Wade Miller got his second start for the Red Sox and paid the price for a prolific pitch count, weakening in the sixth inning to allow consecutive 'taters' to Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead. Earlier, Manny Ramirez had cranked career homer 399 to tie the game at 1.
In the top of the seventh, after J.J. Putz, doing his best Goose Gossage imitation had fanned Manny with high gas, Trot Nixon launched an 0-1 97 mph fastball into the rightcenterfield bleachers for his eighth career grand slam.
At the time of publication/exhaustion, the Sox lead the Ms 6-3 headed to the bottom of the eighth.
Meanwhile, the 'hated Yankees' won their seventh game in a row, hammering the A's 15-6, moving to within a game of the Tony Mazzarotti Fortune .500 line (they make a fortune a play .500). The Orioles remain on top in the AL East at 23-13, beating the White Sox 9-6. B.J. Ryan got his tenth save and has 32 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings since taking over the closer job this season for Jorge Julio.
Farming for dollars. The PawSox got scratched again by the Mud Hens, losing a 12-11 decision as DiNardo and Malaska got abused for 12 runs in 4 1/3 innings. Kelly Shoppach had HR number 9 and Chip Ambres (.372) had a hit and 2 walks.
Portland was rained out.
Wilmington beat Salem 4-2, behind 7 innings of one-run ball from Luis Mendoza (3-0, 2.84). Wilmington is lead by Anibal Sanchez (3-1), with 55 strikeouts and six walks in 37 innings, a 2.19 ERA.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Throw Deep (L14-7) Season 21-14
The Red Sox weren't able to pull out the victory last night, failing to execute the two-minute drill properly, winding up losers by a touchdown to the Seahawks, er, Mariners at Safeco Field.
Jeremi Gonzalez mediocre effort led to more bullpen carnage under the direction of John Halama and Cla Meredith. On the bright side, Keith Foulke kept the humiliation to a minimum.
Johnny Damon had two hits to keep his streak alive.
Asked to comment about the game, Yogi Berra would have offered up, Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.
Statistical ramblings. Despite the 'sense' that the Sox aren't knocking the cover off the ball, they are tied with the Yankees for first in the AL in runs, second, in OPS (.813), first in combined doubles and triples (which correlates best with runs scored), first in OBP and second in Slugging, behind the Orioles.
They are third in wins, 9th in WHIP, 6th in K/BB ratio, 8th in ERA and 12 in opponents OPS. They are third in K/BB ratio as starters and third in ERA as starters. They are 12th in K/BB as relievers and 13th in ERA as relievers.
It's pretty obvious that Master Theo will be scouring the waiver wire and the minors for relief pitching, the area that Peter Gammons reports has suffered most in the steroid clampdown era. Alternatively, if and when Schilling and Wells return, the issue will be how to strengthen the bullpen, a solution that can't include Bronson Arroyo.
Jeremi Gonzalez mediocre effort led to more bullpen carnage under the direction of John Halama and Cla Meredith. On the bright side, Keith Foulke kept the humiliation to a minimum.
Johnny Damon had two hits to keep his streak alive.
Asked to comment about the game, Yogi Berra would have offered up, Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.
Statistical ramblings. Despite the 'sense' that the Sox aren't knocking the cover off the ball, they are tied with the Yankees for first in the AL in runs, second, in OPS (.813), first in combined doubles and triples (which correlates best with runs scored), first in OBP and second in Slugging, behind the Orioles.
They are third in wins, 9th in WHIP, 6th in K/BB ratio, 8th in ERA and 12 in opponents OPS. They are third in K/BB ratio as starters and third in ERA as starters. They are 12th in K/BB as relievers and 13th in ERA as relievers.
It's pretty obvious that Master Theo will be scouring the waiver wire and the minors for relief pitching, the area that Peter Gammons reports has suffered most in the steroid clampdown era. Alternatively, if and when Schilling and Wells return, the issue will be how to strengthen the bullpen, a solution that can't include Bronson Arroyo.
Make New Friends
Pitcher ----- IP -- ER -- W -- L
Martinez - 56 -- 21 -- 4 -- 1
Lowe ------ 52 -- 17 -- 2 -- 4
Total ------ 108 -- 38 -- 6 -- 5 -- ERA 3.17
Salaries $17,875,000
Clement --- 50 -- 17 -- 4 -- 0
Wells ------ 29 --- 16 -- 2 -- 3
Total ------ 79 ---- 33 -- 6 -- 3 --- ERA 3.76
Salaries $10,575,000
Martinez - 56 -- 21 -- 4 -- 1
Lowe ------ 52 -- 17 -- 2 -- 4
Total ------ 108 -- 38 -- 6 -- 5 -- ERA 3.17
Salaries $17,875,000
Clement --- 50 -- 17 -- 4 -- 0
Wells ------ 29 --- 16 -- 2 -- 3
Total ------ 79 ---- 33 -- 6 -- 3 --- ERA 3.76
Salaries $10,575,000
Friday, May 13, 2005
Oh the Pain.
Going, going Gonzalez working tonight, as Sexson and Ibanez go back-to-back jacks. Of course, both Tom Petty and the Sox 'won't back down' as Mark Bellhorn (1) and Trot Nixon (5) go yard for the locals. Nixon has two hits and is up to .311 and Johnny Damon keeps his hitting streak alive at 18.
The Sox have cranked out six runs and eight hits in five innings, but Gonzalez is getting beaten like a rented mule, as Francona finds the map to the mound.
Adrian Beltre greets Halama with a gravity-defying blast to left. Halama can only admire his portion of the engineering feat.
Well, it's late and like Foulke, I'm having trouble finishing.
Like Snow? Melrose's Chris Snow updates us on life on the farm in today's Boston Globe, and the progress happening at both Pawtucket and Portland. The Sea Dogs managed only three hits tonight, including a homer by Jared Sandberg, losing 3-2 to Bowie.
Meanwhile, the Mud Hens didn't lay an egg, thrashing the PawSox 13-4. Chip Ambres had two more hits, raising his average to .374.
The Sox have cranked out six runs and eight hits in five innings, but Gonzalez is getting beaten like a rented mule, as Francona finds the map to the mound.
Adrian Beltre greets Halama with a gravity-defying blast to left. Halama can only admire his portion of the engineering feat.
Well, it's late and like Foulke, I'm having trouble finishing.
Like Snow? Melrose's Chris Snow updates us on life on the farm in today's Boston Globe, and the progress happening at both Pawtucket and Portland. The Sea Dogs managed only three hits tonight, including a homer by Jared Sandberg, losing 3-2 to Bowie.
Meanwhile, the Mud Hens didn't lay an egg, thrashing the PawSox 13-4. Chip Ambres had two more hits, raising his average to .374.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Another Walkoff O.D. for A's (W6-5) Season 21-13
We talk a lot about Manny being Manny, but today's victory expressed vintage Red Sox from the grapes of baseball.
The Red Sox sent Matt Clement to the mound against the remaining A's ace from the big three, Barry Zito. Fortunately, for the Sox, Zito wasn't particularly on his game (like all working stiffs, I didn't actually see the game)...and Clement was, allowing only one run in seven innings.
Keith Foulke came on in the ninth for a 'garbage time' save with a 4-1 lead, that was promptly squandered, keyed by a two-run shot by Sox nemesis Eric Byrnes, as the A's assumed a 5-4 lead.
