Angels score and I don't know how? In this one Vlad, Torri and Garrett Anderson were 0-10, but Isturiz, Aybar and Mike Napoli were 4-10 with 5 runs scored...they're WAY at the bottom of the Angels lineup, and, sorry, but if you can't get those guys out just take the loss and grab a drink...
So the Halos stole 2 of 3 at Fenway against some watered-down pitching...I'm not worried...and tonight we start up with the Tampa Bay (don't call me Devil) Rays...a plucky and talented team but if we're healthy our boys should feast on the pitching...Wake going game one and of course that means it's a coin flip...had the early lead, but currently it's 4-3 Rays in the 4th...something tells me this one is FAR from over...
GO SAWX!!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Texas Two and a Half Step...
Once again I find myself a few games back...so this it what the Yankees feel like, huh? When last we blogged the Sox were down 3-2 to the Rangers in game 2 of a 4-gamer, after drubbing them 11-3 in the first game...but this one was half over, and we were down 3-2...reason being, we were into the Texas bullpen...let's face it, the Rangers aren't going anywhere this year...they have a couple of decent young pieces and some ok vets, but their pitching is still just plain bad for the most part, and getting to the pen is just a dream for a good hitting team like the Sox...the score stayed 3-2 to the Sox part of the 8th, so perhaps there were a few doubters out there the other night...but wait...fear not, that IS Joaquin Benoit coming in...rejoice! Jacoby popped out but Dusty came right up and ripped a double to center...then the AB of the inning, Papi bridges the gap to Mr. En Fuego himself, Manny Ramirez, with a single around the shift...scoring Dusty to tie the game...anyone wanna guess what happened next? Hoooome...Ruuuuun...another mammoth shot, and one swing dejected another team...looks like Manny's mad at people this year, he's leaving teams in his wake, not just pitchers...Oki and Pap were already up warming, and Pap was the choice...he came in and struggled a little...all three outs actually made contact, and that after a single! But yet another scoreless 9th went into the books...Dirty Water blared, and the Sox took the second game...
Game 3 of this one featured another late comeback from the hometown boys...I didn't catch the beginning of this one, but the end rang familiar...Wake gave up a couple of early runs, and then some late ones...good old 50/50 Wake...Forrest Gump style, you just never know what you're gonna get...but 5 runs down was all we were willing to be I guess...officailly waking from his slump, Papi drove in a run and scored one in the 7th (JD Drew drove him in...hitting .316 now...go 2008 Drew!)...Wake stayed on and threw a scoreless 8th (7th too for that matter) and in the bottom of the inning X Texas reliever actually got the first two outs...nice tease...but then the rally got going...Jacoby singled and Lowrie doubled scoring him (does anyone remember the last time we had this many GOOD young players? 1986 maybe???). The Rangers braintrust figured it was the actual pitcher, not something bigger like the fact that the Sox are just better, so they made a move...brought in X Rangers reliver the 2nd...twice removed...and equally ineffective...Papi singled in Lowrie (told you he's waking up) to make it 5-4, actually beating out the throw to 1st with the Big Papi wheels!!! He hit another one into the shift, but deep into it...and beat it out...probably the slowest "beat-out" ever, but whatever works...another thing that works is Dusty, in the middle of the action again...he doubled home Papi to tie it up, and any remaining hope in the Rangers dugout evaporated...that same random reliever (it was CJ Wilson for the record) walked the rest of the lineup it seemed, but really just enough to give us the lead...X Rangers reliver the 3rd came in and got the last out...Wild Thing pumped out, Pap came in and got another 3 outs (pop up, line out, pop up...he must be tired) and that one too was history...
Just like any chance at the Rangers taking a game...two late back-breakers in a row, and then you're hoping that Kason Gabbard can outlast Clay Buchholz to get one win in four...must suck to be a Rangers fan right now...Gabbard is an ex-Sox, decent arm, and he pitched a couple of scoreless innings before leaving with an injury...in came the Texas pen again...a dude named Nippert whose first name I don't care enough about to look up...I just know we rocked him once before, and then we rocked him again...2 innings (4th and 5th), 8 runs and you can call this one over...Papi had 3 RBI to remain hot (nice to say that for the first time in 2008) and the pen was a little shaky as Aaarararrrarradsma gave up a couple and Delcarmen one, but the 8-3 final just put the exclamation point on the obvious for 2008...the Texas Rangers just aren't good enough to beat the Boston Red Sox right now...4 games, 4 wins, and a nice warmup for what should be a decent set against the tougher LA Angels of Anaheim in California the Golden State on the West Coast where the Lakers are also Pretty Good...I think that's their official name now anyway...gotta drum up the ad revenue...
Anyway, we have owned these guys in the post-season, let's see if we own them in the 2008 regular season...an interesting start to this one, Beckett's a late scratch so David Pauley will be tonight's impromptu starter...we may need to score in this one...Weaver can be very hittable or very tough...hope Beckett's ok and GO SAWX!!!
Game 3 of this one featured another late comeback from the hometown boys...I didn't catch the beginning of this one, but the end rang familiar...Wake gave up a couple of early runs, and then some late ones...good old 50/50 Wake...Forrest Gump style, you just never know what you're gonna get...but 5 runs down was all we were willing to be I guess...officailly waking from his slump, Papi drove in a run and scored one in the 7th (JD Drew drove him in...hitting .316 now...go 2008 Drew!)...Wake stayed on and threw a scoreless 8th (7th too for that matter) and in the bottom of the inning X Texas reliever actually got the first two outs...nice tease...but then the rally got going...Jacoby singled and Lowrie doubled scoring him (does anyone remember the last time we had this many GOOD young players? 1986 maybe???). The Rangers braintrust figured it was the actual pitcher, not something bigger like the fact that the Sox are just better, so they made a move...brought in X Rangers reliver the 2nd...twice removed...and equally ineffective...Papi singled in Lowrie (told you he's waking up) to make it 5-4, actually beating out the throw to 1st with the Big Papi wheels!!! He hit another one into the shift, but deep into it...and beat it out...probably the slowest "beat-out" ever, but whatever works...another thing that works is Dusty, in the middle of the action again...he doubled home Papi to tie it up, and any remaining hope in the Rangers dugout evaporated...that same random reliever (it was CJ Wilson for the record) walked the rest of the lineup it seemed, but really just enough to give us the lead...X Rangers reliver the 3rd came in and got the last out...Wild Thing pumped out, Pap came in and got another 3 outs (pop up, line out, pop up...he must be tired) and that one too was history...
Just like any chance at the Rangers taking a game...two late back-breakers in a row, and then you're hoping that Kason Gabbard can outlast Clay Buchholz to get one win in four...must suck to be a Rangers fan right now...Gabbard is an ex-Sox, decent arm, and he pitched a couple of scoreless innings before leaving with an injury...in came the Texas pen again...a dude named Nippert whose first name I don't care enough about to look up...I just know we rocked him once before, and then we rocked him again...2 innings (4th and 5th), 8 runs and you can call this one over...Papi had 3 RBI to remain hot (nice to say that for the first time in 2008) and the pen was a little shaky as Aaarararrrarradsma gave up a couple and Delcarmen one, but the 8-3 final just put the exclamation point on the obvious for 2008...the Texas Rangers just aren't good enough to beat the Boston Red Sox right now...4 games, 4 wins, and a nice warmup for what should be a decent set against the tougher LA Angels of Anaheim in California the Golden State on the West Coast where the Lakers are also Pretty Good...I think that's their official name now anyway...gotta drum up the ad revenue...
