Riske Business

Ugh... The bullpen is decimated right now. Timlin went on the DL over the weekend which could cripple the Sox for a few weeks. After climbing back against the Jays last night and tying the game on a three run Varitek homerun David Riske promptly gives up the go-ahead run. I don't know why GL2:EB put Riske in that situation in only his second appearance of the season. Foulke and Papelbon were available last night. Bill James would have sent Papelbon into the game in the 8th inning. Is there any chance the Sox can hire James to be the manager?

Coco Crisp made an early return to team on Sunday. In fact, Sunday marked his Fenway debut. He's 3-for-9 since his return with a homerun. Soon enough he'll be batting leadoff again.

Wakefield was brilliant on Sunday throwing eight shutout innings. The bullpen nearly blew the 5-0 lead in the 9th inning. Certainly Mirabelli's inability to catch a 3rd strike, resulting in the Sox having to get four outs, didn't help the cause.

It was great to see the Sox complete a four game sweep of the Devil Rays over the weekend. It was even nicer to beat Scott Kazmir for a change. Papi dealt the killer blow with a three run double off the center field wall.

Injuries have hit hard this week. It looks like Clement might be feeling the effects of the line drive he took off the leg last week. Wells is going to miss his scheduled start tonight. Wily Mo joins Timlin on the DL. Keep your fingers crossed boys and girls.

Early Retirement

Tubby just took a line drive off his bad knee tonight. I'm betting that his career is now over.

I was hit in the knee by a baseball-sized rock thrown by a friend (I know, some friend!) back in my Little League days. I missed my next game because I couldn't run on the bad leg. Tubby has no cartilage in his right knee and was hit by a baseball traveling a lot faster than the rock that hit me. I can't see him returning.

It's a shame considering the rehab he required just to play this year and then the rehab required after his season debut. We need pitching. As good as Wily Mo plays, we could really use Bronson right now (see yesterday's closing paragraph).

Where's Jack Bauer When You Need Him?

"Slit his throat. Cut deep to sever the vocal chords and carotid artery." - 24's Jack Bauer

Jack Bauer is brutally efficient counter-terrorist agent. He saves the world 24-hours at a time without eating or using the bathroom. He's not afraid to torture, maim, or kill you to get critical information or to prevent disaster.

The Red Sox could have used a bit of Jack Bauer last night. The Yankees were licking their wounds with Posada and Damon on the bench nursing injuries. Randy Johnson was ineffective as advertised yesterday. Yet somehow the Red Sox could not finish off the Yankees and managed to lose the game.

Matt (insert nickname pertaining to "mental", "meltdown", or simply, "overpaid") Clement demonstrated exactly why GL2:EB skipped him in the rotation last week so Clement could avoid the Yanks. Look at how many times Papelbon has been hit by or has deflected the baseball coming off the bat and still made the play. Clement made no attempt to field the ball after getting hit in the leg last night.

I was okay with the Arroyo trade when it happened. I think I've changed my mind. Even if Bronson had an E.R.A. of 7.50 right now and didn't have a win to his name, I would still trade Clement to get him back on the team.

Rubberized

Tim Wakefield and Doug Mirabelli looked an awful lot like Tim Wakefield and Josh Bard last night. Ironically, as the game started I thought about how much more comfortable I feel having Mirabelli back in his familiar role of personal backstop to Wake. In the 6th inning last night Wakefield fell apart and Mirabelli was charged with three passed balls. The Yanks took advantage and held on for the 7-5 victory.

The ever more ugly (as a person and a visage) and ever less effective Randy Johnson faces up-and-down Matt Clement tonight in the rubber match of the series. The oddsmakers favor the Sox in this game and I'm not going to disagree. I think RJ is totally washed up and will retire after this season. He's a thrower, not a pitcher.

Wily Mo Pena is scheduled to return to the Sox lineup tonight. I think I would have gouged out one of my eyes if I had to suffer through three straight nights of Willie Harris. I understand and agree with the decision to leave Adam Stern in Pawtucket; he needs to get at bats and playing to continue to develop. I don't, however, understand how or why the Sox can't get a better backup outfielder in the short term. I suppose the problem will resolve itself when Coco returns from the DL.