Octavio Dotel, no slouch despite last night's effort came on for the A's to try to save it (at least until Houston Street is named the New closer)...Dotel came into the season with 709 strikeouts in 585 major league innings, including 122 in 85 innings last season.
David Ortiz greeted O.D. with a walk, and Millar got under some heat with a fly to left. Jason Varitek then authored his third hit of the day, reaching the once cheap seats about two rows deep about 20 feet down from the pole. Victoire!
Foulke got the win, but once again appeared very rusty.
Notebook. Johnny Damon continued his torrid hitting extending his MLB leading streak to 17 games. The Sox reached their high water mark, eight games over .500 and kept pace with the O's who defeated the Twinkies and Johan Santana 7-4. Varitek raised his average to .343 and Damon checks in at .383.
Farm Land. Portland remained the Top Dogs in the Eastern League with a 6-5 win over New Hampshire. Kason Gabbard had a 5 2/3 inning, 2 run start, and the relief crew struggled to win it. Hanley Ramirez had two hits and two runs scored raising his average to .304 and Dustin Pedroia had a hit and two walks. Jeremy West had three hits and a homer to raise his average to .336 and Brandon Moss (.214) who has struggled had a hit and two runs scored.
The PawSox won 3-2 as Abe Alvarez pitched six innings of two run ball, not figuring in the decision. Alvarez kept the ball in the park, which is going to be a challenge for a Moyeresque portsider. Chip Ambres had a hit and a walk and remains at .369. The PawSox climbed to 15-17 and remain 3 games back in the IL North.
For once, it seems that the Sox have some viable prospects in the upper minors, with Ramirez, Pedroia, West, and pitchers Jon Papelbon and Jon Lester at Portland, and Kelly Shoppach and Ambres at Pawtucket with Abe Alvarez (the next Bruce Chen?) a lefty suspect.
The Red Sox sent Matt Clement to the mound against the remaining A's ace from the big three, Barry Zito. Fortunately, for the Sox, Zito wasn't particularly on his game (like all working stiffs, I didn't actually see the game)...and Clement was, allowing only one run in seven innings.
Keith Foulke came on in the ninth for a 'garbage time' save with a 4-1 lead, that was promptly squandered, keyed by a two-run shot by Sox nemesis Eric Byrnes, as the A's assumed a 5-4 lead.
Octavio Dotel, no slouch despite last night's effort came on for the A's to try to save it (at least until Houston Street is named the New closer)...Dotel came into the season with 709 strikeouts in 585 major league innings, including 122 in 85 innings last season.
David Ortiz greeted O.D. with a walk, and Millar got under some heat with a fly to left. Jason Varitek then authored his third hit of the day, reaching the once cheap seats about two rows deep about 20 feet down from the pole. Victoire!
Foulke got the win, but once again appeared very rusty.
Notebook. Johnny Damon continued his torrid hitting extending his MLB leading streak to 17 games. The Sox reached their high water mark, eight games over .500 and kept pace with the O's who defeated the Twinkies and Johan Santana 7-4. Varitek raised his average to .343 and Damon checks in at .383.
Farm Land. Portland remained the Top Dogs in the Eastern League with a 6-5 win over New Hampshire. Kason Gabbard had a 5 2/3 inning, 2 run start, and the relief crew struggled to win it. Hanley Ramirez had two hits and two runs scored raising his average to .304 and Dustin Pedroia had a hit and two walks. Jeremy West had three hits and a homer to raise his average to .336 and Brandon Moss (.214) who has struggled had a hit and two runs scored.
The PawSox won 3-2 as Abe Alvarez pitched six innings of two run ball, not figuring in the decision. Alvarez kept the ball in the park, which is going to be a challenge for a Moyeresque portsider. Chip Ambres had a hit and a walk and remains at .369. The PawSox climbed to 15-17 and remain 3 games back in the IL North.
For once, it seems that the Sox have some viable prospects in the upper minors, with Ramirez, Pedroia, West, and pitchers Jon Papelbon and Jon Lester at Portland, and Kelly Shoppach and Ambres at Pawtucket with Abe Alvarez (the next Bruce Chen?) a lefty suspect.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Pulling Teeth (W3-2) Season 20-13
The Sox entered the second quintile of the regular season, throwing ace Bronson Arroyo against the A's and won with a spectacular finish, a walk-off homerun by Kevin Millar.
Arroyo, undefeated since last August, had trouble finding the plate early, and made a questionable fielding play in the seventh allowing Bobby Kielty who had led off with a double to score on a chopper back to the mound. Arroyo couldn't hold the runner before throwing to Millar, who inadvertently also missed first base.
Arroyo surrendered one earned run in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.91 before yielding to Alan Embree and Matt Mantei.
Hard-throwing righthander Octavio Dotel came in for the A's in the ninth, leading off by fanning Manny Ramirez with inside heat. David Ortiz then walked on a 3-2 pitch. Millar, a 'dead red' hitter, sat on an inside fastball and drilled a rising line drive into the Monster seats, clearing the wall by several feet.
Notes. Johnny Damon (.387) had three hits to continue his torrid pace. Manny Ramirez was back in the lineup after the previous night's beaning, but continues to struggle. Ramirez' OPS, normally a lusty 1.000 or more, was .913 going into the game. Mark Bellhorn continues to struggle, hitting only .228 with 28% of his at bats resulting in strikeouts. Kevin Youkilis has an identical percentage of 20.7% of his at bats yielding both strikeouts and walks.
Considering the major losses of Curt Schilling, David Wells, and various nicks throughout the lineup, the Sox 19-13 record through 32 games has been impressive. The Yankees meanwhile, are getting improved pitching, and trying to figure out how to get Jason Giambi (.195) back above the Mendoza line, considering some minor league time, that Giambi must approve.
Down on the Farm. Jon Papelbon (3-1) lowered his ERA to 2.02 at Portland, working 6 innings with 5 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 run, defeating New Hampshire 6-1. Hanley Ramirez had another triple and Stefan Bailie a homer and two RBI.
Chris Narveson got lit up for a touchdown at Scranton and the PawSox are trailing 13-3. Chip Ambres, coming in at .360/.435/.653 had another two hits as he campaigns for a callup in the event of injury or illness.
Arroyo, undefeated since last August, had trouble finding the plate early, and made a questionable fielding play in the seventh allowing Bobby Kielty who had led off with a double to score on a chopper back to the mound. Arroyo couldn't hold the runner before throwing to Millar, who inadvertently also missed first base.
Arroyo surrendered one earned run in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.91 before yielding to Alan Embree and Matt Mantei.
Hard-throwing righthander Octavio Dotel came in for the A's in the ninth, leading off by fanning Manny Ramirez with inside heat. David Ortiz then walked on a 3-2 pitch. Millar, a 'dead red' hitter, sat on an inside fastball and drilled a rising line drive into the Monster seats, clearing the wall by several feet.
Notes. Johnny Damon (.387) had three hits to continue his torrid pace. Manny Ramirez was back in the lineup after the previous night's beaning, but continues to struggle. Ramirez' OPS, normally a lusty 1.000 or more, was .913 going into the game. Mark Bellhorn continues to struggle, hitting only .228 with 28% of his at bats resulting in strikeouts. Kevin Youkilis has an identical percentage of 20.7% of his at bats yielding both strikeouts and walks.
Considering the major losses of Curt Schilling, David Wells, and various nicks throughout the lineup, the Sox 19-13 record through 32 games has been impressive. The Yankees meanwhile, are getting improved pitching, and trying to figure out how to get Jason Giambi (.195) back above the Mendoza line, considering some minor league time, that Giambi must approve.
