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Boston Bops Birds - Colon Sharp Enough...Red Sox 9 Orioles 4
2008-06-02 11:31:00
Bartolo Colon won his third straight decision while wearing a Boston uniform and the Red Sox went on a hitting tear, several of them, in fact, and defeated Baltimore 9-4. Another highlight was home run #501 from Manny Ramirez. But Bartolo Colon, who struggled a little bit more than in his first two starts but is clearly what this team needed after Matsuzaka went down, pitched into the 7th inning, giving up 4 earned runs (the last one came in courtesy of Javy Lopez), on 7 hits. He struck out 5 and threw a total of 102 pitches. If he keeps going like this, and he thinks his velocity has not fully returned yet, he will help his club immensely. The O's third base coach, Juan Samuels, said this to Colon as he passed by him yesterday...?I told him, ?You?ve got your sh*t back,? Samuel said."Peter here...well said, Juan. I couldn't have put it better myself. I wonder if the Yankees' front office is kicking themselves for not signing Bartolo to an almost risk-free deal like their bitter a...
More About: Orioles , Sharp , Birds

AND THE DVD CONTEST WINNERS ARE...
2008-06-01 12:17:00
Hello again on this beautiful Sunday morning. BOTH winners will receive the A&E Home Video 6 DVD production named THE ESSENTIAL GAMES OF FENWAY PARK. And they are...Gary J. (from Connecticut!) and....Jarret Boon. Guys, c'mon down! Oops, wrong show. I'm no Bob Barker anyways. Gary hit it right on the head with his guess of 18 and Jarret was the next closest, one number away, with a guess of 19. If someone had guessed 17 or 18, there would have been playoff action, but Gary and Jarret, you have my congratulations and I will email each of you within the hour. And to all the other friends who entered, THANK YOU. And I'm talking to Darren, Soxy Lady, BFW (Chuck), Keith, Jerry, and last and assuredly least (kidding!!), Sully. Thank you all. THAT MAGIC NUMBER WAS 18. It means life, or chai, in Hebrew. So to all, l'chaim (to life!).Here's a preview of today's game... yes, NO Papi!BostonAB R H RBI BB K LOB Season Avg J. Ellsbury cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281 D. Pedroia 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .281 K...
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MANNY'S 500th Home Run! Boston 6 Baltimore 3
2008-06-01 11:30:00
It was a festive night at Camden Yards (Fenway Park south) in Baltimore Saturday night as the Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles for the second time in two nights. The score was 6-3, good guys. When Manny Ramirez came up in the seventh inning, the many Sox fans in the stands knew that with one swing of his bat, baseball history could be made. The loud crack of bat against ball was clearly audible to all the lucky ones in attendance, and the ball traveled 415 feet to the right centerfield stands, right into the hands of a Red Sox fan who was gracious enough to give the ball to its rightful owner in exchange for a few autographed baseballs and bats. Quite a remarkable show of generosity and respect, if you ask me. Even Manny's wife was in the stands, and she was beaming. That the Sox won the game was just like icing on the cake. Sweet icing indeed, the kind that melts in your mouth with a blast of super sweetness. Here's what the MAN himself said after the game..."It was great, ...
More About: Boston , Home , Home Run

The Red Sox "Lucky 13th"...Boston 5 Baltimore 2...Contest Update
2008-05-31 11:34:00
The Red Sox must be very fond of the east coast of these United States. Last night, Boston defeated the Orioles in 13 long innings by a score of 5-2. Josh Beckett did not get the win, but he pitched a great, if sometimes wild, 6 innings, giving up 2 runs and only 4 hits while walking two and whiffing 10 (!!). He ended up throwing 118 pitches. And then it was the bullpen's time to shine. That's EXACTLY what Okajima, Delcarmen, Lopez, Hansen, Timlin and Jonathon Papelbon did, holding the Birds to those two runs. Timlin earned the win and Paps recorded his 15th save. Pheww...it's great to get a win under our belts - that west trip coast was PAINFUL!The offense was led by Mike Lowell, who drove in the eventual winning runs. He had three hits, as did leadoff hitter supreme Jacoby Ellsbury. Big Papi contributed two more safeties for Boston, but this game was "this" for so long. What is "this?" "This" is another weak offensive display by the Boston lumber, and I'm so glad a few players...
More About: Contest , Update , Baltimore , Lucky

