COMPARING JASON BAY TO MANNY RAMIREZ

It's inevitable. Jason Bay will be compared to Manny Ramirez. And much like Nomar's cadre of fanatics refused to give Orlando Cabrera any credit in 2004, there will be a vocal contingent of Manny Ramirez lovers who will refuse to acknowledge any of Jason Bay's strongpoints.

Let's start with the least important aspect of the game and work up from there...

Fielding:

Jason Bay is a better fielder than Manny. No debate here. He has more range, and he doesn't make boneheaded blunders. He can also play center and right fields.

Now onto something 100 times more important...

Hitting:

Manny Ramirez has a long career of productive hitting. 510 homers, 1,672 RBI, .312 average, .409 OBP, .590 slugging. But he isn't the same hitter that he was back in '04, or '05. He was on pace for 96 RBI this year, as well as 28 HR. Those numbers are far from bad, but they're far from Manny's best.

Jason Bay doesn't have Manny's esteemed offensive resume. He only has 140 career homers, and 454 RBI. He's got a .281 career average, .375 OBP, and .515 slugging. But he's on pace for 31 HRs this year, along with 90 RBI.

Keep in mind, he's spent most of his Major League career with the Pirates. The Red Sox have scored 488 more runs than the Pirates since 2005. Bay has never had the luxury of hitting in front of a guy like Ortiz. He'll come to a Red Sox lineup with guys like Youkilis, Lowell, Pedroia, Drew, and Papi around him. And Fenway Park isn't a bad place for a right handed power hitter to call home.

Manny is obviously the better hitter of the two, but not by much. But Manny is also on the downslope of his career. He'll only get worse. Bay, on the other hand, is only going to get better. Given the advantages of the Red Sox lineup, and hitting in Fenway, who knows what kind of numbers Bay will put up. The sky is the limit.

And finally, when discussing Manny Ramirez, the category of intangibles must be brought up...

Manny Ramirez's post-season numbers cannot be ignored, especially considering Jason Bay has NO post-season numbers. Bay has never experienced a pennant race, either. And Boston isn't known for its laid back, easy to play-in atmosphere.

Manny was the 2004 World Series MVP. He hit .375 in last years' ALDS, then .409 in the ALCS against Cleveland. But let's not crown him Mr. October. He has a .269 career playoff average with a solid .376 OBP, and a decent .513 slugging percentage. Recently he's been a great playoff hitter, but he also hit a mere .250 in the '07 World Series. Overall, he's a very good post-season hitter, but not great.

As I said, Jason Bay has never played in the post-season. But he's also never taken games off with fake injuries. He's never taken an at-bat off to spite the team's upper management. He's never slapped a teammate in public, nor has he pushed a team's traveling secretary. Most importantly, he's never been voted off a team.

Bay has a massive edge in this category.

Manny Ramirez is a sure bet Hall-of-Famer. But he had to go. Jason Bay has an extremely long way to go before he's even close to being on the road to Cooperstown. But considering his future potential, and the relatively positive influence he'll have on the Sox clubhouse; Jason Bay is better for the Red Sox than Manny Ramirez.

Much, much better.

Source:
Baseball-Reference.com

24 TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING, SOX VOTE MANNY OFF

According to WCVB's Mike Lynch, the Red Sox players had a vote last night. The question was: Should Manny Ramirez be traded. The vote was an overwhelming 24 to 1 that yes he should be traded. The lone dissenter was Manny's longtime friend and part-time spokesman David Ortiz. The Sox players told Red Sox management about their vote.

This puts a new perspective on things. The Sox players wanted him gone... badly. This means that even though the Sox are still paying Manny, had to send Hansen and Moss to Pittsburgh, and only got one player in return; this was a NECESARRY deal.

Source:
WCVB's sports blog thing

MORE DETAILS ON THE MANNY TRADE

It's official now. The Red Sox have traded Manny Ramirez, along with Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss. They receive Jason Bay in return. The Dodgers also shipped two prospects to the Pirates. The Sox also have to pick up the remainder of Manny's contract for the 2008 season.

Craig Hansen is a total bust and I don't mind losing him. But I'll miss Brandon Moss. For my money, he's a better player than Jacoby Ellsbury.

But this deal wasn't about making the Red Sox better by acquiring talent. It was about getting rid of a major problem and trying to get something in return. They got a good something back in Bay, who is younger than Manny, cheaper than Manny, and is putting up similar numbers to Manny this year.

This deal reminds me of the Nomar deal in '04. The Sox got rid of a problem, got a solid replacement in Orlando Cabrera, and went on to win the World Series. Hopefully this deal will have similar results.

Adios, Manny. We'll always have the good times, but you won't be missed.

JASON BAY TRADED TO THE RED SOX

Tentative and sketchy reports that Manny Ramirez has been traded as part of a 3 team deal. Manny goes to the Dodgers. The Red Sox get Jason Bay. The Pirates get 4 prospects from somewhere. Again, this is all coming in right now. Information is still speculative at this point.

Source:
Boston.com's Extra Bases

JASON BAY ISN'T A RAY

18 minutes ago, I reported that Jason Bay was a Tampa Bay Ray. That deal has apparently been squashed. This day has been loaded with conflicting reports, deals dying, deals rising from the dead, deals being "all but done." It's exciting, but also frustrating.

MANNY BEING AN ASSHOLE

Manny continues to bitch and moan about his horrible life.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me. During my years here, I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.

"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."

The Red Sox never did anything to paint Pedro as a bad guy. And by the time Nomar was traded, he had already done more damage to his image in Boston than the team could ever hope to achieve on its own.

But Manny is right, the Boston Red Sox and Boston fans DON'T deserve a player like Manny. We don't deserve someone who keeps the bat on their shoulder in Yankee Stadium. We don't deserve someone who cries after being paid $150,000,000 by the team. We don't deserve someone who takes long stretches of games off because they simply don't feel like playing.



We deserve better.

There's a rumor circulating that the Red Sox are close to a three way deal that would send Jason Bay to Boston. That would be more than agreeable for me. Bay is signed until 2009, and is making $3.5M this season. He's got 22 HRs and 64 RBI (Manny has 20 and 68). Bay turns 30 in September, and is a potential long term replacement for Manny in left field. This would be a sensational deal if it gets done.

Source:
ESPN.com
Big League Stew

DIFFICULT TO BE OPTIMISTIC... BUT I AM

Maybe it's my New England genetic makeup, but every day I seem to feel worse and worse about the 2008 Red Sox campaign. Last night was the worst I've felt about the team all year. After the 4th inning, I felt as though there was no chance the Red Sox would get a hit, and I was very nearly right.

But Pedroia and Youkilis showed us all a little glimpse of hope with their 9th inning hits.

Nevertheless, this is still a frustrating team. 2nd in the AL in runs scored, yet on any given night can drop an offensive egg. 5th in the AL in ERA, but with one of the most inconsistent pitching staffs in the game.

The best hitter on the team has to be threatened in order to play. The rookie phenom can't get a hit. The Captain will be thrilled if he were to hit his own weight (230). The Ace has a .500 record. The Japanese Ace can't go past 6 innings. One of the young pitching prospects is 2-6 with a 5.94 ERA. The other is the team's best middle reliever. The All-Star set-up man is a massive liability. The veteran with the fat mouth isn't coming back. The veteran with the fat ass can only start three times in a row before needing a rest.

