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Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Silent bats »
May 2, 2008
Journal photo / Mary Murphy
THIRD TIME'S NO CHARM: There was no late-night magic at Fenway Park last night, even though it seemed for a moment that -- thanks to umpire Bruce Dreckman -- there might be. (Which, as Sean McAdam notes, would have been the last straw for the stumbling Blue Jays.) But Paul Kenyon has the details of a comeback, minor as it might have been, snuffed out in what wound up being a 3-0 Toronto victory.
So the stark reality that's been somewhat masked by the ninth-inning miracles of the previous two nights is now staring the glum Red Sox (above) in the face: They ain't hittin' (Boston Herald). (Check out the linescore of the last 50 innings from Joy of Sox.) As Rob Bradford points out in the Herald piece, Sox batters have struck out almost as many times (33) as they've reached base via hit or walk (37) in the last five games. The "You have to tip your hat to the opposing pitcher" rationale is wearing thin after five consecutive games in which they've scored four runs.
What's surprising, to me, is the lack of discussion about it; I thought my pals at Sons of Sam Horn would be all over it, but as of now this is the only thread regarding the offense (and a tepid one it is). Part of it, of course, is that we know -- or at least we're reasonably sure -- this team will hit; no less an authority than Jim Rice says so. (ask14.sullivantire.com) The recent blackout can't obscure the fact that the Sox actually performed very well offensively through the season's first month. (Baseball Analysts) And the team's recent run of success has somewhat curbed the knee-jerk regional panic that once would have accompanied such a stretch of offensive wretchedness.
But four runs in five games? Only four more baserunners than strikeouts? That's a team slump.
APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH: It certainly was for the Blue Jays, who had dreams of glory when the season started but who find themselves looking up at the pack after a wretched start. (projo.com) It had our buddy the Tao of Steib doing some hard soul-searching yesterday afternoon, but the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin says the happy Jays are confident that their April showers will bring May flowers . . . or something. (Man, what a wretched phrase.) In his Inside The Game feature, Steven Krasner notes the Blue Jays didn't help themselves last night with yet more basepath blunders and some overaggressive baserunning that may have stemmed from manager John Gibbons' attempts to break the team's bad karma (though I'm sure Gibbons didn't use those words).
DRAMA KINGS: Can't say April (or the two days in March in which they also played games that count) was too cruel for the Red Sox, though. It started on Opening Day -- Night? Morning? -- in Tokyo when Brandon Moss' ninth-inning homer off A's closer Huston Street sparked the Sox to a come-from-behind, extra-inning win, and it continued all through the end of April as Boston won no fewer than eight games by scoring runs in the eighth inning or later. Our own Mike McDermott yesterday put together a slide show of all eight games.
MONTH OF NOTHING: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark doesn't mention the Sox, positively or negatively, in his April recap.
HO HUM: He does mention the Rays, though, who arrive in Boston tonight for the beginning of a three-game series. They're fresh off two wins in three games against the Orioles but, unlike their euphoria over sweeping the Red Sox last weekend, they're taking this bit of success in stride. (Tampa Tribune) They may not have B.J. Upton in the lineup tonight, though (Tampa Tribune)
ON THE CLOCK: McAdam and Kenyon report that word on the Sox' potential spring move to Sarasota may come sooner rather than later. It's the lead of a newsy notebook that includes items on David Ortiz' ailing knee, other injury details, Terry Francona praising Brandon Moss, and a kudo for the Sox' farm department.
COMRADES IN DIFFERENT UNIFORMS: Blue Jays hitting coach Gary Denbo first got to know Mike Lowell when he was working as a Yankees minor-league instructor and Lowell was a New York farmhand. They've stayed close through the years -- in fact, Denbo worked with Lowell on his swing in the 2005-06 offseason, prior to Lowell's joining the Red Sox -- and he wishes he could help his friend now as the Sox' third baseman struggles to get back on his feet offensively. (Boston Herald)
I NEVER SAW IT: As I said the other day, for what it is -- a forum to answer questions and quickly address issues -- Jim Rice's blog consistently delivers interesting material. Today he tells us he never experienced the type of racism Torii Hunter described during his visit to Fenway last week.
HOSPITAL VISIT: John Henry went to Children's Hospital to sit with, and bring gifts to, the 8-year-old boy who was hit by a foul ball at Fenway the other night. (Boston Herald)
MINOR STUFF: Joe Haggerty has a nice feature on Red Sox farmhand Daniel Bard. (hackswithhaggs.com)
AND THEN I MET A MAN WHO HAD NO FEET: And you think the Sox have got it bad.