Down on the Farm. Jon Papelbon (3-1) lowered his ERA to 2.02 at Portland, working 6 innings with 5 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 run, defeating New Hampshire 6-1. Hanley Ramirez had another triple and Stefan Bailie a homer and two RBI.
Chris Narveson got lit up for a touchdown at Scranton and the PawSox are trailing 13-3. Chip Ambres, coming in at .360/.435/.653 had another two hits as he campaigns for a callup in the event of injury or illness.
Knock, Knock (W13-5) Season 19-13
Very little to write about last night's game, which lacked a certain, how do you say, drama.
Danny Haren was terrible, and Tim Wakefield muddled through with the 5% solution (6 IP, 3 runs, the 5% quality start) to get his fourth win at the 20% mark of the season.
Kevin Millar hit his first, and the infield's third homer of the season, and Trot Nixon also went deep. Manny Ramirez took a slider off the coconut and had to leave the game.
Cla Meredith got his second action and again had trouble finding the strike zone, although I thought he got squeezed by the home plate umpire. If Ques-tec is giving out grades lately, there must be some pretty low passes.
Danny Haren was terrible, and Tim Wakefield muddled through with the 5% solution (6 IP, 3 runs, the 5% quality start) to get his fourth win at the 20% mark of the season.
Kevin Millar hit his first, and the infield's third homer of the season, and Trot Nixon also went deep. Manny Ramirez took a slider off the coconut and had to leave the game.
Cla Meredith got his second action and again had trouble finding the strike zone, although I thought he got squeezed by the home plate umpire. If Ques-tec is giving out grades lately, there must be some pretty low passes.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Who's Your Daddy?
I've been following the Red Sox for about 43 years, so I can't say Ted Williams was my favorite player or nobody turned the double play like Bobby Doerr. So, I'll have to settle for players whom I found had a special achievement over the years. They might be great players, or just fascinating for some reason or another.
Catcher - Jim Pagliaroni; I may be hallucinating this, but somethow I think I recall listening to a game in which Pagliaroni, anything but fleet-footed, hit for the cycle.
First base - Dick Stuart, Doctor Strangeglove. Stuart hit 42 homers in 1963 and had 29 errors at first base. He was meant to be a DH. He led the AL in extra base hits in 1963, so he had to be a pretty good hitter.
Second base - Dalton Jones; Jones was one of those lefties with the sweet swing that you knew was going to be a great hitter. Only it never turned out that way, as he never had 100 hits in a season. Making matters worse was that he didn't have great range or a great glove. Still he had a key hit in the sixth inning rally that propelled the 1967 Sox into the Series.
Shortstop - Spike Owen was one of Roger Clemens contemporaries at the University of Texas. He was a solid defensive shortstop who couldn't hit (.269 his best year, career .246). Somehow Joe Morgan pinch hit Owen for Jim Rice, which may have been what I remember him best for.
Third base - Wade Boggs has to be the man. 3000 hits. Margo Adams. Chicken every day. Does Wade still eat chicken every day. The best two-strike hitter I've ever seen.
Left Field - The memories of Yaz are overwhelming. 1967, the last Triple Crown Year. Losing the batting title to Alex Johnson in 1970 by less than a point when Johnson sits out at bats knowing he's clinched it. Yeah, he popped out against Gossage to end 1978, but he made so many memorable plays in left (the All-Star catch in RFK, the Rohr one-hitter catch, throwing out guys at the plate in Fenway). He hit at least ten homers in 22 different seasons, and hit .369 in the post-season with an OPS of 1.047.
Center Field - Jose Tartabull was a speed guy with a weak arm. Yet, somehow in 1967, he summoned up a two-out throw from center to nail Ken Berry of the White Sox to allow the Sox to save a game.
Right Field - Joe Lahoud was anything but a great hitter, ending his career with a .223 average and 65 homers. But on June 11, 1969 Lahoud smacked three homers for the Sox. Have a day.
Pitcher - not even close. Bill Lee, the Spaceman. Won seventeen games three times from 1973 to 1975, and won 16 for Montreal. Got hurt in a brawl at Yankee Stadium (part of the mystique of the Sox forever) and dubbed manager Don Zimmer, 'The Gerbil'. Lee's signature pitch, 'the Leephus' also allowed Tony Perez to smash a critical homer against the Sox in the 1975 Series.
Honorable mention:
C- Bob Tillman, beaning John Wyatt with a throw to second
1B - Nick Esasky, lost forever after experiencing vertigo
2B - Marty Barrett, with an unforgettable 1986 post-season
SS - Luis Aparicio, tripping around third in 1972, unable to score, the Sox miss the playoffs by 1/2 a game
3B - Juan Beniquez played 17 years in the majors and hit .291 in the 1975 AL pennant season. I remember him most as an option in the computer simulation games of the World Series, another option versus Rico Petrocelli.
LF - Manny Ramirez displaying his American flag after earning citizenship.
CF - Gary Geiger; I don't remember him as being that productive, but from 1961 to 1963 he averaged 17 homers a season.
RF - Tom Brunansky for his season saving catch down in the right field corner.
P - Rogelio Moret, the rail-thin lefthander who developed catatonia during the season, but had 14-3 and 13-2 seasons.
Catcher - Jim Pagliaroni; I may be hallucinating this, but somethow I think I recall listening to a game in which Pagliaroni, anything but fleet-footed, hit for the cycle.
First base - Dick Stuart, Doctor Strangeglove. Stuart hit 42 homers in 1963 and had 29 errors at first base. He was meant to be a DH. He led the AL in extra base hits in 1963, so he had to be a pretty good hitter.
Second base - Dalton Jones; Jones was one of those lefties with the sweet swing that you knew was going to be a great hitter. Only it never turned out that way, as he never had 100 hits in a season. Making matters worse was that he didn't have great range or a great glove. Still he had a key hit in the sixth inning rally that propelled the 1967 Sox into the Series.
Shortstop - Spike Owen was one of Roger Clemens contemporaries at the University of Texas. He was a solid defensive shortstop who couldn't hit (.269 his best year, career .246). Somehow Joe Morgan pinch hit Owen for Jim Rice, which may have been what I remember him best for.
Third base - Wade Boggs has to be the man. 3000 hits. Margo Adams. Chicken every day. Does Wade still eat chicken every day. The best two-strike hitter I've ever seen.
Left Field - The memories of Yaz are overwhelming. 1967, the last Triple Crown Year. Losing the batting title to Alex Johnson in 1970 by less than a point when Johnson sits out at bats knowing he's clinched it. Yeah, he popped out against Gossage to end 1978, but he made so many memorable plays in left (the All-Star catch in RFK, the Rohr one-hitter catch, throwing out guys at the plate in Fenway). He hit at least ten homers in 22 different seasons, and hit .369 in the post-season with an OPS of 1.047.
Center Field - Jose Tartabull was a speed guy with a weak arm. Yet, somehow in 1967, he summoned up a two-out throw from center to nail Ken Berry of the White Sox to allow the Sox to save a game.
Right Field - Joe Lahoud was anything but a great hitter, ending his career with a .223 average and 65 homers. But on June 11, 1969 Lahoud smacked three homers for the Sox. Have a day.
