I Heart Bronson. Let me count the ways. He threw eight scoreless innings in Toronto on Saturday. He allowed only three hits and no walks and he tied a career high with six strikeouts. ... As Jerry Remy pointed out on NESN, Arroyo was aggressive on the mound, working quickly and going right after each batter. He did not nibble: 70 of his 100 pitches were strikes. He threw more than one ball to a batter only seven times and he fell behind a batter 2-0 only once -- Frank Catalanotto in the 1st inning.
Chris Gomez tripled to begin the bottom of the third. Arroyo struck out Orlando Hudson and then got Catalanotto on a liner to shortstop and Vernon Wells on a fly to right. ... In the 4th, Carlos Delgado was hit by a pitch and, after Josh Phelps flew out to right, took third on Eric Hinske's single. Arroyo buckled down and got Simon Pond to ground into a first-pitch double play. Inning over. Arroyo then retired the next 12 hitters. ... He was unperturbed by the scoring threats and focused solely on the man at the plate. In that regard, he was the anti-Lowe.
The afternoon's other big story was the major league debut of Kevin Youkilis. He homered to deep left in his 2nd at-bat. He got the silent treatment when he returned to the dugout, so he simply high-fived some imaginary teammates before sitting down on the bench. Then he was mobbed. Youkilis got the home run ball (thanks to Pedro Martinez providing a couple of autographed baseballs to the woman who caught it) and gave it to his parents, who were sitting two rows behind the Sox dugout.
Yook is the 7th Red Sox player to hit a homer in his first big league game, following Lefty Lefebvre (June 10, 1938), Ben Steiner (April 17, 1945), Eddie Pellagrini (April 22, 1946), Merl Combs (Sept. 12, 1947), Danny Sheaffer (April 9, 1987) and Sam Horn (July 25, 1987).
Doug Mirabelli on the day's events: "If you were looking for a negative, you couldn't find one ..." Capping the afternoon was Seattle's 13-7 victory in 13 inings in the Bronx. New York had several golden chances to win the game -- bases loaded, one out, and Jeter, Rodriguez and Giambi up in the bottom of the 9th and men on second and third with Matsui and Sierra up in the 12th -- but could not "find a way to win." ... Boston is back in first place.
Stuff: "Being Nomar" (a long feature in the Globe's maagzine). ... Tim and Stacy Wakefield became parents for the first time yesterday with the 2:20 pm birth of their son. ... The Herald's Karen Guregian chatted with Manny Ramirez in the center field grass. ... Bill Mueller will be out until at least Tuesday with inflammation in his right knee. ... Gordon Edes with some background on Lenny DiNardo, including his major league debut at Yankee Stadium. "It was really fun, something I'm going to tell my grandkids about. To be in the bullpen and hear them yell, 'DiNardo, you suck.' That's something I'm going to cherish. If you don't hear that, there's something wrong."
Pedro and Halladay at 1:05 pm.
May 16, 2004
May 15, 2004
The Greek God Of Walks. Kevin Youkilis (one of the heroes of Moneyball) was called up from Pawtucket. He will wear #20 and start at third base in his major league debut this afternoon. ... Man, that's a piss-poor lineup:
Damon cf
Bellhorn 2b
Ortiz 1b
Ramirez dh
Millar rf
McCarty lf
Mirabelli c
Youkilis 3b
Crespo ss
Remember when Jimy (or was it Tito's Predecessor; it's all become a blur) would bench Nomar and Manny in the same game rather than one of them one night and the other one the following game? ... I'm curious why Francona is sitting Varitek, Daubach and Pokey today.
Damon cf
Bellhorn 2b
Ortiz 1b
Ramirez dh
Millar rf
McCarty lf
Mirabelli c
Youkilis 3b
Crespo ss
Remember when Jimy (or was it Tito's Predecessor; it's all become a blur) would bench Nomar and Manny in the same game rather than one of them one night and the other one the following game? ... I'm curious why Francona is sitting Varitek, Daubach and Pokey today.
Is Nomar's Injury More Serious Than Previously Announced? Boston Dirt Dogs reported yesterday that it had "learned through sources with direct, daily contact with Nomar Garciaparra and Victor Garciaparra, Nomar's uncle and private business manager, that the shortstop actually tore the sheath surrounding his achilles tendon," a much more serious injury than what has been reported by the Red Sox. BDD added that Nomar "will be back with the team the first week of June and will start rehabbing with the PawSox at the end of next week."
Theo Epstein quickly disputed the report. "As far as we know, the report is untrue. ... Nomar had some fluid buildup in the sheath due to tendinitis, but it was not torn." ... More Theo: "It's not an accurate report. The injury was as diagnosed. Early on, there was a fluid buildup in the area of the sheath but, no, there was no tear and there is no tear." ... While BDD stands by its report, the Globe quotes Victor Garciaparra as saying "There's no tear."
Epstein also said there was no truth to a Seattle report that Boston has discussed a three-way trade with the Mariners and Royals that would bring Carlos Beltran to Boston in exchange for Johnny Damon and Byung-Hyun Kim. Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi: "I don't know anything about it."
David Heuschkel asks a reasonable question: "Lenny DiNardo and Mark Malaska are the 11th and 12th pitchers on a 12-man staff. So why is manager Terry Francona using them in crucial situations when he has four quality relievers?" Heuschkel quotes Francona as saying (a) he had to go to the bullpen "early" and (b) "I just wanted to get to the top of the order" before bringing in Embree. DiNardo faced the 6-7-8-9 hitters before being pulled, so Francona clearly expected DiNardo to pitch the entire 6th inning.
Tito apparently learned from his mistake, because last night, with the game tied 3-3 and the bases loaded with Blue Jays in the 6th inning, Francona called on Embree, who needed only 4 pitches to snuff out the Toronto rally. ... "That saved the game for us right there," Francona said. Exactly! If Francona had applied that same logic back on May 9 (Royals) and May 13 (Toronto), Boston might be 23-13 rather than 21-15.
Elsewhere: Garciaparra is scheduled to play in simulated games this weekend. ... Ellis Burks took BP for the first time on Friday. ... Bill Mueller was scratched from Friday's lineup with inflammation in his right knee and will likely miss both games this weekend. ... Kim made his first Pawtucket start last night and allowed three runs and three hits in two innings. He struck out one, walked two and threw 46 pitches. (More game info and box score here.)
Good news: The Yankees will not be trading for Jose Vidro. He agreed to a 4-year, $30 million contract extension with the Expos on Friday. ... New York Post: The Red Sox are talking to Aaron Boone, who expects to be playing ball in August.
Bronson Arroyo returns to the rotation this afternoon. However, he has been battling the flu all week. "[I]f I feel healthy, I would think 100 [pitches] would be fine. But I don't know how I'm going to feel after I go out there and throw." ... He faces Pat Hentgen at 1:05 pm.
Theo Epstein quickly disputed the report. "As far as we know, the report is untrue. ... Nomar had some fluid buildup in the sheath due to tendinitis, but it was not torn." ... More Theo: "It's not an accurate report. The injury was as diagnosed. Early on, there was a fluid buildup in the area of the sheath but, no, there was no tear and there is no tear." ... While BDD stands by its report, the Globe quotes Victor Garciaparra as saying "There's no tear."