Anyway, we have owned these guys in the post-season, let's see if we own them in the 2008 regular season...an interesting start to this one, Beckett's a late scratch so David Pauley will be tonight's impromptu starter...we may need to score in this one...Weaver can be very hittable or very tough...hope Beckett's ok and GO SAWX!!!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
My Manny Crush
As you may have noticed from my sidebar, I'm a big Manny Ramirez fan...I know some fans can't stand him...the inconsistent attitude and effort, the spaciness in the field and on the base paths...trade me, don't trade me, trade me, I love Boston...blah blah blah...we all know that Manny is a character, however positively or negatively you want to spin that description is up to the beholder...but I love watching him play, and I have since he got here...he's my favorite current player in MLB and has been since Pedro began his decline and then was let go...and he is that for much the same reason Pedro was when he first arrived in Boston...hope...Pedro was hope, and Manny was (and is) hope...as much as any one player in the ultimate team sport can be, Manny represented the chance to believe in the Red Sox back when there wasn't much in which we could believe...it seems strange to think that now with all of the recent success we've had, but you have to remember what we were before Manny and Pedro to really appreciate that feeling...
When Pedro Martinez first strutted into Fenway, carrying his Cy Young award, a noticeable swagger and of course a hefty new contract, the Red Sox fans' collective heart began to beat again...we had been suffering for several interminable years of mediocrity...the Sox were pretty solid in the late 80s, winning division titles in 1986, 1988 and 1990...but then it was 5 long years before another playoff berth, followed by the Roger Clemens departure (which sucked at the time, all around...also seems funny now) and then a truly craptastic 1997...we were lost, but then before the 1998 season Dan Duquette won the Pedro sweepstakes, paying a small fortune in what was (sorry Dan) a no-brainer signing...suddenly, we had "that guy" in the rotation...a difference maker...a savior...our offense was still dreadful, as the list of washed up vets and untalented youngsters that wore Sox colors grew longer, but every 5th day we got to watch Pedro throw, and that meant hope...with Pedro, ANYTHING seemed possible...just get to the playoffs, we thought, and he'd work magic...and truly, he did all one starter could do, willing us to the playoffs his first two seasons and working miracles in the process...but those teams were too offensively flawed to do any real damage, which is why we only remember Pedro from those playoff appearances...so, why all of the Pedro talk you ask? Simple, because Manny coming to Boston in 2001 was the offensive equivalent of Pedro coming in 1998, and if you don't believe that or remember it, then you weren't a Red Sox fan between 1990 and 2001. Here is the Red Sox starting lineup in 2000, the year before Manny was signed. Tek, Brian Daubach, Jose Offerman, Wilton Veras, Nomar, Troy O'Leary, Carl Everett, Trot Nixon and Dante Bichette...that's it...those were your 2000 Boston Red Sox. Trying not to be totally cruel, Nomar, Trot and Dante were good enough, as was Everett when he was on his meds, but really, look at that lineup. I mean it, read it again...it's almost laughable...there's certainly not much to fear in there...
But if there's a right-handed hitter to fear in the American League, it is Manny Ramirez...I don't need to wax poetic about his stats, you can look them up, but the truth is that any lineup, no matter how awful, gets a lot better when you plug Manny into the 3 or 4 hole...and when we signed him to that ludicrously huge contract (talent wise, another no-brainer, and does anyone remember that the big debate that winter was whether to go after Mussina or Manny...dear lord, thank you for small miracles) we had "that guy" playing every day too, a legitimate super duper star to hit just for us...and just like every Pedro start generated an energy around it, something bigger than the event itself, so did Manny's at-bats...every time he stepped to the plate, the unmistakable Fenway buzz would begin...if it was a big spot the chants of "Man-ny, Man-ny, Man-ny" would start quietly and reach a crescendo just before the pitcher released his offering...and the amazing thing about Manny is (and I'll always remember this) is that while with most Sox players you'd expect failure, with Manny you'd expect success, and he usually delivered (people don't remember this now because of Papi's heroics, but before that shadow overcame him Manny was pretty clutch...and still is...check that out for yourself sometime)...and while it took another few years for us to put together the right lineup to complement him, and while, yes, pitching wins championships, there's no discounting the effect that watching Manny's titanic homers, incredible plate discipline and infections joie-de-vie attitude had on the Boston Red Sox, and for that, that feeling of hope, of the chance to believe in the impossible, it's for that that I will be forever grateful, and it's the reason that I'll always be a fan of Manny Ramirez...and it's because of that hope, that undying anticipation that he created, that I own only one Boston Red Sox jersey with a number on it, number 24...
It seemed like an appropriate time to show some Manny love since he single-handedly knocked out the Yanks in the Bronx the other night...for some reason, even after blowing a game by pitching to him with 1st base empty just a few short days ago, Mike Mussina (again, I love that our options in 2001 were Manny or Mussina...baseball is nuts) decided that it was a good idea to pitch to Manny after falling behind 3-0...so what happened, 3-1 (prototypical Manny) then HR (prototypical Manny)...and a bomb too...just a little while later Mussina decided he'd pitch to Manny again...another bomb...this being Manny's 3rd HR off of Mussina this season I'm assuming that either Mussina will just walk him intentionally from now on or simple pitch to him underhanded so that we don't waste time with the formality of a pre-HR count...Mike, a word from EVERY Yanks fan, DO NOT PITCH TO MANNY RAMIREZ...we Sox fans, we're cool with it...after that, with Beckett on the hill, this one was all but over...not much else of note, the Yanks scraped 3 runs off of Beckett and Pap wasn't the sharpest, but the Sox held off the Bombers, 7-5 to stay ahead in the AL East and in the season series, 3-2...more battles to come, but for now the day (and the rivalry) belongs to Manny and the Sox...
Last night we whipped up on the Rangers 11-3...the Rangers are pretty awful so this one wasn't much of a surprise with Dice "I'll at least limit the damage" - K on the mound...the only things of note are that Papi got a big hit, an early Grand Slam to get him off the snide at Fenway and to grab a lead for Dice and that this is another instance of the inconsistent phenomenon that is the Dice himself...still not able to get through the 6th with a decent pitch count...he's perplexing...but more on that another time...pretty blah game, especially after the Yanks and there's another going on right now...so far Lester is super wild and the Sox trail 3-2...it's early though...plenty of time for the Sox to take it or the Rangers to give it away...
GO SAWX!!!
When Pedro Martinez first strutted into Fenway, carrying his Cy Young award, a noticeable swagger and of course a hefty new contract, the Red Sox fans' collective heart began to beat again...we had been suffering for several interminable years of mediocrity...the Sox were pretty solid in the late 80s, winning division titles in 1986, 1988 and 1990...but then it was 5 long years before another playoff berth, followed by the Roger Clemens departure (which sucked at the time, all around...also seems funny now) and then a truly craptastic 1997...we were lost, but then before the 1998 season Dan Duquette won the Pedro sweepstakes, paying a small fortune in what was (sorry Dan) a no-brainer signing...suddenly, we had "that guy" in the rotation...a difference maker...a savior...our offense was still dreadful, as the list of washed up vets and untalented youngsters that wore Sox colors grew longer, but every 5th day we got to watch Pedro throw, and that meant hope...with Pedro, ANYTHING seemed possible...just get to the playoffs, we thought, and he'd work magic...and truly, he did all one starter could do, willing us to the playoffs his first two seasons and working miracles in the process...but those teams were too offensively flawed to do any real damage, which is why we only remember Pedro from those playoff appearances...so, why all of the Pedro talk you ask? Simple, because Manny coming to Boston in 2001 was the offensive equivalent of Pedro coming in 1998, and if you don't believe that or remember it, then you weren't a Red Sox fan between 1990 and 2001. Here is the Red Sox starting lineup in 2000, the year before Manny was signed. Tek, Brian Daubach, Jose Offerman, Wilton Veras, Nomar, Troy O'Leary, Carl Everett, Trot Nixon and Dante Bichette...that's it...those were your 2000 Boston Red Sox. Trying not to be totally cruel, Nomar, Trot and Dante were good enough, as was Everett when he was on his meds, but really, look at that lineup. I mean it, read it again...it's almost laughable...there's certainly not much to fear in there...
