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Main page April 5, 2008
Snyder Designated for AssignmentWhile it wasn't officially announced after today's game by manager Terry Francona, veteran reliever Kyle Snyder confirmed that he has been designated for assingment, making room on the roster for Josh Beckett, who will be activated from the disabled list for tomorrow's start against the Blue Jays. Boston has 10 days to either have Snyder clear waivers, trade him or, if he's not claimed by another team, send him to the minors, with his permission necessary to do so. Snyder, a right-hander who joined the Red Sox late during the 2006 season, appeared in two games this year. He coughed up two runs in 1 1/3 innings in the first game of the season, against Oakland in Tokyo. Yesterday he walked the first two batters he faced on only nine pitches and was lifted after the next batter dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Snyder has been used mainly in long relief by the Sox. He appeared in 16 games in 2006 and 46 games last year. But as a long man, he and Julian Tavarez perform a similar role, and the Sox decided Snyder was expendable while keeping three other relievers -- David Aardsma, Bryan Corey and Javier Lopez. Those pitchers had seemed to be the most vulnerable with Beckett's imminent activation. The Sox expect to have to make another move in about a week when Mike Timlin is ready to leave the DL. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Blue Jays 10, Red Sox 2TORONTO -- Clay Buchholz turned in a decent outing in his first start of the season, but the Blue Jays feasted on Boston's bullpen and erupted for a 10-2 victory yesterday at Rogers Centre. Toronto put the game away by scoring six runs in the sixth inning, making it two 9in a row over the Sox. Boston will try to avoid a sweep tomorrow.
Posted by Steven Krasner The Ace ReturnsJosh Beckett, the team's ace starter, will return from the disabled list tomorrow for his first start of the season. Manager Terry Francona said Beckett will be monitored closely so as not to overextend him in his 2008 debut. "We expect he'll give everything he has, but we know he's not going to pitch a complete game," said Francona. "It will be nice just to get him out there. Our team feels good when he's out there even if it is coming out of spring training later than everybody else. He's worked so hard to get back," said Francona. Beckett was sidelined because of a lower back strain, and there have been reports that his hip also had been bothering him. Francona said Beckett's hip was worked on, but indicated he thought the health issue with Beckett was tied mostly to his back. When Beckett is activated, someone has to go to make room for him on the roster. Right-handed reliever David Aardsma would seem to be most at risk. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Keeping 'Em Fresh
Coco Crisp is starting in center field instead of Jacoby Ellsbury, and Sean Casey is replacing Kevin Youkilis at first base. "It's early in the season and with the days off (in the schedule), I'm trying to keep both guys going. I don't want anybody to sit too long," said Francona, referring especially to Crisp and Ellsbury. "We're just trying to win a game and keep guys sharp. Our guys understand that and are good about being flexible," he said. The insertion of Casey prompted Francona to change the batting order. Youkilis generally bats second behind Dustin Pedroia, but with Youkilis out of the lineup, Francona has moved Julio Lugo to the top of the order and dropped Pedroia to second. Francona acknowledged that Lugo enjoys batting leadoff, but the Sox yanked him out of the leadoff spot after about two months last year when he struggled badly with on-base percentage. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, April 5RED SOX Lugo ss Buchholz p BLUE JAYS Eckstein ss Litsch p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Blue Jays-Red Sox key stats-Since 2005, Toronto is 33-23 against the Red Sox. No other opponent has beaten the Sox more times over that span. Red Sox vs. Jesse Litsch Blue Jays vs. Clay Buchholz
Posted by Mike McDermott April 4, 2008
Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 3
Thomas's hit, off Manny Delcarmen, broke a 3-3 deadlock. The Jays added another run off Delcarmen on a two-out single by David Eckstein in the eighth. Boston starter Tim Wakefield cruised through the first five innings but surrendered three runs in the sixth. J.D. Drew took him off the hook with a three-run homer off Toronto starter Shaun Marcum in the seventh. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner PawSox postponedTonight's PawSox game has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up Saturday as part of a twin bill against Indy, beginning at 1 p.m.
Posted by Joe McDonald Big Blue Jays news nightBY STEVEN KRASNER TORONTO -- The Blue Jays' home opener is momentous for several reasons. Before the team took the field for batting practice, Toronto announced the signing of right fielder Alex Rios and second baseman Aaron Hill to long-term contracts. Rios signed a six-year deal worth $64 million beginning in 2009, with Toronto holding an option for the 2015 season. Hill's four-year $12-million contract begins this season and the Jays hold the options for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. Also tonight, the Jays are inducting former second baseman Roberto Alomar into the team's Level of Excellence. Alomar, a slick fielder as well as being a switch-hitter who could hit for average and for power and steal bases, played five seasons for Toronto, including the organization's World Series winners in 1992 and 1993. Alomar joins former players George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter and Tony Fernandez, manager Cito Gaston, general manager Pat Gillick and announcer Tom Cheek in the Level of Excellence. One great play, of the many in Alomar's career, happened against the Red Sox when Alomar was playing for Baltimore. John Valentin was running at third base and the Orioles had the infield in. On a grounder right at Alomar, Valentin faked taking one step toward the plate, and with no hesitation, Alomar fired a bullet to third, nailing the surprised Valentin. It was a heads-up play that very few infelders might have attempted, let alone been successful at.
Posted by Steven Krasner Beckett ready; difficult roster choicesBY STEVEN KRASNER TORONTO -- Josh Beckett joined the Red Sox here and is healthy enough to be scheduled for a start Sunday in Rogers Centre against Blue Jays ace right-hander Roy Halladay. Beckett, who missed a good portion of spring training as well as the team's trip to Japan and the West Coast because of a lower back strain, threw a side session in Florida yesterday. With Beckett's activation from the disabled list imminent, Boston manager Terry Francona admitted the corresponding roster move to make room for the right-hander will not be easy. The roster headache will be aggravated further in a week or so when Mike Timlin (cut on right ring finger) is expected to be activated from the disabled list. On the roster bubble are three relievers -- Javier Lopez, Bryan Corey and David Aardsma. Each of them is out of options, so the Sox can't just option them to Pawtucket without exposing them to waivers. And the team's expectation/fear is that whoever the Sox remove to make room for the veteran pitchers will be claimed by another team. "There are a boatload of factors,'' said Francona in talking about the decision as to whom the Sox will lop off the roster. "It's not just if somebody gave up a run in a game. We're trying to make decisions to make the ballclub better now and for the long term. There's just not a lot of flexibility because of the team in place. That's part of the function of having so many veterans,'' said Francona.
Posted by Steven Krasner Timlin progressingBY STEVEN KRASNER TORONTO -- Mike Timlin, who is on the disabled list because of a cut on his right ring finger, threw 35 pitches in the batting cages at Rogers Centre on Thursday and will throw again tomorrow before heading to Pawtucket for a couple of appearances. Boston manager Terry Francona said everything went well with yesterday's throwing session and the plan is, if everything continues to progress as well as it has, to be able to activate the veteran right-hander for the Red Sox bullpen after the two PawSox appearances.
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, April 4Red Sox Pedroia 2b Wakefield p BLUE JAYS Marcum p
Posted by Steven Krasner Red Sox-Blue Jays key stats-Since 2005, the Red Sox are 23-30 against Toronto. Red Sox vs. Shaun Marcum Blue Jays vs. Tim Wakefield
Posted by Mike McDermott Yoga -- one aspect of the new MannyWe've already noted the changed attitude that Manny Ramirez seems to have brought into this, his eighth season with the Red Sox. And while some cynics might say that the changes in Ramirez -- coming to camp on time and in better shape, speaking cordially to the media -- might be motivated by the fact that this is the last guaranteed year of his current contract, we'd like to point to his offseason embrace of yoga (as well as meditation and the power of positive thinking).
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Colon, Hansen, Wakefield, previewing TorontoClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He puts last night's events in Pawtucket into context and looks ahead to the weekend series in Toronto. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: What's next for Colon: "I would think, and this is just conjecture on my part, that they would want at least one more Triple A start for him, if only to build up that pitch count a little bit. ... I would think they would want him to crack that 90-pitch threshold somewhere else other than the big leagues for the first time, and that would translate into at least one more start, and then you're looking at probably the 16th, 17th, 18th of April where he's ready to make his [Boston] debut. Craig Hansen -- this year's Manny Delcarmen? "I think that's exactly how they envision him. ... They have not given up on this guy, and that's understandable. They invested a lot of money in their number-one pick, signed him to a major league deal to get him signed, rushed him to the big leagues to their detriment -- and his, now it would seem. But anyone who can throw in the mid 90s the way he can, and has the kind of arm and raw ability that he has; they believe he's still salvagable." Wakefield on the eve of his 14th Red Sox season: "He had a great spring and there are no physical worries on the Red Sox part at all." Can the Blue Jays contend? "It seems every year we think that this is going to be the year they break through that glass ceiling in the American League East and give the top two teams a real run for their money, and unfortunately for the Blue Jays it seems like every year something happens to derail them. A lot of times it's been injuries, and already they've got Scott Rolen sidelined for a month and [closer B.J.] Ryan not quite ready to go. ... I think Dustin McGowan is going to be one of the guys to keep an eye on in the American League; I really think he could break through into a 15- to 18-game winner this year, and that would give them some additional pitching depth. But the key is keeping everybody healthy. ... If they do, I think they can hang in there at least for a while. Even with their injuries the last couple of years, they've given the Red Sox all they can handle."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, April 4 EYEING THE BIG TIME: Granted, it was the Indianapolis Indians and not, say, the Toronto Blue Jays or Detroit Tigers. But while Bartolo Colon's performance last night at McCoy Stadium doesn't guarantee he's ready to step into the Red Sox' starting rotation, it also did nothing that would lead you to believe he isn't. Jim Donaldson has the details of a dominating performance that ended with Colon blowing a 95-mph fastball past Kevin Thompson for the third strike and final out of the fifth inning. The final line: 5 innings, 1 hit (a second-inning single by Adam Boeve), 0 runs, 1 walk (to, again, the pesky Boeve) and 5 strikeouts, in a 74-pitch (45 for strikes) outing. In his game summary, Joe McDonald talks to new PawSox pitching coach Rich Sauveur, who says, "It's not my call, but if anyone watched that game tonight you'd say, 'Yeah, he's ready.' " Colon's next turn to pitch is Tuesday. It's unlikely he'd do so in Boston -- that's the Sox' home opener, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is penciled in -- but there's always Wednesday night against the Tigers. Stay tuned.