Epstein also said there was no truth to a Seattle report that Boston has discussed a three-way trade with the Mariners and Royals that would bring Carlos Beltran to Boston in exchange for Johnny Damon and Byung-Hyun Kim. Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi: "I don't know anything about it."
David Heuschkel asks a reasonable question: "Lenny DiNardo and Mark Malaska are the 11th and 12th pitchers on a 12-man staff. So why is manager Terry Francona using them in crucial situations when he has four quality relievers?" Heuschkel quotes Francona as saying (a) he had to go to the bullpen "early" and (b) "I just wanted to get to the top of the order" before bringing in Embree. DiNardo faced the 6-7-8-9 hitters before being pulled, so Francona clearly expected DiNardo to pitch the entire 6th inning.
Tito apparently learned from his mistake, because last night, with the game tied 3-3 and the bases loaded with Blue Jays in the 6th inning, Francona called on Embree, who needed only 4 pitches to snuff out the Toronto rally. ... "That saved the game for us right there," Francona said. Exactly! If Francona had applied that same logic back on May 9 (Royals) and May 13 (Toronto), Boston might be 23-13 rather than 21-15.
Elsewhere: Garciaparra is scheduled to play in simulated games this weekend. ... Ellis Burks took BP for the first time on Friday. ... Bill Mueller was scratched from Friday's lineup with inflammation in his right knee and will likely miss both games this weekend. ... Kim made his first Pawtucket start last night and allowed three runs and three hits in two innings. He struck out one, walked two and threw 46 pitches. (More game info and box score here.)
Good news: The Yankees will not be trading for Jose Vidro. He agreed to a 4-year, $30 million contract extension with the Expos on Friday. ... New York Post: The Red Sox are talking to Aaron Boone, who expects to be playing ball in August.
Bronson Arroyo returns to the rotation this afternoon. However, he has been battling the flu all week. "[I]f I feel healthy, I would think 100 [pitches] would be fine. But I don't know how I'm going to feel after I go out there and throw." ... He faces Pat Hentgen at 1:05 pm.
May 14, 2004
A Long At-Bat. In the 7th inning on Wednesday night, with Jason Grabowski on base, Alex Cora batted against Matt Clement:
Pitch 1 - Ball
Pitch 2 - Called Strike
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Foul
Pitch 5 - Foul
Pitch 6 - Foul
Pitch 7 - Foul
Pitch 8 - Foul
Pitch 9 - Foul
Pitch 10 - Foul
Pitch 11 - Foul
Pitch 12 - Foul
Pitch 13 - Foul
Pitch 14 - Foul
Pitch 15 - Foul
Pitch 16 - Foul
Pitch 17 - Foul
Pitch 18 - Cora hits 2-run home run to right field.
Story and box.
Pitch 1 - Ball
Pitch 2 - Called Strike
Pitch 3 - Ball
Pitch 4 - Foul
Pitch 5 - Foul
Pitch 6 - Foul
Pitch 7 - Foul
Pitch 8 - Foul
Pitch 9 - Foul
Pitch 10 - Foul
Pitch 11 - Foul
Pitch 12 - Foul
Pitch 13 - Foul
Pitch 14 - Foul
Pitch 15 - Foul
Pitch 16 - Foul
Pitch 17 - Foul
Pitch 18 - Cora hits 2-run home run to right field.
Story and box.
18-Inning Circus. I worked some overtime this week, so I taped Wednesday's and Thursday's games. I watched them both this afternoon. Ugh.
The starters can't finish the first inning without giving up at least one run, the opposition is getting a lot of hits on supposed pitcher's counts, balls are falling between fielders in both fair and foul territory, errors are being committed on pick-off throws and line drives right at the outfielders, some of the hitters aren't running hard out of the box, situational hitting and working the count has seemingly gone out the window. Their travel schedule has been brutal. Is anything going right for the Red Sox these days?
And Francona's use of the bullpen has me worried. Last night, Toronto led 3-2 going into the bottom of the 6th. Curt Schilling was out of the game. Who was entrusted with keeping the game close? Lenny DiNardo. ... On NESN, Jerry Remy didn't criticize the move, but he did remark: "We've seen a great deal of Lenny DiNardo." Indeed -- the young lefty was also the first man out of the pen the previous night.
The 6th inning of a 3-2 game is not too early to go to the top arms in the pen. That means Timlin, Williamson, Embree, Arroyo and/or Foulke. ... DiNardo is either your last or next-to-last choice. He allowed a double, a groundout, a single and then committed a throwing error. All three of his baserunners later scored. Toronto scored five times in the inning and went on to win 12-6. Even if DiNardo had pitched a 1-2-3 inning, there is no justification for bring him in at that point.
And why is Francona using Scott Williamson like he's the dregs of the pen? He threw the 8th inning on Wednesday with Cleveland up 6-2; on Thursday, he faced three batters in the 7th with the Red Sox behind 8-6. ... Tonight? We have a ground ball pitcher working on turf. I fear we will see the Derek Lowe Face very early this evening.
Also: City officials in Pittsfield, Mass. have released a document they say shows baseball was being played in that town in the late 1700s. The evidence is a 1791 by-law to protect the windows in the town's new meeting house by banning anyone from playing ball within 80 yards of the building. "It's clear that not only was baseball played here in 1791, but it was rampant," said historian John Thorn. "It was rampant enough to have an ordinance against it." Before this, the earliest documentation was 1823.
The starters can't finish the first inning without giving up at least one run, the opposition is getting a lot of hits on supposed pitcher's counts, balls are falling between fielders in both fair and foul territory, errors are being committed on pick-off throws and line drives right at the outfielders, some of the hitters aren't running hard out of the box, situational hitting and working the count has seemingly gone out the window. Their travel schedule has been brutal. Is anything going right for the Red Sox these days?
And Francona's use of the bullpen has me worried. Last night, Toronto led 3-2 going into the bottom of the 6th. Curt Schilling was out of the game. Who was entrusted with keeping the game close? Lenny DiNardo. ... On NESN, Jerry Remy didn't criticize the move, but he did remark: "We've seen a great deal of Lenny DiNardo." Indeed -- the young lefty was also the first man out of the pen the previous night.
The 6th inning of a 3-2 game is not too early to go to the top arms in the pen. That means Timlin, Williamson, Embree, Arroyo and/or Foulke. ... DiNardo is either your last or next-to-last choice. He allowed a double, a groundout, a single and then committed a throwing error. All three of his baserunners later scored. Toronto scored five times in the inning and went on to win 12-6. Even if DiNardo had pitched a 1-2-3 inning, there is no justification for bring him in at that point.
And why is Francona using Scott Williamson like he's the dregs of the pen? He threw the 8th inning on Wednesday with Cleveland up 6-2; on Thursday, he faced three batters in the 7th with the Red Sox behind 8-6. ... Tonight? We have a ground ball pitcher working on turf. I fear we will see the Derek Lowe Face very early this evening.
