August 31~ SOX v. CWS, TBS, 10:35 am
There's been a lot of discussion about the fate of Jason Varitek after this season. A lot of naysayers are raggin' on his BA, while omitting his skills behind the dish. Well I just want to point out just exactly what he's done in the last 10 games offensively: a nice average of .371 from lucky 13 hits in 35 AB's, also 6 runs, 5 RBI's, and 3 HR's.
ank fans shouting their famous ‘asshole’ chant. (Takes one to know one, I say.) I’m sure NYPD knows how volatile it can be for a Sox fan in skankee land and should have handled the situation much differently. The Sox fan was wrong to resist, but was provoked by the officer into escalating the incident even further before realizing that she was not going to see the remainder of the game, which the Sox won 11-3.
Ruth is turning over in his grave.
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/28/08
Yankee fans will sink to the absolute lowest depths in attempting to gain an edge for da Bronx Bums. A fan apparently tried to shake the Byrd cage by flashing a laser light at him during the game. Byrd, being the professional he is, ignored the inconvenience (unlike Joba and the flies) and continued to pitch a most excellent game. The umpires, however, were more concerned than Byrd and convened on the mound with him about it. The mysterious light seemed to have disappeared after the mound convention.
Former Red Sox reliever Craig Hansen, who was traded to Pittsburgh in the three-team trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and brought Jason Bay to Boston, has been demoted to AAA by the Bucs. Two days ago, Hansen issued free passes to walk in the tying and go-ahead runs during the Cubs' seven-run, eighth-inning rally that helped Chicago win 14-9 and sweep a three-game series. Hansen was 0-2 with a 8.10 ERA in nine games with Pittsburgh. He was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
The Sox have taken games 1 & 2 of the last series between the Sox and the Yanks to ever be held at that stadium. This one was even more convincing than last night. Chief vulture Paul Byrd pitched 6 innings, allowing only 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs. Manny pitched a clean 7th in relief. The Sox broke it open in the 8th on Dustin Pedroia's 1st major league grand slam.
I mean, we don’t want to be pointing out all their mistakes, now do we?
) for their last visit ever to the venerable, the original, Yankee Stadium. MLB celebrated the distinguished history of that stadium by staging this year's All Star game there. That was the game that JD Drew of the Sox was named MVP.
I'm dreaming of the Sox taking the Yankees out back and tying them to the whipping post for this stand, a massacre that makes up for the Yankee's humliation of the Sox in '78 and '06, a massacre that outdoes that pair of 17-1 victories, the 4 back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs from last year, and Lester's complete game shutout this year.
Sox win 6-5 BOX SCORE
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/24/08
'26, No More, No More', lyrics by Red Sox Sonoma
Waiting for the Rod dash A
Searching for a ball to play
Fly balls lost against the sky
Giving up he closed his eyes
Throwing balls past 1st some more
26, no more, no more
Sucking badly in third place
Jeter’s jizz upon his face
It’s not the icing on the cake
Madonna knows how much he’ll take
Should she go deeper even more
26, no more, no more
A-Rod looks like he’s asleep
AL East is very deep
Searching for KC to play
Hitting into double plays
26, no more, no more
26, no more, no more
The venerable Mike Timlin pitched a perfect 9th inning tonight, needing only 10 pitches to retire the side in order as the Red Sox shut out the Rangers 10-0. This comes one night after relieving Jon Lester in the 7th inning. Timlin came in with 1 out and 2 on and proceeded to serve up a fatty meatball to Milton Bradley, who promptly deposited it in the CF stands.
whether it was middle relief, set up, or closer. At least until this year. There comes a time in every ballplayer's career to hang up the spikes, and there may only be 2+ months before his get hung. It would be sad to see his last performance of his career be similar to his performance last night. It is sad when players attempt to play too far past their prime trying to prove they still have it, when they obviously don’t. Mike has been on-again, off-again, on-again this year. If this is indeed Timlin’s last year, it may be that he sees mop up duty for the rest of the season. Let’s hope that Tito uses Mike effectively down the stretch, for both the team's sake and Mike's. He won’t have his number retired, but he will be remembered as one of the best relievers to ever come out of the Sox bullpen. 