The Yankees lost to the Tigers 8-4 last night, completing a three-game Detroit sweep. (New York Daily News) The Yanks also announced that not only is Phil Hughes indeed injured -- some (guilty as charged) were skeptical after the clumsy way they handled things Wednesday -- but that he'll be out until at least July because of a rib fracture. (Daily News) The Yanks' other kid starter, Ian Kennedy, is struggling, too (New York Post), and the only white knight riding to the rescue at the moment is Darrell Rasner. (Daily News) Not only that, but the Yanks' offense -- while not currently at Red Sox subterranean levels -- isn't scoring enough to pick up the slack. (Newsday) Joe Girardi is starting to catch some heat from the media for his "testy [and] secretive and confrontational" public persona. (New York Daily News) And Yankee fans, true to their I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it-and-I-deserve-it! DNA, are a) booing Kennedy (one night after booing Hughes) and b) writing to Peter Abraham and suggesting the Yanks sign Barry Bonds, David Wells and Mike Piazza as a means of righting the ship. (LoHud Yankees Blog)
There is good news, though. Bobby Murcer returns to the YES broadcast booth tonight. (New York Daily News)
CALM DOWN: Newsday's Ken Davidoff says the Yankees are in transition, not crisis.
MECHANICALLY SPEAKING: The blog Baseball Digest breaks down Hughes' pitching mechanics.
UNFUL-PHILED: Our own Michael Salfino, writing for sny.tv, says the Yanks have handled Hughes poorly.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, COME TO YOUR SENSES: The Daily News reports the pals of Roger Clemens -- today's bimbo revelation: a former stripper in Detroit -- are pleading with him to drop his defamation lawsuit against Brian McNamee, disappear from the public eye, and try to put together the pieces of his shattered life and reputation. Clemens' actions to this point, according to Peter Keane, a constitutional law professor at Golden Gate University, have been "like watching a lemming heading for the waves."
SEEN THIS ACT BEFORE: Paul Janszen, who had a front-row seat to Pete Rose's self-destruction 20 years ago, says Clemens "is Pete Rose to a T." (Cincinnati Enquirer)
NOW THE SEASON HAS REALLY BEGUN: Lou Piniella had his first volcanic eruption of the year after the Cubs blew a ninth-inning lead and lost to the Brewers. (Chicago Sun-Times)
HE'S NUMBER ONE: SI.com's Jon Heyman makes the case that the Angels' Mike Scioscia is the best manager in baseball.
SO'S HE . . . . IN A DIFFERENT WAY: The New York Sun's Tim Marchman makes the case that the Mets' Willie Randolph should be the first managerial dismissal of the year.
WHAT I MEANT WAS . . . Vin Scully clarifies his "I may retire" comments to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke.
THUMBS UP: The Washington Post's Thomas Boswell says that after the first month, we can conclude Nationals Park is a winner.
'BECAUSE HE'S A [BLEEPED BY REQUEST]': In a comprehensive Q-and-A with Big League Stew's David Brown, Tigers coach Andy Van Slyke discusses many topics . . . including former teammate Barry Bonds.
R.I.P.: The L.A. Times remembers former Dodger, Padre and Angel executive Buzzie Bavasi, who died at age 92.
FORGET IT: Director Ron Shelton says there are no plans for a sequel to the sublime baseball movie Bull Durham, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
HERE AND THERE: With Troy Tulowitzki sidelined until until perhaps the All-Star break, the Rockies are expressing interest in free agent Juan Castro (both stories Denver Post) . . . The Phillies' Ryan Howard is coming alive at the plate (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Jose Canseco lost his house to foreclosure (AP via yahoo.com) . . . Derrick Turnbow's roster spot in Milwaukee may be in jeopardy (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Reds may put Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn on the trade block. (mlb.com)
OLD FRIENDS: Eric Gagne got his ninth save (and Brian Shouse got the win) in the aforementioned Milwaukee win over Chicago. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
CONGRATULATIONS . . . to our own Joe McDonald, who's in Salisbury, N.C., this weekend to pick up his award as Rhode Island's 2007 Sports Writer of the Year for his work on the Red Sox and PawSox, among other assignments. And kudos to PawSox play-by-play man Steve Hyder, named the R.I. Sportscaster of the Year.
AND FINALLY . . . Thanks to Ian Donnis for the callout in his Providence Phoenix feature on the changing media landscape in Rhode Island.
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:53 AM | Permalink
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