Game 5: Cold As Ice

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 2, Baltimore Orioles 1

You know that you are…

Just like the Foreigner ballad, it WAS chilly in Camden Yards. The rain finally let up after a 1 ½ hour delay and we had a ballgame where mittens and sweaters were not an uncommon sight. It was about 44 degrees at game time (that’s Fahrenheit for all you metric using nerds) and it only got colder as the innings progressed. The fans were bundled, the players were bundled and I think I saw a memorabilia collector using his signed Rafael Palmeiro bats as kindling. To reiterate: IT WAS COLD.

And yet the Sox pitching was still red hot. Schilling (now 2-0) gave up 3 hits and one earned run (a Matos solo shot) over 7 strong innings. Again, he looked like the guy from 2004. He has the stuff to win 20+ games as long as he remains healthy. And like before, he was real fired up to strikeout Conine to end his performance. A dominating show. Timlin also had a good showing in the 8th. He allowed a single but no more and he too looked like he was at the top of his game.

Unfortunately, the Sox bats were as cold as the weather. Sure they had 7 hits and 6 walks (it seemed like they were going to hammer Bruce Chen in the 6th) but they only ended up with 2 runs and left the bases loaded twice. “Leave em on” Lowell stranded 4 all by his lonesome and Wily Mo (getting the start against the lefty Chen) looked AWFUL with 2 big strikeouts. There were also some base running blunders. In the 3rd, Crisp with his blinding speed stole second and immediately had aspirations on third base. Chen saw him and gunned him down like a clay pigeon. His late and awkward slide was as poor as the attempt itself. Nice idea… poor execution.

After all this talk about temperatures, I must say that the coldest thing in the park wasn’t the air or the hitting. It was the blood coursing through Jon Papelbon’s veins which must be at Absolute 0. Just 100% lights out. When he trotted in from the bullpen in the 9th he looked as if he were jogging in to pitch BP. Tejada: pop out, Gibbons: pop out, Millar: a WICKED K. He was throwing heat the whole time (94-97) and looked as if he could go 2 more innings. Not since Foulke was in his prime in 2004 (and maybe Tom Gordon in 1998) was I this confidant in a closer. He looks as if he could do this every day.

1:35 tomorrow is the final game in the series and the last game before the home opener on Tuesday. Tim “Bard is not ‘Bellie” Wakefield will face Rodrigo “Sox Killer” Lopez. Could someone PLEASE inform Mr. Lopez that he is a mediocre pitcher and NOT the Cy Young candidate he looks like when he faces us? Thanks…

GO SOX.

Game 4: Grind It Out

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 14, Baltimore Orioles 8


Ah, those long grinders. Although it’s always nice when the good guys score early and often, it doesn’t make for a particularly exciting game. After the initial burst of Red Sox runs, where the Boston offense lit up Cabrera like fireworks on the Esplanade on July 4th, the fun was mostly in watching Clement work – one or two hits and a walk through six innings as Ole Matty made the Baltimore hitters look foolish. By the seventh, though, Clement started to tire, pitches started to hang and the Orioles started building a comeback. Not a real comeback, mind you; just enough to make the game drag for the next three innings. Rudy Seanez came in to put out the fire or, if you prefer, waste outs and absorb runs (four runs on six hits before he got all three outs in eighth). By the time Foulke came on for a confidence building nearly perfect ninth, the end was just a matter of time. Really slow time.

Obviously, tonight was a breakout night for the offense picking on some weak pitching, but with luck, it’s the start of some momentum: Lowell went two for three, Youkilis had a perfect night with a walk, three hits and two runs, Nixon hit home run number two and Manny rocked the house with three hits, three runs, two RBI and a walk…and he ran out a single that shot down the left field line and off of Matos’ glove at third like he would go for a double if possible. In other words, he’s motivated and that’s always good for Red Sox bats.

Tomorrow afternoon at 4:35, the rotation starts over again as Schilling goes for win number two against Bruce Chen, pride of Panama. When Chen is on he throws a pretty good game, so this should be a good match up. We’ll see if fourteen runs tonight kills the offense for tomorrow, or if Boston can keep the momentum going. GO SOX!!!

The Fielding Bible: Sex Panther

"'They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.'
'That doesn't make sense.'"

So, if I recall correctly, the part of the New Philosophy of Developing the Farm and Ditching Big Contracts that the Sox implemented this winter was acquiring a group of players who could reverse the trend of terrible infield defense from the past two years and create a playing environment where Boston would stop losing games because someone let a ball drop or slip through the infield, even if it meant losing some batting power in the process. Well, as it turns out, it could all be for nothing, or so says a new book by John Dewan, who runs the company that tracks the location of every pitch and ball put in play and sells it to twelve teams including, you guessed it, the Red Sox.

