Red Sox Stats Guy

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2010-02-12T21:13:00.002-05:00

I've been far too busy to blog for a while now, but I still have occasional witty thoughts or statistical insight. Follow me on Twitter @redsoxstatsguy!

ALCS Game 7 Random Thoughts

2008-10-19T22:20:00.002-05:00

I watched the entire game, but I wasn't taking notes until the 8th inning."Roccotober" - Another cute Tampa Bay sign in the crowd.Coco Crisp's slide away from second is going to be HUGELY controversial Monday morning.I believe it was Buck Martinez who mentions that some people may wonder why Francona doesn't pinch run for Ortiz in the 8th so they can score on a double. "If they get to extra

ALCS Game 7 Pre-Game Random Thoughts

2008-10-19T19:03:00.004-05:00

Hey, look: MSNBC has a headline that reads, "Opinion: It's do-or-die time for Rays, Red Sox." Wow. That really makes me want to read it.Even better is the picture posted on this Deadspin story. It's like they're all staring at George Costanza as he unlocks his car in a handicapped parking spot.Can I ask that the TBS announcers be a little more McCarver-esque tonight? I complain about McCarver,

ALCS Game 6 Final Thoughts

2008-10-18T22:56:00.002-05:00

Sunday will be another late night, as the Sox and Rays meet for game 7. If you doubted it, you're an idiot. Most people went to bed early on Thursday night and missed the comeback. The Sox did this in 2004 and 2007. You need to stick around.Who has the pressure now? Certainly the Rays. They're likely to be tight and nervous in game 7. But should they be? They're kind of playing on borrowed time.

ALCS Game 6 Random Thoughts Innings 7 and 8

2008-10-18T21:54:00.002-05:00

For my 300th RSSG post, a continuation of the Random Thoughts series...Not much going on in the top of the 7th, so the announcers naturally go to the "tightness" of the Rays, due to the big comeback in game 5 and the late lead here in game 6. Expect this to be a theme for the rest of the game.Hideki Okajima, pre-all-star break: .255 BAA, 1.41 WHIP. Post-ASB: .134, 0.76 WHIP.Same thing for Coco

ALCS Game 6 Random Thoughts Innings 5 and 6

2008-10-18T20:58:00.003-05:00

Next round of random thoughts...One of the announcers (Buck Martinez?) says that this is a typical BGJ start because he didn't start well, but "here he is pitching well in the 5th." What?The same announcer then says BGJ is having a quick 5th. Next pitch: double by Drew.BGJ just pitched himself into a 6th inning, with a 9-pitch 5th.So Beckett has a conversation with Farrell and Francona between

ALCS Game 6 Random Thoughts Innings 3 and 4

2008-10-18T19:49:00.003-05:00

Continuation from innings 1 and 2...Big Papi might be pulling out of this slump. I will now reverse the jinx I just put on by saying that his recent surge is surely done now.So you've got the bases loaded in the second inning. Who would you want up in this situation? Certainly not Mark Kotsay. I typed all that prior to them showing the stat that Kotsay has left the most men on during the ALCS.

ALCS Game 6 Random Thoughts Innings 1 and 2

2008-10-18T19:37:00.003-05:00

A popular feature during the 2007 playoffs, I've been too busy for Random Thoughts this year. But, here goes:The Sox are swinging at a lot of first pitches. Unusual for them. Must be a scouting report on Big Game James Shields. Hopefully we'll be calling him Big Shame James before too long.Jason Bay beats out a double play ball. Manny would have been thrown out by 2 steps.5 pitches to Varitek, 0

TBS and Yankees Suck

2008-10-18T19:27:00.001-05:00

So TBS sucks and can't air ALCS game 6, but at least I have this to keep me all warm inside.

A Little Perspective

2008-10-13T18:37:00.002-05:00

And the "little" in the post title doesn't refer to Grady.You're watching the game right now. The Sox are getting killed by the Rays. The Rays! And you think they're done. Wake is pitching game 4 and the Sox are down 2-1.But then you remember that the two teams are "on serve," to steal a tennis term. The Rays have two home games, the Sox one, and that's the score of the series.And then there's

McCarver: Debunked

2008-10-10T20:02:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday I wrote that I agreed with most of something Tim McCarver said, which was a first. The "most of" part was the opinions; the part where McCarver called Manny's actions in Boston "despicable."Now Joe Sheehan from Baseball Prospectus has taken a swipe at McCarver's lack of facts. I loathe McCarver. I respect and admire Sheehan; he's a brilliant baseball analyst. They couldn't be any

Stop The Presses

2008-10-08T13:59:00.002-05:00

I agree with Tim McCarver on something. At least mostly.I'm sure I'll write more about Manny if he faces the Sox in the World Series.

