Happy 36th Jeremy Giambi!

You remember Jeremy Giambi, right? When the great Theo Epstein became GM, the third move he made was to trade for Jeremy Giambi. In case you’re curious, the first two were to sign Ryan Rupe, and trade for Todd Walker. So, Theo was obviously a fan of the younger Giambi. Giambi could play a little outfield (emphasis on little). He would DH some, thereby blocking a clear path for David Ortiz. He could get on base when he was at the plate. But, even being able to do all that couldn’t help him hang on with the Sox more than the one season.

I made it to Fenway for ten games in 2003. Flipping through the scorecards, I see that Jason Giambi played in four of them. That was probably a fair representation of his workload for the Sox. He was the starting DH for the April 19^th game. He walked, and scored a run. David Ortiz did not play in that game. He was the starting DH for the May 18^th game against the Angels. He walked, was hit by a pitch, and scored a run. David Ortiz played first base in that game. Giambi came in as a pinch hitter in the July 19^th game against the Blue Jays. David Ortiz was the starting DH. Giambi pinch-hit for Damian Jackson, who was a pinch runner for Kevil Millar, in the bottom of the tenth. Giambi singled, stole a base, reached third when the throw went into centerfield, and scored the winning run on a single. Giambi was the starting DH in the July 26^th game against his brother and the New York Yankees. In the bottom of the ninth he singled, and again stole a base. He scored the winning run on David Ortiz’s pinch-hit single.

So, Giambi played in four games I attended. He scored a run in all four. In the last two, he scored the winning run in walk-off fashion. That’s pretty crazy if you ask me. But, that’s pretty much what Giambi was for. He got on base. If he got on base, he could score runs.

The Sox eventually decided they only needed one DH, so Giambi was cast aside. He really had two flaws. He wasn’t his brother (maybe because he didn’t take as many PED’s) and he wasn’t David Ortiz. Neither was his fault, of course. But, that’s the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Happy 36^th Birthday Jeremy Giambi!

Well then…

I guess that just about does it. The Red Sox were thiiiiis close to stealing a playoff spot from one of the healthy teams. It almost worked. It almost happened. But, in the end, there just wasn’t enough. Of course, not the Sox will probably win out, and everyone else will lose making the difference at the end of the year a game or two. Just to be extra annoying.

When a season comes down to the wire like this, you can’t help but look at the what-ifs. What if Theo hadn’t quit on the team? What if Pedroia hadn’t rushed back from his foot injury? What id Johnny Damon wasn’t an idiot? What if the Sox had added relievers in the second half instead of getting rid of them? What if the major league team was as important as the minor league team? If only.

I must say, I was a little surprised to see pictures this morning of the Yankees in celebration mode. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, they only clinched the wild card…right? Haven’t we been told for year that wild card celebrations are for other teams? Only the loser from Boston would celebrate a playoff birth. A dynasty like New York only gets excited about a World Championship. Anything other than that just gets a handshake and a pat on the back. Or, were we being lied to all those years?

For those that missed last night, the second half of Ken Burns’s Tenth Inning is tonight. It would appear that this would be the good half for Sox fans. Expect plenty of Pedro dominance, and Red Sox world championships.

Go Rays!

Red Sox A-Z: U is for…

Ugueth Urtain Urbina.

Really, it couldn’t be anyone else, could it? Generally, I try not to highlight people who have chopped up other people with machetes. I wanted to choose Bob Unglab, an infielder on the Sox teams in the beginning of the 20^th century. Or Tom Umphlett, a centerfielder on the 1953 team. Or, even Urbane Pickering who manned the hot corner in 1931 and ’32. But, it had to be Urbina. When you’re the only man in MLB history with the initials UUU, you get to be on the list. We’ll just focus on the Red Sox stuff.

Urbina was the Red Sox closer during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. As you may remember, all-star closer Derek Lowe had fallen on hard times (and hard luck) during the 2001 season. His appearance in games caused fear in the Red Sox fan base. That’s not exactly what you’re looking for in a closer. So, the Sox acquired Urbina to take on that role. He ended up saving 49 games in his Red Sox career…good enough for 11^th all-time. He collected 40 saves in his only full season. Not a bad result, really.

The game that always seemed to sum up Urbina’s tenure with the Sox though, was a game I was at on April 1, 2002. Opening Day. Pedro Martinez had gotten blasted in that game, giving up seven earned runs over 3+ innings. Incredibly, the Sox fought back, and the game was tied when Urbina entered the game for the top of the ninth. After getting a leadoff flyball, the next four batters went walk, single, intentional walk, sac-fly. He then struck out Vernon Wells, to end the inning. Despite the fact that he handed the Blue Jays the lead with a very poor outing, following the strikeout he left the mound with an enthusiastic fist pump. People wondered what, exactly, he was so excited about. He had just allowed the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run. Shouldn’t he have been sulking?

In any event, Urbina only lasted the one full year in Boston before moving on. On the very bright side, his role as the team closer allowed Derek Lowe to return to his role as a starter. So, without Urbina, Lowe might not have thrown his no-hitter, or won 20 games that year. That’s not nothing.

U is for Ugueth Urtain Urbina.

Wantlist: 2003

2003 Bowman's Best
MR Manny Ramirez
NG Nomar Garciaparra
PM Pedro Martinez

2003 Bowman
31 Tim Wakefield
60 Nomar Garciaparra
83 Manny Ramirez
106 Shea Hillenbrand
109 Pedro Martinez
184 Dusty Brown
215 Kason Gabbard
258 Aneudis Mateo
275 David Pahucki
285 Hanley Ramirez
305 Bill Simon
327 Kevin Youkilis
330 Andrew Dominique

2003 Bowman Chrome
5 Derek Lowe
31 Tim Wakefield
60 Nomar Garciaparra
83 Manny Ramirez
106 Shea Hillenbrand
109 Pedro Martinez
135 Johnny Damon
184 Dusty Brown RC
215 Kason Gabbard RC
258 Aneudis Mateo RC
275 David Pahucki RC
288 Kelly Shoppach RC
305 Bill Simon RC
317 Denny Tussen RC
330 Andrew Dominique RC
334 Hanley Ramirez AU A RC
336 Kevin Youkilis AU A RC

2003 Bowman Draft Picks
46 Brian Marshall RC
53 Beau Vaughan RC
79 Mickey Hall RC
127 Jorge De La Rosa
164 Kevin Youkilis

2003 Bowman Heritage
54 Trot Nixon
92 Derek Lowe
122 Manny Ramirez
139 Pedro Martinez
142 Nomar Garciaparra
175A Jimmy Piersall
175C Jimmy Piersall KN
193 Kelly Shoppach KN RC
196 Hanley Ramirez KN RC
203 Dusty Brown KN RC
228 Matt Murton KN RC

2003 Topps Finest
63 Manny Ramirez
71 Shea Hillenbrand
83 Johnny Damon
99 Pedro Martinez

2003 Topps
72 Rickey Henderson
471 Kevin Millar
494 Jeremy Giambi
634 Boston Red Sox TC
337 AL Batting Average LL Manny Ramirez Red Sox - Mike Sweeney Royals - Bernie Williams Yankees
342 AL Strikeouts LL Pedro Martinez Red Sox - Roger Clemens Yankees - Mike Mussina Yankees

2003 Topps Chrome
45 Nomar Garciaparra
96 Trot Nixon
151 Johnny Damon
165 Tim Wakefield
166 Derek Lowe
185 Ugueth Urbina
186 Rickey Henderson
216 Kevin Youkilis FY RC
255 Shea Hillenbrand
263 Bill Mueller
277 John Burkett
283 Pedro Martinez
300 Kevin Millar
321 Jeremy Giambi
365 Manny Ramirez

2003 Topps Chrome Traded
T12 Todd Walker
T19 Ryan Rupe
T21 Jeff Suppan
T30 Robert Person
T43 Damian Jackson
T46 Byung-Hyun Kim
T52 David Ortiz
T83 Ramiro Mendoza
T114 Scott Williamson
T151 Anastacio Martinez PROS
T178 Kelly Shoppach FY RC
T181 Hanley Ramirez FY RC
T188 Dusty Brown FY RC
T252 Ryan Cameron FY RC