***UPDATE*** Jim Calhoun has cancer...geez
2008-05-30 20:12:00
The press conference is ongoing right now (2:14pm EDT). Jim Calhoun, the longtime coach of the Unniversity of Connecticut men's basketball team, has cancer. The doctors recommend radiation therapy. My prayers are with him. I'm sorry to bring you this news...it has spread to his lymph nodes. NO FAIR. Hey Jim, we love you...
More About: Cancer , Update

THE BOSTON RED SOX : Essential Games of Fenway Park...THE REVIEW...THE CONT
2008-05-30 11:10:00
Hello on this Friday morning, still dark because I woke up much too early. The contest to win one of the two copies of the 6 DVD set from A&E Home Video that chronicles six of the greatest games ever played at Fenway Park as voted by the fans is on! The discs are in my hot hands, and I had a chance to savor a generous helping of each disc. For the full details of which games are included and a list of the bonus features, simply scroll down two posts and you'll find everything you'd want to know. Ok, here goes...The six DVDs are housed in a beautiful metallic silver-colored hard plastic box with easy access to the goodies inside. There are no security stickers to peel off at your own risk. Each disc has one game on it, the earliest being from that magic year of 1967, when Yaz had the year of all years. The date of the game? September 30, 1967, when the Sox were in the thick of an improbable pennant race and needed something Yaz-special. Boy, did they get it! The last disc is also t...
More About: Games , Boston , Review , Boston Red Sox

A Contest For The Immaculate A&E HOME VIDEO DVD set. The Six Greatest Red S
2008-05-29 16:49:00
It's a six DVD set...read my post below for all the DVD details. They're ALL there. Or just click on the title of this post. OK...the first five readers who email me (click on my profile, and you'll find "email" on the upper left) have to guess a number between zero and thirty six. The two closest win the 6 DVD set. If there's a tie (no, no!!), there will be a playoff. Numbers zero through thirty six (0-36). Thanks, you're the best! All emails have to be in by 6 AM EDT Sunday, June 1, 2008. Please, guess...I have already written down the winning number. No hints allowed. GO SOX, and good luck. AND THERE IS ONLY ONE GUESS ALLOWED PER PERSON. How would I know? Trust me, I will......My full review of the set will follow...it's amazing. And just in case, my email is... peter1210@sbcglobal.netP.S. Darren has made the first guess. What is it? That's for me to know until Sunday 6AM..and there are more guesses in...thank you, everyone......so far. Click on that title, and thanks.
More About: Video , Contest , Home , Greatest

Bedard Bests Wakefield, Red Sox...Seattle 1 Boston 0...RED SOX DVD SET DETA
2008-05-29 11:37:00
The Boston Red Sox hitting woes continued Wednesday night at Safeco Field in Seattle as the Erik Bedard fueled Seattle Mariners defeated the hitless wonders, that baseball team from Boston, by a score of 1-0. The Sox collected two hits, if you want me to be precise, but two hits were clearly not enough. And all this came on a night when the "old man," knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, spun an 8 inning beauty, allowing only five base hits and one run while walking none. His only mistake was a home run ball to Yuniesky Betancourt in the third inning. Wakes had this to say after the stinging road defeat...?I made some adjustments from my last start and they paid off, but unfortunately, I came out on the short end of the stick,? Wakefield said."Manny Ramirez, looking for career home run #500, went 1-3 with a single, which was one of the two Red Sox hits in the game. Clearly the Red Sox hitting has taken a turn southward, WAY southward (at this rate, they'll end up in Cuba!), but after four ...