Papelbon Needs to Shut Up

2008-10-07T21:36:00.001-05:00

Craig Sager gets most of the pub in this video, but it's just another example of Papelbon being a jackass. Can't the Sox brass order him to shut his mouth? He's a great pitcher, but I just don't like the guy.

The Clutch Canuck

2008-10-06T17:59:00.002-05:00

Years ago Bill Simmons said he didn’t like watching or reading interviews with his favorite players because they invariably showed how dumb they were. This was always evidenced by Johnny Damon. But now, Jason Bay: What is your ideal time for a playoff game to start?"Ideally would be seven o'clock Eastern, whether that's four o'clock Pacific—is that four o'clock? Is that right? Yeah.And yes, I

My Beef With Frank Caliendo

2008-10-03T21:29:00.003-05:00

I'm too tired to do a Random Thoughts post, after an absolutely insane September at work. But all the FrankTV commercials have me worked up enough for a post.I used to think Frank Caliendo was brilliant. His impressions were spot-on. This was before he became really famous. He kind of had a shitty website with ringtones of his best celebrity impressions. They were great. And he stuck to the ones

Not Surprised About Sabathia

2008-10-02T20:21:00.002-05:00

Why is everyone so surprised that CC Sabathia imploded? I prophesied this back in August.Look, you can pitch that many innings that many years in a row and expect to be fine. And then he goes and pitches on three days' rest four starts in a row. Seriously, Dale "Sink or" Sveum? That's gonna be your legacy? Overworking the best pitcher in the NL so you ruin your chances in the NLDS?That's sad.

ALDS Game 1 Notes

2008-10-01T21:11:00.001-05:00

1. I hate Manny Ramirez.2. Jacoby's line drive to right to lead off the game was OBVIOUSLY a double or triple, right off the bat, and yet the announcer lazily says, "Ellsbury with a pop fly that is playable for the leftfielder." Then he's shocked when it falls in and goes on to say the ball "found another gear" and talks about how the ball has been "flying out of the park all afternoon." Really?

ALDS Comparison

2008-09-27T11:29:00.002-05:00

The Red Sox will match up against the Angels again this year, a matchup the Sox have dominated in recent years. How will things play out in 2008? The best way to determine that is by comparing each position, and I'll use a very simple statistic of OPS+ to compare offenses, which works since we're comparing same positions. I'll use ERA+ and WHIP to compare starting pitchers. None of these is

Eye Opening

2008-09-24T15:46:00.001-05:00

From yesterday's article by Peter Gammons (italics are mine, for emphasis):Garciaparra, who had rejected a four-year, $60 million contract that wouldhave expired at the end of this season, was a megastar in Boston, and whenthe Red Sox struggled for two weeks after the trade, Epstein and the baseballpeople were second-guessed to the media by some of their promotional gurusupstairs. Eleven weeks

Quick Hits

2008-09-14T20:44:00.002-05:00

From today's Peter Gammons blog:It's hard to talk about the MVP Award for Manny when the team that paid the Dodgers to take Ramirez is 27-13 without him through Sunday and have seen their runs per game increase from 4.94 at the time of the deal to 6.22 since. Peralta is the only AL shortstop to make the top six in OPS (.786, tied with Derek Jeter for sixth among major league shortstops, behind

The Yankees Can Have AJ Burnett

2008-09-01T19:57:00.003-05:00

Hankenstein opened his fat mouth this week and said that "everyone" is looking at AJ Burnett. Well, that may be the case, but you can have him - and overpay him.You may recall when I prophesied the downfall of the Zito Empire. (And when I tooted my own horn when I was proven right.) Burnett may not be that bad, but he's way overrated.Burnett's ERA+ is a pedestrian 95 this season, and just 109 for

Sabathia: Overworked

2008-08-31T16:19:00.002-05:00

We all remember what happened to CC Sabathia last postseason, right? He wore down, presumably due to an innings-pitched overload.Well, he's at it again. With 5 starts likely remaining in the regular season, Sabathia has thrown 210.1 innings already. Rounding his innings-pitched average up from 7.9 to 8.0 since joining Milwaukee, that would put him at 250 innings by the end of the regular season.

Just Out of Curiosity...

2008-08-30T19:01:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking about how often Nomar swung at the first pitch, and got wondering how many pitches he saw per plate appearance when he was with the Sox.The answer is ugly.In 2004, Nomar's last year in Boston, he averaged 2.93 P/PA. He didn't qualify due to a lack of at-bats, but the lowest qualifier was notorious free-swinger, Vlad Guerrero, with 3.17. That's a huge disparity.In 2003 Nomar

Official Mancrush: Jason Bay

2008-08-29T20:15:00.002-05:00

I know RBI is a mostly-meaningless stat, but when you have 27 RBI in your first 25 games with the Red Sox, I take notice. That's a 178 RBI pace. Not that Bay is a 178 RBI guy, but this is a key time and he's proving that he can handle the pressure of Boston better than Eric Gagne.Plus, his OPS is .908. Manny's was .927 with Boston.This guy's gonna be fine.

