Afterwards, he threw a short bullpen session to reach 80 pitches. "I guess it served its purpose ... I was able to get my pitch count up, got the innings and got my work. ... There are no limitations going into the season ..."
Lester left Florida for Tokyo at 7 AM this morning. He's travelling by himself and, unlike his teammates, he'll be flying commercial.
Dan Shaughnessy reports that "this whole jet lag thing is overrated. I know Mike Mussina is still trying to recover from his 2004 trip to Japan with the Yankees, but most Red Sox players should be OK by the time they play the Hanshin Tigers at the Tokyo Dome Saturday afternoon."
Mike Lowell has played in Japan before -- when he was 9 years old. (The Herald posted a picture of the young Doctor.)Here is a bit of the Sox's busy schedule. ... Terry Francona is hoping for six innings from Tim Wakefield and five from Clay Buchholz in the exhibition games.
Mike Timlin needed two stitches in his right ring finger on Wednesday after a grounder banged off his hand. Terry Francona was unsure if Timlin would be available for the season opener on Tuesday.
Bill Nowlin looks back at games played by the Red Sox outside the United States, including in Arizona before it became a state.
I'll bet the Sox use Timlin's stitches as a way to hold on to Bryan Corey. Timlin is in the red zone...sooner rather than later, he's going to not be able to pitch. I bet the Sox would love to have him disabled so they don't have to 1) lose a couple games as the Old Warrior finds out he doesn't have it and 2) dump a guy hwo has meant so much to the team without giving him a lot of time to prove to himself that he's cooked. The over 35 guys have to be stripped away. Schilling is probably gone; they dumped Mirabelli. Timlin's got to be next, and Corey looks like a perfect replacement.
ReplyDeleteU.S. territories are part of the U.S. even if they aren't states. The idea that Arizona was outside the U.S. in 1911 is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia entry on Arizona:
ReplyDeleteArizona was the 48th and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912.
Sure, but phrenile's point is that it was part of the country, just not a state yet, in 1911.
ReplyDeleteYes, and he's absolutely right. I was just posting that fact, as it surprised me.
ReplyDeleteJetlag is way worse comin back from Tokyo than getting there - I don't put too much stock in Shaughnessy anyway, but he should write his snarky comments after he gets home. But I now live in Berkeley and got tix for "North American" Opening Day in Oakland, so we'll see how they do.
ReplyDeleteI hope Lester at least gets that First Class seat (how could he not?)! Eighteen hours in coach is like torture.
The pic of Mike Lowell is excellent.
I didn't actually write that Arizona was outside the United States. What I wrote was: "They once played in Arizona before it became a state."
ReplyDeleteBill Nowlin