How Does The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Really Feel About The Widows of 9/11? Kristen Breitweiser, an activist from New Jersey whose husband died in the South Tower, recently submitted an Op-Ed which catalogued government missteps leading up to 9/11. WSJ columnist and editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz urged the Op-Ed editor to not publish the essay -- and then accidentally e-mailed the note to Breitweiser. It read in part:
"[T]otal and complete -- not to mention repetitive -- nonsense from people given endless media access to repeat the very same stupid charges, suspicions, and the rest. ... this is just an opportunity for these absurd products of the zeitgeist -- women clearly in the grip of the delusion that they know something, have some policy, and wisdom not given to the rest of us to know -- to grab the spotlight. again,. and repeat, again, the same tripe before a national audience. My thoughts -- we don't publish nonsensical contentions that offer no news, no insight -- solely on the grounds that those who feel attacked get a chance to defend their views. For that we have the letters column."
May 13, 2004
"The Crucial Pedro Split" Eric Van begins his discussion with this:
Ron Chimelis ends his game story with this sentence: "The infrequent use of [Scott] Williamson has been a bit of a mystery, but the Red Sox insist he's healthy, and he looked OK last night." ... Williamson's appearance in the eighth inning last night was his first action since last Wednesday in Cleveland. His game log:
7th inning: 3-3-3-6-6
8th inning: 7-7-5
As Chimelis says, there has been no indication that anything is wrong. It would have been nice to see Williamson instead of Malaska in some recent games.
RHP Jamie Brown was called up from Pawtucket to replace Byung-Hyun Kim. Francona called Brown "a strike-thrower who attacks the strike zone." Brown (3-1, 2.84, .199 opponents average in six starts) has walked just two batters in 38 innings and none in his last 26.2 innings. Last season, Brown walked only 22 batters in 112 innings. He was given a locker between Pedro and Keith Foulke. ... Nomar Garciaparra took batting practice for a second straight day. He plans to work out in three of the next four days and be re-evaluated on Monday. ... Trot Nixon is heading back to Fort Myers to play extended spring training games.
Thursday: Curt Schilling (4-2, 2.81) vs. Miguel Batista (0-3, 4.98)
Friday: Derek Lowe (3-3, 5.01) vs. Justin Miller (1-0, 3.00)
Saturday: Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 4.55) vs. Pat Hentgen (2-2, 5.99)
Sunday: Pedro Martinez (4-2, 3.73) vs. Roy Halladay (3-4, 3.99)
AVG OBP SLGand
First two batters .438 .438 1.000
Next four batters .333 .375 .533
--- --- ---
Total 1st 6 .370 .396 .696 (4 HR in 48 PA)
Thereafter .199 .276 .315 (2 HR in 163 PA)
Which interestingly breaks down:
# 9 hitter .353 .450 .471 (21 PA)
Everyone else .178 .251 .295
AVG OBP SLGfinnVT adds this:
First 15 pitches .414 .414 .862
After 15 pitches .209 .286 .325
Pitches AB H HR BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPSThe Globe's Gordon Edes notes the ESPN split and quotes David Wallace: "Maddux went through a similar thing a couple of years ago. Could be just one of those baseball aberrations. Some of it might be due to the weather earlier in the year, when he wasn't getting a feel for the ball."
1- 15 29 12 4 0 2 .414 .414 .862 1.276
16- 30 29 5 0 3 11 .172 .273 .241 .514
31- 45 29 9 0 1 10 .310 .355 .379 .734
46- 60 28 5 0 4 7 .179 .281 .179 .460
61- 75 27 6 0 2 6 .222 .276 .370 .646
76- 90 27 5 1 3 7 .185 .267 .444 .711
91-105 18 4 1 3 5 .222 .318 .444 .763
Ron Chimelis ends his game story with this sentence: "The infrequent use of [Scott] Williamson has been a bit of a mystery, but the Red Sox insist he's healthy, and he looked OK last night." ... Williamson's appearance in the eighth inning last night was his first action since last Wednesday in Cleveland. His game log:
Date Sox# Opp Score IP H R ER BB K PIT IP ERA BAAHe hasn't thrown that many pitches in any outing, except for 40 pitches on May 1. In that game he faced 8 batters. His pitch count per hitter was:
0404 1 BAL L 2-7 1.0 1 1 0 0 1 17 1.0 0.00 .200
0408 4 BAL L 2-3 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 24 3.0 0.00 .167
0415 8 BAL L 7-12 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 21 4.0 0.00 .125
0416 9 NYY W 6-2 0.2 0 0 0 2 0 26 4.2 0.00 .105
0420 13 TOR W 4-2 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 15 5.2 0.00 .091
0424 17 NYY W 3-2 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 11 6.2 0.00 .083
0425 18 NYY W 2-0 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 19 8.2 0.00 .067
0429 21 TAM W 7-3 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 16 9.2 0.00 .061
0501 22 TEX L 3-4 2.0 2 1 1 0 2 40 11.2 0.77 .095
0505 27 CLE W 9-5 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 16 12.2 0.71 .109
0512 33 CLE L 4-6 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 8 13.2 0.66 .102
7th inning: 3-3-3-6-6
8th inning: 7-7-5
As Chimelis says, there has been no indication that anything is wrong. It would have been nice to see Williamson instead of Malaska in some recent games.
RHP Jamie Brown was called up from Pawtucket to replace Byung-Hyun Kim. Francona called Brown "a strike-thrower who attacks the strike zone." Brown (3-1, 2.84, .199 opponents average in six starts) has walked just two batters in 38 innings and none in his last 26.2 innings. Last season, Brown walked only 22 batters in 112 innings. He was given a locker between Pedro and Keith Foulke. ... Nomar Garciaparra took batting practice for a second straight day. He plans to work out in three of the next four days and be re-evaluated on Monday. ... Trot Nixon is heading back to Fort Myers to play extended spring training games.
Thursday: Curt Schilling (4-2, 2.81) vs. Miguel Batista (0-3, 4.98)
Friday: Derek Lowe (3-3, 5.01) vs. Justin Miller (1-0, 3.00)
Saturday: Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 4.55) vs. Pat Hentgen (2-2, 5.99)
Sunday: Pedro Martinez (4-2, 3.73) vs. Roy Halladay (3-4, 3.99)
What's Up With Kim? Jackie MacMullan explores the physical and mental problems of Byung-Hyun Kim. "[H]is stubborn refusal to deviate from his rigid workout regime has not only alienated teammates who have tried to help him, it has frustrated the front office and the coaching staff as they continue to attempt to tap his obvious potential. ... He is pitching alongside two of the greatest pitchers in the game, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling. He pitches alongside a guy (Derek Lowe) who threw a no-hitter. He is part of a rotation that includes a gutsy knuckleballer (Tim Wakefield) who has made a living out of being crafty and resourceful. All have been willing to help, but their suggestions are often met with stony silence."
Johnny Damon says Kim's single-minded approach to pitching has made it close to impossible to establish a relationship with him. Theo Epstein admits: "His assimilation has been an even bigger challenge than we thought." ... We read similar things about Kim last season. I'd hoped that having Schilling (who pitched with Kim in Arizona from 2000-03 and believes he can be a star) on the staff would help alieviate that. It doesn't look like it has.
Terry Francona said that Kim will be used as a starter in Pawtucket "for a couple innings every few days. ... The idea is to get some of that aggressiveness or explosiveness back. I've looked at some old (game) tapes of Kim and he used to fly off the mound. He needs to get that back."
Johnny Damon says Kim's single-minded approach to pitching has made it close to impossible to establish a relationship with him. Theo Epstein admits: "His assimilation has been an even bigger challenge than we thought." ... We read similar things about Kim last season. I'd hoped that having Schilling (who pitched with Kim in Arizona from 2000-03 and believes he can be a star) on the staff would help alieviate that. It doesn't look like it has.