But if there's a right-handed hitter to fear in the American League, it is Manny Ramirez...I don't need to wax poetic about his stats, you can look them up, but the truth is that any lineup, no matter how awful, gets a lot better when you plug Manny into the 3 or 4 hole...and when we signed him to that ludicrously huge contract (talent wise, another no-brainer, and does anyone remember that the big debate that winter was whether to go after Mussina or Manny...dear lord, thank you for small miracles) we had "that guy" playing every day too, a legitimate super duper star to hit just for us...and just like every Pedro start generated an energy around it, something bigger than the event itself, so did Manny's at-bats...every time he stepped to the plate, the unmistakable Fenway buzz would begin...if it was a big spot the chants of "Man-ny, Man-ny, Man-ny" would start quietly and reach a crescendo just before the pitcher released his offering...and the amazing thing about Manny is (and I'll always remember this) is that while with most Sox players you'd expect failure, with Manny you'd expect success, and he usually delivered (people don't remember this now because of Papi's heroics, but before that shadow overcame him Manny was pretty clutch...and still is...check that out for yourself sometime)...and while it took another few years for us to put together the right lineup to complement him, and while, yes, pitching wins championships, there's no discounting the effect that watching Manny's titanic homers, incredible plate discipline and infections joie-de-vie attitude had on the Boston Red Sox, and for that, that feeling of hope, of the chance to believe in the impossible, it's for that that I will be forever grateful, and it's the reason that I'll always be a fan of Manny Ramirez...and it's because of that hope, that undying anticipation that he created, that I own only one Boston Red Sox jersey with a number on it, number 24...
It seemed like an appropriate time to show some Manny love since he single-handedly knocked out the Yanks in the Bronx the other night...for some reason, even after blowing a game by pitching to him with 1st base empty just a few short days ago, Mike Mussina (again, I love that our options in 2001 were Manny or Mussina...baseball is nuts) decided that it was a good idea to pitch to Manny after falling behind 3-0...so what happened, 3-1 (prototypical Manny) then HR (prototypical Manny)...and a bomb too...just a little while later Mussina decided he'd pitch to Manny again...another bomb...this being Manny's 3rd HR off of Mussina this season I'm assuming that either Mussina will just walk him intentionally from now on or simple pitch to him underhanded so that we don't waste time with the formality of a pre-HR count...Mike, a word from EVERY Yanks fan, DO NOT PITCH TO MANNY RAMIREZ...we Sox fans, we're cool with it...after that, with Beckett on the hill, this one was all but over...not much else of note, the Yanks scraped 3 runs off of Beckett and Pap wasn't the sharpest, but the Sox held off the Bombers, 7-5 to stay ahead in the AL East and in the season series, 3-2...more battles to come, but for now the day (and the rivalry) belongs to Manny and the Sox...
Last night we whipped up on the Rangers 11-3...the Rangers are pretty awful so this one wasn't much of a surprise with Dice "I'll at least limit the damage" - K on the mound...the only things of note are that Papi got a big hit, an early Grand Slam to get him off the snide at Fenway and to grab a lead for Dice and that this is another instance of the inconsistent phenomenon that is the Dice himself...still not able to get through the 6th with a decent pitch count...he's perplexing...but more on that another time...pretty blah game, especially after the Yanks and there's another going on right now...so far Lester is super wild and the Sox trail 3-2...it's early though...plenty of time for the Sox to take it or the Rangers to give it away...
GO SAWX!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
3 days, 3 games...
I picked the wrong time to neglect my blog...so much has happened in the last three days I'm fearing my first 10,000 word blog, so for the sake of brevity and your sanity I'll try to be concise...
We last chimed in after the Sox tied up the first Yanks series of the year 1-1 and we were anxiously awaiting the last game because of the pitching match-up...this last game of the 3-game set featured our 1A pitcher, the Dice man against the Yanks soon-to-be stud, Phil Hughes...the "soon-to-be" couldn't be more apropos, as you know if you watched this game...Hughes was anything but the young phenomenon in this one...he looked shaky from the start, maybe the weight of the Sox-Yanks rivalry resting heavily on his young shoulders. He got in trouble via a couple of walks, Ellsbury and then to Drew after he got Dusty on a filthy curve, filthy enough to remind us that this kid will probably haunt us at some point...but then he had to face a hot Manny with RISP and he wasn't going to help Hughes out...he laced an RBI single to get the scoring started...Youk followed with a sac fly (Mr. Fundamentals gets it done) and then Sean Casey continued to fill in admirably for Mikey Lowell, hitting a rope to right that unfortunately bounced into the stands for a double, forcing Manny to stop at 3rd...luckily, Hughes returned the gift with a wild pitch, making it 3-0 before Hughes got out if his first Sox-Yanks inning...Dice-K got through the fist two innings undamaged but you could tell from the beginning that he didn't have his best stuff...he went back to nibbling instead of being as aggressive as he had been in his previous starts...maybe he too still feels the pressure, but either way he's tough to watch against them...the Yanks finally put up a singleton on a Damon walk (told you Dice was wild) and an Abreu wall ball...the Sox offense came right back though...after walking Drew, Manny blasted a grounder off of A-Rod putting runners on 1st and 2nd...Youk drove in his second run of the game with another line drive to left, hit hard enough to make Manny stop at second...once again though Sean Casey came through, driving in Manny with a knock to center..Casey must be loving playing for the Sox...seeing good pitches in that lineup, he's a dangerous hitter anyway and getting the looks he's getting is making him more so...that knocked out Hughes and one of the "awesome" Yanks relievers, I think something like Ohlenshjfalleerryer, came in anf promptly gave up another run on a wild pitch...so at the end of three it's 7-1 Sox, and while I'm a die hard fan, and so, one that knows it's never over against anyone for us, especially not the Yanks, this one felt that way at this point...even though the Bombers scored 3 runs right back off of the unimpressive Dice, you just never got the feeling they were going to pull all the way back in this one...the game got tedious fast and a whole lot of nothing happened the rest of the way...it was typical bad Dice when he's off, missing with the slider, not using the fastball well and giving away at-bats...but the pen did the job, there were a couple more meaningless runs and this one ended, mercifully at 8-5...Sox took 2 of 3 in the first series, but let's not get all excited since we would see them again soon...like tonight...for another wild one, which I'll get to later...
But before tonight, we had a nice little 2-gamer with the Indians...we all now what happened the last time we saw them, 3 straight to take the ALCS, and it just might be that we have their number now ("having another team's numbers is definitely another rant that I'll address some day...it's mystifying)...I hate to say that since we may well need to beat them again when it matters, but after this game it's hard to argue...the extremely hot-hitting Yoooooooouk knocked in a run early off of Westbrook after a walk to Pedroia and a Papi single (his first hit in like a week), but after that Jake's flaky stuff kept us off balance...his assortment of off-speed pitches and a well-placed fastball allowed a few scattered hits but only the 1 run over 6 1/3 innings...meanwhile Jon Lester had another inconsistent outing...I hope this kid figures out how to put hitters away, because he loses more at bats to just missing corners...hopefully that's just a matter of time, but whatever it is he was doing it all night, walking 5 and giving up 4 runs, a pair each in the 4th and 5th...he lasted 4.1 innings and threw 97 pitches...gross...our boys got 1 back in the 7th with some small ball...it's fun having the versatility to do that these days, not like the plodding slugger Sox teams of old...Lugo grounded into a force out but a Coco bunt and their combined speed forced a throwing error which got Lugo to 3rd, and he scored on a Pedroia single...at that point the Tribe brought in Rafael Betancourt to face Papi and Manny, and he struck them both out...that dude has some nasty stuff, and he seemingly owns Manny (0-6 against him)...Betancourt is the guy that a lot of Tribe fans think should be the closer, since their number one closer is Joe Borowski, who sports a double-digit ERA...trust me, this is relevant...then the (did I mention uber hot) Yoooooouk strikes again with a solo shot off of Betancourt in the 8th, making it 4-3 Tribe heading to the 9th...give them credit for sticking to their guy, the Indians brought Borowski right in to face the Sox...gotta have faith, right? But this was probably the most obvious comeback I've ever witnessed...I mean, even the announcers were talking about how bad Borowski has beem throwing his fastball in the mid 80s and giving up hits and runs all over the place, mentioning how he saved 45 games last year with an ERA over 5...it's like no one could believe this guy is a closer at all...foget trying to close out the Sox in the 9th...Lugo got it started with a leadoff double, and the then mandatory Coco bunt followed, putting the tying run on 3rd with 1 out...Pedroia hit the sac fly, tie game...it never even felt like we wouldn't tie it up, the only question is whether or not Papi would get us to Manny to end this thing, as cold as he's been...Papi gets up there and hits a flare to left that drops in, and at that point the HR that would follow was just too predictable...Manny strode to the plate like the big kid in Little League or a game of wiffle ball...you all remember the big kid, he'd get up there...maybe take a big cut and miss one, or foul one off, but the HR was just inevitbale...he'd get a pitch to hit, extend his arms and kill the ball over the fence, tree, pole, house or whatver marker meant HOME RUN...and Manny did just that...he didn't even wait, just saw the first meatball from Borowski coming and hammered it...technically the game wasn't over, being the top of the 9th and all, but with Pap coming on, after that, the game was over...in fact the announcers basically began talking about the game being over and how tough a loss this would be for the Indians before Pap even recorded an out...Pap did his thing, 15 pitches, 14 of them "see if you can hit this" fastballs, 2 Ks and 3 outs...game over...Sox win...
