The Machine Keeps Rolling

Another road series, and another series win. What more could I ask for? Sure, it would have been nice to squeak out yesterday’s game as well. But, a 4-2 road trip is a really nice start. All the Sox need to do is win once of the games in Baltimore to have a successful trip. Even with Yesterday’s loss, and the Mets decision to lie down like dogs, the Sox still enjoy a three game lead in the East. Apparently, the Mets realize that if they lose the games now, it’s not choking. Maybe the fans will get off their backs a bit if instead of chokers, they’re just a lousy team. After the current road trip, the Sox have a nice long home stand. That should be fun.

I usually don’t get caught up in a player’s numbers against a specific team. I don’t care what Kevin Youkilis’s batting average is against Tampa Bay. It’s not like the old days where over a five-year span most of the teams had the same players. With the turnover rate of today’s teams, numbers against a certain uniform are irrelevant. That makes Josh Beckett’s domination of the Braves all the more interesting. The Braves have been a pretty good team lately. But, in the last few years, they have done nothing against Beckett. This last meeting was even more impressive since it came about a week after his previous meeting. Usually the more often a team sees a pitcher, the more they can hit him. It didn’t appear to be the case with Beckett. It’s too bad he doesn’t get to face them again this season.

Brad Penny had another game where he pitched pretty well, but didn’t get a win. I assume that trade value isn’t affected by the win-loss record. But, it would be nice to see him getting a W now any then. He’s been pitching a lot better than the record would indicate.

What is up with Wakefield? I know the knuckler has a way of running hot and cold. But, it’s been running pretty hot lately. Some people will look at his ten wins and say it’s a function of his run support. But, he hasn’t needed many of the runs he’s gotten. He’s just been mowing people down left and right. If he doesn’t land on the All-Star team this year, there’s something wrong with the system…more than usual.

This is probably more than Theo dared hope for at the beginning of the season. But, the Sox are going into Baltimore for a three game series, and are throwing Jon Lester, John Smoltz, and Josh Beckett. Is that even fair? Lester and Beckett are showing signs of being the co-aces we all hoped they’d be. If the Smoltz of his last inning shows up, as opposed to the one of his first, the birds don’t stand a chance.

I’d like to send out Birthday Wishes to two former Sox players today, Duane Wilson, and Peter Hoy. They have the honor of sharing a birthday with yours truly. Happy Birthday!

Bring on Baltimore!

Was That A Good Series?

Obviously, my standard goal is to split every series on the road. So, to win this series certainly is ahead of the game. But, are the Nationals the type of team that you HAVE to sweep? Are those three games you need to win in order to be a success? I really think that winning two of the three, even in DC, is a bit of a disappointment. I’m not complaining, exactly, but I wish they could have picked up yesterday’s game as well.

It’s nice to see Ortiz starting to swing the bat a little bit. I’m not quite at the point where I’m screaming that he’s back to normal. But, I’d rather have the last two weeks than the first two weeks of the season. I do think it’s interesting that the resurgence looks to have coincided with his eye drops. It’s probably as much mental as it is physical, but it may have worked.
If Brad Penny was looking to boost his trade value, having a so-so start against the Nationals might not have been the way to do it. He didn’t exactly get shelled, and the Sox ended up with the win, but I’d have liked it to have been a little cleaner than it was.

I still don’t know what I want the Sox to do as the trade deadline comes. If Dice-K’s really on the DL, I could almost see them not making a move. That would be a shame though. I hate to have so many great chips, and not use them for something. It’s not quite at the level of making a move for the sake of making a move. But, they have a chance to do something pretty fantastic here. What would I like to see? Good question. Obviously, they don’t need a starting pitcher. They could use a young catcher to take over after next season. I’m not sure Kottaras is the future plan. Pretty set at first and second I’d imagine. They could use a long-term shortstop plan, if it’s not Lowrie. Although, Lowrie would be fine with me. Lowell will need a replacement soon, so if the Rays want to deal Longoria, I’d listen. Left field is an interesting position. Will Jay Bay stay? If he’s bolting at the end of the year, this may be the time to grab a replacement. Ellsbury looks to have centerfield locked up for a while, and Drew still has right. The bullpen looks set for the near future as well. That’s it. A catcher, a shortstop, and maybe a left fielder. I want studs at those positions, and I’ll pay for it. What can you do for me Theo?