Also: City officials in Pittsfield, Mass. have released a document they say shows baseball was being played in that town in the late 1700s. The evidence is a 1791 by-law to protect the windows in the town's new meeting house by banning anyone from playing ball within 80 yards of the building. "It's clear that not only was baseball played here in 1791, but it was rampant," said historian John Thorn. "It was rampant enough to have an ordinance against it." Before this, the earliest documentation was 1823.
May 13, 2004
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."
"[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."
"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 ...
May 5, 2004
Log Rolling In Our Time. In its "Red Sox Blog Mini-Roundup," the Sports Retort blog said some very nice things about yours truly: "The daily Red Sox reports at Joy of Sox have become a must-read for me. The tone and length are great -- it's like reading a daily digest of the various papers' Red Sox notes columns. Allan posts a lot of political commentary, too, which is fine by me. Of course, I tend to share a lot of his opinions, so that probably makes it easier to take."
I don't get to Sports Retort every day, but I really should. He offers a lot of information and thought-provoking analysis in a short amount of space. The six-part season preview was wildly comprehensive. In the comments on last night's game, SR looks at the Sox hitters' VORP and discovers that "Half the order is still playing like a group of castoffs ... The loss of Nomar and Nixon was bound to affect the offense, but not to this degree. ... [A] 15-11 still looks like a decent record to me."
I don't get to Sports Retort every day, but I really should. He offers a lot of information and thought-provoking analysis in a short amount of space. The six-part season preview was wildly comprehensive. In the comments on last night's game, SR looks at the Sox hitters' VORP and discovers that "Half the order is still playing like a group of castoffs ... The loss of Nomar and Nixon was bound to affect the offense, but not to this degree. ... [A] 15-11 still looks like a decent record to me."
US Army Report On Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Now Online. The complete text of "Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th
Military Police Brigade" by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, thanks to MSNBC. ... "The Pentagon has admitted that 25 prisoners have died in US military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, at least two of them murders." ... From June 2002: "A former chairman of Amnesty International yesterday called for an independent investigation into claims that US troops tortured Taliban prisoners and assisted in the disappearance of thousands of others in the war in Afghanistan." The evidence was presented in a British documentary film, "Massacre at Mazar." (Also here and here)
NYT: "The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday. The film, 'Fahrenheit 911,' links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." Get a head start on learning about these decades-long family connections by clicking here.
Military Police Brigade" by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, thanks to MSNBC. ... "The Pentagon has admitted that 25 prisoners have died in US military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, at least two of them murders." ... From June 2002: "A former chairman of Amnesty International yesterday called for an independent investigation into claims that US troops tortured Taliban prisoners and assisted in the disappearance of thousands of others in the war in Afghanistan." The evidence was presented in a British documentary film, "Massacre at Mazar." (Also here and here)
NYT: "The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday. The film, 'Fahrenheit 911,' links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." Get a head start on learning about these decades-long family connections by clicking here.
Out Of Order. One day after saying that it was too early to make any type of lineup change -- three or four games not being much of a representative sample -- Terry Francona decided to move Bill Mueller from the #2 spot in the batting order to #8. (Mark Bellhorn batted second.) ... Tito: "Billy beats himself up so much, he's so conscientious. Maybe this will put him in a position where he can relax a little bit."
Mueller: "After the first inning you hit at all different times anyway. A number doesn't matter to me." ... Although Mueller had more ABs in both the 2nd and 7th spots last season, Mueller was most effective in the eight spot. In 120 at-bats, he hit .400/.500/.792 (with 10 of his 19 HRs). ... Mueller went 2-4 last night; Bellhorn walked and singled in five trips.
Derek Lowe had an ugly 1st inning (4 hits to the first 5 batters, 2 runs scored) and he couldn't stem the tide of baseruners in the fourth when Mueller committed two throwing errors. As they did against Curt Schilling, the Cleveland batters were aggressive. Lowe faced 10 batters in the fourth, but threw only 22 pitches. All but one of the hitters saw 3 pitches or fewer; the one who didn't walked on 4 straight balls.
Cleveland led 7-1 after four innings. Manny Ramirez's 6th home run of the season gave Boston one more run, but the Red Sox didn't do much of anything until the final inning. Facing Kaz Tadano, Brian Daubach doubled and Dave McCarty walked. After Mueller grounded out, pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler singled in one run and Johnny Damon belted a first-pitch 3-run homer to cut the lead to 7-6. Scott Stewart came out of the pen and gave up a single to Bellhorn. Ortiz then grounded to first, which should have been a game-ending 3-6-1 double play, but Stewart forgot to cover the bag. Rafael Betancourt was called on to face Ramirez -- and he struck him out swinging on four pitches to end the rally and the game.
The four-run rally was nice, even though it fell short, but it would be even nicer if the Red Sox stopped waiting until the very last inning before deciding to score some runs. ... Lenny DiNardo pitched two hitless innings in relief of Lowe, not allowing the ball to be hit out of the infield. ... Papa Jack was interviewed by NESN and he noted that despite the offensive slump, the hitters were still having good at-bats and not striking out too much. WTF? What games has he been watching? The Red Sox are absolutely striking out. They are 3rd in the AL with 191 Ks, only 5 fewer than Toronto, and Cleveland's Rick White whiffed Daubach, Jason Varitek, Kevin Millar and Bellhorn in succession Monday night. And they are having horrific at-bats. Manny has been lunging at outside stuff that he almost never hacks at and Millar is onc again trying to pull everything short of a throw to first. Too many others seem resigned to grounding out.
Three Sides Of Pedro. Michael Silverman says Pedro deserves some slack. ... Mike Fine writes a load of crap. ... Gordon Edes looks at the insurance costs as an important part of the negotiations.
Etc.: Millar was on the bench last night after fouling a ball off his left foot on Monday, but he's expected to go 0-4, err, be back in the lineup tonight. ... Bellhorn walked for the AL-best 27th time last night, putting him on pace to break Ted Williams's team record of 162. ... Darrell Johnson, who managed Boston to the 1975 pennant, died Monday of leukemia at age 75. ... Damon praises Varitek as the unofficial Red Sox captain and adds that he likes to watch Manny pimp his long home runs. Ramirez's solo blast leading off the 6th inning was a 459-foot rocket to left field. ... Yome Damon (Johnny's mom): "He was so cute when he was young. Now he's not so cute."
Jose Contreras put the Yankees in a 7-1 hole last night against Oakland, but New York rallied and won 10-8. The Red Sox and Yankees are both 15-11 and tied for first place in the East. ... Byung-Hyun Kim will restore order tonight, facing Jeff D'Amico at 7:05 pm.
Mueller: "After the first inning you hit at all different times anyway. A number doesn't matter to me." ... Although Mueller had more ABs in both the 2nd and 7th spots last season, Mueller was most effective in the eight spot. In 120 at-bats, he hit .400/.500/.792 (with 10 of his 19 HRs). ... Mueller went 2-4 last night; Bellhorn walked and singled in five trips.
