Red Sox

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Final Four and Opening Day

Last week Amalie Benjamin wrote in the Boston Globe

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s almost six weeks into spring training, and already one member of the Red Sox has had surgery, pitchers are headed toward five innings at a clip, and my bracket is shredded beyond recognition. (No, I’m not bitter at all.)

That’s where I am this morning.  My bracket is shredded but for North Carolina (Go Heels!) and it’s gonna rain on opening day at Fenway.  So let’s look at this picture of the grounds crew on a perfect April Saturday two days before opening day.

The season opener at Fenway Park might be a washout on Monday, but groundscrew members John Driscoll pounds down the dirt around homeplate while Jeremy Fuller smooths the gravel in the the area on Saturday morning.

This is also from the Globe.

And about the men’s championship game no matter what happens kids can admire Tyler Hansboough.  He’s called the “player you love to hate” because of his agressive play but he stayed in school for four years and whether you are a North Carolina fan or a Michigan State fan you have to love that. 

There will be two Hall of Famers watching tonights finals (no rainouts in basketball).  This from the New York Times

Magic Johnson will be in attendance at Ford Field on Monday, pulling for Michigan State, which he led to a national title in 1979. Michael Jordan, he hit the game winning shot in North Carolina’s 1982 title-game victory, is expected to be in the crowd, too.

And in my one minute of fame, I was there in New Orleans when Carolina beat Georgetown on the last second errant pass by Brown and the shot by Jordan.  It was a blur, but I believe that James Worthy was in there somehow. Great game and great result.

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Looking for Dice-K

Yesterday I was minding my own business when I got an email from Florida.  A co-worker on vacation was at the Red Sox spring training game and sent a picture.  Then she said that Dice-K was pitching and Lowell, Pedroia and Youkilis were also playing.  Sent a wave of envy through my end of the floor when I forwarded the picture.

So the word on Daisuke Matsuzaka in his first spring training game is good.  Effective and efficient.  This this a good sign for the spring?  Will having pitched for the winning Japan in the World Baseball Classic hurt or help him in the long run? Hard to say.  But along with the various injuries that appear to be healing and Matsuzaka’s performance yesterday, the Sox look good. 

From the  Boston Globe’s Extra Bases blog

“Seventy-five pitches through five innings is ideally what we were hoping to get through today,” said pitching coach John Farrell after the Sox’ 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Atlanta Braves.

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“I surprised myself,” Matsuzaka said with a mischievous grin, suggesting he is growing tired of the constant questions about his pitch efficiency. “The Red Sox keep reminding me that I was a little bit ahead of schedule, but on the other hand, getting ready for the WBC put me ahead [of everyone else]. I’d like to take that in a positive way.”

There wasn’t much else to report from the clubhouse, where the Sox were eager to depart after two long road trips in two days. Farrell made repeated note of Matsuzaka’s willingness/ability to rely on his two-seam fastball, a pitch designed to quick outs and conserve pitches.

Matsuzaka also made a point of noting that he was working on his “movement,” suggesting he is more focused on, as Farrell said, “pitching to contact.”

The countdown clock to opening day reads 6 days, 7 hours, and 12 minutes.  It’s Spring!

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Signs that Spring is coming

Yesterday, the Red Sox played their first exhibition games beating Boston College and losing to Minnesota.  Spring is just around the corner even though it was cold and blustery in Boston.  The big controversy seems to be whether the thrill of the Sox has worn off or not.  Exhibit A:  There are a few tickets left for a hand full of games in April and May.  As many of the bloggers pointed out, this has much to do with the state of the economy and little to do with becoming jaded about the Sox.  See Mazz’s Blog in Boston.com.

Meanwhile someone at work mentioned March Madness for the first time in a year.  My favorite league, the ACC, is busy with teams knocking each other off.  Question:  how do you maintain a high national ranking when everyone knows you will lose games in your league?  But, the North Carolina Tar Heels should, barring disaster in the ACC Tournament, get a number one seed.

The Boston Celtics are also readying themselves for the playoffs.  (Even as they lost last night to the Clippers, who are, I think the worst team in the NBA, in a close one.)  It looks as if they will be signing Stephon Marbury – maybe today.  I haven’t decided if that is good or bad.   Marc J. Spears wrote in the Boston Globe

Marbury  fell into the doghouse of then-Knicks coach Isiah Thomas during the 2007-08 season. With Thomas gone, new Knicks president Donnie Walsh and new coach Mike D’Antoni preferred a new script without Marbury last offseason. After being suspended from the team for allegedly refusing to play in a game, Marbury was outspoken about his disappointment. He eventually worked out a buyout Tuesday.

