Oil Can Blog

Visiting The Bailey Bowl, Meeting Our New Closer & Manager

2012-01-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Bailey Bowl, an event to benefit the 3 Strikes Foundation, raising money to help kids with cancer. It took place down in New Jersey near Philadelphia, where Andrew Bailey, our new closer, grew up. It was a really fun night and I was thrilled to meet a former Sox player, a future Sox player, and our new manager Bobby Valentine. Big thanks to MLB.com's Tara Gore for letting me tag along with her. Felt a little like a kid again. Got so excited that I even waxed the 'stache for the occasion!

Craig Breslow, recently traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks (seriously, who approved that name?) but having pitched 13 games for the Red Sox in 2006, he's part of the Red Sox legacy and is therefore able to sign my Sox ball. Really nice guy and founder of the foundation. Also I'm a fan of the shirt that he was wearing.

So I've had this ball since I was about 10 and it's been signed by numerous Sox players, first from baseball card shows, at a baseball camp, at the Fenway Park parking lot when I was a kid, and most recently at the Bailey Bowl. The players who've signed it range from Rico Petrocelli who joined the Sox in 1963 to Bailey, who's joining in 2012.

Here's my friend Tara Gore interviewing Craig for MLB.com.

Me with the new Sox closer Andrew Bailey, who organized the charity event with the money going to help kids with cancer.

Tara interviewing Bailey.

Bobby Valentine getting mauled by the Phillie Phanatic.

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Here's the video that Tara and company posted about the event. Check me out about 60% of the way through it for footage of Bobby V signing my Red Sox ball!

John McCauley of Deer Tick shows his colors

2011-11-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

New (To Me) Sox Bar In Manhattan, Yanks vs. Sox

2011-08-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Watched the game with Toby at the Hairy Monk, a new-to-me Red Sox pub around 25th & 3rd. Was a good game for a while until the Sox broke it open with a pair of runs late. John Lackey hung in well against the Yankees. Happily surprised to see the Sox hit CC Sabathia hard. Jacoby Ellsbury, particularly, is on a roll. I'll be back at the Hairy Monk for the postseason.

Me on MLB.com

2011-06-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

In the ego-boost category, MLB.com interviews me, as head of the band Leland Sundries, on music and baseball.

We start our first national tour on Monday.

Sox Hitters Destroying The Ball in May

2011-05-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, this is a little bit lopsided after those two blowouts this week but check out the batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS for all Sox hitters in May. Wowza!: .298 / .360 / .481 / .841.

Run Differential Finally Positive

2011-05-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

Sox have now scored 4 more runs than they've allowed on the season. They must've passed the zero mark over the weekend.

Masterson Faces Sox in Possible Breakout Year

2011-05-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Justin Masterson, whom the Sox traded for Victor Martinez and who faces his old team tonight, is having what might be a breakout year for him. He's 5-2 with a 1.22 WHIP and a 2.52 ERA. Opposing players are hitting .249 / .318 / .321 off of him, with that last number being most impressive of all. He has given up just one home run in 60+ innings over 9 starts this year. I wonder if Theo wishes we still had him.

Hysterical Commercial With Alec Baldwin and John Krasinski

2011-05-16T21:54:00.001-07:00

I love that Alec Baldwin gets away with appearing in a commercial for sports caps and doesn't even wear one himself in the commercial.

The follow up isn't nearly as good.

Impressions from Sox vs. Yankees May 14

2011-05-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

1. Don't look now but Josh Beckett has a streak of 17 1/3 innings without being scored upon. He's pitching about as well as I've ever seen him.

2. So glad we got Matt Albers. He looked great tonight and pitched two scoreless innings, sparing Papelbon and Bard from being overworked in the bullpen. Great fastball and curve.

3. Youkilis is swinging at bad pitches. It's the first time that I've seen that. He seems like he's chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Seems like he's now seeing the ball well right now.

4. Cano is definitely the Yankee hitter who scares me the most at the plate at the moment.

5. Reports of Jeter's demise are vastly overstated. He's still an opposite field double waiting to happen.

6. Adrian Gonzales makes it look effortless.

7. Lots of empty seats in the 9th at Yankee Stadium. Sox fans would not leave early.

8. Really enjoyed Sarah Silverman's appearance. Was fun to watch the smug Fox announcers squirm a little bit, especially when she brought up Doc Ellis' no hitter on LSD.

9. This team inspires a lot more confidence than they did a few weeks ago. Since starting 2-10, Sox are 16-10 since then to be at 18-20 on the season. In that 16-10 stretch, their winning percentage is .615. At that pace, counting the bad start, the Sox finish the year with 94 wins.

10. The Yankees have had an easy schedule thus far, with lots of home games, and have not excelled. They seemed a bit tired in this game. They will definitely start to hit as it gets warmer but I wonder if they have enough pitching, as they're constituted right now.

11. If Posada is not their DH, do they have a rotating DH or do they acquire another bat? I bet on the latter. Very curious to hear what happens with him. Since the end of last year, the Yankees have had lots of controversy; usually it's us.

12. Intriguing question about the ethics of Bartolo Colon and his stem cell treatment. Can't believe he's throwing 98 mph at 37 years old. Most pitchers are out of the game by that age.