The book, called “The Fielding Bible,” purports to solve a problem that’s bugged stat-heads for years: how do you effectively measure a player’s defensive capabilities? Up until now, no one had come up with a system that separated the player’s actions from the vagaries of the field, the type of pitch the pitcher used, etc. to come up with a rating that reflected the player’s abilities alone. According to the scoring system “The Fielding Bible” touts, the team this year has a defensive rating inferior to that of the 2006 team. Yes, that’s right, the team that has the capability to field Gold Glove winners at every infield position except pitcher is markedly inferior to the team that featured Edgar “Most Errors in the Majors” Renteria. Confused? So was I.

I won’t go into the details of the points the scoring system uses, as the Globe’s article does a good job of explaining how it works, but it has some serious flaws – it doesn’t take into account ability to handle throws (one of J.T. Snow’s specialties), turn double plays (something Mark Loretta does well) or charge bunts (where Mike Lowell is the league’s best). It also doesn’t take into account outfield assists either, so Manny Ramirez gets no love. In other words, the guys Theo & Co. picked up over the off-season do actually know what they’re doing and there’s no need to panic quite yet.

That said, it still sounds like “The Fielding Bible” might be worth the read. For example, it shows that Renteria was actually a decent fielder last year…as long as the ball wasn’t hit directly at him (remember all of those slow rollers he couldn’t handle?), that Bill Mueller was an above average third baseman and that Trot Nixon was the best right fielder in the big leagues (see, I knew the human highlight reel was a good nickname). And hey, if nothing else, this new defensive system is a step in the right direction…just as long as teams (and fans) don’t use it the wrong way.

Tonight: Matt Clement, no longer sporting the chin growth of yesteryear, goes up against Daniel Cabrera, on seasonal leave as the Cigar Store Indian to pitch for the Orioles, at 7:05. GO SOX!!!

Game 3: Sweet Emotion

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 2, Texas Rangers 1

You can't catch me 'cause the rabbit gone died

Get pumped! Get crazy! I want riots in the streets people! I want cars turned over, structure fires and broken glass. I want every city and every town to look like Detroit on a Friday night. I want a mass of totally whacked-out people jumping up and down celebrating the Josh Beckett era in Boston. You want fist pumps? He brings em. You need angry words yelled at the ground? That’s gonna happen. How about some psyced up teammates? Schilling has you and Beckett covered. You want to see lots of applesauce consumed between innings? He does that too (what was that by the way?). Beckett brings it all to the table and then clears and does dishes afterwards. It’s a sight to behold.

After a rough first inning (1 run on 3 hits and a passed ball) he settled down and threw 109 pitches of gas and nails mixed with beef jerky and TNT. Beckett was great through 7, but the Rangers starter Kameron “Don’t call me Derek” Loe had all the Sox batters completely fooled with his nasty sinker. It was unbearable watching guys flail away and wasting the amazing performance by Beckett. I was pulling my hair out. I mean Kameron Loe??? He sounds like a bad guy on a daytime soap opera.

“Damn you Kameron! I don’t love you… I love your identical amnesiac twin Walter.”
“Well too bad Angela. While you were in that coma… I had Walter killed! HAHAHA!!!”

Whatever. They still couldn’t touch him. The Papi/Manny combo had no hits and one walk between them. Besides a wasted (but amazing) Coco Crisp triple, it wasn’t till the 7th when Loe started to waiver that Nixon managed to hit a 2 run shot. A small lead that would prove hard to maintain.

Beckett was followed by a still slightly rusty Mike Timlin, who quickly had a man on first and second with only one out. Then some reverse karma. Kevin Mench singled to left field and the Rangers third base coach (surprisingly NOT Dale Sveum) sends Mark Teixeira around from second. Manny throws a strike to Lowell who gets it to Tek with plenty of time. OUT! Day is saved, Timlin gets out of it and on to the 9th… here comes Foulke… deep breaths.

Wait a sec… Foulke is not taking his sweatshirt off. Jon Paplebon has been warming since the 8th and looks ready to go. What’s happening??

It seems like when it’s close, late and the Red Sox are winning, Papelbon will have the baseball. This time it worked. No hits, walks, runs or drama. Just 3 outs (2 strikeouts) and fist pumps from Paps and Beckett. What a win for Beckett and what a save for Paps.

The only damper on a win this good was the icy stare from Foulke in the bullpen. A page has been turned. As of today Paps is the #1 guy. Maybe it’s a temporary thing while Foulke slowly regains his composure. Maybe Foulke will see action in 2-3 run save situations. Maybe it will change back in the next few weeks. Maybe not. He said all the right stuff in the after interviews. Said he was a “member of the Red Sox” and thats all that mattered, but we know better. I saw his face when he was ready to go and someone else took his job. As of now he’s a set up guy. A Timlin, a DiNardo, a Seanez (shudder). How will this affect his emotions? Only time and his ERA will tell.

GO SOX.

Game 2: You Win Some...

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 4, Texas Rangers 10

The physics don't always work in your favor...

A mixed bag tonight, as the knuckleball didn’t dance well enough to fool the Texas hitters and Boston hitting only got purchase off the Rangers’ rather unreliable relief corps. Not that the Boston bullpen did much better; DiNardo and Riske combined to give up four runs over about four innings and help push the game further out of reach. The entire session was a demonstration of how bad things can be when the combinations don’t come together.

