Thursday, September 2, 2010
Friday, October 9, 2009
Game 1 LA 5-Bos 0
I wasn't able to watch the first game do to not having cable. But I was able to follow part of it online from time to time. It occurred to me that Lester actually had a strong outing with 1 mistake to Torrie Hunter (3 run shot in the 4th).
The one thing I did notice however was that the Sox committed 3 errors in the game, and I'm pretty sure all 3 led to some type of run. When our bats aren't working we can't give them runs. I believe errors led to the final 2 runs in the game when the Angels got a bases loaded situation and according to the computer there was a fly ball followed by a double play that should have ended the inning, however the inning didn't end and when I checked back the Angels had scored 2 more. I'm not sure what happened!
But either way, it doesn't matter. Ortiz struck out 3 times! One of those times to end the game. Our bats didn't hit, and even if the Angels didn't get those 2 extra runs we still lost the game 3-0. We've had the Angels number for years now. This was the first time we lost to them in... well... forever it seems. The Sox hadn't been shut out in a playoff game since a series with Cleveland in 1995 (that was the year Albert Bell came out of the dugout flexing his biceps and mouthing "check this", after the Boston manager had umps check a broken bat for a cork. Bell was a monster that year).
Good news for Sox fans is that we have Beckett going for us tonight. But then again, we had Lester going for us last night. Better news for us is the Angels have Weaver going. Now grant it this is the younger better Weaver than the older Jeff, but still... its a Weaver and I feel good about that.
I don't believe the Sox will fall back 2-0 like Milk's Cards have to the Dodgers. Now will we win this series? There is always hope. (Don't worry Milk Boston has come back from 2-0 not just once BUT TWICE -Oakland in 03 and Cleveland in 07 not to mention that unforgettable comeback in 04 against the Spankees). But as I said in my last post... my hopes aren't too high for this team. They just seem to be missing "something." So whatever they can give me I'm going to be happy with.
Will I be mad if they make it out of this round and then lose to the Yankees? Yes. That's just the nature of the beast. I have to be mad, it's the Yankees. But will I be mad if they lose to the Angels in this round... just a little, but I'll get over it. I mean, come on... how many time can one team lose to another? It's got to be the Angels day... sometime?
I haven't checked Milk's blog out... not sure how he's dealing with this 2-0 heartbreaker... last night was a HEARTBREAKER! I haven't spoken to him, but I have good sources that say he is still breathing. (Received a work e-mail from him earlier.)
So good luck Card fans. Congrats Angel fans on finally getting a win against us in the playoffs and of course...
GO SOX!
The one thing I did notice however was that the Sox committed 3 errors in the game, and I'm pretty sure all 3 led to some type of run. When our bats aren't working we can't give them runs. I believe errors led to the final 2 runs in the game when the Angels got a bases loaded situation and according to the computer there was a fly ball followed by a double play that should have ended the inning, however the inning didn't end and when I checked back the Angels had scored 2 more. I'm not sure what happened!
But either way, it doesn't matter. Ortiz struck out 3 times! One of those times to end the game. Our bats didn't hit, and even if the Angels didn't get those 2 extra runs we still lost the game 3-0. We've had the Angels number for years now. This was the first time we lost to them in... well... forever it seems. The Sox hadn't been shut out in a playoff game since a series with Cleveland in 1995 (that was the year Albert Bell came out of the dugout flexing his biceps and mouthing "check this", after the Boston manager had umps check a broken bat for a cork. Bell was a monster that year).
Good news for Sox fans is that we have Beckett going for us tonight. But then again, we had Lester going for us last night. Better news for us is the Angels have Weaver going. Now grant it this is the younger better Weaver than the older Jeff, but still... its a Weaver and I feel good about that.
I don't believe the Sox will fall back 2-0 like Milk's Cards have to the Dodgers. Now will we win this series? There is always hope. (Don't worry Milk Boston has come back from 2-0 not just once BUT TWICE -Oakland in 03 and Cleveland in 07 not to mention that unforgettable comeback in 04 against the Spankees). But as I said in my last post... my hopes aren't too high for this team. They just seem to be missing "something." So whatever they can give me I'm going to be happy with.
Will I be mad if they make it out of this round and then lose to the Yankees? Yes. That's just the nature of the beast. I have to be mad, it's the Yankees. But will I be mad if they lose to the Angels in this round... just a little, but I'll get over it. I mean, come on... how many time can one team lose to another? It's got to be the Angels day... sometime?