ESPN on contender bullpens

2011-05-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

From ESPN:

"Two awesome bullpens if you only need two guys

2. Boston. Daniel Bard’s raw numbers are great (well, except that 0-3 record, not exactly a non-important notation). Jonathan Papelbon is back with an 18/2 strikeout/walk ratio. But new acquisitions Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler have been disastrous, leaving a gaping hole after the top two."

I'm not worried. I think Jenks will turn it around then we just need one more person to step forward. Bullpen roles usually take a month or two to solidify. The sleeper: Aceves. Full stats on the Sox' pen here.

Pedroia Humor

2011-05-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Edes reports:

Dustin Pedroia, like so many millions, dreads flying. And maybe this is even greater testament to his will, that as much as he hates it, he finds a way.
"Yeah, I don't like flying,'' he said the other day, "but I deal with it. I have to. Otherwise, I have to pick a new job.''
. . .
The Red Sox fly on charters, which spares them from having to endure some of the indignities of the typical air traveler. That does not make them immune, however, from turbulence, bad weather or aborted landings. Yes, Pedroia said, there have been some close calls. He describes them as only Pedroia can.
"We had one in New York two years ago,'' he said. "They swept us, man, and we took off in a thunderstorm, and I'm going like, 'Man, this is a bad way to die. We just got swept, swept by the Yankees, and then we're going down for the count.' ''

Papi Humor

2011-05-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

From the Globe's Notebook:

During a pregame discussion about the NBA playoffs, Ortiz referred to Lakers star Kobe Bryant as the “Black Mambo.’’ Teammate Darnell McDonald corrected him, saying the nickname is “Black Mamba.’’ But Ortiz was not deterred. “I’ll call him what I want,’’ he said. “I like the mambo.’’

Pedroia laser show

2011-04-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Paul Simon on Kevin Youkilis

2011-04-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

From Vanity Fair:

Are you one of those Yankees fans who feels like they have to win every year or they’ve utterly failed?

No, I don’t feel that way. In fact, I like the Red Sox.

Really?

I mean, I like the Yankees to beat them, but I like the Red Sox. I do. I think they have a great team. I like their general manager. He seems really smart. I like the ownership. It seems smart. I like the manager, [Terry] Francona. He seems like a really good manager. I have nothing against that team at all. I mean, I’m rooting against them if they’re playing the Yankees, but otherwise I don’t feel anything, really.

I have a physical aversion to [Boston slugger] Kevin Youkilis, personally.

A lot of people do, but I find him very interesting. What a strange stance. And the guy’s a really good first baseman, a really good third baseman. Everyone’s really good at their job.

That’s true.

I sort of admire it. He probably could shave that beard, come up with a better look, but I’m certainly not going to eliminate somebody based on their looks.

Are injuries really to blame or are Beckett and Lackey?

2010-09-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory points out that combined, Lackey and Beckett are 5-12 since August 1. It's starting to seem as if the offensive injuries did not sink the team as much as unreliable pitching from those two starters. We still don't seem to have an explanation about what's wrong with those two expen$ive players, except that they seem to not be able to locate their pitches these days. 2011 will also depend heavily on those two.

What's with Lackey?

2010-07-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

So far on the season, John Lackey has an ERA of 4.65 and a WHIP of 1.58, and opponents are hitting .296/.363/.443 against him (for reference, in 2009, All-Star Dustin Pedroia hit a nearly-identical .296/.371/.447). So what gives?

For starters, his walks/9 are up (from 2.4 to 3.6) and strikeouts/9 are down (from 7.1 to 5.3) relative to last year (which was representative of the previous couple of years). I don't know how to explain that; but here's something that may partially explain his struggles: bad luck. This year, opposing batters are hitting .296 off Lackey, well above 2009's .263 (or his career average of .265). Perhaps not coincidentally, Lackey's BABIP (the percentage of balls put into play that turn into hits) is .330. Does this mean the Sox defense is letting Lackey down by failing to turn batted balls into outs? Well, no -- the league average BABIP this year is .295 (which is roughly what it is every year). By contrast, the BABIP for all hitters facing the Sox this year is .290, meaning the Sox have, for reasons of luck or skill, been slightly more efficient at turning batted balls into outs than the rest of the league. So it's probably not the defense behind him that's causing Lackey's troubles. Indeed, in general, BABIP simply does not vary that much -- with larger sample sizes, it always regresses towards .300 (although it is certainly possible to have such a high BABIP over an entire season, as Lackey did in 2005).

So is it just luck? Probably not -- first, if Lackey's location is poor, as is suggested by his increased walks and decreased strikeouts, perhaps he's leaving more pitches over the plate, leading to hard contact. Second, a high BABIP by itself could not explain all of Lackey's results this season: obviously, it can't explain the walks and strikeouts, but it also can't fully account for the average and slugging percentage of opposing hitters, either: for comparison, in 2005, Lackey's BABIP was .327, just 2 points shy of his current .329. Even so, that year, opposing batters hit only.258/.325/.362 against him.

So what's the upshot here? Lackey's luck may well even out a bit, and his BABIP may go down as the year goes along. Even so, there's no reason to think that hitters won't keep squaring up his pitches until he can start spotting them better.