Remember how frightening it was to watch Jason Varitek catch Tim Wakefield during the 2004 ALCS, when Tito wouldn’t take Varitek out because he needed his bat, he wouldn’t take Wake out because there was no one left to pitch and it felt like the entire series would end on a pass ball? Watching Josh Bard catch Wake conjures up the exact same feelings. The good news? This was the second game of the season. The bad news? This was the second game of the season. Three pass balls to Bard’s credit tonight didn’t help Wakefield’s rhythm, I’m sure.

Manny somehow managed to see 10,000 pitches tonight and still strike out 4 times. The man is beyond mystifying. On the flip side of things, Ortiz has touched based six out of ten times already and Coco Crisp is hitting .444 with four runs and a stolen base.

I forgot about how MLB.com insists on alternating TV broadcasts on MLB.tv during a series. It’s not like these stations aren’t broadcasting anyway and somehow Gameday Audio has the option to pick your channel…how come they can redesign the MLB.tv player (which I like, by the way) and not give you the option of choosing NESN every single time if you wanted to? I mean, this Texas station is so ghetto they’re using the radio feed for the audio and has no onscreen graphics or replays whatsoever. I also just noticed the cameras focus on a reporter with a mic with the logo of TV station on it in the stands. Seems like us video subscribers are getting the short end of the stick on all counts.

Tomorrow night, Boy Wonder Josh Beckett attempts to pull off the first rubber game win of the season against Kameron Loe. Let’s see the magic, boys…GO SOX!!!

Game 1: Starting With a Smile

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 7, Texas Rangers 3

A Big Papi is a happy Papi

Ahhh, the fist game of the season. The first hit, first run, first big strikeout, the first time Remy calls one of the new guys the wrong name, the first time you watch Manny doze off only to make an amazing catch and then go back to sleep standing up, the first time you swear at a TV/radio/newspaper box score, the first win. It’s always worth savoring that FIRST one and unlike the last 6 seasons, the Red Sox started out on a good note.

It was a beautiful day in Texas (the state not to be messed with) and the Rangers started the season with the former Indian Kevin Millwood at the mound. He faced a thinner, happier healthier Curt Schilling in what LOOKED like a pitchers duel until the Sox broke it wide open. 0-0 in the 4th, Tek steps to the plate with Ortiz at second and Nixon on first and he takes Millwood’s first pitch off the wall. A 2 run double for the captain.

In the 5th, Crisp gets waived around from first on a Loretta double and Papi takes care of the rest. I have this theory that Theo and friends are passing around this fake scouting report on Ortiz that reads: “Yeah pitch him a little inside or right over the plate, he NEVER hits those. Oh and there’s no such thing as a clutch player”. Well it looks like Millwood found a copy of that and gives Papi a slightly inside meat ball that ends up bouncing off the top of the right field foul pole. Just keep throwing him that one folks. You can tell by all the runs how fooled he is. He also doubled in a run in the 7th making him 5-3 with 2 R, 3 RBI and a triple away from the cycle. He makes it look easy.

Mike Lowell (not dead after all) added an 8th inning tater to round out the Sox 7 runs. Anyone else remember all that nonsense about this team not being able to hit? Me neither.

For the most part, the pitching was superb. Schilling (7 inn, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) had good command on his fastball. It started a little slow but topped out at 96mph. He started to tire in the 6th and gave up a Hank Blalock 2 run jack but came out for the 7th and looked good. Paplebon threw a no hit 8th and then Foulke came in and gave up a run on 2 hits in the 9th. I must say I am a little worried about him. He’s like a boogeyman hiding in the closet waiting to jump out and spoil your good dream. If he is real bad and Francona hangs his hat on him too long, he could single handedly ruin the whole season. Thoughts like that after a blowout win make you a TRUE Red Sox fan.

Oh well, one win down, 161 to go. GO SOX!

Play Ball!

So this is it, the day when the games start to count until October, when we start to answer the questions about the viability of this year’s team and their ability to overcome the numerous potential problems that lurk in the shadows like demons of disaster. The specters of Schilling’s ankle, Foulke’s knees, Beckett’s hands, Nixon’s back, Loretta’s Coco Crisp’s reaction to the pressure, Mike Lowell’s bat, Tavarez’s temper and the abilities of the entire bullpen all flit about, taunting Red Sox Nation with the uncertainties of failure. If things come together, though…

The original plan for the evening was that Robin and I were going to gather at my apartment in the evening, sport the necessary gear and scream obscenities or cheers at the TV while my girlfriend wonders why she’s dating a Red Sox fan. However, a quick check of today’s schedule to see whether or not the game started at 7:05 or 8:05 revealed that, horror of horrors, the game starts at 2:05 this afternoon. 2:05?!? A major market team playing an up-and-comer like Texas and the fans get played like we’re rooting for Kansas City? I see ESPN2 is partly behind the broadcast – I assume I have them to blame. In any case, both Robin and I have alternate means of viewing to contest and Robin will be back later with today’s recap. Baseball’s back, kids and it is with pleasure that I say for the first time this season:

GO SOX!!!

