« Game story: Damon the difference in 5-3 Yankee win.
Main
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The Yankees win; how badly hurt is Manny? »
August 29, 2007
REVENGE OF THE IDIOT: This hasn't been the best of seasons for Johnny Damon (above right, AP Photo), and it may even be his last with the Yankees. (Boston Globe) But he's healthier now than he's been all year and Sean McAdam reports that he helped buy the Yankees ''more time — if nothing else — in the chase for first place in the American League East last night'' with a seventh-inning home run off Daisuke Matsuzaka that broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Yanks a 5-3 win. The Boston Herald's Steve Buckley found that the smile was back on Damon's face, at least for one night. Allan Wood, however, articulates what was on the mind of every Red Sox fan: ''Distance to the RF pole at Yankee Stadium? 314 feet. Distance of Johnny Damon's two-run, tie-breaking home-run in the seventh inning? 315 feet.'' (joyofsox.com)
ALL IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER: The Globe's Dan Shaughnessy says this series is crucial only to the Yankees because the Red Sox have the division title wrapped up. Maybe so, counters the Herald's Tony Massarotti -- actually, he agrees because the wrote the same thing Monday -- but he adds the Sox would be wise to bury the Yankees now, while they have the chance. But the New York Daily News' Lisa Olson still thinks ''a pennant race lurks in the bushes,'' even though her colleague, Mike Lupica, thinks there's no race going on here.
HOW WOULD I KNOW? Chad Finn says he's been wrong about so much this season that he won't venture an opinion on the division race. (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com)
THERE'S ALWAYS OCTOBER: We're at the point now where the only way J.D. Drew can redeem himself in the eyes of Red Sox Nation is in the postseason. (Boston Herald) So I suppose it bears repeating: What's the facination, what's the fascination, what's the fascination with J.D. Drew? (weei.com)
(Actually, any chance to relink to that is worth exploiting. This one, too (wcbs.com), with the hook being that Clemens pitches tonight. Oh my goodness gracious . . . )
OF ALL THE DRAMATIC THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN . . . : Dustin Pedroia thinks facing Clemens will be ''awesome.'' (Boston Herald)
HERE AND THERE: McAdam's notebook, which starts by previewing tonight's Josh Beckett-Roger Clemens matchup, has plenty of newsy items, including the fact that Clay Buchholz will, indeed, start Saturday's game against the Orioles; the latest on the back spasms that forced Manny Ramirez out of the lineup in the seventh inning, and the fact that actress Cameron Diaz was among the celebrities spotted in the crowd.
HE WHO HESITATES . . . Rangers owner Tom Hicks says the Marlins first approaced Texas with the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell package in November 2005. But the Rangers wouldn't give them an immediate answer, the Red Sox got wind of the talks, and the rest -- Beckett and Lowell winding up in Boston -- is history. (Dallas Morning News)
MYSTERY SOLVED (HOPEFULLY): After studying video, Eric Gagne thinks he's been tipping his pitches, which would explain his struggles since arriving in Boston. (Boston Herald) So he and pitching coach John Farrell have been working to solve the problem.
CAN'T COMPARE TO CUB NATION: Bobby Howry says Cub fans are far better than Red Sox fans because they're there through thick and thin and Sox fans ''wouldn't show up if they were losing like we were last year.'' (Chicago Tribune) How Howry knows this -- he spent 1 1/2 seasons in Boston, seasons in which the Sox went 93-69 and 95-67 and attracted 5,375,027 fans combined -- isn't quite clear.
JOBA RULES: We won't see him tonight no matter what, because the Yankees -- trying to protect his precious arm from the career-ravaging bullpen strategies of Joe Torre -- have expressly forbidden Torre from using him on consecutive days. But Joba Chamberlain got his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry last night and seemed unruffled by it all as he pitched a scoreless eighth. (New York Post)
OUR HERO: Andy Pettitte got the victory last night and is now 69-33 when he pitches after Yankee losses. (New York Post)
THE MOOSE IS LOOSE: The Yankees answered the prayers of their fans everywhere by announcing after last night's game that Mike Mussina is being lifted from the starting rotation and replaced by rookie Ian Kennedy, at least temporarily. (New York Daily News) That means the Yankees will be fighting for a playoff spot with two rookies (Kennedy and Phil Hughes) among their starting five, but the alternative -- continuing to start the looks-like-he's-completely-lost-it Mussina -- apparently wasn't an option.
THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN': On the LoHud Yankees Blog, Peter Abraham reflects: ''I’m shocked that in a pennant race in September this team will have a pitching staff that includes Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Edwar Ramirez and Chris Britton. That tells you all you need to know about how much power Brian Cashman has. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way this season, he’s building a player development powerhouse that must scare the socks off the rest of baseball. If the Yankees can field a roster loaded with homegrown kids, they can spend whatever they want to retain A-Rod, chase Johan Santana or do whatever else they want.''
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: Derek Jeter says that for the Yankees, the playoffs have begun. (New York Post)
A GOOD NIGHT IN YANKEE UNIVERSE: The Yankees also picked up ground in the wild-card race as the Angels rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Mariners. (Los Angeles Daily News) The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the Mariners' side of the story.
OTHER RACES: The Cubs beat the Brewers in the first game of their N.L. Central showdown (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Cardinals moved into second place by beating the Astros (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . Are the Phillies actually going to make things interesting in the N.L. East? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
DARK CLOUDS IN D.C.: The estimable Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post comments on the troubled state of baseball in the nation's capital and warns that the opening of the new stadium next year won't solve the problems.
AND TAMPA: The Tampa Tribune's Martin Fennelly notes that the clock is ticking on the Devil Rays, because all their young talent will soon become expensive talent and if the team doesn't start winning they'll find themselves unable to afford players like Scott Kazmir and B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford.
QUICKLY: The Dodgers are interested in the A's Esteban Loaiza (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . The Phillies plan to decide in the offseason whether or not to keep Brett Myers in the bullpen or move him back to the rotation (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen and team president David Samson had a clear-the-air meeting (Miami Herald) . . . The Tigers may seek a short-term replacement for the injured Gary Sheffield. (Detroit Free Press)
OLD FRIENDS: Freddy Sanchez had quite a night as the Pirates swept the Reds. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:47 AM | Permalink