The Reds & The Blues

2010-06-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

really cool article about Elvin Bishop and Dusty Baker and how they met at John Lee Hooker's house and became fishing buddies. Dusty's even presented an award at the Blues Music Awards and hung out with Morgan Freeman, BB King, and Clarence Clemons.

Nava & Beltre

2010-06-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Chad Finn on Daniel Nava:

"Provided he can survive Adrian Beltre's dastardly plan [to] annihilate the rib cage of every Red Sox left fielder, he may get a genuine opportunity here."

Speaking of Beltre, he is currently second in OPS among AL third basemen (.891), behind only Evan Longoria (.960). Who would have thought that in mid-June, Beltre (.336/.370/.521, 8 HR) would be out-hitting A-Rod (.290/.361/.482, 8 HR)?

Lackey: Good Pitcher, Funny Guy

2010-05-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

"I couldn't believe that... I mean, he's a great guy, but I was like, you've got to be kidding me." —John Lackey on giving up a home run to former teammate Brandon Wood, currently hitting .176/.195/.259 on the season.

Grand Theft Baseball

2010-04-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

interesting article at espn.com about how the sox are in line to give up an historic number of stolen bases this year. buried in the article was a fact that i didn't know; victor martinez had elbow surgery in 2008.

thus far, the season's been tough but i still think they can't possibly be this bad. the new question is, can they make up all that ground and beat the rays and yankees within the division. i'm not sure. i think cameron's looking old, scutaro's looking out of his element, beltre hasn't been hitting or defending as advertised, and ortiz simply looks lost. but i think the pitching will succeed.

The Offense So Far

2010-04-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

One week into the season, there does not yet seem to be much reason to worry about the Sox offense as a whole. The Sox lead the AL in average (.282), slugging (.494) and OPS (.831). They are second in home runs (8) and third in runs/game (5.00). This, despite having faced five pitchers (including the reigning Cy Young winner) with an average ERA of 3.80. While it's still early, there is definitely room for cautious optimism.

That said, Sox pitching is giving up 4.6 runs/game so far, with a WHIP of 1.400 (both 11th in the AL).

Joe West, Ron Gardenhire Both Morons

2010-04-09T17:17:00.001-07:00

There's been plenty of coverage in the sports media in the past couple of days about ostensibly impartial umpire Joe West's comments ripping the Sox and Yankees for playing too slowly. His remarks were pretty startling, but perhaps more surprising were the comments of Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire, who, when asked about the issue, said:

“We move our games along pretty good, and it’s pretty hard to tell some of those guys, ‘Let’s go, get in the box.’ They just look at you like, ‘Why? I haven’t heard the second verse to my song yet.’ That’s just the way it is.’’

Yes, I'm sure the Sox-Yankees games take 4 hours because all of our mega-buck players are infatuated with their walk-up music. OR, it could be because between them, the Sox and Yankees had 10 of the top 30 players in the American League in Pitches/Plate Appearance in 2009:

Rank / PA / P/PA
1 Kevin Youkilis / BOS / 588 / 4.41

2 Nick Swisher / NYY / 607 / 4.26

7 David Ortiz / BOS / 627 / 4.19

9 J.D.Drew / BOS / 539 / 4.12

14 Johnny Damon / NYY / 626 / 4.06

17 Victor Martinez / BOS / 672 / 4.05

25 Jason Bay / BOS / 638 / 3.99

27 Alex Rodriguez / NYY / 535 / 3.97

30 Dustin Pedroia / BOS / 714 / 3.95

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Sox led the AL in P/PA in 2009. The Twins were league-average in this regard.

p.s. It's notable that Papi was able to maintain such a high P/PA, both in absolute and relative terms, despite his decline. It's also impressive that Youk almost exactly equaled his previous full-season high in P/PA (2006), while increasing his slugging percentage by 120 points from 2006 to 2009.

my predictions

2010-04-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

al east:

yankees - 1st place
red sox - WC
rays

al central:

twins

al west:

angels

alds:

yankees over twins
red sox over angels

alcs:

yankees over red sox

ws:

yankees over phillies

basically, a rerun of last year.

NY Times on Sox

2010-02-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

NY Times: "It would not be surprising if these Red Sox win the American League East. But it would not be surprising if they finish third, either."

Even Courts Love Fenway

2010-02-19T07:32:00.000-08:00

"The . . . ambiguous nature [of the word "building"] might leave a structure like Fenway Park, one of the greatest architectural works ever designed, undeserving of copyright protection . . . ([even though it is] a space used for recreation, business, and, some would say, religion)." –Yankee Candle Co. v. New England Candle Co., 14 F. Supp. 2d 154 (D. Mass 1998) (emphasis added).

BP Picks Sox to Win Division by 2 Games

2010-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA system projects the Sox to have the best record in baseball (94–68), beating out the Yankees by 2 games.

Foxsports Yankees vs. Red Sox offseason

2010-01-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Bob Klapish picks the Sox as the winner of the offseason but still picks the Yanks to win the division.

This Just In: Paps Still Crazy

2010-01-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

"Got a name [for my second child] picked out. . . . Gunner Roberts. The significance? Nothing, man. Just a badass name, so we went with it."

beltre

2010-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

i think this is a huge mistake. he may be able to catch the ball, but he can't hit it and you don't win if you don't score. also, he's on the decline, if anything. what was wrong w/ kotchman?