Bronson Arroyo will eat your Babies and Swallow your Soul

So it’s the 7th inning, Cincinnati is winning 1 – 0 in the final Florida game of Spring Training and Bronson Arroyo has nine strikeouts.  I think he might be channeling his rage about the trade into his performance against Boston.  Maybe.

Your 2006 Boston Red Sox

Opening Day...so close...

Although the final due date isn’t until Monday, Tito and Theo have made the decisions, exercised the options, made the cuts, operated the waiver-wire, named those who are Pawtucket-bound and created the 25 man roster for Opening Day. The last man standing for 2006? New acquisition and member of the Korean National Team Hee-Seop Choi, who has a single minor option left and will be in Pawtucket assuming he clears another set of waivers. Since a whole bunch of teams just passed him up a few days ago, it’s safe to say that Theo’s insurance pick for first base – to be activated if Lowell doesn’t work out and Youkilis needs to move to third or if J.T. Snow suddenly realizes that even though he looks like he’s 12, he’s actually 38 and decides it’s time to retire – will still be in Boston’s possession at the start of next week.

Today’s announcement also includes the likely starting lineups, broken out by type of pitcher. The choices in personnel aren’t too surprising – Peña substituted for Nixon against lefties, Snow platooned with Youkilis against righties only – but what I did find interesting is that Tito didn’t opt to go for the power core of Ortiz, Manny and Peña against lefties. Instead, Francona slotted Peña into the seventh slot, after Varitek and Lowell. I imagine the idea is to give Lowell some protection (much like Manny protects Ortiz now) by making the idea of pitching around Lowell to get to Peña less palatable. Of course, Lowell actually needs to hit to make that strategy worthwhile. It could also be that Peña is supposed to fill the role that Bill Mueller had in the lineup the past few year – the dangerous bottom of the order hitter who could make things difficult for a tired pitcher and start something up for the top of the lineup.

Meanwhile, down in FLA, Foulke looks back to form – on his first time out, at least. And even then, the victims of his thirteen pitch, three strikeout inning were minor leaguers, members of the Ottawa Lynx. Still, Foulke closed the door on each batter with a different pitch and even more encouraging, there’s a 12 MPH difference between his changeup and his fastball – and the closer promises to grow that gap even more as the season opens. With appearances today against the Jays and over the weekend before the season opener in Texas, Foulke’s got some more opportunities to prove that he’s really back to 2004 form before it starts to count. I’m going to remain cautiously optimistic on this one and try to forget that Foulke is another one of those elements of this team that needs to work out if the Sox want to have a shot at the playoffs.

WMF Redux

The season is starting soon (next week! wooo!) so we will be doing weekly updates of the WMF stat column Eric and I added to the site. Check out the Weird Mitigating Factors post to get info on how that all works.

Poor Trot. Any other year he would have a real high WMF, but with all the pickups the front office has made, I bet he sees a younger guy waiting to take his spot every time he turns around.

Mama Said Knock You Out

Nanah-nanah-nanah-nanah-nanah-nanah-nanah-nanah-Julian!

Spring training is beginning to look like a fight from the old Batman series with Adam West.

POW! BIFF! On Sunday, Beckett goes nuts after the Phillies Ryan Howard admires a LONG out that the wind blown in. Howard says that would have been a home run on a normal day, Beckett tells him to do something that is nearly anatomically impossible and only legal in Alabama. Benches clear. Hilarity ensues.

BAM! CRACK! Today, the bullpens resident nut job Julian Tavarez throws a right cross into the face of Joey Gathright as he slides into home. Did Gathright really spike him? Who knows! But the benches clear and tempers flared. No one feuds with Tampa like the Sox.

Your 2006 Boston Red Sox!
We might lose the game… but we ALWAYS win the fight!

Juan Really Gone (Strange) Free Graf (Huh?) and Choi (Ok)

Ok some strangeness (like that’s new). Another unique Theo pick up. The cheap and versatile Hee Sop Choi is added to the roster for about $750,000 and a plate of kimchi. Nice pick and it adds another option if Snow, Youlk and Lowell don’t pan out. Can’t complain about this one unless you remember that we lack bullpen depth. Choi don’t pitch.

On the other side of weirdness… apparently Juan Gonzalez backed out of his minor league deal with the Sox due to the acquisition of Wily Mo. He can put 1 and 1 together I guess. Here’s where it gets odd. Juan said he had a deal with Oakland lined up and that’s where he would go. But according to them, that’s not remotely true (6th paragraph down). He made it up? Nice and crazy! Now he is trying out for the Rockies. If that doesn’t work I think Narnia is trying to field a team.

Oh and BYE Graffanino. Waivers huh? I would have liked SOMETHING in return for you... but I guess it was not to be. Hope you find a home, maybe you can shack up with Juan Gone.

Wily Mo and Much Mo

It was a classic Sox/Yanks show down (only it was spring training and nobody really cares that much, right?) and it was the first chance to see slugger Wily Mo Pena (WMP) as a Red Sox. I must admit… I almost forgot that this one didn’t count.