I haven't checked Milk's blog out... not sure how he's dealing with this 2-0 heartbreaker... last night was a HEARTBREAKER! I haven't spoken to him, but I have good sources that say he is still breathing. (Received a work e-mail from him earlier.)
So good luck Card fans. Congrats Angel fans on finally getting a win against us in the playoffs and of course...
GO SOX!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Playoffs!!!????
"Playoffs! Playoffs! I don't want to talk about playoffs!!!" (or something like that...) That was the old Colts coach back in the day when Indy couldn't win a game. (Pre-Manning).
On Tuesday Boston clinched the AL Wild Card. (Let me emphasise PERIOD). How did we accomplish this great feat you ask? Oh, only by losing 5 in a row and 7 out of the last 10. That's not what I would even call "limping" into the playoffs, that's what I call, "being dragged in kicking and screaming by the Texas Rangers!" How do the Rangers figure in this mess? Well, they're the team that allowed us to roll over and play dead while we waited for them to either catch us and clinch, or lose and give the Wild Card to us. (Thankfully they did the latter.)
Want to know what's poetic about all this? The Rangers lost to the Angels last night... the team we'll be facing in the first round. The Angels may have just punched their own ticket out. (Again, no ! point here). The Sox have played the Angels 3 years in a row now, 4 out of 5 years. We pound them every year and make sure they know "Who their Papi" is.
So you would think that I'd be excited about playing them... yet again... but I'm not. I mean, we've had this teams number over and over again. Its starting to look like the Red Sox Yankees of old... we finally got the Yankees in 04, remember... the Angels have to be due.
So am I happy we made the playoffs? Of course! But there is a lot to be done before we get there. Yeah, the goal is our 3rd World Series title in 6 years, but first we've got to get our rotation healthy and set, and make sure Papi and the rest of the Bashers are at full strength, locked and loaded.
Can we beat the Angels? Absolutely. Do we have more passion then the Angels? Hmmm. That's what I want this team to prove to me. Show me some love... show me that you care. I'll also be interested to see how Lefty, Jon Lester responds in his next start, after a poor showing in NY, Lester had to leave the game after a line drive looked to shatter his knee cap (apparently it only hit his right quard). Word on the street that its still sore, but hasn't gotten any worse. Good news, I guess.
So the Sox are in the playoffs. Despite having a better record than Milk's St. Louis team, we squeaked in, while the Cards put the Cubbies in their place. Hey, whatever works. There is still the chance these two teams could meet in the World Series and that would make this short lived blog all the worth. (Milk and I probably won't be friends if it happens... but, hey sometimes you've got to make sacrifices for what you really want) - just kidding Milk...
Go Sox!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Little Life
After giving Milk a hard time about not posting, he has done the same to me. Can I help it? The Sox have taken a nose dive since starting this blog... but I don't believe in curses and still hold out hope that the Sox can make some noise!
It's funny, the Cubs are 7 games back of the Cards right now and anytime I speak with a Cub's fan their jumping ship. The season is over for them. Grant it they are 7.5 games back in the Wild Card, but the season is still far from over.
I say this as I look at the Sox 7 game deficit to the Spankees in the American League East. We do, however, have a 1.5 lead on the Wild Card. So hope still remains.
In an interesting move, the Sox claimed Mets closer Billy Wagner off of waivers. He's coming off of tommy-jon and pitched a shut-out inning for them before being traded. His trade doesn't come without controversy of course. Current Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon put up a fuss about disrupting the flow of the bullpen, although he claims not to doubt the obvious talent Wagner is.
In my opinion this is a great trade. Yeah, Wagner could turn out to be another Smoltz, or worse another Gagne(or Gag-Me as we Sox fans like to call him), but he could turn out to be just what we need. After losing to the Spankees 20-11 and 8-4 in a weekend series, it is clear we need more pitching.
Now, what kind of pitching is the real question. Yeah, we got Wagner, but Paps has a point. Our bullpen isn't that bad... it's been our starters. Brad Penny has just been banished to the bullpen momentarily to try out "rookie" Japaneese pitcher Tazawa in the starting role. Tazawa has had a few scoreless innings against the dreaded Yankees and this has prompted his promotion.
So we'll see. Wake returns from the DL tomorrow night, Tazawa may bring new life to the rotation, and Wagner may shut things down in order to get to Paps.
Either way, the Sox are still in the playoffs and never say never when it comes to the division.