Quite frankly, this team is a mess. Yet a quick glance at the standings sees them in 2nd place, only 2 games out. It also sees them leading the Wild Card. It also sees them outscoring opponents by 89 runs, the 2nd best run differential in all of baseball.

So if this team can pull its proverbial head out of its metaphorical ass, they will do some serious damage.

Photo Credit:
Jim Rogash/Getty Images

PATS SIGN LAMONT "GROUND" JORDAN

Get it? Ground Jordan? Like Air Jordan, only on the Ground, because he's a runningback. Yeah, not too funny.

The Pats waited until the Raiders released Jordan, then signed him the same day. This move is yet another example of the evil geniuses at work in Foxborough. They KNEW Oakland had been shopping Jordan around the League, looking for someone to give them a 5th or 6th round draft pick. But they also knew nobody wanted him. So they wait for Oakland to cut him loose, then pick him up for nothing. Brilliant.

Jordan is a puzzle piece to this team, but hardly the proverbial "final piece.". The inconsistent running game became a growing problem as the 2007 season progressed, culminating in the Super Bowl, where Laurence Maroney gained a mere 36 yards on 14 carries.

Jordan is a solid runner that will challenge Morris for the #2 spot on the depth chart. The Pats often went with 4 RBs last year, and I wouldn't be shocked if they did the same in 2008. Jordan averaged 3.8 yards a carry, and had two 100+ yard rushing games for Oakland last season.

He's also a good ball handler. In 950 career touches, he's fumbled 7 times, and lost only 4 of those.

Source:
ESPN.com

DICE-K GETS ROLLED

This series is a meeting between the immovable object and the unstoppable force. The Angels are the best road team in baseball. The Red Sox are the best home team. The Angels took round 1 last night, thanks in large part to a 6 run 6th inning Daisuke meltdown.

Five runs should be enough for a win, but Daisuke's meltdown, combined with an additional run allowed by Masterson made that next to impossible. Manny continues to hit well since recovering from that horrific knee injury. He was 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and a homerun.

The Sox fall to 1-5 against the Angels, and have officially lost the season series. The Red Sox hadn't lost a season series to the Angels since 2001.

It doesn't look much better for Tuesday's game. 8-2 John Lackey takes on Clay Buchholz.

Source:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

MANNY BEING BRETT FAVRE?

Sunday's events perfectly summed up Manny Ramirez's 8 year tenure in Boston. He issued a bizarre statement to ESPN Deportes saying he would be happy to accept any trade, and claimed that he was tired of the Red Sox, and they were tired of him. He then went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and two runs scored.

Although he didn't explicitly say it, Manny seems like he wants a trade. He doesn't like the idea of the Red Sox being able to pick up his option for 2009, then dumping him if he fails to produce and/or participate; which would leave him up the proverbial creek when it comes to getting a new contract with a new team.

That's where the comparison to Favre comes in. Manny, like Brett the Brat, wants the power. He wants to be in control. He can't stand the fact that some front office suits control where his career is going.

The Red Sox have apparently been shopping Manny around, or at least that's what they want us to believe. Things like this don't leak to the media by accident. Either the idea of the Sox trading Manny is an exaggeration concocted by colleagues of the people who brought you WalkThroughGate; or the Red Sox were trying to send a message.

I think the team was trying to light a fire under Manny's ass. The notion of a trade would, at the very least, cajole him to start playing again.

Trading Manny now doesn't make much sense. The Red Sox have been starved for offense. And with the numerous black holes in the lineup, the Sox can't afford to lose Manny's bat. And who the hell would take Ramirez and give the Sox good value in return?

To be honest, I have next to no clue with what's going on with Manny and the Sox. Nobody does. And nobody around here has for 8 years. A trade seems unlikely, but so did trading Nomar for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz in '04. It's possible that Manny may eventually demand a trade. It's possible his "knee" might start acting up again. It's also possible that everything will be fine.

I think he'll end up with the Jets.

Source:
BostonHerald.com

Photo Horribly Altered By:
Me

ORTIZ BACK IN, BUT IS MANNY OUT?

David Ortiz will be in tonight's lineup against the Yankees. Brandon Moss was optioned to AAA Pawtucket to make room. Ortiz hasn't played since May 31st.

But his return might not be as splendid as we'd been anticipating. Manny Ramirez missed Wednesday afternoon's game, complaining of a sore knee. Normally this wouldn't be a big story, but after the now infamous bat-on-shoulder pinch hitting effort in Yankee Stadium, and Manny's history of feigning injury when upset, it becomes a big deal.

Part of me hopes the Sox don't pick up Manny's option at the end of the season. Not because it would be the smart baseball move, not because these antics and shenanigans piss me off, but because of all the coverage and debate received by every move Manny makes.

I'm sick of "Manny Being Manny."

BRUINS DUMP MURRAY

The Bruins waived veteran winger Glen Murray, the first step to cutting him loose by buying him out. The move freed up significant cap space to retain defenseman Dennis Wideman.

Murray only scored 17 goals last year, a far cry from the production expected from him. Murray was one of the very few full-time Bruins who had fewer assists (13) than goals. He had no goals, and no assists in the playoff series against Montreal, and was -3.

Source:
Boston Herald

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE SOX WON ON THE ROAD, AND IT WAS THANKS TO THE BULLPEN

The Red Sox bullpen pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless relief in yesterday's 6-3 12 inning victory. Justin Masterson made his first relief appearance, going 2.2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Papelbon pitched into and out of a jam and got the win. Craig Hansen allowed 2 hits and a walk, but got the save. It wasn't pretty, but the Sox have to take what they can get out of this bullpen.

This was the first time in 2008 that the Red Sox have swept a 3 game road series. And a 3-3 West Coast swing isn't all that bad. But the Mariners are the only sub .400 team in the American League. They were 20-29 at home coming into this series, and had just dropped 2 of 3 to the lowly Indians. Sweeping them is hardly something to be impressed with.

It's been very difficult to establish any sort of consistent feelings on this team. When they beat good teams at home, they look like the best club in baseball. But even when they sweep a team like Seattle, their flaws are so obvious and blatant.

Yesterday, for instance, the bullpen pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, but both Okajima and Hansen struggled. Buchholz pitched a decent 5.1 innings, but he let up 2 homeruns, and was unable to go deep into the game. Mike Lowell had a big hit in the 12th, but the Red Sox left the bases loaded twice, and couldn't buy a hit with runners in scoring position.

Yet they lead the Wild Card by 3 games, are only 0.5 behind Tampa for the division, and have the 2nd best run differential in baseball.

Speaking of the Wild Card and the AL East, the New York Yankees come to town on Friday for a three game set.

Pitching matchups:
Friday - Joba Chamberlain vs. Josh Beckett
Saturday - Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Pettitte
Sunday - Jon Lester vs. Sidney Ponson

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

LESTER + PAPELBON = SHUTOUT

Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon combined for a 4-0 shutout of the Mariners last night. Lester went the first 7.1 innings, scattering 8 hits. Papelbon got a 5 out save, thanks in large part to a bases loaded double play to end the 8th.

Lester had only thrown 83 pitches after 7 innings, which meant another complete game was possible, and a completed 8th inning likely. But he got in trouble and was rescued by Papelbon after throwing 20 pitches. A Willie Bloomquist line drive off his ankle was another reason for his mid-inning departure.

Francona's use of Papelbon in the 8th is somewhat indicative of how little faith he has in anyone else in the bullpen. Giving Hideki Okajima 3 inherited runners is a terrifying prospect. And using anyone else in that situation is equally as disturbing.