10-4 Good Buddy

Or 9-5. Either way, the Yanks got it handed to them by the Sox once again last night. Schilling was excellent. This was the first game since Schilling threw 133 pitches against the Indians that he actually looked dominant. He had been scuffling a little bit since that outing. The Sox are now 4-1 against NY this year.

Patrick Hruby wrote a great piece on the number of homeruns that Bonds* would have hit without steroids. He discusses the key factors influenced by Barry's chemical intake and their affect on homerun output. It's a good read for stat-heads and casual fans alike.

Wanted: A Starting Pitcher

Must be able to throw 80-120 quality pitches every 5th day. Pitches should include a fastball between 88 and 100 MPH. Fastball in the 92-97 MPH range preferred. Must also possess at least two other quality pitches. Preferred pitches include 90-93 MPH slider, 82-86 MPH curveball (either a 12-6 break or 1-7 break), and a changeup in the 76-80 MPH range. Additional pitches, such a sinker or knuckleball, are also welcome. Applicants must possess excellent command of all pitches (see Greg Maddux). Applicants without excellent command must possess the ability to vary speeds and throw pitches with excellent movement (see Pedro Martinez).

Benefits include:

• the opportunity to reach the playoffs.
• a good chance to win a World Series ring.
• excellent run support.
• a very good bullpen.
• lots of media coverage and exposure.
• the opportunity to sign multiple endorsement deals.
• a great team physician, Dr. Bill Morgan, oops an adequate team physician

Serious applicants only. Relocation packages available. To inquire, call Theo Epstein, General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Boston Red Sox.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I hope that people in this area have made more progress building their respective arks than I have. I feel fortunate to live where I do as I have been relatively unaffected by the near constant rains of the last 10 days. The sunshine on Wednesday and Thursday was wonderful and the temperature was perfect. I finally got to play a round of golf this year. I feel for those individuals who have to deal with flooding and water damage. Stay dry and stay safe.

The Sox have had a quiet week so far. They have only played three games, going 2-1 against the Orioles. They had an off day yesterday and had two games rained out last weekend. Tonight they start a three game series in Philadelphia.

There has been a lot of jibber-jabber by the talking heads inside the radio and TV regarding the lineups that the Sox will or should use against the Phillies. If you believe D&C on WEEI, Youk will sit tonight as Ortiz plays first, then Youk will play 3rd as Lowell sits on Saturday, and finally Ortiz will rest on Sunday as Youk moves back to 1st base.

I disagree with the notion that Ortiz is a complete liability in the field. Big Papi should have dispelled that notion by his play in the 2004 World Series. I do agree that he's a big downgrade defensively from the stellar play of Kevin Youkilis, but he's not a disaster waiting to happen. I think that the rotating lineup is the best bet for this weekend. When the Sox travel to Atlanta and Florida later in the season the health of the team could dictate the lineups. Having a healthy team is a blessing that leads to healthy debate.

I was discussing the impact of the eventual return of Coco Crisp to the Sox lineup with a friend the other day. If Loretta had not broken out of his slump, Youkilis would have been well suited in the #2 spot behind Crisp. Loretta has been on fire lately, though, and I think he's better suited to move runners over with sac bunts and to protect runners when the hit-and-run is called. As it stands now, we figured that Youk would be best suited at #6, as opposed to #7, #8, or #9. His high average and on-base percentage would help keep innings alive and drive in runs behind the big bats in the order. I'd like to see the impact he could have at #6.

Drivers Aren't Athletes

Kurt Busch and Michael Waltrip have each thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at a Major League Baseball game this year. Both NASCAR drivers were simply awful. Awful. Busch threw like an effeminate wimp. Waltrip threw the ball into the 3rd base dugout.

These two drivers are helping to prove two points. Drivers are not athletes. NASCAR is not a sport.

NASCAR is an entertainment event. It should be covered under the Arts and Entertainment section of the newspaper. It should not take up time or space on sports shows, channels, or papers. NASCAR should receive as much coverage on SportsCenter as the WWE does.