Derek Lowe had an ugly 1st inning (4 hits to the first 5 batters, 2 runs scored) and he couldn't stem the tide of baseruners in the fourth when Mueller committed two throwing errors. As they did against Curt Schilling, the Cleveland batters were aggressive. Lowe faced 10 batters in the fourth, but threw only 22 pitches. All but one of the hitters saw 3 pitches or fewer; the one who didn't walked on 4 straight balls.
Cleveland led 7-1 after four innings. Manny Ramirez's 6th home run of the season gave Boston one more run, but the Red Sox didn't do much of anything until the final inning. Facing Kaz Tadano, Brian Daubach doubled and Dave McCarty walked. After Mueller grounded out, pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler singled in one run and Johnny Damon belted a first-pitch 3-run homer to cut the lead to 7-6. Scott Stewart came out of the pen and gave up a single to Bellhorn. Ortiz then grounded to first, which should have been a game-ending 3-6-1 double play, but Stewart forgot to cover the bag. Rafael Betancourt was called on to face Ramirez -- and he struck him out swinging on four pitches to end the rally and the game.
The four-run rally was nice, even though it fell short, but it would be even nicer if the Red Sox stopped waiting until the very last inning before deciding to score some runs. ... Lenny DiNardo pitched two hitless innings in relief of Lowe, not allowing the ball to be hit out of the infield. ... Papa Jack was interviewed by NESN and he noted that despite the offensive slump, the hitters were still having good at-bats and not striking out too much. WTF? What games has he been watching? The Red Sox are absolutely striking out. They are 3rd in the AL with 191 Ks, only 5 fewer than Toronto, and Cleveland's Rick White whiffed Daubach, Jason Varitek, Kevin Millar and Bellhorn in succession Monday night. And they are having horrific at-bats. Manny has been lunging at outside stuff that he almost never hacks at and Millar is onc again trying to pull everything short of a throw to first. Too many others seem resigned to grounding out.
Three Sides Of Pedro. Michael Silverman says Pedro deserves some slack. ... Mike Fine writes a load of crap. ... Gordon Edes looks at the insurance costs as an important part of the negotiations.
Etc.: Millar was on the bench last night after fouling a ball off his left foot on Monday, but he's expected to go 0-4, err, be back in the lineup tonight. ... Bellhorn walked for the AL-best 27th time last night, putting him on pace to break Ted Williams's team record of 162. ... Darrell Johnson, who managed Boston to the 1975 pennant, died Monday of leukemia at age 75. ... Damon praises Varitek as the unofficial Red Sox captain and adds that he likes to watch Manny pimp his long home runs. Ramirez's solo blast leading off the 6th inning was a 459-foot rocket to left field. ... Yome Damon (Johnny's mom): "He was so cute when he was young. Now he's not so cute."
Jose Contreras put the Yankees in a 7-1 hole last night against Oakland, but New York rallied and won 10-8. The Red Sox and Yankees are both 15-11 and tied for first place in the East. ... Byung-Hyun Kim will restore order tonight, facing Jeff D'Amico at 7:05 pm.
May 4, 2004
Le Moron Est Sur L'Autobus! Two months ago, we learned that George Bush's campaign website was selling clothing made in Burma, a military dictatorship whose goods were banned from the US by Bush himself. ... Now we find out that aWol's campaign bus was built by a French-Canadian company named Prevost. And Bush is apparently driving around with a French flag. ... It's enough to make you choke on your Freedom Toast!
It's Aggravation, Not Panic. MainerInExile, from last night's game thread: "I don't want to be one of those red sox fans who overreacts, but sometimes when no one is looking I rip my hair out." ... Check out the unexpurgated Soxaholix.
Curt Schilling: "I called the wrong pitch and it ended up costing us the game. ... When you give up early runs against an offense like ours that's trying to get something going, it makes it hard on you. ... It was probably the only one all night that I didn't want to throw and threw anyway." ... Afterwards, Schilling said that as Victor Martinez came to the plate, he went "brain dead". Varitek called a fastball in and Schilling said okay "knowing full well I wanted something else." When the pitch caught more of the plate than it should have, Martinez belted it to deep right for two runs. ... The sleepy Bosox bats couldn't come back, though they did have their chances:
3rd inning: 1st and 3rd, 2 outs, Ortiz grounds out to first.
4th inning: bases loaded, 1 out, Bellhorn hits into a double play.
6th inning: 1st and 3rd, 2 outs, Bellhorn grounds out to second.
7th inning: bases loaded, 1 out, Daubach strikes out, Varitek strikes out.
9th inning: man on 3rd, 1 out, Ortiz grounds out to second, Ramirez walks, Daubach flies to left.
It's fine if Schilling wants to shoulder the blame, but this loss was not his fault. In the first time through the batting order, the Cleveland hitters were very aggressive, swinging at fastballs early in the count. Schilling threw 25 pitches to the first 9 batters (and excluding Hafner's 6-pitch AB, he threw only 19 pitches to the other 8 batters). Schilling and Varitek mixed in more splitters and curveballs the second and third times through the order and kept the Cleveland bats quiet. After allowing 4 hits to the first 8 batters, Schilling gave up only 3 hits to the next 20 hitters.
Boston was within easy reach of the lead for the entire game -- they had the tying run on third with 1 out in the 9th -- but the bats were silent. Only Varitek is hitting well right now, but the one player getting the most attention for his slumping is Mueller. Earlier this season, he fell into an 0-20 funk and he went 1-13 in the recent Texas series. In his last six games, Mueller is 2-23. He's hitting 3-29 with runners at second and/or third. That's too Jeter-esque for my taste. ... Another black hole in the lineup is Kevin Millar, who is hitting only .231 since June 29, 2003 (that includes last year's playoffs).
Nomar Garciaparra had a good day despite having to work out indoors because of rain in Boston. Francona: "He took groundballs in the gym off the wall with himself throwing. He did it, sat down, did it again, and then he simulated some base running." ... Keith Foulke suffered back spasms on Sunday. Francona said it wasn't that serious; Foulke has pitched only once in the last week (Thursday/Tampa Bay). ... Ellis Burks, a self-described quick healer, hopes to return before the end of the month.
Theo Epstein talks a little more about the various free agents. "There's no strategy to make these guys play the year out for contracts. There are and there will be attempts to sign these guys." ... Carlos Beltran (.316-8-19) edged Manny Ramirez (.338-5-16) as April's AL Player of the Month. ... Byung-Hyun Kim should throw about 80 pitches in his start on Wednesday night. Bronson Arroyo will likely pitch out of the pen in that game. ... More on "Still, We Believe," the Red Sox film that damn well better come to Manhattan.
Curt Schilling: "I called the wrong pitch and it ended up costing us the game. ... When you give up early runs against an offense like ours that's trying to get something going, it makes it hard on you. ... It was probably the only one all night that I didn't want to throw and threw anyway." ... Afterwards, Schilling said that as Victor Martinez came to the plate, he went "brain dead". Varitek called a fastball in and Schilling said okay "knowing full well I wanted something else." When the pitch caught more of the plate than it should have, Martinez belted it to deep right for two runs. ... The sleepy Bosox bats couldn't come back, though they did have their chances:
3rd inning: 1st and 3rd, 2 outs, Ortiz grounds out to first.