Last year, the Sox were extremely protective of Papelbon in an effort to save his arm for September and October. He made only 4 appearances that were longer than 1 inning. Already this year, he's made 7 such appearances. This hopefully won't be a problem down the stretch. But even if it is, the Sox have been forced to use Papelbon in this way.

Dice-K against R.A. Dickey late Tuesday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

ROAD RAGE

Once again, the Red Sox have gone on the road and embarassed themselves. To be fair, the Angels are a good team. But the Red Sox are also a good team... but apparently they're only good in Boston.

The Sox are 36-11 (.766) in Fenway Park and 21-32 (.396) on the road. They score 5.62 runs per game at home, but only 4.32 on the road. But the big problem isn't the hitting. Fenway Park is friendly to offense, so scoring fewer runs on the road is understandable. But the pitching is considerably weaker on the road as well.

The Sox have a 3.35 team ERA in Fenway Park, but on the road their team ERA is 4.34. They allow 3.72 runs at home, and 4.55 on the road. So the Sox score 1.3 fewer runs per game on the road, and allow 0.8 more runs.

Why is this? At this point in the season, such trends go beyond coincidence.

Here are the Sox pitchers (and their ERA's) who perform much better in Fenway than on the road.

Player:	Home:	Away:
Buchholz	2.42	8.49
Lester	2.93	3.92
Papelbon	1.17	4.08
Wakefield	3.04	4.04
Masterson	3.26	4.18

Here are the Sox hitters (along with their averages) who perform significantly better at home than away.

Player:	Home:	Away:
Crisp	.300	.216
Varitek	.259	.181
Ortiz	.295	.221
Lugo	.305	.233
Ellsbury	.300	.238

These trends aren't team wide. Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Dustin Pedroia have all done better on the road. Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, JD Drew, and Manny Ramirez have consistently performed the same both home and away.

The pitching trends are understandable. Buchholz, Lester, and Masterson are all young players. None of them have much experience pitching on the road in the Majors. Most of the time they're going to a ballpark they've never even been to, let alone pitched in. There's no routine built up, no comfort level.

With the offensive players, that could also explain Ellsbury's lagging performance on the road. He even gets caught stealing more on the road (5 times) than at home (1 time).

But what about Crisp, Lugo, and Varitek? Well there's no mystery behind these guys. They just aren't very good hitters. It's not that they have trouble on the road, it's that Fenway Park makes it seem as though they're good hitters. Furthermore, Lugo, Crisp, Varitek, and Ellsbury often bat in order (7-8-9-1), which makes things even easier on opposing pitchers on the road.

Unfortunately, there isn't too much that can be done about this. Varitek is showing no signs of improvement. And by now it's become clear that Crisp and Lugo are mediocre to below average hitters. Hopefully the younger pitchers and Ellsbury will gain some confidence on the road. And perhaps the returning David Ortiz will improve his road performance.

Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

AL WINS ALL-STAR GAME, JD WINS MVP

It took nearly 5 hours and 15 innings to decide, but the 2008 All-Star Game was won by the AL 4-3. Michael Young ended the game with a 1 out bases loaded sac-fly.

JD Drew was the stand out among the Boston representation. He was 2 for 4 with a 2 run homer, a walk, and a stolen base.



Manny was 0 for 2, Youkilis was 0 for 2, Pedroia was 0 for 1 with a walk. Varitek played, but didn't have an at-bat.

Papelbon pitched in the 8th inning. He allowed an unearned run thanks to Dioner Nivarro's errant throw. Not surprisingly, the scum gathered at Yankee Stadium blamed Papelbon. More on the way the Yankees, their fans, and their media behaved these last few days in a later post.



Sidenote: How awesome were the smirks sported by the Sox players during introductions?

When Young belted that sac-fly in the 15th, the game was quickly approaching the T word. Some things Major League Baseball might consider in order to avoid future scares:

1. If a team doesn't want a pitcher to pitch in the All-Star Game, he shouldn't take up a roster spot. Both Scott Kazmir and Brandon Webb were "emergency" pitchers tonight. Had the game gone to 16 or 17 innings, there's no way Kazmir could have continued. So why not let these unavailable pitchers go to the game, dress, get introduced, but not be on the official roster, just as if they were injured?

2. MLB needs to come up with some sort of Doomsday Emergency Plan for All-Star Games. My proposal would be to select two starting pitchers from the Futures Game. If either team exhausts its pitching staff, BOTH teams will have to bring in the minor league pitchers. Also, after the 12th inning, position players should be allowed to return in case of injury (catchers already can return in such an instance).

Tim McCarver WTF Moments
Introducing a new feature on Boston Blood Sox. Every Sox game on Fox is made funnier/annoying by Tim McCarver and Joe Buck. Now you can relive those awkward, stupid, and ridiculous comments.

After Milton Bradley had the second AL stolen base of the night:

"Milton Bradley has the first AL stolen base of the night."

In the bottom of the 6th, Timmy observed how Josh Hamilton and Edinson Volquez might win the AL MVP and NL Cy Young, respectively. He stated that it "Could very readily happen." I think he needs to learn how to use the word "readily."

It wasn't all bad from McCarver. When the Bronx Scum were chanting "Overrated" to Papelbon (how hilariously ironic is it that Yankee fans were calling someone overrated?). McCarver said of Papelbon "If you think I'm overrated, get a bat."

Yogi Berra was telling McCarver and Buck a story, and mentioned the inconsequential detail that he was in a museum. McCarver interrupted:

"That museum is in Montclair, New Jersey. One of the best museums in the area."

Even Yogi was speechless.

The funniest McCarver Moment came right before the game. McCarver blew my mind with this tie-in:

"From a personal health standpoint, everyone knows you have to have a strong core. And that's what the National League has."

Mind-numbing.

Joe Buck WTF Moments:
Joe Buck's annoying tendency is to overrate everything and everybody. Nothing is ever average or ordinary in Joe Buck's eyes.

When Derek Jeter came up in the 1st, Buck busted out his lovable old chestnut: Since coming into the League, Jeter has done nothing but win." You could say fawning crap like that 7 or 8 years ago, not any more.

In the 10th, Buck was talking about Yankee Stadium, when he made a ludicrous comparison: "The Stadium, which has been like our Colosseum..."



WOW! The Coliseum was the center of Rome's propaganda machine. It was where thousands of people were killed for the entertainment of others. When it was built it was the most impressive structure IN THE WORLD. Yankee Stadium is a ballpark! It's not a cathedral, or a holy place, or the friggin Colosseum! It's a place where baseball is played! That's it.

Finally, the Yankee love fest will simmer down a bit. And how cool is it that a Boston Red Sock won the All-Star Game MVP in Yankee Stadium?

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Bill Kostroun
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

PAPELBON VS. THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Whatever happened to journalistic responsibility? And whatever happened to the notion that print media was more reliable than blogs because of said responsibility?

The latest irresponsible and sensationalistic sportswriter to join the John Tomase club is Mark Feins of the New York Daily News, who wrongfully claims that Jonathan Papelbon said he should be the one to close the All-Star Game, not Mariano Rivera. Feins blatantly ignored contrary statements Papelbon made. Statements like this one:

"Mariano Rivera will be closing the 2008 All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium. I'm making a statement right now, saying I don't want it, I want him to have it. I said all that earlier, but that's the way I feel about it."

Why ignore this? Because Papelbon had also said this:

"If I was managing the team, I would close. I'm not managing the team, so it don't matter."