Pitcher - not even close. Bill Lee, the Spaceman. Won seventeen games three times from 1973 to 1975, and won 16 for Montreal. Got hurt in a brawl at Yankee Stadium (part of the mystique of the Sox forever) and dubbed manager Don Zimmer, 'The Gerbil'. Lee's signature pitch, 'the Leephus' also allowed Tony Perez to smash a critical homer against the Sox in the 1975 Series.
Honorable mention:
C- Bob Tillman, beaning John Wyatt with a throw to second
1B - Nick Esasky, lost forever after experiencing vertigo
2B - Marty Barrett, with an unforgettable 1986 post-season
SS - Luis Aparicio, tripping around third in 1972, unable to score, the Sox miss the playoffs by 1/2 a game
3B - Juan Beniquez played 17 years in the majors and hit .291 in the 1975 AL pennant season. I remember him most as an option in the computer simulation games of the World Series, another option versus Rico Petrocelli.
LF - Manny Ramirez displaying his American flag after earning citizenship.
CF - Gary Geiger; I don't remember him as being that productive, but from 1961 to 1963 he averaged 17 homers a season.
RF - Tom Brunansky for his season saving catch down in the right field corner.
P - Rogelio Moret, the rail-thin lefthander who developed catatonia during the season, but had 14-3 and 13-2 seasons.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Hold the Phone? (L6-4) Season 18-13 GB 2 1/2
As a colleague reminded me about business the other day, "some days you're gonna be the windshield and some days you're gonna be the bug."
The Sox entered Game 2 with free agent acquisition Wade Miller making his first start, a solid one with five innings pitched, two runs allowed, and six strikeouts. John Halama followed, and when he ran into some trouble in the seventh, Terry Francona opted to call for the rookie, Cla Meredith.
There are a couple of philosophies at work, first, throw the kid into the fire, and second, let him break in without maximum pressure. The 21 year-old sidearmer had trouble finding the zone with two walks, and then Richie Sexson took him into the right field grandstand to give Seattle a four-run lead.
The Sox rallied back with two in the eighth, spurred on by David Ortiz's third RBI of the game, sending reliever Ron Villone to the showers, or maybe to a psychiatric facility after he contested the call on Ortiz's chalk scraper to left.
Eddie Guardado closed out the Sox 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Sox Notes. Thirty-one games into the season, the combined homerun production of the Red Sox infield (1B, 2B, SS, and 3B) is two (Edgar Renteria). The 'Dead Ball Era' lives again. Manny Ramirez continues to struggle, with his average falling to .250.
John Henry will be a commencement speaker at the Boston University graduation in two weeks.
Just my opinion. If you need to play Mark Bellhorn at shortstop because of injuries, then you need to acquire a better defensive shortstop as a filler until Ramon Vasquez is well enough to play.
Farmhouse Talk. Portland won again, with Manny Delcarmen getting the win in relief. Uber-prospect Hanley Ramirez had two hits including a triple (6) and lefthanded hopeful Jon Lester worked 6 2/3 innings of one-run eight strikeout magic to spark the Sea Dogs.
The PawSox beat Syracuse 10-8 with five runs in the eighth inning and Denny Tomori got his first save. The PawSox are 13-16, tied for last, yet also are only three games out of first in the International League North.
The Sox entered Game 2 with free agent acquisition Wade Miller making his first start, a solid one with five innings pitched, two runs allowed, and six strikeouts. John Halama followed, and when he ran into some trouble in the seventh, Terry Francona opted to call for the rookie, Cla Meredith.
There are a couple of philosophies at work, first, throw the kid into the fire, and second, let him break in without maximum pressure. The 21 year-old sidearmer had trouble finding the zone with two walks, and then Richie Sexson took him into the right field grandstand to give Seattle a four-run lead.
The Sox rallied back with two in the eighth, spurred on by David Ortiz's third RBI of the game, sending reliever Ron Villone to the showers, or maybe to a psychiatric facility after he contested the call on Ortiz's chalk scraper to left.
Eddie Guardado closed out the Sox 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Sox Notes. Thirty-one games into the season, the combined homerun production of the Red Sox infield (1B, 2B, SS, and 3B) is two (Edgar Renteria). The 'Dead Ball Era' lives again. Manny Ramirez continues to struggle, with his average falling to .250.
John Henry will be a commencement speaker at the Boston University graduation in two weeks.
Just my opinion. If you need to play Mark Bellhorn at shortstop because of injuries, then you need to acquire a better defensive shortstop as a filler until Ramon Vasquez is well enough to play.
Farmhouse Talk. Portland won again, with Manny Delcarmen getting the win in relief. Uber-prospect Hanley Ramirez had two hits including a triple (6) and lefthanded hopeful Jon Lester worked 6 2/3 innings of one-run eight strikeout magic to spark the Sea Dogs.
The PawSox beat Syracuse 10-8 with five runs in the eighth inning and Denny Tomori got his first save. The PawSox are 13-16, tied for last, yet also are only three games out of first in the International League North.
Looking Back: Through the Numbers
All of us have our favorite players, guys we 'grew up with' or whose performance somehow seemed larger than life. One of the problems with the qualitative approach is that it may not be valid. In Michael Lewis' Moneyball, Billy Beane asks rhetorically, 'if the guy is such a good hitter, then why doesn't he hit better?"
Which brings us to our 'quick look' at a couple of former Red Sox players, whom I'll identify as player A and player B.
Games R HR RBI OPS HOF Standards HOF Monitor
------------------------- Ave HOF 50 ----- Ave HOF 100
A--1987--1123--314--1092--855 ----- 35 --- 63
B--1969--1063--306--1111--844 ----- 33 --- 83
Player A was Reggie Smith, who played eight seasons with the Sox before having a very successful NL career with the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Giants. Smith had as good an arm as I can remember. I saw him throw out Dave McNally trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Smith caught the ball just in front of the 379 mark. In 1977 he had an OPS of 1.003. He also won a Gold Glove and played in four World Series.
Player B was Fred Lynn, he of the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1975, winning four Gold Gloves. Lynn was somewhat plagued by injuries, but had an OPS of 1.060 in 1979, and was considered among the best centerfielders defensively of his era.
The use of 'similarity scores' helps us to compare what players in fact did have similar careers, giving us a more objective picture of what they accomplished. Although I don't expect either of these players will make it to the Hall of Fame, both had excellent careers and compare favorably with some of today's stars.
Which brings us to our 'quick look' at a couple of former Red Sox players, whom I'll identify as player A and player B.
Games R HR RBI OPS HOF Standards HOF Monitor
------------------------- Ave HOF 50 ----- Ave HOF 100
A--1987--1123--314--1092--855 ----- 35 --- 63
B--1969--1063--306--1111--844 ----- 33 --- 83
Player A was Reggie Smith, who played eight seasons with the Sox before having a very successful NL career with the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Giants. Smith had as good an arm as I can remember. I saw him throw out Dave McNally trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Smith caught the ball just in front of the 379 mark. In 1977 he had an OPS of 1.003. He also won a Gold Glove and played in four World Series.
Player B was Fred Lynn, he of the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1975, winning four Gold Gloves. Lynn was somewhat plagued by injuries, but had an OPS of 1.060 in 1979, and was considered among the best centerfielders defensively of his era.
The use of 'similarity scores' helps us to compare what players in fact did have similar careers, giving us a more objective picture of what they accomplished. Although I don't expect either of these players will make it to the Hall of Fame, both had excellent careers and compare favorably with some of today's stars.