NASCAR drivers are skilled individuals who can navigate crowded racetracks at very high speeds for hours at a time in brutal heat. They are not athletes. The more they pose as athletes the more they will be exposed.

If a kid can't go outside and play NASCAR, NASCAR is not a sport. I, for one, hope that NASCAR stops being covered as a sport.

Every Game Counts

The three game series the Sox just completed in New York went about as well as one could have hoped for. The Sox won two of the three games (hello, Marvin!) while facing the top of the Yankees rotation. Boston has now won three of four against the Yanks.

Game one was a romp, with the Sox pounding the now ineffective Randy Johnson. The national media continued to pump Johnson as a great pitcher before the game. His numbers and performance this year told a different story. After surrendering seven runs to the Sox and looking awful on the mound, the media has come around to see the light. Johnson's mechanics were simply awful and he isn't a pitcher ready to get by on smarts and location. Even at his peak he was never a great pitcher, but rather an intimidating thrower. Thanks to some of E-Rod's continued superb defense against the Sox Johnson was only charged with two earned runs. He actually lowered his E.R.A. from 5.02 to 5.01.

Mike Mussina has completely turned the corner this year and become a crafty pitcher. Mussina now mixes speeds and uses great control to fool batters. Game two featured the most intriguing matchup of the series, Mussina against Schilling. The Sox got to Mussina early, but failed to put him away. Jason Varitek's inability to get a big hit with the bases loaded allowed New York to climb back into the game. Mussina settled down and Schilling didn't. Schill missed his location with a few pitches and the Yankees managed to take him deep repeatedly. Game two showed New York's response to criticism from Georgie Porgie.

Game three featured textbook pitching and defense by the Sox but was an exercise in frustration at the plate. Boston left 15 men on base and left the bases loaded three times. The tying and winning runs scored when Miguel Cairo failed to hold onto a throw as Mark Loretta reached first and the two players collided. I'm sure that Loretta would have preferred to line a base hit into the outfield. Game three proved costly for New York as Hideki Matsui broke his wrist in the 1st inning, ending his consecutive games played streak.

If the rain holds off, the Sox are scheduled to play three games against the Rangers this weekend. Hopefully they can continue their 7-2 pace in the month of May.

Radio Plagiarism?

I was listening to Dennis and Callahan on WEEI 850 AM this morning from 7:20 to 7:40 AM. They were discussing Barry Bonds* and whether or not race was coming into play with the way that Barry is treated by fans and the media. They made every point that I wrote about last night. If I didn't know better, I would think that those guys had read my blog earlier this morning. They talked about how Bonds* is so disliked because he's a cheater and a fraud, not because of the color of his skin. They also speculated about the treatment and scrutiny that McGwire would be facing if he were still an active player.

It's Time...

...for Barry Bonds* to simply go away.

First, props to the Sox for going 5-1 on their homestand. They beat the Yanks, split two games with the Jays, and swept the O's. They have now won their last 11 games against the Orioles.

Now back to 'Roid Raging Barry. I'm sick of reading about the guy. First and foremost he's the biggest cheater that baseball has ever known. He tarnished his career, his reputation, and the game of baseball for his own personal gain. What really chaps my ass is that he was completely motivated by race. At least so say the authors of "Game of Shadows". Considering how often Bonds* plays the race card I don't find it hard to believe that he was jealous of Mark McGwire.

Why does Barry consider it racist for the media to call him a "cheater"? Steroids are regulated drugs. They are illegal without a prescription. Baseball even submitted a memo to all clubs in 1991 reminding them that steroids were illegal. To say that Bonds* or any other player was unaware of steroid rules regarding the game of baseball is to play the fool with your head in the sand. Barry is asking you to play that fool when he says that he is unfairly portrayed.

And why does Barry consider it okay to be jealous of a "white boy" when he so often hides behind the race card? Has he ever heard of "reverse racism"? In addition to McGwire, Bonds* has often talked about passing Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list. Ruth, being white, also provides extra motivation for Bonds*.

