singapore sox fan: the red sox from half the world away

Katrina

My prayers out to anyone caught in Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, from the experience over on this side of the world with the tsunami, the full horror sometimes doesn't reveal itself until the aftermath when the waters die down. Fingers crossed.

Sox 10, Rays 6: Beaten into submission

What troubled times are these, when we have to worry about playing against Tampa Bay (game recap)? But the Rays have been hot, hot, hot, and so it was down to mashers v. mashers. Fortunately Big Papi rules over them all. These are ugly wins we're taking, but I'll take ugly wins any day.

Not looking optimistic about facing Kazmir, who often stymies the Sox with his left-handed stylings.

Grind it?

This is plain bizarre:

Two years ago, the Red Sox rallied themselves in the regular season with the phrase, "Cowboy Up" which appeared on T-shirts worn by every player in the final months of the year.

Jorge Posada created his own rallying cry for the 2005 Yankees, distributing shirts to his teammates on Friday that read, "Grind it."

The back of the shirts read, "There is no trying. There is only doing or not doing."

Posada handed the shirts out in the clubhouse before Friday night's game. (Link)

Firstly, converting Yoda's "Do, or do not. There is no try." line back into fully grammatical English sounds odd.

And, um, "Grind it"? When I hear the phrase all I can think about is MTV's craptacular "The Grind", and then there are these workout tapes:

Sox 8, Tigers 12: A mauling

Polanco slides into Tek

Ugh. A 6-run lead, and the Sox lose. Gaffes all over the place, Arroyo seems to have lost it, and to top it off the Yankees are 1.5 games back. I'm hoping the September callups bring in some good pitchers, because no lead on either side is safe with this offense and this bullpen.

Red states vs Yellow states

Interesting for wannabe wonks such as myself: ESPN did this online poll on which currently underperforming pitcher would step it up down the stretch, and they actually broke the results down by states: predictably, El Duque and C.C. Sabathia won for their 'home' states of Illinois and Ohio respectively, but the rest of the map shows pretty much a Diamondbacks '01 duel: Schilling vs Johnson. I wonder which presidential election electoral college map this particular set most resembles? Probably Kennedy v. Nixon, I'm guessing.

Sox 4, Royals 7: The spirit of Schilling? But his flesh is weak

Well, it's not a big surprise that Schilling was fairly mediocre in his return, allowing 6 runs in 5 innings. Wasn't that pretty much on a par with his performances in relief?

As for other minor notes: Emil Brown's shot off Papelbon took forever to land. Emil. That's a name I've never heard from an American. Always seemed so French. Speaking of names, Incidentally, I think "Mac the Ninth" (Mike Macdougal's nickname from his first stint as closer) is one of the best recent baseball nicknames.

Sox 5, Royals 2: Right to the finish

So I watched this up till the last inning, and in typical Sox fashion, the last inning wasn't clean, what with the tying run coming to the plate in what had previously been a 5-0 shutout. Not a good outing for Timlin in his reappearance as the closer, I thought (I know, not a save situation, but still...) Watching the footage on MLB.tv was more reassuring though - the two runs scored because of a botched pop-up catch (by Timlin himself) and a bloop hit. So it's not like KC was smokin'. Fingers crossed.

And that was a REALLY nice slide by Johnny Damon past Buck.

Kevin Millar deposed

Kevin Millar is at peace with not being the starting 1B:

"Do what you've got to do. I'm not going to throw chairs or desks; you've got the wrong guy. Believe me, I've tried to battle through this. I'm not going to quit and I want to play every day, but right now until I produce, do you put John Olerud in there? Damn right."

I kind of wish this means Petagine gets more playing time, but Keb Mi as a utility player / 4th outfielder I can live with. Even if Millar were throwing chairs. As long as he doesn't threaten to sing "Born in the USA" until he gets his job back.

Miserable Sox fan

When I was in Cologne back in May there was all this preparations for the Catholic church's World Youth Day thing going on - now the BBC had coverage of the Youth Day Mass and the 2nd pic shows a lonely Sox fan:

Sox 5, Angels 1: Byrd in hand

So: these are the 2005 Sox: huge, huge innings with some seriously crooked numbers (the 5-run 8th), and an inability to go through the 9th inning unscathed. Curt Schilling and his 5.18ERA since he joined the bullpen going back in the rotation isn't exactly filling me with warm fuzzy feelings now. And I know what they say about relievers' ERA since relievers like Timlin can let inherited runners score without hurting that stat, but Schilling as far as I recall has started most innings.

One thing though, I hate sac bunts but I do love this new bunt-singling thing the Sox have going on. I hate sac bunts, but seeing not just an expected suspect like Renteria do it, but also Ortiz and Tek - a thing of beauty.

