Reb Sox

We've wanted to Believe in You, J.D. Drew

2007-10-21T11:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks for finally coming through.

Don't Mess with Bill

2007-09-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

Over the course of a wild off-season, we watched Reche drop from the top to the fringes of the Patriot's depth chart. At the beginning of camp, my father predicted that Caldwell would end up among the team's final roster cuts. "I betcha Bill (Belichick) decided, after watching that tape, that he didn't want Reche Caldwell to make the team this year," my father speculated, "and he's been loading up on receivers ever since to make sure that happens." In defense of his position, my dad pointed out the hallmark of Patriot players during the Belichick era: when the stakes are highest, these players step up their performance and exceed expectations. By missing two "easy" catches (as perhaps unfairly deemed by the couch experts, but wide open, nonetheless) in the second half of last season's AFC championship game, Reche did not fit what we have come to expect as "the mold". He inspired resentment within the hearts of Patriots fans, and quite likely a quiet rage within Bill himself.

In the past I've seen the Patriots release good players early out of courtesy. When the numbers indicate little chance of making the final cut, Bill will often let a veteren go with plenty of time for him to stick on another squad. The timing of this cut was intentionally cruel. Here is where B.B. struck his revenge for missing a fourth Super Bowl in six years. Bill knows better than most when the worst time to be cut is, and it's not quite when most would think... See, he could have made the call the other day. Instead, he made Reche believe he had made the team. He let him relax for two days while teams around the league scrambled to find room for the best of the rest made available on Saturday. Only then, when the final sqeezing had already been done by most teams, did he let the gauntlet fall. Sure, it's likely that the Jets or the Chargers might make a run for him, hoping for a little insight in their upcoming matchups, but they won't be able to do it without losing some other key cog... and Reche won't catch onto a team in time to actually play this week, and perhaps even the next few.

Somewhere in the back of B.B.'s mind is the grim satisfaction that he got even, and the added sense of security that this player that he could not trust with the game on the line is no longer on his team. Somewhere in the back of Reche's mind is an angle we never saw of those two balls, coming at him over and over and over again.

O Sweet Wild Thang

2007-03-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

The following planned posts have been cancelled: The Great Closer Debate: Parts II & III, due to the official appointment of A CLOSER. As long, of course, as this is reliable information, and Curt does seem to have the inside track for information here. (thanks Ernie, for the head-up!)

Don't worry, kids, there's still a ton of stuff to write about!

Oh, like I suppose y'all wanna know what I think of all this, and who's gonna take Pappy's spot in the rotation, etc. Of course.

To be honest, I'm surprised. I think this decision was helped along by a fair amount of begging by sir John, for one thing. Maybe his curve isn't coming along as well as he'd like, or maybe he misses the adrenaline rush that comes with the role... it does take a certain temperment. Maybe John got suckered into the media hype and actually began to fear that without him in the ninth, his team was doomed. Poor kid IS young and impressionable, you know.

I've been told by more than one chiropractor that I am not strong enough to do all the things I am doing on a semi-occasional basis (i.e. lifting ladders and paint buckets and whatnot) and that I really oughta work out a certain muscle group so I can do all these things without injury or fatigue. It seems there was a similar type of situation with some of Jonathan's shoulder muscles and thank the great flying spaghetti monster that he is slightly less lazy and/or slightly more committed to his career than I am. He has actually taken their advice, and (so it has been claimed) built up said group of muscles to the point where there is now no longer any danger in using him with a closer's frequency.

Do I think this is true? Sure. But more importantly, Pappy has learned (the hard way) the importance of taking a day off, and is a lot more likely to take himself out of consideration if feeling fatigued. There was a time last summer when he was the only thing we could call out of the bullpen with any confidence, and we can't let that happen again. Those guys need to step up and demonstrate themselves capable of getting outs (ahem, is this not what they are being paid for) so we don't get in the habit of relying on the kid too much again. That extra out in the eighth we needed from him so many times last year may not seem like much to us, but I'm sure having to sit for awhile after a quick warm-up puts unnecessary strain on the arm.

In short, I think this could work very well for us, as long as we get good production out of our other relievers AND the slot he has abandoned in the rotation. If it does work, I think Pappy's hooked on the rush of the save, and could command big bucks for it his entire career. Would he have developed into an even better starter? We may never know OR theo may make the move to find out as soon as Hansen or Delcarmen or the young aussie kid Cox shows up ready to take over.

As for the starting slot, I think this could make for an interesting April. I would prefer they just throw Kyle Snyder in there, but I have a feeling they'll give Julie a crack at it first, and we might get better quality out of him there as opposed to out of the 'pen. Kyle will be happy to compete and not land on the waiver wire, I'm guessing, and Tavarez will likely feel slighted if he doesn't get the chance, making this a better move for clubhouse dynamics. In the long run, assuming no injuries, this job actually belongs to Jon Lester... and you can be sure a certain Texan just sharpened his focus in this direction as well.

The Great Closer Debate - Part I: The Obvious Suspects

2007-03-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't been with you, my friends, for quite some time, and the writing topics have been swooping around my brain lately, eying me curiously to check if I'm dead. Not so. Although I HAVE wondered if my blogging days were... but I miss it, and I miss you, my digital friends, and I realize it more with each word I type.
As it's often happened in the past, I started typing a comment to some kind of article or post, and three paragraphs later decided I'm better off just writing a post of my own. The thing that's been holding me back from blogging of late is a feeling that I lack the expertise in sports analysis to be helpful - yet I also lack the talent to be truly side-splittingly funny as so many of my fellow bloggers are, so why do people bother reading? In so many ways I trouble that my opinions are just stating the obvious, and then I wonder why the obvious isn't being stated... Well I haven't been reading blogs lately, that's probably why.

Anyway, I've been pondering about the closer situation lately, just like everyone else in Red Sox Nation, and as usual I've become disgusted with the lack of creativity and doomsday mentality brought to this issue by our typical WEEI-caller-type fans as well as national beat-writers. Oh, what a shock, the more obvious veteran candidates brought in to compete for the job have been inconsistant at best, each with outings that could kill a vote of confidence from the guy's own grandmother. It's easy for us to look at the pitching line and automatically float a guy out on our mental waiver wire, but we don't really know what's going on. There's a lot happening in Florida, and winning is not a priority- nor is looking good. Major adjustments are being made on the mound in every area from mechanics to communication, and what we've seen in the last few weeks may bear little resemblance to what we will know about our bullpen by June.

