But there's a bigger element in play here, and it goes beyond winning individual games. Sean McAdam has a very interesting piece about the Red Sox working to keep their starting pitchers rested and refreshed so they're better able to withstand the demands of October. He wrote it on the same day Paul Kenyon was reporting (and demonstrating) from Pawtucket how the organization has, in the words of director of amateur scouting Jason McLeod, "implemented a system, and everybody's bought into it at every level." The underlying theme -- of both stories -- is that the Red Sox' focus goes beyond winning individual games, and toward building a structure that gives the major-league team the greatest chance for sustained, and sustainable, success. And, as it happens, we simultaneously have Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News writing about the other end of this spectrum: Yankee manager Joe Girardi overusing his aging core players in an attempt to avoid falling too far behind in the postseason races, which, he thinks, creates "a worrisome situation which may grow worse by August or September, if you are inclined to think negatively."
There's a danger in thinking you've reinvented the wheel; it leads to the sort of hubris that was the backdrop to the old saying "Pride goeth before a fall." I point all this out not to laud the Red Sox for creating a revolutionary new approach to the grand old game -- other teams are pretty smart and do similar things -- but just to illustrate that sometimes we get a glimpse of a very sound organizational philosophy that usually flies pretty far below the radar. When it does surface, it's usually when the major-league team is in crisis and there's a lot of pressure to do something different.
Nice to take a calmer look at it on a day when the sun is shining.
TURNING IT DOWN A NOTCH: In the wake of last week's shoving match with Ramirez, widely believed to be a result of Manny -- among others -- getting fed up with his emotional explosions when things don't go his way, Kevin Youkilis says he's "trying to be a little more mature about his outbursts, while not surrendering his passion for the game." (Boston Herald) Youk admits some teammates have gotten on his case about his screaming and flinging of equipment, but says others have told him not to change a thing.
THEY ALWAYS FAILED THE TASTE TEST . . . but now, reports The Boston Globe, Fenway Park's concession stands also failed preseason city health inspections. They're back up to code, as they fixed the problems and passed a May 16 inspection.
BASKETBALL? WHAT IS THIS BASKETBALL OF WHICH YOU SPEAK? Curt Schilling has another blog entry in which he doesn't mention Kobe Bryant or the Lakers. (His Monday entry turned Bryant into a Yankee fan.) In this one he talks of his Tuesday bullpen session, which he says "wasn't a great day" but one he's willing to write off to the vagaries of rehab.
NOT ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL, BUT NEVER BORING: It was quite a nine-game road trip for the Tampa Bay Rays. First there was the fight in Boston. Then there was the fight among themselves in Texas. And yesterday they turned their ire on the umpires -- Derryl Cousins, specifically -- in their 4-2 loss to the Angels in Anaheim. (St. Petersburg Times) And you wonder if more suspensions are in the offing, since, according to Times writer Marc Topkin, Rays starter Scott Kazmir "[complained] not only about missed strike calls during several key at-bats but [questioned Cousins'] reputation and integrity, accusing him of making certain calls to make up for others." Joe Maddon wasn't happy, either, and his unhappiness resulted in the eighth ejection of his career (Tampa Tribune); four of them have come against the team he once worked for as a coach, the Angels.
THE JOY OF BEING A BALLPLAYER: It's a glamorous life, eh, Troy Percival?
OH, YEAH? The Rays could take a lesson in rapid response to those nasty Torontonians from Jonathan Papelbon:
CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT: That's Peter Abraham's take on the Yankees, who fell back to .500 with an 8-4 loss to the A's that spoiled Darrell Rasner's sort-of homecoming. (New York Daily News) He grew up in Carson City, Nev., which is 3 1/2 hours from Oakland.
JOB SEEKER: Former Oriole outfielder Jay Gibbons, who was named in the Mitchell Report, has written letters to all 30 teams saying he's sorry for his mistakes and is asking to redeem himself. "[All] I need is a chance and I will prove that I can be an extremely productive player and a great addition to your organization." (espn.com)
I've love to see some in-depth assessment of the Red Sox 2008 draft. A number have already signed, others not, but without more info it's hard to assess it. One thing I'd love to see is your assessment of the players' drafted in order of talent (which is very different, I know, from the order in which they were drafted due to signability issues, etc.).
I love your daily wrap-up -- links to all kinds of interesting stuff I might not find otherwise.
I've love to see some in-depth assessment of the Red Sox 2008 draft. A number have already signed, others not, but without more info it's hard to assess it. One thing I'd love to see is your assessment of the players' drafted in order of talent (which is very different, I know, from the order in which they were drafted due to signability issues, etc.).
I love your daily wrap-up -- links to all kinds of interesting stuff I might not find otherwise.