Bellhorn DFA

Yes, yes, late to the party, the news that Bellhorn was DFA'd came a few days ago. But while I understand that Graf, Bellhorn's replacement, was doing more than okay, I will forever remember Bellhorn's contributions to the 2004 postseason, those dings that sounded the death knell for the Yankees. And I will be saddened that he had to leave in a chorus of boos after that awesome 2004 season (17 HRs, 82 RBIs, 93 runs scored).

Stones at Fenway

Also, about the Rolling Stones playing Fenway - I should say I saw the Stones on the 40 Licks tour here in Singapore back in 2003. The top seats were going for the equivalent of US$300, but a friend comped me in. Great stuff. Besides the obvious part about the Stones' great songs, they put on one hell of a show. Giant inflatable women, a huge animation of a woman riding the tongue logo, cameras attached to the end of the guitar for a view of what Keef was playing, and the inimitable Mick. Best songs that night: "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Gimme Shelter".

(Would have posted this pre-concert, and perhaps influence a few people to go, except stupid Blogger was down...)

The Devil Went to Fenway

Meanwhile, over at Baseball Digest Daily, Jim Evans wrote about the Sox hitting the 666-run total and talks about Theo's deal with the Devil.

Oh, Theo-- don't you know? Only Charlie Daniels has ever made a deal with the Devil and won! And I don't think you can play the fiddle like old Charlie can.

Heh.

Sox 4, Angels 3: Getting off Scot-free

Anyone feel like the Sox have played a lot of extra-inning games ever since starting the season with that long string of regular 9-inning games? Maybe that's just because the 2005 versions of Alan Embree and Keith Foulke haven't been around to crap out in the 9th.

Yes, it's nice to win with a big Manny swing, but I'll take an extra-innings win on an RBI groundout as well. The key to that was Petagine's walk to load the bases before. Great to have a proper pinch-hitting (well, in this case, pinch walking) option.

Bill Mueller is still hitting like a quiet machine, incidentally. And Curt Schilling got a few swinging strikes today, which is a good sign that his pitches are back.

Blasphemous rumours

The steroids thing keeps reaching new witchhunt levels:

The New York offices received at least a dozen calls from reporters Thursday concerning rumored positive tests for Houston Astro pitcher Roger Clemens and Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon. The officials spent much of the day denying those rumors.

"They want to come after the stars to see people react," Damon said of the reports Thursday, before the Red Sox played the Angels. "But I haven't heard anything. Once your name is thrown out there, people start assuming. … Unbelievable."

Said Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein: "I wouldn't even want to honor that by commenting. The reporting of the steroid issue has taken on witch-hunt proportions, and it's wrong. That's a severe accusation, whether it's in an Internet chat room or a newspaper, you would like to think there is some actual reporting going on." (Los Angeles Times)

I really like Theo Epstein's quote: of course, the truth either way will hopefully come out, but now it seems people just fling accusations of steroid use on basically anyone who plays well in any season late in his career. Personally I think Clemens' numbers show that he has actually played much worse in his last few years than at the beginning of his career, pretty much as predicted, and his Houston excellence could just be one of those freak last hurrahs, aided by a transition to the National League. (Clemens' ERA+ from 1999: 97, 137, 128, 101, 112, 145. Career ERA+: 141. So for his entire time in New York has was pretty much an average #2/#3 kind of pitcher.)

I believe some people did steroids. Perhaps even those being named did. But I also believe the prevalence of belief in urban rumours (despite the best efforts of Snopes) and conspiracy theories shows that people in general overly discount the probabilities of flukes and coincidences occurring because people like to believe in direct cause and effect, and I believe that's enough for me to withhold judgement till more concrete evidence - even circumstantial evidence - appears.

The Perfect Catch?

Also, I walked by the Lido cinema down here and realised that they're finally showing Fever Pitch on this side of the world. Except that they're calling it The Perfect Catch. I suppose there's a pun in that title too, but what the hey, how would they manage to sell the movie to Nick Hornby fans?

(Photo taken with my nifty new Sony Ericsson K750i cameraphone, which I'm in love with. A phone with autofocus! And yes, the poster next to that is advertising Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, which is probably going to be the feel-good hit of the summer, if Roger Ebert's words are anything to go by.)

Sox 10, Tigers 7 and Sox 6, Tigers 7: Rollercoaster

What can one say? These Sox at any given moment can put up a 7-spot in an inning and just as quickly give up 4 runs. Mike Remlinger certainly isn't pitching like he wants to stay in his hometown, although at least today his 1 2/3 scoreless innings was a step in the right direction. Although until today Remlinger had never played in a game the Sox lost. So: Remlinger good, Sox lose. Remlinger bad, Sox win. Ack.

