Ramblings
May 1, 2008
"Butterfly with hiccups"
April 27, 2008
Red Sox Batting Stances
Pretty funny video. The Mo Vaughn and the over-the-top Youkilis impressions are great..
March 25, 2008
Opening Day in Japan
It's opening day for the Sox! Nothing like getting up at 5:30 for a little pre-work baseball...
February 24, 2008
"Give me some crackers and I don't care..."
Seeing as baseball season is fast approaching, here's Amelia doing her version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
February 14, 2008
Like Love, Baseball is in the Air
Ah yes, today is the official beginning of spring training! And I'm not sure if I feel good or nervous that, just like me, Josh Beckett could benefit from doing some sit-ups...
December 18, 2007
Mitchell Report: A Red Sox Conspiracy
Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, an unapologetic Yankee fan, thinks the Mitchell Report is just a Red Sox conspiracy...
November 10, 2007
Acceptable 2007 World Series Matchup
MLB Announces Acceptable 2007 World Series Matchups
I missed this Onion article when it ran back in May, but looks like MLB got its wish that "any underdog team from the National League is acceptable as long as they play against the Yankees or Red Sox."
I missed this Onion article when it ran back in May, but looks like MLB got its wish that "any underdog team from the National League is acceptable as long as they play against the Yankees or Red Sox."
October 29, 2007
Sox Win!
Everybody already knows it, but it'd be odd if I didn't at least mention it: the Red Sox won the World Series. Obviously, I'm very happy about that! The only bad thing about the sweep is that my Sox-fan sister-in-law was in Spain for work the past week and missed every game.
October 9, 2007
Apology Ecard for Yankee Fans
If you're a jerk, here's an ecard you can send to your Yankee fan friends:
(Hopefully this same ecard won't be needed for Sox fans...)
(Hopefully this same ecard won't be needed for Sox fans...)
October 1, 2007
Hidden Elements in Logos
Uni Watch is a blog all about sports uniforms, and often has some interesting articles. (It's where I learned about baseball's "futuristic" uniforms...glad I missed those games.) Anyway, there's a pretty good one about hidden elements in sports logos (inspired by a discussion of the FedEx logo's negative space arrow). In it they mention the Hartford Whalers "HW" (a fantastic logo, IMO) and also schooled me about the "MB" in the old Milwaukee Brewers glove logo.Speaking of logos, on a trip last week I noticed at the airport that Northwest Airlines has changed their logo, which I think is a shame. The old one combined the N and W into a simple, single element: what looks like an italicized N becomes a W with the arrow in the top left -- which, of course, is pointing northwest. The new logo just makes me think of this NWA...
September 30, 2007
The Season Ends
The Sox (finally) win the AL East, I won't say anything to my Mets-following family and friends, and Jon in Philly watches a great comeback. Let the playoffs begin...
September 13, 2007
400
What a difference between Boston and Florida baseball: While Fenway sells out the park every night (375+ consecutive games), take a look at this photo from yesterday's Marlins-Nationals game. There were about 400 fans total, and only half of that stayed until the Marlins won the game in the 12th.
Labels: baseball
August 4, 2007
Home Plate
OK, I'm an idiot. Or not observant. Or something.
I'm a pretty avid baseball fan. I played many years of little league and, except for taking time off in the late 80s/early 90s to ride my bike instead, have followed the Red Sox pretty closely. Thiry-six years on this earth, a baseball fan for most of them.
But it wasn't until this past Friday that I finally realized something: I was finishing the final DVD of Ken Burns' Baseball when someone pointed out the obvious: home plate is actually shaped like a home! I'm so used to seeing it as shown in the photo here that I never noticed that by rotating it 180 degrees, it's the shape of a house.
I told a sports fan at work, and he hadn't noticed either (and he was a catcher when he played baseball). So I'm probably not alone, but still somewhat shocked.
I'm a pretty avid baseball fan. I played many years of little league and, except for taking time off in the late 80s/early 90s to ride my bike instead, have followed the Red Sox pretty closely. Thiry-six years on this earth, a baseball fan for most of them.But it wasn't until this past Friday that I finally realized something: I was finishing the final DVD of Ken Burns' Baseball when someone pointed out the obvious: home plate is actually shaped like a home! I'm so used to seeing it as shown in the photo here that I never noticed that by rotating it 180 degrees, it's the shape of a house.
I told a sports fan at work, and he hadn't noticed either (and he was a catcher when he played baseball). So I'm probably not alone, but still somewhat shocked.