And from that bland, incorrectly grammared statement, Mark Feins the New York Daily News were able to extrapolate a lengthy column, as well as a cover.



It's just a frigging shame. Terry Francona and the other Red Sox have spent the last few days in the Bronx being respectful, and heaping praise and respect on the Yankees. Francona placed Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez in their normal spots in the AL lineup. Ortiz didn't blow off the festivities to stay at home and rehab his wrist. In fact, Big Papi was more of a presence at last night's HR Derby than Alex Rodriguez.

And how does New York treat them? By greedily demanding Mariano Rivera START the All-Star Game. And by publishing this slanderous nonsense.

Remember the 1999 All-Star Game? Remember when Joe Torre was CHEERED by the Fenway crowd? I guess that kind of class and respect is just too much for some New Yorkers to achieve.

Papelbon was pissed about the Daily News story.

“It just kind of (ticks) me off because if that gets (expletive) written and I’m riding in a (expletive) parade today with my wife (Ashley), so she doesn’t feel safe because some (expletive) from the Daily News says I want to close the game and that ain’t true...That was an easy headline for that (expletive) to say, ‘Yeah, Papelbon wants to close.’ Of course I do, that’s my competitive nature. But I’m stepping away and saying I don’t need to close.”

See, Mister Feins, unlike Alex Rodriguez, Papelbon is a competitive guy who always wants the ball. If Francona asked him to start, he would. If he asks him to pitch to one batter in the top of the 6th, he would. If he asks him to close, he would. He's not going to say "Coach, I really think Mo should be closing."

Mark Feins is just another sportswriter in an ever lengthening line of so-called journalists who publish before they think. And this story is another sad example of just how pathetically desperate the Yankees and their fans are to trash the Red Sox.

Sources:
Boston.com's Extra Bases
Boston Herald
NY Daily News

YANKEE CELEBRITIES THAT SUCK

Since the baseball world's eyes are focused on Yankee Stadium today, I figured I should let my Yankee hatred spew freely. I'm not going to badmouth Derek Jeter for being a mediocre defensive short-stop, or Alex Rodriguez for canoodling with an old singer whose slept with half the NBA, or Jason Giambi's silly attempt to look like Ron Jeremy.

Instead, I'm going to direct my attention to Yankee fans. Famous Yankee fans. For the record, I hate most celebrity "fans" because they're not really fans, and they simply take up space at the ballpark. Ben Affleck, that's you.

Adam Sandler:

Not only is he painfully annoying, he's a confused fan. He likes the Bruins AND the Yankees. See, Sandler was born in Brooklyn, then moved to New Hampshire when he was 5. He turned 5 in 1971. Bruins fans know what happened in the 71-72 season: they won the Cup. Sandler is nothing but a front running, bandwagoning, pink hat. And his only funny movies these days are the ones in which he's trying to be a serious actor.

Jack Nicholson:

Speaking of frontrunners, Laker loving Jack Nicholson is a big Yankee fan. But at least he was born in New York, and the Lakers are his adopted team. Nicholson is such a big bad Yankee fan, that he refused to wear a Red Sox hat in The Departed. It's too bad the Knicks weren't good enough to earn that kind of loyalty from him, or the Dodgers. Pick a city, Jack.

Michael Bloomberg:

Did you know that New York's Mayor is from Boston? He was born in Brighton, then moved to Allston, then to Brookline, then to Medford. When running for Mayor, he was asked if he was a Mets fan or a Yankee fan. His only answer was "Well, I'm from Boston, so..." But apparently it's more politically prudent to be a Yankees fan in New York, because that's what Bloomberg presents himself as in public.

Billy Crystal:

Did you know Billy Crystal is a Yankees fan? I know, it's a bit of an obscure fact that took me hours of research to find out. End sarcasm. Every Yankee game on Fox or ESPN will have a shot of Crystal sitting in the front row. Unlike others on this list, he's a real fan. But I can't stand to hear the words "Mickey Mantle" come out of his mouth, and see his face light up as he reminisces about that dead alcoholic. And can we put a limit on how many times someone is allowed to host the Oscars?

Fred Durst:

Unfortunately, Fred Durst is still alive. Why is it that great artists like John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, and Bradley Nowell die so young, and crappy ones get to live forever? I don't know if Durst is an actual Yankee fan. But the Jacksonville native was one of many late 90's punks who made it "cool" to wear Yankees hats and apparel, even if one wasn't a fan.

So there you have it, the 5 suckiest Yankee celebrities. Spike Lee didn't make this list because he's cool as hell. And any Yankee fan out there thinking of alluding to Ben Affleck, or other douchebag Sox celebs, I have two words for you: Maria Menounos.



Photo Credit:
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

JOSE CANSECO LASTS 97 SECONDS IN BOXING MATCH

Jose Canseco fought Vai Sikahema, a former Philadelphia Eagle and amateur boxer, in a celebrity match in Atlantic City. Jose didn't even make it out of the first round before the referee stopped the fight. Sikahema is 7 inches shorter and 45 pounds lighter than Canseco, but he still thrashed him. Sikahema summed up Canseco beautifully after the fight:

"He's a very impressive-looking guy. But the guy is a walking corpse, because he's rotted inside out. He's a pathetic figure."



Source:
NY Daily News

ALL-STAR STARTING LINEUPS

American League:
1. RF Ichiro Suzuki - SEA
2. SS Derek Jeter - NYY
3. CF Josh Hamilton - TEX
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez - NYY
5. LF Manny Ramirez - BOS
6. DH Milton Bradley - TEX
7. 1B Kevin Youkilis - BOS
8. C Joe Mauer - MIN
9. 2B Dustin Pedroia - BOS

And on the mound, Cliff Lee of the Indians. Thank you Terry Francona for being sane and not starting Mariano Rivera, like some fools in New York wanted you to.

National League:
1. SS Hanley Ramirez - FLA
2. 2B Chase Utley - PHI
3. 1B Lance Berkman - HOU
4. DH Albert Pujols - STL
5. 3B Chipper Jones - ATL
6. RF Matt Holliday - COL
7. LF Ryan Braun - MIL
8. RF Kosuke Fukodome - CHC
9. C Geovany Soto - CHC

SP: Ben Sheets, Milwaukee.

Source:
WBZTV.com

FINALLY, A REASON TO HATE BEN ROETHLISBERGER

I've never liked Big Ben. But I've never hated him, at least not directly. I've hated the buzz that surrounds him. I've hated people calling him a quarterback when he threw the ball 12 times a game. I've hated how he has a Super Bowl ring thanks to the Colts beating the Patriots earlier in the playoffs. And it doesn't help him much that I despise the Steelers.

But then I heard what he said about Brett Favre:

“Brett Favre is one of the best to play, he can do whatever he wants. It’s something that when you have the best quarterback, he makes a decision to do what he feels he needs to do, and I’m sure (the Green Bay Packers) need to stick by whatever (the decision is).”

No, Ben, he can't do whatever he wants. No player, no matter how good, is bigger than a team. Especially in football. The team makes decisions, and the players have to abide by them. I have nothing but respect for how the Green Bay Packers are handling the mess Brett Favre has put them in. They're in charge, not Brett.

This type of "I can do what I want" mentality is probably what convinced Ben that riding a motorcycle without a license or a helmet is a good idea.



It's official, Mr. Roethlisberger. I now hate you.

