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Projo SoxTalk: Talking trade possibilities »
July 18, 2007
TREADING WATER: About three weeks ago, things never looked better for the Red Sox. They had just completed their longest, and most grueling, road trip of the season and were beginning a stretch in which they'd play 18 of 21 at home (projo.com SoxBlog), with all but three of the games against teams with losing records. Sixteen of those 21 games are now in the books and the Sox are a pedestrian 8-8 after last night's ugly 9-3 loss to the Royals. (Joe McDonald's game story on projo.com) The damage in the standings has been minimal -- they still have an eight-game lead, only a game worse than when this 8-8 stretch started -- but it begs the question: What's going to happen when the schedule gets more demanding . . . as it will next week, when they play four in Cleveland?
LOOKING FOR HELP: So thoughts turn, naturally, to the trade deadline, which is only two weeks away. But Sean McAdam has talked to people inside the organization and out and it doesn't seem anything major is in the offing. (projo.com) Sean says the Sox' main focus is the bullpen (Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, Scott Linebrink, Salomon Torres?) and an outfield bat (Jermaine Dye?). Kansas City's Reggie Sanders would seem to be a natural option -- he's right-handed (providing an alternative to J.D. Drew against tough lefties), experienced and very available -- but Boston doesn't seem to be interested. For his part, Sanders would love to come here (Boston Herald); in fact, he says, ''I have never played there, but I have felt like I have just because of the way they embrace everybody.''
COWBOY UP! Among the most unexpected tidbits in Sean's story: The Sox have had internal discussions about reacquiring Kevin Millar. That sound you hear is Seth Mnookin's head exploding.
WE LIKE MIKE: When talk arises of a truly big transaction, something that would net the Sox another powerful bat, it invariably involves a first baseman (Mark Teixeira? Todd Helton?), which also involves moving Kevin Youkilis back to third base and somehow disposing of free-agent-to-be Mike Lowell. But the Red Sox players, virtually to a man, want the team not only to keep Lowell but to sign him to a contract extension. (Boston Herald) ''We like Mikey all the way around and he’s doing a great job. I don’t think they should wait any longer,'' said David Ortiz. ''He’s a great guy on and off the field.'' To drive home his point, Ortiz added: ''You can say Manny (Ramirez) feels the same way.''
NOT AS POPULAR: In his Inside The Game feature, Steven Krasner notes that not many Sox pitchers may have the same affection for Ramirez; his insistence on playing an extremely shallow left field is costing them unnecessary extra-base hits, and runs. In the photo above (by the Journal's Bob Breidenbach), Ramirez is waiting for the carom of a catchable fly ball by Billy Butler that fell behind him on the warning track and allowed a runner (Mark Teahan) to score all the way from first base. It was only the most egregious of several such misplays by Ramirez in the game and in the homestand, and Steve notes: ''If he’s playing a more normal left field, balls may fall in front of him, but they’d be singles. If he’s in close and they go over his head, they’re extra-base hits. Also, by playing in shallow, it limits his side-to-side range, so a hard-hit ball that should be a single can end up scooting past him for extra bases'' -- which happened on a leadoff double by Sanders during the five-run Royal uprising in the seventh that decided the game. Terry Francona's explanation: Playing shallow is Manny's ''comfort zone'' and ''if a guy is out of his comfort zone, he’s not going to make a lot of plays.''
THE GOOD NEWS: Julio Lugo is hitting again. (projo.com) His 3-for-4 night has his average, which had dipped to .189 on July 2, up to .217.
ON THE RISE: The Yankees cut the Sox' lead to eight with a comeback win over the Blue Jays (New York Daily News), a comeback aided in no small part by Jeremy Accardo balking home the tying run in the ninth, which he described as the ''dumbest thing I've ever done.'' (Toronto Sun) Even so, the Daily News' John Harper says the victory shouldn't overshadow the fact that the Yankee bullpen is still a major source of concern.
THAT'S AWESOME!: Peter Abraham couldn't let the Yankees' signing of minor-leaguer Chris Farley go unnoticed. (LoHud Yankees Blog)
'WORSE NEWS THAN I THOUGHT': Brewer ace Ben Sheets will be sidelined four to six weeks after doctors found a partial tear of the band of tissue that connects the tendon to the bone in the middle finger of his pitching hand. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
JOY TO THE WORLD: Miguel Tejada says he's ''never felt so happy in my life'' after resuming workouts as he comes back from a broken wrist. (Baltimore Sun) Speaking of the Orioles, SI.com's Tom Verducci thinks the team has the right man in the dugout in Dave Trembley, whom he thinks could be the next Tom Kelly.
WE'RE WAITING: The Marlins' Dontrelle Willis says suspended teammate Scott Olsen needs to apologize after his latest altercation with a teammate. (Palm Beach Post)
IN COURT . . . Elijah Dukes' estranged wife says the Devil Rays' rookie smokes marijuana daily and drinks to the point of passing out and she thinks his aggressive behavior is caused by steroid use, though she admits she's never seen him take steroids. (Tampa Tribune)
NOW WHAT? Earl Weaver always said he never held team meetings because what do you do if you lose after the meeting? That's the problem facing Jim Tracy and the Pirates today. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
WHISPERS: The Diamondbacks played Conor Jackson in left field, apparently showcasing him for the White Sox (Chicago Tribune) . . . The San Francisco Chronicle reports the A's and Yankees have discussed a Dan Johnson-for-Scott Proctor deal . . . The New York Post, meanwhile, reports that the Yanks are also dangling Proctor to the Dodgers for Wilson Betemit . . . The Dodgers are the latest team to show interest in Octavio Dotel (Kansas City Star) . . . Kenny Lofton, back in Cleveland? Could happen, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
SHOUTS: There are lots of rumors but little action, and FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that's because teams ''are going overboard in hoarding prospects,'' even though a lot of them never pan out.
LOCAL BOYS: It looks like ex-Providence College star John McDonald has lost his job as the Blue Jays' starting shortstop to Royce Clayton (Toronto Star) . . . Warwick's Dan Wheeler is no longer the closer in Houston, as Brad Lidge has the job again. In his first game back in the role, Lidge got the save in the Astros' victory at Washington. (Both stories Houston Chronicle)
OLD FRIENDS: Nomar Garciaparra is in a three-month slump and there's no indication he'll be pulling out it anytime soon (Los Angeles Times) . . . Tony Graffanino will be getting more playing time in Milwaukee (Wisconsin State Journal) . . . Bronson Arroyo continued his recent resurgence in Cincinnati with seven shutout innings against the Braves (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . Tom Gordon says he has a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder but he's going to try to pitch through it (Philadelphia Daily News) . . . Hanley Ramirez has almost matched his home-run total of last season (South Florida Sun-Sentinel).
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:58 AM | Permalink