I didn't see much of the second game in the mini-series, and I didn't have to...it was going to be a "feeling of dread" game for the Tribe as soon as the first game ended...no way they'd win the second game after having to watch that...Borowski when right onto the DL after the game, as much for PR as injury I bet, and the Tribe looked beat in all the clips I saw of that one...we even decided to play rookies Kevin Cash and Jed (GREAT NAME!!!) Lowrie just to give them a shot, and all Jed "Awesome Name" Lowrie did was drive in 3 runs from the 8-hole in the lineup...it was tied 3-3 going to the 9th, so there was never really any doubt that we'd pull it out, since they had to have the feeling of dread hanging around...so when we pinch-hit Tek in the 9th the solo, lead-taking HR wasn't too much of a shock...we even added an insurance run (Youk again...Jesus, can I put him in here more...dude is ON FIRE) and give Pap a break we brought in Oki, who also struck out 2 while nailing down the win...I hate to use the term forgone conclusion about this game since baseball rarely is that, and like I said, I don't want to jinx us shoud we have to play them when it means more, but I didn't get to see this one, and, oh well...
Right now the next little Yanks series has gotten underway, and at this point all I'll say is that it's 11-9 Yankees in the 6th...2 on 1 out for Tek...what an insane game so far...I'm sure I'll have more to say about this one, and I promise not to either neglect the blog this long again or be so long-winded in catching up...so much for being concise, and if you skipped to the end, good for you...
GO SAWX!!!
We last chimed in after the Sox tied up the first Yanks series of the year 1-1 and we were anxiously awaiting the last game because of the pitching match-up...this last game of the 3-game set featured our 1A pitcher, the Dice man against the Yanks soon-to-be stud, Phil Hughes...the "soon-to-be" couldn't be more apropos, as you know if you watched this game...Hughes was anything but the young phenomenon in this one...he looked shaky from the start, maybe the weight of the Sox-Yanks rivalry resting heavily on his young shoulders. He got in trouble via a couple of walks, Ellsbury and then to Drew after he got Dusty on a filthy curve, filthy enough to remind us that this kid will probably haunt us at some point...but then he had to face a hot Manny with RISP and he wasn't going to help Hughes out...he laced an RBI single to get the scoring started...Youk followed with a sac fly (Mr. Fundamentals gets it done) and then Sean Casey continued to fill in admirably for Mikey Lowell, hitting a rope to right that unfortunately bounced into the stands for a double, forcing Manny to stop at 3rd...luckily, Hughes returned the gift with a wild pitch, making it 3-0 before Hughes got out if his first Sox-Yanks inning...Dice-K got through the fist two innings undamaged but you could tell from the beginning that he didn't have his best stuff...he went back to nibbling instead of being as aggressive as he had been in his previous starts...maybe he too still feels the pressure, but either way he's tough to watch against them...the Yanks finally put up a singleton on a Damon walk (told you Dice was wild) and an Abreu wall ball...the Sox offense came right back though...after walking Drew, Manny blasted a grounder off of A-Rod putting runners on 1st and 2nd...Youk drove in his second run of the game with another line drive to left, hit hard enough to make Manny stop at second...once again though Sean Casey came through, driving in Manny with a knock to center..Casey must be loving playing for the Sox...seeing good pitches in that lineup, he's a dangerous hitter anyway and getting the looks he's getting is making him more so...that knocked out Hughes and one of the "awesome" Yanks relievers, I think something like Ohlenshjfalleerryer, came in anf promptly gave up another run on a wild pitch...so at the end of three it's 7-1 Sox, and while I'm a die hard fan, and so, one that knows it's never over against anyone for us, especially not the Yanks, this one felt that way at this point...even though the Bombers scored 3 runs right back off of the unimpressive Dice, you just never got the feeling they were going to pull all the way back in this one...the game got tedious fast and a whole lot of nothing happened the rest of the way...it was typical bad Dice when he's off, missing with the slider, not using the fastball well and giving away at-bats...but the pen did the job, there were a couple more meaningless runs and this one ended, mercifully at 8-5...Sox took 2 of 3 in the first series, but let's not get all excited since we would see them again soon...like tonight...for another wild one, which I'll get to later...
But before tonight, we had a nice little 2-gamer with the Indians...we all now what happened the last time we saw them, 3 straight to take the ALCS, and it just might be that we have their number now ("having another team's numbers is definitely another rant that I'll address some day...it's mystifying)...I hate to say that since we may well need to beat them again when it matters, but after this game it's hard to argue...the extremely hot-hitting Yoooooooouk knocked in a run early off of Westbrook after a walk to Pedroia and a Papi single (his first hit in like a week), but after that Jake's flaky stuff kept us off balance...his assortment of off-speed pitches and a well-placed fastball allowed a few scattered hits but only the 1 run over 6 1/3 innings...meanwhile Jon Lester had another inconsistent outing...I hope this kid figures out how to put hitters away, because he loses more at bats to just missing corners...hopefully that's just a matter of time, but whatever it is he was doing it all night, walking 5 and giving up 4 runs, a pair each in the 4th and 5th...he lasted 4.1 innings and threw 97 pitches...gross...our boys got 1 back in the 7th with some small ball...it's fun having the versatility to do that these days, not like the plodding slugger Sox teams of old...Lugo grounded into a force out but a Coco bunt and their combined speed forced a throwing error which got Lugo to 3rd, and he scored on a Pedroia single...at that point the Tribe brought in Rafael Betancourt to face Papi and Manny, and he struck them both out...that dude has some nasty stuff, and he seemingly owns Manny (0-6 against him)...Betancourt is the guy that a lot of Tribe fans think should be the closer, since their number one closer is Joe Borowski, who sports a double-digit ERA...trust me, this is relevant...then the (did I mention uber hot) Yoooooouk strikes again with a solo shot off of Betancourt in the 8th, making it 4-3 Tribe heading to the 9th...give them credit for sticking to their guy, the Indians brought Borowski right in to face the Sox...gotta have faith, right? But this was probably the most obvious comeback I've ever witnessed...I mean, even the announcers were talking about how bad Borowski has beem throwing his fastball in the mid 80s and giving up hits and runs all over the place, mentioning how he saved 45 games last year with an ERA over 5...it's like no one could believe this guy is a closer at all...foget trying to close out the Sox in the 9th...Lugo got it started with a leadoff double, and the then mandatory Coco bunt followed, putting the tying run on 3rd with 1 out...Pedroia hit the sac fly, tie game...it never even felt like we wouldn't tie it up, the only question is whether or not Papi would get us to Manny to end this thing, as cold as he's been...Papi gets up there and hits a flare to left that drops in, and at that point the HR that would follow was just too predictable...Manny strode to the plate like the big kid in Little League or a game of wiffle ball...you all remember the big kid, he'd get up there...maybe take a big cut and miss one, or foul one off, but the HR was just inevitbale...he'd get a pitch to hit, extend his arms and kill the ball over the fence, tree, pole, house or whatver marker meant HOME RUN...and Manny did just that...he didn't even wait, just saw the first meatball from Borowski coming and hammered it...technically the game wasn't over, being the top of the 9th and all, but with Pap coming on, after that, the game was over...in fact the announcers basically began talking about the game being over and how tough a loss this would be for the Indians before Pap even recorded an out...Pap did his thing, 15 pitches, 14 of them "see if you can hit this" fastballs, 2 Ks and 3 outs...game over...Sox win...