Labels: baseball
May 30, 2007
Biscuits or Nuts?
I might've found a minor league team with a worse/better name than the Montgomery Biscuits: the Modesto Nuts.
Eh, I still prefer Biscuits.
Eh, I still prefer Biscuits.
Labels: baseball
May 18, 2007
MLB Salary vs. Performance Graph
2007 salary vs. performance
An interactive graph that lets you see what baseball teams are spending their money well (related to their record) over the course of the 2007 season.
An interactive graph that lets you see what baseball teams are spending their money well (related to their record) over the course of the 2007 season.
Labels: baseball
May 17, 2007
A Yankees Batboy's First Day
My First Day with the Yankees
Here's a great story of how a kid became the batboy for the New York Yankees, and his first day on the job. (via kottke)
Here's a great story of how a kid became the batboy for the New York Yankees, and his first day on the job. (via kottke)
Labels: baseball
February 23, 2007
Conan O'Brien & 1864 Baseball
Baseball season is almost here, and I came across this video of Conan O'Brien interviewing people who play olde tyme baseball: "1864 rules, 1864 costumes. Some say a waste of time. Others say an incredible waste of time."
January 12, 2007
Magical Fenway Park
Fenway all about 'the history and the tradition' (ESPN)
Fenway Park is magical. There's no ballpark, stadium or arena quite like it. Squeezed into the Fenway section of Boston, it's old, cramped and irritable, but there's no better place, no more intimate setting, for a baseball game.
December 6, 2006
Baseball Player Answers Fan Mail 15 Years Late
Slate has a story about former Major League pitcher Don Carman answering his fan mail a decade-and-a-half late because he recently found a box of letters that were misplaced when he moved.
One thing that makes postgame interviews with baseball players useless are the cliche responses they give...which is why I found this part of the article funny:
One thing that makes postgame interviews with baseball players useless are the cliche responses they give...which is why I found this part of the article funny:
After enduring years worth of questions from benighted sports writers ("How'd it feel out there today, Don?"), Carman compiled a list of 37 suitably vapid answers that could be applied to almost any query. These included: "Baseball's a funny game"; "I just want to help the club any way I can"; "I didn't have my good stuff, but I battled 'em"; and, a personal favorite, "We have a different hero every day." Carman posted the list above his locker with a note that told writers, "You saw the game ... take what you need."Of course, what was a joke to Don Carman are legitimate answers for most players today. You can read his entire list of answers here.
Labels: baseball
September 28, 2006
The Countdown Begins
The season's not (officially) over yet, but it's never too soon to begin the countdown to pitchers and catchers reporting...
Labels: baseball
September 22, 2006
Prime Minister Pete Nice: baseball expert
Rapping to the Oldies (NY Times)
Peter J. Nash, a baseball author, historian and filmmaker ... knows exhaustive details about the earliest days of baseball, endless specifics about when the game was born.
With passion in his voice, he mentions ancient clubs like the Brooklyn Excelsiors and the New York Gothams. But something else about Nash’s cool, gritty voice makes him distinctive, something that he divulges if anyone bothers to ask. Peter J. Nash was once known as Prime Minister Pete Nice [of the rap group 3rd Bass].
Labels: baseball
August 27, 2006
Submariner of the Future?
You might already know that I'm a fan of sidearm & submarine pitchers. Yesterday Jill & I took Amelia to Fenway Park (for her first time) to see "Futures at Fenway": a doubleheader of Sox minor league teams Lowell Spinners and Pawtucket Red Sox.
We only stayed for the Spinners game (who won 3-1), but it was cool to see (a) Jonathan Papelbon's younger brother Joshua close out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save, and (b) that Joshua is a submariner. Check the photo of him above: people's arms just shouldn't bend that way. Anyway, I'll dig it if he makes it to the Red Sox someday.
August 24, 2006
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
I can't stand Dan Shaughnessy (so why do I occasionally read his column? I don't know). His recent bit of sarcastic crap really got on my nerves, and somehow (OK, I Googled "Dan Shaughnessy is an asshole") I stumbled upon a site: Dan Shaughnessy Watch (motto: "We read him so you don't have to"). Entertaining, especially with things like pointing out that
[Shaughnessy was] the same guy on June 26, 2005 [who] wrote that the Red Sox would win the AL East in a walk; the same guy who named Josh Beckett the heir to Roger Clemens only to reverse course and practically slander him in the process; the same guy who called David Ortiz "a giant sack of you-know-what"; the same guy who on Dec. 13, 2000, wrote that the signing of Manny Ramirez boosted Dan Duquette "from doofus to genius in less than 24 hours."
