Manny Who?
August 05, 2008 @ 9:31 AM
Pahk Your Cah in Hahvard Yahd
June 23, 2008 @ 10:09 PM
This is a great local NY spot by Avis, tapping into the Yankees - Red Sox rivalry. It would be great if Avis did one from the Red Sox perspective to counter this one.
Labels: advertising, baseball, redsox, yankees
Manny Being Manny
May 02, 2008 @ 4:59 PM
As the Red Sox' Manny Ramirez approaches the 500 HR plateau, the Boston Globe has a really interesting graphic demonstration of where Manny has hit all of his homeruns over the course of his career. When I look at this, the thing that impresses me the most and illustrates just what an amazing hitter he is, is the stunningly even distribution of his homeruns to the different parts of the field. It appears that there is a slight skew of his homers to left field, (which is logical being that he's a right handed hitter) but it is only slight. Its just Manny being Manny.
The Curse of Big Papi
April 13, 2008 @ 3:29 PM
He almost got away with it. A construction worker on the new Yankee Stadium, who is a Red Sox fan, was snagged trying to bury a David "Big Papi" Ortiz Red Sox jersey under a service corridor within the new stadium. Somehow the jersey was found Saturday by two construction supervisors. No word yet if the body of Jimmy Hoffa was also found.
Free Tacos
October 26, 2007 @ 9:00 AM
Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox stole a base last night in the Red Sox 2-1 Game 2 victory in the World Series. That means that Taco Bell is giving away free tacos to everyone in America on Tuesday, October 30th between 2-5PM.
Opening Day
March 31, 2007 @ 11:15 PM
This is the happiest week of the year. The 2007 baseball season will kick off this week with the Mets taking on the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow evening (April 1, 2007).
In my opinion however, I have been a little dissapointed in Major League Baseball (not that its too difficult to be disappointed with the leadership of MLB these days) for doing away with the tradition of having the Cincinnati Reds, the oldest MLB team, kick off the season with their home opener (traditionally on a Tuesday I believe) in favor of a Sunday evening game on ESPN.
Having the Reds play the very first game to open up the MLB season was just a neat tradition and an acknowledgment of the importance of that franchise to the great history of the game. At worst, could they not shift the Reds game to the Sunday Night Game on ESPN to kick off the season? Could they not, for one day, think of the tradition, history, and greater good of the game to keep a nice tradition intact? And give the city of Cincinnati the baseball spotlight to kick off the season?
Labels: baseball
New NY Baseball Stadiums
January 03, 2007 @ 8:04 AM
Now I am hardly a NY baseball fan, and the thought of both NY baseball teams getting new stadiums and lots more revenue opportunities does not sit well with me, but these are some amazing photos of the construction of the two new baseball stadiums here in the NY metro area.
Citi Field - NY Mets
New Yankee Stadium - NY Yankees
RIP Buck O'Neil
October 07, 2006 @ 12:26 AM
Former Negro League player Buck O'Neil died this evening. A grat loss for baseball and beyond. If you have never heard of Mr. O'Neil, rent/buy Ken Burns' documentary Baseball and watch it. He was the star of the film. Its a crime that he was not inducted into the Hall of Fame this past summer.
Giving Away The Farm
September 08, 2006 @ 8:31 AM
I am not a terribly big fan of Murray Chass, the sports writer for the NY Times, primarily because it appears from the tone of his writing that he takes great pleasure in bashing and belittling the Red Sox and Red Sox Nation. However, in an article in today's Times, he hits home a point about the Sox and the Sox management that I too have been contemplating since Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter for the Florida Marlins on Wednesday September 6th.
Sanchez's no-hitter got me thinking because he, along with several other highly talented and productive players (including the Marlins' starting shortstop Hanley Ramirez) have been traded by the Red Sox over the past few years. In fact, the amount of talent and production that has been traded by the Sox is actually quite alarming, especially when you consider the state of the Red Sox current pitching staff and their place in the standings. As a fan, you have to really start to question the "cybermetric" decision making being done on Yawkey Way these days. To quote from the article:
Care to consider some other moves the Red Sox made?