In the end, the Yankees pitching (and Riske struggles) elevated them to a 5-4 win, but the real story was the Sox young sluggers. WMP hit a line drive homerun that probably wouldn’t have made it out of Fenway, but it was more than enough for the stadium in Tampa. I really am taking a shine to this guy. He looks like a fun loving, hard hitting, and bad fielding (but had a good catch at the wall last night) Dominican power hitter… and YES, I know we already have 2 of those.

The other guy that has been the talk of the town is our favorite Canadian (sorry Geddy Lee) Adam Stern! Ever since he destroyed team USA in the WBC this guy has been switched on. He had 3 hits last night with a HR in the 9th to make it close. So now we have 2 more outfielders and nowhere to put them.

I think this spells the end for Trot Nixon. He may be a hard nosed, tobacco spittin' dirt dog... but after this season he will go the way of Millar, O-Cabs, Arroyo, Pedro, Minky, Myers, Embree, Bellhorn, Mueller, Lowe, Damon, Belli, and Pokey. Another one of the 25 champs from 2004 that will leave to find his own dreams and destiny. Or go to a strip club. I don’t really know where these guys go.

Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Coming to your local ballpark...

…and just as suddenly, Juan Gone gets second billing to bigger news: the last of the rockers has left Boston. In a surprise move, the Sox sent Bronson Arroyo and cash to the Reds for young gun Wily Mo Pena. Millar, Mueller, Arroyo…Theo will have to play his Pearl Jam covers by himself. A surprise move, you say? Well, let me count the ways:

1. Even with the glut of starting pitchers that Boston enjoyed, Arroyo was supposedly under a sacred sign: with his recent contract deal, he played the game and bet that the Sox wouldn’t risk the public relations problem of trading a pitcher who just undersigned to stay with a particular team. Conventional wisdom had Arroyo staying in Boston in the bullpen and Clement riding off into the sunset, but clearly the front office had other things in mind. Especially…


2. …since Arroyo isn’t such hot potatoes and Wily Mo Pena…well…he’s pretty frickin’ awesome. I mean, I know Theo mentioned that the Reds needed pitching and the Sox needed outfielders, but I think it’s safe to say Boston got the huge upside on this deal. Now Coco, Manny and Pena just need to start a Public Enemy cover group, take up the torch that Arroyo drops in Boston and bring the noise.

So, new outfielder. Robin thinks this trade and the Juan Gone acquisition are signs of the coming departure of Trot Nixon, but I think it’s a little early to write off Ol’ Trotsky. Gonzalez needs to battle his way up through the minor leagues. Pena is a lefty killer; his power and hitting numbers over the past few years make him perfect platoon-mate with Nixon, whose specialty, to put it mildly, is righties. He’s 24, Papi says he hits the ball harder than anyone he knows and he’s got the potential to grow into a fearsome right field presence as Trot’s future replacement. So departs the Cornroyo, the Guns and Corn, another member of the 2004 team…and not a bad catch in his place. Good luck, Bronson.

Juan Gone But Not Hard to Find

Playing the role of aged slugger who will get $1 Million dollars but probably less than 20 AB is none other than Juan Gonzalez. Theo saw him languishing on the side of the road and lured him into his SUV with candy treats and a one year minor league contract. I guess the bottom of the barrel was shallower this year. Frank Thomas is an Athletic, Sammy Sosa really did retire and I don’t think Rafael Palmeiro is a good fit in Boston. That leaves Juan Gone. Welcome!

I think I went over the fact that baseball players are not wine… age isn’t a positive factor. Unfortunately, age is the one thing Gonzalez has in spades (actually he is only 36. So maybe it’s not the age but the mileage). Then again it is a low money contract and he will be battling Adam Stern for the backup outfield position when (that’s WHEN not IF) Trot spends a few weeks on the DL. If Juan can bounce back from an injury plagued season then Theo will look like a genius. If not, no biggie!

Hmmm… seems like the Red Sox have a TON of players hoping to bounce back to former glory. I hope that a time machine becomes standard equipment in the trainers room.

Love That Pitching...

Because Heaven forbid that I should be able to watch Spring Training games (especially on days without the WBC love), I plugged in to Twins radio yesterday and listened to the sweet sound of Josh Beckett’s fastball making hitters look foolish. One run on five hits over five innings, you say? Torii Hunter looking like Beckett’s fastball stole his wallet while striking him out, you say? I love it. Not to mention that today, young Jonathan Papelbon gave up no hits through five innings to hold the peg the Sox to a five to nothing lead against the Marlins. Things go this well consistently during the season and at the very least the Sox seem assured of a post-season berth.

