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ED VIITA on TWINS 7, RED SOX 6: Postgame notes on Lester, Lugo and Okajima Ralph Cormier on Farnsworth's suspension for throwing at Manny reduced Gary From Chapel Hill on Stat of the day Bob on Last-minute change: Ortiz out Brian on Cora's Workload Increases ED VIITA on INSIDE THE GAME: Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 0 Brett on New varieties of Red Sox wine set to hit shelves Elliott on Baseball Today: Thursday, May 1 Tom Clancy on News and notes from Red Sox clubhouse Tom Clancy on Baseball Today: Tuesday, April 22 To comment on any posting, click on the word 'Comments' at the end of the item. |
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May 11, 2008
PawSox manager Ron Johnson informed left-handed pitcher Abe Alvarez after Sunday's game in Pawtucket that he was being released. Alvarez was working out following PawSox' victory over Norfolk when he was called into the manager's office. Originally selected by the Red Sox in the second round (49th overall) in the 2003 draft, Alvarez was 2-1 with a 6.46 ERA this season as a relief pitcher. The 25-year-old has been in the organization for six seasons and the one-time prospect has struggled the last few seasons. The southpaw was originally a starter before he was moved to the bullpen after the All-Star break in 2007. He was almost traded to the Colorado Rockies two years ago, but the deal fell through in the 11th hour. Ever since, it was obvious Alvarez wasn't happy and his performance showed that. Posted by Joe McDonald Embattled shortstop Julio Lugo is out of the lineup again tonight, a bit less dizzy but still able to return to the lineup. Lugo suffered a mild concussion in a baseline collision during Friday night's game. Manager Terry Francona said Lugo was administered a CT scan, and while it didn't show anything major, Francona was told by the trainers that that didn't mean he hadn't suffered a mild concussion. "His eyes were glassy looking, glazed over (on Saturday)," said Francona of Lugo. "He's a little better (today), a little clearer in the eyes." When Lugo returns will be a question of when he feels better and when the medical staff clears him to play, said Francona. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Manny Ramirez is not in the starting lineup tonight because of a tight right hamstring. The Sox' left fielder felt the hamstring tighten up on him when he hustled down the first-base line and beat the back end of a potential inning-ending double play, keeping alive a Red Sox rally. Manager Terry Francona said that in watching the play develop he thought he saw Ramirez tighten up a little as he got to the bag and past it. But it wasn't until Ramirez called him early today that he knew Ramirez wouldn't be able to start. So Jacoby Ellsbury will move to left field in an outfield that also will include Coco Crisp in center and J.D. Drew in right. Ramirez is getting treatment on his leg. Ramirez is in a bit of a slump. Over his last 13 games Ramirez is batting a mere .176 (9 for 51), dropping his overall average from what was then a league-leading .370 to .301. He has only one homer, one double and four RBI over that stretch. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner RED SOX Ellsbury lf Wakefield p TWINS Gomez cf Blackburn p -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Alex Cora (elbow) has been activated from the disabled list and is in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Twins. Cora will be playing shortstop in place of Julio Lugo, who has a mild concussion, suffered in a baseline collision during Friday night's game. To make room for Cora, the Sox optioned rookie infielder Jed Lowrie to Pawtucket. Lowrie at least went back to the minors with a smile on his face and a memento in his pocket. Lowrie went 3 for 4 on Saturday night, including his first major league homer. Called up on April 10 when Mike Lowell was placed on the DL, Lowrie batted .310 in 42 at-bats spread over 17 games. First baseman Sean Casey (hip) also is eligible to be activated from the disabled list today, but the Sox are holding off on that move. The Sox have 13 pitches and are likely to option Craig Hansen back to Pawtucket to make room for Casey but they may need the extra pitcher tonight because Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon have been used a lot lately and manager Terry Francona said he wants to stay away from them tonight. "You're never in a real hurry to lose pitching," said Francona. "You have to do things in a manner that makes sense. We talked to Casey to make sure he knew what we were doing." -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner The Red Sox traded reliever Bryan Corey to the pitching-starved San Diego Padres for a player to be named and cash considerations. Corey had two stints with Boston, twice being designated for assignment and ultimately re-signed to a Pawtucket contract. Corey was 0-0 with a 10.50 earned-run average in seven appearances totaling six innings for Boston. The right-hander was with the PawSox when the trade was announced. Boston manager Terry Francona, who championed Corey when he had the opportunity, was happy to see he's back in the big leagues. "It was tough for him. He was the odd man out here. Now he's in the big leagues. Good for him. You don't want to lose pitching, but you want the best for guys like that. This is a good day for him," said Francona. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon was sitting at his locker in the PawSox' clubhouse this morning as if he never left McCoy Stadium after his solid three-inning outing on Saturday night. The veteran right-hander allowed one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts against the Norfolk Tides after being activated from the disabled list with an oblique injury. He threw 49 pitches (36 strikes). Colon will start for the PawSox again on May 15 at Buffalo. He's slated to work 4 or 5 innings with a pitch count of 75. Posted by Joe McDonald May 10, 2008
Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon didn't want to talk about his outing for the PawSox tonight, but rehabbing Red Sox players Alex Cora and Sean Casey were quite impressed with the right-hander's three-inning performance. Colon allowed one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. He threw 49 pitches (36 strikes). "He had great movement," said Cora, who went 0-for-3 in his final game in Pawtucket. "I was really impressed with him. He had good arm speed and made some good pitches. His ball was really really moving. I know he's going to make a difference and really help us out. I don't know how soon, but I'll tell you what, he's going to help this team win a world championship."