After letting Johnny Damon go to the Yankees as a free agent, they needed a center fielder and acquired Coco Crisp for Andy Marte, the young third baseman they obtained from Atlanta for shortstop Édgar Rentería. Crisp, a .300 hitter for Cleveland last season, has turned into Rice Krispies for the Red Sox, hitting .266.
The night before Sánchez pitched his no-hitter, Bronson Arroyo, the pitcher the Red Sox traded to Cincinnati because they thought they had enough pitching, pitched a three-hit shutout against San Francisco for his 12th victory to go with his 3.33 E.R.A., the fifth lowest in the N.L.
The same night that Sánchez pitched the no-hitter, Cla Meredith was the winning pitcher in San Diego’s 2-0 victory against Colorado in 11 innings. Meredith, a 23-year-old reliever, went to the Padres on May 1 when the Red Sox were desperate to reacquire Doug Mirabelli to catch the knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
In three relief appearances with the Red Sox last season, he gave up seven runs in two and a third innings. With the Padres this season, he has allowed 3 runs in 36 innings over 33 games for a 0.75 E.R.A.. He has given up no runs in his past 29 innings over 25 games.
Through Wednesday, the Red Sox bullpen ranked 10th in the American League with a 4.30 E.R.A.
Because it was Sánchez who pitched the no-hitter, we are reminded of Freddy Sanchez, whom the Red Sox, desperate for pitching then, too, traded to Pittsburgh at the trading deadline in 2003 for Jeff Suppan. For good measure, the Red Sox included Mike Gonzalez in the deal.
Gonzalez has become the Pirates’ closer (24 saves in 24 opportunities this season), and Sanchez, hitting .344, is on his way to becoming the N.L. batting champion.
I acknowledge that the National League is a bit weaker than the AL these days, and many of the players noted above are playing in the NL which may make their numbers seem a bit inflated but that arguement only goes so far.
It is highly unlikely that the Sox will come back and make anything of this season. And the Sox brass keeps on saying that they are building for the future. But if they are building for the future, then they need to commit to that and not try to compete with the big boys at the same time. That's an equation that will not work. Have they been so focused on protecting their young players that they have unknowingly mortgaged a great deal of their future already?
Sox vs. Yanks
August 18, 2006 @ 12:43 PM
Big weekend up on Yawkey Way in Boston with the Red Sox and Yanks holding a 5 game series.
Massacre Alert:: Oh man, what a fiasco. Three Four Five straight drubbings at the hands of the Yankees. This is definitely the Son of the Boston Massacre, although the Sox did not blow a 14 game division lead this time. There's always 2007.
Great article in the Friday 8/18/2006 NY Times, where writer John Branch tried to define the physical border across Connecticut, NY State, and Massacusetts between Red Sox Nation and Yankee Country (I won't go into how "Red Sox Nation" sounds so much cooler than "Yankee Country"...). And be sure to watch the accompanying video as that is also very entertaining.
Guess That '70's Ballplayer
May 13, 2006 @ 9:19 PM
I saw this post on Chad Finn's Touching All The Bases blog titled "Guess That 1970's Baseball Player", and the first player listed was none other than Steve Garvey of LA Dodger fame. Chad noted Garvey's troubles in his post-playing days and it got me to thinking of a random interaction I had with Garvey many years ago.
When I worked in the Advertising industry, I was regularly taken out to lunch or dinner or whatever by magazines and TV networks. Once, the now defunked Sport Magazine took me and a female colleage out to lunch. The Sport Mag rep brought along to this lunch their "honorary" publisher (or whatever his fluff title was) at the time, Steve Garvey. Obviously, Garvey had no flipping idea how to run a magazine and his purpose was nothing more than for publicity and promotions as Sport was trying (and failing) to compete for advertising business against Sports Illustrated.