THE REST OF THE STORY: McDonald's recap of the 3-0 victory includes a look at a strong outing from Craig Hansen and reaction from newcomer Jonathan Van Every after his two-run homer. ELSEWHERE ON THE FARM: Justin Masterson, whom we may see in Pawtucket sometime this summer, pitched well in Portland's opener. (Kennebunk Journal and Morning Sentinel) ALMOST HOME: As for the varsity, they're happy to be back on the East Coast -- or at least in the Eastern time zone -- as they prepare for the last leg of the endless journey, a three-game series in Toronto. (Boston Herald) Tonight's game is the Blue Jays' home opener, and it also marks Kevin Cash's official debut as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. (Boston Globe) ALMOST DONE: And when they get home to Fenway Park, they'll find the old girl will look a little different than she did when last they saw her, after Game Two of the World Series. The Boston Globe chronicles this offseason's changes, which include new seats, a new stairway and a new Coke sign. CRASHING THE PARTY: As the Sox were showing off the new and improved Fenway, visitors were treated to an unlikely -- and unwelcome -- sight: a hawk attack on a teenage girl who was part of a group taking a tour. (Boston Globe) She wasn't seriously hurt, but the Globe got pictures of the whole thing. Oh, and the girl's name? Alexa Rodriguez. Honest, that's what they said. WHY TRADE HIM WHEN YOU CAN JUST GIVE HIM AWAY FOR NOTHING? Coco Crisp is on Tracy Ringolsby's list of players whose contracts should be eaten by their respective teams. (FoxSports.com) Also on the list: Nomar Garciaparra and Dave Roberts. AT LEAST THEY'RE NOT NED FLANDERS ANYMORE: The blog Barstool Sports presents what it calls The Definitive MLB-Simpsons Analogy List and has the Red Sox as Lisa Simpson: "Beloved by all. Used to being overlooked and trod upon, so that when they finally get a day in the sun, they don't really know what to do with it. Unfortunate tendency to get a little self-righteous. Antagonistic relationship with those in positions of power." The Yankees? Monty Burns. BEASTS OF THE EAST? And speaking of the Blue Jays ("Bumblebee Man" in the analogy) -- which we were, a few steps back -- David Pinto is impressed with them, even though they lost two of three at Yankee Stadium. (Baseball Musings) The Jays are also part of a discussion of the A.L. East that Chad Finn participated in at Baseball Analysts. COMING UP SMALL: The Yankees congratulated themselves for their mastery of small ball in their 3-2 win over the Blue Jays last night. (New York Daily News) Joba Chamberlain pitched again and this time he simply walked off the mound after recording the final out of the eighth -- compared to the twisting, screaming Tazmanian Devil act he pulled on Thursday -- but says he didn't tone things down in response to the widespread criticism he received. (New York Post) ROUND THREE: Ali-Frazier, Hagler-Leonard, Yankees-Rays. The war resumes tonight, previewed by the Daily News and the Post. PAUL WHO? Newsday's Neal Best reports Paul O'Neill, now a part-time analyst on the YES Network, was denied admission to the Blue Jays' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day because the security guard didn't recognize him. THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: So how much does clubhouse chemistry have to do with on-field success? FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal discusses the issue with David Wright, under the context of: Did the Mets collapse last year because of lack of adequate leadership? Wright, not suprisingly, says no. Incidentally, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Mike Berardino takes issue with Bill James' 60 Minutes identification of Wright as his favorite player. Berardino thinks James should have picked the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez . . . although, when he compares the two, Ramirez' weaknesses in comparison to Wright (lower on-base percentage, lower slugging percentage, worse defense) seem to far outnumber his strengths (more stolen bases, a one-point edge in batting average, a year younger). THE MARCH OF TIME: The stathead world is abuzz with the news that Murray Chass, the very well-connected but numbers-phobic baseball writer for the New York Times, is apparently being given a buyout. (The Big Lead) Flags at Fire Joe Morgan are at half-staff. But Pinto says he'll pay Chass $10,000 to write for Baseball Musings. IF WE COULD JUST PACK HIM IN ICE AND TAKE HIM OUT FOR THE GAMES: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark finds it impossible to believe that not one of the 30 big-leagues teams has room for Barry Bonds, who, as he points out, "did out-homer Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Sheffield and Travis Hafner last year, you know. He did have a higher slugging percentage than Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn and Carlos Beltran. He did reach base more times than Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Torii Hunter." So he talks to three executives with big-league teams, who give the honest, if anonynous, answer: The on-field Barry Bonds element may be tempting, but the complete Barry Bonds package is so onerous that no one wants to deal with it. JUST SAY NO: Over the years, the Twins' Joe Mauer has always hit far better on the road than he has at home. His manager, Ron Gardenhire, thinks Mauer is too nice a guy and needs to learn to turn down the hometown folks tugging for his time in order to better prepare for games. (St. Paul Pioneer Press) MAD-EYE MOODY WOULD BE PROUD: The Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey starts off with what seems to be a nice little column on Steve Bartman -- who, as we noted the other day, was (finally) exonerated by Moises Alou on the Play That Must Not Be Named -- but he quickly turns it into a nuclear attack on Jay Mariotti, whom he refers to as "Lord Voldemort over at the Sun-Times." HUMAN SACRIFICE, DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER, MASS HYSTERIA! Who would have thought the Royals would be 3-0 and the Tigers 0-3 . . . especially when their first three games were against each other, and in Detroit, no less? That's where we stand today, however, after Kansas City completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory. (Kansas City Star) But while the Royals revel (SI.com), the Tigers stew. 'We stunk' was Jim Leyland's assessment (Detroit News), and the News' Lynn Henning is already wondering if owner Mike Ilitch is getting bang for the considerable amount of bucks he's spending. To make it worse, Gary Sheffield is probably headed to the disabled list because of a torn tendon in his finger. (Detroit Free Press) ON THE FIELD: Johnny Cuerto (seven innings, 10 strikeouts) had an amazing debut for the Reds in a 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . The Giants threw caution to the wind with Tim Lincecum and it paid off with a victory over the Dodgers (San Jose Mercury News) . . . Kerry Wood got his first career save as the Cubs beat the Brewers (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Phillies derailed the Nationals' juggernaut, at least for a day. (Philadephia Inquirer) QUICKLY: Sounds like Scott Kazmir is on the road to recovery (St. Petersburg Times) . . . Not so Mike Hampton (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . The San Francisco Chronicle thinks that if the A's are showcasing Rich Harden, his trade value rose with his five shutout innings against the Red Sox Wednesday. OLD FRIENDS: Alex Gonzalez is at the stage of his rehab where he's ready to take BP (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . Freddy Sanchez continues to have problems with his shoulder. (Rotoworld.com) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone April 3, 2008
Game story: PawSox 3, Indianapolis 0BY JOE McDONALD THE SCORE: Pawtucket 3, Indianapolis 0 THE HIGHLIGHTS: Bartolo Colon. Bartolo Colon. Bartolo Colon. In his first -- and possible only -- start for the PawSox the veteran right-hander was outstanding in his five scoreless innings of work. He threw 74 pitches (45 strikes) and allowed just one hit with one walk and five strikeouts, while earning the victory. He was consistently hitting 94-95 MPH on the radar gun, and his splitter and change-up were working, too. The veteran right-hander, who signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox at the start of spring training, was in total command of the strike zone and was working in a fluid tempo. KEY TO THE GAME: PawSox newcomer Jonathan Van Every blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning to give Pawtucket a 3-0 lead. The 28-year-old outfielder, who signed as a free-agent with Boston last December, has played at McCoy Stadium as an opponent with the Buffalo Bisons. Last night he gave the 10,681 fans in attendance a glimpse of what could be to come this season. "It felt wonderful," he said. "Coming in here as a new player you always want to make an impact immediately and lucky for me I did it with my first swing of the bat. Hopefully I didn't spoil the fans with them thinking I'm going to do that every time, but it was definitely nice to get the first one out of the way." PROSPECT WATCH: Craig Hansen. Yes, that Craig Hansen. After struggling in his first three seasons as a pro, this former first-round draft pick proved during spring training that he's finally beginning to come around. The hard-throwing right-handed reliever was solid again last night, working two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. He walked two and struck out three. It's clear he's taking the proper steps and PawSox manager Ron Johnson said following last night's game he's been impressed with Hansen's maturity this year. THEY SAID IT: "He did an outstanding job," said PawSox pitching coach Rich Sauveur on Colon's outing. "He was throwing the ball very well during spring training and he continued it tonight. It's not my call, but if anyone watched that game tonight you'd say, 'Yeah, he's ready.' He threw some fastballs tonight that were very lively and some sliders that were very sharp. He's a big-league pitcher and he showed tonight he wants to get back there. It's just a matter of time."