Terry Francona said that Kim will be used as a starter in Pawtucket "for a couple innings every few days. ... The idea is to get some of that aggressiveness or explosiveness back. I've looked at some old (game) tapes of Kim and he used to fly off the mound. He needs to get that back."
A Better Man(ny). Mr. Ramirez talks about his family and the Red Sox: "I definitely want to finish in Boston. This is the place to be. If you're going to win a World Series, this is the place to do it. Not New York, not Miami, that's nothing. The big thing is winning here, and we've got the pieces to do it this year, and I think we're going to do it. ... I think the best thing that happened to me was coming here, because it's been a challenge for me. It definitely makes you better. A lot of people said, 'Oh, he's going to Boston, he's not going to be the same player, he's not going to like it, the media is this and that.' Well, I'm showing people it's not bad.'"
Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon and a few fans try to answer some of the citizenship questions.
Who Pissed In This Guy's Cornflakes? "Let me know when [Manny Ramirez] opts to become a naturalized human being. ... Ramirez is, and always has been, an arrogant, standoffish soul, and no oath of citizenship can alter the base reality of the man. ... [he] has the personality of a toilet seat ... unsure in the field, undependable on the bases, a quitter whenever the mood strikes him." ... Bob Dicesare = asshole. And look, here's his email address: bdicesare@buffnews.com
Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon and a few fans try to answer some of the citizenship questions.
Who Pissed In This Guy's Cornflakes? "Let me know when [Manny Ramirez] opts to become a naturalized human being. ... Ramirez is, and always has been, an arrogant, standoffish soul, and no oath of citizenship can alter the base reality of the man. ... [he] has the personality of a toilet seat ... unsure in the field, undependable on the bases, a quitter whenever the mood strikes him." ... Bob Dicesare = asshole. And look, here's his email address: bdicesare@buffnews.com
May 12, 2004
Best Summation So Far. Robert M. Jeffers in a post to Atrios:
"The story changes so fast you can't keep up with it.
"They first learned about this when the 'courageous' soldier took the pictures to his superiors. And the pictures were all 'personal.'
"But then stories came out that the pictures were ordered by MI for 'intimidation' purposes.
"And the ICRC reported it had told the Admin. about these problems months ago.
"And it was limited to a handful of 'bad apples.' Except the same thing happened in Afghanistan.
"And the photos were staged, not 'snapshots.'
"And they knew something was up in November, but they fixed it. But they were surprised by the allegations in January.
"But no one knew about it. But everyone knew about it, because there was a breakdown in command.
"But there was no breakdown. And the Geneva Convention has always applied.
"Except when it hasn't.
"And we've always followed it. Except when we didn't.
"And we don't abuse prisoners. Except when we do. It's not 'American.' Except it is expressly sanctioned by military regulations. Except it can only be sanctioned by the SoD, because Rumsfeld keeps tight rein on everything.
"Except he doesn't. Because this was authorized in Iraq, not in Washington. Except it couldn't have been, because Rummy runs a tight ship.
"Except he didn't know. But don't call it 'plausible deniability.' Because there's a chain of command.
"Except Rumsfeld doesn't know what it is. He only knows about the PR campaign he's been conducting since these photos went public.
"But he isn't lying. He just doesn't know anything.
"But it's okay. Because he's doing a great job.
"Even though everything is a shambles."
"The story changes so fast you can't keep up with it.
"They first learned about this when the 'courageous' soldier took the pictures to his superiors. And the pictures were all 'personal.'
"But then stories came out that the pictures were ordered by MI for 'intimidation' purposes.
"And the ICRC reported it had told the Admin. about these problems months ago.
"And it was limited to a handful of 'bad apples.' Except the same thing happened in Afghanistan.
"And the photos were staged, not 'snapshots.'
"And they knew something was up in November, but they fixed it. But they were surprised by the allegations in January.
"But no one knew about it. But everyone knew about it, because there was a breakdown in command.
"But there was no breakdown. And the Geneva Convention has always applied.
"Except when it hasn't.
"And we've always followed it. Except when we didn't.
"And we don't abuse prisoners. Except when we do. It's not 'American.' Except it is expressly sanctioned by military regulations. Except it can only be sanctioned by the SoD, because Rumsfeld keeps tight rein on everything.
"Except he doesn't. Because this was authorized in Iraq, not in Washington. Except it couldn't have been, because Rummy runs a tight ship.
"Except he didn't know. But don't call it 'plausible deniability.' Because there's a chain of command.
"Except Rumsfeld doesn't know what it is. He only knows about the PR campaign he's been conducting since these photos went public.
"But he isn't lying. He just doesn't know anything.
"But it's okay. Because he's doing a great job.
"Even though everything is a shambles."
Youneverknow. Last night's game had me thinking of Joaquin Andujar. With 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 8th, Boston trailed Cleveland 3-2. But David Ortiz sliced a line-drive double into the left field corner and when Bill Mueller followed with another opposite field double, off the left field wall, pinch-runner Cesar Crespo scored the tying run. Gabe Kapler chopped his second infield hit of the night and Boston had men at 1st and 3rd.
Brian Daubach was announced as a pinch-hitter for Pokey Reese and Cleveland manager Eric Wedge pulled Jose Jiminez and brought in Scott Stewart, his only left-handed reliever. Terry Francona countered by calling Daubach back and sending up David McCarty. ... Blind Squirrel McCarty took a strike before finding a nut -- rifling a low-and-away pitch down the right field line. The fans wisely left the ball alone (as they had with Varitek's game-winning hit last Friday), so while it rattled around the corner for McCarty's first triple in four years, both runners were able to score. Keith Foulke pitched a perfect 9th -- striking out the final two batters -- and Boston won 5-3. New York beat Anaheim in 10 innings, so the Red Sox held onto their half-game lead.
I have no idea what's up with Pedro Martinez and why he cannot get into a groove until the second or third inning, but hopefully, he and Dave Wallace can figure something out. Seven of the first 12 Cleveland batters reached base against Martinez, then none of the next 16 did. He also struck out the side in the first two innings (something he had not done even once so far this season) and finished with a season-high of 11 Ks.
He allowed two runs in the first inning, but was not hit particularly hard. After striking out Matt Lawton, Omar Vizquel reached on a grounder that took an odd bounce off the lip of the grass and past Ortiz's glove. With Vizquel being held on first, Gerut grounded a singled through the hole into right. Victor Martinez then pounded a first-pitch fastball to the right-center field gap that brought in both runners. Travis Hafner struck out looking, and after Ronnie Beillard walked (on what looked like strike 3), Ben Broussard struck out swinging.
In the second, Lou Merloni struck out swinging (the NESN gun registered strike 3 at 100 mph, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't an accurate reading!), Coco Crisp singled to center, Lawton struck out again, Vizquel singled up the middle (and stole second base) and Gerut walked. That was the last batter that reached base against Pedro (and outside of Victor Martinez's home run in the 8th, the last Cleveland base runner of any kind). Martinez struck out V. Martinez for the third out and then retired the side in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th innings.
There has been an amazing (and highly annoying) trend in games between Cleveland and Boston this year. The scores after one inning:
May 3:
Brian Daubach was announced as a pinch-hitter for Pokey Reese and Cleveland manager Eric Wedge pulled Jose Jiminez and brought in Scott Stewart, his only left-handed reliever. Terry Francona countered by calling Daubach back and sending up David McCarty. ... Blind Squirrel McCarty took a strike before finding a nut -- rifling a low-and-away pitch down the right field line. The fans wisely left the ball alone (as they had with Varitek's game-winning hit last Friday), so while it rattled around the corner for McCarty's first triple in four years, both runners were able to score. Keith Foulke pitched a perfect 9th -- striking out the final two batters -- and Boston won 5-3. New York beat Anaheim in 10 innings, so the Red Sox held onto their half-game lead.