Now, the female colleage that was also at this lunch was, shall we say, very easy on the eyes. And wouldn't you know that Garvey could not keep his toungue in his mouth throughout the lunch. When the lunch ended, he gave us each an autographed baseball (a little cheezy, I must say) and I distinctly recall him saying something to the effect of "you sweet young thing" to my colleage.
So when I see all the troubles Garvey has had since leaving baseball, I recall is this incident and say: Why doesn't this surprise me?
Labels: baseball
Super Catcher
May 03, 2006 @ 9:41 AM
The Boston Globe Online had a great article today about the crazy day that Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli had on Monday after the Red Sox re-acqired him from the San Diego Padres.
Some background: One of the Red Sox pitchers is Tim Wakefield, and he exclusively throws a knuckleball, which is one of the hardest pitches to catch because the ball does not spin and just floats all over the place. Mirabelli had been the back up catcher for the Sox for the past 4 years and was Wakefield's personal catcher because he was so adept at catching the knuckleball. That was until he was traded last off season for second baseman Mark Loretta. The intent was for the Sox to have newly acquired catcher Josh Bard be Wakefield's new catcher. That unfortunately did not work out and in a last minute deal, the Sox re-acquired Mirabelli on Monday so he could catch Wakefield's start against the Yankees. He was literally flown across country and given a police escort in order to get to the game with about 10 minutes to spare before the first pitch.
Its Early, But...
April 09, 2006 @ 8:34 AM
Its only 5 games into the season with 157 to go, but you have got to love the way the standings look these days. How's Johnny doing?
The Red Sox Brand
October 06, 2005 @ 8:54 AM
Knowledge@Wharton recently posted an article on the Red Sox from a branding and marketing perspective. It talks about the Sox' run to the 2004 World Series Championship and the notion that Red Sox Nation may not exactly know how to react to the fact that the Sox won it all, after 86 years of frustration and painful defeats. Its an interesting article however it re-inforces the notion that as much as we want to think "its just a game", the reality is that its really all business.
And as irony would have it, the Red Sox lost last night to the White Sox in typical Red Sox fashion, when an error by Tony Graffanino led to a 5 run inning for Chicago. As the NY Times put it, "Just because the Red Sox won the World Series last season does not mean that baseball cannont torture them on occasion."
More Opening Day
April 12, 2005 @ 1:59 PM
Opening Day
April 01, 2005 @ 8:33 AM
Play ball!!
Dynasty
February 08, 2005 @ 9:07 AM
Now for those of us fans who followed this franchise in the era of Steve Grogan, Sam Cunningham, Tony Eason, et al, to witness this run of excellence is completely unfathomable. I remember not too long ago when they were 1-15 and were just a complete joke of a NFL franchise. So I guess that's what makes this string of victories so sweet. And to have two Patriots Super Bowl championships sandwich a Red Sox World Series victory...too much fun and happiness for this New England sports fan to comprehend. Lets do it again next year!!
Enjoy this now, kids. You may never see this happen again. Congrats to the Patriots for another amazing year.
Sportsmen of the Year
November 28, 2004 @ 10:31 PM
In a seemingly fitting end to a magical baseball season in Red Sox Nation, Sports Illustrated has named the 2004 Red Sox their Sportsmen of the Year for their improbably and spectacular run to the franchise's first World Series win in 86 years. We just can't get enough of this story!! The Red Sox have now been on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times during 2004 and it will be seven when their year end Sportsmen issue hits newsstands soon. The cover art is really cool and it is yet another publication that I will add to my collection of magazines, newspapers, photographs and lithographs that I have accumulated this year. Lets hope this off season is not too damaging and the Sox can make another strong run in 2005 into late October.
Poetic Justice
October 30, 2004 @ 11:24 PM
In a twist that you just could not script any better, the Red Sox and the Yankees will kick off the 2005 season at Yankee Stadium. Then, and this is where it gets fun, the Red Sox will play the Yankees at the 2005 home opener at Fenway Park, which also happens to be when the Red Sox will be receiving thier World Series rings. Nothing could be finer than having Jeter, A-Fraud, et al sitting through the ceremonies when the Red Sox get their rings and raise the World Championship banner at Fenway. Teddy Ballgame is similing down on us.