Funny Exchange Between Remy and Orsillo

2008-08-29T19:06:00.002-05:00

In the middle of an inning NESN decided to show an awful clip of a comedian making terrible jokes about names of Red Sox players. Even the audience where this "comedian" was performing didn't find her funny.Then they cut back to the game as a White Sox player grounds into an inning-ending double play.Orsillo: "Nothing funny about that."Remy: "About what?" (alluding to the commercial)Orsillo,

Some Old Dude Whining About Replay

2008-08-27T20:15:00.002-05:00

Kenny Rogers today blamed the Yankees for instant replay, because of a game back in May. How about all the other times the umps have gotten the call wrong?"It’s the beauty of the game. Mistakes are made.”But if you have a chance to reduce those errors, wouldn't you take it? What if someone told you that MLB was going to (legally) institute a new policy that gave pitchers an advantage over hitters

I Love The Rays!

2008-08-22T19:15:00.006-05:00

I'll admit it: I'm a Rays fan. How can you not be? They've been building and building and it's all finally come to fruition. Who knows how long it will last, but they sure are fun to watch. So many young, talented players. If you're a true baseball fan, you enjoy the team.That being said, I want the Sox to catch them and beat them. According to Fox Sports, not only have the Rays played the

Aren't Both Teams Affected By This?

2008-08-20T19:53:00.002-05:00

In today's Buster Olney blog (Insider required), he says:The folks who run the Reds know that the patience of their fans is running out, writes John Erardi. If the Reds are serious about reconstruction, here's the first thing they should do: Reconstruct the ballpark. Blow out the first 10 rows of seats in left and right field and make the place play bigger, for the benefit of pitching. As

Random Notes

2008-08-18T18:59:00.003-05:00

Player A: 261 at-bats, .268/.355/.330/.685, 22 RBIPlayer B: 132 at-bats, .318/.377/.492/.870, 30 RBIWho is your shortstop for 2009? Player A (Julio Lugo), or Player B (Jed Lowrie)? I know that Lowrie will go through some slumps. He's not likely to finish with an .870 OPS. But there's no way he's as bad as Lugo. His minor league line was .287/.381/.447/.827.Ollie from Big Brother 10 looks just

Fuzzy Math on WEEI

2008-08-13T18:16:00.002-05:00

This afternoon on WEEI, the guys were talking about how good Johan Santana has been this year, and how much better his record would be had he gone to the Yankees. Currently at 10-7, Ordway said the Mets bullpen had blown 5 of his wins in the 9th inning.Ordway: "You know how good his record would be if he played for the Yankees?"Someone else, who I think was Lou Merloni: "15-2!"Ordway and everyone

I'm Back, Baby!!

2008-08-12T19:08:00.005-05:00

After six months away, I am making my completely untriumphant return. I've finished my novel and have a little editing left, but am taking a break and am constantly finding things that I want to blog about. A part-time blogger, when the mood strikes me. So, here goes, with a fun (read: stupid) quote from the idiot Steinbrenner brother:"I think it's very simple, we've been devastated by injuries.

Why I Hate Nomar

2008-03-03T19:18:00.002-05:00

I'm often asked why my hatred for Nomar Garciaparra runs so deep. Well, this article sums it up pretty succinctly. He's really a loathsome man.Pre-Blogger I wrote an article about why I hated Nomar so much. Unfortunately, most of those articles went the way of my old hard drive. To sum it up, Nomar is a moody asshole. I remember a quote from a Sox player who was a rookie in 2004 (I always assumed

Red Sox Get A Colon-oscopy

2008-02-24T19:11:00.000-05:00

See what I did there, mixing up the name Colon and a surgery with the same name? Man, I'm a genius. I'm sure no one's ever done that before.Anyway, the Sox signed Bartolo Colon to a low-risk, high reward minor league deal. This is a brilliant move.Seriously, Colon is just three years (and about eighty pounds) removed from a "Cy Young" season. I put that in quotes because he didn't deserve it, but

David Ortiz's 7-Year Trend

2008-02-17T15:44:00.003-05:00

So I got looking at David Ortiz's Baseball Reference page, and two things jumped out at me.First, take a look at some of his seven-year trends:2001: .324 OBP/106 OPS+2002: .339/1202003: .369/1442004: .380/1452005: .397/1582006: .413/1612007: .445/171Amazingly consistent improvement. 5 consecutive top-five MVP finishes.Secondly, after consecutive years of Mo Vaughn being his Most Similar Player

It Looks Like Timmy From Seinfeld Was Right

2008-02-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Allow me this brief aside to point out that one of my favorite all-time scenes from Seinfeld turns out to have scientists backing it up. "From now on, when you take a chip - just take one dip and end it!"In the immortal words of that one-appearance character Timmy, "From now on, when you take a chip - just take one dip and end it!"