I didn't see much of the second game in the mini-series, and I didn't have to...it was going to be a "feeling of dread" game for the Tribe as soon as the first game ended...no way they'd win the second game after having to watch that...Borowski when right onto the DL after the game, as much for PR as injury I bet, and the Tribe looked beat in all the clips I saw of that one...we even decided to play rookies Kevin Cash and Jed (GREAT NAME!!!) Lowrie just to give them a shot, and all Jed "Awesome Name" Lowrie did was drive in 3 runs from the 8-hole in the lineup...it was tied 3-3 going to the 9th, so there was never really any doubt that we'd pull it out, since they had to have the feeling of dread hanging around...so when we pinch-hit Tek in the 9th the solo, lead-taking HR wasn't too much of a shock...we even added an insurance run (Youk again...Jesus, can I put him in here more...dude is ON FIRE) and give Pap a break we brought in Oki, who also struck out 2 while nailing down the win...I hate to use the term forgone conclusion about this game since baseball rarely is that, and like I said, I don't want to jinx us shoud we have to play them when it means more, but I didn't get to see this one, and, oh well...
Right now the next little Yanks series has gotten underway, and at this point all I'll say is that it's 11-9 Yankees in the 6th...2 on 1 out for Tek...what an insane game so far...I'm sure I'll have more to say about this one, and I promise not to either neglect the blog this long again or be so long-winded in catching up...so much for being concise, and if you skipped to the end, good for you...
GO SAWX!!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Bring on the Bombers...
We now return to our previous programming, already concluded...as it turned out, the anti-homer scoring on the Pedroia non-hit didn't become a factor...an inning later we hit 3 fly balls off of Wang (the weirdest thing about this game, which I'll touch on in a moment), the last of which made it over the right field wall thanks to a poorly timed jump by Bobby Abreu...a gold-glover makes that catch, hell an almost gold-glover make that catch, but luckily for us Abreu is an almost crappy fielder, so JD Drew got his 3rd dinger of the year, continuing his even-numbered year dominance...it's almost absurd really...he's almost half-way to last year's HR total and we're in week 2...maybe that playoff Grand Slam and the WS ring threw some hidden monkey off of his back...I'd like to hope that...
Sadly, that was all of the offense we could muster off of Wang, who pitched a great game despite it being the exact opposite of every great game he's ever pitched...normally, Wang kills you with a good fastball and a nasty, heavy sinker...every good game he throws looks the same...groundball, groundball, strikeout, groundball, groundball, groundball...I mean, a good Wang game is a horribly boring game...if the ball is being hit in the air, bad news for the Yanks...usually that means his sinker is staying up and he's getting killed, something we've done to him frequently...before the other night he had some horrible ERA against us, like 6.00 or something...but the other night we just kept hitting the ball in the air but either to the wrong spot in the park or right at someone...I hate games like that...so frustrating to watch...you feel like the guy's not pitching that great but you turn around and it's a one-hitter...anyway, Clay was able to escape some jams, after in my opinion relying too heavily on his (granted, filthy) curve...he just lost the touch on that pitch for a little bit and got in trouble, but a nice DP by Sean Casey (one of the times the Yanks hit it hard, but right at someone) got him out of a bases-loaded pinch and he was able to exit allowing just 1 ER...in came Mikey Timlin, straight off of the DL and into the Yankees...why does this always seem to happen? They did it to Schill a couple of years ago, and A-Rod killed him...then it was Foulke way back I think...I know these guys are pros, but couldn't they get an inning against the Orioles or someone first? Of course the first batter, The Steroidino, takes him yard and that was basically the game...the Yanks added a couple of insurance runs and the game mercifully ended 4-1...gross game, played in the rain...hopefully we don't remember this one...the most enjoyable thing about it was texting a buddy who was at the game, a Yanks fan, and trying to rile him up...he got the last laugh...
Game 2 featured our man, Josh Beckett, against the Moose...one of the few Yankees that I actually HATE that's left on that team...you could root against the guys from those early Yankee championship teams, and still can for those that still play for them (Jeter, Posada, Mo Rivera, Pettite) but you couldn't HATE them...all decent guys that play the game right...don't talk junk and just worked hard (if Pettite only took roids twice, ever, then that's nothing...moment(s) of weakness, which I can forgive if no pattern is established)...but, once they lost in 2001 it was big money, no character spending spree time...they let go the guys that made those teams jell...Brosius, Tino Martinex, Paul O'Neill...and they brought in guys you could despise...Giambi, Mussina, Sheffield, Clemens, A-Rod...they really did turn themselves into the Evil Empire, no one to blame but themselves...anyway, that's another blog for another time, back to the game...
Which I didn't see...sometimes life brings you a little perspective...when two of your best friends say they're coming over to introduce you to their 6 week old daughter, sorry, but there's no contest...that's what life is all about...so, I spent the evening with my 8 best friends on Earth, enjoying some wine, some champagne and a meal that was to die for...and I didn't and won't ever regret that exchange...we got to meet little Sadie (and introduce our daughter to her too, which was just more fun than can be explained here), who is just a gorgeous little girl and a perfect combination of her parents, with fine light brown hair and misty blue-gray eyes...she's just impossible not to love, and while she is destined to be a Red Sox fan (her aunts and uncles have begun clothing her in Sox gear already) this night belonged to her and the Red Sox were reduced to the occasional Blackberry check-in...
Apparently, Beckett was sharp if not dominant and Manny provided the pop, hitting a long HR to get the scoring started and getting the lead for us late with a 2-run RBI double...Manny always has at least one good game in a series against the Yanks, if not more, and this qualifies...the true drama came in the nearly 3 hour 8th inning, thanks to a band of weather that locked in on Boston, and only Boston for en eternity...we thought our phones were busted because we couldn't believe that NOTHING was happening...we did see that there were 2 on and 2 out and A-Rod was due up...and we learned that Pap had to warm up and down like 80 times while they figured out the weather...so we were praying he had some gas in the tank (since you knew they weren't calling this game...a 1-run Sox - Yanks game that got called would induce rioting...maybe in both cities but certainly in the loser's)...when the moment finally came, Pap had some gas...a lot of gas...and he got some revenge on A-Rod for last year's go-head HR by blowing him away with 3 heaters (one a split)...boom, boom, boom...threat ended....came on and got 2 more Ks while nailing down the save...
So, the rubber match is tonight...Dice vs. the young gun for the Yanks, Phil Hughes...I'll be watching to see how Hughes handles his first Sox-Yanks game where there are actually expectations, and while Dice should be comfortable this year there are some expectations for him as well...last year he seemed to keep us in games against the Yanks but never really dominated them...would love to see him really nail one this year...and what better time than to put us a game ahead of them in the AL East (ok, I know standings are idiotic right now, but is it ever bad to say you're ahead of the Yankees?)...