Source:
Scout.com

SOX PROSPECT WINS FUTURES GAME MVP

19 year old outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin has been part of the Red Sox organization for little over a year, but he's already hitting homeruns out of Yankee Stadium. The Taiwanese prospect belted a 2 run homer that helped give the World team a 3-0 win in the All-Star Future's Game yesterday. Lin finished his day 2 for 2 and was named MVP of the game. He was booed by the Yankee Stadium crowd when he was at the plate.

Lin was the only representative of the Red Sox (and Taiwan) on either team. He was signed as an international free agent last June and is currently playing in A Greenville.

Source:
MLB.com
SoxProspects.com

Photo Credit:
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

SOX BACK WHERE THEY BELONG... FIRST PLACE

Daisuke Matsuzaka's 10th win propelled the Red Sox back into first place yesterday afternoon.

It seems as though Daisuke may have figured out how to be a successful pitcher in America. He just walks everybody. Last year he only walked 80 batters. In half as many starts so far in '08, he's already issued 57 free passes. It's counter-intuitive, but the walks seem to be helping. He's given up far fewer hits (opponents hitting .220 this season compared to .246 last season), and more importantly: fewer extra base hits. Last year, he allowed a .405 slugging percentage, this year it's .339. He yielded 25 homers in 2007, he's on pace to allow 10 in '08.

How can walks help a pitcher do better? Well, that old expression about walks being as good as hits isn't exactly true. A walk is not as good as a double. And two walks in a row aren't the same as two singles in a row.

But there's been a problem, and the walks are a direct cause of it. He doesn't go deep into games. He's only made three starts of 7+ innings this year. And only 7 of his 17 starts have seen him pitch 6+ innings. He's averaging 5.5 innings per start. And with this team's bullpen, that can cause massive problems.

Daisuke leaving early nearly caused some problems yesterday. Hideki Okajima relieved Daisuke in the 7th and struggled mightily. He faced 4 batters. Two of them walked. He threw 17 pitches, only 5 for strikes. Thankfully Delcarmen bailed him out of the jam.

Youkilis left the game in the 6th with a "left tricep contusion." He was hit by a pitch. He's not expected to miss any time with the Sox.

Sources:
ESPN.com
The Spoorting News

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

CRIMSON TIDE

The Red Sox routed the Orioles 12-1 last night, and are now within 1/2 game of the first place Rays. JD Drew, Manny Ramirez, and Kevin Youkilis all hit homeruns. Youkilis' was a Grand Slam, the first in his career. He wound up with 6 RBI.

Manny seems to have broken out of his slump. He's 10 for 19 (.526) on this homestand, after a 5 for 35 (.143) stretch.

Wakefield was nearly unhittable last night. He went 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit (a solo homerun), and 1 walk. It was his 8th straight Quality Start. From May 23rd, he's lowered his ERA from 5.19 to 3.60.

Daisuke faces Daniel Cabrera this afternoon in the rubber game. Daisuke's allowed 1 earned run in his last 17.1 innings pitched. Alex Cora is 11/27 off Cabrera in the past, so look for him to get the start at short.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

NO LOVE FOR BALTIMORE

The Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays are the talk of baseball. And while their turn-around has been remarkable, another team has been overlooked and practically ignored.

The Orioles will probably finish 4th in the AL East, which has been their home for 9 of the last 10 seasons. But they might do something they haven't done since 1997: finish above .500. They're 44-45 coming into this weekend's series at Fenway.

Baltimore wasn't supposed to be this good. They were supposed to finish 5th in the division, and contend for the worst record in baseball. And although their pitching has been true to that prediction (12th best ERA in the AL), their offense has some teeth. They're 6th in runs scored, and 4th in homeruns. Former Ray Aubrey Huff has 18 homers. Nick Markakis has a .397 OBP and 14 dingers. Former Astro Luke Scott also has 14. Kevin Millar has decided to go back to being a baseball player, and has 12 HRs.



The Red Sox are only 5-4 against Baltimore this season. They were 12-6 against the O's in '07, and 15-3 against them in '06. But they're not that easy to beat anymore.

The Orioles won't be directly involved in the AL East race. But they will be a factor. Tampa Bay is 8-3 against Baltimore. The Sox are 2 games behind that record, and also 2 games behind the Rays for first place.

Source:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com

HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET?

Those who read this site with any regularity know that I hate two things: sportswriters, and people from New York. So when I read Peter Abraham's column arguing for Mariano Rivera to start the All-Star Game, you can imagine my rage.

"But this goes beyond strategy. For all he has done in baseball, Rivera curiously has been left out at awards time. He has not won the MVP Award or Cy Young Award, and he was the World Series MVP only once in the four times the Yankees have won the title during his tenure. He has won a few of those Rolaids Relief Awards, but nobody gets too excited about that. This could be his last chance to get some real recognition. We're talking about one of the best players in the history of the game, the best relief pitcher ever. Has any professional athlete ever been better at his job?"

Recognition??? Everyone acknowledges Rivera is the best closer ever. What more recognition do you want? He'll get his due and proper in Cooperstown 5 years after he retires.

"But it would be nice if the starting pitcher was somebody people actually recognized. Justin Duchscherer? John Danks? No and no."

Abraham complains about recognition and then proclaims that Justin Duscherer (10-5, 1.78 ERA, 0.83 WHIP) shouldn't get the nod as starter because he isn't a household name. Did you ever think that an All-Star start would help make him a household name? And just because someone doesn't pitch in New York or Boston, and you don't know who he is, doesn't mean they aren't a star.

Thankfully, Terry Francona has more respect for the game of baseball than he does for Mariano Rivera. He won't make a mockery of things by starting a reliever. He'll use Rivera if there's a save situation. Francona knows who Mo is, and has nothing but respect for him. But he won't pander to fans who only want to see the Yankees.

AFTERNOON DELIGHT

The Red Sox thrashed the Twins this afternoon to complete a 3 game sweep. Minnesota came to Boston riding a 5 game winning streak, but Friendly Fenway is only friendly to one team this year.

Ten Sox batters got a hit, 9 players knocked a run in, 10 scored runs. The Sox had 7 doubles, a triple, 2 homeruns, and 23 hits total.

This series may be what Manny Ramirez needed to get going again. He went 6 for 13 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBI.

But this wasn't a flawless victory for the Sox. Beckett gave up 3 runs in the 1st and threw far too many pitches early on. He left after 5 innings. This spelled trouble with a capital B (for bullpen).

Javier Lopez faced 8 batters and let 5 of them reach. Craig Hansen only threw 9 strikes in 19 pitches and was unable to eat the garbage innings at the end of the game.

I know I'm being far too negative after an 18-5 victory, but the Sox didn't dominate the entirety of the game as the score suggests. 18 runs is an aberration, a rarity we probably won't see duplicated this season. But bullpen problems have been a bad habit of this team.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Steven Senne

ANOTHER MIRACLE

Before the 8th inning last night, Manny Ramirez had only hit 1 homerun in his last 77 at-bats. The 2 run Monster shot was part of a 4 run inning for the Sox, and tied the game at 5-5. Later, with 2 outs, Brandy Moss knocked in Youkilis to make it a 6-5 game.

Lester pitched decently. He allowed 5 runs in 7.1 innings. He threw 117 pitches, the 2nd most of the season (his most was 130 in the no-hitter). He had reached 100 pitches after 7 innings, but Francona had him start the 8th. That's an unusual move for Francona, who doesn't like to pull pitchers in the middle of an inning. But with the bullpen in the state that it is, you can't blame Tito for trying to stretch his starters.