2009 stats: .265 .304 .379

surprised

2009-12-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

me, i'm surprised to see mike lowell get traded. and surprised that it was just for a catching prospect; perhaps they're concerned about victor martinez long term. and i'm surprised that the sox let rich harden go to the rangers so cheaply and didn't put get any pitching lately. surprised they got boof bonser (and no, he does not count as "any pitching"). surprised at their nonchalance after the granderson-to-the-yankees deal. and surprised that they haven't gone harder after bay. maybe they have concerns about him as well. honestly, right now i'm on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what they're planning and whether it'll work. about the only thing i'm convinced that they are not doing is trading prospects. they just don't seem to have enough right now to spare any. some scenarios:

* go w/ older veterans on shorter contracts as a bridge to 2011 (delgado maybe, dye or matsui, maybe even tejada).
* hand 1st base to kotchman and send youk back to 3rd as a long-term solution.
* going after longer term solutions like laroche.
* focusing on fielding so much that they're "infatuated w/" the non-hitting adrian beltre (shudder!).
* going after holliday in a big way and letting bay slide; after all, holliday seems built for fenway.

Farewell, Gonzales

2009-11-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

totally agree w/ the globe about alex gonzales. there was no reason to let him go when he was willing to sign a reasonable 1-year deal and the sox should've pounced to keep him. in fact, i wonder if theo's a bit too deliberate in some cases. he should've pounced on damon and texeira too. on the other hand, deliberation would've helped in the case of one julio lugo, so who knows.

if i'm epstein

2009-11-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

these are my priorities for the off-season:

* re-sign jason bay
* either sign rich harden or trade for halladay, with the latter preferred only if you can work out an extension with him. si.com thinks this is possible but they'd have to trade buchholz.
* dip into the bargain bin for a ss who can catch the ball: gonazales, everett, cora.
* explore trading lowell to the phillies, which would open up younger possibilities at 1st, such as laroche.
* bring back wagner or sign mike gonzales.

i don't see the padres trading gonzales to the sox and i think the sox need another top flight starter more than they need another bat. peter gammons recently tweeted:

"David Oritz admonishes Red Sox for not adding power. 2007 WS year they scored 867 runs, hit 166 HR. In 2009 scored 872 runs, hit 212 HR."

cool animation

2009-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

w/ dock ellis' narration of his no hitter back in the early '70s:

alds games 1 and 2

2009-10-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

was working at springsteen shows. game 1, didn't have many chances to check the score and was feeling good w lester going. not shocked that they lost it and figured we could get out of anaheim at 1-1.

game 2, i did frequently check the score. this was a double heartbreaker since the twins were up 3-1, then the yankees came back to tie. then, they had runners in scoring position twice and were unable to capitalize when a-rod won the game. the twins are officially cooked.

sox were up 1-0 but then beckett unraveled and sox couldn't score again. by the time i was waiting in the car, i was watching 2 runners on base in the bottom of the 9th but the sox still couldn't tie it.

we play much better at home, but kazmir's a sox killer. at this point, i think they keep it alive but these are not your 2007 or 2008 angels, by any means. they are much tougher. i mean, kazmir is your #3? abreu/hunter/vlad? yikes.

ESPN Sim Gives Sox 60% Chance of Beating Angels

2009-10-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Rob Neyer blogs that Vegas oddsmakers pick the Yankees to go all the way, but at least ESPN's simulator gives the Sox a 58% chance of beating the Angels:

And what of the last Division Series? It's not nearly as close as I would have guessed, with the Red Sox winning 583 of 1,000 series. Of course, it's tempting to pick the Angels because surely we'll have one upset, right? Except of course that's not the way the world works. What happens between the Red Sox and the Angels is completely independent of what happens between the Phillies and the Rockies. The Red Sox played better than the Angels this season, and they played better than the Angels last season.

The simulation doesn't know (or doesn't care) that the Red Sox are 9-1 against the Angels in their three Division Series matchups. The sim just knows that the Red Sox are the better, more talented team.

Cardinals Brendan Ryan rocks the stache

2009-10-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Cardinals 3B Brendan Ryan may have to be my new favorite NL player for his '20s/'80s throwback mustache and sox pulled up. in fact, he's in the running for the American Mustache Institute's Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year, according to AP

he could be mistaken for a hipster w/ that stache!:

wait, didn't i see that guy serving a sidecar at bar tano or an old fashioned at hotel delmano? was he at the governor's island jazz age picnic? no?!

the cardinals blog rick ankiel's mustache says, in the wake of last night's loss to the dodgers, "If only Brendan Ryan’s ‘stache could bring in some damn runs."

my predictions

2009-10-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

sox over angels in 5
yankees over sox in 6
yankees over phils in 6

espn.com mostly picks the yankees but the cardinals and sox are the next tier.

Youk is too intense?

2009-10-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

So say some of his teammates in this article.

Also, this gem is on page 2:

"Look, he hit me with a helmet once. I don’t want to get hit with a helmet." –Tito, re: Youk's intensity

Sox Blogs

2009-09-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

a few links to other Sox fan blogs based in NY:

Boston Red Thoughts
A Sox Fan In Hell
Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory

John Kruk likes the Red Sox

2009-09-24T11:09:00.001-07:00

ESPN's resident Baseball Tonight expert/hot dog eating champion John Kruk writes:

"Which of the teams likely headed to the playoffs have the most to figure out in the next two weeks? All of them except the Boston Red Sox...