4th inning: bases loaded, 1 out, Bellhorn hits into a double play.
6th inning: 1st and 3rd, 2 outs, Bellhorn grounds out to second.
7th inning: bases loaded, 1 out, Daubach strikes out, Varitek strikes out.
9th inning: man on 3rd, 1 out, Ortiz grounds out to second, Ramirez walks, Daubach flies to left.
It's fine if Schilling wants to shoulder the blame, but this loss was not his fault. In the first time through the batting order, the Cleveland hitters were very aggressive, swinging at fastballs early in the count. Schilling threw 25 pitches to the first 9 batters (and excluding Hafner's 6-pitch AB, he threw only 19 pitches to the other 8 batters). Schilling and Varitek mixed in more splitters and curveballs the second and third times through the order and kept the Cleveland bats quiet. After allowing 4 hits to the first 8 batters, Schilling gave up only 3 hits to the next 20 hitters.
Boston was within easy reach of the lead for the entire game -- they had the tying run on third with 1 out in the 9th -- but the bats were silent. Only Varitek is hitting well right now, but the one player getting the most attention for his slumping is Mueller. Earlier this season, he fell into an 0-20 funk and he went 1-13 in the recent Texas series. In his last six games, Mueller is 2-23. He's hitting 3-29 with runners at second and/or third. That's too Jeter-esque for my taste. ... Another black hole in the lineup is Kevin Millar, who is hitting only .231 since June 29, 2003 (that includes last year's playoffs).
Boston: 012 312 302 - 13That's how many runners the Red Sox left on base last night; they lead the majors in LOB with 222. Boston is hitting an AL-worst .216 with runners in scoring position and .189 with the bases loaded. Yet the Red Sox's opponents have been even worse:
AB H 2B HR BB K AVG OBP SLG OPSPart of the problem is with Nomar and Nixon out, Tito has to give significant plate appearances to lightweights that would normally be riding the bench or playing in Pawtucket. In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, McCarty, Bellhorn, Kapler and Crespo batted 6-7-8-9. It is tough to be consistently good with a lineup like that.
Red Sox 235 52 15 5 38 49 .221 .337 .349 .686
Opponents 200 40 15 2 27 41 .200 .302 .315 .617
Nomar Garciaparra had a good day despite having to work out indoors because of rain in Boston. Francona: "He took groundballs in the gym off the wall with himself throwing. He did it, sat down, did it again, and then he simulated some base running." ... Keith Foulke suffered back spasms on Sunday. Francona said it wasn't that serious; Foulke has pitched only once in the last week (Thursday/Tampa Bay). ... Ellis Burks, a self-described quick healer, hopes to return before the end of the month.
Theo Epstein talks a little more about the various free agents. "There's no strategy to make these guys play the year out for contracts. There are and there will be attempts to sign these guys." ... Carlos Beltran (.316-8-19) edged Manny Ramirez (.338-5-16) as April's AL Player of the Month. ... Byung-Hyun Kim should throw about 80 pitches in his start on Wednesday night. Bronson Arroyo will likely pitch out of the pen in that game. ... More on "Still, We Believe," the Red Sox film that damn well better come to Manhattan.
May 3, 2004
Manny Says He's A Loaner. Ramirez says if the Red Sox don't sign Pedro Martinez, the Yankees will. "I bet you if it comes to that time, they're going to go and get him. ... In Pedro's situation, it's not about the money. I think he wants to stay here bad." To that end, Manny has offered to defer part of his salary to keep Martinez in Boston. "How long is (Pedro) planning to stay, three years? I'll loan them a contract. Whatever they want. How much do they need? It's for Pedro." Last night, Karen Guregian asked him if he was serious. "I want Pedro to stay. Pedro's the heart of the team. He's been here so long. I think it's going to be a sad moment to see him leave. That's why I said what I did. It's really no problem for me. Hey, how much money do I need?"
More on Pedro's Pronouncement: Ron Chimelis calls it "a desperate, selfish, almost pathetic attempt to reclaim the very spotlight he says he dislikes." ... Lenny Megliola: "When Pedro speaks about anything, he knows exactly how it's going to play, especially in Boston. ... There's a bit of Russian Roulette going on here. If Pedro has a Cy-kinda-year, management takes the bullet. It either has to pay him or wave goodbye, which won't make fans happy. If Pedro goes 12-8, 3.68 and has a stint on the DL, he takes the bullet."
Trot Nixon tweaked his left quadriceps and will take a few days off. ... Bronson Arroyo will be used in all types of situations. Tito: "He has the ability to go long. But he can also pitch the ninth inning. By no means will he pitch in games that are out of hand. He's going to pitch in games that we have a chance to win." ... Nomar Garciaparra had Sunday off and was reevaluated today. ... John Tomase lists 10 replacements if Pedro and Lowe are not around in 2005, but it's not a very promising bunch.
Bob Hohler reminds us that Boston is not hitting: "Coming off a loss in which they went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position, [they] dropped a third straight game for the first time this year as they went hitless in their only four chances with runners in scoring position, dropping their league-worst average in those situations to .222, and effectively stranded all but one other runner who reached base."
Curt Schilling, Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez flew on to Cleveland before Sunday's game. The matchups:
Monday: Schilling/Jake Westbrook
Tuesday: Lowe/Jason Davis
Wednesday: Kim/Jeff D'Amico
Thursday: Pedro/C.C. Sabathia
All games start at 7:05 pm.
More on Pedro's Pronouncement: Ron Chimelis calls it "a desperate, selfish, almost pathetic attempt to reclaim the very spotlight he says he dislikes." ... Lenny Megliola: "When Pedro speaks about anything, he knows exactly how it's going to play, especially in Boston. ... There's a bit of Russian Roulette going on here. If Pedro has a Cy-kinda-year, management takes the bullet. It either has to pay him or wave goodbye, which won't make fans happy. If Pedro goes 12-8, 3.68 and has a stint on the DL, he takes the bullet."
Trot Nixon tweaked his left quadriceps and will take a few days off. ... Bronson Arroyo will be used in all types of situations. Tito: "He has the ability to go long. But he can also pitch the ninth inning. By no means will he pitch in games that are out of hand. He's going to pitch in games that we have a chance to win." ... Nomar Garciaparra had Sunday off and was reevaluated today. ... John Tomase lists 10 replacements if Pedro and Lowe are not around in 2005, but it's not a very promising bunch.
Bob Hohler reminds us that Boston is not hitting: "Coming off a loss in which they went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position, [they] dropped a third straight game for the first time this year as they went hitless in their only four chances with runners in scoring position, dropping their league-worst average in those situations to .222, and effectively stranded all but one other runner who reached base."
Curt Schilling, Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez flew on to Cleveland before Sunday's game. The matchups:
Monday: Schilling/Jake Westbrook
Tuesday: Lowe/Jason Davis
Wednesday: Kim/Jeff D'Amico
Thursday: Pedro/C.C. Sabathia
All games start at 7:05 pm.