It's funny, the Cubs are 7 games back of the Cards right now and anytime I speak with a Cub's fan their jumping ship. The season is over for them. Grant it they are 7.5 games back in the Wild Card, but the season is still far from over.
I say this as I look at the Sox 7 game deficit to the Spankees in the American League East. We do, however, have a 1.5 lead on the Wild Card. So hope still remains.
In an interesting move, the Sox claimed Mets closer Billy Wagner off of waivers. He's coming off of tommy-jon and pitched a shut-out inning for them before being traded. His trade doesn't come without controversy of course. Current Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon put up a fuss about disrupting the flow of the bullpen, although he claims not to doubt the obvious talent Wagner is.
In my opinion this is a great trade. Yeah, Wagner could turn out to be another Smoltz, or worse another Gagne(or Gag-Me as we Sox fans like to call him), but he could turn out to be just what we need. After losing to the Spankees 20-11 and 8-4 in a weekend series, it is clear we need more pitching.
Now, what kind of pitching is the real question. Yeah, we got Wagner, but Paps has a point. Our bullpen isn't that bad... it's been our starters. Brad Penny has just been banished to the bullpen momentarily to try out "rookie" Japaneese pitcher Tazawa in the starting role. Tazawa has had a few scoreless innings against the dreaded Yankees and this has prompted his promotion.
So we'll see. Wake returns from the DL tomorrow night, Tazawa may bring new life to the rotation, and Wagner may shut things down in order to get to Paps.
Either way, the Sox are still in the playoffs and never say never when it comes to the division.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Aaaaaaahhhhh!!! Part 2
The Red Sox just dropped their fifth game in a row! 3 now to the dreaded Yankees.
But let's not talk about that. What I want to talk about is reliever Ramon Ramirez coming into the game and hitting A-Rod on the arm. Without any warnings he is tossed! The Sox were down 2-0 and still in the game at this point. Why would he purposefully hit a guy? Why throw him out without a warning? Stranger still, the next inning, and with every Yankee pitcher after, the ump would walk out to the mound and speak with CC or whoever was out there... giving them a warning.
Unbelievable.
There was a strange exchange between the homeplate ump and Sox Catcher Victor Martinez right before Ramon hit A-Rod... I still haven't heard what was said.
All I know is the Sox need to turn things around. I don't watch games often... and the last few I have watched we've lost! Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!
But let's not talk about that. What I want to talk about is reliever Ramon Ramirez coming into the game and hitting A-Rod on the arm. Without any warnings he is tossed! The Sox were down 2-0 and still in the game at this point. Why would he purposefully hit a guy? Why throw him out without a warning? Stranger still, the next inning, and with every Yankee pitcher after, the ump would walk out to the mound and speak with CC or whoever was out there... giving them a warning.
Unbelievable.
There was a strange exchange between the homeplate ump and Sox Catcher Victor Martinez right before Ramon hit A-Rod... I still haven't heard what was said.
All I know is the Sox need to turn things around. I don't watch games often... and the last few I have watched we've lost! Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!
Aaaaahhhh!
That's how I feel inside after dropping two to the Yankees and falling 4.5 games back to them! In a gut wrenching loss, the Red Sox fell to the Yankees 2-0 in 15 innings last night. It was the first time since 1976 that the two teams went to extra innings tied at 0. In the fifteenth, with two outs and Jeter on base, A-Rod stepped up and hit a home run off of a young Japaneese pitcher we just called up from AAA after designating future hall-of-famer John Smoltz for assignment.
Its a tough week in general for the Sox. Beside designating Smoltz, a guy who was an automatic win for the Braves for so many years but couldn't find his groove in Boston, the Sox (who are 8-2 this season against the Yankees overall) have lost two series in a row, first to rival Tampa Bay, and now to nemisis NY. Boston falls 4.5 back from the Yankees, but are only 2.5 up on the Rays now.
Life after the All-Star break hasn't been easy. Josh Beckett has really been the only bright spot. First time All-Star Tim Wakefield (after being snubbed of an appearance in the All-Star game) was placed on the DL with a sore back that continues to nag him. Dice-K continues to work out, but last week there was some drama has he was misinturpruted and thought to have been complaining about the Sox's rehab program.