Posted by Art Martone Colon finishedThis is a recording. . . Bartolo is leaving the mound at McCoy to a standing ovation after finishing his five-inning outing with a 95 MPH fastball. He completed the start with 74 pitches (45 strikes) and allowed one hit with five strikeouts and one walk. Basically, he was very impressive.
Posted by Joe McDonald Colon in the fourthWow! Again, Colon retired the side in order and threw just 13 pitches (eight strikes). He's up to 63 total pitches and has one inning remaining before he's taken out. He's allowed just one hit, a single in the second inning.
Posted by Joe McDonald Colon in the thirdBoston bound? With the way Bartolo Colon is throwing tonight, I don't think he'll be in Pawtucket for long. In the third inning, he thew just 11 pitches and retired the side in order again.
Posted by Joe McDonald Colon in the second inningColon continues to impress. In the second inning he threw 12 pitches (seven strikes) and allowed one hit. He was able to get a ground ball up the middle for a unassisted double play to end the inning. He's still reaching 94 on the gun.
Posted by Joe McDonald Colon in the first inningRed Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon just completed the first inning of his start for the PawSox and looked very impressive. The right-hander threw 17 pitches (10 strikes) and retired the side in order. He reached 94 on the radar gun. He's scheduled to work five innings or 75 pitches.
Posted by Joe McDonald Hawk attacks girl on school tour at FenwayA student touring Fenway Park was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from a girl’s scalp Thursday. The girl was taken by ambulance to a hospital, but wasn’t seriously injured. The hawk was perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate while the group from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., toured the stadium. The hawk flew at the girl and swooper with its talons extended, scratching her scalp. A single egg lay in the hawk’s nearby nest in an overhang near the stadium’s press booth. --AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa Colon is in the houseBartolo Colon arrived at McCoy Stadium at 4:50 ready to make his start for the PawSox tonight. He walked past manager Ron Johnson's office and said "I'm here." The right-hander is slated to work five innings or 75 pitches against the Indy. RJ spoke with Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell earlier today and there's a lot of anticipation for Colon. I'll have a inning-by-inning account starting at 7:05.
Joe Thurston, 2b
Posted by Joe McDonald Photo and story: Room for 1,000 more at Fenway Park
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have maxed out Fenway Park in their seventh year of offseason renovations, bringing the capacity of the oldest and smallest ballpark in the majors to 39,928 with no plans to add more. "We decided never to have a number that started with a '4' for Fenway," said Janet Marie Smith, the team's point person on the ballpark improvements. But she added: "I don't think we've run out of ideas, yet." The Red Sox have steadily upgraded Fenway since the current owners bought the team in 2002, with the most visible change being the seats added above the Green Monster in 2003. Along the way, they've increased the capacity from under 34,000 seats to almost 40,000. "With the Yankees opening a new ballpark in 2009, they have dramatic new revenue sources," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said Tuesday after giving the media and Boston city officials a tour of the new changes. "So we've got to do everything we can to make this little engine that could keep up with the bullet train in the Bronx." Among the changes fans will see first is the replacement of a temporary trailer that had been installed for the 1999 All-Star game with a permanent luxury suite. Farther down the third-base line in the upper deck is a new section with 412 more seats and a standing room section behind. There's also more handicapped seating in the bleachers. Four new electronic scoreboards along the face of the upper deck bring the ballpark into the 21st century technologically. But, Smith said, the graphics used on the LED screens will be limited to information like scorelines and batting statistics, instead of the fancy graphics used at many arenas. "It's the best technology one can buy," Smith said, "but the presentation of the information is very traditional." A new Coca-Cola sign down the left-field line will be familiar to old-timers who might remember the one at the Coke plant off Storrow Drive as it followed the Charles River toward Harvard Square. The Coke bottles that used to line the light tower above the Green Monster are gone. The Red Sox also added a stairwell and elevator in the same corner to improve the flow to and from the seats. Several luxury suites have been renovated. Life will be a little bit better for the defending World Series champions, who have a professionally equipped kitchen upstairs from the clubhouse; previously, all their food had to be brought in from outside. Although the clubhouse itself remains the same size, it feels much bigger with the removal of a drop ceiling. The clubhouse, which was about 8,000 square feet in 2002, now measures about 16,000 feet, including family rooms, workout rooms and the new kitchen. Picnic tables and concession stands also have been added. A new restaurant under the center field bleachers, where there had been a batting cage, is scheduled to open in May. Some things fans might not notice: -The repair and waterproofing of concrete under the bleachers. The seats were removed and replaced, though the "Red Seat" that had marked the spot where Ted Williams allegedly hit his longest home run was returned. -Sprinkler systems and structural stabilization throughout the concourse and seating areas.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Wrapping up the Oakland tripClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning, as he was headed for the San Francisco airport and a cross-country flight back to New England. (Steve Krasner will pick up our Red Sox coverage this weekend in Toronto.) Sean discusses Jon Lester, David Ortiz, the Oakland A's future and Bartolo Colon. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On Lester:"Even though he did walk three, he did get ahead of most of the hitters and put himself in control to sort of dictate what was going to happen in the at-bats, and you can do that when you can throw strikes with multiple pitches." On Ortiz: "He did not feel great in Japan -- kind of battled the bug, or a flu, or something -- and wasn't at full strength, in addition to all the demands of the travel. And then you factor in the fact that Ortiz has traditionally been a slow starter; by his own admission it usually takes him a little while to get his swing together when the season starts. So all those things conspired to get him off to a slow start. ... But to be able to knock the first one out and have it be the hit that gave the Red Sox their first two runs yesterday in the seventh inning, must have been something of a relief for him." On the state of the A's: "They made an awful lot of moves in the offseason, trading Danny Haren, Swisher, Kotsay, and it's clear that they are in a rebuilding mode. When you talk to people in the game, they maintain that Billy Beane did a good job in getting a good inventory of prospects back for those guys, particularly the Haren deal ... and those are the kinds of guys that are going to dictate how good this franchise is going to be in another two, three or four years." What to expect from Colon tonight: "His velocity was pretty good at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. He was up pretty regularly at 91-92, which is certainly enough for him to be effective at the big-league level. In terms of workload and pitch count, I think they want him to get up to about 75, maybe 80 pitches maximum."
