The Baseball Furies

Can You Dig It? 11-30-07

Giro — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:15:00 GMT

Just a thought or two on the whole Johan Santana ordeal. If this trade rumor is true I'll be shocked and impressed if we land somebody on par with Josh Beckett. That is ridiculous. However, I do not think the Sox are competing against the Yankees or any other baseball franchise. Think I'm crazy? Well 30 miles south of Fenway stands a local franchise that is on the verge of history and has stolen every possible regional and national headline possible. The post World Series celebration has been quiet or even non-existent and since the signings of of Schilling and Lowell we haven't uttered a peep about them since. In order to regain our attention during the time of year where EVERYONE pays attention to the NFL the Sox obviously feel the need to do something so massive that it has had everyone on pins and needles for almost an entire week. That's amazing considering the most significant event the team is hosting is the annual Christmas at Fenway. God bless the Sox if they are bold enough to land Johan. I will be floored. I will be ecstatic. I will be chomping at the bit for Spring Training BUT I will not seriously turn my attention their way until the Pats go home for their off-season.

We're Not Going To Change Who We Are Just Because Some Whore Shakes Her Ass

Giro — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:38:00 GMT

Short and simple. I have eaten crow. After that debacle in Toronto I had no faith in this team as I felt like they ran out of gas and couldn't handle the pressure. They proved me wrong as a few chips fell our way. One, the Yankees ran out of gas too, which shocked me given how well they were playing. Second and most importantly, Josh Beckett put the team on his back and inspired everyone, including JD Drew to do amazing things. Congratulations Red Sox. It's been a pleasure.

Random Note: Ran into Jonathan Papelbon Friday morning on Boylston St. He's now the second athlete in my lifetime, after Larry Bird, that I haven't said a thing to when the opportunity presented itself, which includes speaking the 5 Japanese words I know to Dice-K the day after he signed with the Red Sox.

The GM meetings are starting and A-Rod is sure to be all the talk of the volleyball tournament (How many team trainers make the trip to be there for this event alone). Everyone in Soxville, including myself, is praying and hoping that they sign Mike Lowell. Lowell had a classic "free agency" year, which to you lay fans means his numbers were outrageously good the season before reaching free agency. Time and time again players bust hump, get a huge contract and then become shells of their former selves. Mike Lowell does not appear to be that type of player and the only thing that could fail him over the next three years is his body and given the mistakes the team made after 2004 I believe they want to try to keep as many pieces to the 2007 team together to prove they can do it all over again.

BUT BUT BUT BUT One scenario that hasn't entered into the discussion which is going to make your head explode after you digest this, but since Edgar Renteria was unloaded after one miserable season I cannot imagine the team isn't exploring the possibility of unloading Julio Lugo and signing A-Rod to play shortstop. I know how much we collectively dislike A-Rod and his penchant for mannish and muscular strippers, questionable hand slapping sportsmanship, his diva-esque behavior and his glaring inability to deliver in the post-season but I need to ask each and every one of you this. Would you take A-Rod and his regular season dominance (although he played this year like a classic "free agency" year) and poor post-season performance in exchange for Julio Lugo, who has not convinced me after one season that he actually has any plate awareness or understands what he's doing out there, along with his A-Rodish post-season? Who wouldn't give up Lugo for A-Rod? Can you honestly make a case for Lugo over A-Rod? If and when it happens can you physically and psychologically handle it? The signs are there. We (We being defined as people who actually have the power to make this happen and not the fans who tend to think they own the team) can afford him. We would all love to see less of Julio Lugo. We have a cozy relationship with Scott Boras and have probably contributed to 2 more vacation homes this past year alone with the Dice-K and JD Drew signings. Let's not forget how in love with A-Rod we were when the Manny/Nomar for A-Rod/Magglio trade was about to happen. Admit it Sox fans. You loved him once and I think you're capable of loving him again even if he's forced down you throat like castor oil. A full moon just occurred followed by the remnants of a hurricane battering our coast. To pile it on there is that PR rivalry with those undefeated Patriots and I give the Sox brass about two weeks before they plan something major to steal headlines away.

Almost every single little factor (including a plethora of mannish and muscular strippers up and down Route 1) is in place to put A-Rod in a Sox uniform next year and I feel like the only one that can trump this opening of the 4th portal to the apocalypse is how desperate Frank McCourt (thee of the spurned by the league to purchase the Sox even though his group were the front runners) is to bring prominence back to Dodgertown. After failing to build the Red Sox West he appears to be stirring the pot on a recipe for Yankees West au Jus with the Joe Torre signing plus attempts to sign one or two guys from the Mo Rivera, Andy PetRock, George Posada and A-Rod. Depending on which side of the fence you sit Frank McCourt is going to make or break your hot stove season.

Then again I'll be re-heating the crow soon when a wildly desperate franchise like the Pirates swoops in and gives A-Rod $28 mil/year, the PNC Park concessions contract and Ben Rothlisberger's motorcycle. Oh and I cannot even imagine what the strippers in Pittsburgh look like.

BS Man There Ain't Nobody In The Street

Giro — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:58:00 GMT

OK so I need a moment to just talk. I don't care if anybody reads this, but I've got nobody to vent to right now at 8 am yet all I've been thinking about is how did the wheels come flying off. It's an awful feeling and one I haven't experienced all season yet knew was coming after the first blown lead folowing the trade deadline. See up until that point the team chemistry was at an all time high and their lead was higher than I've ever seen it. You convince yourself that there is know way THIS team is going to blow it. The pitching alone was going to keep them in it. Problem is that the pitching is really what's let this team down so much to the point that one of our two locks (Papelbon) has obviously said "Screw it. I'm tired of watching these guys blow leads."

I've honestly felt that this year Tito has actually managed the team better than he has during his entire career. I got to witness what Joe Torre had during the 90's when he was able to run a consistent line-up night after night. It's not hard when you can keep them playing together and while Drew, Manny, Coco and Lugo were struggling for most of the first half you had Lowell, Youk and Papi picking them up. That's how a team plays.

Now all of a sudden Gagne comes into the mix and it screws up the chemistry and the entire thought process behind the winning formula. It took a little while, but with the exception of Delcarmen, Lopez and Tavarez (who is on the list by default that Tito rarely and inexplicably runs him out anymore) the entire bullpen has fallen apart. I think with a little more thinking we could have avoided some of these disasters. The formula was simple; Delcarmen/Timlin, Oki, Papelbon. Adding another late inning guy just destroyed everything, especially Oki's confidence. He's not tired. He's a proud Japanese man and an All-Star to boot who had his psyche totally blown and he hasn't been the same since. What kills me about the five or six blown saves since August is that if we held on to those games the chances that we'd have the division wrapped by now is 100% likely and everybody could be resting up for the post-season with two weeks to play. That is a killer.

You would think that after Gagne blew his second game that every time you wanted to run him out that you would have somebody ready to go the second he obviously lost it. What I witnessed this past Tuesday was embarassing and unacceptable. How do you let Gagne die out there when your season is hanging in the balance? I just don't get it. Naturally that's created a lot of anger and animosity amongst the team and now you have your young stud, employee 58, having a moment of immaturity by just throwing BP his last two outings and not staying focused on locking it down. With the magic number down to three for making the playoffs the Sox are assured a spot, because Beckett is their one sure bet and Schilling, who has pitched two great games in a row (was left in too long on Sunday, but was a result of no faith in the bullpen) will get those 3 games. Wake and Dice-K are kaput and Lester, who I absolutely love, will lose another frustrating game along the way.

This looks all too familiar. Does 2005 ring a bell? The Sox are going to be swept out of the playoffs faster than we can mentally prepare for them to actually be there. It's a shame really. This season was supposed to be different. We were supposed to be the favorites who everyone was trying to beat. Now we're damaged goods with a serious case of winaphobia.

Season Over

Giro — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:26:00 GMT

Due to the major brain farts on behalf of the coaching staff the Red Sox season is officially over. This last debacle is solely Tito's fault. No way Gagne holds a one run lead, but to keep him in after he obviously came undone is unacceptable. Even if they make the playoffs there is no way they go in as the Wild Card and they don't make it out alive.

Miracles Is The Way Things Ought To Be

Giro — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:03:00 GMT

Let's get it out of the way now. Do you really think the Pats have it bad? If we Americans actually paid attention to auto racing where actual skill is required this would blow away the Patriots story. $750K and one draft pick is nothing in comparision to a $100MM fine plus your sports equivalent to being banned from the playoffs.