2003 Topps Heritage
65 Shea Hillenbrand
82 Cliff Floyd
88 Trot Nixon
100B N.Garciaparra Old Logo SP
133 Grady Little MG
242 Johnny Damon
275 Anastacio Martinez
349 Derek Lowe
408 Brian Daubach SP

2003 Topps Opening Day
6 Shea Hillenbrand
25 Cliff Floyd
73 Manny Ramirez
102 Pedro Martinez
128 Johnny Damon
144 Tim Wakefield
145 Derek Lowe
156 Nomar Garciaparra
164 Derek Lowe HL

2003 Topps Traded
T12 Todd Walker
T19 Ryan Rupe
T21 Jeff Suppan
T30 Robert Person
T43 Damian Jackson
T46 Byung-Hyun Kim
T83 Ramiro Mendoza
T114 Scott Williamson
T151 Anastacio Martinez PROS
T178 Kelly Shoppach FY RC
T181 Hanley Ramirez FY RC
T188 Dusty Brown FY RC
T252 Ryan Cameron FY RC

Curse You ESPN!

That’s just too late to start a baseball game. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. So, if this seems a little disjointed today, blame the people in Bristol.

I planned on just skipping the game. I knew it would go late. It would go later than I wanted. So, I had planned on just catching a score in the morning. I didn’t want to get roped in. That didn’t exactly go as planned. I was watching the football game, as it got to halftime. I decided that I just had to know what was happening with the Sox. After all, the previous two games had been lopsided for a while. Maybe I could tune in, see that the Sox had a big lead (or were trailing by a bunch) and ignore the rest of the game. So, since I don’t get ESPN, I flicked on the radio. Joe is talking about Adrian Beltre for some reason. After a minute I can figure out that he’s on first base. Then, Joe makes the comment about the Sox finally having a base runner. That doesn’t sound good. But, then he drops the bombshell on me. It’s the top of the seventh, and the Sox have a 1-0 lead! Really? Didn’t Matsuzaka pitch this game? Apparently, he’s matching Hughes zero for zero. Incredible. So, I was done for. I tried to get out of it. I turned it off after the top of the seventh. I figured I’d watch some football, and check back in later. As it turned out, I checked back in at the top of the eighth, and the Sox were losing 2-1. Yup. I blame me too. But, after that, I was in for the long haul. No way I was turning the game off at that point.

As much as I’d like to focus on the five outs the umpires made Papelbon get in the bottom of the ninth, I want to remember Dice-K. He gets murdered around here (Well, not “here” but in local media outlets and other blogs) enough that he should get some credit. It was as big a regular season game as you can have. He went into enemy territory, and pitched his butt off. He went eight innings. Yup, eight innings. (Actually, if Rivera doesn’t blow the save, Dice would have had a complete game.) There is nothing more that you could ask for from a starting pitcher in that situation. A barely out home run by ARod was his only flaw. (As an aside...is it me, or do a lot more Yankees homers land in the first row of the Little League fence in right than visitors homers do?) It will be lost in everything that happened after he left the game, but Dice-K pitched like an ace last night. Good for him.

When can ESPN change the game that they show on Sunday night? I remember it being fairly late. I swear I remember them changing it the Wednesday before the game once. But, they figured this was a key matchup? Was it just the fact that it was Boston-NY, or did they think the Sox are still in the race? Girardi certainly thought they were. If shifting Hughes and making Rivera go more than an inning don’t show that he was scared, I don’t know what does.

Of course, the Sox are still in it. It’s just really hard now. The Sox need to win out, and the Yanks need to lose out. Could it happen? Absolutely. The Sox just need more help from the Blue Jays. It does make me think of all the games the Sox have given away this year. The games that were thiiis close. The games where Theo decided the Sox were out of it. Imagine if the Sox had Kerry Wood in the pen the last month or so, for instance. Imagine the game or two where Jed Lowrie was the best pinch hitter. Better yet, don’t think of that. It’ll probably make you sick. At least it’d better.

Go Toronto!

Wantlist: 2002

2002 Bowman
5 Nomar Garciaparra
101 Pedro Martinez
103 Johnny Damon
172 Greg Montalbano RC
325 Manny Delcarmen RC
396 Mauricio Lara RC
410 Freddie Money RC
415 Terrance Hill RC

2002 Bowman's Best
5 Nomar Garciaparra
29 Shea Hillenbrand
45 Pedro Martinez
95 Mauricio Lara AU A RC
114 Anastacio Martinez AU A RC
146 Freddy Sanchez AU B RC
152 Freddy Sanchez Bat RC
174 Greg Montalbano AU A RC

2002 Bowman Chrome
5 Nomar Garciaparra
101 Pedro Martinez
103 Johnny Damon
164 Greg Montalbano SP RC
216 Anastacio Martinez SP RC
243 Eric Glaser SP RC
279 Manny Delcarmen SP RC
296 Justin Sherrod SP RC
308 Tony Fontana SP RC
312 Carlos Brackley SP RC
331 Mauricio Lara SP RC
342 Freddie Money SP RC
344 Terrance Hill SP RC
366 Kelly Ramos SP RC
370 Rolando Viera SP RC

2002 Bowman Draft Pics
BDP53 Chris Smith
BDP66 Scott White
BDP92 Chad Spann
BDP144 Jorge De La Rosa
BDP150 Seung Song

2002 Bowman Heritage
14 Jose Offerman
66 Pedro Martinez
66 Nomar Garciaparra
113 Anastacio Martinez
116 Trot Nixon SP
189 John Burkett
219 Tim Wakefield SP
285 Brian Daubach
289 Nomar Garciaparra
300 Tony Clark SP
308 Shea Hillenbrand SP
329 Johnny Damon
370 Dustin Hermanson
401 Manny Delcarmen SP
427 Rolando Viera SP

2002 Finest - RED SOX
62 Nomar Garciaparra
77 Johnny Damon
91 Pedro Martinez
102 Mauricio Lara FY AU
103 Freddy Sanchez FY AU

2002 Topps
Complete!

2002 Topps 206
32 Johnny Damon
39 Nomar Garciaparra
128 Pedro Martinez
141 Freddy Sanchez FYP
160 Carlton Fisk RET
170 Carl Yastrzemski RET
177 Tris Speaker REP
190 Nomar Garciaparra
198A J.Damon Blue Jsy/Cap
198B J.Damon Blue Jsy/Hlmt
198C J.Damon White Jsy
233 Pedro Martinez
273 Mauricio Lara FYP
304 Buck Herzog REP
320 Shea Hillenbrand
341 Pedro Martinez
353 Manny Ramirez SP
368 Ugueth Urbina
370A N.Garciaparra One Bat SP
370B N.Garciaparra Two Bats
377 Derek Lowe
391 Cliff Floyd
434 Wade Boggs RET SP

2002 Topps Heritage
3 Rod Beck
12 Tony Clark
158 Freddy Sanchez RC
182 Ugueth Urbina
241 Pedro Martinez
308 David Cone
353 Dante Bichette
356 Shea Hillenbrand
387 Juan Pena SP
397 Nomar Garciaparra SP
409 Eric Glaser SP RC
417 Tony Fontana SP RC
423 Casey Fossum SP
433 Tim Wakefield SP

2002 Topps Opening Day
85 Pedro Martinez

2002 Topps Stadium Club
24 Nomar Garciaparra
111 Juan Diaz FS SP
114 Seung Song FS SP

2002 Topps Ten
153 Hideo Nomo K

2002 Topps Traded
T33 Alan Embree
T58 Dustin Hermanson
T74 Rickey Henderson
T87 Cliff Floyd
T98 Johnny Damon
T106 Grady Little MGR
T194 Rolando Viera

Let’s get it on…

The magic number dropped again, and the Red Sox even had an off day. It now sits a 18 games. And, that’s true whether it’s against the Rays or the Yankees. So, it’s all set up.