To continue the pitching love, Tim Wakefield is awesome. Yes, he’s a consistent pitcher who doesn’t get hurt very often, makes the sacrifices necessary to make sure that the team gets ahead, etc. and we all know and love these things about him. Indeed, anyone who ever held the Aaron Boone homerun against Wakefield should have turned in his or her Red Sox Nation membership card (the real one, not that money-grubbing crap the club put out) by now. And yet his awesomeness grows: doing crosswords in the dugout during spring training, preparing to hold down the number two rotation spot this year to throw a curveball (or a knuckleball) into the preparations of opposing hitters…and he’s been with the Sox so long (12 years this season) that according to this year’s media guide, he’s played with twenty percent of the players who’ve ever worn a Red Sox uniform. Wake doesn’t know how long he’ll be around before he hangs up his spikes, but I’ll be glad to see him as long as he’s around.

The Rocket, who’s got to be baseball’s equivalent of Adriana Lima, says he is hanging up the spikes after Team USA’s tournament-eliminating loss to Mexico last night…but he might be back later in the season. Presumably to whichever team waves the most money, the possibility of another ring and maybe a full wait staff at him. Baseball’s multi-million dollar team fell to another competitor with more heart (and more offense) than the Americans and while the result was a bit shocking, I continue to think that it’s for the best for the tournament that Team USA didn’t win the first ever World Baseball Classic. Also, with a little more personal venom, might I add that I’m especially pleased that the game ended with Jorge Cantu tagging out Johnny Damon during a double play.

Acta and Tito

From San Juan to San Diego, it's all good

The WBC continues to impress: Venezuela and the Dominican Republic battling to avoid elimination and secure a spot in the semi-finals at the same time. Oddly enough, even though critics simultaneously tout the DR for their magnificent run potential and claim that their pitching is not up to par, it was pitching that stepped up tonight when Venezuela’s Freddy Garcia shut down the DR bats. Dominican Daniel Cabrera (best known for his death stare game face) did Garcia one better, shutting down Venezuela with his nasty sinking strikeout pitch, striking out a WBC tied-record of seven – and being fortunate enough to not have a player who’s in transition from left-field to third-base (Miguel Cabrera) at the hot corner.

Run number one came with the bases loaded in the first after Cabrera dropped a rolling grounder. The Venezuelans tied it up with a walk, a double and a groundball off of otherwise stellar young Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano in the sixth and with the way the pitching duel progressed, extra innings seemed likely…until the Dominicans managed to load the bases for the second time in the seventh inning and squeeze in a run when catcher Ramon Hernandez allowed a Kelvin Escobar pitch to hit off his glove and escape to the backstop. Even then, the game wasn’t over – DR reliever Duaner Sanchez managed to get two outs in the ninth, then loaded the bases in a tension-fraught finish where Sanchez seemed to have lost the outside edge of the plate. Finally, a pop fly to right field and the game ended.

Once again, the appeal of these games is how every contest is like a playoff game or the World Series. Every game matters and with national pride at stake, the players, especially the ones from underdog countries, play like these are the most important games of their lives. The internationalization of baseball is a very cool thing.

Meanwhile, on Yawkey Way they extended Tito’s contract until 2008. Makes sense, as far as I can tell – the upper management is still in place, the goal is still to win in new and innovative ways, so why remove a fairly popular and compliant manager? We’ll continue to question some of his decisions, debate his player management tactics and with any luck, wonder how he gets so lucky at the end of the season.

Root Root Root for the Villans

Lots of action this weekend. Red Sox pitchers continue their poor performances with Schilling pitching way too far inside vs the Pirates and Paps getting knocked around by the Twins (goodbye Mayors Cup). In international news (always wanted to say that) the WBC is still captivating and moving into round 2. Cuba beat up on Venezuela 7-2, Korea shocked Mexico 2-1 and Puerto Rico destroyed the DR 7-1 (and it wasn’t even that close).

The real story was the Japan/USA game. The heavily favored USA had come from behind to tie the score at 3 in the bottom of the 6th. In the 7th, Japan loaded the bases with one out. The Japanese 3rd baseman Akinori Iwamura (THE Akinori Iwamura!) hits an apparent sac fly to put Japan on top 4-3. But NO! Conspiracy! Controversy! Scandal! USA skipper Buck Martinez said the runner from 3rd left early and that there are now 3 outs and the run doesn’t count. He bitched and moaned and appealed to the other umpires… and got it over turned!

The runner CLEARLY didn’t leave early. Japans manager Sadaharu Oh (long lost father of Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh?) was pissed. The finishing touch was A-Rod hitting a bleeder up the middle in the ninth to win it 4-3. Ugly. International incident ugly. I know Eric defended team USA (we were unfairly labeling them Team Yankee) but now I believe they deserve some ire. They are the Dick Dastardly and Muttley of this Wacky Race. Who knows what dirty tricks and underhanded schemes are left in the playbook for the USA.

Team Mexico kidnapped and forced to work in Texas Wal-Marts for less than minimum wage?

Puerto Rico declared a state and forced to fold into team USA?

All Cuban players arrested for ties to Communist dictator Bud Selig?

Look at it from an international perspective. Isn’t the United States the Yankees when compared to the rest of the world? They both pay through the nose to have the best stuff, they were big winners back in the day but are underachieving now and both of their managers are rich and nuts! Didn’t I hear that Cashman just shot a buddy in the head while hunting for rats in the Bronx? It’s like looking in a mirror!