If Mark McGwire had been healthy enough to continue playing, he would be facing the same scrutiny today. McGwire was smart enough to leave the game before his joints were all bone-on-bone and before the accusations of illegal performance enhancers were too loud to ignore.

Bonds* is a child among men, a loser among legends, a cheater among those with true love for the game. It's time he went away.

This Just In - Bushwacked

The Houston Texans have agreed to a deal with defensive end Mario Williams making him the number one pick in the NFL draft. As I said on Thursday, I understand the logic behind selecting Williams. I certainly hope that the Texans exhausted all possible scenarios to trade down a slot or two before agreeing to terms with Williams.

The New Orleans Saints now should definitely make a trade out of the #2 spot. I think the Jets have to give up the necessary picks to move up and select Reggie Bush. There is a very slim chance that Bush could slip to New York if the Saints were to select D'Brickashaw Ferguson (I finally spelled his name correctly with the first "a") and the Titans were to select a quarterback. I don't the Jets should take that risk. Bush would make some sense for New Orleans because Deuce McAllister hasn't been able to stay healthy the past two seasons.

My quick-fix at the top (which I said I wouldn't do - so I lied, big freakin' deal!):

1. HOU - Mario Williams, DE, N.C. State
2. NO - *trade* - NYJ - Reggie Bush, RB, USC
3. TEN - Vince Young, QB, Texas
4. NYJ - *trade* - NO - A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
5. GB - D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
6. SF - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
7. OAK - Matt Leinart, QB, USC

Let's keep the rest the same for now...

Is It Drafty In Here?

All I can say about the Sox game last night is, "Ouch, baby. Very ouch."

With the NFL draft tomorrow I have a few questions. I've included my answers. You can leave your answers in the comments sections for this post.


What position should the Patriots address in the 1st round? DB, LB, RB, WR, other?

I hope they select a DB or LB in the 1st round.

Should the Patriots trade up from #21 to get an impact player at LB or WR?

I'm comfortable sitting at #21 and keeping all 11 picks.

Should the Patriots trade for Packers WR Javon Walker, a player coming off a very serious injury? It would likely take a second round pick and more.

This is a difficult question to answer. If they can trade only a second round pick and a backup player for Walker, I would make the trade. I wouldn't trade anything more for him.

Which players would you like to see the Pats draft on the 1st day?

I would like to see LB Chad Greenway or LB Bobby Carpenter in the 1st round, DB Cedric Griffin, S Darnell Bing, or S Ko Sampson in the 2nd round, and maybe RB Brian Calhoun and WR Maurice Stovall, WR Derek Hagan, or WR Jason Avant in the 3rd round.

A Day Early, A Dollar Extra

Here is my soon to be world famous NFL Draft 1st Round Prediction. I'm a day early thanks to the awful performance of the Sox last night.

1. HOU - Reggie Bush, RB, USC
Bush by all accounts is a special player. Houston cannot afford to pass on such a dynamic playmaker. After reading this Michael Smith column I do see the logic in drafting Mario Williams ahead of Bush. I don't think the Texans will pass on Bush, though.

2. NO - Mario Williams, DE, N.C. State
New Orleans seemed destined to draft Matt Leinart or Vince Young before they acquired Drew Brees in the offseason. Now the Saints are positioned to trade this pick to a team hoping to nab one of the two QBs. I don't think they will find any takers and they will be happy to select Williams.

3. TEN - Vince Young, QB, Texas
I think that Vince Young has a higher ceiling that Matt Leinart and that Young will fit the current system in Tennessee better than Leinart. Some have questioned Leinart's ability to throw the deep ball and his accuracy. Count me among them. I think the Titans are content to wait 1-2 seasons developing Young regardless of the status of Steve McNair's contract.

4. NYJ - Matt Leinart, QB, USC
Matt Leinart, who would be playing for the San Francisco 49's had he entered the draft last year, falls into the lap of the Jets. The Jets covet Leinart but aren't willing to trade up to get him. They luck out here and get a player made for the New York market. Leinart should be a good QB, if not a great one, but he'll be perfect for advertisers no matter his career path.