I’m sure there will be more on Marbury in the next few days.

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The Real Value of Dustin Pedroia

I hope that the contract extension that was negotiated between the Boston Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia is a sign of good things to come.  We need to end the craziness of the huge smounts of money being paid to sports stars.  I’m not saying that $7 Million a year is chicken feed, but Dustin signed for less than he could have gotten so he can have contract security (through 2015) and stay in a place he loves.  And Boston is happy to have you, Dustin.

Tony Mazzarotti wrote in the Boston Globe the other day

Clearly, Dustin Pedroia could have held out for more. Maybe he should have. But in an age when professional athletes are criticized for making decisions based solely on money, we cannot possibly pass judgment on a deal that seems, in a word, reasonable.

He goes on to quote Pedroia

“I understand all that stuff,” Pedroia said when asked about giving up some of his long-term leverage. “I knew if I had gone year to year I would have made more money. I understand that without a doubt. But I’m in a place where they me treat me and my family unbelievable. I’m happy with this.

“I want to be here. I want to play for the Red Sox,” Pedroia added. “I don’t want to play for anybody else. It seemed right to do something.”

Now if the Sox can only find a catcher.

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Bye, Bye, Coco

Today Red Sox news is the trade of Coco Crisp.  I, for one, will miss him.  Unlike Manny Ramirez, Coco never complained.  He played when and where the team needed him.  But I can understand that he really didn’t want to keep playing behind Jacoby Ellsbury.

According to the Boston Globe

Crisp did have arguably his best season in Boston in 2008, batting .283 — .315 in the second half — with seven homers, 41 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 361 at-bats. He shared the job in center field with rookie Jacoby Ellsbury during the regular season, starting 98 games. Crisp started five games in the American League Championship Series loss to the Rays, batting .450 and delivering a memorable game-tying hit in Game 5 as the Red Sox rallied from a 7-0 deficit.

In exchange we got relief pitcher, Ramon Ramirez. 

The buzz at work was to feel sorry for Coco having to move to Kansas City – a team long past the glory days when George Brett was a star.

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Belated note on the Phillies Victory!

Since the Red Sox didn’t make it into the Series this year, I’m overjoyed that my birth city team has won.  I’m sorry, but the Tampa Bay Rays fans were not worthy of a championship.  What is this business of ringing cow bells in an enclosed stadium anyway?  And as Charlie Pierce said in today’s Boston Globe  “Obama draws bigger crowds buying the paper every morning than the Rays did in the middle of a pennant race.”

The Red Sox re-signed Tim Wakefield.  I assume Curt Shilling will be retiring.  I expect more changes this winter.

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Great season, Sox! Go Phillies.

The Red Sox didn’t quite have it this year.  Too many injuries for one thing.  Papi, Lowell, Beckett in particular.  I’m happy they made it to the play-offs this year. As Bob Ryan writes in the Boston Globe,

The sum and substance of it all is that this new era of Red Sox success is ongoing. This team took a lot of hits this year and still came within a game of the World Series. No team has accomplished more in this new century. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/10/21/no_ifs_about_it_season_was_a_success/

Having grown up in the Philadelphia part of New Jersey, I grew up watching the Phillies on TV.  I was a Phillies fan except when they played the Brooklyn Dodgers.  (one of my first loves was Sandy Koufax.) The first live game I went to was a Phillies Double Header with my father.  So I’m with Joe Biden.  Go Phillies!

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Two Reasons to be Anxious

I’m feeling a little anxious this Saturday morning.  If you’ve visited before you may notice I’ve changed the look.  Surfing around the various themes is a little like what I should be doing – some house cleaning – keeps one occupied so you don’t have to think about the Red Sox and the election.  But now that I’ve finished fiddling, I’m back to worrying.

As Andrew Ryan writes in today’s Boston Globe

The same hopeless grief gripped viewers in couches across New England, where fans gave up on their Red Sox, turned off televisions in disgust, and tromped off to bed.