Torture. "Former Iraqi human rights minister Abdel Basset Turki said US overseer Paul Bremer knew in November that Iraqi prisoners were being abused in US detention centres. "I told him the news. He didn't take care about the information I gave him." ... Guardian: "For the families standing in the dusty car park of Abu Ghraib prison yesterday, the revelations of torture and abuse came as no surprise."
NYT: "An internal Army investigation has found a virtual collapse of the command structure" ... Sunday Mail: "Thirty cases of torture and murder by British and American troops against Iraqi POWs are being investigated ... [including] urinating on a terrified Iraq captive." ... AP: "Amnesty International said it has uncovered a 'pattern of torture' of Iraqi prisoners by coalition troops, and called for an independent investigation into the claims of abuse." ... And in Brooklyn: "[T]he men were repeatedly slammed into walls and dragged across the floor while shackled and manacled, kicked and punched until they bled ... and subjected to multiple unnecessary body-cavity searches, including one during which correction officers inserted a flashlight into Mr. Elmaghraby's rectum ..."
Xymphora: "[T]his abuse was a systematic and official act by the CIA and military intelligence to 'soften up' prisoners before they were interrogated. Seymour Hersh has seen the secret internal military report which confirms that the torture was an official and sanctioned action of the American government, known to Army leadership at the highest levels. ... Anecdotal evidence reported in the Arab press indicates that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg ... In particular, we have not heard all the stories of sexual abuse of male prisoners, and have not heard anything about what they did to women prisoners. ... No weapons of mass destruction, no Saddam connection to al Qaeda, no prospect of democracy, and the Iraqi people worse off than under Saddam and headed for worse things yet. The last thing the Americans had was that at least the brutality had stopped. The massacre at Falluja and the torture have finished all possible arguments for this illegal and immoral attack on the people of Iraq." (On the Falluja massacres.)
NYT: "An internal Army investigation has found a virtual collapse of the command structure" ... Sunday Mail: "Thirty cases of torture and murder by British and American troops against Iraqi POWs are being investigated ... [including] urinating on a terrified Iraq captive." ... AP: "Amnesty International said it has uncovered a 'pattern of torture' of Iraqi prisoners by coalition troops, and called for an independent investigation into the claims of abuse." ... And in Brooklyn: "[T]he men were repeatedly slammed into walls and dragged across the floor while shackled and manacled, kicked and punched until they bled ... and subjected to multiple unnecessary body-cavity searches, including one during which correction officers inserted a flashlight into Mr. Elmaghraby's rectum ..."
Xymphora: "[T]his abuse was a systematic and official act by the CIA and military intelligence to 'soften up' prisoners before they were interrogated. Seymour Hersh has seen the secret internal military report which confirms that the torture was an official and sanctioned action of the American government, known to Army leadership at the highest levels. ... Anecdotal evidence reported in the Arab press indicates that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg ... In particular, we have not heard all the stories of sexual abuse of male prisoners, and have not heard anything about what they did to women prisoners. ... No weapons of mass destruction, no Saddam connection to al Qaeda, no prospect of democracy, and the Iraqi people worse off than under Saddam and headed for worse things yet. The last thing the Americans had was that at least the brutality had stopped. The massacre at Falluja and the torture have finished all possible arguments for this illegal and immoral attack on the people of Iraq." (On the Falluja massacres.)
May 2, 2004
ESPN Could Use A Fact Checker. Gary Miller had a short note about Curt Schilling and his contributions to Red Sox "fans' favorite website, Legends of Sam Horn." ... How lame is this? I typed "sam horn discussion" and "sam horn red sox" into Google and the "Sons of Sam Horn" website was the first result both times. It took me all of 10 seconds. ... However, Miller nearly makes up for that error by disclosing Moises Alou's secret for toughing up his hands so he can hit without batting gloves -- he pees on them.
Red Sox Respond To Pedro. Theo Epstein's comments:
"The goal of the Boston Red Sox is to build a team every year that can compete for, and win, a World Series. These are our core values: team over individual, a World Series over everything else. Although building a winning team is our primary focus, we have the utmost respect and admiration for our individual players and the sacrifices and contributions they make to help the organization achieve its goals.
"We respect our players. We tell our players the truth. We listen to our players. We protect our players. We negotiate with our players in good faith, and we make every effort not to discuss these negotiations in public. We want our players to succeed, and we do everything we can to help them win. Sometimes, however, our commitment to building winning teams, every year, means that we will have disagreements with our players about the length and precise value of their next contracts. These disagreements are unfortunate but they are inevitable. They will be resolved in time. In the meantime, we continue to focus on our most important mission: winning."
Tony Massarotti says Martinez is simply engaging in "campaign rhetoric". ... Damon, Ortiz and Varitek offer comments. ... Two stories about Pedro possibly returning to the Dodgers.
Friday's game was postponed after a 3:32 delay due to "90-mph winds, hail the size of golf balls, rain, thunder and lightning." Which meant Saturday eveing featured a good old-fashioned 2-for-the-price-of-1 doubleheader. ... I followed the first game via MLB at work, hustled home, walked the dogs and settled in for the nightcap. And stayed up to 12:30 am watching an ugly Pedro start and a comeback that started much too late.
Martinez lasted only 4 innings, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. Pedro threw 8 pitches to the leadoff batter (Michael Young) and then Blalock homered. He threw 33 pitches in the 3rd inning (4 runs, 5 hits) and 26 more in the 4th (2 doubles, 1 run). Nothing worked well -- no snap to his breaking balls, hanging curves, missing spots with the changeup. He walked only one batter (Deullucci in the 4th), but had very little control of anything.
His velocity was a bit higher than it has been in previous starts (he hit 92 several times), but I think that was overthrowing or simply because he couldn't spot his other pitches. Martinez did the same thing in Game 7 last october. Running on the fumes of fumes, he had to rely on his fastball, which he could get up to 95, was comng in flat. (That's why the suggestion that Pedro was still able to pitch in the 8th because he was throwing 95 is horseshit.) ... And while Martinez refused to use it as an excuse, because of some confusion surrounding when the second game would begin, Pedro was forced to cut short his pregame routine.
Other stuff: Alan Embree has added a curveball this year. "I've probably thrown more breaking balls so far this year than I did all of last year." Embree has not allowed a run in 11 of his 12 appearances this year; he has a 1.74 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .160 average (8-for-50). Embree said he decided to make the curve a priority after allowing a game-tying single in Game 1 of the ALDS. ... A Dominican newspaper said David Ortiz and the Red Sox were close to a deal, but Ortizzle says the two sides haven't spoken since spring training. ... The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a long feature on Manny.
Marlins starter Darren Oliver recently allowed five home runs in a 13-10 loss to Colorado -- including three in a span of five pitches. Jeromy Burnitz began the Rockies 4th inning by homering to center on the first pitch. Charles Johnson looked at a ball, then homered to left. And Matt Holliday took a strike before homering to left.
"The goal of the Boston Red Sox is to build a team every year that can compete for, and win, a World Series. These are our core values: team over individual, a World Series over everything else. Although building a winning team is our primary focus, we have the utmost respect and admiration for our individual players and the sacrifices and contributions they make to help the organization achieve its goals.