5. GB - D'Brickshaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
In any other year Ferguson would be discussed as a candidate to be drafted #1 overall. Green Bay has a lot of needs and will get a solid player here. Ferguson helps an offensive line that was really hurt by free agency last year. If Ferguson is off the board, look for Green Bay to select A.J. Hawk. Either way the Packers will get an immediate upgrade at a position of need.

6. SF - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
The Niners have been targeting Davis as an offensive weapon to help the development of Alex Smith. Davis is a freak - 6'-3 1/4" with sub 4.4 speed - who will help define the current playmaking tight end in the NFL. He's the newest Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates will even better wheels and more upside.

7. OAK - A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
Oakland takes the best player on the draft board with Hawk. By all accounts he's a smart player with great instincts. If he continues to grow his hair, he could easily fill the "Bill Romanowski Pyschopath Look" void in the NFL. He and Mario Williams will compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

8. BUF - *trade* - STL - Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
The Bills aren't thrilled about potentially drafting Haloti Ngata or Brodrick Bunkley here. Cutler, who theoretically could be drafted as high as #7 to Oakland or as low as #17 to Minnesota, is once again on the rise. Saint Louis is concerned that Arizona will take Cutler at #10 so they move up to grab him here.

9. DET - Michael Huff, DB, Texas
Detroit gets the player they want here. Huff is a DB with experience at cornerback and safety. Most scouts think he'll be a better utilized as a cornerback in the NFL. The Lions can't go wrong with Huff and could use him at either DB spot.

10. ARI - Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech
Dennis Green and the Cardinals are afraid that LB Ernie Sims may have a history of suffering concussions. Sims potential injury history will scare the Cardinals. Green, however, is not scared by potential character issues (see Randy Moss). Arizona takes a player with fluctuating draft stock in Williams who can help this team right away but has some character concerns.

11. STL - *trade* - BUF - Winston Justice, OT, USC
Buffalo is able to slide down a few spots and select Justice without making too big of a reach for him. Justice is yet another player with some questions about character. His performance at the Trojans workout day did improve his draft stock enough that he will be selected in the #10-15 range.

12. CLE - Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
Cleveland is thrilled to find that Ngata falls into their lap. They would like to select Ngata or Kamerion Wimbley here. Both players will help Romeo Crennel shore up the Browns defense.

13. BAL - Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State
Baltimore is disappointed that Winston Justice is off the board because they hoped to trade down with Dallas or Tampa Bay. Baltimore is stuck and takes the best player who fits a need. Holmes is more polished than Chad Jackson and should help Kyle Boller more than Jackson would. That said, don't be surprised if Jackson and Holmes flip-flop positions here.

14. PHI - Chad Jackson, WR, Florida State
Philly is also disappointed to see Winston Justice gone. They will take Holmes or Jackson here, whichever player remains available. They need to try and replace the playmaking ability of Terrell Owens.

15. DEN - *trade* - NE - Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
Denver wanted to select Holmes or Jackson here. It's too much of a reach to grab Laurence Maroney here. New England is rumored to be interested in trading up. I would be shocked if Belichick and Company selected a wide receiver or running back this high in the draft. Greenway played under head coach Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, who is a Belicheck disciple from their days with the Cleveland Browns (now Baltimore Ravens). He's a natural fit for the Patriots here.

16. MIA - Kamerion Wimbley, DE/LB, Florida State
Miami is happy to select Wimbley who can help improve an aging defense under the guidance of head coach Nick Saban. Wimbley can play defensive end or outside linebacker in a Willie McGinest or Terrell Suggs type of role.

17. MIN - Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State
Minnesota doesn't get Jay Cutler but the Vikes do get a great value selection by taking Sims here. Minnesota seems to be a franchise in disarray under its new ownership. Trading Culpepper was a stupid move. Drafting Sims is a smart move.

18. DAL - Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State
Dallas doesn't get Winston Justice by trading up and can't reach for offensive line help here. They take second best safety prospect in the draft in Whitner.