WBC 4 Eva!

El Commandante enjoys baseball
and not losing members of his national team to defection

I have a fun new ritual for the next few weeks: from 1:00 PM until quitting time it’s World Baseball Classic time. This afternoon featured a four and a half hour battle between Panama and Cuba at the stadium in San Juan, with Cuba trying to win their first WBC game and Panama trying to avoid elimination after losing last night to Puerto Rico. Even though analysts (and by analysts, I mean everyone – ESPN rightly referred to Cuba as the Yankees of the Rest of the World) expected Cuba to walk all over Panama, the game turned into an eleven inning duel. Fantastic pitching that fell apart just when the game seemed in hand, incredible diving plays in the field, goofy running mistakes, seven hit batsmen, home runs that quickly turned the tide…it was a hard-fought contest and although Panama ended up losing eight to six, it was one of the best games I’ve ever watched. My appreciation for this tournament increases daily.

Meanwhile, over in Arizona, Team USA (who I’ve come, somewhat unfairly, to think of as Team Yankee) just suffered an embarrassing loss to Our Neighbors to the North. I’m a bit ambivalent about this situation; my nationalist sympathies aren’t as high as they might be and truth be told, it would probably be better for the tournament and for baseball across the world if the United States didn’t win this time around. Besides, the US faces South Africa tomorrow and I don’t think anyone’s betting against the Americans. Plus, it prolongs the drama, which is a Good Thing.

Things are going very well for those WBC players from the Red Sox: The Cap’n hit his second-ever grand slam to greet a new pitcher as a part of a six run fifth inning and Adam Stern…wow. Over the past two days, Stern is five for seven, with a walk, a double, six runs and two RBI. He’s also got two incredible catches: a sliding snow cone that saved an extra-base hit and, even more psychologically damaging, a full speed, slamming-into-the-padding-on-the-centerfield-wall catch on a ball hit by Chase Utley that seemed destined to leave the park. If this guy is the guy who comes in when they need a late-game replacement for Trot Nixon’s legs, I’m very ok with it.

He's SO Papi

BOOM

I watched my first World Baseball Classic game today: Venezuela versus the Dominican Republic in the first game of the D Pool match ups. I admit to skepticism about the whole idea before today, especially in the past few months, where the rumors coming from the press were that no one was organized, rosters hadn’t been set, etc. And then when players started dropping out of the tournament for various reasons…well, the WBC started to sound like a bit of a joke, staffed by second-tier players. Still, when Major League Baseball refuses to broadcast Red Sox Spring Training games and after seeing the (remaining) star power on the lineups, I decided to take my chances. Besides, I loves me some Papi.

As it turns out, the game was time well spent: the big man hit two massive jacks; one on his first at-bat to lead off the second inning and one in the ninth to help break the game open for the DR. On the first homer, there was an element of surprise; Ortiz got frustrated with the diet of off-speed pitches from Johan Santana and suddenly crushed a sinker that didn’t sink about as far as you could go to deep center. On the second homerun, David made the whole thing look easy, almost as if he read the rookie pitcher’s mind before the poor fool tried to blow a high fastball by him. It was pretty damn awesome to watch.

Whittle 'em Down

…And then there were two. Two days after a harrowing experience catching Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball in a game against Minnesota, John Flaherty announced his retirement from baseball. Flaherty didn’t give a specific reason for retiring after a 14-year career, but I think it’s safe to assume that the idea of learning how to catch a knuckleball while competing with two other, younger catchers for a roster spot wasn’t as appealing as it might have been earlier in his career. Journeyman Ken Huckaby and youngerster Josh Bard are still in contention for Mirabelli's old spot; Robin and I both assume Bard will get the job because he's a lot younger and the Sox picked up him in a trade, while the 35-year-old Huckaby is in Ft. Myers as a non-roster invitee.

Goodbye Puck

Kirby Puckett, dead at age 45.

"I know if there were a line of players standing on a block and I had the
first pick, I would pick Kirby Puckett."
-Kent Hrbek

"There was no player I enjoyed playing against more than Kirby. He brought
such joy to the game. He elevated the play of everyone around him."
-Carlton Fisk

"He had some faults, we knew that, but when all was said and done he
would treat you as well as he would anyone else. No matter who you were."
-Twins GM Terry Ryan

Rest in peace Puck.

WTF??!!

He's back for Round 2

“For as much as Wells loves to hop on his surf board on blissful San Diego mornings with his kids, he also loves to win.”
- RedSox.com

You’re damned right. Guess what, San Diego: you can keep your beautiful weather, your sun-kissed beaches, your world-famous zoo, because your baseball team won the best of the worst competition in the NL West last year and David Wells wants no part of it. The man wants to end his career with a bang and by God, no one better mess with his cake. Since he’s not leaving Boston, the Sox now have seven starters on the roster, an embarrassment of riches even compared to last year’s haul of starters – and all of them are healthy, too. Will Papelbon be riding the Lou Merloni Special down to Pawtucket? Will Arroyo make an exit-left to the bullpen? Will Clement make an exit-right to some other team in exchange for…? Prospects, I guess; there aren’t too many holes in the lineup right now. Time will tell, I guess, but I’m glad we’ve got Wells around for another year and that he’s here to win.