"We respect our players. We tell our players the truth. We listen to our players. We protect our players. We negotiate with our players in good faith, and we make every effort not to discuss these negotiations in public. We want our players to succeed, and we do everything we can to help them win. Sometimes, however, our commitment to building winning teams, every year, means that we will have disagreements with our players about the length and precise value of their next contracts. These disagreements are unfortunate but they are inevitable. They will be resolved in time. In the meantime, we continue to focus on our most important mission: winning."
Tony Massarotti says Martinez is simply engaging in "campaign rhetoric". ... Damon, Ortiz and Varitek offer comments. ... Two stories about Pedro possibly returning to the Dodgers.
Friday's game was postponed after a 3:32 delay due to "90-mph winds, hail the size of golf balls, rain, thunder and lightning." Which meant Saturday eveing featured a good old-fashioned 2-for-the-price-of-1 doubleheader. ... I followed the first game via MLB at work, hustled home, walked the dogs and settled in for the nightcap. And stayed up to 12:30 am watching an ugly Pedro start and a comeback that started much too late.
Martinez lasted only 4 innings, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. Pedro threw 8 pitches to the leadoff batter (Michael Young) and then Blalock homered. He threw 33 pitches in the 3rd inning (4 runs, 5 hits) and 26 more in the 4th (2 doubles, 1 run). Nothing worked well -- no snap to his breaking balls, hanging curves, missing spots with the changeup. He walked only one batter (Deullucci in the 4th), but had very little control of anything.
His velocity was a bit higher than it has been in previous starts (he hit 92 several times), but I think that was overthrowing or simply because he couldn't spot his other pitches. Martinez did the same thing in Game 7 last october. Running on the fumes of fumes, he had to rely on his fastball, which he could get up to 95, was comng in flat. (That's why the suggestion that Pedro was still able to pitch in the 8th because he was throwing 95 is horseshit.) ... And while Martinez refused to use it as an excuse, because of some confusion surrounding when the second game would begin, Pedro was forced to cut short his pregame routine.
Other stuff: Alan Embree has added a curveball this year. "I've probably thrown more breaking balls so far this year than I did all of last year." Embree has not allowed a run in 11 of his 12 appearances this year; he has a 1.74 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .160 average (8-for-50). Embree said he decided to make the curve a priority after allowing a game-tying single in Game 1 of the ALDS. ... A Dominican newspaper said David Ortiz and the Red Sox were close to a deal, but Ortizzle says the two sides haven't spoken since spring training. ... The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a long feature on Manny.
Marlins starter Darren Oliver recently allowed five home runs in a 13-10 loss to Colorado -- including three in a span of five pitches. Jeromy Burnitz began the Rockies 4th inning by homering to center on the first pitch. Charles Johnson looked at a ball, then homered to left. And Matt Holliday took a strike before homering to left.
Is This Pedro's Last Year In Boston? Michael Silverman of the Herald broke the story: "Every team in the majors, including the Yankees, will get a crack at signing free-agent-to-be Pedro Martinez next year after the Red Sox ace halted negotiations with the team yesterday. Martinez told the Boston Herald he would pursue free agency at the end of this season after never receiving a long-term contract extension offer from the ballclub this winter and spring."
Pedro had originally said he'd explore the market if he hadn't signed an extension by Opening Day, but that deadline had been extended by one month. Martinez said he wished he "could say, truly, that I was going to stay in Boston, but now they're going to have to compete with the rest of the league." He added: "I gave them every opportunity, every discount I could give them to actually stay in Boston and they never took advantage of it. Didn't even give me an offer." ... Theo Epstein had no comment.
Pedro accuses Red Sox management of lying and playing dirty by leaking concerns about his shoulder to the media. Pedro said he "made moves from my salary to come down all the way where I could without falling below anybody I didn't feel like I had to fall below, and they never made any movement." ... This is interesting. Who is this "anybody"? Curt Schilling? ... Finally: "I'll play for anybody ... Boston has probably the same chances the Yankees will have." ... Karen Guregian adds her two cents and Nick Cafardo asks if ownership is playing hardball.
What I think it means: Pedro is signed through the 2004 season and the Red Sox are content to wait until November to judge both his performance and health before making any long-term decisions. It's the same thing they are doing with Nomar, Varitek and Lowe. And it's smart business. ... The team will make what it believes is a fair offer in the fall and Pedro will either take it or go elsewhere.
At this point, Martinez has no leverage -- he's not going to scare Henry into making an above-market offer. This must be a move Martinez feels he has to make in the negotiation dance, although he surely knows it will piss off a majority of fans. Coupled with his poor outing last night in Texas, sports radio and certain writers in Boston are going to have a field day with this (Dirt Dogs is off and running).
A SoSH poster notes: "This statement by Pedro means nothing. Not letting a player test the FA waters only makes sense *if* that player is willing to give you a hometown discount. If a player makes it clear that he doesn't want to give you a hometown discount, then there is no point in 'locking him up' before he hits FA, because you still end up paying him the same amount, only you remove your own flexibility a lot earlier, and if said player has a misread on the current market, you might even save yourself some money."
How many bidders will Martinez have when he files? Every major league team knows his history and those that can afford him will be watching him carefully this year. ... Some fans have wondered if Pedro will now take it easy this season, so as not to risk arm damage. I don't think so. With the Red Sox adopting a wait-and-see posture, Martinez is effectively showcasing himself for his next (and last) contract. He has to stay healthy and effective. That can be nothing but a plus for Boston.
Cafardo's article also contains this gem: "Martinez did ask reporters, after he said his piece, to respect his wishes of not asking questions pertaining to his contract for the rest of the season." ... This is where Pedro screws up. I'd rather he spoke to the media, but I won't rip him if he doesn't. But to suddenly make this pronouncement to the writers he's been avoiding and then ask them to leave him alone again is hypocritical. ... I love Pedro and hope he stays in Boston -- and I trust Red Sox management to do the right thing for the team.
Pedro had originally said he'd explore the market if he hadn't signed an extension by Opening Day, but that deadline had been extended by one month. Martinez said he wished he "could say, truly, that I was going to stay in Boston, but now they're going to have to compete with the rest of the league." He added: "I gave them every opportunity, every discount I could give them to actually stay in Boston and they never took advantage of it. Didn't even give me an offer." ... Theo Epstein had no comment.
Pedro accuses Red Sox management of lying and playing dirty by leaking concerns about his shoulder to the media. Pedro said he "made moves from my salary to come down all the way where I could without falling below anybody I didn't feel like I had to fall below, and they never made any movement." ... This is interesting. Who is this "anybody"? Curt Schilling? ... Finally: "I'll play for anybody ... Boston has probably the same chances the Yankees will have." ... Karen Guregian adds her two cents and Nick Cafardo asks if ownership is playing hardball.
What I think it means: Pedro is signed through the 2004 season and the Red Sox are content to wait until November to judge both his performance and health before making any long-term decisions. It's the same thing they are doing with Nomar, Varitek and Lowe. And it's smart business. ... The team will make what it believes is a fair offer in the fall and Pedro will either take it or go elsewhere.