Boston is really the only team heading into the postseason that you can look at and say, "This team is ready for the playoffs." Aside from the middle relief, which hasn't been too good, Jon Lester is pitching well and Daisuke Matsuzaka has looked good. The Sox look to me to be the one, of all the teams likely headed to the postseason, that is the most dolled up and ready to play in the playoffs."

Theo on Pap

2009-08-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

remarking on his comments about Billy Wagner:

“I think Pap feels he was misunderstood,’’ Epstein said. “He’s not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with. When I talked to him directly about it, he couldn’t have been more excited."

Bats Alive!

2009-08-22T14:35:00.001-07:00

After Gonzo & Youk's home runs off Burnett today, "[t]he Sox have at least two home runs in eight consecutive games, the longest streak in team history." —Boston.com Extra Bases Blog

Francona still nervous/excited during the race

2009-08-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

from today's globe:

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,’’ Francona said. “I mean, I wish we were 40 games over .500, whatever, 50, I wish we hadn’t lost any games this year. But coming to the ballpark this time of year, being nervous, is an unbelievable feeling.

“When I was in Philadelphia, it was my biggest - I was almost jealous. I mean, you get to September and you look at teams that were just beat up. Like on a Sunday day game, and we’re out there trying to tell ourselves we’re going to try to win today and be the spoiler.

“You know what? [Expletive] that. That’s not that much fun. Being in it, where you’ve got guys, you move a guy from second and it’s a big deal, it’s a lot of fun. It’s not always a lot of fun, ’cause when you lose, it crushes you, but that part is, I love that part of that.’’

Tazawa gets solid marks

2009-08-12T15:09:00.001-07:00

from espn.com's keith law:

Tazawa ready to be solid part of Red Sox rotation
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Lost in the shuffle amid Kevin Youkilis' meltdown was a very promising debut start from Junichi Tazawa, who went five innings for the win against the Detroit Tigers. (He now has the tough-to-maintain decisions/games ratio of 1.)

Tazawa was nervous in the first inning and couldn't command his fastball or get consistent break on his curveball, and his nerves were compounded by the Keystone Kops routine by Dustin Pedroia and Nick Green behind him. After the first inning, his command improved, and in his final three innings he pitched confidently and showed a sharper, more consistent curve, mostly 72-78 mph, with good depth and a tighter break. His fastball is average at 89-91 with a little tail, but it's flat and he's going to have to locate it well. He also throws an above-average splitter at 79-81 mph with good bottom, and he could stand to throw it more often, as it really looks like the fastball out of his hand and should be a weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate.
Tazawa's delivery looks odd and his arm action is long -- follow how far his hand travels from when he takes it out of the glove until he brings it forward toward his release point -- but it actually works well. He repeats it, generates good momentum toward the plate and, aside from the length, doesn't have any obvious problems in the delivery. The average fastball/plus secondary stuff combination can work in a big league rotation, but where it fits depends largely on command.
The Junichi Tazawa who threw in third, fourth and fifth innings on Tuesday night would be a solid No. 3 starter in a good rotation, and if his confidence builds off this outing he should be an asset to the Red Sox for the rest of this season.

Twilight Zone

2009-08-11T17:10:00.001-07:00

Five minutes ago, the Sox were trailing Detroit 3-0, and the Yankees were leading the Jays 3-0. Now, both games are tied. Coincidence?

p.s. Youk ejected for charging the mound after getting hit -- is it fair to accuse him of being selfish? Losing a hitter as valuable as Youk is very serious at this point, especially when it forces the infirm Lowell to play on a day off.

So that happened

2009-08-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well, it wasn't the best match-up going in, but sad to see the old horse ready to be put to pasture. It's been a great career for Smoltz and he'll be in the Hall of Fame, but it may be sooner than he thinks.

Silver lining was scoring 6 runs off the Yankees and 4 off Chamberlain.

Better match-up tomorrow.

Also, on Aug 29 the Yankees are giving free calculators to the first 18,000 kids in the stands. Are they that desperate to sell tickets?

if they split this weekend, i'll be happy.

Sox sign Paul Byrd

2009-08-05T19:45:00.001-07:00

We know how it worked out in '08 with the soft tosser. Are they getting desperate for starting pitching?

New Stat Model for Comparing Baseball Players

2009-08-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

As described in this article on Wired.com, a group of statisticians have developed a new model for comparing baseball players across teams, seasons and even eras. The math is both apparently very complex and also not described in the article, but apparently the system uses a variant on the six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon idea to compare players:

"Hank Aaron can be set beside Barry Bonds — not just according to how they each did against Nolan Ryan, though that would be part of the score, but according to how each did against every pitcher they ever faced, and how each of those pitchers did against every hitter, so long as some series of links connected the two sluggers."