Tough Stuff : Matsuzaka Hurt In Red Sox Loss...Seattle 4 Boston 3
2008-05-28 11:47:00
Tuesday night did not go as smoothly as the night before for the Boston Red Sox. They lost to the Mariners by a score of 4-3. Seattle scored a run in the bottom of the ninth off Mike Timlin, who should retire by the All Star break. His dismal record at Safeco Field was the reason I was surprised that he was in there in the first place, but Papelbon had pitched the day before and Okajima had thrown a sixteen pitch eighth. Why Tito Francona couldn't have run Okie out for the ninth is beyond me, and we all know now that the skipper might have blown the game. More bad news had preceded that fateful ninth, for Daisuke Matsuzaka had to leave after four innings and 65 pitches with what was preliminarily deemed "a tired shoulder." I do not like the sound of that...not one bit! Here is what he and his skipper had to say after the game..."He felt some, I guess, fatigue is the right word," manager Terry Francona said. "We're not going to run somebody out there when we think there's somethin...
More About: Hurt , Stuff , Loss

The Immaculate Collection...The Six Best Ever Fenway Games...On 6 DVDs
2008-05-27 21:58:00
I wrote about this collection in an earlier post, and I just received a UPS package from A&E Home Video, with one 6 disc set for me and two sets to "give away." Click on the title of this post to learn which Fenway games, and when they were played. I'm sure all you would be able to say is...is...."WOW!" I'll have a review by tomorrow and I'll try (I will) to devise a contest. Have a great afternoon, and click on that title for all the DVD set's details.
More About: Games , Dvds

Colon Wins Again. It's Safe At Safeco For Boston...Red Sox 5 Mariners 3
2008-05-27 11:32:00
"Is it safe?" That's the question Sir Lawrence Olivier asked Dustin Hoffman in the thrilling movie MARATHON MAN. Rent it!! Please!!! The late, great Roy Scheider costars with Olivier and Hoffman. And the answer, at least for the Boston Red Sox, is a resoundingly loud YES! They were treated as if THEY were the home team in a thrilling comeback 5-3 victory. They scored four runs in the eighth inning to make a winner of Bartolo Colon . who is 2-0 and is proving himself to be just what the baseball doctor ordered. He was able to go seven strong, giving up only one lonely run on five measly hits. He walked one and struck out four and was in command from his first pitch to his last. And remember this, my friends, he's only going to get better. I'll say it again...HE'S ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER! What an acquisition by Theo & company!!The Sox were tied with Seattle 1-1 after seven innings before they made something happen against Felix Hernandez, who pitched so well. They scored four runs...
More About: Boston Red Sox , Safe , Mariners

Super-Streaky Sox Swept Swiftly...Oakland 6 Boston 3
2008-05-26 11:14:00
The 2008 version of the Boston Red Sox has already established itself as a very streaky team. You know, win three, lose three, win five and then promptly lose five. It's getting to be frustrating! They were swept by Oakland 's superior pitching Sunday afternoon as they bowed to the A's 6-3. That superior starting pitching for Oakland was plainly evident in all three games, and right now, the A's are a hot team, as they should be with that kind of rotation. Blanton bested Lester convincingly, pure and simple. Jon recently learned that his father has developed some form of cancer, what is thought to be a treatable form of the dreaded too often deadly disease. He was asked if the news of his father affected any of his mound preparations. Here's what he had to say...?It hasn?t,? Lester said when asked if his father?s condition had weighed on him. ?I?ve always been out in the open. I just haven?t told you (media). I don?t want to get questions about that. I want to get asked question...
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A Duchscherer Gem For Oakland...Oakland A's 3 Boston Red Sox 0
2008-05-25 10:55:00
Justin Duchscherer joked before the game that he was going to "pull a Lester" and pitch a no hitter. And he came darn close to doing it. A Big Papi David Ortiz one out single in the seventh inning and a sixth inning hit batter ('Tek) were the only blemishes in his eight innings of stellar work. This is what Red Sox manager Terry Francona and opposing pitcher and tough-luck loser Josh Beckett had to say after the game...?He commanded every pitch he threw tonight,? Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. ?His command was phenomenal. He did not throw one pitch without a purpose. He kept us off balance. Other than David?s hit and his line drive and Youk?s line drive, we couldn?t do anything.??It was unfortunate someone had to lose it,? Beckett said. ?We don?t have many games like this, period. For what this offense does on a consistent basis, no one has a right to complain about run support.?Peter here, and I ain't complaining about ANYTHING! Josh pitched more than well enough to win mo...
More About: Boston , Oakland , Boston Red Sox