Posted by Mike McDermott From Frank Galasso: Take that, Oakland
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, April 3
LARGER THAN LIFE: A good pitcher can make a team, any team, seem that way sometimes. So with the Red Sox' bats still somewhat somnolent as they reach the end of their round-the-world-in-19-days trek, it was up to Jon Lester to keep the Sox in the game against the A's until they managed to generate some offense. Lester did his job to perfection, holding Oakland scoreless over 6 2/3 innings and getting credit for the 5-0 win as his teammates came alive in their last three at-bats. Sean McAdam has the details, in which the Sox give plenty of credit to Lester for helping them complete their two-game sweep of the A's. For all the talk of how difficult this trip would be, the Red Sox have actually won five of the six games they've played on it -- the two exhibition games in Tokyo, one of the two against the A's in Japan, and both games in Oakland. The last challenge: Keeping it up over the three games in Toronto this weekend. HELPING HANDS: McAdam notes that Lester was aided yesterday by Alex Cora, who was making his first start of the season, and Bryan Corey, who continues to make a strong case for the last bullpen spot. That decision will have to come soon, with both Josh Beckett and Mike Timlin getting ready to come off the disabled list. Continuing his stellar defensive play was Kevin Youkilis, who broke Steve Garvey's record for consecutive errorless games at first base. MUSICAL CHAIRS: With J.D. Drew back in the lineup, Jacoby Ellsbury was left standing yesterday as Terry Francona tries to make four outfielders go into three spots. "There’s not anything scientific (about the process for now)," Francona tells McAdam. BACK EAST . . . Hard to believe the Red Sox, asleep in their Toronto hotel rooms as I write this, are back on Eastern time; that's a place they haven't been since boycott day against the Blue Jays. But while they rest tonight, the PawSox will step into the spotlight. They open their season against the Indianapolis Indians at McCoy Stadium and Joe McDonald reports it'll be Bartolo Colon on the mound. ON FURTHER REVIEW . . . Terry Francona thinks it's time to institute a replay system in baseball. (Boston Herald) Jason Varitek's homer-that-wasn't Tuesday night was just the latest piece of evidence, in Francona's mind. AND FURTHERMORE, WHO CARES ABOUT THE PATRIOTS AFTER WE LOST THE BOSTON YANKS?? Medford resident Wally Carew calls himself "one of a passionate but distinct minority who feels that the wrong team left Boston" 55 years ago. (Boston Globe) I can't speak to "passionate," but I'm certainly on board with "distinct minority." THE NEW MOOSE: The New York Daily News' Bill Madden says Mike Mussina ran up against the realities of his diminished skills in a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays, though he wasn't helped by the season-long adventure that will be Jason Giambi at first base. (New York Post) The Tao of Steib was certainly pleased. NO BIGGIE: Joba Chamberlain pumped and danced and screamed after striking out Frank Thomas on Tuesday night, and it wasn't long ago -- remember back with Oil Can Boyd played for the Red Sox? -- that major league players took great offense at such hijinks. But the old school Thomas says times have changed and he has no problems with such theatrics anymore. (New York Daily News) WHAT'S THAT THEY SAY ABOUT PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES?: Allan Wood provides visual evidence as to why Red Sox fans shouldn't get on their high horse about this one. (Joy of Sox) FITNESS FIRST: Though Chamberlain doesn't appear to be the Charles Atlas type, he was stressing the importance of proper diet and exercise to a New York boys & girls club yesterday. (New York Post) IT'S THIS KIND OF THINKING THAT LEADS YOU TO RETIRE BAILEY HOWELL'S NUMBER: Peter Abraham chides Yankee fans who booed LaTroy Hawkins on Opening Day for having the effrontery to wear No. 21 -- Paul O'Neill's old number. Abraham correctly labels O'Neill as belonging in the Hall of Very Good and not someone whose uniform should be hanging alongside Babe Ruth's and Mickey Mantle's. (LoHud Yankees Blog) As one who has long thought the Celtics, like the Yankees, have a lax to non-existent retire-the-number criteria -- leading to Howell and Don Nelson being placed on par with Bill Russell and Larry Bird -- I can only say, right on, Pete. It's for the all-time immortals, not good players on your championship teams. AM I MISSING SOMETHING? The Toronto Star's Richard Griffin recalls that Melky Cabrera was suspended for three games for his spring-training shenanigans against the Rays. Why then, he wants to know, was Cabrera in the lineup Tuesday night, leading the Yankees over the Blue Jays? (The answer: Baseball's elongated appeals process.) LET'S TALK: After years of Jose Canseco accusing everyone but the groundskeepers of using steroids, MLB finally wants to bring him in and hear what he has to say. (New York Post) POUND OF PREVENTION: Yahoo Sport's Tim Brown thinks Larry Bowa's three-game suspension for "refusing to abide by a new rule that confines him to arbitrary lines drawn by scattered groundskeepers" -- and his, uh, spirited reaction to being ejected for not following said rules -- focuses attention on an issue where MLB, in an overreaction to last summer's Mike Coolbaugh tragedy, overstepped its bounds. THE INTERNET -- A BROADCASTER'S WORST NIGHTMARE: I listened in great amusement last night as seconds -- and I mean, literally seconds -- after Reds analyst Jeff Brantley eviscerated Edwin Encarnacion for not being "a clutch hitter . . . a clutch player" and imploring Dusty Baker to "take him out of the game," Encarnacion clubbed a walkoff, three-run homer to beat Arizona, 6-5. Used to be that announcers could smear their faces with egg the way Brantley did and it just sort of disappeared into the ether. But not today. A quick Google search of "Jeff Brantley and Encarnacion" delivered the Web sites East Windup Chronicle, Triple Steal, WSI: Totally Biased and Red Reporter, all of which had accounts of the incident . . . and none of which were particularly kind to Brantley, BREAK TIME: To no one's surprise, the Mets announced Pedro Martinez would be sidelined four to six weeks because of the strained left hamstring that had him limping off the mound Tuesday in Miami. (New York Daily News) SI.com's Jon Heyman says that's tough, but points out the Mets aren't the only team with injury problems. And FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal wonders why "a high-revenue team is scrambling to find starting pitching in the season's first week." EVER HEAR OF PUTTING YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS? The blog Baseball Digest Daily found Branch Rickey's 1954 scouting report of 18-year-old Don Drysdale in the Library of Congress. Rickey, who was then running the Pittsburgh Pirates, predicted Drysdale's future stardom . . . but he also said the Pirates were "in no [financial] position to make [Drysdale] a bonus player," which is why Big D achieved that stardom with the Dodgers. NOT-SO-GRAND THEFT: On the same night the Marlins' Robert Andino beat the Mets with a walkoff home run in the 10th inning, he got word, according to mlb.com, that his South Florida home was on the verge of being robbed. He arrived at the ballpark yesterday and said everything was fine, but gave no details on the incident. TAKE THIS JOB AND . . . White Sox GM Ken Williams is fed up with the negative perception of his team, and you can forget that Don Corleone stuff about revenge being a dish best served cold. "I'll tell you," he said, "I want to have another parade [for winning a World Series championship], and when we have another parade on the South Side, then I'll really tell people what I think." (Daily Herald) LIGHTEN UP: The Cubs think Carlos Zambrano's forearm cramps are caused by his pregame consumption of coffee and energy drinks, and they want him to cut down on the caffeine. (Chicago Tribune) DISCERNING CUSTOMERS I: St. Louis fans don't seem too excited about this year's Cardinals, and Yahoo Sport's Jeff Passan doesn't blame them. DISCERNING CUSTOMERS II: The only question I have to Baltimoreans (as Joe Castiglione might say) is: What took you so long to reach this level of disgust? (Baltimore Sun) QUICKLY: The Cubs have decided to move Alfonso Soriano back to the leadoff spot (mlb.com) . . . The signing of Rudy Seanez prompted the Phillies to designate Wes Helms, the subject of trade rumors all spring, for assignment (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . An unsubstantiated story on the Web site Examiner says the Tigers are interested in Nationals closer Chad Cordero . . . Looks like there'll be no deal between Alex Rios and the Blue Jays, at least for now (Toronto Globe and Mail) . . . Two Yankee fans had their season tickets revoked when they were caught trying to take some Yankee Stadium bunting home as souvenirs (New York Daily News) . . . Aubrey Huff began worming his way back into the hearts of angry Orioles fans by driving in four runs in a 9-6 win over the Rays (Washington Post) . . . Marcus Giles changed his mind yet again and now will join the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Las Vegas (cbssportsline.com) . . . J.J. Putz is headed to the DL because of a rib injury, which might help explain Tuesday's blown save. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) OLD FRIENDS: Derek Lowe felt much better yesterday after taking a line drive off his left calf Tuesday (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . Chris Reitsma still hasn't told the Mariners whether or not he'll report to Triple-A Tacoma. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone April 2, 2008
Pregame photos from McAfee Coliseum
Posted by Mike McDermott Today's lineupsBOSTON Pedroia, 2b OAKLAND
Posted by Joe McDonald Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from OaklandClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kevin Youkilis' errorless streak, Jason Varitek, and the latest injury to former Sox ace Pedro Martinez.
Posted by Mike McDermott Red Sox vs. A's key stats-Manny Ramirez has 39 career home runs against Oakland, tied with Alex Rodriguez for the most by any active player and in a three-way tie with Rodriguez and Evans for seventh-most all time. Red Sox vs. Rich Harden A's vs. Jon Lester
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, April 2
SECOND TIME'S A CHARM: He wasn't too sharp early in the morning, but Daisuke Matsuzaka was plenty good late at night. Putting to rest the uneasiness that lingered after his erratic opener in Tokyo last week, Matsuzaka dominated the A's -- to quote our headline writer, he brought his 'A' game -- as he pitched the Red Sox to a 2-1 win in the season re-opener, recapped here by Sean McAdam. McAdam and the Sox will be back in about seven hours as they play Game Two of the series; check back here for pregame notes, the lineups and the game itself. EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: A few weeks after the Sox dropped him to the lower third of the order in an effort to relieve the pressure on him, Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the leadoff spot last night. McAdam has the details. Ellsbury may be back at the bottom again today, however, as J.D. Drew returns to action. SEE YOU SUNDAY: Also returning is Josh Beckett, whom McAdam says will probably start Sunday's road-trip finale in Toronto. MOVE OVER, STEVE: McAdam reports on, and gets reaction from, Kevin Youkilis, who tied Steve Garvey's record for consecutive errorless games at first base.