Jeremi (W6-3) Season 18-12
At home, drawing pictures of mountain tops
With him on top lemin yellow sun, arms raised in a v
And the dead lay in pools of maroon below
Daddy didn’t give attention
Oh, to the fact that mommy didn’t care
King jeremy the wicked...oh, ruled his world...
--Jeremy, Pearl Jam
Seattle fell victim to King Jeremi, who celebrated the 157th consecutive Fenway sellout with his first Red Sox victory. Gonzalez showed a live fastball and fewer mistakes, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs to garner the victory.
The Sox trotted out a parade of relievers including Mike Myers, Matt Mantei, Mike Timlin, and Keith Foulke (save) to capture the series, headed into Game 2 at 5:00.
Here are the details on Olise (Cla) Meredith and the confirmation that Blaine Neal was designated for assignment.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/08/sports/s094339D29.DTL;
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%
The latest on the Anibal Sanchez watch http://sports.mainetoday.com/seadogs/thomas/050508thomas.shtml
With him on top lemin yellow sun, arms raised in a v
And the dead lay in pools of maroon below
Daddy didn’t give attention
Oh, to the fact that mommy didn’t care
King jeremy the wicked...oh, ruled his world...
--Jeremy, Pearl Jam
Seattle fell victim to King Jeremi, who celebrated the 157th consecutive Fenway sellout with his first Red Sox victory. Gonzalez showed a live fastball and fewer mistakes, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs to garner the victory.
The Sox trotted out a parade of relievers including Mike Myers, Matt Mantei, Mike Timlin, and Keith Foulke (save) to capture the series, headed into Game 2 at 5:00.
Here are the details on Olise (Cla) Meredith and the confirmation that Blaine Neal was designated for assignment.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/08/sports/s094339D29.DTL;
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%
The latest on the Anibal Sanchez watch http://sports.mainetoday.com/seadogs/thomas/050508thomas.shtml
Fate That Cruel Wind Doth Blow
The Sox got off to a fast start against the Mariners on a very raw and windy May Sunday. The Sox and M's square off in a day-night doubleheader. Jeremi Gonzalez is working game one.
Kevin Millar (he of the homerless drought) smacked a double off the Monster against gale force winds to clear the bases and give the Sox an early 3-1 league against Joel Piniero.
The Sox and Sea Dogs both were rained out yesterday, and the Celtics were in the deep freeze while eliminated by the Pacers.
Cla Meredith (called up to Pawtucket only Friday) was summoned to Boston today; I didn't hear who was sent down (or released) but I have to presume it was Blaine Neal who has shown good stuff and poor command. Wade Miller goes in Game 2, and I presume that means Lenny Dinardo is not long for the roster.
Statheads delight. Click-through to http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/teams/aleast/ to get a great overview of AL East trends and the numbers behind them. We have to remember that this is the 'analysis' portion of the season where GM Theo Epstein and his baseball staff determine where the team needs improvement in preparation for the 'acquisition' phase.
Down on the Farm. Wilmington right-hander Anibal Sanchez worked 5 innings yesterday with a no-decision, yielding two hits and striking out four. One has to suspect he's ticketed for Portland soon after overmatching Carolina League opposition. Sanchez has 48 strikeouts, 3 walks and 23 hits allowed (WHIP ratio about .85) in 31 innings. Scott White (.281/.379/.427) has been their most productive hitter in what looks to be a pitcher's league. http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?did=milb&lid=122&t=l_pit&adsc=SO
Kevin Millar (he of the homerless drought) smacked a double off the Monster against gale force winds to clear the bases and give the Sox an early 3-1 league against Joel Piniero.
The Sox and Sea Dogs both were rained out yesterday, and the Celtics were in the deep freeze while eliminated by the Pacers.
Cla Meredith (called up to Pawtucket only Friday) was summoned to Boston today; I didn't hear who was sent down (or released) but I have to presume it was Blaine Neal who has shown good stuff and poor command. Wade Miller goes in Game 2, and I presume that means Lenny Dinardo is not long for the roster.
Statheads delight. Click-through to http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/teams/aleast/ to get a great overview of AL East trends and the numbers behind them. We have to remember that this is the 'analysis' portion of the season where GM Theo Epstein and his baseball staff determine where the team needs improvement in preparation for the 'acquisition' phase.
Down on the Farm. Wilmington right-hander Anibal Sanchez worked 5 innings yesterday with a no-decision, yielding two hits and striking out four. One has to suspect he's ticketed for Portland soon after overmatching Carolina League opposition. Sanchez has 48 strikeouts, 3 walks and 23 hits allowed (WHIP ratio about .85) in 31 innings. Scott White (.281/.379/.427) has been their most productive hitter in what looks to be a pitcher's league. http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?did=milb&lid=122&t=l_pit&adsc=SO
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Factoid
Over at www.baseball-reference.com you can find a lot of fun facts. For example, among retired players, the highest ranking hitters in MVP 'shares' who are not in the Hall of Fame are:
1) Pete Rose (at number 17) 3.68 shares
2) Dave Parker (tie 25) 3.19 shares
3) Jim Rice (tie 28) 3.15 shares
This squares somewhat with Bill James' argument that Parker is the best right fielder not in the Hall-of-Fame.
The MVP Shares top 10 all-time:
Barry Bonds (7 time MVP)
Stan Musial
Ted Williams (2 time MVP and left off the ballot vindictively once)
Willie Mays
Mickey Mantle
Hank Aaron
Lou Gehrig
Joe DiMaggio
Mike Schmidt
Frank Robinson
The highest non-Barry Bonds active player? Frank Thomas at number 11.
Babe Ruth? Evidently they didn't have the MVP at that time.
Roger Clemens is number one among pitchers, active or not.
1) Pete Rose (at number 17) 3.68 shares
2) Dave Parker (tie 25) 3.19 shares
3) Jim Rice (tie 28) 3.15 shares
This squares somewhat with Bill James' argument that Parker is the best right fielder not in the Hall-of-Fame.
The MVP Shares top 10 all-time:
Barry Bonds (7 time MVP)
Stan Musial
Ted Williams (2 time MVP and left off the ballot vindictively once)
Willie Mays
Mickey Mantle
Hank Aaron
Lou Gehrig
Joe DiMaggio
Mike Schmidt
Frank Robinson
The highest non-Barry Bonds active player? Frank Thomas at number 11.
Babe Ruth? Evidently they didn't have the MVP at that time.
Roger Clemens is number one among pitchers, active or not.
It's All Geek to Me
Over at The Hardball Times, Studes presents a fascinating review of Schell's Baseball's All-Time Best Hitters. I am an enormous fan statistically of the use of standard deviations for comparisons, in conjunction with the concept of 'mean reversion'.