Then there is the trade deadline. Theo (the Sox's GM) is known for making blockbuster moves at the deadline, and sometimes you get the feeling that he's just going through the motions to keep that reputation up. The one year we didn't make a move was in 06 and we fell flat on our faces. So this year he was up to it again. I am really confused about the whole Adam LaRoche thing. Only a week or so after recieving him and taughted as a big bat off the bench, and a team player willing to be a role player rather than a starter, he was shipped off to Atlanta for yet another first basemen, Casey Kotchman, a lesser bat, and more of a life time bench warmer. Couldn't LaRoche have sat on the bench for a season? Or if we were going to trade him all along, couldn't we have found a better back-up for an outfielder or shortstop? Come on Theo!
Our big move was landing Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez. While its great to have him, he plays three positions where we have solid guys already playing, Catcher (Varitek), firstbase (Youk) and DH (Big Papi). So the merry-go-round continues.
The one thing that was glearingly apparent is how we didn't pick up one solid arm. No new starters, no reinforcements for the pen. If we're going to win we need another healthy arm in the rotation. The Sox have sought to fix this problem from within, promoting phenom Clay Bucholtz. While this is a start, I don't believe its the answer. With Wake out, and Smoltz gone the Sox need to search the waiver wire and pick up a second or third Ace. I still hold out hope that Lester will turn things up. He hasn't played horribly, but he hasn't played to his potential either.
Aaaagh!!! That's how I feel about the Sox right now. So much potential seems to be going down the drain. The season's not over yet. I still hold out hope... but I'm getting worried. Come on Sox. Let's do it again!
Go Sox!
Its a tough week in general for the Sox. Beside designating Smoltz, a guy who was an automatic win for the Braves for so many years but couldn't find his groove in Boston, the Sox (who are 8-2 this season against the Yankees overall) have lost two series in a row, first to rival Tampa Bay, and now to nemisis NY. Boston falls 4.5 back from the Yankees, but are only 2.5 up on the Rays now.
Life after the All-Star break hasn't been easy. Josh Beckett has really been the only bright spot. First time All-Star Tim Wakefield (after being snubbed of an appearance in the All-Star game) was placed on the DL with a sore back that continues to nag him. Dice-K continues to work out, but last week there was some drama has he was misinturpruted and thought to have been complaining about the Sox's rehab program.
Then there is the trade deadline. Theo (the Sox's GM) is known for making blockbuster moves at the deadline, and sometimes you get the feeling that he's just going through the motions to keep that reputation up. The one year we didn't make a move was in 06 and we fell flat on our faces. So this year he was up to it again. I am really confused about the whole Adam LaRoche thing. Only a week or so after recieving him and taughted as a big bat off the bench, and a team player willing to be a role player rather than a starter, he was shipped off to Atlanta for yet another first basemen, Casey Kotchman, a lesser bat, and more of a life time bench warmer. Couldn't LaRoche have sat on the bench for a season? Or if we were going to trade him all along, couldn't we have found a better back-up for an outfielder or shortstop? Come on Theo!
Our big move was landing Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez. While its great to have him, he plays three positions where we have solid guys already playing, Catcher (Varitek), firstbase (Youk) and DH (Big Papi). So the merry-go-round continues.
The one thing that was glearingly apparent is how we didn't pick up one solid arm. No new starters, no reinforcements for the pen. If we're going to win we need another healthy arm in the rotation. The Sox have sought to fix this problem from within, promoting phenom Clay Bucholtz. While this is a start, I don't believe its the answer. With Wake out, and Smoltz gone the Sox need to search the waiver wire and pick up a second or third Ace. I still hold out hope that Lester will turn things up. He hasn't played horribly, but he hasn't played to his potential either.
Aaaagh!!! That's how I feel about the Sox right now. So much potential seems to be going down the drain. The season's not over yet. I still hold out hope... but I'm getting worried. Come on Sox. Let's do it again!
Go Sox!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
One game out & a new back up?
The Sox have had a stellar week... let me repeat... stellar. After losing 6 straight... sorry let me say that again... 6 straight! They've (noticed I'm referring to them as 'they' now, not we- but let's be honest, they'll always be 'we' in my heart-) fallen 2 games back to the dreaded Spankees (sorry, Yankees).
What is our answer to this 6 game streak? We acquire two back-ups to fill an already jammed bench, and jammed positions. Now don't get me wrong... I'm a little excited about one of our transactions.
It seems Boston & St. Louis are trying to help Milk and I along in this blog as Boston traded high priced Shortstop Julio Lugo to St. Louis for Outfielder Chris Duncan. This trade, I believe, brings some pop to the line-up that we sorely lacked in our other trade.