HERE THEY COME: The Red Sox aren't the only ones starting the season. The Pawtucket Red Sox are back home, preparing for tomorrow night's opener at McCoy Stadium and, says Joe McDonald, looking forward to a good year. One of the players who'll be with them is Bobby Kielty -- he decided to accept the Sox' minor-league assignment -- and McAdam reports Terry Francona is pleased about that. BIG BEN: Also back, for his 32nd year at the helm, is legendary PawSox owner Ben Mondor. Jim Donaldson talks to Mondor, who sums it all for all of us when he says: "[What] the heck, baseball starts Thursday. I got no complaints. Life is good.” (The story also includes some classic Mondor tales about players such as Chico Walker, Wade Boggs and Trevor Hoffman.) BEST OF THE BEST: The blog YanksFanSoxFan picks Pedro Martinez, 2000, as the best Red Sox season of all time. STATE OF THE SOX: Joe Haggerty, on his Hacks With Haggs blog, provides another transcript of Peter Gammons' weekly appearance on 890 ESPN, where the discussion focuses on the Red Sox. THE HEARTBREAK OF YOUTH: Bill James does a Q-and-A with the New York Times blog Freakonomics in which he talks about -- among many things -- young pitching: "When you’re depending on young pitching, you’re vulnerable. Some of these guys are going to be very good, but probably not all of them, and there are going to be bumps in the road that will rattle your teeth." How this applies to both the Red Sox and Yankees should be apparent. BEGINNING OF THE END: The rain stopped long enough for the Yankees to open their final season at Yankee Stadium last night and they came away with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays that made Joe Girardi a winner in his New York managerial debut. (New York Post) Hank Steinbrenner liked what he saw (New York Post), which included big performances from Melky Cabrera (which left David Pinto with egg on his face) and Joba Chamberlain. (Both stories New York Daily News) But, as the Journal-News' Sam Borden points out, this particular Opening Day -- which normally is a day of firsts -- also seemed like a day of lasts, since the Yanks will never begin a season on this particular piece of land again. LEARNING AS WE GO: The New York Times' Jack Curry has known Girardi for 12 years, but says he "still learned new things about him" when they rode together to Yankee Stadium for Monday's rained-out opener. THE FIRST STORY THAT WON'T GO AWAY: Even though he had a big hand in the victory -- doubling home the first run in the first inning, and scoring the game-winning run in the seventh -- the New York Times says Alex Rodriguez still has "residue that sticks to him because of how messily his situation unfolded" last winter. Curry reports that A-Rod's disgraced agent, Scott Boras, told Yankee officials that the Detroit Tigers were preparing a $40-million-a-year offer for Rodriguez last offseason, a claim the Tigers deny. THE SECOND STORY THAT WON'T GO AWAY: Today's dip into the garbage pail that is Jose Canseco has him gleefully chortling that he's Alex Rodriguez' worst nightmare (New York Daily News) and also claiming he believes A-Rod had an affair with Canseco's ex-wife. (New York Post) Rodriguez steadfastly refuses to discuss any of Canseco's statements, which Canseco interprets as vindication. "I've got the ace in the hole," Canseco said, referring to the steroids dealer named "Max" whom he says has the goods on PED use by A-Rod. "And he knows it. So there's no way that he's going to fight me. He's trying to make it go away." SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT OPTIMISM: First Pedro Martinez threw what the Daily News' Filip Bondy called 3 1/3 "indescribably ugly innings [against the Marlins]: four hits, four runs, one strikeout, a hit batsman and two homers." Then he apparently popped a hamstring muscle and had to come out of the game, and no one really knows how long he'll be sidelined. (New York Post) FOX TROT: Chad Finn no longer writes for foxsports.com, so he takes a quick spin around baseball on his own blog. (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com) UH . . . NEVER MIND: Five years after the fact, Moises Alou now admits, "I wouldn't have caught it anyway." He's referring, of course, to the Steve Bartman incident, which was sparked by, as the Chicago Sun-Times' Jay Marriotti writes, Alou "whipping down his glove like Tanner Boyle in Bad News Bears and claiming he had an 'almost 100 percent' shot to catch the most notorious foul ball in baseball history. The play a) made a pariah of poor Barman and b) has become a symbol of Cubs' futility in the same way Bill Buckner's muffed grounder symbolized the Red Sox'. "If [Alou] had simply had trotted back to his position in left field," writes Mariotti, "the familiar air of dread wouldn't have seeped into Wrigley Field with the Cubs a mere five outs from their first World Series since 1945." JAPANESE AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: Cub fans welcomed Kosuke Fukudome to Wrigley by holding up signs printed in Japanese. Apparently no one told them the printing translates to "It Was Lucky" or "It Was Accidental". (Fan IQ) ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: Apparently, Cub fans don't translate English too well, wither. Lou Cella said good-naturedly, "I'm a sculptor, not a writer," as explanation for the Ernie Banks statue in front of Wrigley Field that reads "Lets Play Two" instead of the grammatically correct "Let's Play Two." (Chicago Tribune) The Cubs say they'll fix it. WHERE BASEBALL SEASON NEVER ENDS: Baseball has taken plenty of hits for being the last of the four major North American sports to launch its own television network. ("What does it say when the NHL is ahead of you?" a friend asked plaintively last year.) But when MLB Network goes live next January, it will be in 50 million homes -- far more than the start-up number for any other sports' network -- and expects to be profitable by the end of 2009. If this Sports Business Journal story is to be believed, baseball did it right. LET US NEVER FORGET: Because this is the 61st anniversary of Jackie Robinson's major-league debut, and not the 60th or the 50th or the 25th, he is being pretty much ignored once again. But not by Baseball Propsectus' Steven Goldman, who calls Robinson's breaking of baseball's color barrier nothing less than the moment the United States "began to close the gap between its rhetoric and its realities." HOW ABOUT SIDD FINCH'S SPLITS? Old friend Sean Forman says the indispensable baseball-reference.com is about to roll out pitcher and batter splits for players on PEDs and those not on PEDs. That the announcement was made April 1 shouldn't fool you . . . should it? OR SIDD FINCH'S BASEBALL CARD? Topps had an April Fool's Day joke of its own. (AP via SI.com) LOCAL BOYS: As expected, the Rays declined their 2009 contract option on Rocco Baldelli, making him a free agent at the end of the year. (mlb.com) But they signed fellow Rhode Islander Dan Wheeler to a three-year contract. (Tampa Tribune) YESTERDAY'S BEST: Jon Garland pitched well in winning his Angels debut (Los Angeles Times) . . . Josh Hamilton singlehandedly lifted the Rangers over the Mariners. (Dallas Morning News) Among the accomplishments: A ninth-inning home run off Seattle relief ace J.J. Putz, who blew only three saves all last year . . . Robert Andino's first career homer gave the Marlins a 10-inning win over the Mets. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) QUICKLY: It doesn't sound like the White Sox plan to talk contract extension with Joe Crede (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Phillies aren't interested in Steve Kline, who was recently cut loose by the Giants (Philadelphia Daily News) . . . The Blue Jays expect B.J. Ryan to be back by the middle of April (Toronto Sun) . . . Torii Hunter is one of those "How DARE you throw close to me??" guys, so while he didn't throw a nutty -- as he did after being hit by Danys Baez in 2002 -- he clearly didn't like taking a pitch from former teammate Juan Rincon off the elbow (St. Paul Pioneer Press) . . . Marcus Giles agreed to a minor-league deal with the Dodgers but, while driving to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, changed his mind, turned around and went home (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . We'll probably find out today just how serious Victor Martinez' hamstring strain is (cleveland.com) . . . The blog Inside Charm City is hearing whispers that the Orioles may be up for sale soon. OLD FRIENDS: He said he'd retire if he didn't stick with the Dodgers, but I guess he didn't mean it: Rudy Seanez has hooked on with the Phillies (phillyburbs.com) . . . . David Murphy made his second straight start, and went 2-for-4, for the Rangers (rotoworld.com) . . . Derek Lowe is day-to-day after taking a shot off his left calf in the sixth inning of the Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Giants (Riverside Press-Enterprise) . . . Joel Piniero will probably begin a minor-league rehab later this week and could be back with the Cardinals before the end of the month. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone Late notes: Youkilis ties Garvey; Matsuzaka first to start twice in first three games since '74BY SEAN McADAM OAKLAND -- Saturday night in Los Angeles, Kevin Youkilis met Steve Garvey for the first time. Tuesday night, he tied him in the record book. Youkilis played his 193rd consecutive game at first base without an error, tying the major league mark held by Garvey, who played errorless ball for the Dodgers and San Diego Padres from June 26, 1983 through April 14, 1985. "I was told [about the record] after the game,'' said Youkilis. "I didn't know. I guess it's a great thing. Hopefully I can carry [the streak] on for a long time.'' "Good for him,'' said manager Terry Francona. ``He plays an aggressive first base. This is not a fluke. He makes throws, scoops balls and is very active. I think what this does is bring some attention to him nationally, where we can brag him about him a bit.'' Youkilis's feat is particularly noteworthy because he came up as a third baseman and had to learn first base on the fly. "I try to get better on a daily basis,'' said Youkillis, who added that it was a "great honor'' to be linked with a player of Garvey's status. Move over, Looie Other Matsuzaka notes: He didn't walk anyone for only the fourth time in 34 major-league starts and for the first time since last May 30 . . . He retrieved the ball used for the final out from the stands and plans to preserve it as a keepsake for his newborn son.