Bambino's Curse
@ 11:09 PM
One of my favorite Red Sox blogs/web sites will be signing off now that the Red Sox have won the World Series and effectively ended "The Curse". The blog, appropriately named The Bambino's Curse, will be shutting its doors according to its last post. Not to worry, the site will still be there for people to view, read and enjoy. But there will be no future contributions since, for all intense and purposes, the focal point of the site (a Red Sox fan's lament of not winning the World Series) was made obsolite with the Red Sox' amazing run to the 2004 World Series Championship.
Boston Red Sox - World Series Champions
October 28, 2004 @ 10:27 AM
I never thought I would see the day.
Boston Globe Front Page
October 23, 2004 @ 7:38 AM
Here is the front page of the Boston Globe from Thursday 10/21 after the Red Sox beat the Yankees. You can already order reprints of the front page, which I very well may do, if....
Its Sinking In
October 22, 2004 @ 11:07 PM
The significance of the Red Sox come back victory over the Yankees this week is slowly sinking in. The past two days at work have been fairly unproductive because I have been in such a state of delerious bliss. I have printouts of various photos, images, and web site pages taped all over my desk area. I have this hilarious PhotoShopped image of the moment when A-Rod is slapping the ball from Bronson Arroyo's mitt, where there is a handbag hanging on his left forearm. I am zinging the numerous friends of mine who are Yankee fans, who have so mercilessly zinged me over the years. I am zinging Yankee fans that I barely know. Its just a wonderful time.
The last time the Red Sox were in the World Series was when I was a Freshman in college. I only hope that it will not be another 18 years until their next visit. I am going to savor this time, I am going to root like I never have for my Red Sox. Its going to be a great series. I have a lot of respect for the St. Louis Cardinals franchise, team and the city. But the Sox are going to win...they have to win, they must win.
Letterman, The Sports Guy
@ 11:47 AM
Curt Schilling was on the Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday evening and he read a really funny Top 10 List. #1 is absolutely hysterical.
Here is just a fantastic article from Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) of ESPN that again sums up the state of being a Red Sox fan during this state of sheer extacy. A far cry from his article last year when the Sox did not fair as well against the Yanks.
Amazing!!
October 21, 2004 @ 11:04 PM
I hope they do not get too caught up in the greatness and emotion of this series and lose sight of the real goal - winning the World Series, because there is more baseball to be played against either the Astros or Cardinals. Not winning it all will definitely take something away from their incredible victory. However, winning it all, and going through the NY Yankees and Yankee Stadium to do it, would elevate this team on a plane reached by few teams in the annals of Sports.
As Bob Ryan from the Boston Globe wrote today, "I need a beer."
Its Over
October 17, 2004 @ 1:18 PM
The Red Sox - Yankees series is over. Dan Shaughnessy wrote a pretty blunt article in the Boston Globe today. It sums it all up.
I don't know what team the Yankees were playing during the first two games of this series, but it wasn't the Red Sox I watched most of this season. During the first game, I was so disgusted I turned the TV off after the 6th Inning. I could not bear the thought of suffering through another Red Sox comeback that got agonizingly close but fell short again, and again. For the second game, I managed to sit through the whole fiasco only because 3 runs against Jon Leiber did not seem like such an insurmountable lead. But I guess it was. I had thought that at worst we would leave the Bronx tied 1-1, but I guess I didn't dig deep enough into the chasm of dispair. And Game Three...forget it! Being 3 games down is a huge hole to dig out of. This thing is over.
New owners, new pretty boy GM, new injured ace pitcher...same result. Another cold winter wondering what went wrong. Its football season.