Oakland Jumps Wakefield's Bones...A's 8 Red Sox 3
2008-05-24 11:48:00
For the second time in his last three starts, Tim Wakefield allowed seven runs in a game, and the Red Sox seven game winning streak is now merely a part of history. Oakland defeated Boston 8-3 and handed Timmy his third loss of the year. His record is even at 3-3, but he has only had one standout start, an eight inning beauty. It didn't take long for the A's to take command, scoring three runs in the first and four runs in the third. And with Rich Harden on the hill for the home team, there was no way to come back from such a deficit. Terry Francona had this to say..."His stuff is as good as anybody in the league," Sox manager Terry Francona said of Harden, who is 3-0. "He gets into some fastball counts and he doesn't give you a fastball. We've seen him too much. We don't need to face him every other game. I hope he's not going to come back and pitch Sunday."Peter here, and yes, Harden is THAT good, at least when he pitches against us, and NO, he will not be pitching on Sunday...
More About: Bones

Seventh Heaven...Red Sox 11 Royals 8
2008-05-23 11:33:00
Well, it wasn't pretty - not by a long shot, but the Boston Red Sox won their seventh straight game Thursday at Fenway Park by defeating the Kansas City Royals 11-8. It was their last Fenway game for the rest of the month of May. The team winged west to Oakland, California yesterday evening. What wasn't pretty about the contest? I'll start with Daisuke Matsuzaka, who improved his spotless record to 8-0. But he was clearly off his game, just as he was in his last start. He pitched five and two thirds innings, allowing three runs on six hits. But his problem yet again was with his control. He walked six KC hitters and threw 118 pitches in his too short outing. Oh, how nice it would be to get seven great innings from him, with one or two walks. But it wasn't to be Thursday. Too many times he nibbled, trying to nudge the outside black of the plate with a sweeping breaking ball. He continually could not hit that target, and at times he seemed literally off balance as he released the ...
More About: Heaven

Bartolo Colon Proves He Can Help Boston Be "Great In 2008"...Red Sox 6 Kans
2008-05-22 11:38:00
The Boston Red Sox got JUST what they needed Wednesday night at Fenway Park as newly acquired veteran Bartolo Colon , three years removed from winning the AL Cy Young Award, pitched five solid innings in a game which the Red Sox won easily by a score of 6-3. It was their sixth win in a row and improved their MLB best record to 30-19. Colon will be our fifth starter for the rest of the year, and, barring injuries, should be able to win 12 plus games. How was he last night? He gave up six hits, two earned runs, walked two and struck out two in a nifty first outing. Here's what his catcher, Jason Varitek, had to say...?He?s going to help us,? catcher Jason Varitek said. ?He threw some good strikes, he elevated the ball sometimes, he did good. I saw some 94 MPH's up there. You?ve got to remember it?s still his first outing. It was a good starting point for building his strength.?Peter here, and if he progresses with each and every start the way I think he will, Boston got away with a s...
More About: Great , Bartolo Colon , 2008

A Wonderful Looking Boston Red Sox DVD Set...
2008-05-21 15:12:00
Hello on Wednesday morning yet again. This is Peter, and soon I will have a treat for my readers. The A&E network has been kind enough to send me a copy of a wonderful sounding Boston Red Sox DVD set called THE ESSENTIAL GAMES OF FENWAY PARK, and two extra sets to give away. I haven't received them yet because I just this hour heard back from A&E's Suzanne. But when you read what the DVDs are comprised of, I think you'll look forward with anticipation for something like this to make a rainy day with suddenly no Sox game, boredom and hunger for popcorn overriding everything, a great day anyways. I'll be back after you read this, with amazement, as I did.**************This six-game, 6-DVD collection spans five decades of promise, heart-ache and jubilation, and salutes the legends and definitive moments etched in Red Sox history. Each epic contest in this treasured set was selected by the Red Sox Nation® itself, and the six remarkable games are nothing short of spectacular.These ar...
More About: Boston Red Sox , Wonderful

