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August 14, 2007
ACES: Tim Wakefield, stopper? You don't normally think of him as such, but, as Sean McAdam reports, that's exactly what he was last night, limiting the Devil Rays to two hits and no runs over eight innings as the Red Sox erased some of the bad taste of their frustrating weekend in Baltimore with a 3-0 victory. In Inside The Game, Steven Krasner says Wakefield's knuckler was dancing so well that approximately 92 of his 100 pitches were knuckleballs, in contrast to most nights when he mixes in some fastballs and curves ''to surprise the opposition or battle back in the count.'' It didn't hurt that he was facing Tampa Bay; Joe McDonald writes the Rays were ''shaking their heads'' in wonder as Wakefield (above, AP Photo) raised his lifetime record against them to 18-2. (All stories projo.com)
YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING: With the Sox' A.L. East lead down to four, the Boston Globe writes that ''the demons of history, exorcized in 2004, are rising again'' and finds fans who are ''grim, edgy, and defensive.'' On The Joy of Sox blog, Allan Wood -- quoting an SOSH poster named Lucen, who (warning! warning!) uses a bit of NSFW language -- shows why such talk is nonsense. To wit: Lucen, in the pieces I can use here, writes: ''[The Red Sox] played .692 ball the first two months of the season. They've played .587 since. They are not collapsing, the Yankees are simply insanely hot . . . The only two teams in the AL with better records than us since June 1st are Seattle and the Yankees. And Seattle hasn't been much better than us.'' To which Allan responds: ''Amen, brother.'' As do I.
ALLOW ME TO VENT: Chad Finn, though, voices the inner fears of Red Sox Nation, while admitting ''it's largely the frustration from [Sunday's] loss that's making me think this way.'' (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com)
SUPPORT FROM A STRANGE SOURCE: But Jay Payton, who burned just about every bridge there is when he left Boston in 2005, says the Red Sox won't fold. (New York Daily News)
THEY STILL RANK: SI.com still lists the Sox ahead of the Yankees in their Power Rankings, though the Angels have taken over the No. 1 spot and dropped Boston to No. 2.
THEN I MET A MAN WHO HAD NO FEET: Things could be worse, Sox fans. You could be rooting for the Tigers. (Detroit News)
DESPERATE FOR RELIEF: The Globe's Nick Cafardo tries to unravel the mystery of Eric Gagne's struggles since arriving in Boston. In his Fantasy Blog on SI.com, James Quintong notes that the league is hitting .455 against Gagne since he joined the Red Sox. FoxSports.com's Kevin Hench gives the Sox an 'F' for the Gagne deal in a trade-deadline report card.
WELCOME BACK: Tonight Jon Lester makes his first start at Fenway Park since being diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma almost exactly one year ago. (Boston Herald) All the appearances he's made since being recalled to the Sox have been on the road.
THE FUTURE IS NOW: Clay Buchholz has only been in Pawtucket a few weeks, but the Sox are debating whether to summon him to Boston to start one of the games in Friday's day-night doubleheader against the Angels. (projo.com)
DID NOT, DID NOT: The Orioles' Melvin Mora denies accusations that he was stealing the Red Sox' signs over the weekend. (Baltimore Sun) Jason Varitek, though, says it's all part of the game and that the Blue Jays and Yankees are renowned for their sign-stealing.
THE SURGE CONTINUES: Even with Chien-Ming Wang serving up another clunker and Mariano Rivera blowing a save, the Yankees still managed to pull one out against Baltimore last night. Thrill of the night for Yankee fans: The Yankee Stadium debut of Joba Chamberlain, which was an unqualified success. (All stories New York Daily News)
AIMING HIGH: Playoffs, schmayoffs. Jorge Posada wants to win the A.L. East. (New York Post)
ALL IS NOT WELL: Peter Abraham says the Yanks have to keep an eye on Mariano Rivera, who, as noted, blew the save last night and came within an eyelash of blowing a three-run lead on Sunday. (LoHud Yankees blog)
WHO SAYS HE'S LEAVING? Scott Boras tells the Journal News it's not a given that Alex Rodriguez will opt out of his Yankee contract at the end of the season, as so many seem to believe.
RACIAL OVERTONES: Time.com releases a study in which it says umpires ''tend to call more strikes when the pitcher is of their same race.'' The study adds it only happens in about 1 percent of all pitches thrown.
FORGET IT: If clubhouse reaction is any indication, Barry Bonds won't be playing in Oakland next year. (San Francisco Chronicle)
AGAINST HIS RELIGION: The Pirates' Salomon Torres has dropped his grievance against the club for what he claims was deception during 2006 contract negotiations because he's a Jehovah's Witness.
QUICKLY: SI.com's Jon Heyman reports the White Sox' Jose Contreras has cleared waivers and could be traded before the Aug. 31 deadline . . . Juan Encarnacion and Tony La Russa are feuding in St. Louis and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz, a sometimes critic of the manager, applauds La Russa for taking a tough stand with the non-hustling outfielder . . . The free-agent season is months away but the Mets already have Jorge Posada and Ivan Rodriguez on their radar screen (New York Daily News) . . . The Miami Herald says the Marlins may place Dontrelle Willis on the trading block this winter . . . The Denver Post reports David Wells doesn't interest the Rockies . . . Kenny Rogers' ailing elbow is feeling better (Detroit News).
OLD FRIENDS: Johnny Damon is now a part-time player in New York, but he says that's okay (New York Post) . . . Shea Hillenbrand has joined the Dodgers (Los Angeles Daily News).
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 7:01 AM | Permalink
Jose | August 14, 2007 10:06 AM link
Lucen | August 16, 2007 10:16 AM link
Is this a Red Sox or Yankees Blog? I can certainly understand the obsession given the pressures put upon the Sawx due to the "Surge" but c'mon...the Nation is desperately clinging to any minor negativity on the Yankees that they scrounge up in the sports press. This is too funny!!!