March 25, 2008

Extras on Opening Day

Manny Ramirez, on facing Huston Street in the 10th inning:
I told Alex [Cora], I want to face this guy. It came true and I did. ... He's nasty. I like those challenges.

Sean Casey told Brandon Moss that Joe Blanton likes to throw changeups to left-handed hitters. In the sixth inning, Moss got a change and singled to right, giving Boston a 3-2 lead. It was Blanton's last batter.

The Red Sox will be allowed to use a DH in their weekend exhibition series against the Dodgers. The starters will be Bartolo Colon, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz.

At Game On!, the bar near Fenway, it was standing room only by 6 AM.

Since 1956, the Red Sox have played extra innings on Opening Day eight times.
April 16, 1964 - Red Sox 4, Yankees 3 (11)

April 12, 1966 - Orioles 5, Red Sox 4 (13)

April 8, 1969 - Red Sox 5, Orioles 4 (12)

April 7, 1977 - Cleveland 5, Red Sox 4 (11)

April 4, 1988 - Tigers 5, Red Sox 3 (10)

April 3, 1989 - Orioles 5, Red Sox 4 (11)

April 2, 2001 - Orioles 2, Red Sox 1 (11)

March 25, 2008 - Red Sox 6, Athletics 5 (10)
After that 1969 win, the Red Sox then lost to Baltimore 2-1 in 13 innings and beat Cleveland 2-1 in 16 innings.

9 comments:

Jack Marshall said...

Wow! Thanks, Redsock... That 1964 opener brings back great memories---I scored it while watching it on TV (or radio---can't recall). A very exciting game...my fave, Ed Bressoud, was the hitting star for the Sox; Dick Radatz pitched a fantastic 3+ innings in relief, Dick Stuart made an error (naturally), and the pinch-hitter for Radatz was----Dick Williams! That win against the Yankees was just about the high-point of the whole season, which really stunk, but which also prompted the rebuilding that led to "The Impossible Dream" of 1967.

I recently tracked down Eddie Bressoud through his daughter, and am preparing a long letter to thank him for getting me hooked on the Red Sox. He's in good health and going strong. I'm going to remind him of this game. 1964 was a good year for Steady Eddie---he made the All-Star team.

Benjamin said...

Do we get to use the Designated Pitcher rule, though? It'd help avoid having amateurs like Kyle Snyder perform a task they're not cut out for.

allan said...

Sadly, I do not remember that game. I was 5.5 months old.

However, I do recall the 1977 game. Bill "Soup" Campbell had signed with the Sox as a hot-shot free agent reliever. In his first game, he relieved Fergie Jenkins in the 8th and got out of trouble. But he allowed 2 in the 9th (to tie the game) and 1 in the 11th and the Sox lost. Campbell ended up pitching 3.1 innings that day. Back page of the Herald: "Wait 'Til Next Year"

Eck started for Cleveland. ... Wow, Denny Doyle put up a 55 OPS+ at 2B.

allan said...

Was trying to find the contract details on Campbell.

He made $23,000 with the Twins in 1976 and was denied a raise to $30,000, so he became a FA.

He signed a million-dollar deal with Boston -- literally -- 4 years at $250,000 per. Link

Remember when Wayne Garland signed with Cleveland for $10 million over 10 years? That was HUGE back then. And he was a bust.

Jack Marshall said...

Way to make me feel old, Redsock---as if I need any help.

Campbell was just fantastic in '77---the best since Radatz, but only for that one year. Zimmer just worked his arm off, and he had already started to fray by '78. You haven't mentioned the Globe's Sox manager rankings, but they rated Zimmer way too high. As usual, if you had a good team, you rated high even if the team would have performed better managed by a chimp. Zimmer cost the Sox at least two championships by his misuse of players, and ruined quite a few careers, too---like Campbell.

Jack Marshall said...

I wouldn't knock Snyder...I think he's a good middle guy-spot starter, and should probably be used more. That was just a bad pitch.

You know I hate Gary Thorne, and when I finally got to a TV, he and Phillips let play after play go by,chatting with that jackass Selig. There were no graphics for some reason, and the A's are hardly household names, but Thorne just left us guessing, chatting away with Bud as if anybody caes what that incompetent fool thinks. Finally, Thorne realizes a game is going on and says, "There's aground ball to second, and ELLIS handles it to end the inning!" The SOX were in the field at the time. Does ESPN ever actually listen to the idiots they hire?

allan said...

You haven't mentioned the Globe's Sox manager rankings, but they rated Zimmer way too high.

I glanced at it (it's in their season preview section if anyone cares), but I don't much care and I don't think much of Cafardo as a baseall analyst. SoSH is stunned at how high Pinky Higgins is -- I'm sure you'd agree.

"There's aground ball to second, and ELLIS handles it to end the inning!" The SOX were in the field at the time.

Ellis was the hitter for that play, so he's sort of excused. (Though Thorne also called Kurt Suzuki "Matsuzaka" at one point.)

Does ESPN ever actually listen to the idiots they hire?

They clearly are convinced that having idiots on the air is the correct way to run their business. There can be no other reason. Which means they are convinced their audience are idiots.

People influenced by Bill James are in front offices now. I wonder when a progressive-minded person will break through to the broadcast booth. I also wonder if I'll be alive when it happens.

Jack Marshall said...

Pinky was a hard-drinking racist cur, for sure; I'm not certain he could have nade much of a difference with the squads he had---Willie Tasby? Arnold Earley? Ike Delock?---if he had been Earl Weaver. But how could you NOT rank Higgins last? What was good about him? I just think Cafardo wanted to stick it to poor Joe Kerrigan, as if he ever had a chance.

tim said...

Game one at the tim household

hahaha....as you can tell i was delirious from the early start. clearly going to be even worse tomorrow considering how late i'm up tonight!