The Yankees, on the other hand, have provided some marvelous comedy to alleviate the stresses of Sox watching. Alan "the Mole" / "Embedded Red Sock" Embree has finally found a way this season to help the Sox. Walking in the winning run, or giving up the winning run on a wild pitch... mmm.

Shleifer and Palmeiro

From my friend Davin comes a link to an Economic Principals article comparing Andrei Shleifer and Rafael Palmeiro. Shleifer was the head of the Harvard Institute for International Development, hired by the US Agency for International Development to counsel the new government of Boris Yeltsin; the project was abruptly ended in 1997 on charges of mismanagement. The article tries to draw the connection between the two men based on the idea of needing a certain trust in governments for institutions to function:

But like Shleifer, Palmiero is a highly talented refugee from a socialist culture, in his case, Cuba. His contempt for government is built-in. It is not surprising that he did not understand his peril when subpoenaed to testify under oath.

Seems tenuous to me...

Sox 6, Tigers 7: Schill grilled

Ugh. Curt Schilling, where have your pitches gone?

The Education of Craig Hansen

Baseball America thinks Craig Hansen looks like the real deal:

Blessed with a mid-90s fastball and a biting slider, Craig Hansen may be the first of the 2005 draft class to reach the major leagues.

I'm really intrigued by his development of a changeup:

"I'm working on it every day. I'm long-tossing with it, and trying to build up the muscle-memory and get a permanent feel. It's getting close to where I need it to be, to where I can be consistent with it. It's a pitch I want to use to complement my fastball and slider, even as a closer."

Wow, a 3-pitch closer would be awesome. Heck, Schilling isn't even really fully at 3 quality pitches these days, although that surprise curve to Aaron Rowand was beautiful to watch.

Another random baseball-related photo

A baseball themed bubble gum dispenser, taken by gregkendallball.

Good Sox 7, Bad Sox 4: Leaving Garland in his Wake

It really IS nice to beat up on Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland, given their performance this season. And Petagine is doing more and more to disprove his early-MLB career numbers, with his first homer since 1998... goes to show the whole "minor league numbers do translate into major league numbers" thing seems to be holding.

For some reason again, today's final Sox-Sox game has been blacked out for me on MLB.tv, even though I can watch the Rangers-Yankees game. Dagnabit.

Good Sox 9, Bad Sox 8: Chicks dig the long ball

David Ortiz with an amazing game. I'm kind of surprised that his 6 RBI today was his personal best - somehow I always thought he had bigger games - but wow, that 3-run shot was crushed. And a good thing it was too, with Schilling throwing strikes but only getting the ball launched out of the park. Just before Ortiz came on for his last at-bat, prior to the homer, the chants of "Papi! Papi! Papi!" were great - you just knew the ballpark was waiting for that moment. I can feel it coming in the air at night, oh Lord.

You can't go home again... oh wait, you can

No Sox game, but wow, I caught K-Rod dropping the throw back from catcher Jose Molina and Jason Kendall dashing in to score the winning run in the As-Angels game. First, a hidden ball trick yesterday, now this. That's why baseball can be so much fun to watch.

Lowell turns the hidden ball trick

Also, how cool is it that Mike Lowell pulled off the hidden ball trick again yesterday? It's only been done twice this century, both times by Lowell. Lowell ended a five year MLB drought of no hidden-ball tricks when he got Brian Schneider last year, as Retrosheet's list of every hidden ball trick ever turned in MLB shows. Luis Terrero looked utterly stunned.

Sox 16, Rangers 5: Kenny Rogers roasted

Which Kenny Rogers would have been a better pitcher yesterday?

Knows when to hold 'em

Knows when to fold 'em

Another day, another Sox-Rangers slugfest. That 5-run 4th was awesome to watch: can't believe I had to miss the 9-run 8th inning, but it was great to catch the replay. Kapler and Damon both scored twice in that inning - awesome stuff. So the Sox widened the gap between themselves and the Yankees. Mmm, I love the Chicago White Sox, my hatred for their announcers aside.

Sox 11, Texas 6: All hits, all the time

Any doubt that the a Sox-Rangers game would be a hitfest? That first inning got rid of that anyway - Texas up 3-0 (when Texas was up 2-0 with bases loaded it looked scary), then Sox responded with 4 runs. Beautiful Ortiz shot there, and a big Petagine RBI for the tying run, but the night was all Tony G. Scoring on a wild pitch (nice slide to evade Barajas), stealing 2nd, scoring from 2nd on a single to shallow right (wow) and of course that huge 3-run homer.

The starting rotation still scares me. Unlike last year where you knew Pedro or Schilling would come up big, there just seem to be a lot of #2/3 starter types. Wade Miller not particulary confidence-inspiring today. Oh well - a win is a win. At least the bullpen is less worrisome these days. Or maybe it's just that I really like seeing Chad Bradford pitch.