The model is incomplete, especially given that it doesn't account for park effects (Todd Helton is the second-greatest hitter of all time) and PEDs (Barry Bonds is the greatest), but it is of note to Sox fans; of the ten greatest starters of the modern era, four are now or have been members of the Red Sox (and we just missed out on another):

Pedro Martinez
Roger Clemens
Roy Halladay
Curt Schilling
Sandy Koufax
Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Mike Mussina
J.R. Richard
Greg Maddux

Olney on '08 Sox

2009-08-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

from ESPN.com:

Victor Martinez gives the Red Sox so much flexibility in so many different ways for 2010, when the Boston front office will begin to decide what to do with Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell and others. But the Red Sox's lineup is kind of morphing into something like the Yankees' lineup from 2004 to 2007. The team is stacked with big and slow hitters. It's hard to imagine that the Red Sox's adept front office won't try to pick up younger and more athletic position players this offseason.

I believe him

2009-07-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

here's the statement:

Today I was informed by a reporter that I was on the 2003 list of MLB players to test positive for performance-enhancing substances. This happened right before our game, and the news blindsided me. I said I had no comment because I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

I want to talk about this situation and I will as soon as I have more answers. In the meantime I want to let you know how I am approaching this situation. One, I have already contacted the Players Association to confirm if this report is true. I have just been told that the report is true. Based on the way I have lived my life, I am surprised to learn I tested positive. Two, I will find out what I tested positive for. And, three, based on whatever I learn, I will share this information with my club and the public. You know me - I will not hide and I will not make excuses.

I want to thank my family, the Red Sox, my teammates, and the fans for their patience and support.

Say It Ain't So, Papi

2009-07-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

NY Times reports Manny and Ortiz did steroids in '03, according to "lawyers."

State of The Mets

2009-07-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

From NY Times:

from peter gammons

2009-07-14T21:52:00.001-07:00

One scout claims that 19-year-old Red Sox prospect Casey Kelly is the best young pitcher he has seen in two years. But Kelly is excited that he'll report Wednesday to the Gulf Coast League to play shortstop. "I still want to try to play every day," said Kelly, who is 7-5 with a 2.11 ERA, 74-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.85 WHIP for Greenville and Salem in his first pro season. The Red Sox expect Kelly to pitch full time eventually.

The Red Sox really like 21-year-old shortstop Yamaico Navarro, who is hitting .319 at Salem after missing four months with a hamate bone injury. They also just spent $10.2 million on two international shortstops: Jose Iglesias of Cuba for $8.2 million, and 16-year-old Jose Vinicio of the Dominican Republic for $2 million.

Obama At The All-Star Game

2009-07-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Buy Me Some Eel and Crackerjacks

2009-07-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

amazing article in the NY Times about Japanese ballparks and fans. excerpts:

Led by cheer captains in the outfield bleachers, the batting team’s fans chanted, sang and rhythmically banged plastic bats for every pitch to every batter. Their deafening, synchronized roar dominated the dome. Each hit ignited a burst of still louder cheers and frantic towel waving.

“It’s a manifestation of perfectionism,” said Robert Whiting, the author of several books on Japanese culture and baseball. “If you are going to be a fan, then you have to go all the way.”

Yet the fans of the team in the field maintained a respectful hush, interrupted only by an exuberant wave of applause after each out. Questionable calls were never booed. No jeers rang out when an error was made. These fans radiated only love for their teams.

...

The long lines that are common at concession stands in American ballparks are blissfully absent. Perhaps that is because Japan has beer girls.

Running up and down the aisles with pony kegs strapped to their backs, the smiling young girls are easy to spot in their colorful uniforms and matching caps (not to mention their shorts with hemlines as short as sartorially possible). In a subtle nod to Daisuke Matsuzaka, a favorite Japanese player now pitching in the United States, one girl selling Asahi beer — and practically glowing in her neon orange, lime green and royal blue uniform — had a Red Sox towel tucked into her shirt and matching bright red knee-socks.

Some Pedroia Perspective

2009-07-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

"[The Orioles] are coming back, [expletive] Luke Scott's over there swinging like seven bats. I go out to the mound to get Paps and, before I can take Ramon out, Pedey says, 'You look like a moron.' " -- Terry Francona, 6/30/09

No Hitter on LSD?

2009-06-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

It happened in 1970, supposedly, by Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Todd Snider's got a great new song about it on 'The Excitement Plan' (a record I've been enjoying). He explains on NPR today.

New Cubs Documentary

2009-06-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

hmm, i wonder where they got that title...

great baseball names, pt. 325235

2009-06-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Antonio Bastardo, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher

Big Papi debuts hot sauce

2009-06-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sox win again on a nail-biter. Meanwhile, Ortiz debuts a new hot sauce line:

Original En Fuego, Monster Double En Fuego, Off the Wall Triple En Fuego, and Grand Slam En Fuego (from mildest to spiciest). It's gotta be better than the wine he came out with in 2006. Proceeds go to health care for children in New England and the Dominican Republic, apparently. I will probably not be the last to suggest that perhaps Grand Slam En Fuego is the cure to Ortiz' slump.

Reverse Curse Attempt The Worst

2009-06-09T21:22:00.001-07:00

From NY Post:

Ian Ferris, 30, a Bombers fan in the heart of Red Sox Nation, green-thumbed his nose at Boston by planting Yankee Stadium grass in the Fenway infield during a May 31 Phish concert.
Yankee Stadium grass seeds went on sale this year. Ferris hid the seeds in his pants as he entered Fenway, filled the bag with water and tossed it onto the infield.