The Sox have 10 games left, including six against the Yankees. The Rays have 10 games left. The Yankees have 9 games left. So, the Sox need some other teams to play poorly, and they need to play well. Obviously, the “easiest” way is for them to play well, and that almost takes care of the Yankees by default. The Sox are currently 7.5 games behind the Yankees. If the Sox win the rest of their games, they make up 6.5 of those games automatically. Then, the Yanks just need to lose one other game to Toronto to make up the rest. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Of course, the problem comes in if the Sox lose. If they lose against Chicago next week, it’s not the end of the world. They’d just need more help. But, if they lose a game to the Yankees, it’s all over. If they lose tonight, for instance, they’ll be 8.5 games back with 9 games left. Even if they win the rest, they’d still be 3 games back. They’d need to have the Yankees get swept by Toronto. I don’t like the sounds of that.

Naturally, there’s also the possibility of the Rays falling as well. But, their schedule is much, much easier than the Yankees. And, it makes the Red Sox rely on a lot of other teams. If, say the Red Sox win the rest of their games, but the Yankees sweep Toronto, the Sox would need lots of help from Tampa. They’d need to be swept by at least two of Seattle, Baltimore, or Kansas City. Frankly, if that happens the Rays don’t deserve the playoffs anyway.

So, I greatly appreciate the Rays smacking around CC Sabathia last night. Does this officially put an end to his Cy Young contention? I certainly hope so. At this point, all we can do is wait and see how it plays out.

Go Seattle!

List of 36: Red Sox Players Selected to Start an All-Star Game

1. Carl Everett

2. Jason Bay

3. Shea Hillenbrand

4. Derek Lowe

5. Rick Ferrell

6. Johnny Damon

7. Carlton Fisk

8. Rick Burlson

9. Frank Malzone

10. Roger Cramer

11. Bob Johnson

12. Lefty Grove

13. Pedro Martinez

14. Luis Aparicio

15. Fred Lynn

16. Roger Clemens

17. Jimmie Foxx

18. Mark Loretta

19. David Ortiz

20. Joe Cronin

21. Dustin Pedroia

22. Dom DiMaggio

23. Billy Goodman

24. Nomar Garciaparra

25. Wade Boggs

26. Manny Ramirez

27. Bobby Doerr

28. Jim Rice

29. Walter Drapo

30. Denis Eckersley

31. Tony Conigliaro

32. Carl Yastrzemski

33. Jackie Jensen

34. Mo Vaughn

35. Ted Williams

36. Kevin Youkilis

Magic Number drops to 19!

Actually, it’s only 18 to clinch a spot over the Rays. But, since I can’t bring myself to cheer for the Yankees tonight, I’m sticking with the magic number against them. Plus, with two series left against the Yanks, it’ll be easier to drop the number faster.

See what I mean about people being able to perform great? There was nothing wrong with Lackey’s start last night. (I actually think he’s had a lot more good outings than people have been giving him credit for.) That’s actually been a pretty good string of top quality performances by the starters. If the bullpen hadn’t gotten in the way, it would have been quite a run by the Red Sox also-rans. It’s been that way all year. Great performances after great performances. But, there was always a stinker or two mixed in that ruined everything. I guess that’s what you have to expect from a team made up of bench players.

Really, that’s the incredible part of this all. The Sox have ten games left, and are sitting at 84 wins. They’ve been playing 0.553 baseball this season. Keep that up these last 10, and they have 90 wins. 90 wins. Really? 90 wins missing their leadoff hitter all year? 90 wins missing their MVP second baseman since June? 90 wins missing their 2-time all-star first baseman? Is it possible we’ve all been too busy obsessing over the division title, that we’ve been missing some pretty good baseball? Just because two of the few teams having a better season are in their division?

And it’s not over yet. The Sox have one last push to try to play more baseball in October. They catch a bit of a break in that they don’t face Sabathia this weekend. Frankly, the match-ups are in their favor. The Sox have swept plenty of series in the Bronx. Why not one more?

Let’s go Rays!

Ummm…Yeah. OK

The good news? Apparently Theo remembered that he was the Red Sox general manager, and got some bullpen help. It was about two months too late, but it might be better late than never. At least he also remembered that bullpens are supposed to, you know, throw strikes and get people out. What a concept.

It really is amazing just how badly the bullpen pitches sometimes. I’m sure some of that has been picking and choosing places to let people get hit. Joe Torre was the master at this. Rather than use all his arms in a hopeless game, he’d just let some poor schmuck stay out there and take his beating like a man. It’s possible Francona has been doing some of that. Sometimes rather than lose all your arms for three games, it makes sense to leave a guy out there, even after he walks four straight batters. Of course, the better idea is to have relievers that don’t walk four straight batters. But, that’s for Theo to figure out. It’s really been a problem with the whole pitching staff. There’s always been a weak link. It’s been different people almost all the time, but there’s always that one. It makes it even more frustrating that way. So often so many people will play well, only to have the one guy ruin it all. Three great starts, and the next guy throws a stinker. Six great innings, next guy gets lit up. I know that good teams have that sort of consistency, but it’s annoying to be that close to a great run.

Speaking of Torre, it was interesting to hear his recent comments about the Mets coaching job. It was interesting for a couple reasons. First, Torre is still the manager of the Dodgers. Second, the Mets have a manager of their own. So, a manager of one team expressed interest in a position with another team that isn’t yet vacant? Can anyone say tampering? The other thought that popped into my head when I heard that is Derek Jeter. Now, I hate thinking about Jeter, but sometimes it has to happen. Would he follow Torre to the Mets? He’s always adored Torre. He could stay in the NY market. You know the Mets would love to rip him away from the Yankees. Everyone knows that Jeter can’t play short, but the Yankees can’t move him. I assume Jeter knows it too. If the Yankees finally come to their senses and shift him, it’s a demotion of their once proud captain. If Jeter signs with the Mets, he’s gets to defer his shortstop position in an honorable classy move to a new team like his good friend did when he came to NY. Once with the Mets, if I can believe the national media, Jeter’s calm eyes and winning attitude will rally all the talented Mets around him and drag them to a championship. Not a bad exit for a career. As they say, if Bobby Orr can leave Boston…

Anyone can go anywhere.

Collecting the Sox: Stuffed Animals

It wasn’t all that long ago that beanie babies were a huge craze. People we falling all over each other trying to get the little stuffed animals. As with any odd craze that grips the nation (like those silly bands, for instance) it doesn’t take long before sports jump on board. The most obvious way was by handing out the beanie babies themselves at games. This created a collectable, as well as a way to get people to the games. An easy example of this is when David Wells threw a perfect game on the night that the Yankees were giving away beanie babies. The Hall of Fame actually took one of the giveaways for their display. The reason? They figured that the only reason so many people were in the stands to witness history was the fact that the beanies were being given away. I always though it was a great commentary on Yankees fans. The 1998 Yankees were supposed to be one of the greatest teams in baseball history. The only way the Yankees could get fans to the game was to give them an $8 bear? But, I digress.

The other way that sports were able to latch onto someone else’s good idea, is to simply use the bear concept. There are bears for everything. Bears with different team uniforms. Bears painted in team colors. Bears with a players name just written on them. For the 1999 All-Star game, a set of bears was produced featuring several of the expected players from the game. Stuffed animals were everywhere.

That’s not even counting the stuffed animals that were always there. Mascots are often found in stuffed form. I dare you to visit the Red Sox team store without tripping on stuffed Wallys of every size. Those obnoxious Rally Monkeys were all over Angels Stadium. Stuffed animals make up a big part of just about any team souvenir shop.