Which version of Dice-K shows up today? Mecha-Godzilla or Hello Kitty?

Do you think Cialis and Metamucil bought all of the ad spots on ESPN for the big Schilling/Clemens duel on Sunday?

When teams struggle a tad you need your horses to step up in a big way to carry everyone along. Papelbon and Big Papi have been unstoppable. This couldn't have occured at a more opportune time.

Time to pay the Yankees back. Let's end this thing right now and kick some dirt at Joba while we're at it.

Who Wants To Hide?

Giro — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:26:00 GMT

So Gordon Edes finally wrote a quick tidbit about Mike Lowell and the possibility that the Sox may deem him too pricey and old for a long term contract. I understand that it fits along the lines of Pedro and Damon, but there are a couple of things here that don't compare, but most importantly he's not a diva. He shows up, he plays, he succeeds and does it again the next day. He is earning $9 million this season and was a throw in for the Beckett trade. He's a bargain and when you compare him to the $14 million that the walking zombie JD Drew is earning Lowell has far more value. I'm perplexed about why you wouldn't sign him. He plays a position that doesn't require too much movement so his body should hold up and he has done nothing but produce this season. I know it's a contract year, but Lowell isn't one of those guys who busts his arse for one season just so he can get a fat contract and cruise the rest of his career. If he wants three years give it to him. If his knees give out a bit then flip flop him with Youkilis(if he's still around). Everything about Lowell is good and teams need guys like him. Make it happen Theo.

September is going to be a special month. What I like the most is how the crowd is taking it up a notch and putting themselves in playoff form. Fenway has that buzz and a lot of it is coming from those kids. Ellsbury is incredible. Last night was a perfect example. He fouled off some tough fastballs, with two stirkes, just to stay alive and hit a change-up that he had no business hitting deep enough to sacrifice a guy in from third. On top of that he made some more nifty plays in the outfield. He's a good baseball player that we're all going to love. Since I started paying attention to him last season I figured he'd be here by now, which is why the JD Drew signing is even more perplexing. For next season you have two albatross contracts (Ramirez and Drew) that will nearly be impossible to move and although Coco is still scuffling at the plate he's having the best defensive season of any Red Sox centerfielder that I have ever seen. And on top of all that when he gets on base he makes things happen. Turning a single into a double last night is a perfect example of that. So what do you do? It's going to be a tough off-season as the fan base is going to snatch up all the Ellsbury gear they can find and dream about this dancing deer through the cold New England Winter.

Other Notable Stuff

JD Drew still can't hit. He is a guaranteed out. That is an amazing fact. I actually change the channel every time he gets up. I was more interested in seeing Venus Williams last night than JD Drew. When Ramirez comes back I pray Tito does the right thing and moves Ellsbury to right field. Do you think that guy who coaches down in Foxboro would tolerate this?

Clay Buchholz is a pretty good pitcher but let's not get too crazy. He's pitched two games. Let's see how he handles adversity to determine his fate.

Losing games is fine. It happens. Blowing leads in the 8th inning or later is nearly unacceptable. Once again the bullpen lets us down last night although the 5 batters that faced Accardo couldn't have put up less of a fight. It's September guys. Time for some magic. Stir the pot and make it happen.

I Want Them Alive If Possible. If Not, Wasted!

Giro — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:25:00 GMT

I'm only going to write one thing about this latest late season sweep is this. Dave Magadan needs to be fired. I don't believe for a second that an entire 9 man roster can approach each game at the plate the same way accidentally. I'm not buying it. Pettite is the craftiest pitcher of the bunch and he always gives the Sox problems. Fine. Clemens, Wang and Rivera notoriously cruise in first pitch fast balls, because they know the Sox batters are laying off. This fact is what kills me. Why not throw them your own curve ball and be more aggressive at the plate by jumping all over those pitches? I just don't get it. Why do you put yourself into a 2 strike situation, when you know some garbage is coming, only to whip or weakly hit it? Three straight games of this? Seriously? You guys couldn't figure it out? After this series I believe that this was the fourth or fifth time this month that the Sox have been no hit for 5 innings or more. Can you believe that? That's not the players causing that. That's a forced coaching philosophy at work. A horrible, horrible, horrible philosophy.

I really wish we had a JD in right field...Jermaine Dye.

Dice-K is now Japanese for the 2006 Josh Beckett.

Paramedics have added a new term to their lingo, which will be used when they lost all vital signs on a victim. It's called a JD Drew.

The Sox/Yankees rivalry can never just come and go. It always ends up being one stupid thing or another. Tony Maz from the Boston Herald wrote a cover story on Monday with the headline "It's Over". Way to Curly Haired Boyfriend that one guys. Well done. Way to fire up the Yankees Maz. I'm sure the team is thanking you this morning.

Now, for the second time this season, a Yankees relief pitcher (in this case Joba the Hutt AKA the new Scott Proctor), throws at Kevin Youkilis' head in the 9th inning of a game the Yankees have wrapped up. First and foremost I'm tired of the Yankees firing back in the media with their "we're a classy organization, we would never do that on purpose, the guys a rookie" crap while everyone eats the BS right out of their hand. Bottom line is they have proven that they are punks. I used to defend their "class", but after this season between this and A-Rod's Toronto incident I've come to the conclusion that they are the equivalent of those guys you grew up with who would sucker punch you and then run away. Both times they did it in the 9th inning which meant the Sox couldn't retaliate. How yellow must you be to pull that crap? What's worse is that since we're in the middle of a pennant race the players have to think twice about getting suspended when they have every right to retaliate. The Yankees know this and they take full advantage of it.

What was dumb about yesterday's move is that by tomorrow the rosters expand to 40 players. I wish Theo would channel some of Harry Sinden's soul circa 1988 and call up some goons to do the dirty work. Send them out to get suspended. Where is the equivalent of a Bruce Shoebottom or a Lyndon Byers? Heck, LB and Jay Miller both still live locally. Sign them to a 10 day contract. Order them to "drop the glove." Do you think if anybody on the current Red Sox had Cam Neely's personality that any of this would be allowed to happen? The Yankees deserve to be punched right in the mouth and if something doesn't happen in a couple of weeks, in Fenway, then I'll be absolutely livid. They can't keep getting away with this while the league and everyone else turns a blind eye. It's wrong. It's what cowards do.

Can You Dig It 08.21.07 (Re-Mix)

Giro — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:05:00 GMT

A couple of things I forgot yesterday plus an "I told you so".

I told you so!

Did you see Youk's second at bat? The whining? I was so happy to hear we got a pretty good first base prospect for WiMo (who is tearing up for the Nats by the way) because that means we can re-sign Lowell and trade the whiny bitch known as Youkilis.

Eating my words.

Tim Wakefield has not gotten his proper due from me this year. I just about shoveled his grave before the season started so I'm more than happy to eat all that dirt and applaud you Mr. Wakefield. You have found a secret sauce this season and I'm more than happy to see you push for 20 wins. What a fitting achievement that would be at the tail end of your career.

Two-Faced Liars

One more thing on the Michael Vick issue. I am truly sickened that PETA has taken the opportunity to utilize this case and leverage some free and sympathetic PR out of this tragedy. What is tragic, in the long run, is that PETA has actually killed more dogs than Michael Vick will ever be accused of. Unfortunately Vick doesn't have the same legal and PR team. Otherwise he'd be playing football right now.

Can You Dig It 08.21.07

Giro — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:16:00 GMT

A few things to talk about today. I don't want to fret over the division lead and the lack of hitting, but would rather keep it interesting with a couple of thoughts and some random non-Sox commentary.

Kevin Youkilis is on my nerves. I have honestly not disliked a player more in team history. None of this has to do with his slow bat and inability to swing at first pitches that cruise in at batting practice speeds, because pitchers know he won't swing. It's like the anit-Nomar philosophy, which of course was to throw something nowhere near the plate, because you knew he would swing. No this issue goes deeper than that. Kevin Youkilis is our Paul O'Neil. Now I hated Pauley with a passion, because that guy never once in his mind let a strike go by. He whined more than any player in the history of the game and had a myriad of facial expressions to represent his temperment level. Youk is the same guy. I'm so tired of his whining at the plate. If it's close then swing. Simple as that. When guys are on second and third and you have one out to hell with the walk. You're paid to hit. What kills me is that it's a cancerous issue, because he is dragging others into it. Manny has complained to the umps, while watching clear strikes sail by, more this month than in his entire career. Heck even level headed Mike Lowell is a bit grumpy. I don't like it. It's always warranted occaisionally, but never as a constant.