"This is payback," said Ferris, who manages a Hooters in Vermont. "If even one blade of grass sprouts on the field, I feel it was a success."

[insert hooters joke here]

usa today on big papi

2009-06-09T21:10:00.001-07:00

big feature yesterday.

tidbits:

Bay knew life was going to be different when he walked through Boston's Logan International Airport and heard an announcement over the public-address system: "Jason Bay, your bags from Pittsburgh are coming in on Carousel 13. Welcome to Red Sox Nation."

.....

Papi: "What I do know is that I'm not done. Trust me. I am not finished."

.....

Ortiz's mailbox is stuffed each day with suggestions. Even games he gets a single hit, his cellphone is filled with messages from friends around the country.

"If I ever get four hits in a game," Ortiz says, "I'm going to have to get a new phone because mine will blow up."

.....

"I'm the same guy I've always been," Ortiz says. "I'm the same guy now as when I was hitting 50 home runs. I don't change. I never talked (stuff).

"If my (4-year-old) kid decides to play baseball, I want people to say, 'His last name is Ortiz. I remember his dad. He was a good player.

" 'But you know what, he was even a better person.' What could be better than that?"

this is why we love him. well, that big smile and also all those clutch home runs. i take his word for it. the game ain't over 'til big papi swings.

great game

2009-06-09T21:07:00.001-07:00

papi homered. beckett was briliant. sox shut out the yankees; yanks' first blank of the season. sox are now 6-0 against their rivals this year.

The Onion - Manny Ramirez To David Ortiz: 'Road Trip'

2009-06-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

I swear there's a Sox fan at the Onion. This piece is hysterical.

"Everybody's left me, you know?" Ortiz responded, tears streaming down his face. "You left me, Pedro left me. The only one who doesn't leave is Jason [Varitek], and he don't talk to me. He don't talk to anyone."

Nick Johnson in Boston?

2009-06-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

Could Nick Johnson be the answer? Perhaps DHing could keep him off the DL. Buster Olney likes the fit.

"Johnson has a .434 on-base percentage and a career-high .330 batting average, and two scouts talked on Thursday about how his swing would be absolutely tailor-made for Fenway Park. 'He'd play pepper with the left-field wall,' one NL scout said."

Big Papi Debate Continues

2009-06-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

from the desk of Jayson Stark

2009-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com notes:

The Smoltz watch: Scouts who have seen John Smoltz's rehab starts report that he's showing the effects of his shoulder surgery, but that doesn't mean he can't make an impact on the Red Sox in the second half.
"He's not as free and easy as he used to be," one scout said. "He's got to force and push more than he used to. And his velocity is 86 to 91 [mph] on the fastball, and 81-82-83 on the slider. But he still has command. He still has the will. And he still shows you he can make the big pitch when he has to. So he's probably more like a fourth starter than a No. 1. But he's a guy who could give them some good outings down the road."

More insight from America's foremost scouting minds:

On Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon: "It's just fastball after fastball. It's almost like he wants to be Mariano Rivera and show he can be a great one-pitch closer, and he can't do it. He's got good secondary stuff. He just doesn't use it as much as he should."

trade turned down

2009-05-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

from peter gammons:

Boston wants to wait on David Ortiz and tabled a proposal of [Nick] Johnson for Manny Delcarmen.

DH platoon?

2009-05-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

looking at papi's 2008 stats, he hit .221 against lefties w/ an obp of .308. against righties, he hit .279 w/ an obp of /389 and a slugging percentage of /532. so perhaps we should sit papi against lefties. jeff bailey has hammered lefties thus far this season, hitting .412 and slugging .765, albeit in only 17 at bats. is this the solution to our DH dilemma?

varitek hitting for power

2009-05-20T21:33:00.001-07:00

he's slugging .514. that hasn't happened since, uh, er, never.

papi homers!

2009-05-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

Bob Ryan on Papi

2009-05-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

keith foulke: comeback, take 2

2009-05-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

he plays for the newark bears in the atlantic league now. interesting article in the globe about it. foulke on ramirez winning the 2004 world series mvp:

"Do I think I should have been MVP?" says Foulke. "Absolutely. I mean, 'cause I did everything humanly possible that I could've done."

once a prick, always a prick. still, we'll always have '04.

from espn.com's buster olney

2009-05-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox are not looking for a hitter yet, but at some point, Boston is going to need some offensive production from David Ortiz. The Red Sox could live with him if he were hitting .250 or .260 with some power, but so far, he's been nothing short of awful. Boston ranks dead last in OPS among designated hitters in the majors, and of course, Boston is the only team that has not gotten a single home run from the DH spot.
In a division that contains four strong contenders, there is very little margin for error, and the Red Sox cannot continue to lose run production in big spots because Ortiz is not hitting, as they did last week.

i take it back

2009-05-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

nick green has 8 errors and it's not even june. get him outta here!

ideas

2009-05-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

time to drop big papi down to 5th in the order.

when dice-k comes back, let lester start and throw 4 innings and then dice-k relieve and throw 4. after all the innings thrown last season, both guys need a rest.

saito's all well and good but let ramon ramirez be the backup closer. that dude is lights out.

ellsbury has worn out the leadoff spot and should be dropped to 8th or 9th.

where is nick green? lugo's still a game-losing error waiting to happen.

do we have a lefty killer in the pen?

jason bay for mvp.

jeff bailey should swap places with chris carter.

daniel bard. wow.