Do they make good collectables? I have to admit that I like them. They’re usually pretty colorful. They make a nice visual sitting on a desk or a chair. They’re fairly cheap. Unless you were crazy enough to shell out a small fortune during the beanie craze, they can be found for less than $20. They’re generally everywhere you’d want to buy something. If you plan on visiting other parks, you can easily get a stuffed mascot from just about all of them. They can be a small challenge to store, if you have a lot of them. Personally, I just throw mine onto a chair. I like the way they look in a jumbled pile of colors. If you have special ones, thanks to the beanie loons, there are plenty of storage cases and stands out there. They can make for a nice display on a bookshelf. Or, I’ve seen nets that kids use to hang their stuffed animals from the wall like a hammock. I always thought that would be a great way to go. Anyone have a creative stuffed animal storage plan?

Really, simple stuffed animals present just about anything you could want in a Red Sox collectable. They have variety, they’re chap, and there’s availability. They fit into team collection, player collections, event collections, and just about anything else you can think of.

What else can you ask for?

Red Sox Magic Number Drops 2 more!

Sure, another two on top of that would have made the weekend a lot more enjoyable. But, I don’t really think I can get too greedy at this point.

You know how sometimes there’s a blowout baseball game? Say, one team has a ten run lead after five innings. Then the trailing team scores two in the sixth, and three in the seventh. Then, they have two men on in the ninth with one out, and the other team’s closer starts warming up. The announcers always say what a victory it is that the trailing team brought it to the point where the closer had to warm up. I feel that way, a bit, with the Red Sox season. I really want to at least have the Yankees closer need to warm up. At the very least, I want them to have to pitch CC when they don’t want to. Of course it would be even better if they didn’t need CC at all after they miss the playoffs. But, one step at a time.

What was actually annoying about the weekend is that it could have been a little better. The Sox aaallllmost pulled out Saturday’s game. You have to feel for young Mr. Kalish. I’m guessing he didn’t mean to be picked off first. It’s not like he was recklessly trying to steal third with two outs or anything. He just got caught. I bet if he had known that Victor was going to hit a triple before he got back to the dugout, he might have kept that foot planted on first. Unfortunately, Victor forgot to let him know ahead of time.

Another annoying thing is that the entire rotation has pitched well recently…just not at the same time. Lackey and Beckett have pitched good games. Buchholz and Lester have pitched good games. Even Dice-K has lit it up quite often. They just can’t seem to get it all working. It seems like one or two of them get busted all the time. Not always the same one or two. Which, I guess, is probably normal. It’s not a rotation of five Pedro’s out there. They all will have bumps. It would just be nice, though, to have all five of them pitch at least their B-game for the next three turns through the rotation. One last kick. Win the rest, and they’re almost assured a playoff spot.

Interestingly enough, this coming weekend marks the only time all year the Sox have an off-day before the Yankees series, other than opening day. It’s only the second time the Yankees haven’t had an off-day before a Boston series. Not only do they not have their usual day to rest, but they have to fight the Rays. These are the best circumstances for a trip to the Bronx the Sox have had all year. Maybe there can be two or three extra inning games during the series.

Go Rays!

Wantlist: 2001

2001 Bowman
37 Carl Everett
65 Nomar Garciaparra
85 Manny Ramirez
164 Rick Asadoorian
279 Seung Song RC
285 Tony Blanco RC
307 Jin Ho Cho
346 Phil Dumatrait
437 Steve Lomasney

2001 Bowman's Best
7 Nomar Garciaparra
27 Manny Ramirez
50 Pedro Martinez
149 Brian Esposito

2001 Bowman Chrome
29 Carl Everett
47 Nomar Garciaparra
65 Manny Ramirez Sox
67 Pedro Martinez
147 Seung Song RC
158 Corey Spencer RC
162 Brandon Mims RC
186 Casey Fossum RC
188 Bryan Barnowski RC
209 Rick Asadoorian
227 Sun Woo Kim
239 Brad Baker
263 Jin Ho Cho
280 Phil Dumatrait
324 Juan Diaz RC
348 Tony Blanco AU RC

2001 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects
BDP5 Matt Thompson RC
BDP12 Matt Cooper RC
BDP37 Luis Garcia RC

2001 Bowman Heritage
74 Pedro Martinez
146 Dante Bichette
190 Quilvio Veras
194 Tim Wakefield
201 Steve Lomasney
235 Troy O'Leary
241 Matt Cooper RC
269 Tony Blanco RC
287 Ugueth Urbina
290 Trot Nixon
326 Carl Everett
337 Israel Alcantara SP
358 Manny Ramirez SP
364 Hideo Nomo SP
376 Nomar Garciaparra SP
395 David Cone SP

2001 Finest
7 Pedro Martinez
98 Nomar Garciaparra SP
110 Manny Ramirez
140 Mark Fischer PROS RC

2001 Topps
724 Rolando Arrojo
394 Todd Helton Rockies - Nomar Garicaparra Red Sox LL
398 Kevin Brown Dodgers - Pedro Martinez Red Sox LL
743 Brandon Mims Red Sox - Blake Williams Cardinals

2001 Topps Traded
T102 Juan Marichal 74
T121 Ellis Burks 87
T130 Lee Smith 88
T163 Phil Dumatrait
T174 Israel Alcantara

2001 Topps Gallery
3 Nomar Garciaparra
23 Pedro Martinez
84 Manny Ramirez
148 Carl Yastrzemski MAS SP

2001 Topps Gold Label
71 Manny Ramirez
79 Nomar Garciaparra
82 Pedro Martinez
89 Carl Everett
112 Virgil Chevalier SP RC

2001 Topps Heritage
81 Wilton Veras
243 Manny Ramirez
313 Troy O'Leary SP
318 Brian Daubach SP
332 Carl Everett SP
345 Tim Wakefield SP
357 Ramon Martinez SP
362 Pedro Martinez SP
363 Derek Lowe SP
367 Darren Lewis SP
374 Trot Nixon SP
380 Nomar Garciaparra SP
388 Ed Sprague SP
390 Scott Hatteberg SP
391 John Valentin SP
394 Jeff Fassero SP
395 Manny Alexander SP
400 Jose Offerman SP

2001 Topps Limited
24 Derek Lowe
27 Jeff Fassero
34 Rico Brogna
60 Pedro Martinez
69 Manny Alexander
102 Jose Offerman
133 Darren Lewis
221 Carl Everett
262 Scott Hatteberg
326 Jimy Williams MG
434 Brian Daubach
500 Kent Mercker
561 Trot Nixon
571 Wilton Veras
585 Frank Castillo
594 Troy O'Leary
596 Manny Ramirez
597 Mike Lansing
609 Dante Bichette
651 Pete Schourek
665 Nomar Garciaparra
682 Bret Saberhagen
690 Ramon Martinez
695 John Valentin
701 Tim Wakefield
717 Rich Garces
724 Rolando Arrojo
756 Boston Red Sox Team Card
791 Carlton Fisk GM

2001 Topps Opening Day
24 Pedro Martinez
71 Carl Everett
133 Nomar Garciaparra

2001 Topps Reserve
17 Nomar Garciaparra
76 Manny Ramirez
96 Pedro Martinez
108 Tony Blanco
117 Casey Fossum
134 Matt Thompson
143 Seung Song

2001 Topps Stars
4 Dante Bichette
33 Nomar Garciaparra
61 Carl Everett
82 Jose Offerman
89 Manny Ramirez
110 Pedro Martinez
170 Dernell Stenson

2001 Topps Traded
T42 Hideo Nomo
T67 Shea Hillenbrand
T102 Juan Marichal 74
T121 Ellis Burks 87
T130 Lee Smith 88
T163 Phil Dumatrait
T174 Israel Alcantara
T219 Juan Diaz RC

Schedule Stuff

The Red Sox 2011 schedule was released this week. I know. That’s not exactly breaking news. There were a few interesting points on it though, worth talking about a bit.

They’re starting the season in March. That’s not exactly revolutionary. They’ve done it before a few times. But, they seem to actually have a reason this time. By moving the start up a week, they can also move the end up a week. It looks like they might actually want to have the World Series over with by Christmas this year. That’s a step in the right direction. Now, if we can just dump the late October night games, it would all be good in the world. It’s nice to see baseball at least trying to even things up a bit. Of course, the real problem is that the weather in March isn’t a whole lot better than the weather in October. Actually, I’m guessing the chance of snow is better in March. At least they’re putting forth the effort.