August 2, 2006
Smells Like Jeter
Great tagline for Derek Jeter's cologne: Strong Enough For a Man ... But Made for a Yankee
Labels: baseball
August 1, 2006
Le Monde du Papi
Great Sox game last night! When the 9th inning came around with the Sox down by 2, I told Jill "If Ortiz gets a chance to bat, he'll either tie it or win it." Of course, I'm not the only one who thought that:
But when Ortiz stepped to the plate last night, everyone in the free world knew that he was going yard. I knew it. You knew it. Your neighbor's wife knew it. The guy down the street who steals your newspaper knew it. Your dog knew it. Your sideburns knew it.
May 9, 2006
Vote for Gardener
Off Mound, Mets' Ace Loosens Up in His Garden (NY Times)
"It has to be in you to work with flowers, but if you grow up with it, you realize how it can make you untouchable," [Pedro] Martínez said. "If something hurts, it disappears when you are in the garden. It's about deep thinking, about letting go."I couldn't agree more. After a bad day, there's nothing I enjoy more than relaxing by taking care of my gardens.
March 10, 2006
the donut burger
Along the lines of the (fictitious) Good Morning Burger from the Simpsons ("We take eighteen ounces of sizzling ground beef, and soak it in rich, creamery butter, then we top it off with bacon, ham, and a fried egg. We call it the Good Morning Burger.") comes "Baseball's Best Burger":
Minor league team the Gateway Grizzlies will be selling a donut burger that "will include a hamburger topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon -- all between a 'bun' of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donuts." It sounds gross, the photo looks gross, and I can't imagine people enjoying this "meal and a dessert in one."
Minor league team the Gateway Grizzlies will be selling a donut burger that "will include a hamburger topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon -- all between a 'bun' of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donuts." It sounds gross, the photo looks gross, and I can't imagine people enjoying this "meal and a dessert in one."
Labels: baseball
March 6, 2006
sports uniform lettering
When an article combines baseball and typography, it gets my attention. Welcome to Arch Madness on ESPN.com discusses vertically arched lettering on sports uniforms and includes plenty of links to example images:
The lettering for player names on most jerseys is radially arched, which means the letters are fanned out to form a crescent. [B]ut with vertically arched lettering, each individual letter receives its own distinct degree of "uphill" or "downhill" slant, depending on its place within the player's name.
Labels: baseball
March 2, 2006
Spring training
I had a nice surprise when I logged onto My Yahoo today. My normally empty Scoreboard module was actually showing something:
Spring training is officially here!
Spring training is officially here!
Labels: baseball
February 11, 2006
December 22, 2005
Damn NY cheaters!
Lawton admits steroid use; says 'I was desperate'
If Lawton didn't cheat to win that game for NY, the Red Sox (who had the same 95-67 record as the Yankees at the end of the season) would've actually won the American League East. (Yes I know: "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts...")
Lawton said that he's never taken amphetamines, but injected the steroid on Sept. 20. The next day, he started in center field and hit a home run in his first at-bat.So, let's take a look at that game in question: Yankee-Orioles on September 21. Matt Lawton hits his steroid-fueled home run, which results in the only 2 runs scored by the Yankees...who go on to win the game 2-1.
If Lawton didn't cheat to win that game for NY, the Red Sox (who had the same 95-67 record as the Yankees at the end of the season) would've actually won the American League East. (Yes I know: "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts...")
Labels: baseball
December 21, 2005
No more Sox sidearmers
Bummer. Two of my favorite Sox pitchers are now gone. Sidearmer Mike Myers already signed with the Yankees, and now the Sox have released Chad Bradford. I guess I'll just have to get used to seeing guys pitch overhand again.
December 20, 2005
Goodbye Bill Mueller
I can't stand Dan Shaughnessy, but he wrote a nice sendoff to Red Sox third-baseman "Buell" Mueller.
Mueller leaves an enduring mark with Sox
Mueller leaves an enduring mark with Sox
He left quietly, which is the way it always was with Bill Mueller, the Sox' Stealth Star from 2003-05.
Think about it. He played here almost every day for three years at a time when the Sox achieved popularity that bordered on religious fanaticism. He won a batting title for the Red Sox and played Gold Glove-caliber defense. He hit three home runs in a game. In a time when David Ortiz emerged as the Sox' greatest clutch hitter since Yaz, Mueller delivered two of the biggest hits in the history of the franchise. Oh, and does anybody remember that Mueller hit .429 when the Red Sox won their first World Series since World War I?