Now let's have some fun. Once and for all we need to decide on Papelbon's entrance music. Nothing is dumber and more cheesy than "Wild Thing" by The Troggs, especially given the fact that Mitch Williams had that nickname in the 90's. This Saturday I was at the Angel's game. I cringed when heard Wild Thing and heard a thousand people scream "Ricky Vaughn!". They kind of made up for it because the song is so short that they are now backfilling it with an edited version of "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphy's. This is the Song from "The Departed" for those not in the know. Using that alone is credible and Fenway is the only park it makes sense to play in. However I think there are some others that make sense. Keep in mind that the song has to meet certain criteria.

1. Will the crowd go nuts the second it hears the first note?
2. Are we sure no individual player in the league or another local team (i.e. the Patriots using "For Those About to Rock" by AC/DC) has used it?
3. Does it fit the player?
4. Will it fire him up?
5. Will it bring the house down once it gets going?

"Fade to Black" Metallica: The theme alone is perfect given the dominant performance by Paps these past two years.

"Battery" Metallica: The intro alone would bring the house down and "battery mate" is a word used to describe relief pitchers so it makes sense.

NOTE: I see the risk in using a Metallica song as Mo Rivera has utilized "Enter Sandman" forever.

"Cemetary Gates" Pantera: Another song where the title alone is so fitting plus like "Battery" has a killer intro, albeit longer, which leads to the proverbial explosion of sonic metal thunder.

"Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" AC/DC: Another great intro that gets a crowd going.

"T.N.T" AC/DC: This one is a classic that works on so many levels.

NOTE: You cannot add "Hell's Bells" as that is Trevor Hoffman's intro song.

"No More Tears" Ozzy: This is a sleeper, but the title truly fits the pain the opposition is about to feel.

"More Human Than Human" White Zombie: I'd prefer "Dragula" but the title is fitting plus Rob Zombie is a local boy so there is a cosmic connection there.

"Paradise City" Guns n Roses: Another song that would make everyone crazy plus when Paps is pitching we're as close to paradise as we've ever been with this team.

"D.O.A" Van Halen: Another sleeper that nobody would ever consider but if youhave the chance listen to this. The music and the lyrics are perfect.

"Everybody Wants Some" Van Halen: A big intro that would make any crowd crazy and lyrics that would scare the begeezus out of any opponent.

"Numb / Encore" Linkin Park & Jay-Z: I needed to throw in something modern for the kids.

"Angel" Massive Attack: If I were a closer this is EXACTLY what I would use. This song is so dark and scary that even the fans would be afraid to see Papelbon, which is why I love it so much.

So please send this along to all your friends. I want to see what everyone thinks and perhaps we can start a grassroots movement to force a change at Fenway. Please don't hesitate to add a song or two that you think would work.

Couple of random closing thoughts.

Why do asian women, young and old alike, wear nylons with strappy shoes in the middle of the summer? I'm totally perplexed.

Why do I see so many people wearing Michael Vick jerseys? This isn't a race issue. It's an animal cruelty and gambling issue that crossed many state lines and thus became a federal issue. If it was kept in Virginia then the state prosecutors would have handled it, but his crimes are on a massive scale and deserve to be treated accordingly. Vick is also one of the top 5 most popular NFL players in terms of merchandise sales and therefore you can't treat him as a victim here. If this were some random ignorant "country boy" we would never hear about it, but since Vick is as popular as he is the case is receiving the attention it deserves. Hopefully others learn from it, because dog fighting is plain stupid. It's not about the rush of watching the gladiators battle (thanks Deion Sanders). It's about power and control over a species and forcing them into situations that they don't deserve to be in. Sound familiar? Also, and this is what is more sick, many of the people involved in the sport kidnap dogs from loving families, break their hips, legs or tape their mouth shut (so they can't fight back) and let their fighter go at it. How manly is that? How much of a coward can you be? When I see folks wearing his jersey, out of solidarity I presume, I want to throw up...and then let my dog poop on them.

There's Still Time For A Bit Hit

Giro — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:59:00 GMT

I have a new goal and that is to blog twice a year. I'm starting a spin-off called Semi-Annual Bloging. I think it will really take off. It's wild.

So a lot has gone on and I can't let my busy schedule serve as an excuse to hide my innermost feelings. However, to be honest, go and have yourself a kid and you'll realize that just surviving the day trumps any emotions I may have tied to a local sports team. With that in mind I've been able to put some thoughts together that I'm sure my 3 fans will enjoy.Language Lessons.

Gagne is French for "disasterous start" or "BK Kim".

Okajima is Japanese for "I guess that sub 1.00 ERA means the little guy loses his job".

Ramirez is Spanish for "I'm the 1986 version of Jim Rice with all the double plays I hit into".

Red Sox is Latin for "The clutch hit well has dried up".

You look at some of these stats and you say to yourself "How are these guys losing so many games?" It amazes me that when we need a big late inning hit I'm praying that either Pedroia or Lowell are up. We have $40 million in our 3,4,5 hitters and I think the last time one of them drove in a winning run was in May. MAY???????? That's 3 months of nothing. Pitching wins championships, but man when you waste some big efforts from these starters it kills me.

People aren't going to like this, but I believe that the signal calling from Varitek (or the bench as they call some) has contributed to at least 10 losses this year. Yesterday was a perfect example. Kevin Millar can't hit anything offspeed with less than two strikes. He can't hit a high and tight fastball with two strikes. 1-1 count and Tek calls the high and tight fastball, which Millar lays off of. Next pitch is a brilliant curveball that absolutely embarasses Millar. 2-2 and you go back to the high and tight fastball but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO another curveball and game over. Same can be aplied to A-Rod winning the game off of Papelbon. A-Rod crushes one pitch this season and it is down and away. Guess where the pitch was when he hit 500? Down and away. When you have two strikes on the guy throw the damn splitter, slider, change-up or anything not called a fastball down and away.

The Gagne situation. I thought it would be great. Oki has been pitching a lot so I envisioned Gagne going one day and Oki the next. A perfect balance and you still have Delcarmen who has been incredibly consistent this season. Oki who has been A.) on fire and B.) capable of getting anyone out is now incapable of doing what he's done all season. To hell with Gagne's confidence I'm more worried about Oki.

Lastly, Tito has been awful. Look, I know we need to keep Paps healthy, but when he hasn't pitched a lot for a few days why don't you just bring him in top keep a tie game tied? Torre has done it throughout Mariano's entire career and I'm convinced they have probably one 75 games based on that move alone. Why waste one of the top pitchers in baseball until you get the lead? Yesterday was by far the worst managed game of the year. Gagne had no business being in there. Timlin > Oki > Papelbon is how it should read this morning. That way I wouldn't need to question not pinch running of Hinske, even with Coco and Cora on the bench or not walking the bases loaded after Markakis stole second and eliminated the double play.

I honestly don't see them recovering from this. It's as if the whole team collectively gave up yesterday.

Send The Word

Giro — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:43:00 GMT

Basically my goal is to do a post after every series and since we're moments away from Opening Day at Fenway now is a good time to write about the first two series of the season. Since I was travelling this weekend I didn't have time to write about the KC series nor did I see all of the much of the Texas series, but I'll do my best.

KC

Game 1: Schilling awful. Nuf said.
Game 2: Beckett good. Looks different.
Game 3: Dice-K, according to Jimmy's brother who lives in Japan, did not have his best stuff. Are you kidding me? I think we're in for a treat.

Obeservations:

JD Drew looks like a good player. He has a lot of plate command meaning he's patient and when he makes contact it's solid. I was never comfortable with Trot, but this feels different. I hope I'm right.

As long as Coco gets on base he's dangerous. His speed is incredible.

Texas

Game 1: I heard they couldn't hit
Game 2: I heard they imploded
Game 3: Curt Schilling good. Big Papi can hit. Papelbon is very very very good.

Observations:

You had to know Schilling would come back and pitch well even on a cold night in Tejas.

The second John Miller mentioned Papi was in a slump he smoked a line drive home run. Thanks John for waking up the Papi.