Bedard/Santana Trades Are Win-Win For Sox

2008-01-30T08:02:00.000-05:00

If you're a regular reader here, you know how I felt about the proposed trade for Santana. I didn't like it. So it was with great relief yesterday when I heard that the Mets had landed him.But it made me curious: why would the Twins take four non-MLB-ready players, none of whom has big upside, over the packages the Sox and Yankees were offering? By all accounts, these offers included four

My Condolences to Bob Ryan

2008-01-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

I've never liked Bob Ryan's writing or television personality (although he seems like a nice guy), but I was floored to hear that his son had died overseas. My condolences go out to Mr. Ryan and his family. I have a son who is almost four and I can't imagine losing him.

How Did This Not Cause the End of the World?

2008-01-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

I know, I know; I've been horrible about updating. I'm writing that book I've mentioned. But today a note came through my e-mail with the following message:hey did you know this? i think this deserves an update to redsoxstatsguySo I had to click the provided link and see what it was.Now I regret it.How did I not know this? How come no one seems to have known this? So now Jason Varitek is

Massachusetts Hates Roger Clemens

2007-12-16T11:23:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com has a poll up asking readers if they'd vote for Roger Clemens. More than 187,000 people voted, and 56% said that they'd give good ol' Rog their vote. I'm not sure how Dan Duquette voted.I took a screenshot of the results, as seen below. One measly state had more than 50% saying they wouldn't vote for Clemens. Guess which state that is....Massachusetts is the only state in red on there.

Saving Myself Some Time....

2007-12-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

Just go here and read the comments to see how I feel about the Sox players implicated in early reports of the Mitchell Report.

Consider Me Sold... For Now

2007-11-29T11:13:00.000-05:00

After posting my anti-Santana diatribe just hours ago, consider me sold now after reading this. That's not much to give up for one of the best pitchers in baseball.I obviously like Jed Lowrie, but he's never even appeared in a major league game, as far as I can remember. Plus, the Red Sox infield is set for at least the next three years; he's expendable. Justin Masterson is great, but not MLB

Santana? No, Thank You

2007-11-29T07:32:00.001-05:00

Rumors are flying that the Sox are "actively/aggressively pursuing Johan Santana."I, for one, am not interested.I mentioned it once before in this space that I don't think Santana is worth the cost, and that was before the cost went up to its now-astronomical price. You're talking two members of your projected starting rotation (Buchholz, Lester), one of your center fielders (probably Ellsbury,

That Guy Whose Contract is Outrageous

2007-11-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Posts have dried up a little here as I prepare to move into my new house. I've also been working on a fiction novel for a couple of weeks. But I have not neglected all the baseball news.I almost enjoy the Hot Stove League more than the actual baseball season. If there was a fantasy Hot Stove season (cha-ching - money making idea!), I'd be all over it.I look at these guys like Torii Hunter and

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Signings

2007-11-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

Teams must be flush with cash. They have to be. There's no other explanation for this. Or this.And, since it's Thanksgiving, you can't get any sane analytical viewpoints about these signings anywhere. That's what I'm here for. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe these signings were announced today because these teams didn't want to be eaten alive by the local and national media. Ahhh, who

Mike Lowell... I Don't Know What to Say

2007-11-21T08:01:00.000-05:00

Just go read this article. There are too many quotes to post in here.Mike Lowell impresses me more and more. It's not often that you a) see a guy turn down an extra $12.5 million, and b) say he never really considered it because he doesn't need the money. Lowell turned down the extra money and year of baseball to stay in a city that he and his family love and for the better chance of winning more

The Lowell Resigning Saga Might Be Over

2007-11-19T13:13:00.001-05:00

It looks like the Red Sox didn't flinch and it's going to pay off.After all the reports of 4-year offers from other clubs, including the Yankees, Mike Lowell has reportedly agreed on a 3-year deal to return to the champs for under $13 million per season. This is a very smart and savvy play by the Sox, who could have easily caved to the pressure put on by Lowell and the Yanks. Four years would

Boston is Filled With Homers, Part II

2007-11-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe actually makes a good case for David Ortiz as MVP, actually, but I'm not sure I agree. I'd put him second behind ARod. The Yankees had no pitching and ARod was by far the best hitter, especially when the rest of the team was struggling out of the gate.I hate him, but he's the AL MVP, like it or not.