That was me turning off the radio in the 5th.  Then listening to the news before getting out of bed, I heard they had won.  So now instead of being resigned to not making the World Series this year,  Red Sox fans need to live though at least one more game.  Opinion among the sports fans I know is divided:  Some think the inevitable was just put off, while others think the young Rays will not react well to the improbable loss.

And then there is the election.  I was happy to see that the Obama campaign is actually fighting back on the voter suppression issue before the election.  I worry that the Republicans will manage to steal this election as they did in 2000 and 2004.  I keep my fingers crossed that the smears of the McCain campaign will not work.  How can he have enough nerve to say during the debate that he doesn’t care about Bill Ayres and tell people at his rallies that Obama is not a terrorist and then run the robo-calls implying that his is?

Mike Memoli wrote on MSNBC’s First Read  about Joe Biden’s speech in New Mexico yesterday,

“Folks, it doesn’t matter where you live, we all love this country,” he said. “One of the reasons why Barack and I are running is that we know how damaging the politics of division that continues to be practiced by the McCain campaign, how damaging this policy of division has been for Americans over the last decade or more.”

Raising his voice, Biden said Americans “are all patriotic, we all love our country.” He added, “And I’m tired. I’m tired, tired, tired, tired of the implications about patriotism.”

Biden was referring to Palin’s comments last night in North Carolina, where she celebrated campaigning in “pro-America” areas of the country. (That remark prompted the Obama campaign to ask: Which parts of the country aren’t pro-America?)

I’m looking forward to what the Obama campaign will do with the half hour on the 29th – and to Colin Powell’s possible endorsement tomorrow.

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Red Sox Beat the Angels

They did it!  After losing a painful 12 inning game (blowing many chances to win along the way), the Red Sox are in the ALCS.  This time it took another dramatic ending: A walk-off single scoring a run to beat the Angels who did have the best record in the American League. 

At least the Sox and Rays are both on the East Coast and maybe someone at the network (Fox?) carrying the game will have an earlier start than 8:30.  I’ve fallen in a pattern of watching the first innings (inning if on the West Coast) then retiring to my bed with the radio.  I then doze on and off, but managed to be awake when the Rays scored in the 12th in Game 3 and when Lowrie got his single last night. 

Having to go to work spoils things a little. But it is reimiscent of when I was a young girl following the Dodgers (Koufax, Drysdale, Gilliam, Wills era) on an old box radio.  I could get statiions out to St. Louis and New Orleans (Houston Astros) and so, was at night, able to follow the Dodgers when they played in LA.  There was something magical about lying in the dark and “seeing” the game unfold.  Then I could mostly stay awake though the game.  No job to get to early.  No school.

Bring on the Rays. Bring on the Dodgers or Phillies if you like. There is plenty of champagne left in New England and Mayor Menino has sent the duck boats to have their tires rotated.

So writes Dan Shaunghnessy in today’s Boston Globe.

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Tough Election and Tough Pennant Race

First, the Red Sox.  I haven’t said much for a while, but for the most part they are playing great.  Dustin and Coco are on a tear and inspite of injuries and no consistancy with their pitching (maybe I’ll I exempt Lester), they are hanging in there.  Although they’ve caught up with Tampa Bay, I think its the wild card.

And McCain is tied now with Obama.  I’m trying not to loose too much hope even as all those around me are beginning to panic.  For one thing, I’m not sure what the polls do about all the voters without land lines and it is also my understanding (I might be wrong about this) that many polls target people who voted in the last election.  I think that the voter registration numbers show that there will be a lot of first time voters.  The election will depend on voter turnout.  I keep thinking about Iowa and the kids that turned out even though it was winter break.

A large part of the McCain bounce is clearly due to Sarah Palin.  The Obama campaign needs to get its own message out while trying to debunk the out and out lies from the other side.  The swift boating has begun.  My hope is that when Sarah Palin finally has to meet the press one on one she will be exposed and the bounce will end.  Jack Shafer has posted an interesting list of questions for Charles Gibson – or any journalist worth their salt to ask.  http://www.slate.com/id/2199668/pagenum/all/#page_start

Rachel Maddow had a great quote about Sarah Palin which went something like this:  When you go to Republican rallies with Sarah Palin you feel two things the electricity from the conservative Republican base and the drip drip of the investigations that are going on and you know what happens when electricity meets water.”  I hope she is right.