GO SAWX!
Sadly, that was all of the offense we could muster off of Wang, who pitched a great game despite it being the exact opposite of every great game he's ever pitched...normally, Wang kills you with a good fastball and a nasty, heavy sinker...every good game he throws looks the same...groundball, groundball, strikeout, groundball, groundball, groundball...I mean, a good Wang game is a horribly boring game...if the ball is being hit in the air, bad news for the Yanks...usually that means his sinker is staying up and he's getting killed, something we've done to him frequently...before the other night he had some horrible ERA against us, like 6.00 or something...but the other night we just kept hitting the ball in the air but either to the wrong spot in the park or right at someone...I hate games like that...so frustrating to watch...you feel like the guy's not pitching that great but you turn around and it's a one-hitter...anyway, Clay was able to escape some jams, after in my opinion relying too heavily on his (granted, filthy) curve...he just lost the touch on that pitch for a little bit and got in trouble, but a nice DP by Sean Casey (one of the times the Yanks hit it hard, but right at someone) got him out of a bases-loaded pinch and he was able to exit allowing just 1 ER...in came Mikey Timlin, straight off of the DL and into the Yankees...why does this always seem to happen? They did it to Schill a couple of years ago, and A-Rod killed him...then it was Foulke way back I think...I know these guys are pros, but couldn't they get an inning against the Orioles or someone first? Of course the first batter, The Steroidino, takes him yard and that was basically the game...the Yanks added a couple of insurance runs and the game mercifully ended 4-1...gross game, played in the rain...hopefully we don't remember this one...the most enjoyable thing about it was texting a buddy who was at the game, a Yanks fan, and trying to rile him up...he got the last laugh...
Game 2 featured our man, Josh Beckett, against the Moose...one of the few Yankees that I actually HATE that's left on that team...you could root against the guys from those early Yankee championship teams, and still can for those that still play for them (Jeter, Posada, Mo Rivera, Pettite) but you couldn't HATE them...all decent guys that play the game right...don't talk junk and just worked hard (if Pettite only took roids twice, ever, then that's nothing...moment(s) of weakness, which I can forgive if no pattern is established)...but, once they lost in 2001 it was big money, no character spending spree time...they let go the guys that made those teams jell...Brosius, Tino Martinex, Paul O'Neill...and they brought in guys you could despise...Giambi, Mussina, Sheffield, Clemens, A-Rod...they really did turn themselves into the Evil Empire, no one to blame but themselves...anyway, that's another blog for another time, back to the game...
Which I didn't see...sometimes life brings you a little perspective...when two of your best friends say they're coming over to introduce you to their 6 week old daughter, sorry, but there's no contest...that's what life is all about...so, I spent the evening with my 8 best friends on Earth, enjoying some wine, some champagne and a meal that was to die for...and I didn't and won't ever regret that exchange...we got to meet little Sadie (and introduce our daughter to her too, which was just more fun than can be explained here), who is just a gorgeous little girl and a perfect combination of her parents, with fine light brown hair and misty blue-gray eyes...she's just impossible not to love, and while she is destined to be a Red Sox fan (her aunts and uncles have begun clothing her in Sox gear already) this night belonged to her and the Red Sox were reduced to the occasional Blackberry check-in...
Apparently, Beckett was sharp if not dominant and Manny provided the pop, hitting a long HR to get the scoring started and getting the lead for us late with a 2-run RBI double...Manny always has at least one good game in a series against the Yanks, if not more, and this qualifies...the true drama came in the nearly 3 hour 8th inning, thanks to a band of weather that locked in on Boston, and only Boston for en eternity...we thought our phones were busted because we couldn't believe that NOTHING was happening...we did see that there were 2 on and 2 out and A-Rod was due up...and we learned that Pap had to warm up and down like 80 times while they figured out the weather...so we were praying he had some gas in the tank (since you knew they weren't calling this game...a 1-run Sox - Yanks game that got called would induce rioting...maybe in both cities but certainly in the loser's)...when the moment finally came, Pap had some gas...a lot of gas...and he got some revenge on A-Rod for last year's go-head HR by blowing him away with 3 heaters (one a split)...boom, boom, boom...threat ended....came on and got 2 more Ks while nailing down the save...
So, the rubber match is tonight...Dice vs. the young gun for the Yanks, Phil Hughes...I'll be watching to see how Hughes handles his first Sox-Yanks game where there are actually expectations, and while Dice should be comfortable this year there are some expectations for him as well...last year he seemed to keep us in games against the Yanks but never really dominated them...would love to see him really nail one this year...and what better time than to put us a game ahead of them in the AL East (ok, I know standings are idiotic right now, but is it ever bad to say you're ahead of the Yankees?)...
GO SAWX!
Friday, April 11, 2008
So long Tigers...
Well, we split with the Tigers after the emotional home opener, taking 2 of 3 overall to win the series...I'll take it, not that the Tigers are exactly playing great ball, but hey, a win is a win...
In the second game of the series we handed the ball to Jon Lester, who looked great early...had a nice cut fastball working that was keeping the Tigers hitters off balance...had command of the strike zone and was being efficient with his pitches and moving the ball around nicely...we tacked on a couple of runs with some timely hitting and by letting Bonderman be Bonderman and going all wild on us...we'll take the free passes, thanks...nice to see Julio Lugo contribute, driving in a run with the bases loaded...clean base hit too, not a dribbler that found a dead spot...
Then all hell broke loose and Lester became Bonderman, and vice versa...gross...Lester lost the strike zone in the 4th and next thing ya know, they put up a 4-spot...Bonderman conversely settled down and we didn't make any noise for the rest of the game...the Tigers tacked on the obligatory Brian Corey runs (this could become a recurring theme) and the game quietly ended 7-2 in favor of the bad guys...only real significant news is that Mikey Lowell ended up on the DL with a thumb (a Simmons favorite)...made a nice play to rob Pudge on the first play of the game and that was all...obviously hope he's ok but this definitely makes you appreciate Youk a bit more...he seamlessly moved over to 3rd and played strong D from the get go...gotta love the versatilty of Youk and this team in general...we lose the World Series MVP to an injury and we slide our 1Bman over to 3rd and pop a nice, professinal hitter like Sean Casey at first...then, think about the lineup...aside from slotting Manny and Papi into the 3 and 4 holes (sorta mandatory if not necessary) you could pretty much bat everyone else in every spot in the lineup...think about it...Lugo, Crisp, Jacoby, JD Drew, Youk, Pedroia...you could hit these guys anywhere in the lineup...none of them are gonna hit 30 HRs but they're all going to get on base...maybe there is something to this OBP thing...though I'm not sure I'd have given JD $90 million to figure it out...
The last game of the series, well, hard for me to talk about really...I passed out before all of the real action took place...I fell asleep up 4-2, I woke up this morning and saw 12-6 and thought I was hallucinating or that we'd skipped a game or something...WTF happened??? First thing, I couldn't find the game on TV...anywhere...should have been on NESN but instead there was playoff hockey, like that's even a sport anymore...and it wasn't on any of the big networks, so this was destined to be a weird night before it even got going...all I "know" from this game is the following...Wake was pretty sharp it seemed, Casey really is a good hitter it seems, JD Drew is continuing his even year performance it seems and I'm in no hurry to trade Coco Crisp...after that, I still have no idea how the hell this game ended up 12-6, I'll just take it and get ready for the Yanks...
Which I'm actually watching right now...Pedroia just got our first hit off of Wang in the 4th (give an assist to A-Rod for the high throw), so, WHEW...a no-hitter would have been too much to take for the first Sox-Yanks game of the season...of course with the way Papi's hitting right now he bounced immediately into the inning-ending DP...not worried, he'll be fine, but this is odd...
JOBBED!!!! They took the hit away from Pedroia and now Wang still has a no-no!!!! Someone had better end this thing for real next inning or I'll be PISSED...how the hell come the Red Sox scorers are giving the Yanks a break????
Let's hope Clay keeps them guessing...GO SAWX!!!
In the second game of the series we handed the ball to Jon Lester, who looked great early...had a nice cut fastball working that was keeping the Tigers hitters off balance...had command of the strike zone and was being efficient with his pitches and moving the ball around nicely...we tacked on a couple of runs with some timely hitting and by letting Bonderman be Bonderman and going all wild on us...we'll take the free passes, thanks...nice to see Julio Lugo contribute, driving in a run with the bases loaded...clean base hit too, not a dribbler that found a dead spot...
Then all hell broke loose and Lester became Bonderman, and vice versa...gross...Lester lost the strike zone in the 4th and next thing ya know, they put up a 4-spot...Bonderman conversely settled down and we didn't make any noise for the rest of the game...the Tigers tacked on the obligatory Brian Corey runs (this could become a recurring theme) and the game quietly ended 7-2 in favor of the bad guys...only real significant news is that Mikey Lowell ended up on the DL with a thumb (a Simmons favorite)...made a nice play to rob Pudge on the first play of the game and that was all...obviously hope he's ok but this definitely makes you appreciate Youk a bit more...he seamlessly moved over to 3rd and played strong D from the get go...gotta love the versatilty of Youk and this team in general...we lose the World Series MVP to an injury and we slide our 1Bman over to 3rd and pop a nice, professinal hitter like Sean Casey at first...then, think about the lineup...aside from slotting Manny and Papi into the 3 and 4 holes (sorta mandatory if not necessary) you could pretty much bat everyone else in every spot in the lineup...think about it...Lugo, Crisp, Jacoby, JD Drew, Youk, Pedroia...you could hit these guys anywhere in the lineup...none of them are gonna hit 30 HRs but they're all going to get on base...maybe there is something to this OBP thing...though I'm not sure I'd have given JD $90 million to figure it out...
The last game of the series, well, hard for me to talk about really...I passed out before all of the real action took place...I fell asleep up 4-2, I woke up this morning and saw 12-6 and thought I was hallucinating or that we'd skipped a game or something...WTF happened??? First thing, I couldn't find the game on TV...anywhere...should have been on NESN but instead there was playoff hockey, like that's even a sport anymore...and it wasn't on any of the big networks, so this was destined to be a weird night before it even got going...all I "know" from this game is the following...Wake was pretty sharp it seemed, Casey really is a good hitter it seems, JD Drew is continuing his even year performance it seems and I'm in no hurry to trade Coco Crisp...after that, I still have no idea how the hell this game ended up 12-6, I'll just take it and get ready for the Yanks...
Which I'm actually watching right now...Pedroia just got our first hit off of Wang in the 4th (give an assist to A-Rod for the high throw), so, WHEW...a no-hitter would have been too much to take for the first Sox-Yanks game of the season...of course with the way Papi's hitting right now he bounced immediately into the inning-ending DP...not worried, he'll be fine, but this is odd...
JOBBED!!!! They took the hit away from Pedroia and now Wang still has a no-no!!!! Someone had better end this thing for real next inning or I'll be PISSED...how the hell come the Red Sox scorers are giving the Yanks a break????
Let's hope Clay keeps them guessing...GO SAWX!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Home Opener...Billy Buck returns and Rolling the Dice...
The ovation began before he had even let fall the massive American flag from under which he appeared, the cheers and whistles growing louder with every step he strode from the fabled Green Monster towards the mound. Once there it continued for what seemed an eternity, the Fenway Faithful pouring out years of misplaced blame and letting the ghosts of 1986 disappear into the bright blue sky, as the man whom far too many people blamed for that epic collapse received his long overdue absolution. Billy Buckner, the type of player that Sox fans adore for their work ethic and dedication to the game, had long been the symbol of that 1986 team, a scrappy and talented team that let a WS title slip from its grasp so infamously. Having been driven literally and figuratively into hiding by the ignorance and cruelty of so many fans, he made a grand reemergence into the Red Sox community yesterday. And, ironically, while those same ignorant fans might view yesterday as a time of forgiveness, they're not entirely wrong. As much as we were embracing Buckner for bleeding Red Sox for 3+ seasons and for gracefully shouldering that blame for so long, we were really forgiving ourselves, for 22 years of anger and angst that was unfairly leveled on one man. You see Bill Buckner gave us someone to blame for investing ourselves so fully and completely in a team only to watch them break our hearts. Such an emotional event usually leads to lashing out, and we we did, at the most obvious recipient. We couldn't blame ourselves for caring too much, the human reaction is to redirect, not take accountability. We couldn't blame "the team" since that is far too vague for pointed venom. We needed a scapegoat, or at least a symbolic one to make talking about that heartbreak more simple, and so we collectively chose Bill Buckner. I'm not going to rehash the actual collapse and the myriad players and crazy circumstances that resulted in the loss of the 1986 series, if you're here you likely already know. I just want to acknowledge what a pure and beautiful extended moment that must have been for Mr. Buckner, a gentleman and mensch that deserved it long ago. He gave us a tremendous gift by accepting that blame (whether he chose to or not, he did). He graciously gave us 22 years of denial, relief and healing time, and he accepted it without retribution. Finally, after absorbing the love he had lost, he shared a playful moment with his new catcher, Dwight Evans (a teammate on that 1986 team), shaking him off and then throwing a soft curve in for a strike (hey, he's a lefty, think he'd be interested in a relief role?). One final ovation and the welcome back was complete. It was a truly warm one that brought smiles, chills and more than likely a few tears to not just Bill Buckner himself, but to many of those viewing that emotional first pitch. Welcome home Billy Buck, we're sorry, and thank you!
Oh, and I guess we got our 2007 WS rings too...hard to really explain the scene if you didn't see it...of course the 2004 guys got the biggest cheers and having Big Papi come out last to get his with Dirty Water blaring in the background was just perfect. Finally the team made its way back to the Monster to raise the championship banner...Papi and Johnny Pesky pulling the rope together. It was great...and something every Sox fan should see...2004 was cathartic, a release more than a celebration, a mix of sadness, joy and the lifting of the heaviest weight one could feel in the world of sports. Yesterday was just a big old celebration, the recognition of a new era and a chance to enjoy the memories that this Red Sox team has given us in the past 4 years.
As for the game itself, hard to complain. This was Red Sox baseball. A great outing from a starting pitcher and top-notch relief along with patient, disciplined hitting and taking advantage of opportunities by working the count and getting pitches to put in play.
Dice was sharp all game long, but especially early. Had a good heater, throwing some with action (mostly tailing in to righties and away from lefties) which he was spotting on the corners. Eck and the gang were talking about him establishing his fastball and he did that well early for sure. His off speed stuff was effective...he hit some corners on a few sliders and threw enough other junk to keep the hitters off balance while locating the fastball when he needed to. By contrast Kenny Rogers, the wily vet, was off all game. Missing spots and overthrowing it seems, which is not his recipe for success. He did manage to avoid the huge inning but got touched for single runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Coco hit a sac fly in the 2nd, and Papi came up with the bases loaded. He drilled a pitch out to right that missed clearing the wall by about 8 feet, but Magglio tracked it down and ended the inning. Play of the game for me came in the 3rd...Manny hit a shot to center and mid HR pose realized this one might not get out...so he actually started running...no, I mean it...really running...as fast as he could...I know, I was surprised too, and had to check the replay both times it aired to be sure...I think Remy and Orsillo were doing the same...but after only a split second pause he busted it out of the box. Anyway...had an easy double but decided to go for 3rd...the relay back in was ahead of him but as Manny went into one of his patented head first slides (where it looks more like he's going after a loose basketball than sliding) it was clear the the throw was off-line...it ended up in the Tigers dugout, for a triple, error and in effect an inside-the-park HR...2-0 Sox...Dice cruised through the next couple of innings, his only trouble coming in the 6th, but he was able to get out of a bases loaded jam by getting Guillen to line out to center...he did that by throwing a couple of sliders after being down in the count, both were enticing pitches but crept just enough out of the zone to make then effective...overall he was very strong, and avoided throwing any mistake pitches in big situations. One other note, JD Drew is continuing to hit the ball all over the place...which should come as no surprise since it's an even number year (this is his rep, every other year he's a stud versus a dud...it's insane)...and he's still doing all of the little things right...he made a nice save on a fly to CF that Coco lost in the sun, a hustle play that he's usually good for, which makes it hard to completely hate him even when he's taking called 3rd strikes and sitting on the bench with a pinkie abrasion...still haven't figured this guy out. Anyway...the game ended with Oki coming in and getting Jacque Jones with a nice little change on the inside corner, strike 3, home opener over...I won't call it a perfect game since it's this early and I'd hate to think we've peaked, but it was a great Fenway opener for 2008 and a great day for the Red Sox, past and present, and their fans.