I have no idea what's up with Pedro Martinez and why he cannot get into a groove until the second or third inning, but hopefully, he and Dave Wallace can figure something out. Seven of the first 12 Cleveland batters reached base against Martinez, then none of the next 16 did. He also struck out the side in the first two innings (something he had not done even once so far this season) and finished with a season-high of 11 Ks.
He allowed two runs in the first inning, but was not hit particularly hard. After striking out Matt Lawton, Omar Vizquel reached on a grounder that took an odd bounce off the lip of the grass and past Ortiz's glove. With Vizquel being held on first, Gerut grounded a singled through the hole into right. Victor Martinez then pounded a first-pitch fastball to the right-center field gap that brought in both runners. Travis Hafner struck out looking, and after Ronnie Beillard walked (on what looked like strike 3), Ben Broussard struck out swinging.
In the second, Lou Merloni struck out swinging (the NESN gun registered strike 3 at 100 mph, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't an accurate reading!), Coco Crisp singled to center, Lawton struck out again, Vizquel singled up the middle (and stole second base) and Gerut walked. That was the last batter that reached base against Pedro (and outside of Victor Martinez's home run in the 8th, the last Cleveland base runner of any kind). Martinez struck out V. Martinez for the third out and then retired the side in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th innings.
There has been an amazing (and highly annoying) trend in games between Cleveland and Boston this year. The scores after one inning:
May 3:
Boston 0May 4:
Cleveland 2
Boston 0May 5:
Cleveland 2
Boston 1May 6:
Cleveland 2
Boston 0May 10:
Cleveland 2
Cleveland 2May 11:
Boston 2
Cleveland 2Memo to Tim Wakefield: Please pitch a scoreless first inning tonight. Thanking you in advance,
Boston 0
May 11, 2004
Some Bits from BP. Rany Jazayerli: "Very quietly, with almost no fanfare whatsoever, one of the most significant developments of the year just occurred in Denver. As reported in this article in the Denver Post, the Rockies are switching to a four-man rotation. ... In one stroke, Dan O'Dowd has mixed together two of the most compelling issues in baseball analysis today--how to win at altitude, and how to optimize the usage of your pitchers."
Joe Sheehan: "With Nomar Garciaparra's return getting closer, the Red Sox are going to have an interesting decision to make. Mark Bellhorn is third on the team in OBP and out-hitting Pokey Reese by what would be about 50 runs over a full season. I think Reese has to be in the lineup behind Derek Lowe, but none of the other Red Sox starters gets enough ground balls to justify playing him over Bellhorn. How Terry Francona handles this is the first real test for him as Red Sox manager. ...
"Nobody asked me, but I wouldn't sign Pedro Martinez to a three-year contract at gunpoint, and I wouldn't commit to more than $20MM over the life of a two-year deal. The Sox have better uses -- Edgar Renteria, to name one -- for that money. And no, Lowe isn't one of them. Why people are lumping him in with Martinez, Garciaparra and Jason Varitek is beyond me. He's a No. 3 starter heavily dependent on his defense. Although I suppose if Sidney Ponson can turn one good half into $22 million, Lowe will do all right for himself."
Joe Sheehan: "With Nomar Garciaparra's return getting closer, the Red Sox are going to have an interesting decision to make. Mark Bellhorn is third on the team in OBP and out-hitting Pokey Reese by what would be about 50 runs over a full season. I think Reese has to be in the lineup behind Derek Lowe, but none of the other Red Sox starters gets enough ground balls to justify playing him over Bellhorn. How Terry Francona handles this is the first real test for him as Red Sox manager. ...
"Nobody asked me, but I wouldn't sign Pedro Martinez to a three-year contract at gunpoint, and I wouldn't commit to more than $20MM over the life of a two-year deal. The Sox have better uses -- Edgar Renteria, to name one -- for that money. And no, Lowe isn't one of them. Why people are lumping him in with Martinez, Garciaparra and Jason Varitek is beyond me. He's a No. 3 starter heavily dependent on his defense. Although I suppose if Sidney Ponson can turn one good half into $22 million, Lowe will do all right for himself."
Bullpen Usage. There has been talk on message boards and blogs about Terry Francona's recent bullpen use. He'd have to go a long way to piss me off the way the previous two Boston managers did, but there have been legitimate questions about his decisions in the last two games.
Sunday: Derek Lowe struggled throughout this entire start, never retiring more than 4 consecutive batters. The game was tied 2-2 when Kansas City batted in the top of the 6th inning. Lowe had thrown 84 pitches. Randa singled to left and Guiel sacrificed him to second. Santiago lined out to center. So far, so good. ... Lowe then walked the #8 and #9 hitters (Relaford and DeJesus) to load the bases. Berroa reached on an infield single to third and a run scored. The Royals led 3-2 and the bases remained loaded.
Following along online, I have no idea when the Red Sox bullpen got active. Even watching on TV, it is often hard to pinpoint stuff like this. Several fans wanted Lowe pulled after the two walks, but it's entirely possible (even likely) that whoever was warming up was not ready. Even after the first walk, there was no huge urgency to get the pen up. But DeJesus walked on only five pitches. I'm guessing, but Francona may have had no other choice (i.e., he couldn't stall long enough) and had to have Lowe face Berroa (who had grounded out twice and struck out to that point).
Francona made his move after Berroa's hit. Berroa singled on the first pitch, so any reliever didn't gain much extra warm-up time. ... Mark Malaska came in to pitch. He fell behind Beltran 3-0, fought back to a full count, but then surrendered a bases-clearing double that gave Kansas City a 6-2 lead. ... Each team scored single runs in the 8th and 9th innings and Boston lost 8-4.
Why Malaska? The following pitchers were in the pen:
Timlin
Williamson
Foulke
Embree
DiNardo
Arroyo
Malaska
Curt Schilling had pitched a complete game the previous day and Timlin was the only reliever to have worked on Friday (1 inning, 8 pitches), so everyone was available. Francona has his pick of the pen. ... I don't know if anyone else besides Malaska was getting ready, but it's clear that he was the worst choice (or the 2nd least-reliable choice (after DiNardo)).
The 6th inning was not too early to bring in a stopper to cool the rally and keep the score at 3-2. Lowe was nearing 100 pitches and had battled all day. The pen was completely rested. And the Beltran at-bat was clearly the most important moment in the game. That was obvious, not only in hindsight, but as it was happening. Francona should not have relied on his worst option to put out the fire.
Monday: Not as serious as Sunday's mistake, but it irked me. Keith Foulke pitched the top of the 8th inning and retired Crisp, Lawton and Vizquel on 8 pitches. Boston trailed 9-6. Foulke should have pitched the 9th inning as well, but Francona brought in Malaska, who gave up a double and an rbi-single on his first six pitches. Obviously, the Red Sox did not come back -- or even mount a decent rally -- but why not stay with the better pitcher and keep the game as close as possible?
Was it merely to show faith in Malaska and get him "back on the horse"? I hope not. Certainly, Francona's decision to boot Kim out of the rotation flies in the face of that theory. Bringing Arroyo back to the #5 spot shows me that winning games is paramount, more important than keeping everyone happy.
Francona's use of the pen this season has been quite good. I have questioned some of his moves, but then learned the following morning that so-and-so was under the weather or otherwise unable to pitch. Taking a second look at the situations, his decisions often made a lot more sense. But his use of Malaska on Sunday and Monday is baffling.
Pedro faces off against CC Sabathia tonight at 7:05.