Before last night’s game, there was talk that Smoltz starting against the Nat’s was really just another rehab start. It would be tricky to tell how good he was really feeling when he dominated them. So, what exactly does it mean when he gave up five runs in five innings? Not a whole lot. I’ll cut the guy some slack for being rusty or nervous, or whatever was buzzing around his head for the first inning. He gave up some hits, and that’s fine. He pulled it together, though, and showed us a little bit of what may be to come. I’m pretty excited to see him in Baltimore.
Does Smoltz get any reaction this weekend in Atlanta? Obviously, he’s not pitching. I also don’t expect a ceremony or anything. But, do the fans give him a cheer when he shags flies during batting practice? I sure hope they show something.

Bring on the Braves!

36 years ago…

The year was 1973. The Impossible Dream had come and gone. The World Series team of 1975 was still building. But, a lot happened during that year. I thought it might be a lot of fun to take a look back at the Red Sox year of 1973.

On January 3 the New York Yankees were sold. That might not strictly be Red Sox related. But, the fact that the new buyer was George Steinbrenner makes it fairly significant. When his group put up the $10 million to buy the team, I bet nobody could imagine what would be created. If the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry didn’t start with the Steinbrenner years, it was certainly increased a few levels into what it is today. I don’t know whether to thank him.

In another Yankee moment, on April 6th Ron Blomberg came to the plate against Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant. He ended up walking. What was significant about that? It was the first time in ML history that a Designated Hitter came to the plate. I think it’s great that he walked. That way, the first DH at-bat wasn’t even an official at-bat. Isn’t that great? Love it or hate it, and I love it, the DH rule is one of the most significant changes to baseball in a long time. Now, if the NL would just get on board. By the way, the Red Sox ended up winning the game 15-5.

On August 1, the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry was in full bloom. It was in this game that Carlton Fisk was run into by Thurman Munson to start a pretty heated brawl. When they retired Fisk’s number at Fenway a few years ago, they showed a clip of this fight on the jumbotron. Naturally, it drew a loud round of applause.

A few of the Red Sox players who ranked among the AL leaders in 1973:
Carl Yastrzemski’s 105 walks placed him 3rd
Yaz’s .411 OBP was 3rd, even if nobody cared back then.
Tommy Harper stole 54 bases to lead the AL.
Luis Tiant had 23 complete games! What is more amazing is that he was only 4th in the AL. (In 2008, the Red Sox had 5 as a team)
Bill Lee had a fantastic 2.75 ERA, good enough for 3rd in the league

As for major AL awards, Harper finished 13th in the AL MVP voting.

Tommy Harper also collected a couple team honors, winning both the BoSox Club Man of the Year, and the Thomas A. Yawkey Award as team MVP.

The Red Sox placed three men on the 1973 All-Star team. Carlton Fisk started the game at catcher. Bill Lee and Carl Yastrzemski joined him on the squad.

The Red Sox finished 1973 with an 89-73 record, good enough for 2nd in the AL East. The Orioles finished 8 games ahead of them.

1,481,002 people came to Fenway to watch them play. (In 2008, the Sox drew a club record 3,048,248)

Red Sox team leaders included:Reggie Smith with a .303 batting average
Fisk’s 26 homers
Yaz’s 95 RBI
Tiant’s 20 Wins and 206 ‘s
Lee’s 2.75 ERA

Anyone have a favorite 1973 memory?

Monday Already?

Another Monday, and another off day for the Sox. To fill the time, here are a few thoughts I have floating around my head.