And yet, somehow, he did it all without anyone really noticing.
December 8, 2005
'06 Sox infield
First the Sox get a new second baseman, then they let the first baseman go (while the backup retired), the third baseman is going to the Dodgers, and now they just traded their shortstop. Looks like a new beginning for Boston's infield in '06...
October 10, 2005
2005 Red Sox
October 6, 2005
A Test of Faith
A Test of Faith @ Surviving Grady
What a difference a year makes. Last October, this would have been a profanity-filled rant with all sorts of illogical reasons why the Sox are doomed to break our hearts and spirits again. Now, I know better; this is simply a test. For all the fans who swore up and down after the 2004 ALCS that they would never lose faith, it is time to put up.
Yes, we are down 2 games to none. Yes, last night was a nut-buster. Yes, the sins of the 2005 season were all repeated and wrapped up in a nice little one-game summary; poor defense, no timely hitting, swinging at first pitches and a serious lack of hustle. But still I have faith. The Red Sox have been in this situation before. In 1999 to Cleveland and in 2003 to Oakland. In both cases, they prevailed, and against better teams than the White Sox.
October 2, 2005
A year without a curse
I gotta tell ya, I really enjoyed this past year of watching the Red Sox and not hearing anything about Babe Ruth, 1918, Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner, or "86 years." Very nice...
September 27, 2005
Let the torture begin!
Surviving Grady writes God on behalf of all Sox fans...
Dear God:
[T]his week is already the single most important week of the 2005 Red Sox season. The week that will more or less define my mental and physical well-being for the next half-year. And you pick the day of the first game of this particular week to kick it Noah style? Not cool.
July 19, 2005
Sox Sidearmers
As I've mentioned here before, I'm a big fan of sidearm pitchers. (It goes back to my early baseball years fascination with Dan Quisenberry and Kent Tekulve in the late-70s/early-80s.) I know some baseball purists don't like them -- they consider sidearmers (and knuckleballers) "tricky" pitchers, but their deliveries are so much fun to watch.
So you can guess correctly that I enjoyed watching last night's Sox game when Chad Bradford and Mike Myers pitched back-to-back. Of course, it would've been nice if they actually won the game...
So you can guess correctly that I enjoyed watching last night's Sox game when Chad Bradford and Mike Myers pitched back-to-back. Of course, it would've been nice if they actually won the game...
June 13, 2005
Joe Morgan is no Remy
Watching the Sox game on ESPN last night, I was reminded once again that watching Joe Morgan call a game drives me nuts. Last night's big thing for him was the Sox lineup: it featured four "non-regulars": Mirabelli instead of Varitek, Millar instead of Ortiz, Youkilis instead of Mueller, and Payton instead of Nixon.
And all throughout the game Joe wouldn't stop repeating over and over that when your team's not winning (like the Sox of late) you have to put your best players out there. And these four guys' results?
Mirabelli: 2-4, 1 R
Millar: 2-4, 1 R
Youkilis: 3-5 (one a HR), 2 R, 1 RBI
Payton: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Not bad at all. Yet Joe never once said that he was wrong, or even comment that the Sox were still able to easily beat the Cubs despite having some of their best players on the bench.
One good thing you can say about Joe Morgan, though: at least he's not Tim McCarver.
And all throughout the game Joe wouldn't stop repeating over and over that when your team's not winning (like the Sox of late) you have to put your best players out there. And these four guys' results?
Mirabelli: 2-4, 1 R
Millar: 2-4, 1 R
Youkilis: 3-5 (one a HR), 2 R, 1 RBI
Payton: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Not bad at all. Yet Joe never once said that he was wrong, or even comment that the Sox were still able to easily beat the Cubs despite having some of their best players on the bench.
One good thing you can say about Joe Morgan, though: at least he's not Tim McCarver.
May 5, 2005
"Off with his head!"
After last night's Yankee loss to the Devil Rays, this photo of Steinbrenner and Cashman is pretty funny. "Off with his head!"
Labels: baseball
May 3, 2005
April 22, 2005
Surviving Grady
Ever since Bambino's Curse retired, Surviving Grady has been my Red Sox blog of choice. It's updated daily, entertaining, and to the point -- no over-analyzing of statistics like many baseball blogs going on there. Today's entry had a pretty funny observation:Even more intriguing to me is watching the way Clement has become something of a young Dick Grayson to Curt Schilling's Bruce Wayne. During Wednesday night's game, the NESN cameras showed the two huddled close on the bench, discussing something -- it could have been Boomer's mechanics or Jessica Alba's tan line -- with great intensity. Last night, Schilling embraced Clement after the game, and it was one of those manly hugs that translates to, "You done good kid, just like I said you would. Now, let's go get some whores and cigars."