That other trade brought Adam LaRoche from Pittsburgh to Boston. The one good thing about the trade is they didn't have to give up much to get him. Grant it, LaRoche seems to be a great infielder, and has some pop for a Pittsburgh team... but for Boston, who already has an All-Star at first base and a backup in Mark Kotsay, who could start for almost any other team... do we really need LaRoche? No.
What we need is some power implanted in the middle of the line-up. Duncan might have some power, but I doubt he is going to play everyday... especially after he struggled in St. Louis this year. In order to play everyday he'll need injuries to starters Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, or JD Drew... and if that happens... well let's not talk about that.
Basically, the Sox need to go out and find a bat either at short or at third. Grant it we have everyday players there right now, we really can't afford to displace any other position. You may make an argument for Catcher, but I'm not going to be the one who asks for V-Teks job. The man is a STUD even if he is moving on in age. So do we ask for aging Mike Lowells spot at third? Again that's tough. He's been faithful to Boston, even taking a paycut to stay with us and he still has some pop in the bat and a great glove. So what? Short? What big bats are at short? Maybe ex-Sox prospect and now star of the Marlins Hanley Ramirez, but that would be a blockbuster that I don't see happening. Arizona is struggling mightily this season, maybe making a move for JD's brother Stephen Drew, but that doesn't improve our power very much. Unless we part with some regulars, I don't see the Sox making any moves in the line-up.
Our rotation however has some room to grow. That is another area we need help in. First we need Lester to step up and pitch like the future number 1 that he is. We also need Dice-K to return to his rookie season form or really return to his Japanese form that Boston has never really seen. Finally, I think they need to make a move for a legit starter. Doc Halladay from Toronto would be great, but you can't send top prospects to a division rival. So we need to look out West and the NL, and I just don't know whose available.
So after a 6 game slide the Sox are looking up at the Yankees. I'll be watching to see how these two trades play out. There too big of a log jam at 1st for nothing else to happen. So we'll see. Does this mean the Sox need to battle for the Wild Card instead of the Division now? Not on your life.
Go Sox!
What is our answer to this 6 game streak? We acquire two back-ups to fill an already jammed bench, and jammed positions. Now don't get me wrong... I'm a little excited about one of our transactions.
It seems Boston & St. Louis are trying to help Milk and I along in this blog as Boston traded high priced Shortstop Julio Lugo to St. Louis for Outfielder Chris Duncan. This trade, I believe, brings some pop to the line-up that we sorely lacked in our other trade.
That other trade brought Adam LaRoche from Pittsburgh to Boston. The one good thing about the trade is they didn't have to give up much to get him. Grant it, LaRoche seems to be a great infielder, and has some pop for a Pittsburgh team... but for Boston, who already has an All-Star at first base and a backup in Mark Kotsay, who could start for almost any other team... do we really need LaRoche? No.
What we need is some power implanted in the middle of the line-up. Duncan might have some power, but I doubt he is going to play everyday... especially after he struggled in St. Louis this year. In order to play everyday he'll need injuries to starters Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, or JD Drew... and if that happens... well let's not talk about that.
Basically, the Sox need to go out and find a bat either at short or at third. Grant it we have everyday players there right now, we really can't afford to displace any other position. You may make an argument for Catcher, but I'm not going to be the one who asks for V-Teks job. The man is a STUD even if he is moving on in age. So do we ask for aging Mike Lowells spot at third? Again that's tough. He's been faithful to Boston, even taking a paycut to stay with us and he still has some pop in the bat and a great glove. So what? Short? What big bats are at short? Maybe ex-Sox prospect and now star of the Marlins Hanley Ramirez, but that would be a blockbuster that I don't see happening. Arizona is struggling mightily this season, maybe making a move for JD's brother Stephen Drew, but that doesn't improve our power very much. Unless we part with some regulars, I don't see the Sox making any moves in the line-up.
Our rotation however has some room to grow. That is another area we need help in. First we need Lester to step up and pitch like the future number 1 that he is. We also need Dice-K to return to his rookie season form or really return to his Japanese form that Boston has never really seen. Finally, I think they need to make a move for a legit starter. Doc Halladay from Toronto would be great, but you can't send top prospects to a division rival. So we need to look out West and the NL, and I just don't know whose available.
So after a 6 game slide the Sox are looking up at the Yankees. I'll be watching to see how these two trades play out. There too big of a log jam at 1st for nothing else to happen. So we'll see. Does this mean the Sox need to battle for the Wild Card instead of the Division now? Not on your life.
Go Sox!
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