More Cy Young Stuff

2007-11-15T08:36:00.000-05:00

Boy, for a guy who's sick of all the Cy Young talk, I sure am posting about it a lot. You might recall a post 5 weeks ago where I changed my mind on Beckett for Cy Young, citing a Joe Posnanski blog post where he made a compelling case for Mr. Beckett. Now Posnanski has made another argument for adding the playoff totals to the regular season totals to factor into the Cy Young voting: So let me

Phil Rogers Should Be Punched

2007-11-14T18:16:00.000-05:00

I received an e-mail today from my friend Matt with the subject line "I wish I could punch this guy." After reading the article to which he linked, I couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd hold him down as Matt kicked him, then I'd call others over, have them read the article, and hold him down while they kicked him, too.To sum it up, Phil Rogers attempts to make a case for John Lackey to be in the

Boston is Filled With Homers

2007-11-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

Looking around the Internet at Red Sox blogs and articles, you'd think Josh Beckett had just turned in a 1999 Pedro Martinez-type season and then was robbed of the Cy Young by Victor (please call me Carlos) Zambrano. You can see examples of Homerism here and here, where Red Sox Monster compares the snub with Coco's for Gold Glove. You get the same thing on WEEI and WJAB.Have people forgotten that

David Ortiz Runs Like the Wind

2007-11-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

Joe Posnanski always has some interesting nuggets in his blog, but today's blew me away when discussing the baserunners who lead MLB in bases taken (italics mine):Bases taken (bases advanced on passed balls, wild pitches, balk, sac fly, defensive indifference steal).DeJesus: 29.Teahen: 22– Well, here’s one advantage for DeJesus — he was helped by the fact that he was on base probably 30 more

Sox Pictures You Don't See Everyday

2007-11-08T18:46:00.001-05:00

These just showed up in my e-mail and I felt compelled to share them here. If these have been publicized elsewhere, please let me know and I'll link it. They're dated back in July, so it's very possible. I apologize if I'm not giving credit where it's due. I thought these were pretty cool. Check out the cushy plane!UPDATE: As Dan from Red Sox Monster points out, these photos appeared on Barstool

Fascinating ARod Breakdown

2007-11-08T08:04:00.001-05:00

I just got done reading this article about giving ARod a massive contract and I'm floored. It's a great read and the comparisons to other players - particularly David Ortiz - are fascinating. I mean, you know Ortiz has been more clutch than ARod, but putting the numbers next to each other make it staggering.I've spent a lot of the past 10 days wondering what I'd do if the Sox signed ARod and I

Fenway Ticket Prices Have Increased Slightly

2007-11-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

Via Deadspin.com, ticket prices for upper box seats in 1984 were $7.50. In case you hadn't heard, they're slightly higher than that now.I seem to recall - and don't quote me on this - paying $14 per ticket for the right field boxes back in 1998-2000, when I went to 2 games each summer. Those now go for $45. I sat in the loge boxes for $20-something and those now go for $85 each. Yowsa.Add in $30

Are You Sick of Reading About Mike Lowell Yet?

2007-11-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

Another Pro-Mike Lowell/Anti-ARod site has come your way in the form of LowellYesARodNo.com. It is the best source of everything Mike Lowell right now.You know how I feel about Lowell and ARod and who I think should replace Lowell if he decides to sign elsewhere. LowellYesARodNo.com links you to other bloggers who have written about the issue as well as "real" columnists.

If Mike Lowell Signs Elsewhere...

2007-11-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

I am well aware of how stupid it is to not want the best player in the world on my team, but that's the case. I hate Alex Rodriguez so much that I would not enjoy Sox games like I do now. That's just the way it is. I'm not going to change my position any time soon.And you know how much I want Mike Lowell to be resigned. But what if he's not resigned? Who's going to man the hot corner in Boston?

Since I Loathe ARod....

2007-11-02T13:47:00.000-05:00

Tyler Kepner has written what I'm sure is a fantastic article. Unfortunately, being an ARod hater, I couldn't get past the second paragraph:Since Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS — the night Boston began its epic comeback from three games down against the Yankees — (Alex) Rodriguez has come to the plate with 38 runners on base, over the span of 59 at-bats. He left every single one on base, going 0-for-27,

Another Reason to Love Varitek

2007-11-02T08:17:00.001-05:00

We took our son trick-or-treating the other night and had a great time, but it was nothing like the treat these kids got.Of course, I'd imagine that if these kids are living in Varitek's neighborhood, they must be pretty well-off anyway. But even rich little kids are excited to see Jason Varitek, I'm sure.Stand-up guy, that Jason Varitek.

Schilling's Postseason Alone Worthy of Hall of Fame?

2007-11-01T07:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on WEEI Rob Bradford said that SI.com's Jon Heyman, who has a Hall of Fame vote, said that Curt Schilling's career postseason record of 11-2 by itself gets Schilling into the Hall of Fame.Bradford understood Heyman to mean that Schilling's regular season record doesn't matter; he's a HOFer no matter what. Schilling could be 112-144 and be a HOFer because he's been dominant in the

Scientifically Proven Fact: Lowell is Better Than ARod

2007-10-31T18:56:00.000-05:00

Of course the bigger story is David Ortiz scoring just the 7th perfect score of all time, but I'm going with the ARod sucks angle. You knew I would.ARod, after leading his position for 8 consecutive years, has lost his banner to our own Mike Lowell at third base. Was Mike Lowell really that much of a better hitter than ARod? No, ARod just sucked at fielding.So clearly Lowell is worth a 10 year,

Happy Halloween

2007-10-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

Now that baseball season is over, the only thing left to determine is what to wear for Halloween.