The other thing that keeps making the headlines is that the Cubs come to town in ‘11. Personally, I’m looking forward to the chance to add the Cubs to my personal “seen at Fenway” list. As everyone has been pointing out, this is the Cubs first visit since they lost the 1918 World Series. It made me wonder. Are we finally done with that? Are we finally done with the “First visit since…” storylines? Are there teams that haven’t visited Fenway yet? I’ve lost track…and am too lazy to look it up. (That’s what you’re all for) Can Fox finally stop talking about the price of milk in 1918 three hundred times a game? I can’t wait for that day. For the day when we’ve played every team at every home field at some point in the last 25 years. Maybe, at that point baseball can stop with the interleague weekends. Maybe the interleague teams can just be part of the schedule. Maybe then the Sox can just play the Cubs the same trip they play the White Sox. Maybe the interleague games can just be another game on the schedule without all the “Let’s all see AL pitchers try to hit!” hype that makes these games seem like exhibitions. When can it just be about the baseball?

Yeah, I’m probably asking for too much.

Even Jeter the Cheater Can’t Stop Sox Magic Number from Dropping!

I mean, it’s still at 23. But, it’s dropping. If the Yankees keep dogging it for the next couple weeks, and the Sox can string a few, the last week of the season could actually be interesting.
I wonder what Theo is thinking these days. Even with him giving up on the team in July, they’re hanging close. Does he regret taking the summer off? Is he kicking himself? Does he think, “If only I had actually done something constructive once or twice this season…we’d be right there!” Does he wish he had picked up Kearns at the deadline so the team would have that one more bat? Does he wish that he had improved the bullpen over the season? Even a little? Does he look back as games they lost with Jed Lowrie pinch-hitting for Bill Hall and feel disgusted with himself? Boy, I hope so.

The Sox are currently 6 games back from the Yankees. They play the Yankees six more times this season. Very interesting. The Sox play Toronto and Baltimore, while the Yanks play Baltimore and Tampa. Other than the games against each other, there are only four games different between the two teams. Boston plays Chicago four times, while NY plays the Rays those four times. They each have three game sets against Baltimore and Toronto. Interesting. Very interesting. (And, we obviously all remember, the Yankees are the biggest chokers in the history of baseball.) Can the Sox just keep winning?

Jeter the Cheater tried his best to at least control the Sox chances. He joined the ranks of Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada as completely Bush League Yankees. Actually pretending to be hit by a pitch is about as classless as they come. I really shouldn’t be, but I’m still amazed at the national media rising to his defense. If Jeter does it, lying is apparently just fine. Wasn’t he supposed to be this great role model showing kids across America how to play the right way? Apparently, if you lie but run out groundballs, you’re a model baseball player and citizen. When is the media going to finally admit they’ve been backing the wrong horse for 15 years?

The best part of the Yankees rough stretch, is it makes it OK to cheer for the Rays next week. A couple weeks ago, I figured that the Sox’s best chance would be if the Yankees swept the Rays in their last seven games. That would put the Yanks in full coast mode when they faced the Sox in September. I’d rather be neck-and-neck with the Rays while the Yanks are playing their C-Team. But, I couldn’t bring myself to actually cheer for the Yanks. Now, however, it’s changed. The Yanks themselves are now the easier catch. So, we actually want the Rays to sweep the Yanks and bring the Yanks even closer. So, I can cheer for the Yankees to lose every game the rest of the year. Life is normal again.

Boy would a 5-1 homestand look great right about now.

Even Jeter the Cheater Can’t Stop Sox Magic Number from Dropping!

I mean, it’s still at 23. But, it’s dropping. If the Yankees keep dogging it for the next couple weeks, and the Sox can string a few, the last week of the season could actually be interesting.
I wonder what Theo is thinking these days. Even with him giving up on the team in July, they’re hanging close. Does he regret taking the summer off? Is he kicking himself? Does he think, “If only I had actually done something constructive once or twice this season…we’d be right there!” Does he wish he had picked up Kearns at the deadline so the team would have that one more bat? Does he wish that he had improved the bullpen over the season? Even a little? Does he look back as games they lost with Jed Lowrie pinch-hitting for Bill Hall and feel disgusted with himself? Boy, I hope so.

The Sox are currently 6 games back from the Yankees. They play the Yankees six more times this season. Very interesting. The Sox play Toronto and Baltimore, while the Yanks play Baltimore and Tampa. Other than the games against each other, there are only four games different between the two teams. Boston plays Chicago four times, while NY plays the Rays those four times. They each have three game sets against Baltimore and Toronto. Interesting. Very interesting. (And, we obviously all remember, the Yankees are the biggest chokers in the history of baseball.) Can the Sox just keep winning?

Jeter the Cheater tried his best to at least control the Sox chances. He joined the ranks of Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada as completely Bush League Yankees. Actually pretending to be hit by a pitch is about as classless as they come. I really shouldn’t be, but I’m still amazed at the national media rising to his defense. If Jeter does it, lying is apparently just fine. Wasn’t he supposed to be this great role model showing kids across America how to play the right way? Apparently, if you lie but run out groundballs, you’re a model baseball player and citizen. When is the media going to finally admit they’ve been backing the wrong horse for 15 years?

The best part of the Yankees rough stretch, is it makes it OK to cheer for the Rays next week. A couple weeks ago, I figured that the Sox’s best chance would be if the Yankees swept the Rays in their last seven games. That would put the Yanks in full coast mode when they faced the Sox in September. I’d rather be neck-and-neck with the Rays while the Yanks are playing their C-Team. But, I couldn’t bring myself to actually cheer for the Yanks. Now, however, it’s changed. The Yanks themselves are now the easier catch. So, we actually want the Rays to sweep the Yanks and bring the Yanks even closer. So, I can cheer for the Yankees to lose every game the rest of the year. Life is normal again.

Boy would a 5-1 homestand look great right about now.

Wantlist: 2000

2000 Bowman
30 Pedro Martinez
48 Brian Daubach
55 Nomar Garciaparra
176 Steve Lomasney
191 Juan Pena
246 David Eckstein
259 Tomokazu Ohka RC
285 Dernell Stenson
299 Sun Woo Kim RC
324 Cesar Saba RC
366 Wilton Veras

2000 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks
21 Aaron Capista RC
37 Brian Esposito RC

2000 Bowman Retro / Future
30 Pedro Martinez
48 Brian Daubach
55 Nomar Garciaparra
150 Brad Baker
191 Juan Pena
246 David Eckstein
259 Tomokazu Ohka
285 Dernell Stenson
299 Sun Woo Kim
324 Cesar Saba
350 Rick Asadoorian
366 Wilton Veras

2000 Bowman Best
65 Pedro Martinez
126 Steve Lomasney
162 Cesar Saba SP RC
175 Rick Asadoorian SP RC
192 Brad Baker SP RC

2000 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects
21 Aaron Capista RC
37 Brian Esposito RC
107 Phil Dumatrait RC

2000 Finest
43 Brian Daubach
77 Jose Offerman
116 Brad Baker RC SP
118 Rick Asadoorian RC SP
150 Pedro Martinez
159 John Valentin
207 Troy O'Leary
220 Carl Everett
257 Tomokazu Ohka RC SP
277 Pedro Martinez GEM SP
282 Nomar Garciaparra GEM SP

2000 Stadium Club
1 Nomar Garciaparra
7 Jose Offerman
119 John Valentin
164 Pedro Martinez
183 Brian Daubach
230 Wilton Veras SP
249 Brad Baker SP RC
250 Rick Asadoorian SP RC

2000 Topps
60 Pedro Martinez
444 Julio Zuleta Cubs RC - Dernell Stenson Red Sox - Jorge Toca Mets

2000 Topps Traded
T13 Brad Baker

2000 Topps Gallry
1 Nomar Garciaparra
57 Brian Daubach
85 Pedro Martinez
107 Nomar Garciaparra MAS SP
109 Pedro Martinez MAS SP

2000 Gold Label
34 Pedro Martinez
75 Nomar Garciaparra
92 Rick Asadoorian RC

2000 Topps Opening Day
148 DENNY NEAGLE

2000 Topps Stars
11 Nomar Garciaparra
46 Carl Everett
62 Pedro Martinez
78 Troy O'Leary
89 Brian Daubach
108 Carl Yastrzemski
144 Rick Asadoorian RC
162 Nomar Garciaparra SPOT
171 Pedro Martinez SPOT
178 Carl Yastrzemski SPOT
196 Rick Asadoorian SPOT

Happy 36th Birthday Chad Bradford!