Charlie Zink had a perfect 1-2-3 inning in his major league debut Tuesday night. Three All-Stars, nonetheless (Kinsler, Young, Hamilton.) So what happened in the 2nd inning when he gave up 2 runs and in the 4th inning when the wheels came off?
Jim Bouton, author "Ball Four", his controversial diary written during his 1969 season with the old Seattle Pilots and the Houston Astros, was a knuckleballer. His coaches and managers at first didn't want him throwing that pitch at all, much less a whole game. Once he became proficient enough with the pitch and convinced his coaches and managers to let him throw it for the whole game, he discovered that he needed to be throwing a lot more often than a conventional starter, a LOT more often.
It could happen. Hang in there, Charlie Zink.
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/14/08
It was the fourth time in Red Sox history a player hit two homers in an inning. The last was Nomar Garciaparra in 2002.
The last time a player hit two home runs in the first inning was Aaron Boone of the Cincinnati Reds against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 9, 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Both were two-run shots.
Bret Boone and Mike Cameron were the last American Leaguers to do it, and they did it in the same game, according to Elias. On May 2, 2002, the pair hit back-to-back homers twice in the first inning for the Seattle Mariners against the Chicago White Sox.
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/12/08
Since August 1st:
I'm pretty sure Robert Hunter had no idea who Jason Bay or Manny Ramirez were, or that they would be involved in a big trade between the Sox, Bucs, and Dodgers when he wrote these lyrics some 28 years ago, but it's all right. Kind of suits them anyway."Touch of Grey"
Music by Jerry Garcia, Lyrics by Robert Hunter
Must be getting early
Clocks are running late
Paint by number morning sky
Looks so phony
Dawn is breaking everywhere
Light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains I don't care
'cause it's all right
I will get by / I will get by
I will get by / I will survive
I see you've got your list out
Say your piece and get out
Yes I get the gist of it
but it's all right
Sorry that you feel that way
The only thing there is to say
Every silver lining's got a
Touch of grey
I will get by / I will get by
I will get by / I will survive
It's a lesson to me
The Ables and the Bakers and the C's
The ABC's we all must face
And try to keep a little grace
It's a lesson to me
The deltas and the east and the freeze
The ABC's we all think of
Try to give a little love.
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
but it's all right.
Cows giving kerosene
Kid can't read at seventeen
The words he knows are all obscene
but it's all right
I will get by / I will get by
I will get by / I will survive
The shoe is on the hand it fits
There's really nothing much to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit
cause it's all right.
Oh well a Touch Of Grey
Kind of suits you anyway.
That was all I had to say
It's all right.
I will get by / I will get by
I will get by / I will survive
We will get by / We will get by
We will get by / We will survive
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/05/08
Everyone is complaining about Jason Varitek's slump since May 25th. I decided to take a look at his recent activity and found that in 8 games since July 27th (not including tonight's game) he has 6 hits in 21 AB's for a .286 average over that time span.
It's his destiny.
Sox win 5-2: BOX SCORE
Previously posted on FenwayWest.com 08/03/08
Jason Bay hit a huge triple off The Green Monster in the bottom of the 12th inning with two outs. After an intentional walk to Drew, Lowrie knocked in Bay to score the winning run over Oakland tonight. (Had Manny hit that ball in the bottom of the 12th, he most likely would have watched it for 5.7 seconds before realizing it was still in the park!) 
I have always had a warm spot in my baseball heart for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first game I ever went to was at the old Forbes Field. Doug Mientkiewicz is now with the Bucs. Quite coincidentally, I have voted for Jason Bay in the All Star Game balloting in the past three years.
It's finally over. Sportswriters and broadcasters everywhere are questioning the Ramirez/Bay trade with most lumping the Sox into their loser columns. I had previously written to ignore Manny's words and watch his actions. His actions? Strolling down to 1st at over 5 seconds while the team was being no hit, not just once, but twice. His words of the past couple of days became too loud to ignore and cut to the bone. He sent a message and that message was, 'I ain't gonna do squat for da Red Sox for da rest of dis season. FY.' At least that's what it sounded like.
