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Baseball Today: Thursday, March 27 »
March 26, 2008
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: We're a few hours past our deadline for posting this, but it couldn't be helped: Sean McAdam and I were working feverishly throughout the morning to get today's report online. (Sean had very little time to write after the game, as everyone had to catch the bus to the airport after the game.) Here's what we have from today's 5-1 Red Sox loss to the A's:
-- Game story: Rich Harden was the difference as the A's won, earning a split of the two games in Japan.
-- The trip is complete and, all in all, the Red Sox say they enjoyed their time in Japan.
-- Coco Crisp replaced Jacoby Ellsbury in center field for the second game of the series, but Terry Francona says he can't tell Crisp exactly how he'll be used this year because he doesn't yet know himself.
-- J.D. Drew missed his second straight game because of back spasms . . .
-- . . . which means Brandon Moss played again. But after the game, he was shipped to Pawtucket.
-- David Aardsma did his part to avoid joining Moss on the Fenway-to-McCoy shuffle by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday.
-- Bartolo Colon's scheduled to pitch Friday night in Los Angeles and other notes.
-- And finally, the A's felt like they were treated as the Red Sox' poor cousins during their time in Tokyo.
ONE MORE TIME: And in case you missed it, here's a quick list of all Sean's stories from Tuesday's 6-5 Red Sox victory over the A's:
-- Manny Ramirez gets off to his quickest start in years with a pair of two-run doubles, including a two-out shot in the 10th that breaks a 4-4 tie, and leads the Red Sox to a season-opening win over the A's.
-- Daisuke Matsuzaka overcomes a rocky start to pitch five solid innings and leaves the game with a 3-2 lead.
-- The red-hot J.D. Drew can't answer the bell, as a bad back forces him to the sidelines.
-- A complete list of postgame notes.
-- Commissioner Bud Selig attends the game and is non-committal on whether or not punishment will be meted out to players named in the Mitchell Report. He also has little to say about the Sox' threatened boycott of the Japanese trip, concluding, "All's well that ends well."
-- Prior to the game, Sean accompanies representatives of the Red Sox and A's to a reception at the home of Thomas Schieffer, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. "They'll let anyone in here, I guess,'' jokes A's general manager Billy Beane when he spots Sean.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Japan's a nice place to visit, but Kevin Youkilis, to quote the Beach Boys, can't wait to get back to the States.
SORRY: Daisuke Matsuzaka apologized to the Japanese fans for lasting only five innings on Tuesday. (Boston Herald)
THE TURNING POINT: SI.com's Tom Verducci has a fascinating piece about how both the Red Sox and Yankees shifted their focus to player development in 2005, and the benefits they've derived from that decision.
NOT SO FAST: ESPN's Jonah Keri says the Red Sox may not be the dynasty-in-the-making they're being described as in many circles.
THE WISDOM OF CROWDS: On the blog Fire Brand of the American League, Tim Daloisio is trying an interesting experiment. Quoting a book that says "in the right situations a crowd can produce decisions and answers to questions that are more accurate in average than all but a very few of the individuals that make up that collective intelligence," Daloisio wants to test the theory, and has set up forms for people to fill out trying to determine how Red Sox players will perform this season.
DON'T WORRY: Andy Pettitte says he'll be back in the first week of the season. (New York Post)
NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT IF IT'S TRUE: Humorist Joe Lavin claims to have found an early copy of Jose Canseco's new book and says Canseco accuses Magglio Ordonez, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez of steroids use. (joelavin.com)
ELEPHANT MAN: The Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform release a statement defending Roger Clemens and claiming the Democrats produced a report that was a "prosecutorial indictment" of Clemens. (New York Times)
WAITING FOR AN EXPLANATION: David Scott promises to pass it along when he gets one from ESPN regarding what could be, at its best, an unexplainable gaffe or, at its worst, a very cruel inside joke regarding the late Cory Lidle. (shots.bostonsportsmedia.com)
TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS . . . When Brian Roberts was scratched from yesterday's Orioles' exhibition game before batting practice, speculation immediately started that he'd finally been traded to the Cubs. But it was just a bad back. (Baltimore Sun)
HERE AND THERE: There's been a change at the top at the Hall of Fame (bloomberg.com) . . . The Angels' Kelvin Escobar (shoulder) joins John Lackey, Scot Shields, Chris Bootcheck and (perhaps) Gary Matthews Jr. on the sidelines (Los Angeles Times) . . . The Giants' Kevin Frandsen will miss the season after suffering a torn Achilles' tendon (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . The Astros' new second baseman, Kaz Matsui, will miss at least the first two weeks for an injury that I really don't want to recount here (Houston Chronicle) . . . The Rangers have named C,J. Wilson as their closer. (Dallas Morning News)
OLD FRIENDS: It looks like Trot Nixon will stick with the Diamondbacks (East Valley Tribune) . . . The Cardinals placed both Matt Clement and Joel Pineiro on the disabled list, though neither move was a surprise. (rotoworld.com)
-- ART MARTONE
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