Posted by Joe McDonald Sean Casey (hip) just led off the bottom of the fourth inning for the PawSox with a double to right-center field. He showed no ill effects running the bases. Posted by Joe McDonald The right-hander's final line: 3 innings. 1 run (earned). 4 hits. 0 walks. 2 strikeouts. 49 pitches (36 strikes). Posted by Joe McDonald Colon made quick work of the Tides in the third inning, retiring the side in order. He threw just nine pitches (seven strikes). Colon has thrown a total of 49 pitches (36 strikes). He was scheduled for 55. Defensively, Cora made a play at short, but threw a one-hopper to first, which Casey was able pick out of the dirt. Posted by Joe McDonald In the bottom of the first inning, Alex Cora grounded out to second base and Sean Casey popped out to left field. In the top of the second inning, Colon allowed one run on two hits. He threw 19 pitches (13 strikes). Posted by Joe McDonald Bartolo Colon threw 21 pitches (16 strikes) in the first inning. The right-hander allowed two singles and posted two strikeouts. He reached 97 MPH on the radar gun here at McCoy Stadium. Colon is scheduled to throw 55 pitches. Posted by Joe McDonald **Red Sox infielder Alex Cora (elbow) and Sean Casey (hip) will play Game One of tonight's doubleheader against Norfolk. Cora will play shortstop and Casey will play first base. After the game the two will rejoin their Boston teammates in Minnesota. Cora spent about 15 minutes during BP this afternoon signing autographs for the young fans here. It was pretty impressive. Casey also spent some time signing after he was done hitting. **Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) will start for the PawSox tonight. The right-hander is expected to throw 55 pitches. Posted by Joe McDonald We usually don't post the daily lineups from Pawtucket (I guess we should from now on) but Nick from Boston was wondering about today's game at McCoy Stadium. So here it is: PAWTUCKET Jeff Bailey, rf NORFOLK Tike Redman, cf Posted by Joe McDonald -- J.D. Drew is being given the night off from the starting lineup, partially because manager Terry Francona wants to make sure everyone gets a day here and there, and also because the Twins are starting a left-hander, Glen Perkins. This gives Francona an opportunity to have his two outfield speedsters -- Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp -- both in the lineup. Ellsbury is playing right, with Crisp, a switch hitter, in center. Drew is hitting .319 (6 for 19) on the trip, but has only one extra-base hit (a double) and one RBI. He also has fanned seven times in the last four games. -- Curt Schilling played catch again today from 60 feet, or maybe a few feet longer with some throws. He said he made roughly 40 throws and will do the same on Monday. -- Two roster moves will be made tomorrow. Alex Cora and Sean Casey are expected to come off the disabled list and join the Red Sox for tomorrow night's game at the Metrodome. Jed Lowrie and Craig Hansen would seem to be the most likely roster casualties because they have options. If Lugo has a more serious concussion than is originally thought, that could change the nature of the transactions. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Error-prone shortstop Julio Lugo has been scratched from the starting lineup because he may be suffering from a mild concussion. Lugo was struck on the side of the head by the knee of Minnesota second baseman Matt Tolbert on a forceout in the sixth inning of Friday night's game. The throw from Twins third baseman Mike Lamb to second base was high to the first-base side of the bag, forcing Tolbert to go up for it. Tolbert caught the ball for the out, but as Lugo slid into the base, Tolbert's knee made contact with Lugo's head. Lugo was a bit dizzy, but managed to stay in the game. He woke up dizzy this morning, was scratched from the starting lineup and sent for some tests. Neither Lugo nor manager Terry Francona thought it was anything serious, but they wanted to check it out. Rookie Jed Lowrie will start at shortstop tonight in place of Lugo, who committed his major-league-leading 11th error Friday night, leading to a pair of unearned runs in the Twins' 7-6 victory. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner RED SOX Ellsbury rf Matsuzaka TWINS Gomez cf Perkins p -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner By STEVEN KRASNER MINNEAPOLIS -- Jonathan Papelbon sat slumped in his chair in front of his locker, his head in his hands. That, of course, is not how the Boston Red Sox and their fans are used to seeing their supposedly dominant, invincible closer. They're used to seeing him pump his fist, raise his hands in the air and slaps fives with his teammates on the field after closing out another win. Unfortunately, Papelbon has been less dominant lately. Indeed, the right-hander has blown his last two saves, including one last night as Boston suffered a stunning 7-6 setback to the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. Only two nights earlier, Papelbon was stung for a checked-swing single, an error on a soft roller, a bunt, a groundout and finally a two-out broken-bat RBI single by Placido Polanco, coughing up two runs in the ninth in a 10-9 loss to the Tigers. Last night the culprit was veteran Mike Lamb, who dunked a two-out, two-run opposite-field single over third and inside the line that turned a come-from-behind Boston win into a depressing defeat. The hit for Lamb, who entered the game in the sixth inning because Brendan Harris had to leave (tight hamstring), scored Delmon Young from third and speedster Carlos Gomez from second. "The last one was one of those things. This one tonight was a totally different story. There was no correlation at all to the other one," said Papelbon after sorting out his thoughts and talking to the media about 20 minutes after Lamb's hit dropped softly onto the turf. "Tonight I didn't execute a pitch when I had one out to get. It's that simple," said Papelbon, who had successfully racked up saves in each of his first 10 chances before faltering on this road trip. "It's frustrating as hell right now. The simple fact is I'm making good pitches but I'm not finishing them off all the way through the strike zone. I was in a comfortable position with one out to get. I didn't get a split-finger where I wanted it. I don't have the sharpness I usually have," said Papelbon. Of course, it's not that simple. Papelbon has been a flame-thrower, a strikeout machine in his career. Over his first seven appearances of this season, for instance, Papelbon punched out 16 batters in only 8 innings. But of the last 25 batters he has faced, Papelbon has only one strikeout. That's right, just one. Papelbon wasn't as clear in his description of what "finishing his pitches" means, but pitching coach John Farrell shed some light on the issue. "He went through a stretch early where he was so dominant with such good command of his fastball and great location," said Farrell. "Right now, I'm not going to say he's off, but he's not in that same groove. He's not as dominant as he was during that stretch." And that is a mechanical problem, suggested Farrell. "He's a little spread out with the lower half of his body at times just a hair," said Farrell. "That doesn't give him a downhill plane for his split so it doesn't have the bottoming out action. It's not every pitch, but it happened (on the pitch to Lamb) and it cost him two runs." So now Papelbon has blown saves in back-to-back chances for only the second time in his career. The other time was Aug. 6 (at Tampa Bay) and Aug. 9 (at Kansas City), 2006. It also marks the first time in his career he has been tagged with losses in back-to-back relief outings. That doesn't mean Farrell or Papelbon feel there is a crisis of confidence brewing. "Pap has always been pretty good about when things don't go the way he or we planned to be able to go