Sunday: Derek Lowe struggled throughout this entire start, never retiring more than 4 consecutive batters. The game was tied 2-2 when Kansas City batted in the top of the 6th inning. Lowe had thrown 84 pitches. Randa singled to left and Guiel sacrificed him to second. Santiago lined out to center. So far, so good. ... Lowe then walked the #8 and #9 hitters (Relaford and DeJesus) to load the bases. Berroa reached on an infield single to third and a run scored. The Royals led 3-2 and the bases remained loaded.
Following along online, I have no idea when the Red Sox bullpen got active. Even watching on TV, it is often hard to pinpoint stuff like this. Several fans wanted Lowe pulled after the two walks, but it's entirely possible (even likely) that whoever was warming up was not ready. Even after the first walk, there was no huge urgency to get the pen up. But DeJesus walked on only five pitches. I'm guessing, but Francona may have had no other choice (i.e., he couldn't stall long enough) and had to have Lowe face Berroa (who had grounded out twice and struck out to that point).
Francona made his move after Berroa's hit. Berroa singled on the first pitch, so any reliever didn't gain much extra warm-up time. ... Mark Malaska came in to pitch. He fell behind Beltran 3-0, fought back to a full count, but then surrendered a bases-clearing double that gave Kansas City a 6-2 lead. ... Each team scored single runs in the 8th and 9th innings and Boston lost 8-4.
Why Malaska? The following pitchers were in the pen:
Timlin
Williamson
Foulke
Embree
DiNardo
Arroyo
Malaska
Curt Schilling had pitched a complete game the previous day and Timlin was the only reliever to have worked on Friday (1 inning, 8 pitches), so everyone was available. Francona has his pick of the pen. ... I don't know if anyone else besides Malaska was getting ready, but it's clear that he was the worst choice (or the 2nd least-reliable choice (after DiNardo)).
The 6th inning was not too early to bring in a stopper to cool the rally and keep the score at 3-2. Lowe was nearing 100 pitches and had battled all day. The pen was completely rested. And the Beltran at-bat was clearly the most important moment in the game. That was obvious, not only in hindsight, but as it was happening. Francona should not have relied on his worst option to put out the fire.
Monday: Not as serious as Sunday's mistake, but it irked me. Keith Foulke pitched the top of the 8th inning and retired Crisp, Lawton and Vizquel on 8 pitches. Boston trailed 9-6. Foulke should have pitched the 9th inning as well, but Francona brought in Malaska, who gave up a double and an rbi-single on his first six pitches. Obviously, the Red Sox did not come back -- or even mount a decent rally -- but why not stay with the better pitcher and keep the game as close as possible?
Was it merely to show faith in Malaska and get him "back on the horse"? I hope not. Certainly, Francona's decision to boot Kim out of the rotation flies in the face of that theory. Bringing Arroyo back to the #5 spot shows me that winning games is paramount, more important than keeping everyone happy.
Francona's use of the pen this season has been quite good. I have questioned some of his moves, but then learned the following morning that so-and-so was under the weather or otherwise unable to pitch. Taking a second look at the situations, his decisions often made a lot more sense. But his use of Malaska on Sunday and Monday is baffling.
Pedro faces off against CC Sabathia tonight at 7:05.
#5 -- Kim Out, Arroyo In. After his failed start last night, Byung Hyun Kim has been replaced in the rotation by Bronson Arroyo. Kim may be sent to the bullpen, Pawtucket or the team's training center in Fort Myers. Regardless, Arroyo will get the ball this Saturday in Toronto. (Discussion here)
Manny Ramirez missed last night's game because he was in Florida being sworn in as a United States citizen. ... Johnny Damon has agreed to shave his beard (but not cut his hair) in the next two weeks in exchange for the Gillette Co. donating $15,000 to the Boston Public Library.
Nomar Garciaparra played five simulated innings in an early Monday afternoon workout at Fenway. Nomar batted against coach Dale Sveum and will face Double-A Portland right-hander Eric Glaser today. Francona: "He did the groundballs, threw to first. Did the groundballs to second. He came in and hit off a tee. He hit off of a coach. He ran the bases. And he did that for five innings. He revved it up pretty good." When Nomar faces Double-A pitcher Eric Glaser today, it will be the first time he has faced a professional pitcher since March 17.
Trot Nixon will also take batting practice today and is scheduled to return to Fort Myers later this week to resume his rehabilitation. ... Ellis Burks has begun begun working out, just two weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Francona: "I think he's trying to set all (speed) records (for) coming back. He's already swung a bat and he's been throwing. He's doing pretty good." If all goes well, Burks could be activated by early June.
Manny Ramirez missed last night's game because he was in Florida being sworn in as a United States citizen. ... Johnny Damon has agreed to shave his beard (but not cut his hair) in the next two weeks in exchange for the Gillette Co. donating $15,000 to the Boston Public Library.
Nomar Garciaparra played five simulated innings in an early Monday afternoon workout at Fenway. Nomar batted against coach Dale Sveum and will face Double-A Portland right-hander Eric Glaser today. Francona: "He did the groundballs, threw to first. Did the groundballs to second. He came in and hit off a tee. He hit off of a coach. He ran the bases. And he did that for five innings. He revved it up pretty good." When Nomar faces Double-A pitcher Eric Glaser today, it will be the first time he has faced a professional pitcher since March 17.
Trot Nixon will also take batting practice today and is scheduled to return to Fort Myers later this week to resume his rehabilitation. ... Ellis Burks has begun begun working out, just two weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Francona: "I think he's trying to set all (speed) records (for) coming back. He's already swung a bat and he's been throwing. He's doing pretty good." If all goes well, Burks could be activated by early June.
Would You Believe ...? In her senior honors thesis, Devon Largio of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign outlines 27 different rationales used by the Bush administration for the war in Iraq. In her 212-page study -- "Uncovering the Rationales for the War on Iraq: The Words of the Bush Administration, Congress and the Media from September 12, 2001, to October 11, 2002" -- Largio "not only identified the rationales offered for going to war, but also established when they emerged and who promoted them. She also charted the appearance of critical keywords such as Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Iraq to trace the administration’s shift in interest from the al Qaeda leader to the Iraqi despot, and the news media’s response to that shift." [Links to the PDF filesd for the Abstract and Table of Contents, Executive Summary and Thesis.]
Also "Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the Treatment by the Coalition Forces of Prisoners of War and Other Protected Persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq During Arrest, Internment and Interrogation" has been posted online.
Another "Bring 'Em On" Moment. "Arab commentators reacted with shock and disbelief to US President George Bush's robust backing of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. ... 'After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock,' said the editor of the influential Algerian national daily al-Watan. ... Analysts have said the damage from images seen worldwide of soldiers abusing naked Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghuraib prison would be indelible, incalculable and a gift to al-Qaida leader Usama bin Ladin."
When the Bush administration's lawyers assured the Supreme Court that the government "would honor its obligations under the [Geneva] 'convention to prohibit torture and that sort of thing,' it already knew about the Abu Ghraib incidents. More lies -- this time to the Supreme Court. (Kos on Rumsfeld)
Also "Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the Treatment by the Coalition Forces of Prisoners of War and Other Protected Persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq During Arrest, Internment and Interrogation" has been posted online.
Another "Bring 'Em On" Moment. "Arab commentators reacted with shock and disbelief to US President George Bush's robust backing of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. ... 'After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock,' said the editor of the influential Algerian national daily al-Watan. ... Analysts have said the damage from images seen worldwide of soldiers abusing naked Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghuraib prison would be indelible, incalculable and a gift to al-Qaida leader Usama bin Ladin."