19. SD - Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State
The Chargers make it three Seminoles in four picks by selecting Bunkley here. The Chargers are a very good team that should have made the playoffs last year. They have the luxury of selecting the best available player, such as Bunkley, who could be drafted in the top 10.

20. KC - Johnathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina
Herm Edwards and the Chiefs need DB help to improve their defense. Last year's top pick, linebacker Derrick Johnson, will appreciate the addition of Joseph.

21. NE - *trade* - DEN - Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Denver is able to trade down and select the running back who best fits their zone blocking scheme. Maroney is a much better value at #21 than at #15. Denver could try to trade down further with a team like Jacksonville who could lose out on a top running back by having Carolina sitting in the spot before them.

22. SF - Manny Lawson, DE, N.C. State
San Francisco got an impact player on offense in Vernon Davis at #6. They get an impact player on defense at #22 in Manny Lawson. Niner fans and coaches should be happy with the first round.

23. TB - Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida State
Cromartie is a bit of an enigma. He hasn't played that much due to injuries but has been brilliant in flashes. He has great measurables for a cornerback. He could be drafted in the late teens so he's a great value here for Tampa Bay.

24. CIN - Jason Allen, S, Tennessee
Cincinnati is a good young team. Allen fills a need and is a great value. If Dallas selects Allen at #18, look for the Bengals to take Donte Whitner here.

25. NYG - Tye Hill, CB, Clemson
The Giants don't have many holes to fill. They could use more help at cornerback and at receiver/returner. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Giants select Sinorice Moss here, but I think he's a bit of a reach. The Giants have no pressure to reach for a player and Hill is a better value.

26. CHI - *trade* - IND - DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis
The Bears need a tight end. The Colts need a running back. Any TE would be a reach here. Williams is a steal. This trade makes a lot of sense for both teams. If Indy doesn't move up, they will either be forced to wait for a running back in a later round or reach for Joseph Addai.

27. CAR - LenDale White, RB, USC
White was the #2 running back in the draft until he got hurt and got fat. I still think he's a excellent prospect and would love to see him in a Pats uniform. Carolina is in need of running back help and won't let White fall to Jacksonville.

28. JAX - Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State
Jacksonville would love to DeAngelo Williams or LenDale White. Unfortunately they won't. They select the best available player in Youboty. Bobby Carpenter is a possibility but he won't be as valuable to the Jaguars.

29. NYJ - Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State
The Jets got a franchise QB at #4 and they get him some protection here. Mangold is a solid selection for the Jets. Marcus McNeill wouldn't surprise me, either.

30. IND - *trade* - CHI - Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Pope is a good value here for the Bears. He's a bit of a reach if they stay at #26. Tight end is the Bear's biggest need.

31. SEA - Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
The Seahawks could take Sinorice Moss but elect to go with his teammate Jennings. Seattle signed Nate Burleson to help their receiving core so Jennings makes more sense here.

32. PIT - Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami
The Steelers lost a great receiver/returner in Antwaan Randle El when he signed with Washington. They take his replacement here. Moss is a deep threat receiver with return skills. I doubt he will be as effective as Randle El when running the wide receiver pass-option play, though.


Whew, that's a long post. It took me a total of about five hours to finalize my selections and do the write ups. I haven't checked ESPN in hours and I'm not making any changes from here on out. This is my best guess as of the morning of April 27th. I look forward to doing this again next year.

That Didn't Take Long

Well, Francona has officially lost every ounce of goodwill that he earned at the start of the 2006 season. "Francoma" is officially back and managing once again. It was painfully obvious that Tito was trying too hard to get Schilling the win last night. Schilling would have joined elite company if he managed to go 5-0 in April - see yesterday's post. Rather than try to win the game GL2:EB (Grady Little 2: Electric Boogaloo) decided history was more important. There's no questioning the fact that GL2:EB is a player's manager. He can't, and doesn't, make the difficult decisions.

What made Francona so great at the start of the season was the number of good decisions he made. He was making appropriate offensive and defensive substitutions and he made a difficult choice to use Jonathan Papelbon as the closer. Papelbon has been GL2:EB's saving grace this year.