Still we must speculate.

The Obvious Suspects

Mike Timlin

There's something quite fortifying about the bad-assery that IS Mike Timlin, striding across the outfield to begin the eighth inning. That's right, eighth. Somehow the magic aura fades away if we save him for the ninth. He just doesn't inspire the same "gotta bed of coals? where? here, take my shoes" kind of confidence that we got spoiled with last year. You know, the kind that made us scribble GAME OVER in our mental notebooks as the first notes of our closer's song played on the loudspeakers. Maybe I ought to take a magnifying glass to the numbers, but it just doesn't feel like Timlin closes the door, and isn't that what a "closer" is supposed to do? If we bring him in with two men on base, one of them will score. If we give him a clean slate, he's sure to let one or two on just to pump us all up before he fans the last batter to get out of the inning.

On the other hand, it sure does make me feel safer just to know he's packin' out there in the 'pen, ready to march out to the mound at any time and shoot a glare over to the guy at the plate. Lately this league had created demand for the role of "set-up man", something Mike seems better suited for. It also better compliments his less visible role as "backbone" of the bullpen. Since he will be starting the season on the DL, I don't think we'll be seeing Timlin close a game until May, and we all hope someone better has emerged by then.

Julian Tavarez

Julie sure had a tough crowd when he first got here, and it would be heartwarming to see him redeem first impressions by becoming someone we rely on and cheer for loudest. But I don't think that's going to happen. He certainly has the fire required to close, but perhaps too much; he can tends to self-destruct or even spontaneously combust in a tight spot... not what we need for a nightcap in RSN, I assure you. He has shown flashes of brilliance both internationally and for the Red Sox in the past year, but in a starting role; this makes me suspect Julian needs his full arsenal to be effective, which pitchers need more time to warm up for and often don't use in short relief stints.

Tito may try him out to start the season, but Tavarez will likely blow two out of ten save attempts if (he gets the chance) before someone else rises to the top. Then he will settle into the role he is best suited for, long relief fireman.

Brenden Donnelly

Remember, dude's only here because the Angel's bullpen has too many untouchables to fit him in. Not a power pitcher, but he finesses with the best and wants the ball when the game's on the line, much like our old friend Keith Foulke. Some say that Donnelly's lost a step, but his gamer attitude should fit well in Boston. He will be a key cog for us, but more likely in the sixth and seventh innings.

Joel Pineiro

It's hard to predict what will happen with Joel, considering he has gone through his delivery like an Extreme Makeover plastic surgeon with a scalpel this Spring. All we can do is look at his last two years' numbers and HOPE that if he changes absolutely everything, he'll get much different results. Sure, Joel could be our next closer. Theoretically, anything could happen, and it will take the first two months of the season to assess what we have here. By June we ought to see Joel mopping up meaningless innings and on the trading block, hanging out at Blockbuster while on the DL for a "sore shoulder", riding the waiver wire, or buffing up the last bit of polish on his new role as STAR. We'll just have to wait and see.

In my next post, I'll discuss the rest of our bullpen. This will include our lefties, who likely won't get considered for the job, our future closers who will end up in Pawtucket waiting for someone to get hurt or blow up, and my personal fave, someone who I think has been virtually ignored in this discussion, Kyle Snyder. Then in part three, I intend to discuss our starters (which ones could make the switch) and all the unrealistic trade options out there. Of course at my rate, we'll have picked a closer by then. But just so you know, I wrote all of this and had it blown away by Blogger because of some supposedly missing html two days ago, and I REWROTE IT FOR YOU TWO PEOPLE WHO STILL VISIT MY BLOG. (you know who you are) I think that shows dedication. And love. And promise, eh?

A Healthy Helping of Crow Pie

2007-01-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I was wrong. I don't mind saying so. After all, I have a blog so I can voice my opinion, and I guess that's what I deserve for not blogging in over two months.

I'm actually stunned, but perhaps no less than last week when our boys in blue beat the Chargers. What's most shocking to me is how outdone Master Bill was in the halftime adjustments... almost as if Tony Dungy had a video feed from their locker room and knew exactly what to expect. Or the flu bug finally hit B.B. and the great brain wasn't functioning during the game. Getting the better of Bill Belichick from halftime adjustments is something you'd never expect... something I've seen only a few times over the past six years, and not in the playoffs.

Of the worst aspects of being knocked off at this point is that I believe one of our coordinators may now be considered for a head coaching position. Aye, here we go again. One can only hope the young Josh McDaniels can see the value in two or three more years under B.B.'s tuteledge... or at least the dangers of working for the notorious Al Davis.

And so we tip our cap to Peyton Manning, hoping he can finally win the big game and quiet the whiney voices of his fans (who were really starting to get on my nerves.) The bro-in-law, who was posing in a pats shirt last night, declared it "the end of an era" as the colts walked into the endzone with a minute left. Readers of this blog already know that the bro-in-law is prone to spew diarrhea and cannot be taken seriously. Our boys in blue proved once again this season that as long as the two-headed beast of Brady and Belichick are at the helm of this team, you cannot count them out of contention. As we turn our heads now to the upcoming college draft, Scott Pioli's quick and no-nonsense rebuff of the Giants organization's advances grounds our expectation of excellence for the forseeable future.

Wistful Thinking

2007-01-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday was another heartracer right up to the end, a thing I've gotten used to in twenty-one years as a Patriots fan. I didn't expect to win, but anytime we can keep the game close, I like our chances with the ball in Brady's hands at the end. It was earlier this season in which we saw each of our fearless leaders make a rare tactical error as time was expiring in Foxboro against the Colts. As predicted, the outcome of that game holds major significance as the Patriots' Offense now prepares to call and execute plays amid the deafening crowd noise at the RCA Dome.