April 12, 2005
Why can't anyone throw a baseball faster than 100 mph?
Why can't anyone throw a baseball faster than 100 mph? (Slate)
In almost every measurable physical activity, athletes show improvement over time. Jumpers jump higher and farther, and runners and swimmers go faster. Pitchers, though, don't seem to be getting any faster...
According to experts in biomechanics, the 100-mph [pitch speed] ceiling isn't an illusion -- it's a basic property of human physiology.
Glenn Fleisig, a biomechanical engineer who studies pitching, has calculated that about 80 Newton-meters of torque act on an elite pitcher's elbow when he throws a fastball... Fleisig subjected cadaver elbows to increasing amounts of rotational force. These experiments showed that an average person's UCL snaps at about 80 Newton-meters.
Labels: baseball
March 31, 2005
Almost baseball time...
Baseball season starts on Sunday, jumping right into the fire: Sox vs. Yankees.
Being a fan of the odd-style pitchers, I'm a little nervous that the Sox might not re-sign my favorite player, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Hopefully there's still a good chance he'll stay.
For reasons unknown, I've always been a big fan of the sidearm/submarine style pitchers. (Check out this great shot of Chad Bradford.) So I was glad that though the Sox got rid of one sidearmer, they brought another one back.
Being a fan of the odd-style pitchers, I'm a little nervous that the Sox might not re-sign my favorite player, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Hopefully there's still a good chance he'll stay.
For reasons unknown, I've always been a big fan of the sidearm/submarine style pitchers. (Check out this great shot of Chad Bradford.) So I was glad that though the Sox got rid of one sidearmer, they brought another one back.
March 18, 2005
Cashman/Headwarmer Dialogues
The Cashman/Headwarmer Dialogues, Vol. 382
I don't know why I found these "conversations" between Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his headwarmer so funny ... I just did.
I don't know why I found these "conversations" between Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his headwarmer so funny ... I just did.
Labels: baseball
March 11, 2005
Baseball uniforms aren't supposed to have collars
Surviving Grady has a pretty funny commentary about baseball cards today. (OK, as an avid collector in the late 70s/early 80s, I thought it was funny ... your mileage my vary.)
One interesting thing he notes is the collars on the old Phillies uniforms. While watching an old Red Sox-White Sox game on ESPN Classic this week (Fisk's first game at Fenway not wearing red) I was constantly distracted by the horrible White Sox uniforms from 1981: black road jerseys -- untucked -- with a collar, and a big bland "SOX" on the cap to top it all off.
One interesting thing he notes is the collars on the old Phillies uniforms. While watching an old Red Sox-White Sox game on ESPN Classic this week (Fisk's first game at Fenway not wearing red) I was constantly distracted by the horrible White Sox uniforms from 1981: black road jerseys -- untucked -- with a collar, and a big bland "SOX" on the cap to top it all off.
Labels: baseball
February 28, 2005
Tim Wakefield on boston.com
Baseball is almost here (and yet another snowstorm approaches): Thursday is the first spring training game for the Red Sox. And today's Boston Globe had an article on Tim Wakefield, which included a cute little part about his newborn son:
Wakefield's is gripping story: Knuckleballer still contributing
Wakefield's is gripping story: Knuckleballer still contributing
Sure, it was great that [Tim's] son [Trevor] was born in the same year that generations of fans were forced to stop complaining that the Sox had not won a World Series in their lifetimes. Better yet that Trevor's mom, Stacey, took him to Game 1 of the World Series, with his father on the hill at the start of the game.
January 1, 2005
World Series Winter NESN
Happy new year!
You Sox fans out there can relive World Series games from '75, '86 and '04 (see? it eventually has a happy ending...) as NESN is replaying the games this and next month -- here's the schedule. Especially worth noting is last year's (and I mean 2004) ALCS series against the Yankees. Fire up the TiVo!
October 30, 2004
Media perpetuates "Curse"
Media to blame for perpetuating Curse
The idea that the Boston Red Sox have been hexed for nearly a century because one of their owners sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees is the appallingly flimsy crutch of writers and broadcasters who haven't formed an original thought since they ditched "what's your sign?" in favor of "come here often?" Only in sports can journalists get away with such blatantly irresponsible behavior. ...