out the next time he pitches and forget about the time before," said Farrell. "I just have to go back on the mound and get back my confidence. I mean, it's not an issue of confidence, but I have to go back out there the next time and approach hitters the way I get hitters out and finish my pitches the way I can," said Papelbon. The finish of the game was in many was in keeping with how most of the rest of it was played. There was some ugly baseball on both sides from throws to the wrong bases, errors, plays not being made that should have been made. But the Sox did have a 6-5 lead into the ninth, thanks to a four-run fifth-inning surge that overcame a 5-2 deficit and put Jon Lester (5 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 5 earned runs) in position for a win. Mike Lowell ripped a two-run double off starter Boof Bonser, Kevin Youkilis chased home the tying run with a groundout and the go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch from reliever Juan Rincon. The Sox, though, wasted some chances to pad their lead, ultimately stranding 11 baserunners. Still, thanks to two great innings from Hideki Okajima, the win was three outs away. They only got two. Young opened the inning with a ground-ball single of the middle, went to second on a bunt and stole third after Adam Everett fouled out. Gomez drew a walk (his 4th in 131 plate appearances) and then was allowed to steal second without a throw, his 15th steal of the season, putting the winning run in scoring position. Why not hold him closer? "There were three different reasons -- who's running, who's pitching, giving up a hole (in the infield defense)," said Boston manager Terry Francona. Francona said the only chance to throw out Gomez would have been for Papelbon to use the slide-step, and he didn't want Papelbon doing that for fear it would hinder his stuff and location. "You're never happy giving up the lead run but considering everything, the biggest thing was we didn't want to vacate a position," said Francona. Instead, Papelbon was left with a vacant look in his eyes, having blown the save on Lamb's hit. "You can't defense that hit," sighed Francona. "He's a professional hitter and he got enough of the bat on the ball and hit it where nobody was." Posted by Steven Krasner BY STEVEN KRASNER MINNEAPOLIS -- Jon Lester, as has been his disturbing custom, threw a lot of pitches in the early going Friday night. It took him 57 pitches to get through the first two innings. Not all of it was his fault; a throw to the wrong base by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury led to extra pitches in the first and Julio Lugo's ugly error in the second cost him some more pitches. But he settled down, found his rhythm and lasted 5 1/3 innings (94 pitches) before manager Terry Francona lifted him. Lester allowed eight hits, but walked only one. Of the five runs he gave up, only three were earned. "I thought I threw the ball well," said Lester. "They had some broken-bat hits and some balls found holes. There's not a lot you can do about that. You just try to minimize the damage. You have to keep pounding the strike zone and hope they hit the ball at people." Lester almost got hurt on a play that was scary from the start. Justin Morneau shattered his bat on a pitch in the third inning. The barrel of the bat started flying toward Lester before veering off more toward second base on the infield grass. A piece of wood that floated past Lester to the third-base side caused him to duck his head and put up his arms in a reaction to the wood-flying chaos, even though he never was in danger of being struck. Once Lester realized he'd be all right, he raced over to cover first base because when Morneau made contact, the ball bounced to first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis fed a throw to Lester, who arrived at the bag a split-second before Morneau, who tried the head-first slide. As Lester landed on the bag, he slightly turned his right ankle. He hopped on his left foot for a couple of steps as he passed the bag and then went down to the dirt. After a few seconds, with Francona and trainer Paul Lessard checking him out, Lester got up and walked to the mound. After taking a couple of warmup tosses, he assured them he was fine and he stayed in the game. "I stepped on the bag wrong, but it shouldn't be a concern at all," said Lester. * * * Lugo misplayed a routine bouncer right at him in the second inning, a two-out error that paved the way to a pair of unearned runs and a 4-2 Minnesota lead. It was Lugo's major-league-leading 11th error and fourth in the his last eight starts. Manager Terry Francona, though, said he didn't talk to Lugo about the errors and didn't seem to indicate that Lugo might need a few "mental health" days. * * * The left-hander retired all six batters he faced, setting them down on a total of 15 pitches, in establishing a sense of order to the Red Sox' pitching, which was spotty Friday night against the Twins. Okajima needed only six pitches to work a spotless seventh and then in the eighth, his devastating changeup produced a full-count whiff of Minnesota cleanup hitter Justin Morneau leading off the inning. The rest was easy -- two pitches in fact -- for a groundout and a foulout. The outing lowered his earned-run average to 0.53. Posted by Steven Krasner May 9, 2008
A shipment of pink baseball bats arrived in the Sox' clubhouse and will be used Sunday for the Mother's Day game in an effort to foster awareness of breast cancer and the need for more research to combat the disease. Manny Ramirez seemed especially excited to receive his pink bats. They will nicely complement the new reddish/pink baseball glove he unwrapped at his locker. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Alex Cora (elbow) was due to play in his last rehab game for the PawSox today, and Sean Casey (hip) was slated to play in his next-to-last one, but rain foiled that plan. So with a doubleheader scheduled tomorrow in Pawtucket, Boston manager Terry Francona said this afternoon they would each play in the first game for the PawSox and rejoin the Red Sox in Minnesota in time for Sunday night's game. Once they arrive, a couple of roster moves will have to be made. Rookie Jed Lowrie would seem to be the logical candidate to be dropped to Pawtucket when Cora is added. And, with the Red Sox having 13 pitchers instead of their normal complement of 12, a reliever is likely to be at risk. Craig Hansen has options, so unless something more dramatic is done to make room for Casey, it's possible he could be returning to Pawtucket. Bartolo Colon (oblique), meanwhile, will continue working his way back to Boston by starting tomorrow's first game for the PawSox. He is expected to pitch the first three innings. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner RED SOX Ellsbury cf Lester p TWINS Gomez cf Bonser p -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner The Pawtucket Red Sox game against the Norfolk Tides scheduled for tonight at McCoy Stadium has been rained out, and will be played as part of a double header tomorrow at 6 p.m. Posted by Mike McDermott NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Farnsworth’s suspension was cut from three games to one Friday by Major League Baseball following an appeal by the New York Yankees reliever. Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president in charge of discipline, announced the original penalty April 19, two days after Farnsworth threw a fastball behind the neck of Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez. Farnsworth wasn’t ejected and said the ball slipped. John McHale Jr., executive vice president for administration in the commissioner’s office, heard Farnsworth’s appeal Tuesday. Farnsworth was to serve the suspension Friday, baseball spokesman Rich Levin said. Your Turn: Should the Red Sox retaliate for Farnsworth's pitch the next time they play the Yankees? Posted by Mike McDermott Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Kevin Youkilis' hot start -- can he make it last? -- Josh Beckett's steady improvement, Manny Ramirez's quest for 500 home runs -- and is 600 a realistic goal? -- and the Minnesota Twins, who are hanging in there despite the loss of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. Posted by Mike McDermott  HIT MAKER: We'd love for him to reflect in depth what he thinks about all this, but apparently he left his blog-updating equipment in Tokyo. So while Kevin Youkilis talks about his offensive emergence at the postgame-interview-soundbite level, others explain it all for us: -- Our own Steven Krasner marvels that Youkilis can hit, and produce, almost anywhere in the lineup . . . a Terry Francona luxury that virtually no other manager enjoys. Last night it was the cleanup spot; placed there when Manny Ramirez was given the day off, Youkilis hit his fourth home run in five games, a two-run shot in the fifth inning that led the Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Tigers. -- The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes wonders if we're not seeing a Youkilis transformation from on-base machine to power hitter. -- The Worcester Telegram and Gazette's Bill Ballou notes that Youkilis -- now with seven home runs this season -- didn't hit his seventh last year until May 28 (an inside-the-parker against the Indians, to boot) and didn't get No. 7 in 2006 until June 4. -- The Boston Herald's Steve Buckley says you can call Youkilis anything you want but he doesn't want you to call him a power hitter. Seeing as how he's on pace for 31 homers and 121 RBI, though, perhaps he'd better get used to it. Youkilis is well-known for his demonstrative outbursts -- a reader of the blog Shysterball caught his NSFW blast last week -- but now he's becoming known for his baseball skills, as well. The Twins blog Twinkie Town, previewing the upcoming Sox' weekend series in Minneapolis, waxes poetic -- kind of -- about Youk and says its one wish would be for Youkilis to be hitting behind Joe Mauer. (It might have happened, too. Remember those 2005 trade rumors that had Youkilis and Anibal Sanchez going to Minnesota for J.C. Romero? That would have been one for the ages, eh?) And he's one of the reasons Dan Lamothe at Red Sox Monster thinks everything's beginning to fall in place for the Sox. TOP OF THE HEAP: The Detroit Free Press' Michael Rosenberg agrees. In the midst of a lament about the state of the Tigers, he calls the Red Sox the best team in baseball. NO ARGUMENT HERE: MSNBC.com's Michael Celizic not only agrees, he goes further than that. When he looks at the Red Sox, he sees a team "that could keep right on riding roughshod over the division for years to come." LONGEVITY AWARD: Josh Beckett pitched seven strong innings last night and recorded his 1,000th career strikeout along the way. Krasner reports Beckett, while pleased, wasn't overly excited about the milestone. ("It means you've been around for a while . . . ") That was the top item of a notebook that included bits on an obstruction play involving Dustin Pedroia and Tigers shortstop Rafael Santiago, Ramirez' rest day, Curt Schilling's second game of catch, and other game notes. Beckett's performance is looked at in more detail by the Globe's Amalie Benjamin and the Herald's Rob Bradford. OH, DO I REMEMBER: The obstruction play with Pedroia -- in which the Sox argued, to no avail, that Pedroia should be allowed to score; instead, he was only awarded third base -- reminded Francona of the 2003 ALDS. To wit: Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller got in the way of the A's Miguel Tejada, which gave Tejada third base, but Tejada mistakenly thought he was entitled to the next base, as well; he sauntered home and was tagged out. "It's why I'm here," Francona told Ballou. Translation: Francona was the A's bench coach at the time and Oakland lost the series in no small part to that play. Not sure I quite follow the reasoning -- the Sox' managerial job opened because they lost the ALCS to the Yankees, not because they beat the A's in the ALDS, and the Oakland staff didn't get fired after losing to the Sox -- but it sounds good. INCHING FORWARD: Buckley described Schilling's throwing session yesterday as another baby step in his recovery. BACK TO NORMAL: Youkilis isn't Boston's only hot bat. Bradford reports on the reawakenings of David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. EDGE, ELLSBURY: While the team record in games they start is nearly identical, the Sox score a startingly higher number of runs in games when Jacoby Ellsbury starts in center field (6.4) than when Coco Crisp starts (3.8). (Boston Globe) WATCH THIS: If you watched last night's game on NESN, you heard Jerry Remy talk at length about stolen-base attempts -- specifically, an attempt by Ellsbury -- being determined by the time of the pitcher's delivery to the plate. The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro breaks down that strategy from the Diamondbacks' point of view . . . and Arizona, remember, is run by former Theo Epstein assistant Josh Byrnes. SYMPATHY FOR THE . . . ALL RIGHT, WE WON'T CALL HIM THE DEVIL: The blog Shysterball empathizes with Julio Lugo, failing to see why reporters needed to question him about his crucial error Wednesday night. "[Lugo] basically just screwed up. He knows it. The reporters know it. The fans know it. What else is there to add on a primary source reporting basis?" SORROW AND JOY: There's no empathy for Lugo in the Sox blogosophere, as the blogs Center Field, Soxaholix and Papel-Blog demonstrate. The Yankee blogosphere, as represented by IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS . . . caught, regards Lugo as its favorite Red Sox player. REUNITED: Jim Rice says the Red Sox do a wonderful job of keeping their former players in touch with each other. (ask14,.sullivantire.com) WELCOME ABOARD: The Globe's Nancy Marrapese-Burrell has a nice feature on NESN's new Red Sox reporter, Heidi Watney. STAY AS LONG AS YOU LIKE: The rehabbing Alex Cora was joined in Pawtucket yesterday by Sean Casey, and PawSox players were delighted: Cora and Casey treated their minor-league teammates to a big-league food spread after the game, as is the tradition for major-leaguers when they arrive. Joe McDonald has all the details, along with the recap of David Pauley's 3-2 win over Durham. CLIMBING BACK UP THE LADDER: In more minor-league news, Benjamin's weekly notebook begins with an item on Daniel Bard, who's rebounding from a disappointing 2007. And Michael Bowden pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball Wednesday night at Portland. (rotoworld.com) DANGER ZONE: The sight of Placido Polanco's bat shattering as he looped the game-winning hit into left field Wednesday night is all-too-familiar these days; maple, which is becoming the wood of choice for many players, has a tendency to splinter. Yahoo.com's Jeff Passan notes that the flying shards are extremely dangerous -- Pirates coach Don Long was hit in the face with one a few weeks ago and suffered nerve damage -- and, comparing it to the foul ball that killed base coach Mike Coolbaugh last year, says "neither Major League Baseball nor the MLB Players Association can afford to wait for another tragedy when it could take preventative measures. Were officials from either party to meet with Long . . . they would understand the issue must be resolved immediately." UNHAPPY NEW YEAR: With last night's loss, Tigers starter Jason Verlander now has as many defeats -- six -- as he did all last year. (Detroit Free Press) And Miguel Cabrera, off to a slow start with the struggling Tigers, admits he misses the Marlins. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) THE ANSWER: The Detroit News' Rob Parker says Barry Bonds is the cure for what ails the Tigers.