All week I've been watching reports in anticipation of this game, and it strikes me as amusing that the Patriots can still whip out that old and worn disrespect card- not that they are making it of public issue, of course. I can agree with public sentiment that man-for-man, the San Diego Chargers were a better team this year, and most likely the best team in the NFL, but sometimes it's the men in charge that make the difference. It was the leadership of Brady and Belichick that tipped the scales one week ago, just as it has so many times before.

The Indianapolis Colts are NOT man-for-man a better team, in fact I believe they've been playing horribly for the past two months. While one might say the same for the Pats in some ways, the Colts have eked through thus far in spite of themselves. It amazes me that so many sportscasters, paid to make a prediction, are making the emotional choice this week. Out of all the analysis I have watched (and there's been quite a bit) I've seen only four men pick the Patriots to win this game: Boomer Esiason, Chris Collinsworth, Skip Bayless, and "the Swami", Chris Berman. All four made their picks with apologies to Payton, but no doubt in themselves like the rest- mostly wistful and hopeful and sympathetic. I can understand their desire to pick Manning, just as I can understand my own desire to root for the Saints this afternoon. There's just one difference: I'm picking the Saints to win, not just because I want them to, but because I think they are the better team. As much as I respect Payton Manning as a player and National role model, the effect of this game on his place in history will not propel him to victory; if anything, it will prevent it.

This morning on Sportscenter:

"Is Adam Vinitieri a bigger gain for the Colts, or loss for the Patriots?"

Neither.

Are you people kidding me? He's not some lucky charm, he's just a kicker, and tonight he'll be kicking where his skill and experience levels matter least: inside A DOME. In addition, Adam has had back problems on and off for the past several years... his days of automatic are over. Adam knows that, which is exactly why he harbors no ill will against the Pats organization as he takes Indy money and runs with it.

We all admire Payton Manning's athleticism and abilities... now can we just get over it and stop dredging up any possible excuse for him to win because we feel sorry for his team's seemingly futile playoff chances? These teams are fairly well matched, as they have been for years. I would feel a lot more confident heading into the game with some extra defensive advantage, namely Harrison and Seau, but the biggest edge is the one we haven't lost: preparation. The factor that has won every game we had to win over the last five years, the method which makes our New England Patriots peak at just the right time, the X-factor that no one is bothering to talk about this week because it's been said so many times (and mostly in hindsight) is this organization's ability to execute the details when they matter most. If this game comes down to a few plays, and I think it will, I like our chances. And frankly, so does anyone else who knows a thing or two about the pigskin, even if they don't want to admit it.

Gripes from Gary

2006-10-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

Poor, poor Gary. Nothing ever seems to go right for him. He spent a great deal of time this spring belly-aching over how Cashman had better pick up his option for next year, and it's finally been done. The nerve of those Yankees, insisting on paying mr. nasty $13 million next year. Imagine that.

"This will not work, this will not work at all," Sheffield told the newspaper. "I don't want to play first base a year for them. I will not do that."

I'm sure sheff will have no problem banking the $13 million, and he maintains his commitment to uphold his contract with the effort and attitude consistant to his level of approval for the task and uniform involved. "...there's going to be a problem," promises Sheffield.

Slacker Stops By

2006-09-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

I bet most of you think I haven't written because I can't face the current state of the Nation. After all, I am a glass-half-full kinda girl, and there hasn't been a helluva lot to put a positive spin on lately. While it has been painful to watch, I have stood by silently more out of circumstance than shame. (shame, in fact, is mine for my silence) I won't get into the long line of excuses that have kept me from my blogger dashboard these last six weeks, except to say that it involves the tragic death of a certain over-worked and underpaid home computer. You might say the chain of blog-prevention events resembled the tiresome pile-up of health catastrophes noted among our boys in red over the past month... But that might be misleading, as a good deal of it could be attributed to the distraction of my new man, and I can't complain about that.

The best part about being out of the race is that I can watch the Devil Rays blow a three-run lead to the yankees without severe mental anguish. Mind you, I am not exactly jumping for joy, but the result doesn't matter anymore. It's peaceful to play out these last few weeks without stress. I think we knew in the back of our minds three months ago that we didn't have the pitching to get anywhere in the postseason this year... and that was before we lost even more pitching.

Someone asked me a few weeks ago if I was still a fan of theo... if I was not bothered that he did nothing before the trading deadline while the skanks picked up Abreau. Ha. I told him I was happy my team was not willing to shell out 15 million for just a few months of one player... and at the same time I didn't go into my full thoughts on the matter. It seemed an ignorant question to me. The front office philosophies of the two teams are quite different, and so are the assets. No one was asking the red sox for millions of dollars at the trade deadline - oh no, only our best prospects. Since there was no trade I can only infer that nothing good enough was offered for them. And yes, I am happy with that. I am content to know that our front office was not willing to mortgage our future for the chance of a better present, especially now, as we all know how minor an improvement would have proved as an impact for our club as it hit Murphy's month.

The same guy asked me just yesterday if I've given up on the red sox yet. I don't know where this guy gets off making such snide remarks to me... he's not even a yankee fan. I have to assume he doesn't realize the cruel nature of his tone. Yes, if my enjoyment as a fan is limited only to the glory of postseason, on that I have given up. Yet I still watch the games. I still enjoy a game winning double by Mark Loretta in the ninth. I still enjoy Mike Timlin's fist pump as he works himself out of trouble for the save. I know the postseason is a pipedream, at least for this year, and it does not even bother me, knowing there are far better teams who would only crush us if we got there. So I watch these last games with peace of mind and a hopeful heart, for the major league time certain rookies are logging with no pressure will benefit us in the future via both play and trade value.

And even when it means nothing, a Sox victory in the Bronx is a joy - one we will get four chances for in the next three days. So take heart and stay tuned, there is enjoyment still to be had in these last waning days...

...and there's also our boys in blue.

Arms Testing

2006-07-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

Aside from the usual lame-n-lazy, Reb has been super-busy, out of town a lot, and quite possibly *in love* and therefore duly distracted. But don't worry; said lucky boy still has no idea that I am a blogger, and once he finds out I'm sure it'll be all over and you'll have me back to yourselves... (er, probably not, but ya'll can hope.)

