tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54288762011-08-16T23:03:59.590-04:00a couple bleacher seatsAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1093470017189026322004-08-25T17:25:00.000-04:002004-08-25T17:40:17.190-04:00It’s beginning to feel a lot like…2003. I’ve been able to take a few spare minutes to catch Sox games on mlb.tv recently and I’ve been a little bit shocked at what I’ve seen. Quite suddenly, in the two months since I left DC for South Carolina the Sox feature a lineup that includes unfamiliar names like Roberts and Cabrera, and Mientkiewicz. The pitchers include Myers and Adams and – my word Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1091383172779215602004-08-01T13:56:00.000-04:002004-08-01T13:59:32.780-04:00Sunday morning coming down. Mixed feelings of shock and excitement upon hearing about the Nomar deal have now worn away. This morning Red Sox Nation is awakening to the reality of what happened the night before. Like Johnny Cash sang:
Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt.
I can’t wrap my head around this deal. Surely we’ve complained about the shoddy Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1090192369395053472004-07-18T19:11:00.000-04:002004-07-18T20:14:55.550-04:00That was last year. It was like looking into the past as the Sox thumped the Angels 6-2 in Anaheim today. David Ortiz hit a big three-run blast in the 6th inning to reverse a 1-0 deficit. The Sox scored all six of their runs late. It was the kind of offensive performance that made last season so memorable.
It was an important win for the Sox who have been stuck in a funk for months and risked Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1089243765333021482004-07-07T19:40:00.000-04:002004-07-07T19:42:45.333-04:00The middle innings. Again on paper the Sox look pretty good if they need to go to the bullpen in the middle innings. Mike Timlin, Scott Williamson, and Alan Embree have been solid and about as good as any set-up tandem in the AL. The long guys have been less stellar, but not necessarily bad.
My concern lies with how the bullpen is utilized. Either Terry Francona is showing too much faith Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1088717206186486072004-07-01T17:25:00.000-04:002004-07-01T17:26:46.186-04:00Pull the goalie. Where to begin? A few days ago I promised a missive on Boston's defense as the first in a series of posts attempting to answer the question "how good are these Sox?". That was before this excruciating series in the Bronx began.
There were two errors on Opening Day. There were six in a three game span in April. There were errors that sent games into extra innings. There Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1088463050115684092004-06-28T18:50:00.000-04:002004-06-28T18:50:50.116-04:00Is this a good team? Just how good is this team? It's no longer early in the season. The injured superstars are back. The All-Star Game is approaching. How good is the 2004 edition of the BoSox?
The folks in the front office would argue that the Sox are indeed very, very good if you go by the numbers. But the performance on the field tells a different story entirely.
Defense.
Middle Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1088036471703610642004-06-23T20:20:00.000-04:002004-06-23T20:21:56.336-04:00Questions from abroad. My friend Sam, Australia's greatest Red Sox fan, currently lives in Boston but is home in Sydney for a visit. Last night's drubbing of the Twins not withstanding, Sam had a bunch of questions for me about the Sox. Namely, what in the hell has happened since I left the Bay State three weeks ago?
The view of Red Sox Nation must be quite disconcerting from afar. The Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1088036354936726612004-06-23T20:18:00.000-04:002004-06-24T09:36:01.166-04:00Questions from abroad. My friend Sam, Australia's greatest Red Sox fan, currently lives in Boston but is home in Sydney for a visit. Last night's drubbing of the Twins not withstanding, Sam had a bunch of questions for me about the Sox. Namely, what in the hell has happened since I left the Bay State three weeks ago?