WEIGHING IN: We haven't had a story on whether or not Chamberlain should be in the starting rotation in a few days, so here's Steven Goldman of the New York Sun. He wants Chamberlain to start. BETTER TIMES AHEAD: The Yankees salvaged the finale of the three-game series with the Indians, and both Bill Madden of the Daily News and Mike Vaccaro of the Post see the glass as half full in the Bronx. REALLY BETTER TIMES AHEAD: The blog Sliding Into Home has video of Keith Olbermann raving about the new Yankee Stadium. BRING ME BACK: David Wells has a cure for the Yankee starting-pitching woes: Himself. (New York Post) WORKING THINGS OUT: Neil Best of Newsday says Joe Girardi's relationship with the New York media is at the growing-pains stage. HITCHIN' A RIDE: While riding the subway to Yankee Stadium Wednesday night, Rich Lederer of Baseball Analysts was stunned to be sharing the train with that night's Indians starter, Cliff Lee. CAN'T WIN IF YOU CAN'T HIT: SI.com's John Donovan says the Padres' postseason chances are being killed by an offense that's downright offensive. LOCAL BOYS: John McDonald, suffering from an ankle sprain, was placed on the disabled list by the Blue Jays. (Toronto Globe and Mail) HERE AND THERE: The Rangers designated Ben Broussard for assignment (mlb.com) . . . Leo Mazzone wants back in baseball (AP via USA Today) . . . John Smoltz hopes to return to the Braves by the end of May (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Nationals catchers Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada are both headed to the disabled list (Washington Post) . . . The Royals' Jose Guillen isn't playing because of a sore neck (Kansas City Star) . . . Rangers manager Ron Washington is safe until at least the All-Star break (Dallas Morning News) . . . The Brewers have placed former closer Derrick Turnbow on irrevocable waivers. (mlb.com) OLD FRIENDS: Kason Gabbard had to leave the game because of bruising in his legs suffered when he was charged by Richie Sexson after throwing a pitch close to Sexson's head in the Rangers' game at Seattle last night (Dallas Morning News) . . . Say what you will about Johnny Damon, but you can do nothing but admire his frankness. Prior to yesterday's game he called himself out for not hitting. (mlb.com) And then he stepped up and led the Yankees to victory (New York Post) . . . Alex Gonzalez, who suffered a compression fracture in his knee earlier this year, is coming along slowly (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . David Eckstein is on the DL in Toronto. (mlb.com) -- ART MARTONE Posted by Art Martone May 8, 2008
In Wednesday night's game, Jacoby Ellsbury led off the seventh inning with a single. The Red Sox were trailing, 8-5. The general rule of thumb in such a situation is to play it safe and not risk running into an out. But Ellsbury didn't play it safe. He took off for second, even though Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, one of the best ever at throwing out base-stealers, was behind the plate. Ellsbury was safe by a relatively close margin, stealing the base because of his speed and the fact that the Tigers pitcher, Zach Miner, was slow to the plate, as timed by first-base coach Luis Alicea. The Sox really didn't see it as a gamble. The stolen base was Ellsbury's second of the game and 13th of the season, running his string to 22 in a row without being caught at the start of his career. Boston eventually scored three runs in the inning, on a homer by Mike Lowell, pulling even at that stage. "If the numbers don't add up, it's hard to do it," said Francona, referring to Miner's time to the plate. "Pudge made a phenomenal throw, but with the numbers, why not (send him)? He made the good throw but didn't get him. If something like that helps us win a game we're going to do it." Besides, while Ellsbury's career still is in its formative stages, Francona has seen enough to know that the rookie outfielder knows how to run the bases. "He's only got two months in the major leagues, but he is a good basestealer," said Francona. "He does a good job. he's not just fast. I do think he's pretty smart, too. He's confident." Ellsbury didn't see the danger of taking off even though the Sox were down three runs late in the game with the big boppers coming up. "It's a situation where if I think I can make it I'll go," said Ellsbury. "Maybe we can stay out of the double play. That way David (Ortiz) and Manny (Ramirez) are coming up with runners in scoring position." Tim Raines has the major league record for most successful steals at the start of a career -- 27. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Curt Schilling (right shoulder) played catch from 60 feet this afternoon, again making 25 tosses as he did on Tuesday, the first time he was cleared to throw a baseball this spring. Schilling will perform various strengthening drills tomorrow and will play catch from 60 feet yet another time on Saturday before he is evaluated to see if he can progress to a more intense throwing workload. His return to the mound, though, still is a long way off. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Manny Ramirez is out of the starting lineup. There's nothing wrong with him physically, said manager Terry Francona a short time ago. Just a rest. Jacoby Ellsbury is shifting over to left field from center with Coco Crisp starting in center. Ramirez has started 35 of the Sox' first 36 games. He has been in a bit of a slump lately, though. Ramirez, who got off to a torrid start that had him leading the American League in batting average at .370 on April 25, has batted a mere .195 (8 for 41) since, dropping his average down to a still very respectable .316. He hasn't been especially productive over his last 16 games, either. Ramirez has only one homer and four RBI in his last 60 at-bats. He did hit a homer in this series, though. It was his seventh of the year and the 497th of his career. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner RED SOX Ellsbury lf Beckett p TIGERS Granderson cf Verlander p -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner To say Brandon Moss is a gamer would be a huge understatement. The Red Sox outfielder, who had an emergency appendectomy last Saturday night, has already begun his rehab. He’s been at McCoy the last two days working on his cardio, which has included running and riding the stationary bike. He will leave for Fort Myers on Saturday to participate in extended spring training, and if everything goes well, he should be able to play in a rehab game for the PawSox on May 18. Posted by Joe McDonald The Pawtucket Red Sox earned an even split of their four-game home series with the Durham Bulls by winning 3-2, today at McCoy Stadium. Rehabbing Sean Casey was 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and a run scored, while Alex Cora, also on a rehab assignment, was 1 for 4 with a single and a run scored. David Pauley (3-2) pitched six innings for the win, striking out five and walking one while surrendering both Durham runs in the sixth. Bryan Corey picked up the save by striking out two batters in a perfect ninth inning. Posted by Mike McDermott The PawSox have a 3-2 lead after six innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Jeff Bailey led off with a infield single. Alex Cora hit the first offering and hit into a 4-6-3 double play. He's now 1-for-4 today. Sean Casey followed and struck out on three straight pitches. He's 2-for-4 today. Posted by Joe McDonald The PawSox have a 3-0 lead over the Bulls after three innings. Alex Cora hit a single and scored a run. Sean Casey also provided a single and scored a run. Cora is now 1-2 and Casey is 2-for-2 today. Posted by Joe McDonald Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey (hip sprain) and infielder Alex Cora (elbow strain) are playing for the PawSox this afternoon as both continue their rehab