I'm sitting at the family home in Bristol, RI after getting caught in a traditional New England summer downpour as I was walking down the beach with my daughter. We just got in about noon after a red eye flight from Oakland to Boston, had a good old fashioned RI Shore Dinner, and took a walk in cloudy skies when the sky just opened up! WoW!
n Cash has been quite a pleasant surprise. The rookie has done a fantastic job of handling Wake's knuckleball this season. I miss Dougie just as much as anyone, but he just didn't hit the ball enough, ykwim? While Cash hasn't set the world on fire with his BA (.242 last time I checked), he's at least hitting well above the Mendoza line, (and not at or below it.)
The well respected Peter Gammons was one of the broadcasters during the Red Sox-Angels game today, July 20 at Anaheim, CA. When asked about the recent controversies surrounding Manny Ramirez and what effect it will have on the Red Sox in regards to them picking up his options for 2009 and 2010, Gammons said the following on air: "I really don't think it's going to be a problem." He made more statements regarding Manny's prowess at the plate and his run producing abilitites, and reaffirmed his belief that he will be in a Red Sox uniform next year. Gammons also completely dismissed the notion, as did Terry Francona, that he purposely sat on those three pitches.
the list goes on. That list also includes one of the greatest hitters and run producers of all time, (who also happens to be much better defensively than most will admit, blooper reels notwithstanding.) He's "growing older, but not up." He's out there, for sure. He's shot from the lip, and he's made mistakes, as we all do. And he got hit with a 5-figure tab (not 6, as some tabloid journalist alleged) among other restitutions for his most recent mistake. 
As for his remarks over options that offended John Henry, I didn't 'hear' the words. Very few of us 'heard' the words as Manny spoke them. (I looked for an audio link, but could not find one.) Did he speak them in an agressive, demanding, and insulting manner, or was his tone more of despair and inquiry that happened to contain a couple of spicy adjectives? John Henry felt offended when he read what Manny said, and rightly so (taken in the written context.) But the press and the rest of the baseball world will just have to wait and see what shakes out between the Sox brass and Manny before running their collective mouths off. I'm sure other teams are just chomping at the bit at the prospect of Manny becoming available after the season. I wouldn't put it past some owners and writers that they are fanning the flames, just to see him leave Boston. Can you really blame Manny for wanting to know where he'll be working in 2011? Wouldn't you want to know well in advance that you were getting transferred across the country to some other branch?
amily man, not a philanderer. (That you have a child does not automatically make you a 'family man.' Not when you're hanging out with strippers and such, instead of your wife and child's mother.) He may not end his career with as many home runs as A-Rod, but I'm much happier with Lowell and Manny playing the left side rather than A-Rod and Damon.
Ken Rosenthal is an ass. That he opines for Fox is more proof of his mediocrity as a journalist or sportscaster. I'm sure the NY Daily Fish Wrap will snap him up once his tenure at Fox is over. This is not the first time I've read some of his garbage and said, 'wtf?'
of those guys, to quote Jimmy Buffett, who is "growing older, but not up." I know. I'm also one of those guys. As for growing older, Manny is doing it, but at a much, much slower 
pace than the rest of us, that's for sure. Thirty-six is not that old anymore for a well-conditioned ball player. (At 36, I was still going on 30 mile, 2500' elevation gain mountain bike rides, and skiing down double black diamonds at Tahoe. At 46, I was still playing drums in 6 hour jam sessions.) His work ethic and conditioning have been well documented. His production at the plate has been well documented. His performance on the field is much better than most realize. He is virtually guaranteed a spot in Cooperstown. Yes, he is a clown and a buffoon at times, but ask me if there is a stronger 3-4 combination in MLB. He's had his transgressions, but he has also apologized and paid for them.
Baseball fans all over the country love to dump on Manny, as they did to Barry, but I know their feelings would be much different if either had been clubbing all those taters at their team's park.
settle so you can see exactly what is happening before starting to spew?
