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Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Beating all comers at Fenway »
June 5, 2008
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
HAPPY TO BE HOME: At Fenway Park? Or in first place? Whichever one the Red Sox consider to be their true address doesn't really matter, because they're enjoying a bit of dual occupancy after last night's 5-1 dispatch of the Rays, which, as Sean McAdam notes, was their 12th straight win at Fenway . . . a streak, incidentally, that started with a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay on May 2-4. The Sox' home record is an incredible 23-5; more than anything, that's why they also sit atop the A.L. East standings this morning. Their road record being what it is (a not-so-incredible 14-20), it's hard to get worked up over being in first place, and by only half-a-game, at this stage of the season, especially since they still actually trail the Rays by a game in the loss column. (Baseball Musings' David Pinto, writing for sportingnews.com, examines why the Sox are so much better at home than on the road.) But you can only win the games in front of you; fixing their road woes is another task for another time. For now, it's home sweet home. In either location.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO GET WORKED UP ABOUT SOMETHING . . . The juices were flowing last night not over the change in standings, but over a couple of plays at second base involving Coco Crisp that resulted in a clearly profane, on-field shouting match between Crisp (in the dugout) and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon (on the mound for a pitching change). McAdam has the details of the incidents, which left Crisp with a bruised thumb and an angry disposition. (You can see video of it all at the blogs Sox & Dawgs and Bugs And Cranks.) The Rays weren't too happy, either (Tampa Tribune), though the Tribune's Carter Gaddis thinks Maddon's outburst was at least slightly calculated to light a fire under his sagging troops. In any case, both the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo and the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian think this could be the start of a true Red Sox-Rays rivalry.
WELCOME TO LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: To this point, the rivalry's been a bit one-sided; after the Rays "got [the Sox'] attention," in the words of Carl Crawford, with a three-game weekend sweep in St. Petersburg on April 25-27, the Red Sox have responded with five straight Fenway wins over the Rays and none of the games have really been that close. "Do woodsheds really come with leftfield walls this large?" asks St. Petersburg Times columnist Gary Shelton, who worries that "the last 48 hours look like a dandy piece of evidence for those who doubt whether this Rays' team can hold up over the summer, don't they?" Gaddis concurs, calling yesterday "one of the toughest days the Tampa Bay Rays have experienced during this coming-of-age season." It wasn't just the game defeat; the Rays also lost first baseman and middle-of-the-order bat Carlos Pena, who suffered a broken finger in Tuesday's game. (St. Petersburg Times)
AD INFINITUM: The list of blown home-run calls by umpires continues to grow, and the Sox were the victims last night. Steven Krasner relates how they missed a first-inning homer by Dustin Pedroia, huddling together before calling foul a ball that clearly passed to the left of the foul pole. Note to Bud Selig: Instant replay can't get here fast enough.
(Late note: Pinto, back on Baseball Musings, isn't sure the replay is as cut-and-dried as I've made it out to be. I don't know, David; I thought the ball disappeared as it went past the pole.)
TOUGH NIGHT ALL AROUND: Crisp's problems weren't limited to his dustups with Maddon, Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura. As Krasner notes in his Inside The Game feature, he also committed a baserunning blunder in the sixth inning -- though, to be fair, he may still have been steamed over the incident with Bartlett a batter or two earlier -- that may have cost the Sox a run. Kraz also went inside the game to look at how locked in at the plate Manny Ramirez is at the moment, a pretty hit-and-run play executed by Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek, a rare stolen base by Eric Hinske that was the result of his familiarity with Josh Beckett, and how a couple of Tampa Bay hitters fared when they correctly guessed what Beckett was going to throw.
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: McAdam has news of Curt Schilling throwing off the mound for the first time, a day earlier than planned.
JUST LIKE THEY DREW IT: It's taken over a year, but the Red Sox are finally seeing the J.D. Drew they thought they were signing. (Boston Globe) And in the nick of time, too, what with David Ortiz on the shelf.
NOW WHAT? Speaking of Ortiz, his injury has thrown into question his Home Run Derby participation at the All-Star Game in which a fan would get to call where Ortiz would hit the ball. (New York Times) MLB is seeking alternatives to save the promotion.
STAYING PUT: Krasner reports Justin Masterson will be sticking around awhile, presumably until Daisuke Matsuzaka comes off the disabled list. In the meantime, Clay Buchholz continues working his way back to Boston; last night he threw five solid innings in the PawSox' loss at Charlotte. (projo.com)
JUST LIKE HE WAS AS A PLAYER: All of sudden Jim Rice is silent on his blog.
DRAFT DAY: Used to be the annual baseball draft was the anonymous selection of no-names who, if they were lucky, might make it to the major leagues in four or five years . . . and it was treated as casually as one might expect. Not anymore. SI.com's Tom Verducci explains that "[given] the growing inefficiency of the free-agent market . . . the demise of the late-30s ballplayer, and the trend to tie young players to long-term contracts, you'd better get the draft right if you want to build a sustainable winner." And players picked now are making it to The Show far faster than ever before, as the 'Ol Towne Team -- bolstered by such recent picks as Masterson, Pedroia, Jacoby Ellbsury and friends -- can attest. And the 'Ol Towne Team has built itself into a sustainable winner mainly through the draft.