The view of Red Sox Nation must be quite disconcerting from afar. The Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1087683925898368692004-06-19T18:24:00.000-04:002004-06-19T18:25:25.900-04:00Base running Blues, First Inning Frustrations. An annoying subplot has developed in this up and down BoSox season. In addition to sporadic hitting woes and regular defensive blunders, the Sox allow runs in the first inning at a maddening pace and run themselves into big outs and out of big innings. So today, as the Yankees beat the Dodgers, Pedro allowed four in the first, Varitek was held at Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1087482506193588092004-06-17T10:26:00.000-04:002004-06-17T10:28:26.193-04:00The view from far, far away. I moved to South Carolina on Tuesday and perhaps as I compliment to Daryl's Singapore Sox Fan I'll call myself South Carolina Sox Fan. Or more accurately Spartanburg Sox Fan. All I know is that being away from my television and seeing nothing more of the games than the final scores from Denver is making me nervous. Schilling's bad outing. Back to back losses in Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1087215790886470462004-06-14T08:21:00.000-04:002004-06-14T08:23:10.886-04:00The truth about Pokey. If you ever need to cite an example of why pitching and defense win baseball games, point to last night’s 4-1 Red Sox win over the Dodgers as empirical evidence. Pedro Martinez gave the Sox seven solid innings and Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke slammed the door. It was a defensive play Pokey Reese, however, that was game’s most exciting and important moment. You can view Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086993005949975072004-06-11T18:08:00.000-04:002004-06-11T18:30:05.950-04:00Defining Moments. Before tonight's opener against L.A. begins, a quick reflection on last night's game against the Padres. It was likely my only trip to Fenway this season and if it was, I sure have a sense of timing. Not only did Schilling dominate, not only did Pokey homer on his birthday, not only did Ortiz have four hits, but I was in attendance for the most significant Red Sox at bat of Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086813042104758192004-06-09T16:27:00.000-04:002004-06-09T16:30:42.106-04:00It's the delivery, stupid. Pedro Martinez went from looking like a number five starter in his last several starts to looking like his old self last night. Pedro had more velocity on his fastball, better location, and seemingly more confidence too.
Pedro, pitching coach Dave Wallace, Varitek, and others credit fixing a flaw in his delivery for his brilliant performance. Wallace went on to Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086583423089041472004-06-07T00:40:00.000-04:002004-06-07T00:43:43.090-04:00Two wins & the Gipper. Two wins in two days propel the Sox one game closer to the Yankees and settle the stomachs of Sox fans. Today's win, more satisfying than the first, may cure what ails resident head-case Derek Lowe. His exit from the ballgame after five innings was officially due to physical precautions – he developed a blister on his thumb between innings – but the thought of sending Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086406380180100712004-06-04T23:31:00.000-04:002004-06-04T23:33:00.180-04:00Stop. Before you throw yourself from the Tobin Bridge, before you hurl yourself in front of a Green Line train, before you ring Jack Kevorkian, here are a few reasons why the season isn't over:
• Nomar Garciaparra returns next week and Trot Nixon soon after.
• Johnny Damon is setting the table nicely, improving his OBP, and hitting with authority.
• Manny Ramirez is playing like an MVP.
• Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086266922271595892004-06-03T08:40:00.000-04:002004-06-03T08:48:42.270-04:00What happened? Sox fans are waking up this morning to the reality that their team is in some trouble. Widely lauded two weeks ago as the best team in baseball, the Sox now sit two full games behind the Yankees with a pitching staff in disarray. Think the last week isn't exposing serious problems? Than how can anyone -- like, say, Terry Francona -- explain away the troubling struggles of DerekAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1086132384187411672004-06-01T19:14:00.000-04:002004-06-02T23:38:14.823-04:00Yikes. Ordinarily it would be hard for me to imagine that Derek Lowe has gotten this bad, this fast without something being physically wrong with him. Yet with Lowe there is always the suspicion that something is psychologically wrong with him. More than any other player in recent Sox history, Lowe wears his hart on his sleeve to a fault. We all know the "Derek Lowe face" – it's that look Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085715875377325682004-05-27T23:39:00.000-04:002004-05-27T23:44:35.376-04:00Laughing one off. You can easily expect a couple of stinkers like tonight's 15-2 loss to the A's at Fenway every year. Jarring as it is to tune in and see the scoreboard read 12-2 in the sixth, it’s another testament to Sox fans that the stadium wasn't empty by the fifth. You wouldn't see that kind of loyalty at, say, Yankee Stadium…Tonight aside, it's turned into a pretty fine month of May Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085623064152476832004-05-26T21:55:00.000-04:002004-05-26T21:57:44.153-04:00A Hardy Welcome. My good friend Sam, Australia's greatest Red Sox fan (now living in Boston) brought his brother Pete to Fenway for the first time last night. I remember my first day at Fenway – May 17, 1986 - vaguely (the Sox beat Texas 8-2). I'm guessing Pete won't have a hard time remembering his initiation in Red Sox Nation. Sam reports that in addition to seeing the start by Schilling, aAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085352052021756742004-05-23T18:34:00.000-04:002004-05-23T18:40:52.023-04:00Silence afoot? A three game sweep over the Jays at Fenway, a two game lead over the Yankees in the standings, and now what? Sure, the injury bug continues to bite, you can complain about Derek Lowe and a lineup that is nothing compared to the slugging bunch of 2003, but is much really going wrong? Are the Sox actually silencing critics in Red Sox nation? Open the Globe and the patently Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085263606439327422004-05-22T18:03:00.000-04:002004-05-22T18:06:46.440-04:00Now that's a bad bullpen. The colossal meltdown of Toronto’s typically ineffective bullpen last night could have been billed as a Day of Remembrance for Sox fans. The eighth inning, featuring four Jays pitchers surrendering six runs on four hits, three walks, one hit batter, and fifty-one pitches to eleven Sox hitters played out as a tribute to the Sox bullpen of 2003. As pitcher after pitcherAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085091553519746452004-05-20T18:15:00.000-04:002004-05-20T18:19:13.520-04:00Bullpen Answers. Gordon Edes reports that Scott Williamson headed back to Boston today for an MRI on his pitching elbow. Apparently Francona hasn't forgotten Williamson's number, rather he's been keeping the reliever's arm troubles quiet.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1085019060578978222004-05-19T21:59:00.000-04:002004-05-19T22:11:00.580-04:00Postgame brief. Grumblings were abated tonight. On this site and others, many questioned Francona's bullpen usage. Bringing in Foulke for four outs tonight looked good to me, thanks. Second, Manny was apparently walking around the clubhouse before the game wondering why he doesn't hit for power anymore. Well, so much for that. A towering blast to center was a less than subtle reminder of Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1084849372645322412004-05-17T22:45:00.001-04:002004-05-18T07:25:21.326-04:00Bugs. It's coming...no, not the cicada infestation (that's already here in DC), but the gradual, creeping decline of the Sox due to the bite of the injury bug. The Red Sox have fallen from the best record in baseball on April 28 to a rather ordinary 22-16 today. Buoyant after winning six of seven from the Yankees, were we too quick with our confidence? Probably so. While the offense suffers Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1084651656748072352004-05-15T16:05:00.000-04:002004-05-15T16:07:36.746-04:00That's Arroyo. Magical weekend matinee baseball returned to Red Sox Nation today. There are certain afternoon Sox games that I remember vividly. Sam Horn hit his first major league homer in '87 on a Saturday afternoon. I remember hearing the call on the radio, riding with my mother on Route 9 in Westboro, Mass. I was ten years old. I was at Fenway on an afternoon in '88 or '89 when Carlos Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1084453053269272982004-05-13T08:51:00.000-04:002004-05-13T08:57:33.270-04:00On Knucklers and Knuckling Under. Ben McGrath pens a witty and informative piece on knuckleballs and the men who throw them in this week's New Yorker magazine. The article is full of insights from Tim Wakefield, Doug Mirabelli, Sox farmhand Charlie Zink and others.
Meanwhile, Jackie MacMullan pitches in with an excellent article in this morning's Globe on the emerging tragedy of BK Kim's Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1084327490212321742004-05-11T22:02:00.000-04:002004-05-11T22:04:50.213-04:00BK Whopper. Republished from my inbox without the permission of the author (but I don’t think he will mind).
Tuesday May 11, 2004, 12:09 pm...
Boston, Mass.