Doug Mirabelli's new career

2009-05-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

is in real estate. We'll always have '04, Dougie.

Ortiz

2009-05-14T21:53:00.001-07:00

went 0 for 7 and stranded 12 base runners. getting worried.

from the onion...

2009-05-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Curt Schilling Just Appeared On Your Gchat"

A Penny Saved

2009-05-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com's Buster Olney has an idea I support on how to maximize Penny's worth:

Something to watch: Boston's pitching surplus might lead to an early-season trade. Clay Buchholz has been absolutely dominant in the minors so far this year, and very soon, Daisuke Matsuzaka will return to the big leagues.
Eventually, it figures that Justin Masterson will go back to the Boston bullpen, and that will create the spot in the rotation for Matsuzaka. If the Red Sox want to create another for Buchholz, they would always have the option of taking offers for a veteran pitcher who has had quality starts in four of his six outings. That guy is Brad Penny, who might be a nice fit for a team like the Milwaukee Brewers or the Mets. That's all speculation at this point.

Once a Red Sox, Always a Red Sox

2009-05-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

RIP Dom DiMaggio, great Sox center fielder of the 1940s, who passed away watching the team he loved. If he hadn't been injured at the end of the 1946 World Series, we would've beaten the Cardinals.

sox reaction to manny news

2009-05-08T01:12:00.001-07:00

Manny Juices

2009-05-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

ESPN is reporting that Manny was caught taking steroids. Did he take them in 04 or 07? Does this taint the Sox' victories?

from Gammons

2009-05-03T10:25:00.001-07:00

The Red Sox this week asked John Smoltz to slow down his rehab. Smoltz, who will join the club this weekend and be examined by strength and conditioning coach Mike Reinhold, insists it is nothing major. "I will be pitching in June," Smoltz texted.

are the blue jays for real?

2009-05-03T10:12:00.001-07:00

best run differential in the AL east.

plus, batters are hitting only .197 off their bullpen. wow.

liking nick green

2009-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

but 6 errors in 17 games?!

good news/bad news

2009-05-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Josh Bard’s WHIP at AAA: 0.55. Michael Bowden’s ERA at AAA: 0.64.

Our MLB-level starters have a 5.52 ERA thus far w/ a 1.58 WHIP.

Yikes.

will the real

2009-05-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

josh beckett please stand up?

which edition is this?

what's wrong w/ his command?

you know things are bad when your ace starts a game and your right fielder has to come in to finish pitching it. oh, and when you only get one hit all night.

paging clay bucholz!

but hey, i like masterson, who's going tonight. momentum is as good as your next day's pitcher, right?

alternate history

2009-04-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

yahoo ponders what would've been had the a-rod trade to the sox been culminated in winter 03-04. oddly, he thinks it would've been a success. well, if this whole column isn't entirely ironic, that is.

sox slam the door

2009-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

in a marathon series sweep, many highlights:

bay's home run off rivera in the 9th on friday to tie
youk's home run to win on fri
varitek's grand slam and lowell making them pay for the intentional walk twice yesterday
the bullpen keeping the game within striking distance when beckett failed
today: two rookies come out of the bullpen to hold the game
perhaps most exciting: ellsbury steals home plate!

i love this team. in other news, thus far on the young season, the yankees have given up more runs than they've scored. if you compare the bullpens, the sox have a distinct advantage.

Now pitching: Jeff Tweedy?

2009-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco threw out the first pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers the other day. Later that night, the Brewers lost. As Tweedy sings in "War on War":

"You have to lose
You have to learn how to die
If you want to want to be alive"

fitting for the Brewers.

rain delays

2009-04-21T16:49:00.001-07:00

suck.

papi's slump

2009-04-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

article in the ny times. key question: "will he be mo vaughn or carlos delgado?"

bandbox in the bronx?

2009-04-20T13:55:00.001-07:00

maybe that ortiz jersey buried in the concrete at the new yankee stadium did work. it looks like the place plays very differently from the old stadium. espn.com's buster olney writes about how it may be hell on pitchers.

happy patriots' day

2009-04-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

12-1 red sox win over the orioles. tek homers. hunter jones makes his mlb debut, throwing a hitless 9th. ortiz goes 2 for 4, including a triple.

please?

2009-04-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

will you please hit the ball?

our opponents have scored 37 runs, which is 2nd in the AL east. we have scored 24 runs, which is dead last in the AL east. no surprise: we're also dead last in the AL east.

too early for panic?

Angels Rookie Dies In Car Accident

2009-04-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Angels #3 starter Nick Adenhart died after his car was hit by a minivan.

Phillies Fans Boo During Ring Ceremony

2009-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I mean, I know it's Adam Eaton who stunk and got left off the playoff roster then released, but your team won the World Series and you're booing? What?!

more fun w/ commercials

2009-04-07T13:11:00.001-07:00

ambidextrous yankee prospect

2009-04-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

really interesting story in newsday about this kid