We decry their tragic loss of the spontaneity gene, yet reporters and headline writers will turn right around and bloviate about the "Curse of the Bambino," evidently failing to realize it's the worst kind of hackneyed, scripted drivel.
October 29, 2004
Just Another Baseball Fan
The Nation's destination: Destiny
Because that's all we ever wanted. Nobody understood that. Outsiders made up fake curses, called us losers, pointed to a legacy of failure, questioned our sanity. We kept hoping. We kept the faith. We kept passing this team down from generation to generation, hoping it would be worth it. And it was.
October 28, 2004
2004 World Series Champions
Red Sox: 2004 World Series Champions
I can hardly believe they won it -- it still seems unreal. I still haven't totally processed the comeback win over the Yankees. The soon-to-be retired (?) Bambino's Curse summed it up:
And just like that it's all gone: No more Curse; No more 1918; No more getting the rock almost to the top of the hill only to have it roll back down and crush us...
October 23, 2004
Fenway QuickTime VR
Here's a QuickTime VR of our last outing at Fenway (1.2MB) from our seats in left field. (Requires QuickTime, obviously...)
October 22, 2004
Sox stuff...
Some Sox stuff...
David Ortiz from this ESPN article:
"One day I was driving from my house to the stadium on a workout day and I saw a big sign on the street that said, 'Keep the Faith.' And I saw a photo of Manny and he had a big smile," series MVP Ortiz said of the historic comeback. "I just parked in front of the photo and I just sat down for a minute and thought about what we've been through the whole year. Then I went to the field and I just expressed myself to my teammates about what the Boston nation has been waiting for us and they expect from us.
"So it doesn't matter if we were down 3-0. We just have to keep the faith because the game is not over until the final out."
Photo by Eliot Shepard (y'all remember Sinkhole, right?) of two members of different evil empires shaking hands: Jeter and Cheney.
From the Late Show with David Letterman: Top Ten Secrets To The Boston Red Sox Comeback presented by Curt Schilling
10. Unlike the first three games, we didn't leave early to beat the traffic.
2. What'd you expect -- we have a guy who looks like Jesus!
A Yankees website had this written on October 18, after the first Sox win (in 12 innings):
But, for the Red Sox to [win the series], the following things need to happen:It's still sinking in how big an accomplishment the Sox comeback was, especially against this Yankee team. Reading the above near-impossible list of "to do" items the Sox had just reinforces that.
- Boston needs to beat Mike Mussina
- Pedro Martinez needs to shut down the Yankees
- Pedro Martinez needs to go deep into Game Five
- Boston needs to beat Jon Lieber
- Curt Schilling needs to pitch well despite having a ruptured tendon sheath
- Boston needs to beat Kevin Brown/Javier Vazquez
- Boston's pitching staff needs to stop the Yankees' lineup for three more games.
October 21, 2004
October 20, 2004
Why the Boston Red Sox will win Game Seven
The article "Why the New York Yankees will win Game Seven" has pretty shaky reasons. (It's also odd that this same writer predicted a Sox win in 7...talk about hedging your bets!) So I have to counter reason-for-reason with...
Why the Boston Red Sox will win Game Seven
Here are five reasons the Boston Red Sox will beat the New York Yankees on Wednesday night:
1) Recent history. Three outs away from going to their 40th World Series one night, then 6 outs away the next night, the Yankees have shown that they can't hold onto a lead and close the deal. In Game 6, the team looked even more lost and desperate.
2) Not-so-recent history. No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit -- though mathematically possible, it's nearly impossible to come back. But the Sox have done the impossible and have forced a game seven for the first time ever -- history is being made. Also, look at the team rosters: Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner and Aaron Boone are not playing on either team. And check your calendar: it's 2004, not 2003 or 1986 or 1978.
3) A rested Mariano Rivera was unable to preserve Yankee leads in two games this series (not to mention some regular season failures). This Sox team is not afraid of Rivera, who in 2004 is human. He was lights out in 2003, but what has he done for Steinbrenner lately?
4) Kevin Brown. Starting for the Yankees is a pitcher who has been ineffective against the Sox offense, going back as recently as his two-inning start on Saturday. (The backup pitcher is equally ineffective Javier Vasquez.) Meanwhile, the Sox counter with Lowe and Wakefield, both who have had their troubles this year but have pitched well against the Yankees this series.