Olerud on Petagine

The Globe had an article on Roberto Petagine, and I gotta say, John Olerud sounds quite gracious about a guy who could potentially take away his job:

''That hit the other night [against Minnesota] was a huge hit with the bases loaded," Olerud said. ''When you get called up -- I mean, he's putting up some unbelievable numbers in Triple A -- when you get up you really tend to press a little bit. You want to make a big impact right away. I'm sure he'd like to be swinging the bat better, but I think he's doing a great job."

I guess it's Olderdude's job to know how his potential replacement is hitting in triple-A, but still, those are nice things to say.

Free Roberto Petagine! With Every Happy Meal

Also, great that Roberto Petagine had a first major-league hit since forever in the game. And a nice 3-run double it was too. I really want this guy to succeed.

And how old is ESPN's photo archive that Petagine still has a Cincy hat on?

Sox 11, Twins 7: Mannys being Mannys

Schilling again? I guess consistency is good for rehab, but this is a bit much. Of course, Tito's options weren't that good. I would be very hesitant to use Mike Timlin when there are baserunners on.

So, to conclude: Manny Ramirez... good. Manny Delcarmen... not so much. At least not yesterday.

Random trivia bit

Current Sox who have World Series rings earned while with teams other than the Sox:
Mike Timlin (1992-3, Toronto)
John ~~Olderdude~~ Olerud (1992-3, Toronto)
David Wells (1992, Toronto; 1998, Yankees)
Edgar Renteria (1997, Florida)
Matt Mantei (2001, Arizona)? (Not in the postseason if I recall right)
Curt Schilling (2001, Arizona)

Current Yankees who have World Series rings earned while with teams other than the Yankees:
Gary Sheffield (1997, Florida)
Kevin Brown (1997, Florida)
Randy Johnson (2001, Arizona)
Tony Womack (2001, Arizona)
Carl Pavano (2003, Florida)
Alan Embree (2004, Sox)

Current Yankees who were in teams that won postseason series against the Yanks:
Tino Martinez (1995, Seattle)
Alex Rodriguez (1995, Seattle)
Jaret Wright (1997, Indians)
Alan Embree (2004, Sox)
Luis Sojo (1995, Seattle), if you count coaches

Sox 0, Twins 12: Dirty dozen

So Radke the control freak (8 Ks, 1 BB today) got to the Sox. Oh well. The Sox always do seem to have trouble with pitchers who can paint the corners and put the ball exactly where they want. Worst shutout loss this season I think, but it just counts as 1 in the loss column. Ooh, I'm full of cliches today.

Lew Ford was spectacular against his former team. Sometimes it's funny to remember the Sox traded him for Hector Carrasco. Admittedly, his season has been disappointing enough that I've knocked him off one of my fantasy teams, but wow, his defense in centre was Torii Hunter-esque...

Speaking of which, my big memory of Torii Hunter was sitting in the centrefield bleachers in my first-ever visit to Fenway Park in a game against the Twins behind these drunk guys who just kept going "Torii... Torii... you suck".

Sox 6, Royals 4: Mannyfest destiny

Manny being Manny, and we love him for it. Hello, 97 RBIs...

Sox photos

Incidentally, some random websurfing led me to Sara Lovering's Red Sox photography. Great stuff from 2004, especially from last year's victory parade.

Of course, the Flickr Red Sox photostream is occasionally interesting to peruse...

Gammons gets the Spink

Sometimes it seems like the best Globe articles on the Sox these days are by the non-beat writers and sports columnists, such as Samantha Power's "Once upon a Nomar" piece, a tribute to Nomar's ability to capture the Boston public's imagination.

Of course, someone once sent me Peter Gammons' old writing for the Globe back in the 1970s and it's kind of hard to compare anyone's baseball writing with that - mastery in newsprint. Congratulations to Gammons for his Spink award - I thought it was kind of sad that the subhead on the MLB.com article on his induction read "Veteran sportswriter better known for television work" and was all about how comfortable he was on TV, when really it seems going on TV has caused the work to deteriorate somewhat...

Palmeiro and steroids

I'm in the midst of moving house - so updates have been sketchy of late, I know. It's not like I can take steroids to get all those boxes from one home to the other faster - can I?

About whether Rafael Palmeiro lied to Congress - maybe Palmeiro really never juiced, then he went on Congress and realised how AWESOME these PEDs were. "What? McGwire sure sounded like he was on them. Oh man, I've been a bloody fool. All I've had were these stupid blue diamond pills."

Now if only I had access to Photoshop right now. I can see distinct possibilities for this Palmetto "In a town this bad, it's no use being good" poster...