So after Brad Penny put in five innings of work the game was turned over to the bullpen. A day after I ripped the closer, it didn’t get any better last night with the rest of the pen.
Manny Delcarmen comes in the game and gives up a deep double. After getting the next two guys out he serves up another double and the Sox lead is cut to one. Enter Justin Masterson.
Masterson gives up a single to the first guy he faces and all of a sudden the game is tied. Awesome. Way to hold the lead. Well after that he gave up a bomb to the next hitter. Now the Sox have gone from a two run lead to down by two.
It just wasn’t the bullpen’s night as Ramon Ramirez came in the eighth. Walked the second batter he faced and then gave up a triple that made it 8-5. Sox lose and the pullpen sucked. Final line, 4 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. The lone highlight was Daniel Bard who worked a clean four outs striking out three of the batters he faced. Can’t wait for the future when he’s closing games like that.
The bottom line on this whole thing is that it’s the fucking Royals! Eleven games under .500 Royals. The Sox shouldn’t have problems with a team like this. What the fuck? They best right the ship and win the next three. Especially Saturday when I’m at the game.
Posted in Baseball, Red Sox | Tagged Boston Red Sox, Daniel Bard, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez | Leave a Comment »
Papelbon has been dominant but it seems that his dominance isn’t what it was even a season ago.
Sure he has a 1.89 ERA and 22 saves a little after the mid point of the season and sure he’s an All Star but the numbers don’t lie. His walk to strike out ratio last year was 9.63:1 this year it’s almost a quarter of that at 2.24:1. He’s throwing a lot more pitches than he has in season past throwing 657 already this season when he threw 1051 in all of the 2008 regular season.
If anyone’s ever read Moneyball you know that a closer is something that a club produces. At least if you’re building your team with the Money ball philosophy. You groom a guy in your system, he’s your closer for a few years and when it’s time for him to be a free agent, you let him walk or trade him for some prospects. The A’s have done it three times now with Isringhausen (even is he didn’t come through their system), Keith Foulke (thank you very much) and finally this past off season with Huston Street (netting them Matt Holiday).
So if you’re going to buy a new Red Sox jersey I think it’s a safe bet not to buy a Papelbon jersey. This guy who is arguably baseball’s best at his job, is going to look for big money when his current deal is up. As much as the Sox will try a Pedroia and Youkilis-esque deal where they lock him up long term they’re not going to try and break the bank to do and he’ll walk. When he does the Sox will get another first round draft pick and they’ll have one of the young guns in their system take the reigns at closer.
But for now, let’s enjoy the Papelmania and hope he gets back on track to his ‘06-’07 form and remember that he has a 0.00 ERA in the postseason.
Posted in Baseball, Red Sox | Tagged Boston Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon | Leave a Comment »
For all the fawning over Nomar yesterday I want to make it perfectly clear, I do not want him back on the Red Sox. I don’t know if it was just speculation yesterday or the media searching for a story that wasn’t there, but rumors were the Sox bringing Nomie back next season to bring his career full circle.
No thank you.
It’s really for all the reasons I said yesterday. A once great player who’s had a lot of injuries. If we could have 1998 Nomar (.323 35HR 122RBI) then absolutely, but certainly not 2009 or 2010 Nomar.
The same people speculating on a Nomar return are speculating a Pedro return. Yup. Rumors are that Pedro could be heading back to the major leagues and the teams rumored to be on the list are the Phillies and Red Sox. I’m just hoping that Pedro put the Red Sox on this list opposed to the Red Sox pursuing him.
It’s for the same reason I don’t want Nomar back. Pedro was the greatest pitcher I’ve seen in my lifetime but all his shoulder problems and injuries over the last few years have made him a shell of his former self. Again, if it was 1999 Pedro (23-4 2.07 ERA) then sure, but last year he was 5-6 with a 5.62 ERA in the National League. I don’t think a come back in the AL would help that ERA at all.
So thanks for the memories both Nomar and Pedro. We’ll keep our memories from ‘98-’03 and won’t tarnish those memories with you gimping around after your prime. Save it for some Old Timers days down the line.
Posted in Baseball, Red Sox | Tagged Boston Red Sox, Nomar Garciapara, Pedro Martinez | 1 Comment »
Great to see old friend Nomar Garciapara back in Fenway last night. Great, great to see the crowd at Fenway give him a nice long standing ovation.
I have to say, 2004 didn’t really tarnish the love I had for Nomar when he was here. He was on his way to the Hall of Fame. He really was. A perennial All Star he battled Gay-Rod and Jeter every year for that starting spot for the AL. Batting in the high .300’s year after year but then injuries (many speculate from steroid use) sidelined him and he really was never the same player.
Enter the Red Sox regime’s Spin Machine and all of a sudden Nomar was a villain. He was this evil, selfish player that turned down a $60 million four year deal. He wasn’t a good teammate, he was secluded from the rest of the team, and so and so forth. Sure one of my last memories of him in a Sox uniform was him on the bench in Yankee stadium as Derek Jeter got a face full of box seat, but one year or one game doesn’t undo a career of greatness in Boston.
Still hanging in my closet is a Nomar jersey I got in 2002. Sure it’s a home jersey with his name and number on the back (why put a name on a home jersey, ever?) I still hang onto it for nostalgia. And when he, Lowe and Billy Mueller were all in LA, I added a Dodger hat to my collection (purchased at Dodger Stadium) that I haven’t worn since Manny went to LA last year.
So, where do you stand? Pro-Nomar or anti-Nomar. I’m pro-Nomar even if he’s not the same player he once was.
Posted in Baseball, Red Sox | Tagged Boston Red Sox, Nomar Garciapara | 1 Comment »
In an effort to get one of the oldest teams in the NBA a little older, the Celtics last night agreed to a deal with free agent center/forward Rasheed Wallace.
Now, would you rather Leon Powe coming off your bench or Rasheed. I think we all answer Rasheed. He’s just a better player. So now up front the Celtics have a solid back up center and a back up power forward making it a lot easier for Perkins and Garnett to get rest during the regular season. I’m going on a limb and saying that Wallace will be the NBA’s sixth man next year. I said it.
And speaking of old players in Boston. The oldest member of the Red Sox got a pleasant surprise on Sunday. Yup, Tim Wakefield was named to the AL All Star team for the first time in his career. Amazing he didn’t make it prior (like when he was fighting Randy Johnson for the Cy Young) but it’s happened and couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Sure I used to bash Tim as if he was John Wasdin with that same “Way Back” whiplash neck, but unlike Wasdin Tim’s gotten better through his career.
Wakefield joins teammates Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Bay on team for the AL. Six guys on the All Star team from your first place Boston Red Sox. Did I mention the exact same record as a year ago? Yup, halfway through the season and they stand 17 games above .500 and a game ahead of the Yankees. Speaking of, Mark Teixeira made the team as the starter for the AL over Youk, just passing him in the last week of voting. Oh well.
Now all we need is to introduce Tim Wakefield to Rasheed Wallace and get him some Just For Men for that spot on his head. You like how I tie it all together? I knew you would.
Posted in Baseball, Celtics, NBA, Red Sox | Tagged Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Tim Wakefield | 3 Comments »