I admit that I was more amped for the Sopranos and Entourage on Sunday so I was shocked when I switched back to the game at 10:30 pm to see the bases loaded with no outs in the 8th. With one run in, one out and the Sox clinging to a 1 run lead Tito, knowing he had to avoid a sweep, does the right thing and brings in Papelbon. I was so pumped to see him, especially after he dismantled KC on Thursday, but I was nervous that the situation was too tough to escape unscathed. Then he quickly disposes of Michael Young, arguably the best hitter in the AL and Mark Texiera AKA the guy who would be the Sox first baseman if Dan Duquette didn't suck. Once that was over you realized that when Papelbon enters a game you can almost guarantee it's over. He's that dominant. He's scary good. Is there a more feared closer in baseball right now? Oh and the whole WWE style entrance is so off the charts now. Wakefield, a big faux-wrestling fan, had to have trained him on that one.

Misc:

Jimmy is coming to Dice-K's debut with me tomorrow night. I'm so psyched to have my own Japanese interpreter.

Also, I get to see Dice-K's first three Fenway starts. Seriously, when did Christmas come so early?

Can You Count Suckers? Part Deux

Giro — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:54:00 GMT

Alrighty then. So it took me longer to get this up and the season has started, but it's not like I'm filling out my NCAA tourney brackets after the first weekend. It's not as if I'll say Adam Dunn will hit 324 homeruns this season, which he is currently on pace to do. I'm sure that Julio Lugo won't strike out every single at-bat this year. Now, onto my personal opinion about how I feel about teams that I just don't root for although I pay attention to some of them.

AL East

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Blue Jays
4. Devil Rays
5. Orioles

Yankees

At some point this has got to end. What kills me is that they seem to get worse and worse every season yet they always come out on top. Bobby Abreu was a great pick-up for them, which allowed the team to part ways with the cancerous Gary Sheffield. Robinson Cano is now the Yankee I fear the most, which isn't good, because he's young and will terrorize us for years to come. The Yankees have some glaring problems as well. The pitching staff is suspect. Mike Mussina is the furthest thing from a big game pitcher, especially in the post-season. The A-Rod saga is going to reach new levels. I predict to the point where A-Rod cries during a post-game press conference. They have to trade him. He's a more attractive cancer to that clubhouse than Sheffield. Bringing in old pal Doung Mienkiwatchdoinavitz isn't going to help A-Rod relax nor will it help the Yankees at the plate. This will be the most interesting post-World Series win in 2000 season yet.

Blue Jays

I can't take them seriously until their pitching staff remains healthy for at least one half of a season. On top of that, Frank Thomas + big contract + astro turf isn't a cocktail I'd order on a Friday night. HOWEVER, they have the most dangerous everyday player in the AL in Vernon Wells. That guy broke my heart when he re-upped with the team. I was praying he'd go away and take his path of destruction elsewhere. Now he must torture me and the entire Red Sox pitching staff for years to come. To be honest my hope was that we'd throw huge money at him and sign him for the next 8 years.

Devil Rays

I'm going out on a limb here and predicting the Rays leave the basement. It's bound to happen. So many strange things have happened in sports recently. Cardinals won a World Series. Colts won a Super Bowl. Florida won the BCS Nacho Cheese Bowl. Mark my words. These guys will be frisky.

Orioles

Spent a ton of dough on crummy players like Jaret Wright and still have Kevin Millar. They also have Anna Benson which is bound to drive everyone crazy in year two. Say hello to the bean bag chairs and blacklights in the basement boys. I'm sure you'll smell the stench of the Rays after being down there all these years. Bring the Lysol.

AL Central

1. Indians
2. Tigers
3. Twins
4. White Sox
5. Royals

Indians

You just feel like their time is coming. Much like Detroit last season they have a lot of young guys who are going to click. I hope to see a huge year from Grady Sizemore. If not he's headed to a pre-fab in Rocco Baldelli Estates, which would be sad. Watch for Trot Nixon to add some intensity and spark. He's in a "I'll show them" year and as long as his arms don't fall off he should be decent.

Tigers

Everybody is gunning for you baby and I'm not sure you can handle it. Plus, watching the Jim Leyland act everyday is going to grow tiresome. Just like it did for the White Sox last year (and will more this year) with Ozzie Guillen the players will respond poorly to it if things start to go wrong. They are an exciting team to watch and I'm front row center in the Joel Zumaya fan club. He's awesome to watch.

Twins

I just can't put them in fourth place, because when you count them out they always do something to scrape their way back into it. I don't see them as a playoff team, especially with the pitching injuries and reliance on Sidney Ponson to contribute anything more than his skills at the post-game buffet spread.

White Sox

By July we'll hear rumors of Ozzie being fired. It's the best thing for this club. His antics used to be effective, but then they became part of the show and it all went to his head. He needs to take advice from Sanjaya Malakar on how to be polarizing yet survive the hostility.

Royals

Sure you can beat the Red Sox consistently, going back to last year, but can you beat anybody else? They have some promising young players in Tony Pena and Alex Gordon, but they are a few years away from getting out of this basement.

AL West

1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. A's

Angels

I think they win by default, because they have the most talent HOWEVER if they keep Shea Hillenbrand all season they will finish closer to thrid place than first. I don't understand why teams keep signing him. He is the biggest tumor in all of baseball. Good luck guys.

Mariners

My frisky team of the year. Ichiro in a free agency year. Beltre playing well. Young talent. Good pitching. Watch them make some waves. In two years they'll be a playoff contender.

Rangers

Crappy pitching + good offense - Gary Matthews, Jr. in a free agency year = third place. Can't Josh Daniels just trade some of their gawdy offense for some decent pitching? It's more difficult to hit home runs in Williamsport, PA's Little League field than Ameriquest Field in Arlington near Dallas residing in Texas or whatever it's called.

A's

The wheels on the bus come falling off. Falling off. Falling off. I don't want to believe it, but I'm not seeing it this year. The pitching staff has been gutted worse than a small mouth bass, which I'll probably eat when they make the ALCS.

NL East

1. Phillies
2. Marlins
3. Mets
4. Braves
5. Nationals

Phillies

I like the Phillies chances for two reasons. One, the no Abreu factor. They got very frisky after he was traded last season and I believe over the course of the year this is going to be helpful. However, that horrible park is going to kill them at times and they'll lose their fair share of games to guys hitting home runs who have no business hitting home runs. Two, the Mets are sans Pedro. I don't believe he's coming back early or on schedule, which will help the Phillies over the long haul.

Marlins

A very good, young team, with emerging stars like Hanley Ramirez consistently reminding everyone that the Sox could have traded a bunch of other guys and saved a ton of dough on shortstops if they kept him. Their oldest pitcher is younger than me. Most of them were born in the 80's. It's amazing how young they are which means their too stupid to know how good they will be.

Mets

I don't see their pitching holding up. They are older than old in some spots and they have Aaron Sele. That's a guy who isn't making the Ex-Sox All Star Team.

Braves

The whole Andruw Jones saga will be a rather large bother this season plus their pitching is not that good. They need to dump some of the veterans now to get major league reay youth and then they will be the Braves of old who make the playoffs every year and can't win a World Series.

Nationals

I don't know who is worse, the National or the Redskins. It's so hard to tell. One sucks because they have no money and the other sucks because they spend too much on the wrong players. Man I miss those Expos uniforms.

NL Central

1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Reds
4. Astros
5. Brewers
6. Pirates

NOTE: This division is impossible to pick. I bet all 6 teams finish within 8 games of each other. It's that close.

Cardinals

I don't like them. I don't see them repeating, but they are the most complete team in the division and they added Adam Kennedy, who I have always liked. Will finish dead last if LaRussa coaches them on proper DUI techniques or worse how to use a fungo bat in jail.

Cubs

They have a ton of new guys so they'll start off slow and then they'll kill everyone for a while and then level off once everyone realizes Wood and Prior are never going to be healthty. This is bound to drive LouP crazy, but it will be fun to watch.

Reds

Seems like their year. If Junior stays healthy they will be the frisky team of the NL. Oh and if Bronson keeps himself off of Facebook he'll have a decent year.

Astros

Roger. Roger. He isn't coming. What do we do now? If we hear stories of him hanging with Michael Jordon we'll know he'll come back to Boston or New York looking for gambling money. They also spent Roger's money on Carlos Lee's dietician Dan Marino.

Brewers

I really want them to be good, but they will only be good if they bring back their old uniforms every day and not just on Sunday's. Do that Selig family and your guys are sure to finish higher than fifth place.

Pirates

What can I say these days? Oh I've got it. Bring back your old uniforms. What you wear now sucks Kansas City Royally. You can officially add Freddy Sanchez to the Ex-Sox All-Star Team though. I hope we get to see every at-bat against Jeff Suppan this year as a reminder of how dumb that trade was.

NL West

1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Diamondbacks
4. Rockies
5. Giants

Dodgers

They are loaded....for a National League team. The only thing that can kill them is Derek Lowe's penis and Grady Little's brain. Put them both under wraps and they are going places. Look for them to add Mia and Nomar's twin girls by the trade deadline.

Padres

Don't be surprised if they take the division. They are a good team with lots of young talent and a rejuvinated David Wells who will thrive like senior citizens thrive in warm climates.

Diamondbacks

Don't be surprised if they contend for the division. Another good young team on the verge of a breakout season. I thought last year they would be frisky, but this year I know they'll be frisky and if Randy Johnson kills some birds it will be even better. Man that video clip never gets old.

Giants

They might as well ask Tom Cruise to sing "Free Fallin" before every home game, because they are going to be horrible. Zito is going to be downright awful and the Bonds issue will be so distracting that everyone should hate this season by tomorrow.

Can You Count Suckers? I Say The Future Is Ours... If You Can Count!.

Giro — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:07:00 GMT

How long has it been? I don't even want to look becuase I'm obviously embarassed. How am I going to get a link off of Deadspin and befriend Seth Mnookin if I don't stay consistent with this?   Heck, I am still 10 games away from completing a full season of MLB for PS2, which I started at the beginning of LAST season. Uggh that whole parenting thing just kills you. I don't know how Bill Simmons does it. Well I do and it's called money, but I bet he sympathizes. I need to monetize this thing too. C'Mon besides my dear friend Motoki who else reads this? How do I monetize a blog with one loyal reader? I'll figure it out. Mahhhk my words.

So this weekend begins MLB 07. So much has happened since MLB 06 ended and my beloved Red Sox (and Patriots) decided that they would outspend the entire South American continent on free agent signings this winter.   So what can we expect from all of this? The pros are that there are some seriously talented players on this team. The negatives are that there are a lot of guys on this team who weren't on last year's opening day roster which means it will take a while to get some chemistry going. Dice-K, Romero, Okajima, Pineiro, Donnelly, Lopez, Snyder, Hinske, Pedroia, Mirabelli (although he doesn't count in this argument) and Lugo make 10 new guys if you don't count Mirabelli. That's about 40% of the roster. Seven of them are pitchers. That's amazing.

Like last year I'm going to have one post for the Sox, because that's all Jimmy cares about and then I'll break down the rest of MLB for Monday. Let's look at each of the 25 players plus some of the kids who will be up here sooner or later.

Infield

Jason Varitek: I don't care what anybody says about his offense. He could hit .167 this season and it wouldn't matter as long as he's healthy and the pitching staff is one cohesive unit under his guidance and control. There is still no better catcher in baseball than Tek. Heck, it mattered a lot to Dice-K that he was going to pitch to Tek. Admiration from halfway around the globe says a lot. However, I think once he gets comfortable with 7 new pitchers his offensive game will return with a vengeance.

Doug Mirabelli: Although his importance lies in the fact that he is a good defensive catcher who can handle the knuckleball I feel like a guy who plays every fifth day needs to make the most out of his offense. Until last season Mirabelli did that. Let's hope Douggie gets his Green Monster swing back. If not bring in George Kotteras and release Wakefield too.

Kevin Youkilis: I try not to give too much weight to Spring Training performance, but there are certain players who you watch and say "I think he's turning a corner" which I said about Coco last year, who had a monster Spring and first week of the regular season. I see that in Youk. He tore the crap out of the ball and looks like a right handed Wade Boggs as far as roping double after double is concerned. He'll be the surprise of the season.

Eric Hinske: It's amazing how he went from future All-Star to role player in a few short years. I mean if it wasn't for Eric Chavez he'd be the starting 3B for Oakland right now. He had one good season in Toronto and then fell off the wagon. The good thing is that he's power off the bench for pinch hitting situations, plays multiple positions and has a nice swing. We haven't had anybody with his tools on the bench in years so it's a plus.

Dustin Pedroia: So many people are down on him. Every Sunday in the Globe you see a quote from some anonymous scout or GM who says he has no talent. By the way that surprises me. I don't buy that crap for one second. If you believed a player stunk then you would put your name next to it. If you want to be a trusted evaluator than stand behind your words. Also, if I were Gordon Edes I would never take an anonymous quote from a professional evaluator seriously. These guys don't want egg on their face, but give me a break. What a joke. Pedrois screams of the next David Eckstein. I'll take that.

Alex Cora: Another awesome role player. This is such a big deal over the course of a season. When the talent level doesn't drop off too far and you have guys who know how to play the game you're in a good situation.

Julio Lugo: The good thing for him is that most of the attention will be on Dice-K so there won't be so much pressure, which means he'll be able to relax and have fun. Also, he's got Big Papi to hang with so he won't be lost in this town. On top of it how many Dominican's don't do well in baseball crazed towns? To me they thrive on our insanity. Crowd favorite by May.

Mike Lowell: As long as he plays stellar defense and avoids the Kevin Millar curse, which symptoms include starting your first half with the team (last year) hot and then slumping the rest of the way, we'll be fine.   I like Lowell however, I'm shocked he and I are the same age. He looks like he's 43. Somebody check his birth certificate or get him some anti-aging cream...just not the brand Barry Bonds buys.

Outfield

JD Drew: Another guy who will benefit from Dice-Kmania, but definitely a target if he struggles or goes on the 15-day DL twice before July. I've seen him in a couple of games this Spring and he looks good. For me it's a wait and see, but from what I've seen the command he has at the plate is very fluid and I'm sure he knows he's sitting pretty in the 5 hole.

Coco Crisp: This guy has a lot to prove, but I think he can do it. I love his game. I love his attitude and I am in LUUUUV with his speed. I watched part of the Twins game the other night. Coco did two things that made me say "This is why I love him". One, he jumped on the first fastball from Johan Santana. I can't tell you how important that is. Santana is most vulnerable when he leads with the fastball and is facing a hitter willing to swing at it. His next at bat Santana led with the change up. Coco knew it and hit it into the shallow gap in left center. Single right? He stretched it into a double and scored on a single. That kind of aggressive play is HUGE for a team that treats aggressive baserunning like a venarial disease.

Manny: The only thing I can say here is I wish he would hit 50 home runs, because we know what the rest of the story will look like.

Wily Mo Pena: I'm dying for him to get consistent at the plate. A freak of nature like that does not deserve a .250 average combined with an uncanny inability to hit an off-speed pitch. You should see him on the PS2. He can't even make contact with anything off-speed which means EA Sports got it right. However, let's get 20 home runs and a couple of outfield assists and New England will put him in the cult museum next to Sam Horn, Pokey Reese and Phil Plantier.

Pitchers

Curt Schilling: In a contract year which means he's going to pitch his ass off. Watch him get 20 wins the easy way. I'm just jacked for his in-season blog posts. That and his battle with the Curly Haired Boyfriend.

Josh Beckett: Between Schilling and Dice-K he's going to have a lot of comptetion for the alpha dog role and I have a hunch he's going to turn the corner with an understanding of AL line-ups. He'll cut back on the homeruns allowed and be far more consitent nearing dominant.

Dice-K: Will tear up the league the first time around. New England will ordain him the greatest pitcher they have ever seen. They'll then tear into Theo and the owners once he hits his mid-season slump. Will finish strong and be part of the "best 3 man rotation" come playoff time and everyone will say "Nobody can beat the Sox!". Oh and I'm sure I'll be eating sushi on a stick at some point in section 6 this season.

Tim Wakefield: What can you say about him at this point? I guess he can just show up although I think he's hitting that "I'm playing 5 years too long" stage that Charlie Hough and Phil Neikro experienced in their careers. He had 7 wins last year! 7!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, but Kyle Snyder would get more than 7 wins in the 4 slot. Keep him on a short leash.

Julian Tavarez: Section 8 in the 5 slot. I love it. I'm intrigued. He's a personal fav. Man pitched in the rotation for a month and a half and got half the wins of Wakefield last year. It says he'll at least win 10.

Kyle Snyder: I like him. Adds depth to the line-up. If he can be consistent with mixing his fastball and devastating curveball then he'll have some success plus I think it's good to have a pithcer who stands over 6'8" tall.

Pineiro/Okajima/Romero: Kind of an incomplete wait and see scenario. They all looked good/decent in the Spring. Let's see how it translates to the regular season.

Javier Lopez: Could have been bunched up with the others BUT if he walks any lefties in critical situations this season, like last, please show him the door. When you're a specialist and you walk guys you become useless.

Brendan Donnelly: I have always loved this guy. One of those "I wish we could get him" players. Totally crazy wind-up. Tough as nails. Wears glasses. In my best Ron Burgandy voice "I fricken love you!". Totally improves the bullpen 100 fold over last season.

Mike Timlin: Thought he was going to retire. Love the guy but nervous as hell about him falling apart.

Big Jon Stud: Seriously, he is ridiculously good. I'm psyched he's back in the bullpen. He and Donnelly could be a wrestling tag-team. They are going to be so scary come the 8th and 9th innings with those stares and intimidating pitches.   Stay healthy JP and you will be picking out a new color scheme on Mariano's throne soon. Crowd is going to ERUPT the first time he comes out of the bullpen this season.

The Kids

Lester: Talent plus cancer plus new outlook on life means this kid is going to be good. Damn good. We have hadn't a lefty with this much talent since Bruce Hurst. I can't wait until he's ready.

Hansen: He needs a Hanson Brothers attitude adjustment. Needs a screw you killer mentality. Needs to get that fastball and slider back. So much potential and he's so young that hope is definitely not lost. Get some confidence in Pawtucket. It's less than an hour from Fenway.

Delcarmen: He got bumped for numbers and confidence. The team has tons of options with him. They don't with Pineiro, Romers, Snyder, etc. If any of those guys faulter he'll be up quickly although it would be nice to see him dominate the minors for a bit.

David Murphy: I'm using his first name because you may not know the name yet. Has that Mr. Baseball look and feel to him. Plays the game right. Has an Irish last name. Boston is going to love him.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Droooooooooool. He, in my eyes, has that Grady Sizemore vibe right down to the ridiculous good looks that will drive the girls crazy. Pay attention to what he does in the minors. With him in the fold I don't want to spend a fortune on an Andrew Jones or Tori Hunter this offseason and if I had to guess, neither does Theo.

The Problem In The Past Has Been The Man Turning Us Against One Another

Giro — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:22:00 GMT

Do you think if The Rock were my site’s celebrity endorsement he would say “Finallllly The Giro has COME BACK to the blogosphere!” or would he just tell me to shut up and pay him? Sorry it’s been forever since I last wrote a column, but that damn mini-Giro culminated with the disappearance of the 2006 Boston Red Sox has me wandering around the desert of my fandom with a strange Indian, Jim Morrison and Rip Torn wondering where it all went wrong and contemplating the mixed emotions I have. Instead of trying to make clarity of it all I’m going to just toss it out there.

Manny

Gordon Edes took his crack at the annual “Manny’s got to go” article and submitted a decent piece, but then again it’s the same piece written year after year after year. The one enlightening thing about the article, this time around, is that the good teams who are trying to be great teams no a thing or two about chemistry and Manny randomly kills the chemistry when things go bad. It’s not the money. I’m convinced. If a team wanted a World Series trophy that badly, Manny’s $20 million salary wouldn’t even make them flinch, but killing chemistry can wreck a team mired in a slump, which is what Manny has done this season more than any other. Manny really does have a child’s mentality, because when it’s going good he’s your best friend, but when it goes bad he takes his toys and goes home. Perhaps he is so afraid of failure that his way of dealing with it is to shut down and make excuses; one’s that can allow him to say “Well I didn’t contribute to their losing”, but what he’s missing out on is the fact that by not play he most certainly is contributing to their losing. If you’re not buying that theory, maybe Manny really is a primadonna jackass who can’t follow along with the team concept of sacrifice for the greater good. Only Manny and most likely his teammates know.

So amidst all of the annual Manny trade rumors that are sure to heat up the second the first frost hits a cranberry bog, I propose Theo and co. do this. Do not by any stretch of the imagination trade him to a good team, or a soon to be good team. Here are the cities that are off limits. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia, Florida, Houston, Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Detroit or Cincinnati. That’s a lot of teams and you’re right so let’s break it down and play “Where Should Manny Go?” or “WSMG?” for those who want bumper stickers or t-shirts.

Washington
Nothing says relief like MLB picking up his salary. Plus the Red Sox/Bud Selig conspiracy theories will find a new life of their own and won’t that be fun? Oh and by the way, Manny would die under Frank Robinson’s rule. You think he can get away with not hustling under Frank? Think again.

Pittsburgh
I have nothing against Pittsburgh, but Manny is punished for the remainder of his contract by playing for a perennial high draft slot contender and he gets a fancy Terrible Towel to shower with.

Milwaukee
I truly want the Brewers to succeed, but nothing would make me happier than to see Manny stuck in Milwaukee. Nothing against Milwaukee, but I don’t think it’s Manny’s cup of tea. Well Manny you said you wanted some privacy.

Texas
By June Manny will be begging out of games due to the heat. Plus they can live with Manny, because he’s not A-Rod. At least he’s not A-Rod is a perfect line for Theo to toss John Hart’s way.

Kansas City
I’m saving the best for last. The perfect combo of tier 2/3 city on the worst team of the last decade plus. It would be the perfect FU to somebody who has supposedly driven everyone nuts from the day he got here. Here’s hoping you can say Ambiorix Burgos. A few weeks in KC and you’ll hear the “I miss Boston” cries wafting from the Wal-Mart family fortune.

Josh Beckett

I’m very much on his bandwagon and his last 5 “meaningless” starts have all been good. I’m sorry, but it’s proven time and again that it takes at least one full season to adjust to the AL. Beckett gets it now. Throw strikes, because the hitters are better and more patient. Those strikes should come from other pitches besides my fastball. Listen to Varitek. He will be an ace and his ego will drive him to be better. He tastes the good life. All he has to do is look at how everyone treats Schilling to understand.

Coco Crisp

I don’t understand the venom being tossed in his direction. He’s played with a broken finger all season long. Last time I checked it’s a tad difficult to hit, catch and throw with broken fingers. We know what he’s capable of doing when healthy. We’ve seen it and I think everyone’s negative attitude is unwarranted. One person makes one Edgar Renteria comparison, which is absolutely false, and everyone jumps on the Hate Coco bandwagon. He’s not Johnny Damon, but Johnny Damon wasn’t even Johnny Damon until about 2 years ago. Trading Coco, even for Tori Hunter, will be a big mistake. Now if they can get Tori and keep Coco, this team would be pretty damn good.

Craig Hansen

Why hasn’t anybody, including the RemDawg, mentioned a thing about his new pitching mechanics? Am I the only one who see what happened to him? This is the single biggest reason why he has been so ineffective. Last year he had a bit of a fly open style of throwing, but his fastball consistently traveled in excess of 97 mph and his slider had more movement than John Travolta’s career. Why did they try to give him a compact delivery? Have they noticed his fastball doesn’t break 93mph now? That’s an average fastball from a power pitcher. They better fix him fast, because he’s 12 months removed from college and has a tremendous amount of potential.

Roger Clemens

Do not string us along until Spring Training. Make up your mind by November or December and then go away or show up to play. I’m tired of reading the scenarios. I want it to be over.

Management

Get your house in order and stop trading away so many promising young players. I still cannot believe San Diego snookered you out of two young players for a guy who can’t hit above .200 and has nobody to catch. Most importantly, fix that bullpen. Keep Papelbon and have six blank slots for six really good pitchers. While you’re at it, please fill two holes on the bench; a home run swatting pinch-hitting specialist and a guy with wheels who can run.

David Murphy

Forget WiMo and Trot in RF, because this kid looks like a baseball player. Sure he needs to add a few pounds, but he has baseball instincts and athletic ability. That goes a long way in a sport when big fat guys can hit 50 home runs. When I first saw Nomar in college I said “he’s the next great player for the Sox” and I never said it again until I saw Papelbon. I’m not saying Murphy has that high level All-Star look about him, but I think he’s going to win over a lot of fans and in all likelihood if management stick to status quo those fans will be in Minnesota or Texas.

Papelbon

A pleasure to watch do his job. A rookie who has an act and can already intimidate many a batter. Thanks for being a major bright spot this season.

Big Papi

Watching you hit never gets old. Watching you hit walk-offs, in person, is pure ecstasy. It stinks that the forces that be chose this season to be your best only to rip apart your team and conclude your team’s season in July. I was there for #50 and I hadn’t felt that kind of joy at the ballpark since 2004. You’re one of a kind and soon I’ll be able to tell my baby girl all about you. That’s special.

Jon Lester

I’m praying for your comeback and praying hard. What you’re going through, at such a young age, is terribly unfair but something you need to fight and eventually will beat. I believe things happen for a reason and when you’re healthy and decide to come back you are going to be a really good pitcher. I can feel it. Your head will be right. Your poise will be in check and you’ll have a constant reminder of what beating the odds is. You’re a talented kid and ohhh what a comeback story you will write. I just hope I’m there to give you a standing-O in person, because your light will shine and make us all forget what a dark season this turned out to be.

They Took The Night Off; Went Up To The Bronx. Don't worry About Them. They're Lame. Real Cripples.

Giro — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:04:00 GMT

Nothing and I mean nothing sums up this series quite like this title and it would be more perfect if this suicide mission took place in the Bronx. There isn’t much to say here except that this team has quit. They’ve quit doing what they need to do to win games despite a manager that has been outclassed every step of the way, which brings me back to my comment about Tito that was made last week.

Tito does not put his team in a position to win.

It’s an impossible concept for him to grasp. If anything he’s consistent, but when you’re desperate consistency means as much as a hug from your ex-girlfriend who just broke up with you 2 minutes prior. I’m curious what drives him to make the same mistakes over and over again. To steal a quote from 40 Year Old Virgin “When what felt right for 40 years hasn’t worked it’s time to try some wrong” which is exactly what Tito needs to do. Last night’s game summed up everything that is inept with Tito. Let’s take a look at the conversation that Tito has with himself shall we?

Pop quiz Tito. In the 7th inning you are up by two runs. Your players load the bases with one out and the right handed Scott Proctor is on the mound AFTER the lefty Mike Meyers has already been used. What do you do when WiMo is your batter and the left-handed swinging Hinske and the late inning defensive replacement Gabe Kapler is on the bench? Now let’s think about it. A single puts the game away for good and a sacrifice fly just about locks it up. What do you do Tito? You bring in the Hinske as a pinch hitter and put Kapler in right field for the 8th and 9th inning. That’s what you do. It’s probably a really bad idea to leave the free swinging WiMo up there, especially with Mirabelli, who is hitting under .200, on deck. I guess if WiMo screws up I can bring Hinske in for Mirabelli and let Lopez catch the rest of the way. Nahhhh. Too risky. I don’t want to blow this game.

OK so that one backfired and it’s the top of the 8th. Hmmmmm. Decisions. Decisions. Well my team has played so badly that my only reliable pitcher in the bullpen is working on 4 days rest. Hmmmm. Starters get 5 days rest to hopefully pitch 7 innings per start. I wonder if Papelbon can go 2 innings? That might be asking too much since we have an afternoon game tomorrow and that grueling west coast trip ahead of us. I better save him just in case. Let’s stick with the plan and bring in Timlin for the 8th, just like we have been all season. Sure he has a dead arm and has been horrible for a month and last time he pitched he got lit up for 7 earned runs. On top of that this same EXACT plan backfired against the Tigers this week so there is no way this can happen again. The odds are in our favor. Damn Timlin let the lead-off batter on. Hey, that’s Johnny Damon. I think he has speed. I wouldn’t know because I never exploited it, but my gut tells me he does. Well I should bring in Papelbon now and swallow my pride. No I shouldn’t. Timlin has been a warrior for us. He can do it especially since he wears that camouflage shirt under his uniform. Oh CRAP. He hit Jeter. I better take him out. Thankfully Papelbon is warmed up so I think I’ll bring in that Lopez kid. He’s only retired half of the batters he’s faced and walked the rest. At least it’s a lefty on lefty match-up. GOSH DARNIT! He walked Abreu. Hey look, the bases are loaded and there are no outs. I think Papelbon can come in now. I probably should have done this when the inning started huh?

The only mistake Tito didn’t make was in the 9th when Mirabelli allowed the past ball. If he stopped that and Cabrera stayed on second base then Melkey doesn’t score on Jeter’s bloop, because he’s too slow and Kapler’s arm is too strong.

In the span of 5 outs Tito had the opportunity to put the game away and shut the door, but he had to stick with the plan. That same plan also came into play in the 10th inning when Craig Hansen entered the game. Can you honestly tell me when was the last time Hansen came into a game and didn’t let up a run? You can’t can you? The WHY bring him in? Tavarez, who hasn’t been Mr. Consistency had his best appearance of the season on Friday, where he looked downright nasty. Why not roll the dice and try that option? If not, why not bring in recently activated Ketih Foulke? You’ve got nothing to lose right? I bet he looked for Seanez to warm up and was reminded that he was released three months too late.

Yes there is a grace period for winning that World Series, but there is no grace period for making consistently bad decisions. For two seasons Joe Torre has had to work with a patchwork pitching staff, one that is now anchored by Sidney Ponson and yet they still win the AL East. It’s sad to watch. Actually it’s quite painful and since I’ve been averaging no sleep for 6 weeks I actually hate this more than I should even care about.

This Is A Graveyard

Giro — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:31:00 GMT

What’s there to say? I called this a few weeks ago and it only becomes more painful by the day, especially when I torture myself by watching more than 1 inning. You wonder if John Henry has such a great relationship with Bud Selig then why can’t he convince him to let us play the Orioles 143 times per year. Add the 19 games against the Yankees so they can keep the rivalry going and it’s a perfect season. Here is what I will never understand. How does this team play so well for so long, over half the season for these guys, and then you blow one game that goes 19 innings and the tailspin ensues? What is more frustrating is that every day someone new finds a way to blow it. The hitting has been atrocious. Then they hit and the starters fall apart. If those two groups click then the bullpen blows it. If none of this occurs then the defense makes a huge blunder and then there is the coaching.

It always comes down to the coaching doesn’t it? Demarlo Hale made one mistake this season. Unfortunately it was costly, but he has been the Anti-Sveum all season long. My ire is focused squarely on Tito. I always find ways to compare his decision making to Joe Torre’s, but there is one thing that Torre does that I feel has probably won over 100 games for them during his tenure with the Yankees. When a game is tied in the 9th inning he ALWAYS brings in Mo Rivera to keep the door shut and give the team to win it in the bottom half of the inning. If they don’t score Mo pitches the 10th as well and more often or not it works. Knowing that this strategy has been proven to work in your favor, especially when you have a great closer, why in the world does Tito keep Papelbon on the bench only to watch the rest of the bullpen give the game away?

Timlin is a one inning pitcher. That’s it. He can’t be trusted to hold a game in check. I know it. Everybody else knows it. Why doesn’t Tito know it? Papelbon had Monday off so bring him in on Tuesday. What do you have to lose? Why is this so hard to do? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?????????

Let me set the record straight regarding last night’s game. WiMo did not lose the game for them. His blunder was inevitable, because Timlin let the lead-off hitter on base and then they all got burned by a perfectly executed hit and run. Jim Leyland versus Terry Francona. Game. Set. Match Leyland. And in two days we’re 3 games behind the Yankees. Now here this, by the time the weekend is over there is a good chance they will be at least 6 back. Can you even fathom that?

Can You Dig It? 08.11.06

Giro — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:00:00 GMT

In light of the recent “slump” team officials wanted all of Red Sox Nation to remain positive. To soothe our feelings they put a tremendous amount of time into creating this highlight real of their latest acquisition, can’t miss prospect Turd Ferguson.

Let’s just say that there is more spirit in this group of girls than in your local 9. Wow, I can’t wait to hang with my family and friend next weekend for that meaningless Yankees series…in August.

Cheer up Sox fans. The Patriots are gearing up for their season without their #1 wide receiver and middle linebacker. Oh and that kicking issue is still unresolved.

33 days until the Bruins begin their training camp. That’s Chara-rific!

Come on, what kind of chickenshit crap is this?

Giro — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 10:43:00 GMT

We’re always hearing that it’s a long season. You hear it in many different variations. “Don’t worry about losing opening day, there are 161 games left.” “Sure we dropped 3 of 4 to Tampa Bay, but it’s just a blip. They’ll straighten themselves out.” “The pitching is struggling, but I’m sure the bats will carry them.” How many times have you heard that? How many times have you believed it? On many occasions you realize you’re overreacting and acting like Chicken “Grady” Little, but this time I’m not. I’m here to declare that the 2006 season is officially over. We’re pulling a Toronto (after Toronto began their decline of corse) right now by painfully fading away while the Yankees and Twins run away from us.