The bad news for 'mean reversion' fans is that exceeding expected performance is often followed by 'normal performance'. Mark Belanger, who earned eight Gold Gloves at shortstop, hit .287 in 1969. A career .228 hitter, he hit .218 the following year. He played in four World Series and six ALCS, which reinforces (for me anyway) the importance of shortstop as primarily a DEFENSIVE position. I think that watching Orlando Cabrera for three months also vividly demonstrated the same point, with due respect to Nomar.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/ten-things-i-learned-from-a-book/
The bad news for 'mean reversion' fans is that exceeding expected performance is often followed by 'normal performance'. Mark Belanger, who earned eight Gold Gloves at shortstop, hit .287 in 1969. A career .228 hitter, he hit .218 the following year. He played in four World Series and six ALCS, which reinforces (for me anyway) the importance of shortstop as primarily a DEFENSIVE position. I think that watching Orlando Cabrera for three months also vividly demonstrated the same point, with due respect to Nomar.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/ten-things-i-learned-from-a-book/
AutoMatt (W7-2) Season 17-12 (GB 3)
"Baseball is like church, many attend, but few understand." - Wes Westrum
Keywords: Boston Red Sox, baseball statistics, statheads, OPS, Boston Dirt Dogs
The Sox, who have played the fewest games of any team at home, won their fourth in a row behind Matt Clement (4-0), downing Seattle and old friend Jamie Moyer. Clement worked seven strong innings allowing jut one run, with yet another quality start.
"Good pitching always stops good hitting, and vice versa." - Yogi Berra
The Sox pounded out ten hits en route to the victory, which denied Moyer his 131st victory in a Mariner uniform which would have tied him with Randy Johnson. Traded in 1996, Moyer came into the season at 192-145 for his career, including two twenty game seasons with Seattle. He won two games in the ALDS against Cleveland in 2001, has been in the top 4 in winning percentage four times, and his 'similarity scores' equate with such luminaries as Dave Stewart, Orel Hershiser, Frank Viola, Rick Sutcliffe, and David Wells. He is 8th among active players with 196 wins. In other words, the Sox beat an outstanding pitcher.
Despite the fact that only three regulars in the lineup are hitting .300 and the Sox OPS is less than .800, the team is still second in runs scored in the American League, although first in on base percentage at .360.
On the hill, the Sox are 4th in starters ERA (4.08) and sixth overall (4.12). The White Sox league the lead in ERA at 2.94.
Red Sox memories for the 'old timers' out there. A few games always stand out in your sports 'corporate memory', for better or worse. Maybe we've moved into the 'better' category.
Game 1, 1975 World Series. El Tiante and an undermanned Sox team, minus Jim Rice, stop the Big Red Machine 5-4 at Fenway Park.
Game 6, 1975 World Series. So many memories. Fisk's homer, Carbo's homer, Evans' phenomenal catch against Joe Morgan, Denny Doyle being thrown out at home by George Foster.
Billy Rohr's 1-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 1967, no-hitter into the ninth, saved by Yaz's miraculous over-the-shoulder, diving catch of a Tom Tresh bomb in cavernous left field.
The pennant winning 1967 game won by Gentleman Jim Lonborg. My dad always called him 'Lumbago'. Lonborg started the rally with a bunt single starting the sixth, Yaz singled with the bases loaded to tie the score, and everything fell into place. The Sox won a lot of converts that season, the season that remade the franchise, going from 9th to first.
Sitting in the bleachers as a young guy, I remember two 'old timers' describing Sixto Lezcano (Brewers outfielder) as 'the young punk', which I thought a term of respect for a worthy opponent. Lezcano peaked out with an OPS of .987 (2nd) with 28 homers and he had at least ten outfield assists seven times. So he was a pretty good player that the kids out there never heard of. I wonder where he is now. You gotta love the Internet.
http://www.sixtolezcano.com/
Keywords: Boston Red Sox, baseball statistics, statheads, OPS, Boston Dirt Dogs
The Sox, who have played the fewest games of any team at home, won their fourth in a row behind Matt Clement (4-0), downing Seattle and old friend Jamie Moyer. Clement worked seven strong innings allowing jut one run, with yet another quality start.
"Good pitching always stops good hitting, and vice versa." - Yogi Berra
The Sox pounded out ten hits en route to the victory, which denied Moyer his 131st victory in a Mariner uniform which would have tied him with Randy Johnson. Traded in 1996, Moyer came into the season at 192-145 for his career, including two twenty game seasons with Seattle. He won two games in the ALDS against Cleveland in 2001, has been in the top 4 in winning percentage four times, and his 'similarity scores' equate with such luminaries as Dave Stewart, Orel Hershiser, Frank Viola, Rick Sutcliffe, and David Wells. He is 8th among active players with 196 wins. In other words, the Sox beat an outstanding pitcher.
Despite the fact that only three regulars in the lineup are hitting .300 and the Sox OPS is less than .800, the team is still second in runs scored in the American League, although first in on base percentage at .360.
On the hill, the Sox are 4th in starters ERA (4.08) and sixth overall (4.12). The White Sox league the lead in ERA at 2.94.
Red Sox memories for the 'old timers' out there. A few games always stand out in your sports 'corporate memory', for better or worse. Maybe we've moved into the 'better' category.
Game 1, 1975 World Series. El Tiante and an undermanned Sox team, minus Jim Rice, stop the Big Red Machine 5-4 at Fenway Park.
Game 6, 1975 World Series. So many memories. Fisk's homer, Carbo's homer, Evans' phenomenal catch against Joe Morgan, Denny Doyle being thrown out at home by George Foster.
Billy Rohr's 1-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 1967, no-hitter into the ninth, saved by Yaz's miraculous over-the-shoulder, diving catch of a Tom Tresh bomb in cavernous left field.
The pennant winning 1967 game won by Gentleman Jim Lonborg. My dad always called him 'Lumbago'. Lonborg started the rally with a bunt single starting the sixth, Yaz singled with the bases loaded to tie the score, and everything fell into place. The Sox won a lot of converts that season, the season that remade the franchise, going from 9th to first.
Sitting in the bleachers as a young guy, I remember two 'old timers' describing Sixto Lezcano (Brewers outfielder) as 'the young punk', which I thought a term of respect for a worthy opponent. Lezcano peaked out with an OPS of .987 (2nd) with 28 homers and he had at least ten outfield assists seven times. So he was a pretty good player that the kids out there never heard of. I wonder where he is now. You gotta love the Internet.
http://www.sixtolezcano.com/
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Growing Up Celtic Green
Okay, okay, not everyone here is even a Red Sox fan, let alone a basketball or a Celtic fan. Growing up in suburban Boston, I was spoiled, and didn't know it. There were Russell and the Jones', Cousy, Satch Sanders, Heinsohn, Havlicek, and Cowens. Later on, Bird, Parish and McHale blessed Boston with the Auerbachian Brinks job that was Parish and McHale for Joe Barry Carroll.
Sixteen titles, a dynasty of Biblical proportions, with perennial playoff contential were all we knew.
The times they have changed. Sometimes the Celtics make the playoffs, and few seasons since 1986 have they made anything approaching a title run. Cocaine killed Len Bias before he got on the parquet and Reggie Lewis' death remains something of a mystery even today. In the talent depleted Eastern Conference of 2005 they won the third seed, courtesy of 'Ron-amok' Artest along with miscellaneous Indiana suspensions and injuries.
Danny Ainge has clearly assembled a higher talent level through a hodgepodge of trades (Ricky Davis a legitimate talent, Antoine Walker a mercurial one, and Gary Payton a wizened star) and drafts. Manchild Al Jefferson and a pair of high energy rookie guards, Delonte West and Tony Allen have made the team fun to watch, although not a championship contender as of now.
Hardest to understand is the inconsistency and petulance that Paul Pierce has become. Pierce has the capacity to be the best all-around offensive player the Celtics have ever had, rivalling the skills of Larry Bird.
Pierce has an astonishing catalog of moves from the wing, rebounds well for his size, and his court vision is pretty solid. He can block shots and anticipate defensively. For all his developed skills, honed on the hardscrabble courts of Los Angeles, he lacked what he needed most, playoff focus for forty-eight minutes.