When the Bush administration's lawyers assured the Supreme Court that the government "would honor its obligations under the [Geneva] 'convention to prohibit torture and that sort of thing,' it already knew about the Abu Ghraib incidents. More lies -- this time to the Supreme Court. (Kos on Rumsfeld)
May 10, 2004
What's Wrong With This Sentence? "The Bush administration was bracing itself last night for the release of new pictures and video footage from Abu Ghraib which show US soldiers having sex with an Iraqi woman prisoner, troops almost beating a prisoner to death, and the rape of young boys by Iraqi guards at the jail." Are we supposed to believe this Iraqi woman consented to group sex with US soldiers? ... From the same story: "NBC News has quoted military officials as saying that the new photographs also show US soldiers 'acting inappropriately with a dead body'. ... NBC also reported that the rape of young boys by Iraqi guards, apparently in a special section of the prison, had been filmed by US soldiers."
A must-read interview with former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds: "[I]f they were to hold real investigations -- I'm not talking about this semi-investigation they're holding under this 'Joint Inquiry' -- the pure show of the 9/11 Commission that has been getting the mass media's attention. If they were to do real investigations we would see several significant high level criminal prosecutions in this country ... certain people that we know from this country standing trial; and they will be prosecuted criminally. ... And that is something that they are not going to let out. And, believe me; they will do everything to cover this up." (Also)
From Government Executive Magazine: "A former FBI translator said Wednesday that the bureau had 'real, specific' information relating to the Sept. 11 attacks before they happened. Sibel Edmonds worked for the agency working from Sept. 20, 2001 to March 2002. Edmonds said she was hired to retranslate material that was collected prior to Sept. 11 to determine if anything was missed in the translations that related to the plot. In her review, Edmonds said the documents clearly showed that the Sept. 11 hijackers were in the country and plotting to use airplanes as missiles. The documents also included information relating to their financial activities. Edmonds said she could not comment in detail because she has been under a Justice Department gag order since October 2002. Edmonds has testified before the Sept. 11 commission, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Select Intelligence Committee."
A must-read interview with former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds: "[I]f they were to hold real investigations -- I'm not talking about this semi-investigation they're holding under this 'Joint Inquiry' -- the pure show of the 9/11 Commission that has been getting the mass media's attention. If they were to do real investigations we would see several significant high level criminal prosecutions in this country ... certain people that we know from this country standing trial; and they will be prosecuted criminally. ... And that is something that they are not going to let out. And, believe me; they will do everything to cover this up." (Also)
From Government Executive Magazine: "A former FBI translator said Wednesday that the bureau had 'real, specific' information relating to the Sept. 11 attacks before they happened. Sibel Edmonds worked for the agency working from Sept. 20, 2001 to March 2002. Edmonds said she was hired to retranslate material that was collected prior to Sept. 11 to determine if anything was missed in the translations that related to the plot. In her review, Edmonds said the documents clearly showed that the Sept. 11 hijackers were in the country and plotting to use airplanes as missiles. The documents also included information relating to their financial activities. Edmonds said she could not comment in detail because she has been under a Justice Department gag order since October 2002. Edmonds has testified before the Sept. 11 commission, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Select Intelligence Committee."
May 9, 2004
Saturday In The Park. The Sons of Sam Horn held its (2nd?) annual bash yesterday afternoon. More than 200 fans cheered "Gehrig 38" to a complete game victory over the hapless Royals. Pokey Reese hit 2 home runs (one of them an inside-the-parker), Jason Varitek stole two bases -- but get this -- David McCarty bopped one into the monster seats. A long day (I got up at 5am and didn't get back to my apartment until 11:15 pm), but a game to remember. ... At least two bloggers were there: Portland Sox Fan and House That Dewey Built (whose recap is even shorter than mine).
Schilling: "I was excited about it (but) somewhat nervous about it. It's been so much more than I thought it was going to be. I swear, I look so forward to pitching in this park every time. It's just a charge. I thought I knew what it was going to be like and it's so much more than I thought." ... Also: "The last couple of days, I've really put some time and effort into watching these guys (on video) so far this season. Getting a look at 30, 40 at-bats from each guy that I felt like I was probably gonna see (allowed me to) get a feel for how we wanted to go about it."
Pokey: "When the ball left the bat, I was thinking two. Then when it got by Gonzalez, I was thinking three. And when I saw Sveumer waving me on, I thought he was kidding. I really had to kick it in." ... Reese is the 24th player in big league history to hit inside-the-park and over-the-fence home runs in consecutive innings. [I'm shocked it's been done 24 times in consecutive innings.] Robin Yount last did it for Milwaukee June 18, 1982. ... The last Red Sox player to achieve the inside-the-park/over-the-fence homer feat in one game was Tony Armas on Sept. 24, 1983, in Detroit. ... It was the 126th inside-the-park home run in Red Sox history. ... Reese said it was his first ITP HR at any level of baseball and his first two-homer game of his career. ... Pokey has hit in 11 of his last 13 games, going 15-for-44 (.341) to raise his average from .175 to .262.
Nixon says his back has almost fully healed, but he's limited now by that strained quad. "I can't say [my back] doesn't hurt at all, but with as many swings as I've taken the cage and in batting practice, I haven't had any problems with my back. It feels much better. ... I only feel [pain in my quad] running full speed. We're going to stress it a little bit and see if we can pinpoint where the pain is coming from." ... Francona says Nixon's timetable is "at a standstill."
Nomar "engaged in a series of early-afternoon workouts at Fenway. He did three segments each of fielding grounders and hitting off the batting tee." Francona: "It was the most work he's done so far, and I'd say he was running about 70-80 percent." ... Garciaparra took batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list. Theo spoke with Nomar afterwards: "[H]e was really upbeat. He was very positive. It might have been his best day yet." ... Garciaparra on Saturday: "My injury is improving. I know there'll be some tenderness after swinging the bat today, but the tenderness doesn't last as long as it used to, and that's a positive sign. I'm moving ahead in the workouts. I still haven't tried going to my right and throwing from the hole, but my lateral movement is getting better."
Steve Buckley on PawSox catchers Kelly Shoppach and Andy Dominique. ... David Heuschkel: "Pedro Martinez continues to arrive at the park when he wants. As often happens, he did not show up in time to stretch with his teammates at 11 am." I question how much of a problem this actually is. Do the other starters always attend these workouts on their days off? Or do they have their own routines? This item is useless (or is being used merely to paint Pedro in a bad light) without it being put into proper context.
Detroit and Texas combined to set a new record for runs in a fifth inning, scoring 18 times Saturday night. Detroit scored eight runs in the top half (32 minutes) for a 14-4 lead; the Rangers answered with 10 runs (36 minutes) to tie the game at 14-14. ... The old record for runs in a fifth inning was 16, last set on August 3, 1986, by the Yankees (10) and Cleveland (6). The major league record for runs in any inning is 19, by Cleveland (13) and Boston (6) in the eighth inning on April 10, 1977. ... Texas won the game 16-15 in 10 innings.
Peter Schmuck, of the Baltimore Sun, while explaining that Fat Billy from Ohio is baseball's greatest pitcher: "No one -- ever -- was better than Sandy Koufax when he dominated the National League in the 1960s, but his tenure as the greatest pitcher lasted only from 1961 to '66." ... Um, not even close. Koufax was great, no question about it, but Pedro leaves him gasping and choking in the dust. Check out the ERA+ stats for Martinez and Koufax. I posted a little bit about this back on March 11 (see also here and here).
Schilling: "I was excited about it (but) somewhat nervous about it. It's been so much more than I thought it was going to be. I swear, I look so forward to pitching in this park every time. It's just a charge. I thought I knew what it was going to be like and it's so much more than I thought." ... Also: "The last couple of days, I've really put some time and effort into watching these guys (on video) so far this season. Getting a look at 30, 40 at-bats from each guy that I felt like I was probably gonna see (allowed me to) get a feel for how we wanted to go about it."