Chad Bradford pitched for the Sox during the 2005 season. The sidearmer pitched in 31 games for the Sox that year. His 23.1 innings pitched clearly displayed his specialist role.

That was certainly the case in the only game I saw Bradford pitch live. On October 1, 2005 he started off the top of the ninth inning for the Sox against the Yankees. He got John Flaherty to pop up to the catcher, and allowed a single to Derek Jeter. He was then pulled from the game, even though another righty was coming up.

The Yankees ended up winning the game, and clinching the division in the process. It wasn’t all bad, however, since the Red Sox would clinch the wild card the next day. It still wasn’t much fun watching the Yankees celebrate.

I always wondered why there weren’t “righty specialists” like there were for lefthanders. Why are there so many left handed pitchers who are just deadly to lefties, but you never see righthanders that are poison to righties? Chad Bradford might be the closest I’ve seen to a true righty specialist. If nothing else, It was fun to watch that goofy delivery.

Happy 36th Birthday Chad Bradford!

Red Sox Magic Number Drops to 28!

OK. This is where it starts to get interesting! The Sox get to play lowly Seattle, while the Yanks and the Rays have to slug it out against each other. If the Sox can win some games, and then somebody sweeps the Yanks-Rays series…

Yeah, I can’t do it either. I’m not going to say it can’t happen. The Sox made up a margin about this big in a lot less time earlier in the season. Heck, didn’t the Phillies make up seven games in a day and a half a couple years ago? But, there one distinct difference between those two instances. The trailing team was trying to win. If the Red Sox are comfortable giving up, then I really have no choice but to follow. It looks like Theo will be able to keep his goal of reaching the playoffs seven out of every ten years right on schedule. In the eight years he’s been the GM, the Sox have made the playoffs six times. That’s actually better than his goal. He can slack off even more now the next couple years.

My main thought at this point is, why is his goal only to make the playoffs? And why doesn’t he want to do it every year? It was pretty clear from his actions this year, that he had no intention of making a run at it, once the season started. His opening day roster was fine. I’ll give him that. But, when things start to happen, a decent general manager needs to adjust. Theo didn’t. He lost two-thirds of his starting outfield in April. He still hasn’t made a move to replace them. Why not? Why is he more concerned with the minor league team than the major league team?

I promise. I understand the need for a strong farm system. I really do. But, I guess the reason I think you need them is so that you can improve your major league club year after year. Theo seems to think you need them so that you have good minor league clubs year after year. At some point, Theo has to realize that there is, in fact, such a thing as too many minor league prospects. The Sox have Beckett, Lester, and Lackey tied into rotation spots until 2014. Clay Buchholz is under club control for the immediate future. So, really, even if those guys stink up the joint, they will be four of your five starters for the next four years. So, with one spot remaining, why keep so many pitching prospects? Why not flip them for a position you don’t have players filling? How about a corner infielder to replace Beltre next season? How about an outfielder to replace Cameron or Drew in 2012? How about a shortstop to take over for Scutaro? How about a bullpen that can actually throw a ball over that white pentagon thing? Sure, just because a player is under contract doesn’t mean everything is rosy. I know that Lackey could break his elbow tomorrow, and free up a rotation spot. But, the Sox aren’t the Royals. If disaster strikes, the Sox have the means to deal with it. IF they choose to. This year, they chose not to. After all, that wasn’t the goal.

Do you think the Patriots goal is to make the playoffs every year? I bet not. I bet that Tom Brady would laugh at me if I even asked the question. Their goal is to win the super bowl every year. I’m sure of it. I know they don’t always accomplish that. But, at least it’s comforting to know that they’re trying. They’re not looking at next year. They wouldn’t rather have a decent future than a great past. Theo likes to say he wants to model the Red Sox after the Braves. He keeps forgetting one thing though.

The Braves only won one World Series during their run.

Team Sets: 2009 Upper Deck Spectrum

Players Included: JD Drew, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Lowell, Daisuke Matsuzaka, David Ortiz, Josh Beckett

Best Picture: Jonathan Papelbon. Not a lot of choices since the design of the set doesn’t focus on the pictures. But, here’s Papelbon getting ready to fire another one by an opposing batter.

Hall of Famers: None

Future Hall of Famers: Papelbon probably has the best shot. Some top talent with the rest of the group, but they probably all fall short.

Reason to Buy the Set: It’s a small set packed with talent.

Overall Reaction: Upper Deck went through a phase for a while where the more flash was on a card, the better. Personally, I think it distracts from the card. Of course, I hate buying pictures with the MLB hologram in the corner because it takes away from the feel of the picture. But, if you like pizzazz, this is your set. It’s spiffy, and certainly announces itself as you flip through the rest of your cards. But, more sizzle than steak.

I Scored: May 3, 2003

Games like these are appreciated more now. It’s been a while since Pedro Martinez was lighting up Fenway on a regular basis. Looking back years later, I am glad I got to see so many games like this.

The Minnesota Twins were in town to do battle. They brought with them a team including Torii Hunter and, prepared to face Pedro Martinez. Like many teams facing Pedro, they should have just stayed in the hotel. Going right to Pedro’s stat line, you can see the results. Pedro went the distance. He only gave up five hits, and didn’t walk a batter. Yup, that’s a 0.55 WHIP for the game. He did give up a run. Unfortunately, two of those five hits came back-to-back to drive a runner home. In those nine innings, Pedro struck out an amazing 12 batters, one of 72 10-strikeout games Pedro threw with the Sox. It’s almost silly to think that Pedro was able to compete with mere mortals on the same diamond. It was such a dominating performance, it’s a shame the Sox gave him 9 runs to work with. But, this was the 2003 Red Sox, so that was often the case. Johnny Damon was there to set the table, even though he only reached base once on this day. The heart of the order was at its best, with the Nomar-Manny-Ortiz threesome instilling fear in many an opposing pitcher. In this game, those three went 5-11 with three RBI and four runs scored. Not a bad day from the big guns. Of course, the rest of the line-up wasn’t too shabby either. The player of the game? I’ll go with David Ortiz. First, look at his position. He was at first base that day. I guess he can play there after all. He also went 2-3 with two doubles, driving in three runs, and scoring one of his own. There’s always one in a blowout, so who stunk up the joint? That day it was Shea Hillenbrand. He went 0-4, and left five men on base. It doesn’t matter, though. The Sox didn’t need any of those runs on a day with Pedro on the mound.

So, the Twins didn’t stand a chance. Pedro was brilliant. The offense was flexing its record setting muscle. It was a great victory.

And the scorecard shows how it happened.

Wantlist: 1999

1999 Bowman
12 John Valentin
19 Pedro Martinez
77 Adam Everett RC
103 Jack Cressend RC
132 Andy Abad RC
218 Dernell Stenson
231 Jose Offerman

1999 Bowman Best - RED SOX
53 Pedro Martinez
89 Nomar Garciaparra BP
103 Dernell Stenson
178 Adam Everett RC

1999 FINEST - RED SOX
22 John Valentin
62 Tom Gordon
103 Nomar Garciaparra GEM
135 Adam Everett RC
170 Pedro Martinez
207 Jose Offerman
251 Nomar Garciaparra ST

1999 Topps Stadium Club
115 Pedro Martinez

1999 Topps
Complete!
1999 TOPPS GALLERY
13 GARCIAPARRA, NOMAR
91 MARTINEZ, PEDRO
107 GARCIAPARRA, NOMAR

1999 Gold Label
44 Pedro Martinez
86 Nomar Garciaparra

1999 Opening Day
Pedro Martinez

1999 Topps Stars
56 Pedro Martinez
134 Jose Offerman
171 Nomar Garciaparra SUP

Red Sox Magic Number Drops to 30!