Another interesting managerial decision was starting Kevin Cash. Francona hasn't benched Varitek, he simply gave him a day off. And maybe that's what Tek needs right now. Hopefully he used the off-day wisely. Cash went 0 for 2. But if Varitek continues to struggle, I'd like to see Cash given more at-bats, particularly against lefthanded pitchers. He's 6 for 17 against lefties this season.

Tampa Bay lost to the Yankees last night, cutting their divisional lead to 3 games.

The Sox go for the sweep this afternoon as Beckett faces Livan Hernandez.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

THE BARRY BONDS QUESTION

A story leaked to ESPN that the Red Sox were internally discussing picking up free agent outfielder Barry Bonds. The homerun king has been sitting around all season, waiting for a team to call him up and stuff his roided out body into one of their uniforms. For the Red Sox, several factors may just make Barry Bonds a perfect acquisition, as bone chilling as that sounds.

David Ortiz's injury is the main reason why Bonds' name is even being mentioned by Red Sox brass to each other. Ortiz has been out of the lineup for over a month now, and his power at the core of the batting order has been sorely missed. Although he took batting practice on Monday with no reports of complications, his return is still a long way off. If he makes a return at all.

Without Ortiz, the Sox lineup dissolves into an entirely new entity. Instead of Ortiz-Ramirez at 3 and 4, it will be Drew, or Lowell. This also means that the 5 and 6 spots suffer. Instead of black holes like Varitek and Lugo at 8 and 9, they have to hit closer to the top of the order.

Bonds could potentially fix this. He doesn't hit for average anymore, but his bloated OBP (.480 last season) more than makes up for that. And his power is still there (28 HRs in 126 games).

Furthermore, he wouldn't cost that much. He made $15.5M last year, but pro-rated for 1/3 of a season and it's very affordable for the Red Sox. He also wouldn't cost anything in terms of prospects given up in a trade. The Braves had to trade 5 prospects to get Mark Teixera last year, including #1 catching prospect in the universe Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The big questions with Bonds are his clubhouse attitude and his legal issues. But the only outspoken critic of his with a Red Sox uniform is/was Curt Schilling, but he's not going to be around. Plus, he owns a McNabb jersey, Forget him.



This is a veteran team. Guys like Lowell, Varitek, Youkilis, Drew, Wakefield, and Timlin either won't be bothered by Bonds' B.S., or won't tolerate it. Manny won't even realize that Barry isn't David Ortiz.

And if he does cause a problem or doesn't perform, then it's an easy cut.

Look, I don't like Barry Bonds. I think it's a shame that he has more homers than anyone else in history. Seeing him in a Red Sox uniform would be painful. But not as painful as watching Tampa Bay win the AL East, or losing to the Yankees 5-4.

And if you have delicate sensibilities out there, and enjoy standing on moral high ground, I'd like to ask you how you feel about Randy Moss. Corey Dillon. Rodney Harrison. Bryan Cox. Zdeno Chara (for the 2 Bruins fans out there). Tell me you wouldn't go nuts if Bonds hit a walk off Grand Slam against Mariano Rivera.

Hopefully, Ortiz's wrist will heal and this speculation will be forgotten. But if things don't go well with Big Papi, it's time to bring in the Big Cheat.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

HOME SWEET HOME

After a dreadful 3-7 road trip, the Red Sox returned to the friendly confines of Fenway Park and edged the Twins with a 1-0 win last night. Manny Ramirez knocked in the game winning run with a single in the 8th. Dustin Pedroia reached with a double in the inning and scored the winning run. His hit streak is now at 15 games.

Daisuke didn't get win #10 (how is he NOT in the All-Star Game?), but had one of the best starts of the season. It was your typical Dice-K start: tons of baserunners, very few of them coming home. But unlike his last two starts, he was able to keep his pitch count down and go 7.1 innings. It was his first Quality Start since May 17th.

Jason Varitek's struggles continue unabated. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout, and left 2 men in scoring position. He's 12 for his last 92 (.130).

Jon Lester faces Nick Blackburn tonight.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

MASTERSON MOVED TO BULLPEN...EVENTUALLY

The Red Sox sent Justin Masterson down to AAA Pawtucket, and will eventually replace him in the rotation with Clay Buchholz. Masterson will spend his time in Rhode Island learning the ropes of relief pitching. First baseman Jeff Bailey will be filling in the roster spot until Buchholz is recalled.

I'm not a fan of this move. As desperate as the Sox are for middle-relief, I don't like the idea of sending a prospect like Masterson to AAA in order to convert him into a reliever. He isn't even a fully fledged Major League starter yet. I don't mind giving Buchholz (2-3, 5.53 ERA) another shot at starting, but what if he picks up where he left off? At that point, you don't have much choice but to go back to Masterson. Which means retraining him back into being a starter.

Short term, this is a good move. The Sox NEED help in the bullpen. But they also need starters to go 7 innings consistently. The team can get a good inning out of Delcarmen, or even Okajima. It's when they need to get 2 or 3 innings from the middle-relief that the trouble starts.

To me, the potential damage to Masterson's development is too much of a risk in order to get a new reliever who might not even be a good bullpen pitcher. Long term, this is a bad move.

Source:
Associated Press

SOX ALL-STARTS TO INVADE YANKEE STADIUM

Seven Red Sox were named to the AL All-Star team, four as starters.

AL Starters:
C: Joe Mauer, Twins
1B: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
OF: Manny Ramirez, Red Sox
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox

Obviously David Ortiz will be replaced. Manny doesn't deserve to be there, in my opinion, and neither does Jeter. Then again, it is the All-STAR game, and is seemingly meant for star players having down years.

AL Pitchers:
Scott Kazmir, Rays
George Sherrill, Orioles
Roy Halladay, Blue Jays
Mariano Rivera, Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox
Justin Duchscherer, Athletics
Joe Nathan, Twins
Joakim Soria, Royals
Cliff Lee, Indians
Francisco Rodriguez, Angels
Ervin Santana, Angels
Joe Saunders, Angels

Jon Lester got a bit of a snub, but nowhere near the snub that 11 game winner Mike Mussina got. With the game in Yankee Stadium, Mussina had an inside track to starting the ASG. Now he'll have front row seats to watch it.

AL Reserves:
J.D. Drew, Red Sox
Jason Varitek, Red Sox
Joe Crede, White Sox
Carlos Quentin, White Sox
Grady Sizemore, Indians
Carlos Guillen, Tigers
Justin Morneau, Twins
Milton Bradley, Rangers
Ian Kinsler, Rangers
Michael Young, Rangers
Dioner Navarro, Rays

Jason Varitek was voted in by the players. He might be having the weakest All-Star season in the history of the game. Either that, or calling pitches is more important in an All-Star game than it appears.