Anyway, just wanted to check in to say that even though I fell asleep while watching last night, I sure do continue to like Kyle Snyder, not that my opinion matters, but perhaps those of tito & tek DO:

"I really was impressed tonight," Francona said. "And what's even more encouraging for me is how impressed [Varitek] was. Tek really thinks this guy can pitch. That's a good sign for me. I think Tek is genuinely excited about what this guy can do. He threw a lot of strike ones today and got ahead."

yeah. now that's good news, especially with arms falling out of our rotation left and right. I half-heartedly wish I were not an atheist so I could PRAY for the quick recovery of Timmy's ribs before we have to use some kid right out of high school to start a game. Fortunately I believe good vibes are just as effective and am currently meditating to beam them out to both Wakefield and Wells regularly. I send some to Matty Clement, too, but those include a special emotional healing and anti-suckiness wish. And yes, perhaps I AM a freak, but at least I have an imagination.

I'm also sending out good tidings to Mike Lowell, and hoping he can keep a few crackers down by now. I'm really hoping Mike hasn't been spending a whole lot of time with his teammates lately, if you know what I mean. The last thing we need right now is a clubhouse flu epidemic. The great part of Mike illness is the creative adjustment to the rotation... Call me a fool, but I LOVE IT when Papi plays first base. Ok, so he does not have the range of KY, but it's cool to see how competant he is there, and maybe it'll have a bit of impact on those MVP voters this year. And of course it means we get Gabe AND Wily Mo in the lineup while Manny gets to bat AND rest his knee. I know Willie Harris was supposedly a tremendous asset to our bench, but I did not like seeing him out there with that pathetic .156 batting average. Fortunately he's agreed to hang out in Pawtucket to try and get his swing back and rejoin the gang as our pinch-running specialists once the roster expands in September.

On to today's game... I have a bad feeling that this is one of those "taste-o'-the-bigs" designed to scare the hell out of Gabbard and is not expected to go well. Fortunately we humans tend to rise to the occasion every once in awhile, and perhaps our hot bats will give Kevin the extra shot of confidence (or insurmountable lead) he needs to post a win in his first major league appearance.

Today's game will be @ 4:05 on FOX, including Hartford's FOX-61 (thanks Michael for the heads-up.) I will be a bit busy downing tequila shots in between meeting my new man's friends at a 40th birthday party, but I will be with you all in spirit... really. I may even make some pretend trips to the bathroom to check on the game. Just don't ask me to evaluate Gabbard's curveball.

That Same Ugly Scapegoat

2006-07-13T23:20:00.000-04:00

And so we begin the second half... with another extra-innings game. As I type, our boys in red have gone down by two in the eleventh. Tavaraz is pitching, causing the pelting of hundreds of televisions in the Nation with tomatos and curse words and even the lime slices from several freshly-downed Corona bottles (and who could blame them; many of us need the spirits to stomach the likes of Julie.)

Trouble is, I often start to feel comfortable with Julie on the mound. That is usually one or two pitches before he manages to fuck the game over. Such was the case tonight. I was right over there on the couch, all settled in comfortably and ready to stay there for awhile. I watched Tavaraz work the corners and Macha get pissed over the plate calls. I started to think that our nazi phone-puncher maybe wasn't so bad. yeah. you can probably guess what happened next. One meatball over the plate... and as if that wasn't enough, another.

I'm desperate to get rid of Julian Tavaraz, but also afraid. If he leaves he will surely stop throwing these meatballs and become untouchable, and probably in pinstripes. He's likely on Georgie's payroll already anyway. I think it's about time Timlin takes that guy hunting... you wouldn't have to pull a Cheney, Mike; a simple lead though unlevel terrain without warning might do nicely - heck, if you just find a way to trip the guy in the clubhouse you could save yourself the trip. Just make it something that lasts about two months, m-kay?

Were it not for that extra run driven in by Frank Thomas, I would still be watching the game right now. Kaplar & the Captain rallied for a run, but it wasn't enough. I'm sure there are some out there invoking the name of Fran-coma, playing backseat driver to Tito, so sure we ought to have walked the man. More will be asking (as I wondered myself, at the time) why Papelbon was cut short at one inning. I don't have the energy. That loss makes us big losers (so far) for the month of July. I go to bed thankful that baseball is a long season, almost as forgiving as groundhog day.

Tomorrow brings another game. Beckett v. Zito; now that should be good.

Happy Ending to the Break

2006-07-12T08:37:00.000-04:00

Since 2003, the All-Star game has counted for something: home field advantage in the World Series. I can understand why a lot of (er, National League) fans don't like this new system, but personally I love it. It's great to see your favorite players selected to the teams, but without that carrot dangling, I could care less about the game. I love baseball, but give me Gilmore Girls and Law & Order re-runs all night long over a game that doesn't count.

By the time we reached the ninth last night, I was bored to tears but at least I was watching for a reason... And in the end that reason would not be denied. With just one out left, three straight hits reversed our fortunes, and the American League walked away victorious yet again. It only seems right since, you know, everyone knows the American league is superior. And as an added bonus, we all got to see Papi dig out a ball from A-rod, saving an error. I only regret that Pappy was not available to close it out for us... Ah, that will leave him well rested for us (yes, like Manny, yes).

If you're wondering what to do with yourself for the rest of the break, Chicago fans Ross and Taft are announcing a different kind of all-star team today. I recommend that you check it out, especially you readers of the female persuasion. I was actually asked to contribute to this, but as I do not swoon and gush quite as eloquently as some of my blogger colleagues, I urge you to (register &) comment!

Cut Manny Some Slack

2006-07-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

Leading up to the Derby last night, I had ESPN on in the background as I roamed the apartment. I kept hearing the same crap we've seen spewed about for the past week, and it started to grate on me. The national media seems to regard Manny's knee as a phantom problem... an excuse to get out of something he doesn't want to do. They use the nineteen innings played on Sunday to evidence that Manny's knee is just fine.