Update: Unless you live on Mars, you know the the Red Sox pulled off the greatest comeback in North American Sports history. I obviously wanted them to come back, but when the with the debacle of the Game Three loss and them being down 3-0 in the Seies, I was obviously skeptical that they would actually pull it off. But they did it.
The Series
October 12, 2004 @ 9:01 AM
I am approaching this with an open mind. I am a Red Sox fan, so I know not to do too much yapping until its over. I think the Sox have as good a chance as any to win this series, and right now, that is as far ahead as I am looking.
Double SI Curse
September 10, 2004 @ 11:57 PM
This can't be happening. Last week, Sports Illustrated put Tom Brady and my New England Patriots on the cover of their NFL Preview issue (and then have the gaul to not even put an article about the team in the issue!). Then this week, SI puts Curt Schilling and my Boston Red Sox on the cover. Consipiracy theorists will note that Sports Illustrated is edited in New York City and that the Managing Editor, knowing full well about the "SI Jinx", must be a Yankee fan.
Sure, its nice that two of my favorite teams are part what is proabably a unique situation (two different teams from two of the major sports, from the same marketplace, gracing back-to-back covers of Sports Illustrated...I'd love to know if this has happened before). However, I think I speak for everyone in Red Sox Nation, and Patriots Nation in asking the editors of Sports Illustrated to please find another set of teams to put on the cover at this time. The Red Sox are playing brilliantly these days and they don't need any supernatural forces cooling them down. And they have famously had more than enough trouble winning championships in the past 82 years, while repeating as Super Bowl champions is not exactly the easiest task, even if the Patriots have vastly improved themselves this year vs. their 2003 championship team.
As most sports fans know, there has been a strange but un-scientific curse on some of those who have appeared on the SI cover during critical points in their season or career. The curse has resulted in critical losses by teams appearing on the cover, and season ending injuries for star players, and just strange happenings to the person or team that has appeared on the cover.
Update: In keeping with the legend of the Sports Illustrated curse, Curt Schilling pulled a ligament in his right ankle during the Anaheim series and, as we all know, got shelled during the first game with the Yankees. As you can see above, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Coincidence? Curse? The evidence is there. Same thing happened to Nomar two years ago.
September will be Interesting
September 01, 2004 @ 8:24 AM
I will try not to get ahead of myself. I will try not to look too far down the road...if this happens, if that happens. One day at a time, I remind myself. But last night was just one of those nights in baseball when you have to believe in the stuff from movies like Field of Dreams. In the past two weeks, the Red Sox have cut 7 games off of the Yankees lead in the AL East. And not only did the Sox pick up a big win against the Angels but the Yanks got crushed by the Indians 22-0. Dan Shaughnessy from The Boston Globe said it best in an article today:
With the Red Sox, a measure of restraint is always in order. There's always the seed of doubt that the Sox are merely setting the region up for another mind-bending, soul-crushing disappointment. A Sox ticket to a September game should come stamped with a surgeon general's warning. Maybe flashing Cleveland's 16-0 lead over the Yankees on the center-field board in the Angel eighth was a little over the top.I think this is the perspective I need to take. This is the Red Sox, you know. I will try not to look too far ahead. But man, last night was a good night in baseball.
Curt
August 31, 2004 @ 3:36 PM
This is just a cool picture of Curt Shilling. Found it on Yahoo! Sports. Its as if you know he is just about to throw a pea past that chump Angels hitter in the batters box. The Sox are entering a very critical point in the season as they are playing the next nine games against the Angels, Rangers and A's, the best teams of the AL West and the main competitors in the Wild Card. The Red Sox have had a scorching August, reducing the lead of the Yankees from 10.5 games to just 4.5. If they can come out of the next nine games 6-3 and at the same time have the Yankees win just 4 or 5, I, and probably most in Red Sox Nation, would be very happy.
Red Sox Nation - DC Chapter
May 11, 2004 @ 8:28 AM
On Sunday, I went into Washington, DC's Georgetown district to just enjoy the beautiful day and walk around one of my favorite neighborhoods in "the District". While walking on M Street, I cam across the Rhino Bar located at 3295 M Street, NW and quickly discovered that it is the DC home of Red Sox Nation. Now I know where to go during playoff time!