You know Matt, I've never listened to Paul Harvey. Not once. I know he
has 77 squillion worldwide listeners or something like that, but I've
never tuned in. What frequency do you hear him on?
You may have solved a mystery but one Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1084032150499230352004-05-08T12:01:00.000-04:002004-05-08T12:10:11.076-04:00The Next-Best Theory. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes today of the provocative way Orioles skipper Lee Mazzilli is using his bullpen.
"For the last 25 years, and increasingly with time, bullpens have been built around specialists -- sometimes side-armers or one-pitch wonders -- who dominate hitters of the same hand, but are instantly vulnerable when the matchup goes against them.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083986413007573332004-05-07T23:17:00.000-04:002004-05-07T23:37:53.390-04:00Still, We Believe! What a fitting Red Sox victory for the night that the documentary chronicling last season premiered around Boston. As movie goers flocked to Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie, this year's Sox won with gritty at bats (Damon to lead off the ninth) and clutch hitting (Bellhorn). The three-run ninth to win it was reminiscent of so many walk-off victories last season.
Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083902388249845872004-05-06T23:59:00.000-04:002004-05-07T00:13:05.966-04:00Winning streak, Base-gate, Gutsy Mets. What losing streak? The Sox have put together two wins in a row to close out the road trip, the latest a very satisfying 5-2 come from behind triumph over the Indians at Jacobs Field. Satisfying as it was to Red Sox Nation, it must have been even more so to Pedro Martinez. Six days after being roundly criticized in virtually every Boston newspaper, talk Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083799287660307602004-05-05T19:20:00.000-04:002004-05-05T19:24:40.110-04:00Truth Brigade. Derek Lowe on last night's game: “Your job as a pitcher is to stop the bleeding, to make pitches so the inning doesn't continue," Lowe said. "When they had up to five and six hits in an inning, it's probably not going to end up too pretty, which it didn't." The Sox are banking on BK Kim to stop the bleeding tonight, but did you know: before his start last night, Lowe was 19-7 Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083703528404091212004-05-04T16:38:00.000-04:002004-05-04T16:48:06.763-04:00Five-letter word. There's a five-letter word creeping in the Sox dugout and it's bitten most Red Sox hitters. No, the word isn't "Pedro". Thomas Boswell writes about slumps today in the Washington Post, amazingly not mentioning any current Sox slides.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083551987580299372004-05-02T22:32:00.000-04:002004-05-02T22:42:56.860-04:00Swept in Texas. The Sox fell to Texas again tonight, this time 4-1. Tim Wakefield was terrific, but the glaring inadequacies of the Sox offensive attack surfaced again. Much has been made about the team's inability to produce with runners in scoring, but it’s disconcerting how uncommon getting a key hit in any situation has become.
In the second, Mirabelli grounded into an inning-ending Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083412407080298332004-05-01T07:39:00.000-04:002004-05-01T07:56:34.860-04:00Maybe he just needed something to talk about. The "Pedro's bolting for the Yankees" story reported here, here, and here this morning makes me wonder...would Pedro have yapped about free agency if the game wasn't postponed last night? Or was he just bored in the clubhouse again? If he doesn't want to cause a distraction will asinine comments be reserved for off days and rain delays? Or will Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083208836768447612004-04-28T23:09:00.000-04:002004-04-28T23:31:19.013-04:00Ho-hum. Another night, another win against an A.L. East team. Don’t look now, but the Sox carry the best winning percentage in the majors at .684. Patrick over at The House that Dewey Built attributes Boston’s success to this:
"Simply put, on almost every night, the Red Sox will start the better starter, field the better lineup, replace their starting pitcher with better relievers and Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1083182889307823522004-04-28T16:04:00.000-04:002004-04-28T16:11:14.763-04:00Just thinking. Did you see the Yankees-A's game last night? Too bad Theo can return Foulke to Oakland on off days.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082926349977819112004-04-25T16:49:00.000-04:002004-04-25T16:57:32.373-04:00Ballclub-by-committee! It was with a second-string infield (McCarty at first, Crespo at second, Reese at shortstop, and Bellhorn at third) and a second-string closer (for the second afternoon in a row), that the Sox, riding the performance of their ace and their slugger, sweept the Yanks.
I left the enormous March for Women’s Lives this morning where I was doing voter registration to get homeAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082599761034225252004-04-21T21:49:00.000-04:002004-04-21T22:12:19.700-04:00Rubber arm, Silver Slugger. Bottom of the ninth and here comes Keith Foulke again. Foulke is on a pace to pitch in over 100 games this year, an accomplishment (if you can call it that) only matched by Mike Marshall in the 1974 season for the Dodgers. On the WEEI broadcast tonight, Jerry Troupiano helpfully pointed to Marshall's incredible stats that season.
He pitched in 106 games, none of Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082430136243938292004-04-19T22:45:00.000-04:002004-04-19T23:07:47.450-04:00Ghostbuster. Play free association with the name Bronson Arroyo and what other young Red Sox pitchers from the past come to mind.
Well for me it's...
Ryan Rupe.
Brian Rose.
Jin Ho Cho.
John Dopson.
Wes Gardner.
Arroyo's performance today was solid, if not beautiful.
IP H R ER BB K HR PC-ST ERA
B Arroyo 6 1/3 8 4 4 1 5 1 99-70 7.11
It was just good Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082329179137321912004-04-18T18:58:00.001-04:002004-04-18T19:25:27.293-04:00It's only April. But still.
Which of the following is more disturbing:
NAME G GS W L ERA
P. Martinez 3 3 1 1 4.82
Derek Lowe 2 2 1 1 9.35
Right. Neither. It's only April.
If you want really disturbing, check out this:
Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-108217354440405642004-04-16T23:45:00.000-04:002004-04-16T23:59:56.030-04:00Nitwit Fox Yankee Apologists. Just a few thoughts on the game, and the idiots Fox broadcast team that brought it to us.
The stupid Scooter feature on the knuckleball was played twice, was uninformative, and cut into a nice play by Billy Mueller at third. Buck told us they were replaying it again because of audio problems but I heard every annoying moment both times. Then they played the BuckyAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082085433232149332004-04-15T23:17:00.000-04:002004-04-15T23:20:05.780-04:00I'm looking for a good pop-up stopper. It's not the pitching that bothers me in this one. With each Gabe Kapler pop-up, Trot Nixon’s absence grows more and more profound. I'm watching the Orioles telecast tonight and the broadcasters were talking at length about how Nixon’s absence is hurting the Sox. For sure, and how the Sox deal with it is going a long way towards who’s going to win a Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1082000396557546782004-04-14T23:39:00.000-04:002004-04-14T23:42:47.810-04:00On tarpaulins, reprise. The Nation suffered through night with no Sox game to watch. Here's how I spent it.
1. Watched Sunday night's Sopranos.
2. Read a few articles in the April 19 & 26 New Yorker (consider: Is John Kerry too French; a master using good metaphors to help pianists play better Schubert).
3. Read about baseball blogs on Slate. No Sox blogs were mentioned. Shame!
Let's Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081908082288370942004-04-13T22:01:00.000-04:002004-04-13T22:07:27.890-04:00On tarpaulins. If you're a baseball addict, a rainout is like a fix just out of reach, a brutal withdrawal. From the dugout, watching the rain fall, you look for a glimmer of light, a brief respite from the deluge. It's like watching the returns on Election Day and knowing your candidate is going down, but waiting for returns from that one friendly precinct that briefly narrows the gap.
OilAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081638433273644812004-04-10T19:07:00.000-04:002004-04-11T10:15:17.310-04:00Priorities. I agree with the great George Solomon of the Washington Post when he writes a column, at about this time every year, regarding the inexcusable fact that Washington, DC does not have a Major League Baseball team. This year he writes:
Another Opening Day With Nowhere to Go
By George Solomon
Sunday, April 4, 2004; Page E02
A year ago, District Mayor Anthony A. Williams told three Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081535912540584572004-04-09T14:38:00.000-04:002004-04-09T14:41:18.560-04:00My trip to Charm City. Leaving aside the outcome of the game, it was a spectacular trip to Baltimore for the series finale last night. It was one of those expect-to-see-something-you’ve-never-seen-before-because-this-is-baseball games.
Some things I’d never in seen person before and some observations…
I’d never seen a runner tagged out at the plate in extra innings with “do-or-die” outfieldAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081389828802024832004-04-07T22:03:00.000-04:002004-04-07T22:06:33.466-04:00Jesus Christ, superstar. Johnny Damon went five-for-five tonight with two runs, to RBIs, a stolen base, and one hell of a catch in center. Okay, so I just wanted to use the Jesus Christ line before my fellow bloggers. (DirtDogs' "Christ Has Risen" headline is already up). I happen to like the hair and beard look. One of these days I'll post a picture of myself from about five years ago.
Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081342184172178932004-04-07T08:49:00.000-04:002004-04-07T08:52:27.623-04:00Pathetic excuse. Francona on the Martinez flap. “I didn’t communicate [the rules] very well. I passed out some of the guidelines early and that was my fault because Pedro didn't even get it. Remember he came a couple days late? I overlooked that. It's my fault.” (Cafardo, Boston Globe, 3/7/04). Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081309016720900102004-04-06T23:36:00.000-04:002004-04-06T23:39:40.140-04:00Things of beauty. I’m going to be having dreams about the way Keith Foulke set down the O’s 1-2-3 in the ninth. And there’s no way I’m missing Schilling’s next start.
I remember how in the 80’s you never missed Roger. Or those magical seasons that Pedro strung together in ’99 and 2000 – you never missed a start because you knew you would see a win at the least and if you were lucky, Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081135691234731122004-04-04T23:28:00.000-04:002004-04-04T23:30:52.606-04:00One down. The game wasn’t crisp or exciting. The outcome wasn’t what Red Sox Nation wanted. But it was big league baseball and it’s back.
The regularity of baseball is beautiful. We can hurt tonight, but it will be back, 161 more times this year.
Red Sox Nation will awaken to columnists and fans screaming about Pedro’s arm, Pokey’s bunt, and Timlin’s ineffectiveness. We’ll hear little Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081091590398118132004-04-04T11:13:00.000-04:002004-04-04T11:16:16.046-04:00And away we go. It's better than Christmas morning kids.
Casey At The Bat
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day,
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.
The rest clung to that Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1081004240974082542004-04-03T09:57:00.000-05:002004-04-03T10:00:01.216-05:00Googled. The Sox are going to offer roster spots to non-roster invitees Brian Daubach and David McCarty who we know. They are also offering roster spots to Cesar Crespo and Bobby Jones, with whom we're less familiar. So let's do what anyone does before a blind date these days...google them.
Googling "Cesar Crespo" returns lots of information on Crespo the ballplayer. His espn.com player Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1080787245809449732004-03-31T21:40:00.000-05:002004-03-31T21:44:46.950-05:00You must take the MARC train. To Baltimore, that is, for the Sox opening series if you live in DC like me. Unless you want to pay a fortune at the pump. Have you noticed?