Pierce took a hard and predictable foul in the final seconds of regulation, and retaliated with a technical foul-inducing forearm shiver to his defender. This sent 'automatic' Reggie Miller to the line to tie the game, and earned Pierce a disqualification.
The Celtics battled valiantly in overtime, undermanned with a weary Payton, a green Jefferson, and the redoubtable Walker and Davis edging out a 92-89 victory.
The grass wasn't greener in younger days, and the league didn't have the same dilution that expansion always brings. But the Celtics always showed poise and professionalism; they need to summon it again from within their basketball souls.
Sixteen titles, a dynasty of Biblical proportions, with perennial playoff contential were all we knew.
The times they have changed. Sometimes the Celtics make the playoffs, and few seasons since 1986 have they made anything approaching a title run. Cocaine killed Len Bias before he got on the parquet and Reggie Lewis' death remains something of a mystery even today. In the talent depleted Eastern Conference of 2005 they won the third seed, courtesy of 'Ron-amok' Artest along with miscellaneous Indiana suspensions and injuries.
Danny Ainge has clearly assembled a higher talent level through a hodgepodge of trades (Ricky Davis a legitimate talent, Antoine Walker a mercurial one, and Gary Payton a wizened star) and drafts. Manchild Al Jefferson and a pair of high energy rookie guards, Delonte West and Tony Allen have made the team fun to watch, although not a championship contender as of now.
Hardest to understand is the inconsistency and petulance that Paul Pierce has become. Pierce has the capacity to be the best all-around offensive player the Celtics have ever had, rivalling the skills of Larry Bird.
Pierce has an astonishing catalog of moves from the wing, rebounds well for his size, and his court vision is pretty solid. He can block shots and anticipate defensively. For all his developed skills, honed on the hardscrabble courts of Los Angeles, he lacked what he needed most, playoff focus for forty-eight minutes.
Pierce took a hard and predictable foul in the final seconds of regulation, and retaliated with a technical foul-inducing forearm shiver to his defender. This sent 'automatic' Reggie Miller to the line to tie the game, and earned Pierce a disqualification.
The Celtics battled valiantly in overtime, undermanned with a weary Payton, a green Jefferson, and the redoubtable Walker and Davis edging out a 92-89 victory.
The grass wasn't greener in younger days, and the league didn't have the same dilution that expansion always brings. But the Celtics always showed poise and professionalism; they need to summon it again from within their basketball souls.
The Mark of Arroyo (W2-1) Season 16-12
The latest matinee idol in Boston, Bronson Arroyo, spun a three-hitter over eight innings, and Keith Foulke nailed down the victory with his seventh save as the Sox tamed the Tigers 2-1 in Detroit.
Arroyo fanned eight, allowing only two walks in extending his unbeaten streak to nine, dating back to August 2004.
Trot Nixon had four hits coming off his suspension, raising his average to .324, doubled in by David Ortiz in the ninth. Old friend Ugie Urbina suffered the loss for the Tigers.
Edgar Renteria injured his index finger while trying to bunt. If the extent of his injury were unclear, it would present an intriguing dilemma for the Sox in finding a replacement for the intermediate term (above and beyond Ramon Vazquez).
Who am I kidding? I didn't see a second of the game, so I can't really comment about it beyond reading the box. Arroyo had a no-no going into the seventh when Carlos Guillen put one in the seats in right.
Sox talk. Melrose's own Chris Snow had a pair of articles in The Globe today, and is doing a great job as a Sox beat writer.
Great coverage of the minor league teams at
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&did=milb&cid=546. Don't forget to check out another excellent site http://www.soxprospects.com/ which regularly updates who's climbing the ladder to the Show.
Arroyo fanned eight, allowing only two walks in extending his unbeaten streak to nine, dating back to August 2004.
Trot Nixon had four hits coming off his suspension, raising his average to .324, doubled in by David Ortiz in the ninth. Old friend Ugie Urbina suffered the loss for the Tigers.
Edgar Renteria injured his index finger while trying to bunt. If the extent of his injury were unclear, it would present an intriguing dilemma for the Sox in finding a replacement for the intermediate term (above and beyond Ramon Vazquez).
Who am I kidding? I didn't see a second of the game, so I can't really comment about it beyond reading the box. Arroyo had a no-no going into the seventh when Carlos Guillen put one in the seats in right.
Sox talk. Melrose's own Chris Snow had a pair of articles in The Globe today, and is doing a great job as a Sox beat writer.
Great coverage of the minor league teams at
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&did=milb&cid=546. Don't forget to check out another excellent site http://www.soxprospects.com/ which regularly updates who's climbing the ladder to the Show.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
More Than One Way to Skin a Cat (W4-3) Season 15-12
Tim Wakefield (3-1) combined with Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke to defeat the Tigers 4-3 at Comerica Park as the Sox won the third game of the series.
Kevin Youkilis (The Talisman) plated Jay Payton with the game-winning hit in the 8th inning and Keith Foulke picked up his 6th save.
Edgar Renteria made several outstanding plays snapping out of his defensive funk.
At the one-sixth point in the season, can we make any generalizations? I'm hearing a lot of talk from the baseball fans in my peer group about how the Orioles and the White Sox are flukes. Chicago has had outstanding pitching, and the Orioles have improved with more experienced pitching and Ray Miller, their fine pitching coach ("work fast, throw strikes, change speeds"). The Red Sox have struggled with the O's and we'll see how they match up against the Pale Hose.
Offensively, the Sox two big guns, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz haven't really put together extended hot streaks. Overall, the offense hasn't been consistent and the SLOB factor (Sox left on base) has been painful. Peter Gammons mentioned the other day (on WEEI I think) that the Red Sox probably don't have one player with an OPS equal to last years (? Johnny Damon). Even with this, they're third in the league in runs scored.
Defensively, the Sox have few players who are defensive 'stoppers', including Renteria who has underperformed. The outfield defense has average to below average arms and the speed in center (Damon) carries a below average arm.
The pitching hasn't been consistent, but seems to be getting into a groove, working from the middle, with more productivity from Mantei, good work from Timlin, and Foulke appears to be pulling it together. Wade Miler will be added to the rotation Sunday.
Farm Boys. I'll continue to focus on the Double A 'Dogs' as this remains the major resource in the organization. Tonight the Sea Dogs shut out New Britain 5-0, behind 7 innings from Jon Papelbon (3 hits, 5 walks, 6 Ks) and three hits apiece from Hanley Ramirez (.293) and Dustin Pedroia (.352). The Dogs lead the Eastern League with a 16-7 record (winning less important than development) and four players with high OPS and some pop (Pedroia, Jeremy West, Chris Durbin, Jared Sandberg) along with the best known prospect Ramirez.
Papelbon, Jon Lester, and Cla Meredith lead the staff, although it's hard to imagine Anibel Sanchez not moving up sooner rather than later after dominating at high A Wilmington.
At the AAA level, Abe Alvarez has improved, and Kelly Shoppach has improved both his power and OBP numbers, and it's easy to envision him as marketball as the Sox look for help down the line.
The Future. Billy Beane, Gammons and others describe the season in three phases: 1) evaluation of what you need, 2) acquisition of those needs and 3) competing with the 'corrected' club. The pitching can't be fully judged because of injuries, and GM Theo Epstein and his baseball staff will have to determine whether they can make do, or whether they may have to sacrifice prospects for a frontline starter. I doubt that they will 'rush' the kids. They appear to need first base help desperately, unless Kevin Millar resolves his Jekyl and Hyde first/second half performances.