Pokey: "When the ball left the bat, I was thinking two. Then when it got by Gonzalez, I was thinking three. And when I saw Sveumer waving me on, I thought he was kidding. I really had to kick it in." ... Reese is the 24th player in big league history to hit inside-the-park and over-the-fence home runs in consecutive innings. [I'm shocked it's been done 24 times in consecutive innings.] Robin Yount last did it for Milwaukee June 18, 1982. ... The last Red Sox player to achieve the inside-the-park/over-the-fence homer feat in one game was Tony Armas on Sept. 24, 1983, in Detroit. ... It was the 126th inside-the-park home run in Red Sox history. ... Reese said it was his first ITP HR at any level of baseball and his first two-homer game of his career. ... Pokey has hit in 11 of his last 13 games, going 15-for-44 (.341) to raise his average from .175 to .262.
Nixon says his back has almost fully healed, but he's limited now by that strained quad. "I can't say [my back] doesn't hurt at all, but with as many swings as I've taken the cage and in batting practice, I haven't had any problems with my back. It feels much better. ... I only feel [pain in my quad] running full speed. We're going to stress it a little bit and see if we can pinpoint where the pain is coming from." ... Francona says Nixon's timetable is "at a standstill."
Nomar "engaged in a series of early-afternoon workouts at Fenway. He did three segments each of fielding grounders and hitting off the batting tee." Francona: "It was the most work he's done so far, and I'd say he was running about 70-80 percent." ... Garciaparra took batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list. Theo spoke with Nomar afterwards: "[H]e was really upbeat. He was very positive. It might have been his best day yet." ... Garciaparra on Saturday: "My injury is improving. I know there'll be some tenderness after swinging the bat today, but the tenderness doesn't last as long as it used to, and that's a positive sign. I'm moving ahead in the workouts. I still haven't tried going to my right and throwing from the hole, but my lateral movement is getting better."
Steve Buckley on PawSox catchers Kelly Shoppach and Andy Dominique. ... David Heuschkel: "Pedro Martinez continues to arrive at the park when he wants. As often happens, he did not show up in time to stretch with his teammates at 11 am." I question how much of a problem this actually is. Do the other starters always attend these workouts on their days off? Or do they have their own routines? This item is useless (or is being used merely to paint Pedro in a bad light) without it being put into proper context.
Detroit and Texas combined to set a new record for runs in a fifth inning, scoring 18 times Saturday night. Detroit scored eight runs in the top half (32 minutes) for a 14-4 lead; the Rangers answered with 10 runs (36 minutes) to tie the game at 14-14. ... The old record for runs in a fifth inning was 16, last set on August 3, 1986, by the Yankees (10) and Cleveland (6). The major league record for runs in any inning is 19, by Cleveland (13) and Boston (6) in the eighth inning on April 10, 1977. ... Texas won the game 16-15 in 10 innings.
Peter Schmuck, of the Baltimore Sun, while explaining that Fat Billy from Ohio is baseball's greatest pitcher: "No one -- ever -- was better than Sandy Koufax when he dominated the National League in the 1960s, but his tenure as the greatest pitcher lasted only from 1961 to '66." ... Um, not even close. Koufax was great, no question about it, but Pedro leaves him gasping and choking in the dust. Check out the ERA+ stats for Martinez and Koufax. I posted a little bit about this back on March 11 (see also here and here).
May 7, 2004
The Red Sox Have Done It Again Tonight!
Ramirez singled to center.
Millar flied out to right.
Kapler singled to center, Ramirez to second.
Mirabelli singled to left, Ramirez scored, Kapler to third, Kapler scored on throwing error by left fielder Stairs.
Grimsley relieved Affeldt.
Mueller lined out to left.
Daubach hit for Reese.
Daubach struck out looking.
Boston 9th.
MacDougal relieved Grimsley.
Damon walked.
Damon to second on passed ball by Santiago.
Bellhorn homered to right, Damon and Bellhorn scored.
Ortiz struck out swinging.
Ramirez walked.
Sullivan relieved MacDougal.
Millar popped out to second.
Varitek hit for Kapler.
Varitek doubled to deep right, Ramirez scored.
Royals 101 040 000 - 6 9 1Boston 8th.
Red Sox 002 000 023 - 7 13 2
Ramirez singled to center.
Millar flied out to right.
Kapler singled to center, Ramirez to second.
Mirabelli singled to left, Ramirez scored, Kapler to third, Kapler scored on throwing error by left fielder Stairs.
Grimsley relieved Affeldt.
Mueller lined out to left.
Daubach hit for Reese.
Daubach struck out looking.
Boston 9th.
MacDougal relieved Grimsley.
Damon walked.
Damon to second on passed ball by Santiago.
Bellhorn homered to right, Damon and Bellhorn scored.
Ortiz struck out swinging.
Ramirez walked.
Sullivan relieved MacDougal.
Millar popped out to second.
Varitek hit for Kapler.
Varitek doubled to deep right, Ramirez scored.
Nomar, Nixon Out Until Mid-June? It's becoming more likely that both Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon may not return until sometime in June. ... I hope Theo is working hard to upgrade the bench, so we don't have to suffer through any more McCarty/Crespo plate appearances than is absolutely necessary.
CC Sabathia on Manny's HR, that tied the game at 2-2 in the 6th: "I just wasn't concentrating. I lost focus. ... I had been throwing fastballs in all day, 95, 96. Then I hang a breaking ball. It's unbelievable how he can do that. I don't think A-Rod or anybody could hit that. That was sick. That's all I can say." ... A Pedro/Sabathia rematch is set for Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz's name is not on the All-Star ballots -- and several Sox are miffed. ... Pokey Reese finished the trip 7-18 (5-13 against Cleveland). ... In 15 career starts against Cleveland, Pedro is now 11-1 with a 1.72 ERA. He has won his last five starts at Jacobs Field, posting a 1.80 ERA. ... The bullpen improved its ERA to 2.12, the best in the majors. ... Keith Foulke has not allowed a run in his last seven innings.
Doctors are not sure if Lynn Jones will regain vision in his eye after accidentially poking himself with a screwdriver on Wednesday. Jones was released from The Cleveland Clinic yesterday after one surgical procedure but will return Monday for another one. Francona: "He went to a specialist [yesterday]. The specialist felt a little more optimistic about the chances for at least some recovery. [Wednesday] it didn't look promising at all, but [yesterday] he got some encouraging news today that they can save some of his eye sight."
The Globe reviews "Still, We Believe" -- Ty Burr points out "what a wonderful, if sadistic, medium for emotional time travel is the documentary film, in that it can transport a viewer back to a nanosecond when hope bloomed and doubts fell away and the world was good. ... [T]he true subject of the film is the ion-charged zone between Fenway and its fans. On that score, it scores repeatedly."
MLB reversed itself. Spiderman logos will not be placed on the bases during interleague games. According to Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, "We never saw this coming, the reaction the fans had."
Probable starters for the Kansas City series:
Tonight: Tim Wakefield/Jeremy Affeldt
Saturday: Curt Schilling/Jimmy Gobble
Sunday: Derek Lowe/Darrell May
CC Sabathia on Manny's HR, that tied the game at 2-2 in the 6th: "I just wasn't concentrating. I lost focus. ... I had been throwing fastballs in all day, 95, 96. Then I hang a breaking ball. It's unbelievable how he can do that. I don't think A-Rod or anybody could hit that. That was sick. That's all I can say." ... A Pedro/Sabathia rematch is set for Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz's name is not on the All-Star ballots -- and several Sox are miffed. ... Pokey Reese finished the trip 7-18 (5-13 against Cleveland). ... In 15 career starts against Cleveland, Pedro is now 11-1 with a 1.72 ERA. He has won his last five starts at Jacobs Field, posting a 1.80 ERA. ... The bullpen improved its ERA to 2.12, the best in the majors. ... Keith Foulke has not allowed a run in his last seven innings.