Last night Schilling was off just a little and the powerful Indians lineup probably had a lot to do with it. Rather than turn the game over the bullpen after getting 6 mediocre innings and 110 pitches out of Schilling, Francona sent Curt out to start the 7th. Back-to-back hits then tied the game at 5. If GL2:EB cared about history and wanted to win the game, he could have let Schilling face a single batter and then removed him.

History Lesson

Tonight Curt Schilling will attempt to become only the third pitcher in Red Sox history to win five games in the month of April. He will face a tough Cleveland Indians lineup at Jacobs Field while being opposed by Jake Westbrook. Schilling has already stymied the powerful Texas Rangers' and Baltimore Orioles' lineups this season. If successful, Schilling will join Babe Ruth and Pedro Martinez in Sox lore.

I'd like to propose using "C"s instead of "K"s when Schilling pitches at home. "C" is for "Curt" and there is one in "Schilling". It would make his starts a little more unique.

I still can't believe that Papelbon won a bet and cut his hair to look like Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn. The kid has stones.

It's too bad that Coco won't be playing in this series. It would be interesting to see how he would be received by the fans in Cleveland. He was, and is, a very likeable player.

I forgot to mention this previously, but I have added the xml feed for the site to links on the right. Now you can add Digital Sox to your news feeder.

Poor Exchange Rate

Well, the Sox dropped two out of three games to the Blue Jays in Toronto over the weekend. Apparently Marvin Lee Aday is inverted in Oh, Canada. The Sox have gone 2-4 against the Jays in April. Beckett imploded a bit on Friday and started serving up homeruns in the 8th. Timlin came in an promptly served up a meatball himself to Troy Glaus. If Francona had entrusted Papelbon to get the last five outs of the game, the Sox would have won the game.

On Saturday the Jays pounded Lenny DiNardo. It may be time to give Abe Alvarez or Matt Ginter a chance to fill Tubby's spot in the rotation.

Clement pitched reasonably well on Sunday. Foulke pitched two excellent innings and really gave Johnny from Burger King something to chew on. Papelbon then got his league-leading 8th save in as many chances.

Francona is starting to revert back to form. The good will from his great managing over the first 10 days of the season is almost gone. He's starting to give J.T. Snow too many at bats and he continues to sub half the team at a time. I wonder if he even realizes that Coco Crisp is injured.

The NFL draft is only five days away. I'm probably more prepared this year than ever before. I'll have my 1st round prediction posted on Friday, in plenty of time for you to copy it and try to win my 23-inch LCD HDTV from ESPN.com.

Same Old Song and Dance

Wasn't feeling like myself earlier this week, but I'm back to normal and the show must go on.

Schilling won his fourth straight start to begin the young season. It's the first time he's ever been 4-0 after his first four starts. This has been incorrectly reported in some parts. After his win on Wednesday night the Sox had the best record in baseball. Let's see if ESPN's Power Rankings reflect that today. Whoever does the MLB Power Rankings is a huge Yankee kiss ass. ESPN predicts Schilling to go 43-0 this year (and yes, I stole that from Dirt Dogs).

Wakefield got screwed again last night. In his three quality starts the Red Sox have only managed a total of five runs. Scott Kazmir simply continues to baffle the Sox. I don't get it. Same with Ted Lilly. Both pitchers are mediocre at best but they dominate the Sox time and again.

I stumbled across this column earlier in the week. It's one of those, "uh-oh, I'm looking stupid and need reassurance" columns. If the columnists had the testicular fortitude to actually pick against the Yankees in the first place, they wouldn't need to write column like this. The last time I checked Georgie Porgie wasn't writing checks for ABC/ESPN. Until he does I'm pretty sure that the Bill of Rights has the back of any writer daring to boldly proclaim that the Yankees do, in fact, suck. Looks like Jayson Stark is the first columnist to cave under pressure this year.

Pedro earned win number 200 of his career this week. Jayson Stark tried to make up for his earlier column with this one. He has some pretty powerful numbers to back the argument that Pedro is the greatest pitcher of the live ball/juiced batter era. I also stumbled upon a story explaining Pedro's success.