And speaking of Baseball, I also checked out the National Baseball Hall of Fame's traveling "Baseball as America" exhibit, currently at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History (Why this exhibit is at the Natural History museum is beyond me).
Stupid Baseball Men
May 07, 2004 @ 4:32 PM
So baseball and their genius PR managers pulled out another brilliant move with their "marketing" deal with Sony Pictures and Spider Man II to put ads on the bases across all MLB stadiums. This is easily one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard of from a marketing perspective. Not only did it violate the sanctity and history of the game, but practically speaking, did they really think that fans in the stands would actually be able to see the ads on the bases, which last I heard, is a critical aspect of advertising? Its like Spider Man II's target audience was really millionaire baseball players who run or slide, because they would be the only ones who would actually be close enough to see the damn things. Add to this the fact that teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox (Disclosure: I am a lifelong Red Sox fan.) would get more revenue from the deal and it just makes the whole think reek.
Baseball has once again shot itself in the foot. I love the game, I follow it passionately. But they have to get these idiots out of the front office and get some people to run the show that can effectively balance and build on the storied history of the game while at the same time market the sport to fans young and old. That is not an easy task, but I am confident someone is out there that could do it. Bob Costas for Commissioner!
Damn Yankees
February 15, 2004 @ 6:37 PM
What this deal really does is illustrate a system in baseball that is woefully out of whack. The Red Sox have a new system in place where they value production and some level of fiscal sanity, which I definitely respect, but that was the deal breaker in the A-Rod negotiations (Larry "Evil Empire" Luccinno did not help any, but that's another story) and from this fan's perspective, the reality is that the Sox did not get it done and the Yankees did. Don't get me wrong, the Red Sox are big spenders too, but they are still being out-spent by $70 Million!! The Yankees will now have almost a $200 Million dollar payroll for its team. That is 300% more than the Florida Marlins and 400% more than the Milwaukee Brewers. They have 6 of the top 15 salaries, and in turn, players, in Major League Baseball. That is just wrong. Baseball needs to fix the system now. It needs to take the blueprint from the NFL and replicate it, word for word, line for line, dollar for dollar.
I think the most frustrating thing is that I am residing in the NYC area watching all this go down, and all I hear and read is about A-Rod and the snickering of the Yankee fans towards the Red Sox. That is the most frustrating. I don't want to get too ahead of myself since the game needs to be played on the field, and I am confident that the Red Sox have a solid team that is actually better than last year's team. But all the good work that was done by the Red Sox this off season was blown away by the Yankees in one week and now we have to watch A-Rod play for the Yankees for the next 7 years and wonder "What if...". This is a tough pill to swallow.
Bronx Zoo
December 11, 2003 @ 7:00 PM
Oh, I almost forgot. What a wonderful day!! Andy Pettitte signed to play with his hometown Houston Astros, spurning the New York Yankees and their buffoon owner George Steinbrenner. As the New York press has so clearly said, this was fully the fault of King George for letting him go, and those of us in Red Sox Nation could not be happier. The recent acquisition of Curt Shilling is looking better and better!
Curt
November 29, 2003 @ 3:37 PM
I am impressed. The Red Sox picked up Curt Schilling yesterday after three days of begging him to join the team and waive his no-trade clause in his contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I think the best part of this deal is the fact that it was done in complete "stealth mode" by the Red Sox front office and it totally blindsided the NY Yankees. I would love to have seen Steinbrenner's face when the deal was announced, and eventually completed. Costanza, aka Brian Cashman, just did not get it done and once again Theo Epstein, the GM of the Red Sox, has landed the first punch with this one right between the eyes. Now, about that A-Rod to the Red Sox rumor...