Ohhhhhh.... SNAP!!

2007-10-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

From Rob Neyer's chat today (Insider required):Pat (NYC): Now, I'm really mad at A-Rod, because he's made even Peter Gammons cranky and curmudgeonly! Regarding Pedroia's sacrificing his scholarship at Arizona State, Gammons yesterday wrote: "The sabermetrics guys in their garages never understand these things". What's up with that? What did we do?Rob Neyer: I don't know,

The Keep Mike Lowell Petition

2007-10-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

I'm not big on petitions, but this one seems to be a good fit for me. It's the Keep Mike Lowell Petition and as of this writing there are nearly 8,000 signatures.The write-up is nice and the only point I disagree with is that it's easy to win a Gold Glove. The GG is the biggest joke in baseball, which is why a guy like Derek Jeter has won 3 or 4 and why Rafael Palmeiro won one as a DH.Mike Lowell

2007 Just Like 2004, Only Different

2007-10-29T19:10:00.001-05:00

With Leather shows us how similar the two World Series were.

World Series Game 4 Random Thoughts

2007-10-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Before I get to the bullet points, I wanted to comment on ARod opting out of his contract, which was apparently just reported moments ago. I'm quite surprised about this - I thought he'd stay in NY after the season he had. But maybe 2007 was the big "eff you" year for him, like it is for the Patriots right now. "See what I can do?"Personally, I'm thrilled about it; they've lost the best hitter in

World Series Game 3 Random Thoughts

2007-10-28T07:47:00.000-05:00

I really hope the Sox finish the series off tonight so I can start going to bed at a reasonable time again. Onto the bullet points, which are limited due to my exhaustion:McCarver says at the beginning of the game that the Rockies have only moved runners alone with a hit in 2 games in this series - games 1 and 2. Huh. He must have chosen his words wrong, but I can't figure out what he could have

Funniest Thing I've Seen All Day

2007-10-26T13:14:00.001-05:00

Check it out.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2007-10-26T06:59:00.001-05:00

Terry Francona and the management team look like geniuses (genii? Why do some words change like that but others don't? Like anus - shouldn't it be ani? I wonder about these things) right now. They rested Okajima towards the end of the season and now he's become the amazing, lock-down closer we came to expect during the first half of the season. They stuck with Dustin Pedroia during his horrible

Game One Was a Mild Success

2007-10-25T06:55:00.000-05:00

Well that was a massive beatdown. I’m not sure anyone saw that coming. I actually went to bed after the 7-run 5th inning. Even Eric Gagne couldn’t blow a 13-1 lead. Speaking of Gagne, has anyone noticed that he has now thrown consecutive perfect innings after the game 2 collapse in the ALCS? I still don’t want him pitching in a close game, but it’s still good to see. Man, for all the hype Troy

The World Series Red Sox Blogger Roundtable

2007-10-24T13:00:00.001-05:00

Since the other two were so successful, Red Sox Monster has decided to do another blogger roundtable, this time with just two participants - SoxNest and me.I am currently riding an unprecedented streak of correctly predicting the winners of each series and the number of games the series will go down to, so I have a lot riding on this one.Enjoy!

This Stuff Will Never Get Old

2007-10-24T07:53:00.000-05:00

I Hate the Colorado Rockies Organization

2007-10-24T06:58:00.000-05:00

My friend Matt called me the other day to see if I wanted to fly out to Denver for games 3 and 4 this weekend. I wasn't so sure I wanted to spend that much money and use the last of my vacation time this early in the year, but I decided what the hell, it's the World Series.On Monday we waited out the Ticket Debacle on coloradorockies.com for 3 hours before they announced that everything had

Johan Santana to the Yankees?

2007-10-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

Rumor has it (Insider required) that the Yankees may be prepared to trade Melky Cabrera, Ian Kennedy, and Chien Ming Wang for Johan Santana. Interesting idea, except that you can’t be sure anymore what you’re going to get from Johan. After logging more than 225 innings in each of the previous 3 years and then 121 prior to the All-Star Break in 2007, Santana registered a 5-7 record and 4.04 ERA

How Will Wakefield Fare in Denver?