The Sage Wisdom of Marvin Lee Aday

It turns out that Marvin Lee Aday was actually referring to baseball. The artist commonly known as Meatloaf once sang that, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". In baseball winning two out of every three games leads to 108 wins. The Red Sox won Friday, lost Saturday, and won on Sunday. They now sit at 8-4, which ain't bad at all.

Schilling was phenomenal on Friday night. He held the Mariners to only three hits and a single run over 8 strong innings in the 2-1 victory. Schilling struck out 7, including Ichiro in the 6th inning with a runner on third base and only one out. He lowered his E.R.A. to 1.64 while improving to 3-0. Only Forrest Gump, who I'm told, is in fact a Yankees fan, could now question how effective Schilling will be this year. He is healthy, healed, and pitching better than ever. He's a bona-fide Cy Young contender again and a legitimate staff ace.

On Saturday Francona either had a brain fart or regressed to his old ways. Josh Bard is clearly an inferior offensive player when compared to Jason Varitek. Trot Nixon is nursing a sore groin (although he's expected to play today). Rather put the best available lineup on the field in support of Tim Wakefield, Francona decides to give Mr. Professional, Mark Loretta, and the Doubles Machine, Mike Lowell, the day off. So Wakefield pitches well, despite some Bard difficulties, and only allows two earned runs (3 overall) in a complete game effort. The meager Sox lineup only produces 5 hits and scores exactly as many runs as the Patriots scored points on Saturday, ZERO. Great game by Wake, unfortunately wasted by Grady Little 2, Electric Boogaloo.

Beckett became the second Sox starter to go 3-0 this year in a brilliant effort on Sunday. The Sox were able to scratch out a couple of runs in the first inning. In the third Seattle was able to tie the game thanks in part to some poor fielding. Wily Mo looks more and more like Jose Canseco every day. Alex Gonzalez drove in the winning run in the fourth, just as he drove in both runs on Friday. With a runner on 3rd with one out in the 6th inning Beckett reached back and fired... a curveball to Richie Sexson. It was a thing of beauty delivered on a 3-2 count. Sexson flailed and missed causing traffic on the Turnpike to swerve in the stiff breeze. Then Beckett fired a fastball, as fast as 98 MPH by some counts, past Adrian Beltre to end the inning. Beckett managed to maintain his league leading 1.29 E.R.A. by allowing only the one earned run in seven innings. Ace number two, and two only by nature of the rotation, is thriving so far in Boston.

Papelbon saved both one run games this weekend. He's now six-for-six in save opportunities with four saves coming in one-run games. He is holding opponents to a mere .087 batting average. He's throwing all of his pitches effectively and for strikes. He maintains a calm steady demeanor that belies the fire burning inside his eyes. I want a number 58 jersey, be it a replica, authentic, or tee-shirt. The future is now with Papelbon.

The Sox complete their four game series with the Mariners today. Today is the traditional 11:05 AM start on Patriots Day. Lenny DiNardo subs for Tubby today and will face Gil Meche. Strangely the Sox will remain home for three games with the Devil Rays before traveling to Oh, Canada for a weekend series with the Jays. If the Sox can continue to win two out of three games, it won't be bad. No, it won't be bad at all.

We're Streaking...

...but it's in the wrong the direction. Matt Clement left everything up in the strike zone last night. I hope it was a singular instance of a pitcher having a bad game and not a prolonged funk. If he's planning to compete with Tubby for "most likely to be replaced in the rotation by Papelbon", he should reconsider. Tubby will probably land on the DL at some point this year so Clement should focus on trying to pitch well.

Here's hoping that the first losing streak of 2006 ends at two games with a victory tonight. Schilling is going for his third win in as many chances. I like his chances to start my weekend off on the right foot. A victory tonight could turn Good Friday into a great Friday.

I saw a link to a great article on romance and baseball that is worth a read. The author is a Blue Jays fan, so consider yourself warned. It's very well written and contains many truthful insights on relationships with one sports nut and one non-fan.



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