Sure, Manny doesn't exactly bask in the limelight the way we are accustomed to seeing with most players of his caliber. He's a bit shy and would prefer to be left alone - he's even described as paranoid. It wouldn't surprise anyone if Manny would rather not deal with the "honor" of the flashbulbs and interviews and national spotlight of the All-Star Game.

The press has taken that view and run with it. They paint Manny's absence as a snub to the millions of fans who have voted him in... but let's not forget who really feels snubbed. For two years one of the most premier players in all of baseball has refused to talk them - and gotten away with it. Tired of trying to read between the expressions, the press has become increasingly aggressive in guessing what Manny's up to in his head (a pointless effort if you ask me; it's likely all kittens and rainbows in there.) It's almost as if they are trying to goad Manny into talking, which is also a complete waste of time.

In case there's anyone reading this that doesn't actually watch the Red Sox games and check the team site at least weekly, I should let you know that Manny's knee has been bothering him for at least two months. He doesn't like to take games off, but I know he's had one or two extra just to rest his knee. He's taken out of every game we are winning by a comfortable margin (which seems to be two or more now that we've got the Papel-bot), usually for a pinch runner in the seventh or so. As for the nineteen-inning marathon in Chicago on Sunday, people are reading faaaaar too much into that. In a game like that, every player move must be made carefully or you will run out of them. Manny's a competitor, sore knee or not; in a tight game, he wants to be in there, and you'd have to be crazy to take his bat out of the lineup. Of course he was out there.

I can understand why American League fans might be disappointed by Manny's absence. This one silly game makes a difference - as in one extra home game for the winning league - and Manny's bat could make a difference in any one game. This is exactly why Red Sox fans support Manny in missing the All-Star game this season... and why many yankee fans and blue jay fans and maybe even white sox and tigers fans are upset about it. Because missing this one game means three days off for Manny, which means two or three or maybe even a whole lot more games he'll be making a difference in down the stretch, and not for the whole AL, but exclusively for the Boston Red Sox.

So belly-ache all you want, people; we know the real reason you're upset about Manny not showing up this year, and we here in Red Sox Nation are just fine with it.

Just Checking In

2006-06-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Two Papi walkoff's later, we're still BLAZIN' and the NY Mets are comin' to town. I'm really looking forward to this one. I'm pretty busy up in NESN territory this week, but I'll find a way to watch.

And by the way, this guy's clearly a skankees fan- and right on par with the skankee-fan arrogance and idiocy. He thinks we are going to boo Pedro? ridiculous.

Tryin' to Stay HOT in the Rain

2006-06-24T13:25:00.000-04:00

Great. FOX sent out their "best" broadcast team to torture us this afternoon. At least they don't even have the option of a New York game to switch over to. That's right; The Red Sox are playing in TV's at least halfway down the Atlantic coast today.

Maybe they'll fit it in. I hope so, since it's already raining down here in CT; Sitting around in front of the telly is my activity of choice for the next three hours. Plus it'll great to pounce on a wife-beater like Myers at his peak point of distraction. And from what I've seen so far of this game (no outs yet), that's what we're gonna have to do.

A Surge of Positivity

2006-06-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the rotation, Jon Lester.

I got home late, but saw his last two innings. The kid's got the fist-pump down, that's for sure, and he's starting to earn it. Who knows when/if Wells and Clement will ever make it back from the DL, but if the day ever comes, surely Beckett will have a blister or something and Lester will by then be firmly entrenched in our every-five-day expectations.

So our boys have continued to demonstrate the clear superiority of the American League. Less than a week after my woe-is-me negativity posting (thanks MattySox for reminding me that it could be so much worse- we could be Royals fans!), we are riding a six game winning streak, the likes of which has not been seen before by the 2006 Red Sox. IN JUNE. Hopefully we can get the mop out this weekend to extend it.

Like everyone else in this corner of the world, I'm really looking forward to next week's series, and I'm glad to see Jere's prediction of a celebration of the 1986 team coming true (right down to the date. Terrific Job.) If you're still not into celebrating the 1986 team, you might enjoy this short clip. If, on the other hand, you're up for re-living the moment -again- you're either a Mets fan or a masochist or desperately seeking to re-enact the joy of October 27, 2004 -which will never happen, but have fun trying- check out this re-enactment of "the inning" in RBI Baseball. Both links courtesy of our cyberspace informant, Jay from LA.

Meanwhile in the dark recesses below Fenway, Theo and his crew of young number-crunchers continue to work their best keyboard fingers to the bone. Not satisfied with their latest salvage from the scrap heap, some discussion with the tribe has yielded yet another new pitcher. Yes, folks, we now have our very own Johnson, and despite the urgency with which he was sent packing by Cleveland, I betcha he's randier than Randy. After all, do our scouts know pitching or what? Check out this recently drafted pitcher...

The obvious temptation here is to worry like crazy over what we'll do with all these extra arms once our old guys come back from the DL, but these things have a way of working themselves out. Take the Peña/Kaplar situation: if Trot's not ready for his annual DL stint by then, maybe we can finally get rid of Willie Harris before he rots the spot on the bench he's farting away on every night. Oh, did I say that out loud? No Willie, of course I didn't mean you. I'm talking about silly Paris Hilton - who let that dumb bitch into the clubhouse, anyway?

L'il Alex Cora

2006-06-21T12:25:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy of sittingstill

Let's all take a moment to appreciate a guy who spends most of his time wondering if he'll get to bat at some point in the game.

Stayin' Alive

2006-06-19T19:35:00.000-04:00

To clarify, I didn't mean to be negative in my last post. It's just so easy to get down in baseball when things are really not that bad. By the end of last week, it seemed as if our boys might not ever win again ::Braves fans roll their eyes:: but the June Swoon is not as bad as it could be. At the time of this post we are above .500 for the month AND we just extended our flimsy lead over the skanks to two whole games.

Kyle Snyder was, in fact, downright decent last night. Sure, he gave up a run/inning at first, but he settled down into two scoreless ones. He had a very nice curveball, and I was actually a wee bit sad when they took him out. After all, who would've expected the effectiveness of our bullpen would hold up through four innings sans the great Pappy? It remains to be seen what will happen to Kyle, who a million years and four surgeries ago was once a first-round draft pick with loads of potential. Just last week he was tossed aside like garbage by the worst team in baseball, but today he basks in the overglow of a win in his new home, Fenway Park.