Doctors are not sure if Lynn Jones will regain vision in his eye after accidentially poking himself with a screwdriver on Wednesday. Jones was released from The Cleveland Clinic yesterday after one surgical procedure but will return Monday for another one. Francona: "He went to a specialist [yesterday]. The specialist felt a little more optimistic about the chances for at least some recovery. [Wednesday] it didn't look promising at all, but [yesterday] he got some encouraging news today that they can save some of his eye sight."
The Globe reviews "Still, We Believe" -- Ty Burr points out "what a wonderful, if sadistic, medium for emotional time travel is the documentary film, in that it can transport a viewer back to a nanosecond when hope bloomed and doubts fell away and the world was good. ... [T]he true subject of the film is the ion-charged zone between Fenway and its fans. On that score, it scores repeatedly."
MLB reversed itself. Spiderman logos will not be placed on the bases during interleague games. According to Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, "We never saw this coming, the reaction the fans had."
Probable starters for the Kansas City series:
Tonight: Tim Wakefield/Jeremy Affeldt
Saturday: Curt Schilling/Jimmy Gobble
Sunday: Derek Lowe/Darrell May
May 6, 2004
Red Sox 5, Cleveland 2. So many good things to mention tonight: Pedro Martinez (after throwing 12 extended-warmup pitches in the first inning and failling behind 2-0) shut down Cleveland on only one hit through six innings. He allowed no outfield outs until the last out in the 6th -- which was good, because the outfield of McCarty-Kapler-Millar scared me. ... Manny Ramirez, with a picture-perfect swing, belted a game-tying home run to right in the 6th inning. I love watching him hit. ... Whoever kidnapped Pokey Reese and was wearing his uniform doubled and tripled. ... Kevin Millar went 4-4 -- four hard singles to left. ... The Boston bullpen began the game with a MLB-best ERA of 2.17 -- and Alan Embree and Keith Foulke tossed two more shutout innings.
Were Pedro and Varitek trying out some new gameplan to eschew strikeouts and simply get outs in the fewest amount of pitches? If so, it was working and they should keep it up. Pedro's pitches: 16-6-8 10-19-10 24 = 93. And still, Martinez struck out a season-high 8 batters, to move past Rick Langston and Jim Kaat into 28th place all-time. ... CC Sabathia did not walk or strike out a batter in his 6.2 innings. ... Why does David McCarty consistently swing like he's hitting popups with a fungo bat? ... Johnny Damon came off the bench to pinch-run for David Oriz in the 8th. Manny took a called strike and Damon measured Rick White's move. Damon stole second on the next pitch and then raced around to score as Manny singled on the 1-1 pitch.
The Red Sox head back to Boston to face the Royals. And about 200-250 SoSH members (including me) will be in the right field boxes on Saturday afternoon, cheering fellow poster Curt Schilling on to victory.
Were Pedro and Varitek trying out some new gameplan to eschew strikeouts and simply get outs in the fewest amount of pitches? If so, it was working and they should keep it up. Pedro's pitches: 16-6-8 10-19-10 24 = 93. And still, Martinez struck out a season-high 8 batters, to move past Rick Langston and Jim Kaat into 28th place all-time. ... CC Sabathia did not walk or strike out a batter in his 6.2 innings. ... Why does David McCarty consistently swing like he's hitting popups with a fungo bat? ... Johnny Damon came off the bench to pinch-run for David Oriz in the 8th. Manny took a called strike and Damon measured Rick White's move. Damon stole second on the next pitch and then raced around to score as Manny singled on the 1-1 pitch.
The Red Sox head back to Boston to face the Royals. And about 200-250 SoSH members (including me) will be in the right field boxes on Saturday afternoon, cheering fellow poster Curt Schilling on to victory.
Breaking The Mental Curve. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus looks at Barry Bonds's April (.472/.696/1.132) and declares: "It's not only the best start anyone has had in the past 30 years, it's the best month any player has had in that time." BP includes the top 17; here are the top 10:
Sheehan also notes that Helton played 15 of his 23 games in May 2000 in Coors Field and still yielded 300 points of OPS to Bonds. ... Bonds played 15 of his 24 games in his home park -- which is more favorable to pitchers. You'd hardly know it, but it's possible that Bonds's performances over the past 3 years have been hindered by the fact that he plays half his games in San Francisco.
Watching Bonds since 2001 is like experiencing Pedro in 1999-2000 or Ruth in 1920-21. These are unprecedented performances by athletes performing at a level far beyond that of their peers. Millions and millions of baseball fans followed the game for decades and never got to see anything like this. When we are old, young fans will be in awe that we watched guys like Bonds and Martinez every day. We are privileged.
Player Month PA AVG OBP SLG OPSSheehan: "Bonds' start is the best that we have record of. It might be the best ever, although it's possible Ted Williams or Babe Ruth had a run like this. A .700 OBP over a full month is breaking the mental curve. ... Unless there's a sea change in Bonds' performance, he's going to put up a season that, while it might not be the greatest ever, is certainly going to be the freakiest."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Barry Bonds 4/04 92 .472 .696 1.132 1828
Todd Helton 5/00 102 .512 .588 1.000 1588
Barry Bonds 5/01 117 .369 .547 1.036 1583
Frank Thomas 5/94 118 .452 .593 .988 1581
Barry Bonds 8/02 116 .447 .621 .961 1581
Barry Bonds 7/03 93 .415 .581 1.000 1581
Barry Bonds 9/01 92 .365 .565 1.000 1565
Richard Hidalgo 9/00 120 .476 .533 .971 1504
Chipper Jones 7/99 113 .413 .558 .913 1470
Larry Walker 4/97 106 .456 .538 .911 1449
Sheehan also notes that Helton played 15 of his 23 games in May 2000 in Coors Field and still yielded 300 points of OPS to Bonds. ... Bonds played 15 of his 24 games in his home park -- which is more favorable to pitchers. You'd hardly know it, but it's possible that Bonds's performances over the past 3 years have been hindered by the fact that he plays half his games in San Francisco.
AVG OBP SLG OPSHa! Look at those home numbers for this season so far. Bonds is 16-for-30, with 9 HR, 30 BB and only 4 K. ... While marveling at Bonds, I've wondered if baseball fans in 1920 felt the same way watching Babe Ruth in his first year as a Yankee. Ruth's slugging percentage was off the charts and he outhomered all but two major league teams.
01-03 Home .351 .549 .829 1.378
Road .340 .535 .789 1.324
2002 Home .351 .564 .750 1.314
Road .386 .596 .842 1.438
2003 Home .369 .569 .805 1.374
Road .313 .485 .692 1.177
2004 Home .533 .767 1.500 2.267
Road .375 .605 .625 1.230
HROnly the Phillies (64) and the rest of the Yankees (61) had more HR than Babe. In 1920, Ruth outslugged his nearest competitor .847 to .632. In 1921, the margin was even larger: .846 to .606. Those two seasons were the gold standard for slugging until Bonds's mark of .863 in 2001.
Babe Ruth 54
St. Louis Browns 50
New York Giants 46
Philadelphia A's 44
Chicago White Sox 37
Washington Senators 36
Cleveland Indians 35
Chicago Cubs 34
St. Louis Cardinals 32
Detroit Tigers 30
Brooklyn Dodgers 28
Boston Braves 23
Boston Red Sox 22
Cincinnati Reds 18
Pittsburgh Pirates 16
Watching Bonds since 2001 is like experiencing Pedro in 1999-2000 or Ruth in 1920-21. These are unprecedented performances by athletes performing at a level far beyond that of their peers. Millions and millions of baseball fans followed the game for decades and never got to see anything like this. When we are old, young fans will be in awe that we watched guys like Bonds and Martinez every day. We are privileged.