Posted by Sean McAdam Final: Matsuzaka sparkles as Sox defeat A's, 2-1BY SEAN McADAM OAKLAND -- In addition to the ban on crying, there are no do-overs in baseball. But Tuesday night, Daisuke Matsuzaka could dream. "It's only something I can say in hindsight,'' Matsuzaka said after a masterful performance against the Oakland A's, "but it would have been nice to be able to pitch like this in Japan.'' "Like this'' meant: efficient, aggressive and in command. Matsuzaka was all of those things, limiting the A's to two hits in 6 2/3 innnings to earn a victory in the Red Sox' 2-1 triumph over the A's, their first meaningful game in almost a week. In the actual season opener in Tokyo, Matsuzaka was erratic from the beginning, needing 60 pitches to record the first six outs. By the time he neared his pitch limit, he was only through five innings. Last night, by contrast, he located well from the start. The only run against him came in the second when Jack Cust jumped on a first-pitch fastball and drove it out the other way. After that, Matsuzaka was nearly perfect, retiring 16 of the final 17 A's he faced. Kurt Suzuki, who singled leading off the third, was the only other baserunner to reach against Matsuzaka, and Suzuki was subsequently erased when he was thrown out trying to steal. "I thought he pitched with a lot of heart,'' said Terry Francona. "He made a lot of good pitches. He got into a nice rhythm. He was not trying to muscle up -- he was just hitting his spots and letting his natural ability take over.'' "He hit his spots, was in-and-out and executed a lot of his pitches,'' said Mike Lowell of Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka threw 96 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, or exactly one more than he needed to complete five innings last Tuesday in his native country. "He looked like he had a real good feel for where the ball was going,'' said first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who contributed three hits in support. "When he has that, he does great things.'' As effective as Matsuzaka was, the Sox didn't provide him with any backing until the fifth against Oakland's Joe Blanton. A two-out single from Jacoby Ellsbury scored Youkilis from second, but just barely. A strong throw from Travis Buck in right beat Youkilis to the plate, but Youkilis managed to slide under Suzuki's attempt at a sweep tag. Youkilis was in the middle of things in the sixth, when the Sox took the lead for good. He banged a two-out triple off the scoreboard in left, then rode home when Jason Varitek smoked a double to right. Replays indicated that Varitek's ball cleared the yellow line above the scoreboard in right, but the umpiring crew ruled otherwise and the Sox' catcher had to be satisfied with a two-base hit. After an 0-for-8 performance in Japan with six strikeouts, the captain wasn't complaining. Francona was, but his effort went for naught. Matsuzaka had retired 13 hitters in a row, but with the left-handed hitting Cust due, Francona summoned Hideki Okajima from the bullpen. The lefty walked Cust, but then got Emil Brown on an infield pop-up. With a runner on base and righthanded pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney coming to the plate in the eighth, Francona called on closer Jonathan Papelbon for a four-out save. Papelbon got Sweeney on a fielder's choice, then struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Posted by Sean McAdam April 1, 2008
Tonight's Red Sox lineup vs. OaklandEllsbury rf
Posted by Chris Venditto Manny's Macy's ad
As Art Martone reported on this blog earlier today, Manny Ramirez is one of 15 major league players and managers who will appear on ads for Macy's as a Father's Day promo. The others include Joe Torre, Mariano Rivera and 2004 ALCS hero Dave Roberts. Click here to read the full story in the Sports Business Journal.
Posted by Mike McDermott Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from OaklandClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the the Red Sox' challenges in the month of April, Clay Buchholz's tenuous hold on the fifth starter job, and J.D. Drew's health questions.
Posted by Mike McDermott Red Sox vs. A's key stats-The Red Sox have opened their season away from Fenway Park in six consecutive seasons, including this year. Red Sox vs. Joe Blanton A's vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, April 1
TAKE TWO: Didn't we do this last week? Well, yes. But, as Sean McAdam writes, tonight the Red Sox will play a game of consequence in the continental United States for the first time since Oct. 28 in Denver when they re-open the season in Oakland. It still doesn't feel right -- one season opener at 6 a.m., this one at 10:15 p.m. -- but it's a step closer to the normalcy of the season, a normalcy that's eluded us so far this spring. Even so, these games count just as much as the Wednesday night games against Baltimore in July, and McAdam lists the questions facing the Sox as the season (re)starts. It'll be Daisuke Matsuzaka back on the mound tonight, seeking some of the pitch-count efficiency that eluded him in Opener One. (projo.com) GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT: Yesterday, you may recall, we linked to a Wall Street Journal statistical analysis that ranked Terry Francona 16th of the 20 managers listed. I made no comment on it, mainly because I thought the study was horribly flawed. (I only linked to it because I thought it was interesting. Not accurate, but interesting.) The flaw: Any system that spits out a conclusion showing a manager who's won two World Series in four years -- in a place where they hadn't won any World Series in the previous eight decades, a place where the pressure to win was all but suffocating, and with a team that, while very good, wasn't really head-and-shoulders better than some other teams -- to be in the lower quarter of all his peers, is clearly (clearly!) focusing on the wrong data. And toward that end may I present Bill Reynolds' column on Michael Holley's excellent new book Red Sox Rule. Managing, writes Holley, isn't about writing out lineups or when to pull pitchers or whether or not to call for the hit-and-run, even though, says Reynolds, these are the things "that’s the fodder of talk shows and the morning newspaper." (And, perhaps most importantly, the Internet; I'll give Bill a pass on this one, since he's past the age where he's online-savvy.) It's about "managing people, no easy task in this age of huge salaries and guaranteed contracts, this age of agents and entitlement, this age of people who question anything anyone says, never mind someone who controls their fate." Francona's brilliant -- brilliant -- at that part of the gig. And that's the part the WSJ study completely ignored. World Series championships aren't the be-all, end-all of a manager's competency -- Cito Gaston is living proof -- and I wouldn't want my defense of Francona to boil down to "He has two rings, doesn't he?" But WSJ was trying to take all subjective measures out of the analysis and focus directly on whether or not the team performs better or worse under each manager. Watching Francona handle this team over the last four years -- particularly last September, when he stood up to mounting hysteria as the lead over the Yankees dwindled and continued to do the things that best positioned the team for the postseason, a strategy that paid off as the Sox played their best baseball of the year in October -- convinces me that any study showing he's costing the team games isn't capturing the whole picture. You can have Ron Gardenhire, Bruce Bochy and Ned Yost (who were 1-2-3 in the WSJ study). I'm sure they're fine managers. But I'll take Terry Francona, thank you. QUICK HITS: McAdam reports J.D. Drew won't play tonight, but probably will tomorrow . . . all indications are Bobby Kielty is sticking with the Sox . . . Mike Timlin has been cleared to begin long tossing and may soon start a rehab assignment with the PawSox. THE FAVORED ONES: The Globe's Gordon Edes checks out the various preseason prognostications and concludes if "the American League East could be decided like the Iowa caucus instead of on the field, there is little doubt who would win." WE AGREE: All three of our baseball writers -- McAdam, Steven Krasner and Joe McDonald -- think the Sox will take the A.L. East and McAdam and McDonald also believe they'll repeat as World Series champions. (projo.com) STATE OF BIG PAPI: David Ortiz discusses a number of topics, including his surgically repaired knee ("It feels good one day and some other day it feels like [expletive]") with the Globe's Nick Cafardo. BIRTH OF A SALESMAN: Manny Ramirez will participate in a summer sportswear promotion for Macy’s. (Boston Herald) AND THE WINNER IS . . . . Well, there's no winner just yet. But David Scott says a former Miss San Diego, Heidi Watney, has emerged as the front-runner to replace Tina Cervasio as NESN's Red Sox reporter. (shots.bostonsportsmedia.com) THE ANSWER MAN: The very first of Jonah Keri's "One hundred stories to watch" is "Can the Red Sox repeat?" He doesn't think so. (espn.com) SECOND CITY: FoxSports.com has the Sox ranked second, behind Cleveland, in its first Power Rankings of the regular season. YANKEES 1, RED SOX 0: The first Boston-New York meeting of the year -- in a wine-tasting contest -- goes to the Yanks. (New York Daily News) HOW TOUGH IS IT TO FIGURE THIS OUT? The Yankee opener was rained out, leading Johnny Damon to wonder aloud why the season openers aren't all played in warm-weather cities or places with domes. (New York Post) I'LL ALWAYS HEAR YOUR VOICE: Bob Sheppard will be announcing Derek Jeter's at-bats at Yankee Stadium all season long, no matter if Sheppard returns to work or not. That's because Jeter had one of Sheppard's introductions taped, and the Yankees will play it whenever he goes to the plate. (mlb.com) OH NO, YOU DON'T: The Yankees are forbidding Joba Chamberlain to make a weekly radio appearance on Michael Kay's show. Club policy, they say. (Newsday) SAY WHAT? For the first time since I've known him, my friend Lou DiLullo isn't picking the Yankees to win the A.L. East. (yankeetradition.com) RELIVING A NIGHTMARE: Bottom of the ninth. 3-0 lead. Eric Gagne in to nail it down. And then the Brewers got a taste of what we in Red Sox Nation saw so often last August and September. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) Still, they did come back to win it in the 10th . . . and Gagne wound up with the victory. JUST STARTING ONE: Kerry Wood was no better than Gagne as he started his stint as Cubs' closer in the same game. (Chicago Tribune) And Kosuke Fukudome -- whose three-run, game-tying homer off Gagne sent Wrigley Field into a frenzy -- may be embarking on the nightmare that is Cubdom, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jay Mariotti. OPENING WAY: One debut that went far smoother was Johan Santana's with the Mets. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark calls Santana "the perfect cure for the 6-month-old nightmare that won't go away. . . a dose of amnesia for a team that's trying to perfect the art of forgetfulness." Fellow Venezuelan native Dave Concepcion, the star shortstop on Cincinnati's Big Red Machine of the 1970s, flew up to watch Santana pitch. (mlb.com) LONG, HOT SUMMER: The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck notes the thousands of fans who came to Camden Yards yesterday disguised as empty seats and wonders "how does that auger for the dog days of August, when there's no orange carpet and the Yankees and Red Sox are playing elsewhere?" NO ORDINARY JOE: Joe Torre admitted to having a case of the nerves prior to his Dodger managerial debut. (Los Angeles Times) ESPN.com's Jim Caple chronciles his first day -- and victory -- as Dodger manager. ONE MAN'S CEILING . . . Barry Zito, the losing pitcher against Torre's Dodgers, continues to look like the biggest free-agent bust of this generation. The San Francisco Chronicle's Gwen Knapp buries him after yesterday's performance. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU GET THERE: The Pirates blew a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, but still managed to pull out a 12-11 win over the Braves. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) It spoiled the return to Atlanta of Tom Glavine, who left after five innings with a lead. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) YIN AND YANG: The Tigers hit as advertised in their opener against the Royals. (Detroit Free Press) But they also pitched as advertised, as well. (Detroit News) As a result, they're 0-1 in this new season. (Kansas City Star) A DIFFERENT WORLD: Most places -- this one included -- react harshly to players who leave for the riches of free agency. But Minnesota is gentler, kinder, and folks there had a warm welcome for Torii Hunter when he returned to town with the Angels last night. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) LAW OF THE LAND: The blog The Big Lead has an interesting interview with ESPN's Keith Law, who says, among other things, that the Blue Jays -- for whom he was working when the deal was completed -- negotiated a terrible contract with A.J. Burnett ("a two-year player option, and I don’t see why any club would ever give a player an option like that . . . [you're] ceding your upside to the player and locking in your downside") and that baseball's real fans don't care about performance-enhancing drugs. ("The fans who are most up in arms over PED usage are bandwagon fans -- they didn’t care much about baseball, but they jumped on the train to complain about it, and when it’s over, they’ll disappear again.") STILL WATERS RUN DEEP: A profile of Charlie Manuel in phillymag.com shows there's more to the Phillies manager than meets the eye. CATCH UP WITH US SOMETIME: As the mainstream baseball press and fandom comes to grips with such terms as OPS, A's general manager Billy Beane tells the San Diego Union-Tribune's Chris Jenkins just how far beyond those primitive sabermetric concepts most baseball front offices have progressed. HERE AND THERE: Scott Spiezio has signed a minor-league contract with the Braves (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Orioles fans haven't forgotten the nitwit comments made by Aubrey Huff on a Baltimore radio show last November, and they let him have it yesterday (Baltimore Sun) . . . Carlos Zambrano says he's okay after cramps forced him out of yesterday's game against the Cubs, though he was hardly Little Mary Sunshine in his one-minute postgame media session (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Pirates may have hit an insurmountable snag in their long-term contract talks with Adam LaRoche (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . The Yankees have issued uniform number 21 for the first time since Paul O'Neill retired. LaTroy Hawkins is wearing it, and he chose it to honor Roberto Clemente. (New York Daily News) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 31, 2008
Blue Jays-Yankees postponedNEW YORK (AP) - The beginning of the end will have to wait. The final opening day at Yankee Stadium was postponed because of rain Monday, pushing back New York's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The game was rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, previously an off day in the series. Chien-Ming Wang had been slated to pitch for the Yankees on his 28th birthday against Toronto ace Roy Halladay. New York owner George Steinbrenner showed up around noon for the 84th opening day at Yankee Stadium, but history was put on hold by a steady rain that washed away batting practice and the planned festivities. The tarp remained on the field until the game was called at about 2:30 p.m. after a delay of approximately 85 minutes. Players never were introduced. Next year, the Bronx Bombers will move into a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium, under construction just across 161st Street. "You see the new stadium, but it still seems like that's years away, even though it's only one," Derek Jeter said. "Just 100 yards away? That's not too far for the ghosts to go." The rain also delayed Joe Girardi's debut as Yankees manager. Girardi is taking over this season from his mentor, Joe Torre, who spent the past 12 years in charge. Torre guided New York to the playoffs every season from 1996-2007 and won four World Series rings in his first five years. He walked away in the offseason when the club offered him just a one-year contract with a pay cut, then quickly was hired to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees have won 10 consecutive home openers, the best run in franchise history and the longest active streak in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. "There's so many memories here that go beyond baseball," Jeter said. The rainout means there still has never been a regular-season game in March at Yankee Stadium, christened by Babe Ruth's homer before 74,200 fans on opening day in 1923. The Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, from 1974-75 while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled. Notes: Shannon Stewart was penciled in to start in left field for Toronto instead of Matt Stairs, who has a left hip flexor. Stairs was supposed to be available off the bench, and the Blue Jays said they don't plan to put him on the disabled list. "He feels really well right now so we'll see how he feels after he takes batting practice in the cage," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Just go day to day right now." Stairs, who tested his sore hip during the team's workout Sunday, also had a hip problem last season. "This one might be a little bit more intense than the one last year," he said Sunday. "I just want to get that little clicking out of there that's catching when I run sometimes. It doesn't bother me on any swing, just running and lifting that leg up. You get a pinch once in a while." ... The Yankees have won 15 of their past 16 home openers and 21 of 24.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Monday, March 31
CLAY PIGEON: If you're looking for something to worry about heading into the season, we have two words: Clay Buchholz. The young right-hander, whom Red Sox Nation has such high hopes for in 2008, struggled yet again yesterday in an 8-0 loss to the Dodgers that closed out the exhibition season, getting lifted with no outs and two on in the fourth and already trailing, 4-0. Sean McAdam quotes Buchholz -- 1-3 with a 10.13 ERA in the games-that-don't-count -- as saying that "overall, every outing except maybe one this spring was a positive one for me." But the Herald's Tony Massarotti points out that the Sox' unwillingness to part with Buchholz is the reason they don't have Johan Santana and because of that "the expectations for Buchholz [are] stratospheric." So far, the results are subterranean. With Bartolo Colon knocking on the door -- McAdam has the details of his impressive Friday night showing -- Buchholz could wind up in Pawtucket very soon. WILL BOBBY KIELTY BE THERE IF HE DOES? On Saturday, Kielty said he would accept an assignment to the PawSox while he waits for the Sox to trade Coco Crisp. But now McAdam reports another team has apparently come calling, and Kielty may leave the organization. MEMORIAL NIGHT: The highlight of the weekend in Los Angeles was Saturday night's game at the strangely configured Los Angeles Coliseum, which attracted a record 115,300 fans. McAdam tells all about the goings-on before, during and after the Sox' 7-4 win over the Dodgers. Tim Wakefield pitched well in the victory. QUOTE OF THE DAY: From Joe Torre on playing the Red Sox at the Coliseum: "It's a privilege to share this with the Boston Red Sox. Excuse me -- the World Series champion Boston Red Sox. For some reason, that doesn't bother me anymore." ANOTHER JAPANESE SIGNING: McAdam reports the Sox have brought aboard Japanese pitcher Terumasa Matsuo. TOUGH ROAD AHEAD: McAdam takes a detailed look at the very demanding April schedule of the Red Sox . . . and that's not even considering the Japan trip. WIZARDS OF WALL STREET: The Wall Street Journal has unveiled a detailed statistical system of rating managers that puts Terry Francona 16th overall, well behind such people as Ned Yost, Charlie Manuel and Willie Randolph. IF IT WERE ME . . . In answer to a fan's question on his blog, Jim Rice says he'd play Coco Crisp over Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury, incidentally, was the subject of a profile by Neil Swidey in The Boston Sunday Globe Magazine. I LIKE MIKE: While answering fans' questions on Peter Abraham's LoHud Yankees blog, Brian Cashman says his biggest regret as Yankee GM was the Mike Lowell trade . . . not just because of the player Lowell became, but because the team received almost nothing in return. DOWN ON THE FARM: Thanks to Seth Mnookin for pointing out old friend Alex Speier's comprehensive piece on the Red Sox' farm system in the Manchester Union-Leader. OPENING SALVO: How's that for a first game in a new stadium? The Nationals get a two-out, walkoff home run from Ryan Zimmerman in the bottom of the ninth and beat the Braves on national television. (espn.com) FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal thinks it's fitting, since Zimmerman is the face of the franchise. NOW OR . . . ? Jeff Blair of the Toronto Globe and Mail thinks this could be a make-or-break season for Blue Jays GM (and Worcester native) J.P. Ricciardi, who's starting his seventh year with the team. ONE LAST TIME: Today is the last Opening Day the old Yankee Stadium; next April, the Yanks will be opening across the street at their new, state-of-the-art palace. The Daily News' Mike Lupica says the only fitting way to send the old girl out in style is with one last World Series championship. But colleague John Harper talks to scouts who think, to quote whatever song it was Kitty Carlyle sang in Radio Days, Yankee pitching is either too young or too old. And, while the long-term future is bright, four of the six scouts Harper spoke to said the Yankees won't make the playoffs this year. The two who think they'll qualify both said they don't have the pitching depth to win the World Series. FOREVER 39: The Daily News' Filip Bondy says the Bleacher Creatures in Section 39 not only will miss the old stadium more than anyone, and some of them aren't sure they'll make the move to the new place. LET'S LET BYGONES BE BYGONES: Joe Girardi had a nasty parting with the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria in 2006, but they made their peace yesterday. (New York Post) ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN: The Mets are ready to start the Johan Santana Era, though they'll be doing it in Miami. (New York Post) But the Times-Herald's Michael Geffner warns that last year's Amazin' collapse is something the Mets still have to deal with. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD: The Marlins take the field with a $21 million payroll, which the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Mike Hyde thinks is an insult to the fans. COULD IT BE? The Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski says, yeah, the Tigers will be good, but they'll have to be better than good to get where everyone thinks they can go. TWENTY-YEAR ITCH: The Baltimore Sun's Roch Kubatko talks to people who says the Orioles may not be 1988 bad -- that was the year they finished 54-107 -- but they could be close. IT'S NOT GOING AWAY: According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, baseball fans "say that it matters to them if players use performance-enhancing drugs and that the news media are more diligent about covering drug use in baseball than they are in football." (New York Times) UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: I missed this when it first came out, but Pat Jordan -- author of the withering Jose Canseco piece on Deadspin that we linked to a couple of days ago -- related his experiences watching Roger Clemens work out under the eye of Brian McNamee for Baseball Analysts on the day of Clemens' 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace. (It was for a New York Times Sunday Magazine story entitled Roger Clemens Refuses To Grow Up that ran in 2001, a story that so enraged Clemens he convinced the Yankees to ban Jordan from their clubhouse during his time with the team.) Jordan, in the Baseball Analysts post, makes an interesting comparison between the careers of Clemens and Tom Seaver. He notes Seaver had more wins than Clemens through the first 12 years of their respective careers (a 219-117 record for Seaver, 192-111 for Clemens). After that, however, Clemens -- who began his 13th season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997, the year he left the Red Sox -- left Seaver in the dust; he was 162-73 over the next 11 seasons, while Seaver went 92-78 over eight years before retiring. "While Seaver struggled with that declining fastball in the latter stage of his career, Clemens kept throwing hard," writes Jordan, who later adds: "It goes against the laws of nature, although I suspect that a case can be made that Clemens' incredible late career success could be attributed to the strict diet and fabled workout routine of his former trainer and friend, now his adversary, Brian McNamee." THAT ABOUT COVERS IT: SI.com's Richard Deitsch saw Jose Canseco as "equal parts oily, smug and desperate" on his Nightline appearance last week. THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: The real reason Canseco is mad at Alex Rodriguez? Because A-Rod wouldn't let Canseco and his brother, Ozzie, be his agents. (SI.com) GOOD QUESTION, RICHARD: The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice acknowledges Woody Williams was pitching poorly and deserved to be released, but wonders why Astros fans attacked him so personally over the Internet. BEGINNING OF THE END? The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel believes this could be Ben Sheets' final season with the Brewers. And Francisco Rodriguez himself thinks he'll be leaving the Angels at the conclusion of the year. (Los Angeles Times) No one really knows if this is C.C. Sabathia's swan song in Cleveland, but the Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw says Sabathia knows the benefit of staying put. HOW RUMORS START: According to the Tampa media, Eric Hinske has not only made the Rays' 25-player roster (Tampa Tribune), but he's going to be their Opening Day right fielder. (St. Petersburg Times) But all it took was a throwaway line at the very bottom of a Los Angeles Times column -- "Tampa Bay's Eric Hinske is also reportedly on the market" -- to get the blogosphere (Rays Anatomy, DRaysBay) humming. Why he would be offered for trade now is unfathomable, and Hinske himself obviously doesn't think he's going anywhere; he tells the Bradenton Herald he's looking forward to getting some at-bats this year after an enjoyable, but mostly idle, stint in Boston. HERE AND THERE The Toronto Sun reports Alex Rios has until today to accept the Blue Jays' six-year, $65 million offer, or there'll be no more talks until after the season . . . It looks likes Wes Helms will be staying with the Phillies, at least for now (Allentown Call) . . . Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan is contemplating legal action against a St. Louis radio station after he said they put him on the air without his permission (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Orioles ate an $11.9 million meal when they released Jay Gibbons (Baltimore Sun) . . . Juan Pierre's not out of a job; he's just out of a starting job with the Dodgers. (mlb.com) OLD FRIENDS: The Rockies are interested in Jorge De La Rosa, who was designated for assignment by the Royals last week (Kansas City Star) . . . The Cubs are getting inquiries about Matt Murton, who no longer fits into their plans (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . Scott Hatteberg will get the Opening Day start at first base for the Reds (cincinnati.com) . . . Andy Marte made the Indians' 25-player roster and is relaxed and looking forward to the season (mlb.com) . . . The blog Red Reporter thinks the release of Mike Stanton is a sign Cincinnati is serious about winning this year. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone March 30, 2008
Final: Red Sox 7, Dodgers 4BY SEAN McADAM LOS ANGELES -- Somewhere in there -- hidden behind the pomp and circumstance and the ceremony and the strange field configuration -- was a baseball game Saturday night at the Los Angeles Coliseum, one in which the Red Sox pounded the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-4. Playing in front of the largest crowd -- 115,300 -- ever to watch a baseball game, the Sox spotted the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, then scored the next seven runs before the Dodgers responded with three runs in the late innings. "It was really a pretty special night,'' said Terry Francona. "I don't think any of us knew what to expect. But everybody involved did a great job. It ended up being a great night all around.'' Tim Wakefield pitched into the sixth, allowing a single run -- unearned -- on five hits and recorded the win, a signficant feat for a flyball pitcher in a ballpark where the left-field line was just 201 feet from home plate. "I thought Wake did a great job of not letting things get in the way of his preparation,'' Francona said. "He threw strikes and did well.'' "He's been really good every game since I've started catching him,'' said catcher Kevin Cash. "It's not easy to maintain your stuff every time out, but he has. He's definitely in a good spot with his mechanics.'' Cash gave his batterymate some support with a three-run homer in the second. Kevin Youkilis added a two-run shot in the third. "That was pretty cool,'' said Cash of his homer. "I would rather it be in a regular-season game, but if it has to come in an exhibition game, I'm glad it was this one.'' Bryan Corey pitched two innings and allowed a run. Hideki Okajima tossed a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out, touched for a two-run homer with two out in the ninth by Blake DeWitt. Cash and Francona said the football lights -- higher than usual for a baseball setting -- and a tough hitter's background made it difficult for batters to see in the first few innings. "But once they got going,'' said Francona, "they had fun with it.''
Posted by Sean McAdam Photo: Kareem takes his shot
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball great, grew up as a Dodger fan in Brooklyn, and always said one of his greatest sports memories was when the Dodgers won their first World Series, finally beating the Yankees in 1955. (He brought up the comparison when the Lakers beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals, after losing to them so many times, in 1985.) Saturday night he was asked to throw in one of the first pitches, as many former Dodger players stood behind him. When he wasn't satisfied with his overhand pitch, he took the ball back and showed everyone his classic "sky hook" shot that he was known for on the basketball court,
Posted by Bob Breidenbach Photos: Getting ready for the game
Bench coach Brad Mills and Manny Ramirez (top photo) head onto the Los Angeles Coliseum in preparation for Saturday night's exhibition. The Sox do their stretching exercises (middle photo), watched by the fans (bottom photo).
Posted by Bob Breidenbach Photo: I got it!
The left-field fence at the Los Angeles Coliseum was only 201 feet from the plate, so a high net was put in place to replicate a wall. Still, fans were able to collect a lot of drives hit over the net during batting practice and the game.
Posted by Bob Breidenbach Photos: Short left field
The Red Sox and Dodgers played at the Los Angeles Coliseum Saturday night in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the team moving to the West Coast. (The Dodgers played their first four seasons in L.A., from 1958-61, at the Coliseum while Dodger Stadium was being built.) The field was squeezed into the space at the since-reconfigured Coliseum, allowing only a 201-foot left-field line (top photo). Both teams played their left fielder toward left center and the shortstops and third basemen covered short left-field area. In the bottom photo, Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo fields a grounder that caromed off the left-field wall.
Posted by Bob Breidenbach Photo: Record crowd at the Coliseum
The crowd of 115,300 at the Los Angeles Coliseum was a world record for attendance at a baseball game. Dodgers pitcher Esteban Loaiza warms up before the game surrounded by fans in all the seats.
Posted by Bob Breidenbach Sox make it 7-1LOS ANGELES -- An RBI double from Bobby Kielty and a run-scoring single from Alex Cora have upped the Red Sox lead to a comfortable 7-1 in the top of the sixth. Tim Wakefield is coming out for what is presumed to be his final inning of work. To date, he's been superb, allowing just three hits through the first five innings. -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam |
Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson
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