The National League hasn't won an All-Star Game since 1996. But this year they have a pretty good shot, and I think they'll win. Here's their team:

NL Starters:
C: Geovany Soto, Cubs
1B: Lance Berkman, Astros
2B: Chase Utley, Phillies
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3B: Chipper Jones, Braves
OF: Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs
OF: Alfonso Soriano, Cubs
OF: Ryan Braun, Brewers

NL Pitchers:
Tim Lincecum, Giants
Aaron Cook, Rockies
Dan Haren, Diamondbacks
Ben Sheets, Brewers
Carlos Zambrano, Cubs
Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks
Ryan Dempster, Cubs
Brian Wilson, Giants
Edinson Volquez, Reds
Kerry Wood, Cubs
Brad Lidge, Phillies
Billy Wagner, Mets

NL Reserves:
Brian McCann, Braves
Aramis Ramirez, Cubs
Matt Holliday, Rockies
Dan Uggla, Marlins
Miguel Tejada, Astros
Russell Martin, Dodgers
Nate McLouth, Pirates
Albert Pujols, Cardinals
Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
Adrian Gonzalez, Padres
Cristian Guzman, Nationals

Prediction: NL 8, AL 6

Sources:
Boston.com's Extra Bases
Baseball Almanac

DON'T WORRY, THE YANKEES STILL SUCK

I wouldn't worry too much about Sunday night's 5-4 extra inning loss to the Yankees. They scored the tying run in the 7th by skipping 3rd base. And Gardner's game winning single was as soft as a teddy bear.

Then again, the Red Sox not only could have won this game, they SHOULD have. They've become a .500 team when leading after 6 innings, and that's not the sign of a good ballclub.

Lopez was brought into the 7th inning to get out of a jam. Last year, we'd see Okajima in this situation, but Francona has justifiably shied away from using Hideki when there are runners on.

The pinch hitting in the top of the 9th confused me. I don't know why you'd take out Lugo and replace him with Varitek. Lugo was 1 for 3 on the day. Varitek had much better numbers against Rivera, but that was the old Jason Varitek, not this new super-slumping incarnation. Right now, the only people who want to see Jason Varitek with a bat in his hands are American League pitchers.

Alex Cora also deserves some blame for the game winning single. There's no way he could have thrown Gardner out at first, but Cora MUST keep that ball in the infield. He got to it, got a glove on it, but failed.

Kevin Youkilis was caught stealing. The Red Sox were 1 for 8 in stolen base attempts this series. I don't know why they refused to give Molina credit and continually tested him.

After going 3-7 on the road trip, the Red Sox finally return home to face the Twins. Minnesota has been playing well lately, but at least the games are in Fenway. Matsuzaka faces Scott baker Monday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

PAINFUL 2-1 LOSS

I don't know which was more painful, having to watch the Red Sox struggled against Mussina then blow a juicy opportunity against Rivera in the 9th; or having to listen to Tim McCarver the entire time.

Tim McCarver no longer possesses the mental capacity to construct sentences. Listening to him speak is like listening to random tracks from Books on Tape: The Dictionary. His giggling about Rear Window was ridiculous. And what's sad is that even I knew Kim Novak was in Vertigo and Grace Kelly was in Rear Window. But that's probably sadder for me than it is Tim McCarver.



Anyway, this game was a bit of a mismatch to start with. Masterson has pitched ably this season, but Mike Mussina has been one of the best pitchers in the AL. The Sox never got anything serious going on offense. They also shot themselves in the foot twice. Dustin Pedroia tried extending a single into a double in the 1st, but was thrown out. Ellsbury was later caught stealing to end the 5th.

The Sox should seriously consider never running on Jose Molina again. They're 1 for 7 in stolen base attempts this series.

The game saw 7 batters hit by pitches, tying a Major League record. None of them were blatantly intentional, but Manny Ramirez got hit 3 times. I wouldn't be shocked if this spilled into Sunday's game.

The Sox rallied in the 9th, but were ultimately shut down by Rivera, with an assist to home plate ump Kerwin Danley, whose liberal strike zone helped Mo on his way to retiring the side with the bases loaded. Then again, how much help does Rivera need to get Varitek to pop out?

The last game of the series is Sunday night on ESPN. Tim Wakefield against Joba Chamberlain.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

SOX BEAT YANKS 6-4

The Sox put up 12 hits in their 6-4 victory over the Yankees this afternoon. Josh Beckett was shaky in the 1st, but settled down and pitched 6 solid innings, earning his 8th win of the season. Pedroia and Ellsbury combined to go 5 for 9. Mike Lowell was 2 for 4 with a double, a homer, and 4 RBI. Jason Varitek went 2 for 4, his first multiple hit game since May 31st. The Sox could have easily scored more, but they left 4 men in scoring position, and were caught stealing 3 times.

Youkilis also could have had a homerun if there were a slight breeze going out to left. He hit a ball deep to the warning track. Johnny Damon leaped, and tipped the ball with the edge of his glove. The ball literally sat on top of the wall before falling back into play, and Youk was held to a triple.



The one disconcerting aspect of the game was Hideki Okajima's performance in the 7th. He allowed a single and two walks to load the bases. He and Manny Delcarmen worked out of the jam, but Okajima has proven himself to be less than reliable this season. That's probably why he's been used as more of a middle reliever than an 8th inning set-up man.

His ERA is a seemingly solid 3.00, but his other stats tell a completely different story. His 1.47 WHIP is considerably higher than his 0.97 WHIP of 2007. He's blown 6 save opportunities. And inherited runners have been a major problem (12 of 15 have scored).

I think it's safe to say the Red Sox will be in the market for a set-up man at the trade deadline. Hopefully not a French Canadian ex-closer.

Justin Masterson makes his first career start against the Yankees Saturday afternoon. He faces 10-6 Mike Mussina, who will be making his 55th career start against the Red Sox.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

THANK GOD WE'RE PLAYING THE YANKEES

Isn't it weird to be relieved that the Sox are out of Tropicana Field and playing in Yankee Stadium. How the mighty have fallen, and how the weak have risen.

Jon Lester smothered the Yankee lineup last night, earning a complete game shutout win, and snapping the team's 5 game losing streak. It's the 2nd shutout of the season for Lester. The last Red Sox pitcher to record multiple shutouts in a season was...

If you guessed Pedro Martinez, you're wrong. In 2001, Hideo Nomo pitched 2 shutouts. Pedro had 4 in 2000.

Lester's been somewhat of a savior for this team. Beckett has had ups and downs, Wakefield goes through his bipolar stretches, Matsuzaka can't get into the 6th inning, Colon is out of shape, and Schilling isn't coming. Lester leads Red Sox starters in ERA (3.21), innings (117.2), and starts (19).

He's been able to keep two things down: his pitch count, and the baseball.

Here are Jon Lester's pitch count stats from the last three seasons:

Year:	Pitches Per Inning:
2006	18.6
2007	17.2
2008	15.8

What's really helped Lester keep his pitch count down has been fewer walks, more groundball outs, and yes... fewer strikeouts. He's striking out batters less often compared to 2006 and 2007, but his strikeout to walk ratio has actually gone up because his walks have been so dramatically reduced.

Getting groundball outs has been huge for Lester. He's already induced 15 double plays, the 6th most in the Majors. Here's a look at the groundball to flyball ratio in his career:

Year:	Ratio:
2006	1.03
2007	0.77
2008	1.41

Lester hasn't even allowed a sacrifice fly.

Back to last night's 7-0 victory over New York. It was nice to finally see the entire lineup producing at once. Every starter had a hit except Lugo. But he had a sac-fly. Even Varitek got a single in the 8th, ending that painful hitless streak.

The return of Coco Crisp shouldn't be overlooked. He hit .310 in June and returned to the lineup with a 2 for 3 night.

Josh Beckett pitches against Darrell Rasner this afternoon at 1:00 (Eastern). Beckett's only allowed 4 runs in his last 26 innings, but only has one Win to show for it.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

MELTDOWN

The last time the Red Sox were 3.5 games out of first in the AL East was the end of the 2006 season. But after last night's 7-6 disappointment in St. Petersburg, that's exactly where the Sox are.