If someone lurking out there can explain OPEC, energy policy in general, and how the price of crude oil isn't actually a function of supply and demand, please post a comment. Every so often, this becomes a hot topic and Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1080737538003397252004-03-31T07:52:00.000-05:002004-03-31T07:54:55.170-05:00A film about us. A documentary on the 2003 season from the makers of Spellbound? Read about it here. Damn, this will be harder to watch than The Passion. And we can vote on a name for the film here.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1080621467945338592004-03-29T23:37:00.000-05:002004-03-29T23:46:23.873-05:00October 16, 2003. As the season begins at 5 am tomorrow morning, let me start by saying this: one of the greatest things about growing up in New England is that you're baptized in the Church of the Red Sox. Loving the Red Sox is as distinctively New England as Plymouth Rock or lobster or covered bridges or Billy Bulger. There are very few New Englanders I know who missed a game through out lastAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-105698006846101472003-06-30T09:34:00.000-04:002003-06-30T09:38:02.433-04:00Back in the saddle. As I noted a few week back, the Sox raced to a torrid 2115-1860 start in the 25-odd years since my birth, but were mired in a 9-11 slump from the day I began this blog until the beginning of my hiatus on June 18. Why the hiatus? Well, after taking a few days off, I realized the Sox were on a serious roll. In fact, a "they've-just-won-seven-of-ten" roll. Even an occasionalAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1055940594699444072003-06-18T08:49:00.000-04:002003-06-18T08:49:54.566-04:00Numbers game. Last week I said that Kevin Millar was putting up “Scott Rolen-like” numbers. After Millar’s most recent surge let’s take another look:
Rolen: 12 HR, 51 RBI, .293, .537 SLG, .934 OPS in 242 AB
Millar: 11 HR, 46 RBI, .304, .537 SLG, .907 OPS in 214 AB
Old friend Brian Daubach (.231, 2, 8), on the other hand, is putting up Troy O’Leary-like numbers (.216, 3, 16) in Chicago in veryAlexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1055681590500923132003-06-15T08:53:00.000-04:002003-06-15T08:53:10.520-04:00So long, blueliner. Last night’s solid victory over the Astros 8-4 was ho-hum sports page fare next to this bombshell in the Globe:
“Sweeney gets pink slip as Boston blueliner”
That’s right, Bruins defenseman Don Sweeney who joined the club in 1988 will not be offered a contract by the team for next season. Sure, Don Sweeney isn’t the player he once was; he was scratched for several games Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1055384329543293942003-06-11T22:18:00.000-04:002003-06-11T22:18:49.506-04:00Thoughts during sporadic Dish Network outages due to thunderstorms that interrupted the Sox broadcast on ESPN…
You can’t call Pedro stat-hungry – he could have thrown another dozen pitches or so and picked up a W, but he shut it down due to his pitch count.
Jason Varitek is as locked-in as I remember him since 1998 – and he hustles down to first as hard as anyone on the roster.
Despite the Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1055248659078530702003-06-10T08:37:00.000-04:002003-06-10T08:43:50.300-04:00Good News, Bad News. The Globe reports on two stunning statistics this morning, one hitting, and one pitching.
Bob Hohler writes:
“Here's another measure of how much more dangerous this year's Sox team is than last year's. Opponents intentionally walked Manny Ramirez 14 times last year. The batters behind him -- Tony Clark, Shea Hillenbrand, Brian Daubach, Cliff Floyd, Rickey Henderson, and Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054783682323866972003-06-04T23:28:00.000-04:002003-06-04T23:29:43.603-04:00Sea Change. When I woke this morning, the Red Sox were mired in a five game losing streak, each loss progressively more troubling than the one before. The Yankees sat atop the AL East, the Blue Jays hot on the Beantowners’ tail. The Nation panicked as the ship continued to sink. Here in the Washington, DC (the other nation’s capital), the weather reflected my mood – I considered shopping for Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054731139212192842003-06-04T08:52:00.000-04:002003-06-04T08:52:19.216-04:00Ouch. The scene in Chicago last night must have been downright devastating to Cubs fans. For me, with one swing of Sammy's corked bat the glorious moments of 1998 when he and McGwire were battling for the home run title just got a bit fuzzier.
The most pressing question at the moment: how long will Sosa be suspended? Jayson Stark reports on speculation that Sammy's suspension could be Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054424238948842722003-05-31T19:37:00.000-04:002003-05-31T19:38:19.336-04:00Historically speaking.
Red Sox record since my birth: 2116-1864 .532
Red Sox record since I began grade school: 1631-1462 .527
Red Sox record since I graduated high school: 618-515 .546
Red Sox record since I graduated college: 264-231 .534
Red Sox record since I started this web log: 1-4 .200
Today’s 10-7 loss to the Jays is the ugliest in a while. In addition to pitching woes, the Sox have Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054358866188835292003-05-31T01:27:00.000-04:002003-05-31T01:27:45.973-04:00Meanwhile, out west. A Bay Stater by birth, and a Washingtonian by geography, I’m an east-coast-centric guy. For perspective, I’ve checked out a couple Arizona newspapers for takes on the Kim/Hillenbrand trade.
The Arizona Republic introduces Hillenbrand to readers by noting that he was “born and raised in Mesa and attended Mountain View High School and Mesa Community College”. Kim, the Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054296634151608182003-05-30T08:10:00.000-04:002003-05-30T08:13:08.860-04:00Morning after. After sleeping on it, I'm more comfortable with the Hillenbrand for Kim trade. And waking up this morning to the news that Derek Lowe had a biopsy on his nose in the same place where a cancerous growth was removed last winter, this trade makes even more sense.
I'm a big Shea Hillenbrand fan. I love his aggressiveness despite his proclivity for easy outs when he's over-anxious. I Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054239358161873162003-05-29T16:15:00.000-04:002003-05-29T16:15:58.186-04:00Toss up. I got a knot in my stomach reading news flash: Hillenbrand for Kim. I'm hopeful that young Theo is on the money. I can't say that I agree. Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054212086211686662003-05-29T08:41:00.000-04:002003-05-31T01:29:21.766-04:00Truth Brigade. ''It was a quality pitch that was called a ball." -- Brandon Lyon in this morning's Boston Globe on walking home the winning run for the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth.
I didin't see last night's game. I didn't see the throw by Manny, or Hillenbrand getting cut down at the plate. I didn't see Walker getting picked off first, or Lowe getting roughed up on the road yet Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054124854143375232003-05-28T08:27:00.000-04:002003-05-28T08:27:34.173-04:00Truth brigade.
"Hopefully Pedro will be back soon and everything will be back to normal." -- Sox spot-starter/Pedro-understudy Bruce Chen in this morning's Boston Herald, just about saying it all.Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054083655224351192003-05-27T21:00:00.000-04:002003-05-27T21:00:55.346-04:00Way Back. Well, we learned something about Chen -- he has a case of Wasdinitus. But he kept the Sox in the game. I'm just getting home and picking up the web case of the game. Enter Mendoza and promply a runner on third with one out. Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1054005997864760392003-05-26T23:26:00.000-04:002003-05-26T23:26:37.566-04:00Free Fall. Not only have the Yankees fallen from first place, they're also trailing Oakland by a game in the wild card race. The Bombers are also an astonishing 20-21 on grass (but 9-1 on turf). At five, they own the longest losing streak in the majors.
I'm looking forward to Bruce Chen's start tomorrow night. We'll have a chance to see what he's really made of. Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1053998669358593772003-05-26T21:24:00.000-04:002003-05-26T23:03:13.633-04:00Post-win glow. Considering that the Red Sox are tenth (out of 14) in the A.L. in team ERA, ninth in hits allowed, eleventh in walks, their seat atop the A.L. East is remarkable. Some of this may be related to their knack for getting a big out, killing a rally, and not giving up a big hit. The pitching staff is a relatively good sixth in OPS and a sharp fourth in home runs allowed. Today’s Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1053984624409031692003-05-26T17:30:00.000-04:002003-05-26T17:30:24.473-04:00Clemens line for today.
5 2/3 innings.
10 hits.
8 runs.
8 earned runs.
2 walks
9 strikeouts
1 wild pitch.
133 pitches, 89 strikes. Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428876.post-1053984288360293012003-05-26T17:24:00.000-04:002003-05-26T17:24:48.420-04:00Bad move by Joe Torre. In the sixth inning, Torre let Roger Clemens – one win away from the 300-win plateau – pitch to Todd Walker with two outs and runners on second and third. Clemens had thrown, by my count, 133 pitches. He’d lost velocity off his fastball and wasn’t locating his pitches well.
Walker ripped a 3-1 fastball into right field, scoring two runs and making the score 7-3.
Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496412115285530406noreply@blogger.com