In other news, J.T. Snow finally turns in a uniform that barely ever got scuffed with dirt. Comments by our fearless leader imply a trade may be in the works, and more exciting roster moves loom on the horizon. (Note that Kyle's killer curveball seems to have re-bolstered my confidence in theo... not that I ever doubted him, mind you.)

And then there's Gabe. There's almost no words for that man. But he has words for us: (via the Globe)

``We have the best, and, to be more specific, the classiest fans in all of sports," said Kapler, who took Trot Nixon's spot in right field and batted eighth against the Nationals last night. ``And the reason I say that is because they recognize and care about hard work as well as people, human beings. Contributions [from players] other than superstars. They recognize every player on the roster.
``They recognize contributions from guys like Alex Cora, and, in the past, from a pitcher who would get one out. They always seem to recognize effort. I'm just blown away by their consistency and their knowledge of the game."

Do you people realize how often skankee fans tell me how un-classy we are? I know, I know, they wouldn't know classy if they hit it with their SUV, but try explaining that to them.

freakout

2006-06-19T00:42:00.000-04:00

"holy..."

I just looked at the "expanded standings". The Tigers have won 46 games. The White Sox, 44. The Mets have won 43. Boston is in 4th with 39. Seven games behind the tigers (no offense, sam; I love 'em, I really do) after a SWEEP? I wanna cry.

Can't I just be happy we're ahead of the skanks? Or that we scored six runs tonight with two outs?

No. No, I can't. Not with our starting pitcher tomorrow night having only one other start, in which he was shelled. theo help us. (oh that's right; this was your move.)

FOX Finally Does the Right Thing

2006-06-10T09:30:00.000-04:00

Jere & I have been highly amused this season by the many FOX 61 commercials we've seen on NESN. I had even planned to write them an e-mail about how this might backfire as anti-advertising to real sox fans. You see last year, just like many, many times in previous years, when given a choice between Red Sox and Yankees games for their game of the week, FOX-61 in Hartford chose Yankees... EVERY blippin' time. And the good folks down here in Southern Connecticut get screwed AGAIN.

So today when I realized that the young Jon Lester's Major League debut would be on FOX, I feared I might not even be able to order it on MLB.TV. I will be babysitting my nieces, you see, as the sis and bro-in-law will hopefully be watching the A's beat the ever-lovin' snot out of their beloved bombers.

The biggest drawback to the extra innings package is that you can't take it with you. As it turns out, that's not such a big deal today... FOX-61 has come to its senses. Maybe they had enough of hate mail and bomb threats. Maybe they got rid of the evil Steinbrenner mole who had been skewing their viewer statistics. Maybe they were forced to sign a contract of faithfulness in order to advertise on NESN. To whatever tipped the scales, I am grateful, and I also think I might send an e-mail of appreciation. If you are watching today's game on FOX-61, I encourage you to do so as well. Usually people only write in to complain, so a flood of positivity over the Sox game might ensure many more to come.

A Needed Boost

2006-06-09T01:35:00.000-04:00

I was out tonight, at a place called the Seagrape, which is commonly too snobby to put on the Mets game, let alone the Sox. Tonight they didn't have a choice, and this "yankees" bar erupted in the sixth when A-rod missed a tough bounce for the go-ahead (winning) run. That Alex Gonzalez... I can't rank on him in good conscience, despite his failings to reach the Mendoza line. Surely his defensive play has saved more runs than Edgah had driven in at this time last year, and he does STEP UP for the skanks. I think this may have been lost to my companions, as the failure of the other Alex seemed to be at least half the joy for the crowd I was surrounded by tonight.

An inning later, after the Captain's three-run pad to the lead, the Mets game was suddenly and surprisingly airing on half the tv's. I was relaxed at this point, but still had the game in the corner of my eye through the 3-pitch A-rod strikeout in the ninth. "I hate A-rod," said my favorite Mets fan, at this point.

"I don't hate A-rod," I told him honestly. He's too pathetic to hate, in my opinion. "I hate Gary Sheffield." I didn't think this night was going to get any better until just now, when I saw the "Hell, No" ticker scroll by the info on scary gary's upcoming wrist surgery. He will be "out indefinitely." Poor guy. *sniff* ::stifles chuckle... but not convincingly::

Yes, upon coming home (quite toasty) I have flicked on yankees encore just in time to see the two-inning rally once again, this time with Michael Kay's invaluable comments in the background. (Although I must admit he's much better this year) And thank theo, yankees encore just moved straight from the top o' seventh to the bottom of the ninth, the only other part I really wanted to see. It did not escape me the first time around, by the way, that Pappy walked Melky Cabrera. Not my favorite person recently; how 'bout you? So, so sweet, though, to see the pop-up by Damon and back-to-back K's on Mr. Super-Human-Growth-Head & Prince Purple-lips. I suppose we wouldn't have that were it not for the walk. Pappy did that for our added enjoyment, methinks.

Well we did deserve it, after those last two games.

That's the last of the great rivalry for awhile. The press will have to hype up Phillies-Mets and Pale-Ho's-Tigers and Cardinals-Reds for a few months now. (yes, that was win #8 for our boy Bronson tonight, for those still keeping tabs) At least we have the Mets coming to Fenway soon; I get the impression that series might re-define NY-Boston scalper prices. I'm completely incoherant, glued on the Time-Life 70's Music Explosion commercial, and need to go to bed like two hours ago, but I think those last two sentences demonstrate the Nation's love for our players even when they've moved on... anywhere but the Bronx, Johnny. (you may have gone yard tonight, idiot, but your replacement got twice as many RBIs on one base hit. get used to being shown up by Coco; I think you'll be seeing that alot in the future.)

Aye, time to cut me off. (um, three hours ago, I know.)

Let's Get Out of Canada

2006-06-01T07:22:00.000-04:00

So our boys pulled that one off. And to think ::hangs head sheepishly:: I was afraid to watch. Silly me.