Daisuke pitched around trouble for 5 innings. Although he only allowed 1 run, his pitch count was obscenely high. In the first two innings, he had already thrown 49. This forced the bullpen to be used early. Okajima pitched a scoreless 6th, then all hell broke loose.

Manny Delcarmen looked awful. Not only was he giving up hits (3 hits to 3 batters faced), his stutter step off the mound allowed Akinori Iwamura to reach on an infield single instead of being thrown out at first.

Then Hansen came in and couldn't throw a strike. He threw 13 pitches, 4 of which were strikes. And one of those strikes was struck by Evan Longoria for a double. Finally, Javier Lopez worked out of the jam, but the damage had been done. A 4-1 Sox lead had been turned into a 7-4 Rays lead.

The Sox didn't go down quietly. Pedroia had an RBI double in the 8th (stopping at first with a single would have given him a cycle). Thanks to an error, the Sox put two men on with no outs in the 9th. A sac-fly from Youkilis made it a 7-6 game. Then Terry Francona made me mad for the first time in his managerial stint with the Red Sox.

Why in the name of all that is holy was there a hit and run with Varitek at the plate? He was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts, and hadn't gotten a hit in 16 at-bats. In those 16 at-bats, he's struck out 8 times. HITTING is the most important part of the hit-and-run. But Varitek isn't hitting. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th in a 1 run game, it makes more sense to bunt than hit-and-run. Why risk making the 2nd or 3rd out on the basepaths? Why ask a slumping hitter to make contact, something he's struggled to do. And why the hell is Varitek batting 7th and not 9th?

Not surprisingly, Varitek swung and missed at a bad pitch, and Mike Lowell was toast at second base. When Varitek struck out looking, the game was over.

This Varitek slump is unreal. He's 3 for his last 48 (.063). There is no reason for him to be batting anywhere but 9th, if at all. Brandon Moss and Julio Lugo aren't tearing the cover off the ball, but at least they can get a hit every once and awhile.

The Sox ride their 5 game losing streak to Yankee Stadium for a 4 game seris. Lester faces Andy "I Didn't Inject" Pettitte.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

BRUINS SIGN MICHAEL RYDER, AND ARE OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE RUNNING FOR MARIAN HOSSA

The Bruins signed former Montreal Canadien Michael Ryder to a multi-year deal. The signing reduces the Bruins' salary cap space, making it impossible to sign Hossa. I don't mind that the Bruins got a guy who can score goals (30+ in his first two seasons with Montreal, although he only scored 14 last year), but I'm disappointed that they didn't pull a rabbit out of the hat with Hossa. The Edmonton Oilers offered him a deal worth $9M a year, and the price for the Slovak winger will only go up from there, but the Bruins seemingly did next to nothing to try to create that cap room. They couldv'e shipped Glen Murray to Providence, eaten his salary, but completely removed him from the salary cap equation. But they didn't.

That's just the unending pain of being a Bruins fan.



Source:
Boston Herald

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File

A-ROD OPTS OUT OF HR DERBY

Alex Rodriguez keeps coming up with new and original reasons for people to hate him. This time, he's snubbing Yankee fans and the rest of baseball by not participating in the Home Run Derby. This will be the first and last time that the competition will be held at historic Yankee Stadium. But Alex Rodriguez feels as though it might affect his swing. Funny, he participated in three Derbies before becoming a Yankee. Maybe he has performance anxiety. Maybe he's afraid of hitting only 1 or 2 homers in the first round in front of the home fans.

Even sour puss Nomar Garciaparra was able to put on a smile in 1999, and participate in the Derby at Fenway. Why can't A-Rod toughen up and do this at the Stadium? It would be a nice treat for the Yankee fans who help pay his grotesque salary, and for baseball fans around the world.

A-Rod is worried his swing might get messed up. Apparently his swing is as sensitive and soft as he is.

frustRAYtion

Matt Garza and the Rays shut down the Sox offense last night for a 3-1 lead, extending the deficit in the AL East to 2.5 games.

Wakefield had another good start wasted. 7 innings, 2 runs (1 earned). It was actually his 7th straight Quality Start, but he's 2-3 in that stretch, and the Sox are 3-4.

The offense was simply pitiful. Drew, Ramirez, Lowell, and Youkilis, hitting 3-4-5-6, combined to go 0 for 14 with 4 Ks. The Sox didn't get a hit until the 4th. They also left the bases loaded in the 8th.

Think how unimaginable this thought was before the season: If the Rays win tonight, they'll have swept the Red Sox TWICE this season. That's amazing for the Rays, and it's flat out sad for the Sox.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

WHERE'S WILLIE ANDREWS? IN JAIL

Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested early Monday morning after threatening his girlfriend with a "large capacity" handgun by pointing it at her head. He is being charged with unlawful possession of said gun, as well as assault. He is being held without bail until a hearing on Thursday.

This is the second arrest for Andrews during the off-season. Two days after the Super Bowl, he was taken in for possession of a half pound of marijuana (intent to distribute). This weapons charge and assault will probably affect the outcome of the marijuana case.

This isn't the first trouble he's had with guns, either. Back in his college days at Baylor he was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon.

But I think it's safe to say that this will be Willie Andrews' last legal problem as a member of the New England Patriots. It's a shame because he did so well on special teams last year. But this guy is obviously too much trouble.

Sources:
Associated Press
Boston.com

SOX FALL TO RAYS...AGAIN

The Red Sox lineup has struggled all year to really click all at once. At the moment, Dustin Pedroia is scorching hot (20 for his last 36 or .556), Mike Lowell is also hot (17 for his last 32 or .531), and Youkilis is hitting well (.337 average in June). On the other side of the spectrum; JD Drew has cooled off a bit, Manny Ramirez is cold (.205 in the last two weeks), and Jason Varitek has officially frozen over (.127 in June).

This disparity between extremely hot and extremely cold results in an inconsistent offense, with runners left in scoring position, rallies killed right as they start, and quick 1-2-3 innings for opposing pitchers. And that was the case last night as the Sox fell to the Rays 5-4.

Masterson once again had a decent - not good, not bad - start, going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs. But he was up against James Shields, who is pretty much untouchable in Tropicana Field (coming into the game, 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA at home). The Sox got 2 off of Shields, and managed to get him out after 6.1 innings. But these aren't your older brother's (Devil) Rays. This Tampa team has a bullpen that doesn't moonlight as a slapstick comedy troupe.

Speaking of bullpens, Chris Smith started the 7th for the Red Sox, but only got 1 out and walked the bases loaded. Javier Lopez did a good job of minimizing the damage, holding the Rays to 1 run in the inning. But that run would turn out to be the game winner.

The Sox rallied against Troy Percival in the 9th. Lowell and Brandy Moss had big doubles, with a Youkilis single sandwiched in between. Varitek hit a sac-fly to make it 5-4. But Julio Lugo failed to deliver with a man on 3rd and 2 outs.

The Rays now hold a 1.5 game lead over the Red Sox. It feels odd saying that on July 1st. And guess what, it's a 3 game lead in the loss column. The Sox are 6-4 against the rays this season, which isn't bad, but they were 13-5 against Tampa in '07.

Tim Wakefield goes against Matt Garza tonight. Garza is coming off a complete game, 1 hit, 1 run performance against the Marlins. I'm just glad Kevin Cash gets to bat tonight.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara