Chicken Little

Is the sky actually falling? A six game stretch on the road against the Rays and Yanks. What could possibly go wrong? Here's a run down;

Game 1 -- Extra inning loss on a walk off homer after losing a 2-0 lead. Game's low light -- the manager should have walked the other team's best player with first base open.
Game 2 -- Rays connect for four homers on the way to a 6-4 win. Game's low light -- Brad Penny's expression after Carlos Pena's mammoth home run.
Game 3 -- The Yanks snap an eight game losing streak to the Sox and send John Smoltz into retirement. Game low light -- Billy Traber taking one for the team.
Game 4 -- AROD hits a walk off homer in the fifteenth breaking up a scoreless tie. Game low light -- Having to endure YES network's endless walk off home run footage from the past 46 years.

Aside from the game results, what else has happened?

• David Ortiz has turned into OJ Simpson searching for the truth behind what really happened.
• Jed Lowrie has re-injured his wrist. We have the worst shortstop production in all of baseball. This from a team that has financial resources unlike all but one team. Solution is to acquire Chris Woodward. Chris Woodward!
• JD Drew and Jason Bay battle an assortment of injuries while the immortal Josh Reddick replaces them.
• Theo Epstein jumps on a plane and flies to NY to personally tell John Smoltz his services would no longer be needed. Smoltz' Red Sox career earned run average is 8.32.
• Junichi Tawaza has the greatest day of his life turned upside down. He has good stuff but didn't anyone else think of BK Kim last night?
• Terry Francona has twice given the ball to Saito with the game on the line. Scary stuff.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been on vacation twice this summer. While away from home the Red Sox have won one game out of ten. Blame it on me.

Clay Buchholz needs to step today. How about drilling someone in response to Dustin Predoria getting hit on Thursday night? We need to change our luck. At least we won't have to listen to Dave Roberts today.

Trade Deadline Analysis

The 4 PM deadline has come and gone. Some thoughts on the deals that were and were not made;

• Yawn. LaRoche and cash for Kotchman looks even. Kotchman seems to be a better fit for the Sox. He is a better defensive first baseman , younger and reportedly will accept his role better than LaRoche.
• As reported by ESPN, the Sox could have had Halladay but would not include both Buchholz and Bard in addition to other players in the deal. I think JP Ricciardi was asking for far too much. I really think Halladay would put the Sox over the top but at what price?
• Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson, Nick Hadagone and Bryan Price. Sox get some much needed offensive punch. Martinez should bat either third or fourth in the line up and give Varitek additional time off. Who does this effect the most? I say Mike Lowell. Martinez is going to play in 95% of the time at either catcher, first base or designated hitter. My guess is Youkilis moves over to third for up to half of the remaining games. Masterson, who I loved last year, was expendable. The key to the trade looks like left hander Nick Hadagone. Big, former second round choice who is returning to action after Tommy John surgery. Overall, I like this trade .
• In Theo We Trust. Theo Epstein did not want to trade certain guys and he did not. Buchholz, Kelly, Bard, Anderson are all coveted by the baseball operations people. I have complete faith in their decision making. Epstein has made plenty of mistakes (i.e. Lugo, Renteria, Clement, etc.) but he continues to take chances. Bottom line is the Red Sox are a better baseball team right now than they were when the day started. This was done without losing some important pieces in the farm system.
• The Yankees (Jerry Hairston??), Rays, Rangers and Angels did not improve themselves today.
• Can Terry Francona mix and match Martinez, Varitek, Kotchman, Youkilis, Ortiz and Lowell into into four daily spots -- catcher, first base, third base and dh? Let's assume Kotchman gets one start a week, one of these other guys who are everyday players is not going to play. This will be interesting.

Check out the poll on the right of the screen

Reality Bites

I'm going to be realistic about David Ortiz's inclusion on the list of baseball players that tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) during the 2003 season. I am assuming that this New York Times report is accurate.

I am a big fan of Ortiz. His rise as a player for the Red Sox in 2003 coincided with the team's ascension to winning two World Series. Does this "tarnish" those two world titles? Yes. Just like the careers of Sosa, McGwire, Palmerio, Clemens and Bonds have lost some luster after their use of PED's become known. Does Ortiz look foolish following his comments earlier this year when Arod's name was leaked? Absolutely. Do I feel sorry for Ortiz? No. Am I less of a fan now? No. Should any of us be surprised by this announcement? No.

I am of the opinion that there is not one player from the past decade who I would guess never used PED's. There have been all kind of players named in the Mitchell Report or otherwise "outed"; middle relievers, sluggers, closers, light hitting shortstops, starting pitchers, European - Americans, Latinos, African-Americans, good guys, bad guys, you name it. Realistically, who is more likely to have taken PED's Schilling or Papelbon? Papelbon, but that does not mean he did. Still would you bet your life on the fact that either of these guys never took PED's. I wouldn't.

I do not consider Papi a bad guy.

I am in a profession that does not pay for performance (that is for another blog). Let's say I am an artist. If I knew there was something I could put into my body that would make me a better artist and thus allow me to provide financial stability for my family, I would take it. In 2003 baseball did not test for steroids. Be realistic!!! You take three or four cycles of steroids. You get into the weight room and build strength and muscle endurance. You recover quicker from injuries. You feel better about yourself. You perform better. Now instead of being a free agent player, you get a multi-year contract totaling $40 million. This is what Ortiz did. Whether or not he said something like, "everyone else is doing it, why not me?" I don't know but I'll tell you this -- If there was something I could take that would make me produce a painting that will
fetch a million dollars at an auction, I would do it. I am sorry that, I AM NOT SORRY.

Is that cheating? Yes, but look at how many minor leaguers have been suspended since drug testing has been administered. Those guys are trying to make a living. I may be in the minority but I understand where they are coming from. Arod takes the juice to prove that he is worth $252 million. Is there a difference? To me, yes. Clemens did not take PED's so that his wife and kids could have a good life. He took them because he is a competitive s.o.b. that wanted to win. I'm sure Papi is at least in part the same way. However, Ortiz will not be another ARod or Clemens.

I am nearly certain that he will take responsibility for his actions. Ortiz will not blame his cousin. Or say he did not know what he was taking. Or deny it and deny it some more. Can you imagine Papi saying that he had some medical issues that were private? I hope he stands up and says, "I took PED's because I wanted to get paid. The Twins released me and I thought the Red Sox were my last shot. I apologize to my teammates, management, the fans and most importantly, the game of baseball. I am not proud of this and am embarrassed that I made a poor judgment and had a moment of weakness." Be realistic, could you fault him? No testing! Yes, steroids are and were illegal at that time. It is all about risk -reward. Was it worth it to him?

Lastly, would you admit to doing something that you knew was wrong but were pretty sure you had gotten away with some six years ago? Really, think about it. That list of those who failed the 2003 drug test was supposed to be concealed. If you were Ortiz and saw that Arod's name was leaked, would you had stood up and said, "Yeah, I took PED's at that time too." I am not a strong enough person to do that. If I was Papi I certainly would not have made the comments he did concerning penalties for users. He should have kept his mouth shut.

John Wooden once said, "A true athlete should have character, not be a character. " David Ortiz made a mistake and his image will suffer due to showing a lack of character. His standing among major leaguers and his place in the game will now forever be questioned. He should ask himself "was it worth it?". We should ask ourselves, would we had done it? Be realistic. The true test of character is what we do when no one is watching.

Trade Banter

Trade deadline (without having to go through waivers) is this Friday at 4:00 PM EST. A couple of thoughts concerning the Red Sox and their options;

• I truly think Theo is going to do something. He has been quoted as saying the goal is to outscore the opponent be it by adding offense or looking to reduce the other team's scoring. Translation = pitching or offense does not matter. Anyway to improve the club short term or long term.
• I would be willing to trade Buchholz. I like his potential but to help the club but he is not going to be a dominant starter. Maybe, and I mean maybe a solid number four starter.
• I rate the following (avoiding the obvious ones) as nearly untouchable; Bard, last year's #1 pick Casey Kelly, and Ellsbury. Everyone else is fair game.
• If the Gordon Edes' report -- Bowden, Buchholz, Westmoreland for Halladay -- is correct, I would do that trade in a minute. However, there is a better chance of Bigfoot landing Kim Kardashian than the Blue Jays making that trade. The Sox would have to add another player.
• I would love to see Halladay in a Red Sox uniform. We can sweeten the pot and so can the Jays. I'm sick of watching Nick Green's inept defense lose us games. The Jays are shopping Marco Scutaro. So how about this -- Halladay and Scutaro for Bowden, Buchholz, Lowrie, Delcarmen and another low level prospect not named Westmoreland or Kelly. We can hit Scutaro lead off and he can be the everyday shortstop.
• Victor Martinez has been on Theo's radar for a while. I love him as a hitter, even though he is slumping. I'm okay with his defense behind the plate and at 1B. Rumor was the Sox declined a straight up deal for Buchholz. I disagree.
• Martinez's teammate in Cleveland Cliff Lee is an interesting pitcher. Last year's Cy Young winner has struggled on a bad team this year. I would be okay with Bowden and Delcarmen for him.
• San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez is a pipe dream. No way the Sox would offer enough to get him. He (and his contract) is too good of a fit for the Padres.
• The Sox could use a left handed reliever but it is not necessary. They would likely have to over pay.
• A couple of starting pitchers to look out for -- Arizona's Doug Davis (rhp), Seattle's Erik Bedard (lhp), Florida's Josh Johnson (rhp). Johnson would cost the most.
• With all of the starting pitching to start the year, it is incredible we could use a guy. Right now our #3-#5 guys are Buchholz, Penny and Smoltz. Scary, scary scary.
• Beware of the Yankees!!!!!! The fact that they have not made so much as a peep so far worries me. I got a funny feeling they will be swooping in at the last second. i.e. ARod and Teixeira.
• You can bet I'll be watching NESN's trade deadline show on Friday at 3:00 PM. It may turn out to be like Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's vault or opening a room under the Sphinx but it should be must see television.

Dear John letter

Dear John Smoltz,

Let me start by saying, it is my opinion that you are a hall of fame pitcher. A seven time all star, 211 wins, 154 saves, 1996 Cy Young Award winner and a 15-4 record in the postseason. As part of the Atlanta Braves you won fourteen consecutive division titles and appeared in five world series including winning the 1996 world championship. However, as a Red Sox I must sing to you the title of my favorite Janet Jackson song, 'What you have done for me lately?".

I was enthused as was most of Red Sox nation when you signed with our club. The thought of you taking the ball in a postseason game for the Sox was thrilling. The team was replacing a big game pitcher (Curt Schilling) with THE big game pitcher. Management did not rush you back from off season shoulder surgery. Your first start on June 25th in Washington was must see television. After allowing five runs in five innings, we tried to give you the benefit of the doubt that night. However, you have duplicated that same type of performance in three of your five starts. In your six starts, the team has only one win.

It seems your forty-two year old arm has lost its gitty up. Though your velocity is still up in the low 90's and your slider still has some bite to it, batters are teeing off on your mistakes. Of the twenty-four runs you have allowed in thirty plus hours, fifteen of them have come with two outs. Pitching is about deceiving the batters and your ball is not moving enough to do this. Everything seems so straight. It is not like you have faced a great team (Baltimore twice, Washington, KC, Oakland and Texas) yet either. How can we continue to give you the ball to start games any longer?

It is with deep regret and an equally deep amount of respect that I type the next line -- I do not wish to see you start another game for the Boston Red Sox. Your services as a starter should no longer be desired. You are at the "twilight of your career".

Sincerely,

All Sox Blog

P.S. If you do start again, I truly hope you prove me wrong.

Notes from Toronto -- game 1

Observation time upon my first trip to Toronto to see the Sox;

• Trip stuff -- Trip took "only" 8.5 hours not including a hour stop over to see the Falls. Hotel, booked through Priceline in January, is on the longest (or so I was told) "street" in North America. Yonge Street has a section that is like a mini Times Square with the huge neon signs and the like. Time to the Rogers Centre from the hotel is like 10 minutes via the Subway. City is currently on day 26 of its garbage union strike.



• Clay looked good tonight. First pitch strikes showed how much he has matured. He challenged the hitters which was not the case last year. I'm very happy for him. No doubt, unless a trade, he gets sent back to the minors.



• Called for tickets the day of the game at 3:oo PM. Asked for best available and got two seats on the third base side about even with the shortstop. Eleven rows from the field. $52 per ticket before the exchange. Not too shabby.



• Rogers Centre had its dome closed. Chance of rain was about 10%. This made for a "stuffy" atmosphere. I have visited the Metrodome and caught a game there. There was a better feel here in Toronto. I am curious to attend a game with the roof open. BTW -- I was told it takes twenty minutes to open/close the roof and they delay the game when it is being closed. The stadium itself is huge. Best part is the concourse. You can be in line to get food and turn around and watch the game.



• Good to see Lowell's back. Pun intended.



• Jason Bay is either squaring up balls or looking feeble. No in between with this guy.



• Connecticut's own John MacDonald got into the game in left field. One of baseball's best defensive shortstops as a back up outfielder. Hmmmm -- interesting.



• It was odd not to hear the Dropkick Murphy's playing when Papelbon entered the game. My daughter and I hummed "Shipping Out to Boston" anyway. Words are tough.



• Crowd was about 35% Sox fans.



• The Blue Jays have this song they play and these "cheerleaders" that sing, dance and stretch to during the seventh inning stretch. Really weird to see many of the fans singing this song and stretching like Jack Lalanne to it. Actually I found it comical. Thank goodness they also played "Take Me Out To the Ballgame".
  

Today's Canadian Trivia:

We all know about our neighbor's health care system but how about this? There are FIVE hospitals within a city block of each other in downtown Toronto and one of them was the place where insulin was discovered.

Blow a nine run lead ... no worries

Last night's disappointing loss could drive some team's fans crazy. The Mets have suffered a couple of losses -- runner does not tag third and dropped pop up -- that could take weeks off a fan's life. The Cubs ... well they certainly have found interesting ways to lose. By the way Milton and Lou, dysfunction is spelled with a "y". So when the Red Sox lose a game after being up 10-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, with the best bull pen in the league, with the entire infield jogging in after the second out of an inning, with the manager removing the starting catcher (has anyone else noticed how uncomfortable the relievers, especially Papelbon, are with the Greek?), with all the crazy bloop, swinging bunt, seeing eye hits, with Lugo failing to get down a bunt what is a Red Sox fan supposed to do?

I watched the expressions / body language of the team. Francona sprinted to the clubhouse. Saito sat there in disbelief (I really like him), Papelbon had that crazed Jack Bauer look about him, and Pedroia quietly watched the Orioles celebrate their World Series win. I then turned off the plasma (and unplugged it because someone said if you leave it plugged in it still sucks your power) and calmly retreated to the bedroom to finish a good book.

Absolutely no increased heart rate, no heading out to bar to relieve the pain, no swearing, no throwing the remote (2003 ALDS game 1 vs Oakland - Ramon Hernandez lays down a perfect bunt with two outs and the winning run on third !!! Who does that?), no waking up the wife to tell her the play by play what happened and no way was I going to post an emotion filled blog at midnight. What has happened to me? Well, that's when the book comes in.

I have a big brother who I have figuratively (not literally since I was 13 and he was 20) looked up to. He sent me a Father's Day gift in the mail realizing I had recently had a minor disappointment and needed a little reminder that life was good. He sent me a book entitled, "No I Can Die in Peace" by Bill Simmons.

Bill Simmons is the popular columnist for ESPN.com's Page 2. He is a die hard Patriot, Bruin, Celtic and Red Sox fan. He started off writing a blog as the "Boston Sports Guy". No known simply as the "Sport's Guy", Simmons is very entertaining incorporating pop culture into his perspectives. This book was published in 2005 and includes many of the on line posts that Simmons wrote either for his original web site and then ESPN concerning his journey as a Sox fan up to Edgar Renteria's come backer to Keith Foulke.

I would read some of these passages and start laughing out loud getting quizzical looks from people on the beach, my children and most of all my wife. Two examples. Page 5 -- Simmons is explaining rules that people should live by when rooting for a team. Rule No. 5 was "If you marry someone who roots for another team, you can't be bullied into switching allegiances." His footnote to this had me crying. "By the way, I have to question any Red Sox fan who would marry a Yankee fan. Unless you have never been laid before and this is legitimately your only chance to having sex, it's simply unacceptable. Would you marry someone from Al-Qaeda?" I do have a friend who married a Yankee fan. Enough said. Page 314 -- Commenting on the AROD -- Arroyo play in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, " (it) clearly exposed A-Rod as a liar and cheater of the highest order - the kind who would turn over an R in Scrabble and pretend it's a blank letter." Not less than a week ago my wife tried this on me in a game of Scrabble. She was "amazed" I noticed an extra blank on the board.

These are just two examples of things I could relate to in this book. Movies (Shawshank, Godfather, Rocky), television (White Shadow, Beverly Hills 90210) and people (Bush, Jessica Biel vs Alba) are used as examples or metaphors in explaining his point of view or what he was feeling. Made for an enjoyable read.

The message from this book is -- We are no longer a joke. Because what that group did and how they did it in 2004, baseball fans especially Yankee fans have a lot less ammunition. Even before the 2007 championship, we could hold our heads high and be proud of that one year. Now? We live in the Golden Era of the Boston Red Sox. It is just that simple. There have been many of Red Sox fans from 1918 to 2003 that would have negotiated parts of their lives to see the Red Sox win a World Series. Having the team in the playoffs, winning the division, going to the ALCS and winning it all not once but twice in our lifetimes makes us spoiled and very, very fortunate. So losing a nine run lead may make me wonder but does not discourage me.

I want to thank my brother for sending me this book and making me realize I have it as Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm would say, "Prettay, prettay good".

With Wakefield we wonder ...

How the heck does this guy do it? His next start will mark the most by any pitcher in Red Sox history. Three hundred and eighty-three (think about this number - 383) times he has been given the ball and I sincerely think he has been as prepared as he possibly could be each and every time. Obviously, there have been times when he has been pretty bad but it was not because he did not do what he was supposed to in between starts. Can you say that about Pedro (leaving early at the All Star break to go home), Clemens (if you take steroids you still have to actually workout -- the Duke's "twilight" comment motivated him to break the law)or any other starting pitcher in Sox history?

Wake has always been the consumate professional and great teammate. In 1999, he was asked to be the closer and did not complain. He was left off the World Series roster in 2007 and did not complain when a young Jon Lester took his start in the clinching game. He has also been heavily involved in charity work during his fifeteen seasons in Boston.

Personally, my favorite Wake moment was during the 2004 ALCS versus the Yankees. With the Sox down two games to none and the Bombers absolutely crushing the Sox on their way to a seemingly insurmountable three games to none lead, Wakefield volunteered to eat up some innings so the bull pen could get some much needed rest. He was the first guy to believe the team could come back. Wake went out there and pitched four innings in a 19-8 ALCS game so guys like Curtis Leskanic, Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, Bronson Arroyo and Keith Foulke could pitch meaningful innings in games four, five, six and seven. It does not matter that the one game he started in the World Series he got crushed (Sox still won), his contributions may have been bigger than Pedro's game four performance, the bloody sock and Derek Lowe's game seven masterpiece on two days rest. Imagine the dug out or locker room during and after Game 3. I guarantee you at least a half dozen teammates either said it to themselves or out loud -- "Tim Wakefield is sacrificing his own interests for those of the team" or --- "Wake is out there taking blows so we have a shot at this thing". Talk about inspirational.

Congratulations to Tim Wakefield on his durability, talent and determination in reaching this team record. You have certainly paid your dues and are most deserving for being a great teammate and competitor.