2007-10-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

With Tim Wakefield probably in line to pitch game 4, Buster Olney brings up an interesting question in yesterday's chat (Insider required):Wakefield's knuckler... If anybody wants to send in Wakefield's career numbers in Denver, I'll post them, but in general, the conventional wisdom on knucklers is that thin air is bad and thick air is good.That got me looking up the stats. I'm not sure if this

Fun Rox/Sox Comparison

2007-10-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

From Buster Olney's blog today (Insider required): The Rockies' No. 1 starter is Jeff Francis, who has a striking resemblance to the lead character in the movie "Napoleon Dynamite." Boston's No. 1 starter is Josh Beckett, who is building a case to be ranked among the greatest postseason pitchers of all time, with a record of 5-2, 1.78 in October.Boston's No. 2 starter is Curt Schilling, who is

Heading to Denver

2007-10-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Another miraculous comeback by the Sox. Okay, so it wasn’t miraculous. I think that word is overused. But it was certainly against the odds. So the Sox are headed to Denver and I’m very close to getting tickets for games 3 and 4 out there this weekend, which would be the greatest event of my sports fan life. It’s all I can think about right now. The best part of the win last night was

Josh Beckett is Your New Mr. October

2007-10-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Forget about "icing" Josh Beckett by having his ex sing the National Anthem and God Bless America. Josh Beckett is quickly becoming the next Mr. October. And the Red Sox already had the next Mr. October in David Ortiz!It's extremely difficult to compare a pitcher to a hitter, so you have to take this with a grain of salt.Reggie Jackson, playoff career in 77 games:.278/.358/.527, 18 HR, 48 RBI, 4

Don't Piss Off Josh Beckett

2007-10-18T10:49:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure how long they dated for, but Josh Beckett’s ex-girlfriend is singing the National Anthem and God Bless America during tonight’s game. I have a feeling we’re going to see a big statement game from Mr. Beckett tonight. Should be interesting!

Pedroia's (Alleged) Slap

2007-10-17T20:29:00.000-05:00

I wrote an eight-paragraph post this morning and one of those paragraphs is getting an awful lot of attention:Someone was kind enough to anonymously post a comment on last night's post, reminding me of something I wanted to mention. Pedroia's slide into first (picture here) was just about as bush league as ARod's slap of Bronson Arroyo in 2004. And yet, Fox didn't even mention it. I was

Francona Wants Sox to Remain "Consistent"

2007-10-17T16:37:00.000-05:00

I went out for lunch today and managed to listen to Terry Francona's interview with Dale and Holley on WEEI. It disturbed me, to say the least.Michael Holley asked Francona (all paraphrases) "Terry, what do you say to the critics who say your loyalty to your regular players is stubborn and will prevent this team from advancing?" to which Francona replied, "We need to stay consistent and just play

On the Brink

2007-10-17T06:59:00.000-05:00

I ended up watching the first 3 innings before I nodded off last night, but I didn't take any notes like I typically would.Someone was kind enough to anonymously post a comment on last night's post, reminding me of something I wanted to mention. Pedroia's slide into first (picture here) was just about as bush league as ARod's slap of Bronson Arroyo in 2004. And yet, Fox didn't even mention it. I

No Random Thoughts Post Tonight

2007-10-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry, but I'm not feeling well enough to stay up and watch the whole game tonight. I will post something first thing Wednesday morning, including my take on Beckett not pitching game 4.Thanks for reading!

Remembering Game 7 of 2003 ALCS

2007-10-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

As painful as this may be, this is the best job I've ever read about recalling the dreaded game 7 in 2003.I've read a lot of blog posts about it and no one seems to get every detail right like that one does. No one remembers how lights-out Timlin and Williamson were and how both were ready to come in for the 8th.The writer does forget to mention that even Pedro himself thought he was done - I

Another Bad Headline

2007-10-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

This is Dusty Baker related, but I'm actually not Dusty bashing this time. It's another ridiculous headline on ESPN.com:Baker wants to restore winning aura to RedsNo kidding. Here's how I expected his introduction to go:Reporter 1: "Dusty, what are your goals in your first season as Reds manager?"Dusty: "You know, nothing different from last year. Business as usual."Reporter 2: "But don't you

Time For a Change

2007-10-16T06:46:00.000-05:00

A famous band once sang:When it's time to changeYou need to rearrangeSha na na na na na na na naSha na na na naThat song couldn't fit better with the current situation the Sox are in. It's time to put Jacoby Ellsbury in the lineup. As I so eloquently put it in last night's Game 3 Random Thoughts entry, JD Drew sucks. And Coco Crisp isn't much better. I'd be happy (and I'm sure I'm not in the

ALCS Game 3 Random Thoughts

2007-10-15T21:56:00.000-05:00

Ugh... abbreviated version tonight:Joe Buck, Master of the Obvious: "If they don't bring Mike Lowell back next season, they'll have a definite hole over at third base." Unless, of course, they sign someone else.McCarver goes back to his crap from a previous game, which I blogged about in a previous game. He says Mike Lowell never used to go up the middle or to the opposite field, which I pretty

A Mediocre Steve Phillips Chat

2007-10-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

Steve Phillips: The Rockies continue to roll, and it looks like the Indians will make it interesting. What's on everybody's minds? RSSG: Should my 3-year old son get a flu shot this fall? I’ve heard they’re very beneficial, especially for a kid his age, but then you hear about all the people who get the flu shot and then have the flu for a week. What a conundrum! Oh, is this the wrong chat for

How Happy Were Indians Fans to See Gagne?