Since the All-Star Break they have won two series. TWO!!!! They swept Kansas City and took 2 of 3 in Oakland (after Oakland took 3 of 4 at Fenway). That is it. In that same timeframe they have gone 2-5 versus Tampa Bay. This sounds promising doesn’t it? Well after blowing a very winnable game on Sunday I wanted to wait to see how they responded after a day of and against the worst team in baseball. What did they do? We all know they came out flat. Ortiz hit another solo home run. (Aside from the walk-off against the Indians it feels like Ortiz has hit 10 solo home runs in a row.) There is no such thing as clutch hitting and the pitching has been suspect, especially the bullpen. If you’re struggling and Kansas City and Baltimore are on the schedule then you start acting like it’s Christmas morning. Instead these guys are rolling over and playing dead.

This is how bad it has become. I fell asleep during Sunday’s game and when I woke up the lead was gone and Tavarez was in. Aside from knowing the game was over, before it was actually over, Don Orsillo pulled a Joe Buck and continually repeated that Tavarez hadn’t allowed a run in his 3 previous appearances. I wish that he and Jerry put their headsets down and said “Screw this, we’re getting a jump on the post game traffic.” Then last night Rudy “Rudy, Rudy” Seanez couldn’t hold the fort down. I only know this, because I watched the highlights. After Lester walked his 20th batter of the night, by the second inning, I turned the game off in disgust. What’s worse is that I was right. I’m also right with my prediction. Injury excuse? Not when Sheffield and Matsui are down for most of the season and the Yankees have no depth. Tired pitching? Besides Mo Rivera who is actually good on that Yankees staff? A-Rod being A-Rod? That’s how good the Yankees are playing when they can treat Sir Suckalot like he’s another scrub. RIP Red Sox. You had it in your hands and you decided to hurl it off a cliff.

Now Look What We Have Here Before Us.

Giro — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 14:59:00 GMT

I wanted to wait a few days after the trade deadline passed just so I could digest what did or did not occur and get a feel for the team and what they are capable of doing the rest of the way. I’m sure like myself, many of you have mixed emotions about what is going on. The team is playing .500 ball, didn’t make one noticeable move at the trade deadline and lost Varitek and Nixon in back to back days on top of being without Wakefield, Foulke and Clement. On top of that, Jason Johnson is an automatic loss, Kyle Snyder is awesome, for 4 innings, and Jon Lester still hasn’t figured out how to keep his pitch count down and get past 6 innings. Also, I’m curious as to where Craig Hansen’s fastball has gone. They changed his mechanics, but unfortunately the velocity went AWOL. The icing on the cake is that the last three wins have been via walk-off, which can make you absolutely giddy for a day or so, but personally has me feeling nervous over the next two months., especially with the local 9 sitting smack dab in second place.

.500 Ball

Every good team plays .500 ball for a few weeks over the course of a season. It’s inevitable. However, when you start playing it is a whole other story. The Yankees have this keen ability to play .500 early in the season and then peak right before the All Star break and then carry it forward to October. That is how you want your momentum to flow. The Sox never work within a pattern. It comes and goes every year. Ever since they ripped off the 12 straight (Do you even remember they did this?) they have been mediocre. The thing that scares me about how they are playing is that everybody is struggling. Aside from Big Papi, Manny, Gonzalez, Papelbon and Beckett (to a certain degree) everybody else is scuffling out there. Or learning the ropes, which is the same as scuffling for rookies. With Papi and Manny in such a sweet groove, Youk and Loretta really need to do everything in their power to get on base. If they did so at a .400 clip then that would probably mean 4-5 extra runs a game. Why does this matter you ask, because the pitching is dreadful right now. They need to pound teams into submission for a period of time, just to take the pressure off as well as let Wells work his pseudo-rehab starts. They need to be taking 2 of 3 during every series. I don’t care about sweeps. 2 of 3 is all I ask.

The Trade Deadline

The prospect of Andruw Jones coming here was too good to be true. I would have given them Crisp, Hansen and a couple other prospects for Jones. I’m surprised that Atlanta didn’t bite, because the other Jones (Chipper) is the fan favorite. Speed, power and defense are the words to describe Jones. Think he would have been a fan favorite?

Roy Oswalt. Again, what a silly trade. Silly in the “Holy crap we just got Roy Oswalt” kind of way. Adding Oswalt to the mix would have been a nightmare for any team in the Sox path.

Clemens. I’m calling this the pussyfoot deal. The Sox were willing to do it and so were the Astros, but PR sensitive Clemens (when did this happen) and Drayton McLane (a bonafide dummy after this week) were the roadblocks to the deal. If anything, it would have made for a fun trip to the Bronx.

I thought the rumored trading of Lowell and/or Loretta was dumb. This team would be 12 games out without them and Lowell’s defense has single-handedly kept the pitching staff’s ERA down by 1 point. Let’s not forget how we won in 2004.

I’m not one to believe the Yankees did anything more than absorb an albatross of a contract with Abreu. He’s awful and this whole change of scenery thing is not going to matter. What are they going to do with Craig Wilson with Giambi at first and Sheffield or Abreu DHing? It’s strange, but I think they might have something in Lidle, who can pitch well…at least he has against the Sox and the Yankees.

Overall nobody made a trade that is going to tip the scales of any race.

Injuries

Theo must have wanted to die when Nixon went down Sunday and Tek’s knee imploded on Monday. [NOTE: Sal Fasano is available. Please sign him and give his moustache a signing bonus too. Please oh please.] That is just terrible timing. The Nixon injury is fine, because we all have been pining for WiMo and he hasn’t failed to deliver. We’ve seen one homerun land on Thompson Island and another almost decapitate a fan. Now that’s what I call fun. The Varitek issue is obviously the worst to absorb, because he is currently irreplaceable. Mirabelli has been around these guys for a while so I’m not worried about his handling of the pitchers, but his bat is frozen in 2004 and nowhere to be found. This is also on the heels of Varitek coming out of his season long hitting slump so it makes this injury extra painful. This, plus the pitching situation, is going to determine whether or not the Sox are playing in October or not.

Now as of 8/4 the Sox swung a deal for Baltimore’s Javy Lopez, thus ensuring the Sox corner the market on all Javier Lopez’s. Take that Steinbrenner. I dare you to corner the market on all Giambi’s! Who knows what Javy will bring to the table, but I can only imagine he’s a better option than Ken Huckaby. After watching Beckett implode last night you have to imagine that Huckaby is partially to blame.

What’s next?

If the team blows it you can make a bunch of excuses as to why, but to tell you the truth if the Yankees win the division outright then it solidifies our inferiority to them. That team was devastated by injuries and a lack of a pitching staff yet here we are in August and the Yankees are in first place and we’re in a .500 free fall and the Twins are red hot so the Wild Card is not an option. None of this makes me feel good at all.

We Have Been Unable To See The Truth

Giro — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 11:42:00 GMT

Thoughts that run through my head while sitting down for a 3 am feeding.

Cardinals fans are great fans. They aren’t the best though. If I recall, in the 2004 World Series there were a ton of Red Sox fans that were able to score tickets to games 3 and 4 in St. Louis. The best fans do not let their house go unguarded, especially during a World Series. I went to games 1 and 2 at Fenway. Do you want to know how many fans, not associated with the Cardinals organization, were there? ZERO. I’m tired of these stories.

Poor A-Rod. He’s got more problems than Barry Bonds right now.

When the Seattle Mariners dump you your welcome in the league is officially worn.

This gives a whole new meaning to collecting fines for the kangaroo court.

The trade deadline is killing me. The drama, most of it drummed up by the media, is worse than any hot stove off-season chit-chat. Instead of warm cider I’m reaching for the Tums. One part of me wants to run the race with what you have. The other wants to trade prospects for the D-Train. If anybody is going to be traded to Boston is there a better choice? The only option crazier is seeing Clemens come here. Houston desperately needs bats. Do you think they would like to see WiMo? Other than those two there is no other player that intrigues me as “a guy who could help the Sox run away with things.” My gut tells me we’ll see a big splash or a middle reliever. Nothing more. Nothing less.

What is worse is that the rumors themselves are terrible. People keep bringing up Corey Lidel and Jon Lieber. Ohhhhhhhh yes those names make me feel frisky. However I saw this quote “ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney threw out the possibility the Red Sox were working on a major deal involving multiple teams.” And it made me feel good for about 3 seconds.

Does anybody know what is going to happen? I guess we’ll know on Monday and I’m counting on myself to have an opinion about it.