The Red Sox players are doing their best to show Theo that it doesn’t matter what he thinks. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t think they have a shot. It doesn’t matter if he’d rather have a good organization that a great major league team. They’re just going to keep going out there and doing their best.

Oh, I know. It would have been nice if the Sox hadn’t come out flat on Tuesday night. It would have been grand if the Sox had picked up three games this week instead of just one. But, they took two of three from the team with the second best record in baseball. That can’t be a bad thing, right? Especially since the Sox had their two worst starters pitching?

The pitching decision from last night is interesting, to say the least. If the Sox had won on Tuesday, the Sox had Clay Buchholz scheduled on short rest. Since they lost, the Sox went with Tim Wakefield. So, at 4.5 games they were still in it, but not at 6.5? Is that the decision? Who made that call? If Theo thought that 4.5 was still in the hunt, how come he didn’t make any moves at the deadline to help out? If Francona thought 4.5 was in the hunt, but not 6.5, why was Daisuke on the mound so long Tuesday? I know you can’t do the comparison, but the Sox ended up scoring five runs. Why not pull Dice early like it was a playoff game, if that’s the way you were playing it. If the Sox win Tuesday, it’s all systems go for the playoffs. If they lose Tuesday, it’s wait for next year? Why leave Tuesday to chance then? Was it a must-win game, or not? I don’t understand.

The Sox have been a jumbled mess this season. Nobody’s been able to figure out what to make of them. I guess it’s understandable. They haven’t had their expected starting line-up in there since, well, Spring Training? Every time a hurdle is cleared, another one is there to trip them up. It’s hard to know what to think. It’s been a constant waiting game. Wait until Cameron comes back. Then they’ll be a team. Wait for Ellsbury to come back. Then they’ll be what we expect. Wait until V-Mart heals up. Lowell will cover for Youkilis. Don’t worry. Pedroia can tolerate pain. Apparently he can will bones to heal. (Oh, wait. He can’t.) You never knew who was on the roster from one day to the next, let alone the line-up. It’s hard to eagerly follow a team when you spend all season waiting for it to show up.

And, that’s really the sad part.

David Ortiz Needs to Bunt

I know. It’s not a revolutionary idea. I bet it’s not even the first time I’ve mentioned it. It doesn’t even apply to only David Ortiz. It probably works for just about anyone who sees a crazy defensive alignment when they’re at the plate. I really only bring it up because I was at Fenway this weekend. I saw the shift Chicago played against Ortiz in full. I didn’t like it. He needs to bunt.

Right off the bat, I need to admit that I’d prefer he didn’t actually bunt. My preference would be for him to slap a ball down the left field line instead. Maybe he’d get a double out of that. But, I’ve heard enough people say that you wouldn’t want to mess with your swing like that. I can see that shifting your mechanics like that could affect other at-bats as well. So, I’ll settle for a bunt. A nice push bunt to third would be perfect.

I know what you’re thinking. David Ortiz isn’t paid to get bunt base hits. If he bunts, he’s just doing the other team a favor. His job is to drive in runs. I hear that. I really do. It’s just not that simple. Let’s start with the middle question. Is Ortiz doing the other team a favor by bunting? That depends, I suppose, on what the other options are. Is he bunting instead of hitting a home run? In that case, he’s doing them a favor. Is he bunting instead of striking out? In that case, I’d bet the other team would prefer the strikeout. As for his job being to hit home runs? I’m not really sure about that. I would bet his job is to give the Red Sox the best chance at winning the game. Now, I admit, there is never an at-bat in a major league game where the best result isn’t a homerun. If you put one in the seats you are always doing the best you can. David Ortiz hitting five home runs a game would be doing the best he can to help the team win. But, when was the last time Ortiz hit a home run every time he batted in a game? Has it ever happened? Maybe as a pinch hitter? So, other than hitting a home run, the best thing David Ortiz can do to help his team is to get on base. Just get on base anyway he can. Bunting would certainly accomplish that, right?

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Ortiz should bunt every time he strides to the plate. There are cases where it’s worth the risk to swing away. But, if he bunted a bit more than he does now…wouldn’t the other teams at least have to stay honest? If he dropped a bunt down once a game, for instance, wouldn’t they have to drop out of the shift just a little bit? Wouldn’t even a little relaxing of the shift improve his chances of getting a hit when he swings away?

Let’s take Saturday’s game, as an example. Ortiz came up in the bottom of the first. There was no score, two outs, and Victor Martinez was at first. The ChiSox put the shift on. They may have held off a bit because of Martinez on first, but I bet it was a pretty standard shift. If Ortiz had bunted for a base hit, the Sox would have had runners at first and second for Adrian Beltre. If Ortiz happens to hit a single, it’s the same result. If he hits a double, Martinez may score. It’s not a great chance, but it could happen. It would definitely put runners at second and third. If Ortiz hit a triple, we would have all fainted in out seats. If he hit a home run, two runs score, and the best result occurs. So, if he bunted, it’s guaranteed two on with two outs. Otherwise, his batting average is .250 or so. So, it’s about a 25% chance that one of the other events happens. It wouldn’t be a big risk to just lay one down. What did Ortiz do? He grounded into the shift, and was thrown out by the second baseman to end the inning. Advantage: bunting.

The next time up, Ortiz led off the fourth inning with the Sox trailing by 1. Again, if he bunts the Sox have the lead runner on. If he doesn’t, he has that 25% chance of something good happening. In this case, he got lucky. He hit the ball into the shift again, but the second baseman misplayed it into a single. Advantage: Push, although only by luck.

The third time up, there were runners on first and third with two outs. The game was tied. With the runner on third, the shift was out of whack. Swinging away is really the only choice. Ortiz ended up grounding out to first, on a fine play.

His last time up, the Sox were training by 2 as Ortiz led off the eighth. Even if Ortiz hits a home run, the sox still trail. If he bunts, the tying run comes to the plate. Ortiz grounds into the shift, and is thrown out by the second baseman. Advantage: bunting.

So, Ortiz went 1-4 in the game. If he had bunted every time it made sense, he would have been 3-4. He would have had the same number of doubles, triples, home runs, and RBI (0) if he bunted three times instead of swinging away.

No, I don’t want Ortiz to turn into Juan Pierre. I don’t want him bunting every time he comes to the plate. But, what if he lay one down in the first inning on Saturday. Would the shift be a bit relaxed in the fourth or fifth? Do the grounders into the shift become base hits? What if teams knew that when he led off an inning, there was a 50% chance he’d bunt? Could they even use the shift? Doesn’t that help all his other at bats, along with adding base hits to his stats? What’s the downside?

Just bunt it.

That could have gone better

The Sox sure don’t like making things easy. It certainly would have been nice to take at least one of those games against the other Sox this weekend. It was beyond frustrating to watch the debacle over and over. I don’t know which was worse. Seeing the Sox just not score the runs they needed despite good pitching, or watching they throw balls every which way, and drop them on the rare instances they actually reached their target. Was it the bullpen blowing every lead they saw, or the starters not giving them a lead in the first place? They certainly didn’t look like a team that deserved to be in the playoff hunt. At least many didn’t completely go off on them. I had fear of him blasting ball after ball over the wall in left. But, he was only mildly annoying. (He was actually less annoying than the fans that continue to boo him for reasons I have yet to understand.) So, the Sox ended the weekend with their heads low.

Thankfully, in baseball, momentum is the next night’s starting pitcher. Jon Lester was just great last night, as the Sox secured a game they absolutely had to win. It shaved a game off the lead, and kept them in the hunt. If it is followed by two more, the Sox could have something.