2007-10-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

Joe Posnanski, quickly becoming my favorite baseball blogger, offers this little nugget (very end of the entry) about watching Saturday night’s marathon: I will also say this — all game long (because of my Cleveland paranoia) I was sure the Indians would lose Saturday. Absolutely sure. It was that feeling in the pit of your stomach, and it was there for all 73 hours (time actually stands still

Amelie Benjamin's Headline Choice

2007-10-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

I like Amelie Benjamin a lot. Besides being very attractive in a cute, bookwormish kind of way, she seems to know her stuff. That’s why I hope she didn’t make the choice of the headline and subheadline (whatever that’s called) on this article. “He’s ready to step forward.” No kidding. He’d better be. I’d hate to see a headline that read “He’s not sure he can handle it” or “He’s concerned about

Dane Cook Parody on SNL

2007-10-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

I trash Dane Cook and those "There's only ONE.... OCTOBER!!!" promos quite often, as you know if you read this blog often. Saturday Night Live apparently feels the same way, as does the rest of America. Here's the clip, which is hilarious.(Via The Big Lead)

More Dusty Baker Bashing

2007-10-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

I did plenty of Dusty bashing in one bullet point in last night's ALDS game 2 post, but Rob Neyer had this gem during his ALDS game 2 chat:Michael (connecticut): breaking news.. dusty baker was named reds manager ..Rob Neyer: (11:21 PM ET ) It's true. My condolences to Reds fans. And Homer Bailey's pitching wing.It's always good to see respected mainstream writers bashing

ALCS Game 2 Random Thoughts

2007-10-13T21:21:00.000-05:00

Again, straight to the bullet points:Eric Karros was pretty darn good in the pregame booth. Kevin Kennedy: not so much. And Jeanne Zelasko, please exit stage left and take Dane Cook with you.I've never noticed sweat stains under a baseball players armpits before, but Schilling was sporting some serious pit stains while he was warming up. Don't tell me you didn't notice.James freaking Taylor doing

ALCS Game 1 Random Thoughts - McCarver!

2007-10-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

No small talk - straight to the bullet points, and any time I've made it bold, that's where McCarver put very strong emphasis:It was nice to see Tim McCarver colored his hair to match Joe Buck's. It's always good when they're on the same page for the first playoff game of the year.I think Joe Buck and Ryan Seacrest have a lot in common - both are everywhere you don't want them to be and both are

Playboy

2007-10-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

Whoa, who expected me to title a post "Playboy"? Completely not sports related, but I just had a horrible revelation:Starting in less than 2 months, we'll see Playboy bunnies who will have been born in....THE 1990s!!!!!!!

The Tim McCarver Blues

2007-10-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, I hate Tim McCarver. I am bound by this hatred to post anything that trashes him, like the video below.It's a short video, maybe 2 minutes, and takes about a minute to really get going, but it's really funny. I especially like the SAP part. But it made me wonder: what if you switched over to SAP and it was McCarver's voice? That would be a nightmare!

Another Sox Blogger Roundtable

2007-10-12T07:20:00.000-05:00

Red Sox Monster, one of the best Red Sox blogs out there and the only one I find the time to frequent, has put together another great Red Sox blogger roundtable for the ALCS. It's another great read, like a discussion between Sox fans about why they're going to eke out this series against Cleveland. Some good thoughts there.Enjoy!

Who Didn't Want a Sox/Yankees ALCS?

2007-10-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

The other day on WEEI, Tony Maz whined on and on about how sick he was of Red Sox/Yankees and Yankees/Red Sox. He was sick of the whole thing and didn’t want an ALCS matchup between these two clubs. No one agreed with him. Who would, other than fans of other teams? If you are a Yankees or Red Sox fan, you want to see these two teams facing off. It’s must-see tv. The two most storied

ARod's MySpace Page

2007-10-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious and probably pretty accurate.

Yankees: Courageous?

2007-10-09T10:42:00.001-05:00

ARod is apparently taking the blame for the demise of the Yankees 2007 season. "It's on me," he said. "Whatever blame you put on me," he said, "that's fine. The most courageous group of guys," he said, "that I've ever played with." Courageous? That’s BS. What makes them courageous? And sorry, as much as I hate ARod, this wasn’t his fault. How about the rest of the offense, which was atrocious

What Did You Say, Jose Mota?

2007-10-08T14:44:00.001-05:00

I've posted here several times that Jose Mota is impossible to understand. "Come on," you say, "He can't be that bad!" Well, here is video proof that Jose Mota is hard to understand. He does okay until about halfway through, then he loses it. I have no clue what he says except when he says Willits. (From Red Sox Monster)