The ferocious Tigers of Detroit continue to roll over and mew helplessly with the skanks in town. Pathetic. Last night they failed to take advantage of a grossly depleted lineup, dropping their fourth game in a row, with three of those gifted to the bombers. Maybe Jeter, Damon and Sheffield will all be out for a game we play them in. Think so? *Eh NO, Peg*.

Anyway, I did see some of that game, and must hail the impressiveness of our young studly arms. See, I totally missed the Pauley start (which, from what I read, seems like quite the frightening adventure) but the VB/DC tag team is workin' it. Maybe by the end of the season we can get enough young arms up so we don't need the z-boys.

I was starting to really like Wily Mo out there. Now it looks like he'll be taking a little break from us rabid fans...It sounds like this could hold Wily back all year. Fortunately it comes at a time when Coco has made it back to the lineup and Kaplar looks to be about a week away. What is it with this revolving outfield? Ah, well. Not as bad as the skanky situation, at least. The timing of these injuries seems to be working out in a roster-room-favorable way.

I took a peek forward in the rotation, mostly to stress myself out. Who will we be putting out there on the 6th to face the skanks? To make matters worse, we have a double-whammy on the tenth (make-up game v. Rangers) and no day off until the 12th. That's three games we don't have a starter for: the 6th, 10th, and 11th. Not cool. Today's day off is in the wrong spot. Rocky roads ahead, kids; brace yourselves. We'll need some offensive potency like last night to get through this stretch.

Gray Skies

2006-05-31T06:50:00.000-04:00

That had to happen. With the Nation leaning on him to lift our spirits, I knew in the back of my mind that Beckett was due for a bad start. Back-to-back meatballs served over the plate to Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus proved to be just the appetizer for Blue Jay fans (all 26 of them who weren't busy scouting Edmonton's potential Stanley Cup Cinderella spoilers.)

So far this road trip is going about as well as my love life: exciting at times, but ultimately disappointing. And, to add insult to injury, more of the same was happening in Detriot. The Tigers staged a comeback from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game at six... only to lie down and provide the masochism whips in the 11th for an 11-6 beat-down from the skanks. To those of you limited to reading a recap online, I can assure you that it was excruciating to watch; In fact, I ended up having to leave the room before I could hurt myself trying to drop-kick the television.

With my lingering angst and pent-up violence from the last couple of days of baseball viewing, this link (in my inbox this morning from Jay from LA) really hit the spot. Now if only there was a way to pit the Farns against Gary Sheffield... (or any of his current teammates, for that matter.)

Meanwhile our view from the wide-angle lens has started to look bleak as well. It may be only rumor, but I'm still losing hope on the Clemens deal... just like any relationship, the more desperate you are to have someone, the less likely you are to get 'em. My only consolation here is the strong assertion that Roger is even less likely to end up in pinstripes. That just might be good enough for me.

Other things that might cheer you up:

Edit, and moving immediately to the top of the faint-glimmer-of-sunshine list is Gary Sheffield's recurring wrist woes. Also, please note the worsening condition of Johnny Damon's foot.
most likely, if you're reading this, you are not tribe member Scott Sauerbeck. Trust me, today that's probably a good thing.
Boomer is not pretending he's OK.
Loretta has sustained an injury at Rogers Centre, yet it appears to be minor.
After tonight, we won't have to face the Jays 'til September.

Tonight our FO tests the mettle of a kid who hasn't even seen AAA, let alone the majors. Make sure your liquor cabinet (and/or other sedative of choice) is stocked tonight if you plan to experience Pauley making the start against a guy who's GOTTA BE LONG OVERDUE to have a shitty night against our boys in red.

Deflated

2006-05-30T07:05:00.000-04:00

I tuned into the game last night just in time to see Matt Clement hand the ball over. So no, I did not have the pleasure of witnessing his suckiness firsthand... but the general feeling of hopelessness I had felt in anticipation of this game solidified as truth with one glance at the scoreboard.

It was only the fourth, but a six-run deficit is pretty much my cut-off for hope. I started a sudoku puzzle. I was briefly cheered up by Coco's homerun, the first of many, I expect, in a Red Sox uniform. It was solo, which doesn't put much of a dent in things; I wasn't about to get my dander up at this point, but a two-run shot by Manny in the 6th made it a game again.

Van Buren had defied my expectations of him by staving off a strong lineup. The Blue Jays can hit - best team batting average in MLB - and one would think they could make a youngen like Jermaine look foolish rather quickly... but somehow they didn't, and the Captain was set up to tie the game with another moon-shot in the eighth.

Here it is, I'm thinking. With all the ridiculous comebacks staged by the MFY, most of them at least partially unearned, it's about time we get some of that touch in our corner. I sit back on the couch and ready myself for a potentially long extra-inning drama. Wait a sec... who's that? I had not remembered Riske was back from his back spasms. Dude was not exactly feelin' the magic. A bit rusty, maybe? I was not thrilled. Pretty much in unison with the rest of the Nation, my thoughts jumped to our man Timlin, may he swiftly return. I can't blame Tito here, with a 'pen of tired arms and a potentially long game stretching out before us... but soon that was the least of our worries. Foulkie came in and got us out of a mess with just one pitch, but the damage had been done.

Don't get me wrong; I'd never trade him for our Pappy, but that B.J. Ryan was scary last night. Toronto stepped up with some cash this year and spent it in the right place to compete in the AL East: pitching. They awarded Ryan the largest contract ever given to a reliever, and last night in the ninth, he showed us why. Can we please, pretty please, mount an impressive lead over the Jays tonight so we don't have to see him again?

Meanwhile, back in the basement beneath Fenway Park, I certainly hope our army of young analysts and lawyers are diligently seeking a serious solution to our pitching woes. Mattie is starting to produce a thick cloud of dread over New England every fifth day. Plus, we've got the "open" slot in the rotation, which finally started to look solid the other day... for about four innings. Now we're back to the wait-n-see game (including who-the-hell is pitching tomorrow night.)

At least we have Josh Beckett taking the rubber tonight. That boy is like a shot of adrenaline right into the veins of Red Sox Nation. Which, of course, makes me nervous to have him pitch at Rogers Centre, if you know what I mean.