5) Joe Torre. More than ever, Torre has had his decisions questioned over the past three games -- read any New York paper or website, or turn on the radio. Perhaps it's not his fault: the bullpen isn't lights-out like days past, and he's got nobody on his bench except the starting 9. Francona has surprised people with his moves (e.g. bringing out Foulke in the 7th inning), and they've worked. While Terry isn't Joe, he also certainly is not Grady.
Why the Boston Red Sox will win Game Seven
Here are five reasons the Boston Red Sox will beat the New York Yankees on Wednesday night:
1) Recent history. Three outs away from going to their 40th World Series one night, then 6 outs away the next night, the Yankees have shown that they can't hold onto a lead and close the deal. In Game 6, the team looked even more lost and desperate.
2) Not-so-recent history. No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit -- though mathematically possible, it's nearly impossible to come back. But the Sox have done the impossible and have forced a game seven for the first time ever -- history is being made. Also, look at the team rosters: Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner and Aaron Boone are not playing on either team. And check your calendar: it's 2004, not 2003 or 1986 or 1978.
3) A rested Mariano Rivera was unable to preserve Yankee leads in two games this series (not to mention some regular season failures). This Sox team is not afraid of Rivera, who in 2004 is human. He was lights out in 2003, but what has he done for Steinbrenner lately?
4) Kevin Brown. Starting for the Yankees is a pitcher who has been ineffective against the Sox offense, going back as recently as his two-inning start on Saturday. (The backup pitcher is equally ineffective Javier Vasquez.) Meanwhile, the Sox counter with Lowe and Wakefield, both who have had their troubles this year but have pitched well against the Yankees this series.
5) Joe Torre. More than ever, Torre has had his decisions questioned over the past three games -- read any New York paper or website, or turn on the radio. Perhaps it's not his fault: the bullpen isn't lights-out like days past, and he's got nobody on his bench except the starting 9. Francona has surprised people with his moves (e.g. bringing out Foulke in the 7th inning), and they've worked. While Terry isn't Joe, he also certainly is not Grady.
Game 7
I can't say anything about the Sox, other than they've been amazing and have gone much farther than I expected.
Doug Mientkiewicz said "We've been playing Game 7 since Game 4." That's true. But the real Game 7 is tonight. And I'm not sure I'll be able to take it...
Doug Mientkiewicz said "We've been playing Game 7 since Game 4." That's true. But the real Game 7 is tonight. And I'm not sure I'll be able to take it...
October 17, 2004
October 14, 2004
The bright side...
While the Sox played another offense-free game, I've decided to try to look on the bright side: At least this year's ALCS will merely be a "disappointing loss" rather than a "soul-crushing loss" like last year.
October 12, 2004
Yankees in Three?
Larry Mahnken of The Hardball Times writes an ultra-pro-Yankee preview ("Prediction: Yanks in Three") of the upcoming series in YANKEEZ ROOL!!! Boston is teh suck. It's a pretty funny head-to-head comparison of each position (second base: "Boston had signed Pokey Reese to prevent runs on defense, the Yankees were playing Enrique Wilson in order to prevent runs on offense").
October 11, 2004
How to Watch the ALCS
For your baseball-watching pleasure, Surviving Grady helps you out by presenting "How to Watch the ALCS [a handy guide]":
As an aside, I'm going to say Sox in 6 ... although I'd love it if they swept (not a realistic prediction, but still...) because we'll be at game 4 (go Wake!).
1. Tune into FOXRead the rest...
2. Press "mute" on your remote to spare yourself the inane blabbering of Tim McCarver and crew
3. Switch channel during prerequisite thirty-four showings of Aaron Boone's home run
4. Switch channel during prerequisite fifty-seven showings of "the Buckner"
As an aside, I'm going to say Sox in 6 ... although I'd love it if they swept (not a realistic prediction, but still...) because we'll be at game 4 (go Wake!).
August 12, 2004
At-Bat Songs
At-Bat Songs: Name That Tune in MLB
ESPN has a dumb little article about that song that's played over the PA when a player comes to bat or pitch. Not included on the Red Sox page is Bill Mueller: When we're at the game and he comes to bat -- with the live version of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" filling Fenway -- Jill always shoots me a look. (Sort of a "See? You're not the only one who likes that crappy band...")
And from what I've heard at the games, I'd wager that Mark Bellhorn has the best taste of music on the team (though the only specific thing I can remember offhand is The Clash).
ESPN has a dumb little article about that song that's played over the PA when a player comes to bat or pitch. Not included on the Red Sox page is Bill Mueller: When we're at the game and he comes to bat -- with the live version of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" filling Fenway -- Jill always shoots me a look. (Sort of a "See? You're not the only one who likes that crappy band...")