Hot Stove League
October 31, 2003 @ 10:13 AM
The hot stove season is upon us in Major League Baseball. Red Sox with the first bold move by putting Manny Ramirez on irrevocable wavers. A very interesting, and bold move by the Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. I love the way he is playing with the Yankees with this move. I doubt anyone will take Manny but I think they will succeed in moving him to free up some salary. I am not too thrilled with the prospect of them trading Nomar Garciaparra however.
Go Marlins!!
October 25, 2003 @ 11:06 PM
How 'bout them Florida Marlins!. I am not as much happy that the Marlins won as I am thrilled that the Yankees lost. After my Red Sox lost to the Yankees the way they did, I think all of Red Sox Nation was pulling for the Marlins.
Bambino's Curse
October 20, 2003 @ 5:08 PM
This is a great site for all those Red Sox fans who are in tune with the Bambino's Curse.
Pain, Oh the Pain
October 17, 2003 @ 2:52 PM
This article on ESPN pretty much sums it all up for those of us in Red Sox Nation: Paradise Lost, Again
This is the follow up article to the one above: Paradise Lost, Postscript
And these are the reactions to the above awsome article: Letters from the Nation
Red Sox Nation Suffering
@ 8:20 AM
Oh boy, did my Red Sox blow a doozy last night. That was a tough loss to swallow, I must say. Aaron Boone!! Aaron f****** Boone!! He was hitting a buck twenty five (.125) in the playoffs! I would have rather lost by 15 runs than lose that way. That's the thing about the Red Sox, they always find the most miserable ways to lose. And to do it against the Yankees is just painful.
The Red Sox just did not get it done. And you could just feel it as the game progressed. They had the lead and they let it slip away. In this case, it was completely inept game management by Grady Little, the Red Sox manager. He should be fired by next month. He should have brought in Alan Embree from the bullpen in the 8th to take over for Pedro. The bullpen was pitching great - Timlin was fantastic, Embree was solid as was Williamson. It was so obvious. Is he really that dumb? Doesn't he realize that any player is going to say "I'm fine" no matter how they really feel? And putting in Wakefield was not exactly the best move either. Yes, the Sox would not have been there without him after his two amazing performances eariler in the series, but he was just not the right pitcher for that situation.
But the Sox were playing with fire throughout the playoffs and it finally came back to haunt them. The only reason they were in the ALCS was because of the ineptitude of the Oakland A's and their failure to close out the series. And between Millar, Ortiz, Mueller and especially Nomar, I think they were barely at the "Mendoza Line" (batting average of .200) with maybe 15 RBIs collectively . And Manny Ramirez could not drive in runners in scoring position to save his life. As always, good pitching trumps good hitting and that was especially evident for the Red Sox in these playoffs - not just against the Yankees but against the Athletics as well.
Sadly, the dreams of a Cubs vs. Red Sox series went up in smoke in the most painful of ways for both cities and both franchises. And the worst part is that now I have to deal with those blasted Yankee fans.
Go Florida!!!!
I Can Dream
October 07, 2003 @ 7:16 PM
The baseball Gods are looking down upon us this year. The dream of a Red Sox vs. Cubs World Series is still intact!!
Red Sox Clinch Wild Card
September 26, 2003 @ 8:46 AM
The Red Sox clinched the AL wild card playoff spot last night. The division series against Oakland a's will not be easy, especially since the a's have lost three division series in a row. They will probably be on a mission this year and that will make the series very challenging.
Sox Trade Deadline Moves
August 01, 2003 @ 9:55 AM
The Red Sox made some good moves at the trading deadline to improve their pitching staff, including adding Scott Williamson from Cincinnati and Jeff Suppan from Pittsburgh...adding to their previous addition of Byung-Hyun Kim. I think they will catch the Yankees but it will not be easy.
Dumb Baseball Men
July 16, 2003 @ 8:42 AM
As a baseball fan, I have to say that having the All Star Game determine the home field advantage in the World Series is just stupid. It diminishes the regular season and the incentive to have the best record in the league.
Labels: baseball