Baseball! Or a Close Facsimile Thereof

"You see that Korean team?"

Two major events happened yesterday, and with MLB TV I was able to watch them both from wet and snowy Brooklyn. The Red Sox spring training games have started and the World Baseball Classic kicked off. Woo Hoo! After months of making up garbage to fill space, a tangible event occurred! Let me hit them one at a time:

Spring Training Game 1: Boston Red Sox 3, Minnesota Twins 6

It is ALWAYS great to see the Sox play a game. That being said… who were these guys? Luke Allen, Trent Durrington, Ron Calloway, and Craig Breslow? It was like the whos-who of “WHO?!?!” I know, I know… SPRING TRAINING, but I at least want to have HEARD your name one time before you face Johan Santana.

Papelbon got the start for Boston and it was a scary start. Shannon Stewart led off the game by pegging Paps off the foot. Looked bad, but wasn’t. Paps stayed in for 2 innings, giving up 2 runs in process. His fastball was awesome, location… not so much. Coco Crisp had a fantastic debut (fan favorite already) by going 3-3 and just a HR from the cycle. The man is about contact and speed. Hot rookie pitchers Delcarmen and Hansen each pitched a scoreless inning and had a strikeout. 2 solo homeruns say Rudy Seanez still sucks.

Down 0-1 in the Mayor's Cup. We’ll get ‘em.

WBC Round 1: Korea 2, China Taipei 0

Wow. This was a ton of fun. No really! I enjoyed it to the point where it didn’t bother me that the video feed off MLB TV had no announcers. No Korean, no Chinese, no English… nothing. Still, this game had everything.

Big Stars: I didn’t recognize any of the China Taipei players (maybe I’m ignorant) but Korea had some big guns. Hee-Seop Choi, Chan Ho Park and the immortal Byung Hyun Kim (didn’t cry). A real star studded evening.

Great Fans: The huge Tokyo Dome had about 3000 people in it. Not kidding. However, from the sound of things you might have thought it was full. That’s because every fan had a thunderstick, cowbell, horn or disco whistle. These people went nuts over every fly ball, called strike or ground out. It really took away from the good plays (there were a few) when they actually happened.

The Tokyo Dome: A weird place that looks like the cross between a football stadium and an aquarium. Most of the ads that covered the walls were in Japanese, except for a few including the vague Super “Dry” (their quotation marks, not mine). Any clue what that is? Anyone? The between inning music was also rather odd. Some random techno, U2, John Fogerty, Van Helan, The Clash and more often than not, awkward silence. How many more games are played here?

Funny Names: Warning… this may get childish (but they are all real). Some of my favorites: Dong Joo Kim, Chang Ming Chang, Jin Man Park, Jong Kook Kim, Sung Heon Hong, Po Keng. The obvious favorite is Po Keng… but Jin Man Park is great too! Isn’t the “Man Park” where people leave their car in Provincetown?

The Game Play: Not bad actually. Lots of small ball, not much power, some great fielding and pitching that was measured in kilometers per hour (took some getting used to). The strangest play of the night was when Korean 3B Dong Joo Kim slid HEAD FIRST into first base to beat out a throw. Fans loved it and gave him a standing ovation when he was removed for a pinch runner (looked like he separated his shoulder). Let's not put that on the highlight reel.

All in all it was lots of fun and I will continue watching these games. The pitch count got bothersome (lots of early pulls) and the threat of a looming tie sucked, but it looked, felt and sounded like baseball. What else do you need? I can’t wait till the next round.

Japan vs China at 4:30 am? Ok, maybe I can wait.

A Visitor from Planet Man-Ram

Manny Returns to Ft. Myers

He asks for a trade almost every off-season. It is rumored he hates playing for the Red Sox and can’t stand the lack of privacy in Boston. He doesn’t appreciate that his contract is one of the biggest in baseball history.

But we love Manny.

He shows up late to spring training. He takes “personal” days off during the season. He takes sick days and then is found partying with Enrique Wilson. He has been called a slacker, a lay-about, a goof off and worse.

We still love Manny.

His play in the field is one step beyond bad. He looks like he doesn’t know where he is half the time. He has been caught with headphones and a water bottle out in the field and he pisses in the Green Monster between batters.

Why do we love Manny so much?

40 HR and 130 RBI. That’s what he brings to the table almost every season. That’s Hall of Fame numbers. That’s astounding, amazing and eye popping when paired with Ortiz, another giant of offense, there is no better duo in the majors.

So, spit in our face. Tell us we suck. Tell us you don’t want to play here. We will love you for it. We can’t NOT love you. Your antics are always forgiven and laughed off because of what you do at the plate. Besides, your goofiness makes the game “fun” even when it’s not supposed to be.

Manny is Back.