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Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone: Bonds appearance not so ugly after all »
June 18, 2007
SWEPT AWAY: The Giants' last trip to Fenway Park to play the Red Sox in games that actually meant something didn't go so well, but the contemporary version couldn't exact even a little bit of revenge. The Red Sox completed the sweep with a 9-5 victory yesterday, with Joel Piniero serving as the unlikely hero; he cleaned up Manny Delcarmen's two-walk mess by inducing a bases-loaded double play grounder out of Bengie Molina to end the seventh, killing San Francisco's final rally. It was closed out by Hideki Okajima (AP Photo above, exchaning postgame vows with catcher Doug Mirabelli, whom Steven Krasner says deserved the save Saturday for his strikeout of Barry Bonds. (All stories projo.com)
Now it's off for the longest, and perhaps most difficult, road trip of the season: Nine games in Atlanta, San Diego and Seattle. (FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry has already dubbed the weekend set between the Sox and Padres as baseball's Series of the Week.) We'll see if their lead, currently a healthy 8 1/2 games, is as robust when they return.
NICE PLACE: Barry Bonds may never return to Boston, unless he surfaces as a designated hitter in the American League next year, but -- surprisingly -- he enjoyed his stay this time around. (Boston Globe) It probably didn't hurt that he added Fenway Park to the list of venues in which he's homered, a sixth-inning shot yesterday that the Sox felt was aided by some favorable atmospheric conditions. (projo.com) ''[When] it left the bat I thought it was a popup,'' said Bonds' victim, Tim Wakefield.
LOVE ME, HATE ME: Sean McAdam noted the fans' schizophrenic reaction to Bonds -- booing vociferously, but also having their cameras ready as he came to bat -- from the very beginning of the series (projo.com), and said Bonds' chase of baseball's most hallowed milestone is a case of baseball getting what it deserves. ''As punishment for looking the other way while both bodies and home run totals grew wildly out of proportion, baseball now has to watch helplessly as Bonds, ahem, injects himself permanently into the record books.''
COMING UP SHORT: David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have combined for fewer home runs so far (21) than Alex Rodriguez (27) and Prince Fielder (25) -- and are just barely beating out Justin Morneau (20) -- and Ortiz talked at length to Steven Krasner about just why that is. (projo.com) Ramirez is showing signs of life, power-wise, with home runs in consecutive games -- Saturday's provided the only run in a 1-0 win (projo.com) -- but Ortiz, homerless in eight games (33 at-bats), is showing signs of frustration, as was evidenced Friday night. (projo.com)
THE RICH GET RICHER: Alex Rodriguez is on pace for 65 homers and 176 RBI . . . and now he gets three games at Coors Field. (New York Daily News) And with each swing of the bat, says the New York Post's Joel Sherman, he continues his march towards baseball's first $30-million-a-season contract.
DON'T DO IT: But the Star-Ledger's Dan Graziano says the Yankees shouldn't pay that kind of money for A-Rod. Among the replacements he suggests pursuing: Mike Lowell.
BIG MISTAKE: Graziano also advocates a trade for the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera, but the Miami Herald's Israel Gutierrez notes that Cabrera is gaining weight at such a rapid pace ''the only way he stays at third base past the next decade is if he's allowed to park there in a reclining chair with a fishing net as his ball retriever.''
PUT ME IN COACH: Johnny Damon wants his own shot at that Rocky Mountain goodness. (New York Daily News)
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Miguel Cairo has become a cult hero for the Yankees as he fills in at first base, but that hasn't stopped New York from inquiring about old friend Shea Hillenbrand, who's lost his job in Anaheim. (Both stories New York Post)
YOU REMIND ME OF SOMEONE . . . Ron Guidry sees similarities between Jorge Posada and Thurman Munson. (The Journal News)
THE WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: The New York Post's Kevin Kernan says Derek Jeter won the original battle of the shortstops with Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra, and now he's beating Jose Reyes, as well.
LOOKING FOR GOOD NEWS, YANKEE-HATERS? Kei Igawa is back in their starting rotation. (New York Daily News)
NOT SO AMAZIN': The Mets are now in the 'worry season', says the Daily News' Lisa Olson. Among those worries: Whether Carlos Delgado's prolonged slow start is just a slump, or a sign that he's losing his skills. (North Jersey Media)
TALKIN' TRADE: SI.com's John Donovan thinks the right trade(s) could put the Reds back in contention in the N.L. Central. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the players who could be put on the block, but Newsday says don't expect the Yankees to make a run at him.
WHISPERS: The Phillies may be interested in Brad Lidge (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Mike Sweeney thinks his time in Kansas City is coming to an end (Kansas City Star) . . . Marc Topkin of the Tampa Tribune wonders if Elijah Dukes is being shopped by the Devil Rays . . . The Arizona Republic reports the Angels are making a run at Miguel Tejada . . . The New York Daily News' Bill Madden thinks Lou Piniella will urge the Cubs to acquire Eric Gagne.
NOT SO FAST: Most everyone expects the slumping Orioles to fire Sam Perlozzo, but the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck gives some reasons as to why it hasn't happened yet. Among them: Owner Peter Angelos likes him. Still, something may happen soon; at least one fan is now coming to Camden Yards with a bag on his head. (Baltimore Sun)
ALL BURNED UP: The Pirates' Ian Snell will miss his next start because he slightly burned his index finger while preparing chicken. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
KEITH WINS AGAIN: One night after MSNBC's Keith Olbermann visited the Mets in their clubhouse, his direct competition, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, was escorted out. (New York Daily News) The reason: He didn't have the proper credentials.
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:51 AM | Permalink