The US Has Lost The War. Seymour Hersh: "There are many more photos even inside that unit. There are videotapes of stuff that you wouldn't want to mention on national television that was done. There was a lot of problems. There was a special women's section. There were young boys in there. There were things done to young boys that were videotaped. It's much worse." ... AP: "US soldiers who detained an elderly Iraqi woman [for six weeks without charge] last year placed a harness on her, made her crawl on all fours and rode her like a donkey." ... More photos have been released.
Bush says he was "shaken" by the reports of torture, yet according to his own press secretary, he hasn't bothered to even look at the Taguba Report. As TPM notes, he seemed unaware of what the report even was and then claimed he couldn't get a copy until it came up through the chain of command. Bush seems "blithely indifferent to what is a huge setback to American goals and standing in the Middle East and indeed throughout the world. There's an echo here of his response to the pre-9/11 warnings streaming up through the government bureaucracy. It hasn't landed on his desk yet, with an action plan, so what is he supposed to do?" ... Even some neocons are mystified by his behavior.
Bush says he was "shaken" by the reports of torture, yet according to his own press secretary, he hasn't bothered to even look at the Taguba Report. As TPM notes, he seemed unaware of what the report even was and then claimed he couldn't get a copy until it came up through the chain of command. Bush seems "blithely indifferent to what is a huge setback to American goals and standing in the Middle East and indeed throughout the world. There's an echo here of his response to the pre-9/11 warnings streaming up through the government bureaucracy. It hasn't landed on his desk yet, with an action plan, so what is he supposed to do?" ... Even some neocons are mystified by his behavior.
Does Anyone Else Find This Disturbing? "At least six air traffic controllers who dealt with two of the hijacked airliners on Sept. 11, 2001, made a tape recording that day describing the events, but the tape was destroyed by a supervisor without anyone making a transcript or even listening to it, the Transportation Department said today. ... [The FAA quality-assurance manager] crushed the cassette in his hand, cut the tape into little pieces and dropped them in different trash cans around the building ..."
"Sometimes We Worry More Than We Need To." The bats returned and while Kim struggled with his location, the bullpen (Arroyo, Embree, Williamson, Foulke) was rock solid once again. ... Red Sox public relations director Glenn Geffner predicted that Ortiz would go deep twice -- and Tizzle hit a solo shot in the 1st and a 3-run job in the 3rd. .. In the 6th, Bill Mueller mashed a 3-run tater to right to break a 5-5 tie and send the Sox on their way.
Ortiz couldn't believe Jason Davis took exception to Manny Ramirez flipping his bat and admiring his 459-foot homer: "Who does he think he is, Nolan Ryan? That nobody can get a home run off him?" ... More Tiz: "You're going to face bumps in the road. Everything isn't going to be all flowers and beautiful things. ... Why do we have to panic? Sometimes we worry more than we need to."
All eyes are on Pedro Martinez tonight. El Rey: "I don't have to prove anything to anybody. I'm just here to have good games and bad games and whatever God has to offer. I'm not competing with anybody except my opponent." ... Pedro also said a few words to the Globe. ... Martinez is 10-1, 1.66 in 14 starts against Cleveland and 5-0, 1.88 in 6 starts at Jacobs Field. He faces C.C. Sabathia.
Gordon Edes reports on the contract negotiations between the Red Sox and Pedro Martinez in the spring of 2003. Negotiations stalled on an extension although the club did exercise the $17.5 million option for 2004. A source told Edes that Pedro wanted a 3-year deal, plus an option, that would have paid him between $14.5 and $15.5. ... Edes: "[I]t should give pause to those who wish to describe Martinez as trying to squeeze every last cent out of the Sox. It remains to be seen what Martinez will be able to command on the open market this fall, but what he was willing to do at the time was, indeed, accept a hometown discount. In a business where players measure themselves against their peers, Martinez was willing to cede the distinction of being the game's highest-paid player to a 40-year-old pitcher eight years older than he was [Randy Johnson], and at a number -- given his track record -- that could be termed eminently reasonable."
First base coach Lynn Jones suffered a serious eye injury yesterday, when a screwdriver accidentally struck him in the eye. ... There were no updates on Nomar Garciaparra or Trot Nixon, although Francona said the inflammation around Nomar's right Achilles' tendon has slowly subsided. ... Jason Varitek is hitting .462 (12-26) in his last eight games. ... The Red Sox are 14-0 when leading after eight innings.
The Yankees rallied late and beat Oakland last night 4-3. Rivera gave up singles to the first two A's in the bottom of the 9th, but did not allow a run. Jose Contreras was demoted to Tampa (A); Donovan Osborne is now the 5th starter. Jeter had the night off, so Torre just slotted Enrique Wilson in the leadoff spot. Stupid? Sure, but at .210, he is hitting 30 points higher than Capt. Intangibles. ... Both the Red Sox and Yankees are 16-11. The Orioles (13-12) are 2 games back.
Ortiz couldn't believe Jason Davis took exception to Manny Ramirez flipping his bat and admiring his 459-foot homer: "Who does he think he is, Nolan Ryan? That nobody can get a home run off him?" ... More Tiz: "You're going to face bumps in the road. Everything isn't going to be all flowers and beautiful things. ... Why do we have to panic? Sometimes we worry more than we need to."
All eyes are on Pedro Martinez tonight. El Rey: "I don't have to prove anything to anybody. I'm just here to have good games and bad games and whatever God has to offer. I'm not competing with anybody except my opponent." ... Pedro also said a few words to the Globe. ... Martinez is 10-1, 1.66 in 14 starts against Cleveland and 5-0, 1.88 in 6 starts at Jacobs Field. He faces C.C. Sabathia.
Gordon Edes reports on the contract negotiations between the Red Sox and Pedro Martinez in the spring of 2003. Negotiations stalled on an extension although the club did exercise the $17.5 million option for 2004. A source told Edes that Pedro wanted a 3-year deal, plus an option, that would have paid him between $14.5 and $15.5. ... Edes: "[I]t should give pause to those who wish to describe Martinez as trying to squeeze every last cent out of the Sox. It remains to be seen what Martinez will be able to command on the open market this fall, but what he was willing to do at the time was, indeed, accept a hometown discount. In a business where players measure themselves against their peers, Martinez was willing to cede the distinction of being the game's highest-paid player to a 40-year-old pitcher eight years older than he was [Randy Johnson], and at a number -- given his track record -- that could be termed eminently reasonable."
First base coach Lynn Jones suffered a serious eye injury yesterday, when a screwdriver accidentally struck him in the eye. ... There were no updates on Nomar Garciaparra or Trot Nixon, although Francona said the inflammation around Nomar's right Achilles' tendon has slowly subsided. ... Jason Varitek is hitting .462 (12-26) in his last eight games. ... The Red Sox are 14-0 when leading after eight innings.
The Yankees rallied late and beat Oakland last night 4-3. Rivera gave up singles to the first two A's in the bottom of the 9th, but did not allow a run. Jose Contreras was demoted to Tampa (A); Donovan Osborne is now the 5th starter. Jeter had the night off, so Torre just slotted Enrique Wilson in the leadoff spot. Stupid? Sure, but at .210, he is hitting 30 points higher than Capt. Intangibles. ... Both the Red Sox and Yankees are 16-11. The Orioles (13-12) are 2 games back.
Who Were The Ad Wizards Who Came Up With This One? Ads for "Spider-Man 2" will be placed on all three bases and the on-deck circles at ballparks during interleague games from June 11-13. The ads will be about 4 inches square, with a red background and yellow webbing. The Red Sox will receive about $100,000, but most of the other teams playing at home that weekend will get about $50,000. ... Just when you think Selig can't disgrace the game any more than he has already ...
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