At this point, Martinez has no leverage -- he's not going to scare Henry into making an above-market offer. This must be a move Martinez feels he has to make in the negotiation dance, although he surely knows it will piss off a majority of fans. Coupled with his poor outing last night in Texas, sports radio and certain writers in Boston are going to have a field day with this (Dirt Dogs is off and running).
A SoSH poster notes: "This statement by Pedro means nothing. Not letting a player test the FA waters only makes sense *if* that player is willing to give you a hometown discount. If a player makes it clear that he doesn't want to give you a hometown discount, then there is no point in 'locking him up' before he hits FA, because you still end up paying him the same amount, only you remove your own flexibility a lot earlier, and if said player has a misread on the current market, you might even save yourself some money."
How many bidders will Martinez have when he files? Every major league team knows his history and those that can afford him will be watching him carefully this year. ... Some fans have wondered if Pedro will now take it easy this season, so as not to risk arm damage. I don't think so. With the Red Sox adopting a wait-and-see posture, Martinez is effectively showcasing himself for his next (and last) contract. He has to stay healthy and effective. That can be nothing but a plus for Boston.
Cafardo's article also contains this gem: "Martinez did ask reporters, after he said his piece, to respect his wishes of not asking questions pertaining to his contract for the rest of the season." ... This is where Pedro screws up. I'd rather he spoke to the media, but I won't rip him if he doesn't. But to suddenly make this pronouncement to the writers he's been avoiding and then ask them to leave him alone again is hypocritical. ... I love Pedro and hope he stays in Boston -- and I trust Red Sox management to do the right thing for the team.
May 1, 2004
My Favorite Game. When I was a kid, I had a book of reproduced newspaper clippings of famous events throughout baseball history from the New York Times. The one story/game that fascinated me most back then -- and still does today -- was from May 2, 1920.
The Times game story begins:
Played in a crisp 3:50, the game set a new record for innings. The previous mark had been 24 innings, set on September 1, 1906 between the Red Sox and the Philadelphia A's. The National League record was 22 innings, set by Brooklyn and Pittsburgh on August 22, 1917.
Both starting pitchers -- Brooklyn's Leon Cadore and Boston's Joe Osechger -- went the distance! (In that 24-inning contest, Philadelphia's Jack Coombs and Boston's Joe Harris also threw complete games.) Cadore estimated that he threw "at least 300 curves." He could not lift his arm to comb his hair for three days afterwards and did not pitch for eight days.
Osechger threw mostly fastballs and when he talked about the game in 1970, he said he didn't think he threw more than 250 pitches. He usually threw only about six warm-up pitches, but after about the 12th inning, he began throwing only a couple. Oeschger also ended up on the bench for a week, but that was because he pulled a leg muscle running sprints the next day. (Almost exactly one year earlier -- on April 30, 1919 -- he pitched a 9-9, 20-inning tie for the Phillies.)
The box is a little blurry, but the #2 batter for Boston, Charlie Pick, went 0-11.
Check this out:
Saturday, May 1, 1920
In three days, Brooklyn played 58 innings of baseball, scored only 5 runs and didn't win anything.
Brooklyn set a record for most innings played in 3 consecutive games (58) and Boston set a record for the most innings played in 2 consecutive games with 45 (May 1 and 3, 1920; they had Sunday off).
In August 1989, Laura and I saw the Dodgers beat the Expos in Montreal 1-0 in 22 innings. While the game did not go the 27 innings (or more) that I was hoping for, it did set a record as the longest extra-inning 1-0 night game and the longest extra-inning 1-0 game by time: 6:14. It is also the longest game in Expos history. ... I have been to 19 major league ballparks and this game remains the best game I have ever seen in person. ... I would love for that to change this October. It would only take 9 innings.
The Times game story begins:
The Robins and the Braves celebrated May Day in this ordinarily peaceful city by staging a prolonged, heart-breaking struggle for twenty-six innings at Braves Field and bombing to bits all major league records for duration of hostilities. When darkness threw its mantle over the scene, forbidding further battling, both teams were still on their feet, interlocked in a death clutch and each praying for just one more inning in which to get in the knockout blow.The linescore of the game -- played 84 years ago today -- was so long that it had to be broken up into two lines for each team. Here it is:
As far as results in the chase for the pennant go the game was without effect, for the final score was 1 to 1. In the matter of thrills, however, the oldest living man can remember nothing like it, nor can he find anything in his granddad's diary worthy of comparison. Heart disease was the mildest complaint that grasped the spectators as they watched inning after inning slip away and the row of ciphers on the scoreboard begin to slide over the fence and reach out into the Fenway.
Played in a crisp 3:50, the game set a new record for innings. The previous mark had been 24 innings, set on September 1, 1906 between the Red Sox and the Philadelphia A's. The National League record was 22 innings, set by Brooklyn and Pittsburgh on August 22, 1917.
Both starting pitchers -- Brooklyn's Leon Cadore and Boston's Joe Osechger -- went the distance! (In that 24-inning contest, Philadelphia's Jack Coombs and Boston's Joe Harris also threw complete games.) Cadore estimated that he threw "at least 300 curves." He could not lift his arm to comb his hair for three days afterwards and did not pitch for eight days.
Osechger threw mostly fastballs and when he talked about the game in 1970, he said he didn't think he threw more than 250 pitches. He usually threw only about six warm-up pitches, but after about the 12th inning, he began throwing only a couple. Oeschger also ended up on the bench for a week, but that was because he pulled a leg muscle running sprints the next day. (Almost exactly one year earlier -- on April 30, 1919 -- he pitched a 9-9, 20-inning tie for the Phillies.)
The box is a little blurry, but the #2 batter for Boston, Charlie Pick, went 0-11.
Check this out:
Saturday, May 1, 1920
Brooklyn 000 010 000 000 000 000 000 000 00 - 1 9 2 Boston 000 001 000 000 000 000 000 000 00 - 1 15 2Sunday, May 2, 1920
Phillies 001 000 200 000 1 - 4 9 1 Brooklyn 000 000 201 000 0 - 3 6 4Monday, May 3, 1920
Brooklyn 000 010 000 000 000 000 0 - 1 12 1 Boston 000 001 000 000 000 000 1 - 2 13 2Did Brooklyn have the worst three-day weekend in the history of baseball? After the 26-inning tie on Saturday, Brooklyn took a midnight train back to New York. On Sunday, they played 13 innings and lost to the Phillies. They took another overnight train back to Boston and played the Braves again on Monday, this time losing in 19 innings.
In three days, Brooklyn played 58 innings of baseball, scored only 5 runs and didn't win anything.
Brooklyn set a record for most innings played in 3 consecutive games (58) and Boston set a record for the most innings played in 2 consecutive games with 45 (May 1 and 3, 1920; they had Sunday off).
In August 1989, Laura and I saw the Dodgers beat the Expos in Montreal 1-0 in 22 innings. While the game did not go the 27 innings (or more) that I was hoping for, it did set a record as the longest extra-inning 1-0 night game and the longest extra-inning 1-0 game by time: 6:14. It is also the longest game in Expos history. ... I have been to 19 major league ballparks and this game remains the best game I have ever seen in person. ... I would love for that to change this October. It would only take 9 innings.
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