assignments. Cora, who went 2-for-4 in his first appearance on Wednesday, is batting second and will play second base again today against the Durham Bulls. He will play shortstop on Friday and will rejoin the Red Sox this weekend. He said this morning that he's 100 percent. He grounded out in his first at-bat. Casey is serving as the PawSox' DH today and will play first base on Friday. He singled in his first at-bat. Posted by Joe McDonald Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: a tough, tough way to lose a game, Julio Lugo's channeling of Edgar Renteria, whether there's a market for Julian Tavarez, and the struggles of tonight's Tigers starter, Justin Verlander. Posted by Mike McDermott The San Diego Union-Tribune reports today that David Sanborn, a Red Sox fan from Oceanside, Calif., has been ordered to pay about $25,000 for his role in a bar fight in 2006 with Mario Melendez, a Yankee fan. Melendez sued for damages because he injured his hand when he punched Sanborn (Melendez said the punch was in self-defense). No criminal charges were filed in the incident, but a Superior Court jury on Tuesday awarded Melendez $15,297 for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering; and $10,000 in additional punitive damages. Sanborn, a Massachusetts native, claimed that Melendez challenged him to a fight and then sucker-punched him. Posted by Mike McDermott  NOW HERE'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY . . . and the fact is, you shouldn't have seen it last night, either. But that rarest of baseball sightings -- a Jonathan Papelbon blown save -- was built on this house of cards: A check-swing, excuse-me, didn't-mean-to-hit-it roller into no-man's land between the pitcher's mound and shortstop that went for an infield hit; an error by Julio Lugo (above); a bunt; an infield grounder that delivered the tying run; and a shattered-bat dying quail that looped into short left field just out of the reach of the leaping Lugo. Paplebon was seen flinging his glove and kicking over Gatorade buckets in the dugout upon its conclusion, but Steven Krasner reports he was downright philosophical as he discussed the Red Sox' 10-9 loss to the Tigers last night, a defeat that stung all the more because it wasted Boston comebacks from deficits of 4-0, 5-2 and 8-4. Such losses usually demand a scapegoat -- especially around here -- and last night's wasn't hard to find: Lugo, whose error was the key play in the inning (and who now has 10 in 33 games). Terry Francona defended his shortstop (Boston Globe), but the inevitable line of media questioning, which included resurrection of his three-error game in Toronto last month, prompted a why-are-things-so-negative-in-Boston? outburst from Lugo himself. To which the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley commented: "This is a guy who has said on numerous occasions that during his days with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays he thought it would be cool to play for the Red Sox. Then again, maybe he really didn’t know what he was getting into." And what was he getting into? A place where 10 errors in 33 games, including a crucial ninth-inning flub that leads directly to a frustrating loss despite having your all-but-invincible closer on the mound, don't go unnoticed. MISPLACED PRIORITIES: Chad Finn says that if Papelbon was looking for something to kick after the game, he should have started with Lugo. (www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases) Hey, at least he didn't go all Mark Buerhle on the dugout heater. (Chicago Sun-Times) STARTING OVER: The string of strong performances from Red Sox starting pitchers was broken by Clay Buchholz, who allowed 10 hits and 5 runs before being yanked after four innings. Krasner has the details in his postgame notebook, which includes items on the strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out double play executed by the Sox that ended the eighth inning, Dustin Pedroia's pinch-hit single in the eighth that gave Boston a 9-8 lead, and an interesting night for Kevin Youkilis. CHANCE FOR SECONDS: Krasner's pregame notebook leads with the reason Pedroia was available for pinch-hitting duties: Jed Lowrie was given the start at second base last night. Kraz also makes note of a pretty obscure record set Tuesday night by Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin, and details on the Mother's Day Walk In The Park at Fenway. BUT NOT MANY MORE CHANCES: Lowrie's days in the bigs are probably numbered, since Alex Cora has begun his rehab assignment in Pawtucket and may be ready to return to Boston in a few days. Joe McDonald talked to Cora before and after his 2-for-4 performance, in which he played second base but didn't get any chances in the field. Oh, the game? Kyle Snyder got the win as the PawSox beat Durham, 12-7. McDonald has the info. STILL PERFECT: Jacoby Ellsbury stole two bases last night, his 12th and 13th of the season (which pulls him into a tie for the league lead), and he's now 22-for-22 in stolen-base attempts as a major-leaguer. (Boston Herald) A TAVAREZ SIGHTING: Julian Tavarez -- dubbed "Rip Van" Tavarez by the Boston Globe's Gordon Edes -- got into his first game since April 24 and allowed three runs in his only inning of work. He told the Herald's Rob Bradford that the swirling trade rumors -- the Rockies allegedly are interested -- don't bother him and that "[whatever] I get, I'll take it." EL GOLFER: Jim Donaldson spent a day on the links with Luis Tiant. ODDS ARE . . . 20-1 that the Red Sox will sign Mark Teixeira when he (presumably) becomes a free agent this winter, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. The favorite? The Yankees, at 3-2. OFF THE CLIFF: The Yankee offense was shuttered last night by Cliff Lee, who beat Chien-Ming Wang, 3-0, in a battle of unbeaten pitchers. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Wang, reports the New York Daily News, pitched well enough to win, but not well enough to beat the rampaging Lee, whose seven shutout innings dropped his ERA to 0.81. SOME MISTAKES YOU JUST KEEP PAYING FOR: Sometime between pregame workouts, when Alex Rodriguez was the picture of optimism, and the end of last night's game, the decision was made that A-Rod needs another MRI, which means he probably won't be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the DL. (New York Daily News) The Post's Joel Sherman says it's all a result of the Yanks rushing him back too soon when he first suffered the injury, a miscalculation the Yankees admit. STAY HOME: Bob Watson says that -- for all the reasons you'd think -- Roger Clemens isn't welcome on the U.S. Olympic Team. (New York Daily News) THE RIGHT STUFF: In light of all that's happened to Clemens, Foxsports.com's Tracy Ringolsby thinks Mark McGwire's disappear-into-the-ether strategy looks pretty good. MAKE IT, HURT: Partly as a lifetime achievement award and partly because he was the only major-leaguer to voluntarily cooperate with the Mitchell investigation, the blog Big League Stew is starting a campaign to get Frank Thomas named to the A.L. All-Star team. SHIFT IN POWER: When I was growing up, the National League was far and away superior to the American League. Nowadays -- as starkly evidenced hereabouts by the Red Sox' last two World Series appearances -- the opposite is true. But David Pinto, writing for sportingnews.com, writes that the N.L. is actually outscoring the A.L. so far this year and that, with its influx of young talent, it may soon be No. 1 again. LOCAL BOYS: Chris Iannetta's heroics continue, as his two-run triple helped the Rockies come from behind and beat the Cardinals, 4-3. (Denver Post) Pinto, writing on his Baseball Musings blog, thinks Iannetta should be playing four out of every five games. Elsewhere, John McDonald is making it clear he wants no part of the disabled list in Toronto. (Toronto Star) ONE STEP BEYOND: Forget pink bats (which we'll see again on Sunday). The White Sox' Nick Swisher, John Danks and Toby Hall have all died their facial hair pink to raise awareness for breast cancer and pay tribute to Mothers Day. (Chicago Tribune) HYPERTENSION: Yesterday's 9-0 loss to the Reds turned the mood sour in the Cubs clubhouse. (Chicago Tribune) THE GLASS IS HALF FULL: Barry Zito didn't win, but he didn't pitch badly in his return to the Giants' starting rotation. (San Jose Mercury News) YOUR TURN NOW: On Monday, a USA Today story sparked Ken Griffey Jr.