« Projo SoxTalk: Krasner on the Torre "death watch"
Main
ProjoSoxTalk: McDonald says Lester's ready »

Baseball Today: Tuesday, May 1

The Sox may have had the day off, but not us . . .

MORE DETAILS: The story of Josh Hancock's death continues to unfold. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Hancock was almost involved in another serious crash two days before he died, and that alcohol may have been involved in the first incident. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) In their initial statements police said alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the fatal crash, but the Post-Dispatch quoted eyewitness accounts saying Hancock was drinking to the point of impairment at a restaurant Saturday night prior to the accident. The newspaper also reported Hancock was with ESPN broadcaster Dave Campbell at the restaurant Saturday. Campbell confirmed the report, but said he ''couldn't tell'' if Hancock was inebriated. ''I'm not a toxicologist . . . '' he said.

HITTING CLOSE TO HOME: Several members of the Pawtucket Red Sox live out of the area and travel an hour or more to get home after games. Joe McDonald talked to several of them, including pitchers Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen, and they told of near-accidents they've had returning from games. (projo.com)

BACK TO BASEBALL: Many people interpreted yesterday's Statement From Tampa as meaning Joe Torre was safe. George King and Michael Morrissey, however, think it really means George Steinbrenner has put Brian Cashman on the hot seat right next to -- and maybe even ahead of -- Torre. (The New York Post) Filip Bondy came to the same conclusion in the Daily News.

YOU CALL THAT LEADERSHIP? Mike Vaccaro, meanwhile, points out the Yankees haven't won a championship since Derek Jeter was appointed captain. (New York Post)

BRING ME THE HEAD OF . . . DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ?? The man affectionately known hereabouts as Eye Chart -- or at least there was affection hereabouts when he didn't play for the Yankees -- says he knows ''the clock is ticking on me''. (Times Herald-Record)

Blaming Cashman is one thing; after all, he put the team together. But Jeter for not being captainly enough? Mientkiewicz for not hitting, when he's never been a hitter in his life? (And anyone with two eyes should know that scoring runs is not the problem in the Bronx.) Are we in the Twilight Zone? THIS TEAM CAN'T PITCH!! THAT'S THE PROBLEM!! Until they get some of their walking wounded back -- and unless some of them start pitching a lot better than they have been -- what you see is going to be what you get. No matter what kind of leadership Jeter provides.

AH, THE SOLUTION! So, of course, all eyes in Yankee Universe turn back to Roger Clemens. (New York Post) Trouble is, he's not viewing his return with the same sense of urgency as the Yankees.

OR IS IT? SNY.tv's Barry Witterstein raises the unthinkable notion that these Yankees may simply not be very good and says history -- as in, Horace Clarke History -- may be about to repeat itself.

KILL THE MESSENGERS: Bob Raissman says that's what Yankee broadcasters John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman are trying to do, even though, uh, they're two of the messengers themselves. (New York Daily News) He also quotes Waldman as saying the Red Sox have a very uncertain future ahead of them, because, after all, "What if Josh Beckett falls down the dugout steps?"

Or has a piano fall on his head?

Hey, it could happen, right?

SOOTHING WORDS: Don't worry, Suzyn. David Ortiz thinks the Yankees will start winning soon. (New York Daily News)

TURN UP THE HEAT: When tempers are bubbling, Gary Sheffield is hardly ever a calming influence. And he wasn't last night. (Washington Post)

HELLO? ANYBODY HOME? Hard to believe that no one -- except pitcher Jeff Suppan, who didn't say anything -- noticed that umpire Dan Iassonga sent Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols to first base after ball three last night. (yaho.com) Of course, the Brewers may have figured walking Pujols was less dangerous than actually letting him hit.

HELPING HAND: Old friend Dave Roberts may play for the Giants and Brett Tomko for the Dodgers, but that didn't prevent Roberts from giving Tomko some tips that helped turn his career around. (Riverside Press-Enterprise)

OTHER THAN THAT . . . : FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal has lots of Red Sox and Yankee tidbits in his latest notes column, but the one of particular interest -- and not in a good way -- to local fans concerns Rockies catcher, and Rhode Island native, Chris Ianetta. According to a scout: '"He doesn't receive very well. He doesn't throw very well. He doesn't move very well. And, he has an extremely slow bat.'' (msn.foxsports.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:09 AM | Permalink