It's the Win that Counts

2006-05-29T09:27:00.000-04:00

So it was a little tense there at the end. Rudy and Julie wanted to make it exciting for us. They are, after all, being paid for our entertainment, right? Er, right. Technically. Does anyone else find it ironic that it took an actual HIT to get us out of that 9th?

In the end we get the win, and the near-disaster gets to fade away in our minds, rather than fester like a bad taste in the back of our throats. Many a game like this slipped away from us last season, eating away at our confidence 'til we felt no lead was safe... This year (so far) has been better, and while we have had our share of rough outings from relievers, few have affected the actual outcome of the game. Still these failures will not be forgotten, and while the Z-boys have both pitched rather well of late, it's aberrations like this that stick in our minds and overshadow the faith we had started to build up; The next few times either are seen walking to the mound, it will surely be to the music of our own mental moans as we pray for the health of our trusty tough Timlin and ponder the readiness of young DelCarmen, Hanson, and Lester.

In the meantime we put it away and pause for a moment of appreciation...

Sweep

You might remember sweep-boy from our series against the O's earlier this month. Maybe ya had to be there, but the sweet sound of carefree celebration and hi-5's all around plays in my head much like a song. It brings a smile to my lips and reminds me of all y'all out there in the Nation basking in the victory with me. By posting this picture, I offer you all a digital clink o' the glass to the sweet call of "SWEEP". May we see sweep boy again - soon and often.

Meanwhile, over in my neck of the woods... The Royals, led by our friend Tony G, made things exciting with a slow comeback from a six-run deficit. It was a valient effort throughout the game, but in the end fell short in a 6-5 final. I was checking on this game regularly, so I can tell you ::shakes head sadly:: those blue-boys stranded TOO MANY runners. One more timely hit, and they woulda taken that series for us. Eh, woulda-shoulda-coulda. Let's hope the Tigers keep it hot and start another win streak today.

Skanks at Fenway

2006-05-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

Reasons it's taken me nearly a week to post pictures from last Monday:

I procrastinate.
I had better- er, I mean other- things to do.
Blogger Images is a bitch. She likes to tease me. There is no rhyme or reason to making her work.
I took so many terrible shots that it took me this long to sort through and find some that are worth posting.

That last reason is the kicker. If you want some real may-as-well-be-professional pics from the Sox-Yankees series, see Samara. She has a real camera and real skills (not to mention real good seats); all I got is heart.

"Hey, it's those bloggers, Reb & Jere!"

Keith laughs it up as he schemes his Billy Wagner impersonation

The Evil Empire requires flexibility of head, in addition to heart & soul.

Johnny's still trying to figure out their bizarre rituals.

In the foreground, you can see what Johnny's supposed to be doing here.

It seems like everyone's staring at Damon's butterfly.

Sorry if this is too much JD for you people; mostly it's for my readers Novy & Jtt.

Mike Myers begs his former teammate for mercy in their next match-up.

(Head left intentionally in foreground for added creepiness)

Manny comforts Johnny as they remember the good ol' days.

Arod fondles himself as he admires some real clutch hitters.

Manny gives Cano some "advice".

No one wanted to be with Bernie. Dude was alone wherever he went.

The Jerky Boys

Kapstein and Torre shake hands, agreeing that Damon should play as much as possible this next month. Jere has his photo taken with them to remember this auspicious moment.

Hazel turned and held this pose until just after I lowered my camera, indicating a successful shot. I'm pretty sure this was intentional, and quite considerate of her.

Torre literally dragged Arod over here for this picture.

Which arachnid-clad being pictured here is most obviously a Fenway Park employee?

At this point I parted ways with Jere, figuring my friend would arrive soon and I should grab myself a sausage and beer while I waited. Sure enough, the moment I stepped onto Yawkey way, I heard from her... But she was not nearly at the park. I tried to find Jere again, but no such luck. After waiting around for awhile near his seats with WCSG, I decided to check out a certain season ticket holder we know. I had never been to Andrew's seats before, but I managed to find him. I sat and chatted with him and his dad through the middle of the first, when I got bumped by people who had rights to the seat.

This time I found Jere and WCSG, who happened to have two empty seats next to them in section 23. I sat with them while awaiting my friend. She had gotten caught in traffic, arrived at fens so late that she couldn't find parking, drove home and took the T in from Brookline Hills. An otherwise sharp Schill labored through the top of the third while I was gone to pass Christin's ticket over at Gate A.

We ended up sitting in section 23 the whole time, as no one ever showed up for those seats. (Our seats were in section 43, right next to the red fence- Jere's seats, actually, which he gave me the crack at when he got the chance at these better seats.)

These guys sat in front of us during the game. Pictured on the right is Steve, one of the most gracious Yankee fans I have ever met. I am sad to say, for a fanbase seemingly obsessed with "class", that is not saying much. So maybe I should just say he was a nice guy and seemed to enjoy his visit to Fenway, despite the ugly hat.

I arrived back from my seventh-inning bathroom & beer run to find a bigger lead and a wet seat. I ran back to get napkins. "Who spilled beer all over my seat?" I asked as I wiped it off. A girl turned to me from the seat just to my right. She wore a satin navy jacket. "That guy," pointing to an enthusiastic but generally harmless fan who had been letting us climb over his seat throughout the game. "He threw beer at me," she pouted. I just stared at her. "That's nothing," I told her, "compared to what I saw at Yankee Stadium two weeks ago." She quickly turned away, so I did not bother going into it further. Seeing as a couple in their sixties had been sitting there most of the game, they were obviously crossing some lines by sitting in seats they were not entitled to, and who knows what they said to create trouble. Sorry, but I have no sympathy. I went to Yankee Stadium, I kept my mouth shut, I sat in my own seats, and I came away with dry clothes, just like many MFYF's at Fenway that night, including the ones in front of us.

My friend Christin, aka "Clarissa" of FNX Radio, celebrates victory with me once Keith Foulke finally decides to let us do so.

And of course, this post is dedicated to the lovely and joyful WCSG, whose score of these sweet seats enabled my entrance to the ballpark.