And from what I've heard at the games, I'd wager that Mark Bellhorn has the best taste of music on the team (though the only specific thing I can remember offhand is The Clash).
Labels: baseball
August 3, 2004
Goodbye to Nomah
I'm sad to see the Sox trade Nomar (and not just because I own a #5 jersey), but at the same time I think it's for the best he move on...and it seems fitting he ended up with the Cubs.
There's a good article on ESPN -- The (cow)bell tolls for Nomar -- about the trade, and it raises some interesting points that fans probably want to overlook. How did the Cubs end up with both Nomar and prize prospect Matt Murton?
There's a good article on ESPN -- The (cow)bell tolls for Nomar -- about the trade, and it raises some interesting points that fans probably want to overlook. How did the Cubs end up with both Nomar and prize prospect Matt Murton?
Then again, maybe it does make sense ... it tells you two things.
1. Nomar didn't have as much trade value as we thought.
2. The Red Sox were more desperate to get rid of him than we thought.
Then throw in this one:
3. Not a single teammate stepped up to A) defend him, or B) bash the trade as he was headed out the door.
July 13, 2004
"My first All-Star game"
I don't plan on watching the All-Star game tonight -- why would I want to see "The Yankees (plus special American League guests) vs. the National League"? But speaking of the All-Star game, former White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell had an interesting take on being a first-time All-Star.
To play any professional sport, one must be cocky. Some hide it better than others, but you have to feel that you can play with anyone. However, no one is cocky enough to avoid feeling out of place during his first trip to an All-Star locker room.
Look around in any direction and all you see are future Hall of Famers and perennial All-Stars. Yeah, these guys belong -- I don't.
Labels: baseball
May 10, 2004
Project Knuckleball
Tim Wakefield is expected to start the next Sox game we're going to, and I'm very excited. Wakefield has been one of my favorite players for years now, and I've always wanted to see him throw in person.
Coincidentally, I was just pointed to an article on The New Yorker all about the knuckleball: Project Knuckleball. It's a great article touching on the history of the knuckleball, the physics behind it, knucklers past & present, the difficulty hitting (and catching) it, plus little facts like why knuckleball pitchers often wear number 49.
Update: This post used the word "knuckle" way too many times...
Coincidentally, I was just pointed to an article on The New Yorker all about the knuckleball: Project Knuckleball. It's a great article touching on the history of the knuckleball, the physics behind it, knucklers past & present, the difficulty hitting (and catching) it, plus little facts like why knuckleball pitchers often wear number 49.
Update: This post used the word "knuckle" way too many times...
April 2, 2004
Sox Bashing
I know Red Sox-bashing is in vogue in the baseball world, but every year it gets more and more out of control. It's happening all over again ... in fact, it's happening even more than usual as the team gets better. I can't wait for the Sox to win it all, just to put an end to all this bullshit.
The people who talk about the "Curse of the Bambino" are not Red Sox fans, but the media (and with the exception of Dan Shaughnessy, most aren't from Boston). Just watch Fox or ESPN any time they broadcast a Red Sox-Yankees game and count the curse references. (That might be a decent drinking game...) Here's a fact for you non-Sox fans caught up in the "curse" hype: We don't talk about it. We don't think about it. We don't believe in it. It's just something lazy sportcasters and sporswriters use as a crutch instead of reporting real stories and analysis.
On a related note, the new thing to do besides bash the "pathetic" Red Sox is to pity the Cubs. And it's usually Yankee fans/writers doing this. In fact, Frank Deford was particularly condescending to Cubs fans in this article:
I like the Cubs fans better. They go out and accept defeat the way they always have, with that grace that comes with resignation.As someone commented at Bambino's Curse:
If I were a Cubs fan, I'd be pissed off. It sounds so condescending coming from a Yankees fan (assuming he is one...he sure sounds like one): "Why can't Red Sox fans be more like Cubs fans? They just lose quietly and go away."Let the season begin!
Well f*** you, Frank Deford. If the Sox have to be a pain the Yankees' side while George tries to buy another World Series, so be it. Sorry if the Sox won't lie down and let the Yankees pass on by, like the Cubs allegedly would do if they were in the AL East.
March 28, 2004
2004 Spring Training
Marlins 4, Red Sox 0
Spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL. Not the best game the Sox have played, but it was nice to be somewhere warm watching a ballgame.
Spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL. Not the best game the Sox have played, but it was nice to be somewhere warm watching a ballgame.
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