It’s a credit to Theo that the Sox stand four games ahead in the division. The Number three starter has been useless, and they’re on their third string shortstop. The Designated Hitter was a Designated Out for much of the season. But, still they have a significant lead. It makes me wonder what’s possible from here on out.

Speaking of the number three starter… Dice-K went on the DL again. I never know what to make of these things. Naturally, I’m not involved in the internal meetings for the Sox. Nor do they usually send me the minutes to those meetings. I have to wonder what the plan/hope is here. Do the Sox really think he’s hurt enough to go on the DL? Is the shoulder thing an excuse to get him out of the rotation for a while to work on his mechanics? If he’s really “hurt”, does this make penny less expendable? What do they really believe up there? Is this a month break on the DL until the trading deadline? This gives both Smoltz and Penny a chance to show what they really have. If the Sox claim Dice is on the DL, their bargaining position improves when trying to trade Penny. They can get a better deal if they can say they don’t need to make a move than they could when Penny was the 6th man and taking up a needed roster spot.

Is there anything better in baseball than having a four game lead, heading INTO a 3-game series against the Nationals? It’s amazing to me sometimes that one major league team can be so bad. The number of times I’ve seen a random Red Sox starter throw a gem, or some hitter have the game of his life makes me think that it has to happen for the Nat’s occasionally. Where are all those games?

Who would have guessed that the Tim Wakefield start would be the longer of the weekend games? Saturday’s game was absolutely cruising. It’s amazing how crisp games can be when there’s quality pitching to be had. Beckett’s season is starting to get a little more consistent. He’s reaching the point where I’m expecting a good outing from him. For a while there it was more of possible than probable in my mind.

Should be a fun week.

List of 36: Red Sox Baseball Cards I wish I owned

1. 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams RC #92
2. 2005 Upper Deck HOF Signs of Cooperstown Triples Autograph Doerr/Fisk/Yaz #DFY
3. 2008 Topps World Champion Relics Josh Beckett #WCR1
4. 2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Spledid Splinters Game bat Babe Ruth #6
5. 2007 Ultimate Collection Daisuke Matsuzaka AU #126
6. 1983 Topps Wade Boggs RC #498
7. 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game Autographs Jim Rice #66
8. 2006 Topps Triple Threads Relic Combo Ramirez /Williams/Ortiz #97
9. 1997 Stadium Club Cosigners Nomar Garciaparra Autograph #C08
10. 1938 Goudy Heads-Up Bobby Doerr XRC #258
11. 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski RC #148
12. 2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th BoSox Sigs Roger Clemens #4
13. 2004 SP Prospects Dustin Pedroia AU RC #340
14. 1975 Topps Jim Rice RC #616
15. 1949 Bowman Johnny Pesky RC #86
16. 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game Autographs Dom DiMaggio #24
17. 1941 Play Ball Dom Dimaggio RC #63
18. 1954 Bowman Ted Williams #66
19. 2001 Topps Heritage Autographs Dom Dimaggio #THADD
20. 1955 Topps Harry Agganis RC #152
21. 1985 Donruss Roger Clemens RC #273
22. 1959 Fleer Ted Williams Signs for 1959 #68
23. 2003 Bowman Chrome Draft Jon Papelbon RC #51
24. 2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th BoSox Sigs Carl Yastrzemski #16
25. 1972 Topps Carlton Fisk RC #79
26. 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects Lars Anderson AU #BCP249
27. 2002 Upper Deck Premier Prospects Jon Lester XRC #12
28. 1992 Upper Deck Williams Heroes Ted Williams Autograph #AU4
29. 2008 Topps World Champion Relics Jacoby Ellsbury #WCR6
30. 1965 Topps Rico Pertrocelli RC #74
31. 1914 Cracker Jack Tris Speaker #65
32. 2004 Donruss World Series Signature Dwight Evans #25
33. 2007 Bowman Hidecki Okajima AU RC #219
34. 1975 Topps Fred Lynn RC #622
35. 2005 Bowman Sterling Jed Lowrie Uu/Jsy RC #JL
36. 2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Threads Ted Williams #7