Even in the blowout, the main Sox weakness shone through. The bullpen has been horrible. All the talk about injuries to the offense have glossed over on thing. Theo assembled an absolutely terrible bullpen. He sat on his hands through the first trade deadline. He sat on his hands through the second trade deadline. Did nothing to improve the team. If the bullpen had any talent in it at all, the Sox would be a lot closer than they are now…even with half their line-up no the DL.

I often wonder if the Sox re-injuries caught Theo off guard. Did he actually think Dustin Pedroia was coming back in July? (BTW, I’m so glad Pedroia worked so hard to get himself back on the field so he could make things worse and be gone even longer. That’s better than looking soft.) Was he counting on Ellsbury and Cameron being back when they were supposed to be? Did he not make any moves just waiting for them to come back? Did he assume they would be out longer than everyone thought, so he just gave up on the season?

I’m not sure I’d be happy with either answer.

Wantlist: 1998

1998 Bowman
87 John Curtice
103 Brian Rose
164 Peter Munro
165 Trot Nixon
35 Mo Vaughn
234 Pedro Martinez
254 John Valentin
313 Chris Reitsma
321 Damian Sapp
363 John Barnes
375 Joe DePastino
397 Steve Lomasney
404 Cole Liniak
415 Michael Coleman
421 Matt Kinney

1998 Bowmans Best
16 Mo Vaughn
38 Pedro Martinez
73 Nomar Garciaparra
117 Donnie Sadler
135 Brian Rose
155 Michael Coleman
197 Jim Chamblee

1998 FINEST - RED SOX
73 Scott Hatteberg
115 John Valentin
154 Pedro Martinez
205 Reggie Jefferson

1998 Stadium Club
32 Mo Vaughn
37 Reggie Jefferson
121 Scott Hatteberg
171 Nomar Garciaparra
193 John Valentin
194 Darren Bragg
280 Troy O'Leary
321 Tim Wakefield
362 Dennis Eckersley
380 Jim Leyritz3
98 Pedro Martinez

1998 Topps
#481 Chipper Jones & Nomar Garciaparra Interleague Preview Braves vs Red Sox
#485 Rookie Prospects of Cardianls Braden Looper, Cardinals Cliff Politte and Red Sox Brian Rose
#494 Rookie Draft Picks of Red sox John Curtice and Twins Mike Cuddyer

98 Topps Gallery
4 Pedro Martinez
108 John Valentin
138 Mo Vaughn

1998 Topps Gold Label
45 Pedro Martinez
78 Nomar Garciaparra

1998 Topps Opening Day
102 Tim Naehring
162 Nomar Garciaparra

1998 Topps Stars
92 John Valentin
125 Nomar Garciaparra
144 Pedro Martinez

Don’t Look Back, Tampa…

…something is gaining on you.

Ok. It’s a half a game. I get that. The Sox are still 6.5 games out. I get that too. But, you have to agree with me, 6.5 back is better than 7.5 back. Right? Last night’s game certainly could have been a loss. It was trending that way. The Sox could very easily been swept by Baltimore. But, they weren’t. They won the series, to split the road trip. That’s a much better turn of events. Can they keep it going? I sure hope so. After all, if the Sox sweep the homestand, the current 6.5 game deficit goes to no more than 3.5. Yikes!

So, what is it? Why aren’t the Sox playing out the string? They still actually think they have a shot at the postseason. Of course, they’re right. I’ve mentioned that Tampa’s seven games against New York make everything very interesting. Really, the best scenario has the Rays being crushed by the Yankees, rendering the six games the Sox have with NY meaningless in the Yankees eyes. That makes them likely rest their only pitcher, and makes the Sox task just a little bit easier. I like easy as much as the next guy.

So, bring on Manny. Again, I won’t lie to you. I prefer the other Sox had given up. I wish they were playing rookies and has-beens to play out the string. But, if the Red Sox are as good as they should be, it doesn’t matter. The Soxy battle will go just the way it’s supposed to. A series win is a must, to set up a series sweep of the Rays. After all, they were thiiiiis close to taking them all from the Rays in Tampa. At Fenway Park, I see no reason to think they can’t. The rest of the season? Looks good for the Sox. That makes this the key homestand.

This is going to be fun.

Do I sense a spark?

Apparently the Red Sox haven’t given up. It would have been very easy to. I know I almost did a couple times myself. The Sox though? They hung in there when it got a little dicey like great teams do.

Imagine. In the top of the very first inning, you give one of the best pitchers in the game a run. Before he even throws a pitch, he has the lead. What happens in the bottom of the inning? Jon Lester gives up four runs. If that’s not deflating, I don’t know what is. If that’s not a reason to throw in the towel and wait until next year, I don’t know what is. But, the Sox didn’t do that. They hung in there. They clawed their way back. Finally, using everyone in the batting order, they exploded. They grabbed the lead, and didn’t give it back. That’s what you need to see from a payoff team. That’s what needs to happen when the two teams you’re chasing win.

Of course, none of that matters if Dice-K doesn’t go out and do his part tonight. The gutsy effort needs to lead to something. There needs to be a string of victories. The time where the Sox can just win series is past. They need some sweeps. A lot of sweeps. How about a homestand sweep? They’ve certainly done that before. Why not now? Do that, and they’re right back in the race.

Just win.

36 Questions: Manny Ramirez edition

Manny Ramirez was recently sent from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox. Manny suited up for the first time for his new team last night, in a Chicago victory. Since Manny’s name has been in the paper this last week or so, it’s reminded me of a few questions I’ve had brewing. I figured I’d ask them here.

In a recent extra-innings game, Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was ejected after arguing a strike call. The Phillies are in the playoff hunt, and desperately need wins. Howard is their premier slugger. By being ejected, the Phillies didn’t have enough position players left to take his place. Roy Oswalt was needed to go in and play left field. As luck would have it, Oswalt came to the plate with the tying runs on base later in the game, and didn’t produce. The Phillies lost a game they needed to win. After the game, I’ve seen reports that Howard should have been able to control his emotions better, and done whatever he could to have stayed in the game. Also recently, Adrian Beltre, of the Boston Red Sox, was ejected in the first inning of a game, after being called out on strikes. Beltre is one of the Sox’s top run producers. It was a game the Sox needed to win to stay in the playoff hunt. Beltre’s spot in the line-up later came to the plate in a key spot, but didn’t produce. After the game, I saw many stories saying the umpire made a poor ejection. The umpire needed to understand the situation better, and keep Beltre in the game. My question? Can someone send me a link to a story where either Beltre or Howard was accused of trying to get ejected to throw the game and hurt his team as Manny has been accused of after his ejection?

Another question. Let’s say The Great Derek Jeter, base runner extraordinaire, super hustler, and all-around perfect baseball player is on first base with one out. Let’s say he takes off from first on a hit and run. Let’s say the batter, instead of hitting it in the hole Jeter created, lines out to the pitcher. What does Derek Jeter now do? Does he slam on the breaks and run as fast as he can trying to beat the throw from the pitcher back to first? Or, does he frown, and coast to a stop before turning back to the dugout. I’m guessiog the answer is b. When Manny Ramirez didn’t run out of the box on a groundball to the pitcher, he was roundly criticized for his lack of hustle. But, in Jeter’s case, not only would he not hustle back to first, but he would actually get farther away from first as he coasted to a stop. The throw from the pitcher would be the same distance. And, since Jeter would be closer than Manny was…he’d have a better shot at beating it out. My Question? Can someone send me a link to a video of Jeter in the above situation stopping on a dime and sprinting back to first?

I have scored three baseball games so far this season. Looking over the books, I see eight players who struck out looking. James Loney of the LA Dodgers. Marco Scutaro of the Red Sox. Adrian Beltre of the Red Sox (twice). Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers. Bill Hall of the Red Sox. Kevin Cash of the Red Sox. Aaron Hill of the Toronto Blue Jays. J.D. Drew of the Red Sox. My question? Could someone send me a link to a story where any of these players were accused of trying to strike out to throw a game and hurt his team as Manny has been accused of?

Please feel free to use the comments section to provide your links.