Kevin Youkilis (The Talisman) plated Jay Payton with the game-winning hit in the 8th inning and Keith Foulke picked up his 6th save.
Edgar Renteria made several outstanding plays snapping out of his defensive funk.
At the one-sixth point in the season, can we make any generalizations? I'm hearing a lot of talk from the baseball fans in my peer group about how the Orioles and the White Sox are flukes. Chicago has had outstanding pitching, and the Orioles have improved with more experienced pitching and Ray Miller, their fine pitching coach ("work fast, throw strikes, change speeds"). The Red Sox have struggled with the O's and we'll see how they match up against the Pale Hose.
Offensively, the Sox two big guns, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz haven't really put together extended hot streaks. Overall, the offense hasn't been consistent and the SLOB factor (Sox left on base) has been painful. Peter Gammons mentioned the other day (on WEEI I think) that the Red Sox probably don't have one player with an OPS equal to last years (? Johnny Damon). Even with this, they're third in the league in runs scored.
Defensively, the Sox have few players who are defensive 'stoppers', including Renteria who has underperformed. The outfield defense has average to below average arms and the speed in center (Damon) carries a below average arm.
The pitching hasn't been consistent, but seems to be getting into a groove, working from the middle, with more productivity from Mantei, good work from Timlin, and Foulke appears to be pulling it together. Wade Miler will be added to the rotation Sunday.
Farm Boys. I'll continue to focus on the Double A 'Dogs' as this remains the major resource in the organization. Tonight the Sea Dogs shut out New Britain 5-0, behind 7 innings from Jon Papelbon (3 hits, 5 walks, 6 Ks) and three hits apiece from Hanley Ramirez (.293) and Dustin Pedroia (.352). The Dogs lead the Eastern League with a 16-7 record (winning less important than development) and four players with high OPS and some pop (Pedroia, Jeremy West, Chris Durbin, Jared Sandberg) along with the best known prospect Ramirez.
Papelbon, Jon Lester, and Cla Meredith lead the staff, although it's hard to imagine Anibel Sanchez not moving up sooner rather than later after dominating at high A Wilmington.
At the AAA level, Abe Alvarez has improved, and Kelly Shoppach has improved both his power and OBP numbers, and it's easy to envision him as marketball as the Sox look for help down the line.
The Future. Billy Beane, Gammons and others describe the season in three phases: 1) evaluation of what you need, 2) acquisition of those needs and 3) competing with the 'corrected' club. The pitching can't be fully judged because of injuries, and GM Theo Epstein and his baseball staff will have to determine whether they can make do, or whether they may have to sacrifice prospects for a frontline starter. I doubt that they will 'rush' the kids. They appear to need first base help desperately, unless Kevin Millar resolves his Jekyl and Hyde first/second half performances.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
"Familiarity breeds contempt." - Aesop
How many times have we heard that Boston has the 'most sophisticated fans in baseball?' Arguably, we sometimes overestimate our familiarity with the 'inner game', strategy, matchups, and day-to-day milieu confronting management daily.
We wonder why 'our' manager sits out a player (injury or illness, bad matchup, or home problems). Players were notorious for wanting to avoid certain pitchers throwing smoke and control problems. We also have 'ownership bias' about our favorite players, overvaluing their ability or contribution potential.
Years ago a local sportscaster (I'll omit his name) told me that although Jim Rice wasn't a great interview, he respected his work ethic (particularly his efforts to improve his defense) and willingness to give interviews after poor performances or 'a tough loss'. In other words, he was a 'standup guy'. On the other hand, other players work the media, making writers' jobs easier, and appear to get a pass on performance.
We measure baseball excellence in different terms than we measure mathematicians, meteorologists, and economists. Mathematics and physical science have high predictive accuracy, medicine and meterorology are closer to ninety percent, while economics and politics lag badly. Baseball clubs winning sixty percent of their games lead the pack, three hits in ten trips might get you to the All-Star game, and fifteen to twenty wins in thirty starts might get you the contract a sheik would envy.
Baseball also affords us spectators a 'clean' look at individual achievement. Especially on television, it's tough for us to know how effective an individual might be playing in a football game because of the interdependence of individual performance on team play. Fielding a groundball or facing breaking stuff bares a baseball player's athletic soul for us to judge. David Ortiz's 2005 playoff run earned him a lifetime of indulgences, whereas Torrezian deliveries in 1978 merited him sports fans' eternal damnation.
Hard to believe, but we know only a fraction of the game, just as a good cook isn't the same as a gourmet chef. Playing stickball or 'five hundred' as a kid doesn't make us qualified to scout prospects or know whether a player has the psychological profile to deal with both success and failure, and to adjust to maintain the former.
Every player in the major leagues was the best player on his team for most of his formative years. Steve Lyons, whose numbers were pretty mediocre, boasted about having had a successful career because he earned the right to fail by outperforming others in baseball's pyramid.
We're always going to rip the manager's handling of the bullpen, bemoan baserunning, and pitch selection. Let's hope that we can't fault either the effort or the focus. We can see the difference.
How many times have we heard that Boston has the 'most sophisticated fans in baseball?' Arguably, we sometimes overestimate our familiarity with the 'inner game', strategy, matchups, and day-to-day milieu confronting management daily.
We wonder why 'our' manager sits out a player (injury or illness, bad matchup, or home problems). Players were notorious for wanting to avoid certain pitchers throwing smoke and control problems. We also have 'ownership bias' about our favorite players, overvaluing their ability or contribution potential.
Years ago a local sportscaster (I'll omit his name) told me that although Jim Rice wasn't a great interview, he respected his work ethic (particularly his efforts to improve his defense) and willingness to give interviews after poor performances or 'a tough loss'. In other words, he was a 'standup guy'. On the other hand, other players work the media, making writers' jobs easier, and appear to get a pass on performance.
We measure baseball excellence in different terms than we measure mathematicians, meteorologists, and economists. Mathematics and physical science have high predictive accuracy, medicine and meterorology are closer to ninety percent, while economics and politics lag badly. Baseball clubs winning sixty percent of their games lead the pack, three hits in ten trips might get you to the All-Star game, and fifteen to twenty wins in thirty starts might get you the contract a sheik would envy.
Baseball also affords us spectators a 'clean' look at individual achievement. Especially on television, it's tough for us to know how effective an individual might be playing in a football game because of the interdependence of individual performance on team play. Fielding a groundball or facing breaking stuff bares a baseball player's athletic soul for us to judge. David Ortiz's 2005 playoff run earned him a lifetime of indulgences, whereas Torrezian deliveries in 1978 merited him sports fans' eternal damnation.
Hard to believe, but we know only a fraction of the game, just as a good cook isn't the same as a gourmet chef. Playing stickball or 'five hundred' as a kid doesn't make us qualified to scout prospects or know whether a player has the psychological profile to deal with both success and failure, and to adjust to maintain the former.
Every player in the major leagues was the best player on his team for most of his formative years. Steve Lyons, whose numbers were pretty mediocre, boasted about having had a successful career because he earned the right to fail by outperforming others in baseball's pyramid.
We're always going to rip the manager's handling of the bullpen, bemoan baserunning, and pitch selection. Let's hope that we can't fault either the effort or the focus. We can see the difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)