-back-to-Seattle speculation. On Tuesday, the Reds threw cold water over the reports. Yesterday, the Mariners did the same. (Seattle Times) HERE AND THERE: The Mariners are struggling and the effects are being felt at the box office. Tuesday night's game against the Rangers attracted the smallest crowd in the history of Safeco Field (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) . . . The rehabbing Mark Mulder has been diagnosed with a rotator-cuff strain (mlb.com) . . . Braves closer Rafael Soriano has no structural damage in his elbow, which doctors say is good news (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . The Mets' Angel Pagan may have hurt his shoulder when he collided with a wall after catching a foul ball yesterday in Los Angeles (New York Daily News) . . . Chad Gaudin is headed to the A's bullpen to make room in the rotation for the returning Rich Harden. (San Francisco Chronicle) OLD FRIENDS: Former Red Sox farmhand Phil Dumatrait recorded his first major-league victory in the Pirates' 3-1 win over the Giants (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Cliff Floyd is close to returning to the Rays (Tampa Tribune) . . . Pedro Martinez is slowly recuperating from his hamstring strain. (Newsday) PASSAGES: Pat Santarone, the long-time Orioles groundskeeper who planted tomatoes in the bullpen every year in a competition with his friend Earl Weaver as to who had the best plants, has died at age 79. (Baltimore Sun) -- ART MARTONE Posted by Art Martone May 7, 2008
Red Sox infielder Alex Cora (elbow strain) just finished his first of three rehab games for the PawSox against the Durham Bulls. Prior to the game Cora said he's healthy and ready to play. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He's hit second in the PawSox' lineup and played second base. He posted only one assist in the field, a 6-5-4-6 run down. Posted by Joe McDonald Red Sox infielder Alex Cora (elbow strain) is scheduled to play three rehab games for the PawSox, beginning tonight against the Durham Bulls. Prior to the game Cora said he's healthy and ready to play. He's batting second in the PawSox' lineup and playing second. He's already 1-for-1 with a single and run scored in the first inning. PawSox manager Ron Johnson sat in his office at McCoy Stadium this afternoon and recalled the first time he saw Cora play. It was in 1997 when Cora, in only his second professional season in the Dodgers organization, was playing for Double-A San Antonio and Johnson was managing in Wichita (Kansas City Royals). “He was the same kind of player back then,” said Johnson. “He was always doing the right thing at the right time of the game. You would look at him and from physical skills you’d be like ‘well. . .’ but, God, this guy knew how to play the game. You can see why he’s got 10 years in the big leagues and why he’ll probably be a big-league manager.” Posted by Joe McDonald The Red Sox will host a Mother's Day Walk in the Park at Fenway Park on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission to the park is free. Fans can benefit the Red Sox Foundation by purchasing $10 tickets for the 2008 Ring Raffle. A total of nine Red Sox fans will receive genuine World Series rings and a 10th winner will receive a Volvo C30 Red Sox Special Edition car. The 2004 and 2007 World Series Championship trophies will be on display from 11-1 during the Walk in the Park . Fans will be able to have their pictures taken with the trophy. Former Red Sox players, Wally the Green Monster and mascots Lefty and Righty also will be on hand. Food and beverages will be on sale. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner When Tim Wakefield (41 years, 278 days) and Mike Timlin (42 years, 57 days) combined on a shutout Tuesday night against the Tigers, it marked the first time since 1900, when such records were kept, that a team has tossed a shutout using multiple pitchers over the age of 40. That nugget came from research done by the Elias Sports Bureau after the Sox' 5-0 triumph over the Tigers. "That's cool," said Wakefield. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Bartolo Colon threw a side session today and is on schedule to join Pawtucket for a start at McCoy Stadium Saturday night against Norfolk. Manager Terry Francona said he expected Colon to throw three innings. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner Dustin Pedroia is being given tonight off from the starting lineup, with rookie Jed Lowrie replacing him at second base and in the number two hole in the batting order, rain permitting. Pedroia is the only member of the Sox to have played in all 35 games. Manager Terry Francona figured tonight would be a good day to give him a rest. "I' ve thought about it before, but it seems like every time I want to do it he gets three hits," said Francona. "But he looked last night like it would be a good night to give him a blow," said Francona of Pedroia, who went 0 for 5 and bobbled a routine ground ball for his second error of the season in Tuesday night's game. Lowrie, meanwhile, is likely headed back to Pawtucket when the rehab assignment of utility infielder Alex Cora (sprained right elbow) comes to an end. Cora is scheduled to play three games for the PawSox, beginning tonight, so if he makes it through those three games without a mishap, he could be joining the Sox in Minneapolis over the weekend. Lowrie, who was called up from Pawtucket on April 10, has been solid in his first taste of the big leagues, especially after having had only a little more than a week of Triple A experience. Lowrie, who has played shortstop, second and third for Boston, was batting .286 (10 for 35) in his first month in the majors heading into tonight's game. "We all know he's a really good prospect. He has done a really good job for us. In fairness to his career, not to him, he needs to make sure he plays every day and develops. Playing every day is important to his career. He has not even had a lot of time at Triple A," said Francona of Lowrie, 24, the 45th pick overall in the 2005 draft. -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner It's raining right now, but the storm is expected to move through in time for the Sox to play the Tigers as scheduled, though there may be a delay at the start. So, if the game is played, here are the starting lineups. RED SOX Ellsbury cf Buchholz p TIGERS Granderson cf Galarraga p -- Steven Krasner Posted by Steven Krasner One more nugget from the Red Sox team notes: Manny Ramirez and DAvid Ortiz last night homered in the same game for the 47th time, which ties them for 15th all-time among any set of teammates. Here are the rankings: Posted by Mike McDermott Steve Krasner just told us that the weather is not so good out in Detroit, where the Red Sox and the Tigers are set to play the third game of their four-game series. The forecast calls for windy and rainy conditions most of the night, including possible thundershowers, before clearing sets in later in the evening. We'll see how this affects the start of the game. Posted by Mike McDermott According to the Red Sox game notes, last night's combined shutout by Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin marked the first time in major-league history that a team pitched a combined shutout using only pitchers older than 40. Wakefield is 41; Timlin is 42. Both pitchers were born in 1966, as was Curt Schilling, who is working his way back from the disabled list. Posted by Mike McDermott Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the combined shutout by 41-year-old Tim Wakefield and 42-year-old Mike Timlin; the first throwing session of the year for 41-year-old Curt Schilling; Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz becoming a force in the middle again; and the MLB Players Association's investigation of the owners' failure for not finding a job for Barry Bonds. Posted by Mike McDermott