7:05 start tonight, still trying to keep the Tigers caged for this season...GO SAWX!
Oh, and I guess we got our 2007 WS rings too...hard to really explain the scene if you didn't see it...of course the 2004 guys got the biggest cheers and having Big Papi come out last to get his with Dirty Water blaring in the background was just perfect. Finally the team made its way back to the Monster to raise the championship banner...Papi and Johnny Pesky pulling the rope together. It was great...and something every Sox fan should see...2004 was cathartic, a release more than a celebration, a mix of sadness, joy and the lifting of the heaviest weight one could feel in the world of sports. Yesterday was just a big old celebration, the recognition of a new era and a chance to enjoy the memories that this Red Sox team has given us in the past 4 years.
As for the game itself, hard to complain. This was Red Sox baseball. A great outing from a starting pitcher and top-notch relief along with patient, disciplined hitting and taking advantage of opportunities by working the count and getting pitches to put in play.
Dice was sharp all game long, but especially early. Had a good heater, throwing some with action (mostly tailing in to righties and away from lefties) which he was spotting on the corners. Eck and the gang were talking about him establishing his fastball and he did that well early for sure. His off speed stuff was effective...he hit some corners on a few sliders and threw enough other junk to keep the hitters off balance while locating the fastball when he needed to. By contrast Kenny Rogers, the wily vet, was off all game. Missing spots and overthrowing it seems, which is not his recipe for success. He did manage to avoid the huge inning but got touched for single runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Coco hit a sac fly in the 2nd, and Papi came up with the bases loaded. He drilled a pitch out to right that missed clearing the wall by about 8 feet, but Magglio tracked it down and ended the inning. Play of the game for me came in the 3rd...Manny hit a shot to center and mid HR pose realized this one might not get out...so he actually started running...no, I mean it...really running...as fast as he could...I know, I was surprised too, and had to check the replay both times it aired to be sure...I think Remy and Orsillo were doing the same...but after only a split second pause he busted it out of the box. Anyway...had an easy double but decided to go for 3rd...the relay back in was ahead of him but as Manny went into one of his patented head first slides (where it looks more like he's going after a loose basketball than sliding) it was clear the the throw was off-line...it ended up in the Tigers dugout, for a triple, error and in effect an inside-the-park HR...2-0 Sox...Dice cruised through the next couple of innings, his only trouble coming in the 6th, but he was able to get out of a bases loaded jam by getting Guillen to line out to center...he did that by throwing a couple of sliders after being down in the count, both were enticing pitches but crept just enough out of the zone to make then effective...overall he was very strong, and avoided throwing any mistake pitches in big situations. One other note, JD Drew is continuing to hit the ball all over the place...which should come as no surprise since it's an even number year (this is his rep, every other year he's a stud versus a dud...it's insane)...and he's still doing all of the little things right...he made a nice save on a fly to CF that Coco lost in the sun, a hustle play that he's usually good for, which makes it hard to completely hate him even when he's taking called 3rd strikes and sitting on the bench with a pinkie abrasion...still haven't figured this guy out. Anyway...the game ended with Oki coming in and getting Jacque Jones with a nice little change on the inside corner, strike 3, home opener over...I won't call it a perfect game since it's this early and I'd hate to think we've peaked, but it was a great Fenway opener for 2008 and a great day for the Red Sox, past and present, and their fans.
7:05 start tonight, still trying to keep the Tigers caged for this season...GO SAWX!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Worse Blogger, Worse Sox...
Well, so far this "chiming in after every game" idea has gone to shit, huh? But in my defense, I only had one functional TV, a 4 month-old daughter and a crazy work schedule all conspiring against me this past week...the good news is that we're up to another functional TV, a daughter that's sleeping a little more and work has calmed down some, so now I should be able to focus more on the Sawx...
Besides, not a whole lot to say about the Jays series anyway...all of that travel had to catch up with us at some point and you could see it in the energy level...the starters, pen, offense...all seemed worn down to me...hopefully they snap out of it and after getting the rings (oh yeah, we're getting WS RINGS!!!) they'll keep the Tigers 0 for 2008...with all of the crap behind us, the first game at Fenway today and an AL juggernaut in for a series, the Red Sox season begins TODAY...
Dice on the hill, 2:05 start, and yes, that means I'll be working in front of the TV...can't wait to see those rings...again...
GO SAWX!
Besides, not a whole lot to say about the Jays series anyway...all of that travel had to catch up with us at some point and you could see it in the energy level...the starters, pen, offense...all seemed worn down to me...hopefully they snap out of it and after getting the rings (oh yeah, we're getting WS RINGS!!!) they'll keep the Tigers 0 for 2008...with all of the crap behind us, the first game at Fenway today and an AL juggernaut in for a series, the Red Sox season begins TODAY...
Dice on the hill, 2:05 start, and yes, that means I'll be working in front of the TV...can't wait to see those rings...again...
GO SAWX!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Bad Blogger...Good Sox...
Well, since I don't know how to past-date a blog entry you'll no doubt notice that I missed a couple of games...no excuses...rough travel week and friggin' West Coast games...damn those 10 PM starts...so I saw less action for these games than I would have liked and only got the highlights, and even then barely any...I promise, I'll get more into rhythm as the season does...quick comments though...
Sox 2 A's 1 - pretty obvious, but that's the Dice we need if Schill's not going to give us anything...I like his aggressiveness and while the A's aren't the most potent offense ever assembled it's still a good sign to see all of those Ks...
Sox 5 A's 0 - nice to see Lester look strong early and I love the late offense...seemed like it took us a while last year to get any late runs (into the season I mean) so this is a good sign...Papi getting a couple of hits makes me happy, especially the big fly...
Off to Toronto for a tough Jays team...should be a little more of a test for the arms and I swear, I'll be in tune with these games since they occur at semi-normal times...
Just gut feelings here...I like Wake to win, I think Buchholz will struggle with that lineup (watch for Matt Stairs in that game) and I love Beckett to outduel the Doc, even in the cold weather...so the Sox should take 2 of 3 and come home feeling pretty good at 5-2
Guess we'll see....GO SAWX!!!
Sox 2 A's 1 - pretty obvious, but that's the Dice we need if Schill's not going to give us anything...I like his aggressiveness and while the A's aren't the most potent offense ever assembled it's still a good sign to see all of those Ks...
Sox 5 A's 0 - nice to see Lester look strong early and I love the late offense...seemed like it took us a while last year to get any late runs (into the season I mean) so this is a good sign...Papi getting a couple of hits makes me happy, especially the big fly...
Off to Toronto for a tough Jays team...should be a little more of a test for the arms and I swear, I'll be in tune with these games since they occur at semi-normal times...
Just gut feelings here...I like Wake to win, I think Buchholz will struggle with that lineup (watch for Matt Stairs in that game) and I love Beckett to outduel the Doc, even in the cold weather...so the Sox should take 2 of 3 and come home feeling pretty good at 5-2
Guess we'll see....GO SAWX!!!
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