Which is why, as we mentioned yesterday, today might be the most important day of the year for a baseball organization. Baseball Analysts has a draft primer for the uninitiated. The best place to follow it is on MLB.com.
WE'RE NOT SAYIN': This year's first pick belongs to the Rays -- they choose in inverse order of last year's standings -- and they're mum about who they'll take. (mlb.com)
MAKING AMENDS: Dave Winfield had an idea to honor the last living members of the Negro Leagues, and MLB embraced it. In today's draft, each team will draft a former Negro Leaguer -- 30 in all -- and pay them a small stipend, thought to be about $5,000. (yahoo.com) It's a way to pay tribute to players who were barred from the big leagues in their primes, and SI.com's Jon Heyman says it's great.
MOVE OVER, MICK: Derek Jeter -- with what John Sterling called "a Jeterarian hit" to right-center -- passed Mickey Mantle and moved into third place on the Yankees' all-time hit list. (New York Daily News)
ANOTHER COUNTY HEARD FROM: Now it's Johnny Damon saying he doesn't think moving Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation is such a good idea. (New York Daily News)
HOW CAN YOU LAUGH WHEN YOU KNOW I'M DOWN? Hank Steinbrenner channels Paul McCartney as he discusses the Yankees' state of affairs. (New York Post) But that won't stop him from talking contract with Brian Cashman. (nj.com)
COMINGS AND GOINGS: Jorge Posada is back, Bob Sheppard is about to return, but Jason Giambi is sidelined, at least temporarily, in the latest installment of As The Yankees Turn.
THE BOILING POINT: It was reached -- and passed -- in Seattle yesterday, where Mariners management staged a series of tirades that would have done Ozzie Guillen proud before and after the Mariners' 5-4 loss to the Angels. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) First the team president yelled at the coaches before the game. Then equipment, and a garbage can, were tossed around in the clubhouse after the game. Finally, manager John McLaren delivered an X-rated monologue in his 45-second postgame press conference that was reminiscent of someone asking Tommy Lasorda what he thought of Dave Kingman, or Larry Bowa about Cubs fans, or Earl Weaver about Terry Crowley. Still, the Seattle Times' Jerry Brewer thinks McLaren's outburst was "too thin, too late and too inconsequential . . . forced . . . a strange, calculated event." And it remains to be seen if the Mariner players -- accused by one of the newest team members, Carlos Silva, of being too selfish and only playing for themselves (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) -- respond in any way to all the theatrics. The Times' Larry Stone talks with general manager Bill Bavasi, who attempts to explain the depths of the organization's frustration.
NEVER SAY DIE: Season-ending shoulder surgery at age 41 would seem to spell the end. But while John Smoltz admits he may never pitch again, he also says he's going to do everything he can to try and get back on the mound. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
If he doesn't -- and the odds are pretty steep against it -- then one of the greatest pitchers of our generation has reached the end of the trail. A tip of the hat, John, for a wonderful career. If we don't see you in Atlanta next year, see you in Cooperstown in five.
GOING THE FULL NINE: Francisco Rodriguez says he wants to play nine more years, until age 35. (mlb.com) Or, rather: He wants to be a closer for nine more years.
CARRY ON WITHOUT US: ShysterBall's Craig Calcaterra looks at teams that may be ready to assume the symbol-of-futility cloak if the Cubs actually win it all this year, then gives a forum to a Philadelphia writer who felt slighted that his team, and his city, weren't mentioned. Having retired from that discussion in October 2004, all I can say is: Thank God we don't have to think about things like that anymore.
ON THE MOVE: A few weeks ago the Brewers were floundering and Ned Yost's job security was in question. But now they're flying high, completing an 8-1 homestand with a 10-1 rout of the Diamondbacks. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
LOCAL BOYS: Paul Konerko hit a walkoff home run last night to give the White Sox a 15-inning win over the Royals. (Chicago Tribune)
HERE AND THERE: With the Padres going nowhere, a Chase Headley Watch may soon begin (Portland Tribune) . . . Esteban Loaiza is back with the White Sox (yahoo.com) . . . Former Royals first baseman Willie Mays Aiken is being released from prison (Kansas City Star) . . . The Giants now wonder if Noah Lowry, who underwent surgery in March for exertional compartment syndrome in his left forearm, will pitch at all this season (rotoworld.com) . . . The Cardinals may send Jason Isringhausen on a rehab assignment next week (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . Troy Tulowitzki thinks he's close to returning to the Rockies. (Denver Post)
OLD FRIENDS: Yesterday we were celebrating Casey Fossum's return to the major leagues. Today we're mourning the fact that he gave up four runs without recording an out in his Tigers debut (rotoworld.com) . . . Lenny DiNardo's been outrighted to Sacramento by the A's (rotoworld.com) . . . Nomar Garciaparra says doctors believe an unidentified blood-flow problem to his legs may be the cause of his frequent calf pulls (Los Angeles Times) . . . Our pal the Tao of Steib is learning to love David Eckstein.
-- ART MARTONE
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