THE VIEW: Ask the Tigers and they'll tell you they're in a slump. (Detroit News) Ask the Red Sox and they'll tell you Tim Wakefield (above) was brilliant. There's truth on both sides, and Steven Krasner tells us how the Sox saw last night's 5-0 whitewashing in Detroit: As a brilliant pitching performance by the 41-year-old Wakefield, who scattered two hits over eight innings (retiring 17 in a row at one point) without walking anyone. He had help, ranging from personal catcher Kevin Cash, who, reports Krasner, had a good night both offensively and defensively; to Manny Ramirez, who moved one home run closer to career homer No. 500 (Boston Herald); to David Ortiz, who homered one pitch before Ramirez hit No. 497. (Boston Herald). And not that it means anything, necessarily, but the Sox now have the largest lead of any first-place team in baseball, at 3 1/2 games. (Projo Stats) BACK TO WORK: Krasner reports on Curt Schilling's first throwing session of the season, which consisted of playing long toss with John Farrell. Schilling himself talked about it before it happened on his blog (38pitches.com), then said afterward that, basically, it was the first step in a thousand-mile journey. (Boston Herald) GET YOUR TICKETS NOW: Alex Cora and Sean Casey will be making rehab appearances in Pawtucket later this week. Krasner has the details. As for the PawSox, Shalise Manza Young reports they wasted a fine pitching performance by Davern Hansack in a 3-0 loss to Durham. She also has a feature on surprise leadoff hitter Jeff Bailey. LOST IN AMERICA: Krasner reflects on Julian Tavarez, who hasn't pitched since April 24. ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THE COIN . . . Jim Leyland exploded at the Tigers when they were floundering a few weeks ago. But now that they're floundering again, he's taking a different tack. (Detroit Free Press) FABULOUS FREDDY: Joe Posnanski, who has consistently come out against Jim Rice's Hall of Fame candidacy, makes the case for Fred Lynn being enshrined. (joeposnanski.com) NOW THAT'S A PIECE OF MEMORABILIA: Bob Feller and Carl Yastrzemski once wore the same uniform jersey -- for the Raleigh Caps -- and one of the team's former batboys now owns it. (Charlotte News and Observer)
BREAKING THE RULES: "Cut into Joba Chamberlain's skin," writes George King of the New York Post, "and he bleeds." It might not have seemed that way through his whirlwind first few months as a big-leaguer, but Chamberlain proved as human as anybody else last night as -- for the first time in a regular-season game -- he blew a late-inning lead, allowing a three-run, eighth-inning homer to David Dellucci that gave the Indians a 5-3 win over the Yankees. (The picture above captures his reaction.) His only previous blown save had come in the playoffs last year in Cleveland; this time, though, there was no swarm of midges to blame. What's to blame, writes the New York Daily News' John Harper, was a change in pitching philosophy as, in his own words, Chamberlain "didn't attack the zone as much as I should have." He was mixing in sliders and curveballs -- even though Dellucci did hit a fastball for the home run -- and Harper wonders if the expansion of his pitch repertoire was the first step toward a move into the starting rotation, where you can't just fire fastball after fastball at hitters for six or seven innings. Kevin Kernan of the Post says now we'll see how well Chamberlain reacts to the inevitable failure that, though it had eluded him to this point, every big-leaguer experiences. The reaction at Yankee Stadium was inevitable: Some of the fans actually booed Chamberlain, for which they were taken to task by Peter Abraham. (LoHud Yankees Blog) JOBA TO THE MAX: SI.com's Tom Verducci says the Diamondbacks may have the new Joba Chamberlain -- he's already old?? -- in Max Scherzer. MINOR MIRACLE: Down on the farm, Ian Kennedy transformed himself back into the prospect the Yankees think he is with 7 1/3 one-hit, shutout innings in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's win over Charlotte. (New York Daily News) NO 42 MEDIUM: MLB has retired Jackie Robinson's No. 42 in honor of the player who broke baseball's color line, but SI.com's Bryan Armen says the best player in history to wear the number is Mariano Rivera. GROWING UP: The New York Sun's Tim Marchman thinks that, unlike most, Chein-Ming Wang is still evolving -- as a pitcher, that is -- at age 28. 'DADDY DEAREST': That's the New York Post headline over its story on Koby Clemens, who stands by his embattled father and says his family remains strong and united in spite of all the recent negative press. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Suzyn Waldman, who was a target herself last year after her over-the-top reaction to Clemens' re-signing with the Yankees, says the only thing that surprises her about this year's Clemens Saga "is the glee with which people are going after Roger." (Newsday) HELLO, DOLLY: Under the category of There's No Molehill Small Enough That We Can't Make Into A Mountain, MLB expressed its displeasure over the White Sox' inflatable-dolls-in-the-clubhouse incident. (Chicago Sun-Times) The White Sox brass didn't exactly apologize, though it called the whole thing "a little bit of a disappointment" and promised the issue was being "addressed." Ozzie Guillen, however, continues to be defiantly unapologetic (Chicago Tribune), and the Sun-Times' Rick Telander, an ex-athlete himself, says that's no surprise; ballplayers, in his words, "are adolescent boys," and always have been, and tells us "major-leaguers throughout history have done ludicrous things to break slumps." But he also tells us we're in a different era and Guillen has to watch his step, because "this beast . . . has the power to eat him up and spit him out." It was all a batting-practice fastball to the Sun-Times' Jay Mariotti, whose anti-White Sox venom bubbles in the calmest of times. Now, it's spilling onto a whole new plane. SORRY, BUT THAT CAN'T BE IT: Refusing to believe they're unemployed simply because no one wants to deal with the baggage they carry, the MLBPA is opening an investigation into whether a collusion case can be made for Barry Bonds, Kenny Lofton and a few other still-unsigned free agents. (ESPN.com) I WANT TO GO HOME: Ken Griffey Jr. all but told USA Today he wants to finish his career where he started, in Seattle, and the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dougherty thinks the Reds should grant him his wish and trade him to the Mariners. But new Reds GM Walt Jocketty called Griffey trade talk "premature." (espn.com) I WANT TO STAY HOME: The suddenly resurgent Pat Burrell is a free agent at the end of the year, but he'd love to re-sign with the Phillies. (Philadelphia Inquirer) LOCAL BOYS: Chris Iannetta lifted his average to .362 with a homer and a double in the Rockies' 6-5 loss to the Cardinals (Denver Post), and the Rocky Mountain News' Dave Kreiger calls Iannetta's surge one the few rays of sunshine in Colorado. That's the good news. The bad news is that ex-Providence College star John McDonald had to be taken off the field in a golf cart after hurting his ankle in the Blue Jays' loss to the Rays. (National Post) BACK FROM EXILE: The Giants are moving Barry Zito back into the sta |
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