Five Hits JUST Enough...Boston 2 Kansas City 1
2008-05-21 12:03:00
The Boston Red Sox made five hits work for them Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory over the visiting KC Royals. It was the fifth straight victory for the first place world champions. Justin Masterson made his second big league start another good one, going six and one third innings, giving up one run on three hits, walking three and punching out five. He threw 91 pitches in that span, and was quickly sent back to Pawtucket to make room for tonight's starter, Bartolo Colon. More on him later. Terry Francona had this to say about his young starter... "He threw two pitches," Francona said, "the two-seamer and the slider. To lefties, he didn't throw a lot of changeups tonight, and they were getting out over the plate and looking a little comfortable. But he works quick, got a lot of ground balls from righthanders, and got us pretty deep into the game."Peter here, and that's right. He got us into the seventh inning, and that's when the bullpen, which has been really good or really bad, c...
More About: Kansas City , Kansas , City , Hits

***JON LESTER NO-HITS ROYALS 7-0***
2008-05-20 12:01:00
130 pitches, 9 strikouts, 2 walks, 11 groundouts, 7 flyouts and only 29 batters faced. Oh, and ZERO HITS allowed! Jon Lester made history Monday night at Fenway Park by pitching his first complete game and first no-hitter. The Red Sox beat the visiting KC Royals 7-0. The fans were loud, and by loud I mean LOUD, and after the ninth inning ended with a strikeout, Lester raised his arms in triumph as first Varitek and then the rest of his team mobbed him. It's only been two years since Lester's grim cancer diagnosis, and boy, has he come a long way. Terry Francona had tears in his eyes as he spoke about his releationship with the young pitcher and his performance on the mound. Here's what he had to say..."I looked up in the ninth and you're trying to keep your emotions in check," manager Terry Francona said, "and I went to say something to John Farrell and he was being a big baby next to me. It made me feel a little bit better. This probably isn't fair to say, but I feel like my s...
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Boston Bats Buoy Beckett...Red Sox 11 Miwaukee 7
2008-05-19 11:43:00
Sunday was a stange start for Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. He was not on his game, but the Red Sox lumber took care of that and took care of it quickly. It seems Josh has reverted a little to his 2006 form, giving up four home runs. In all, he was able to go seven full, giving up six runs (ouch) on six hits with nine (yep, nine!) strikeouts. This is what a trio of Red Sox guys had to say after Beckett's "what-could-have-been-painful" outing..."A few balls wandered over the plate," Francona said. "He missed a lot of bats but left some good pitches over the plate to good hitters." "He wasn't perfect," Varitek said. "I made some good pitches," Beckett said. "I made some poor pitches."Peter here, and perfect he was not. As Tito said, too many of his pitches were too hittable, and the Brewers, who do not hit for average but have good power to all fields, took advantage. But they tried to take advantage on the wrong afternoon, as the Sox had their hitting shoes on. They clubbed 15 h...
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Play Two...WIN TWO! Red Sox 7-5 Brewers 5-3
2008-05-18 12:02:00
The first game was an afternoon delight. The second game, with a first pitch at 8:36pm EDT, was an error-filled (seven combined errors, a 2008 major league high) nailbiter. But the end result, two wins for the home team that they really needed, was just great. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched six and two thirds wonderful innings, and the bullpen took it from there. Kudos go out to Manny Delcarmen, who was temporarily a resident of Terry Francona's doghouse, with good reason to be. Daisuke moves his won/lost record to 7-0 and is now third in the league with an ERA of 2.15. Quite a change from last year. Kevin Youkilis had this to say after the long day was finished..."It was one of those games (game #2) where it seemed like it took forever and you've got to scratch and claw," Youkilis said. "By the end of the game you're dragging, your bat's dragging. Your body. You have to try to will yourself through the end of it."Big Papi and Mike Lowell were the respective hitting stars, but the bu...
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Rain Forces A Fenway Twin Bill On Saturday
2008-05-17 11:35:00
A persistantly moderate rain wiped out any chance of Friday night baseball at beloved Fenway Park Friday night, so there will be a Saturday separate admission (of course) twin bill. The first game will start at 3:55pm EDT and the second at 8:35pm EDT. And it will be a scramble to clear the park of the first crowd and allow crowd #2 to file in. If the first game goes into extra innings, I shudder to think of the traffic situation in Boston. This is what someone who was there had to say about last night's eventual postponent...?They thought approaching gametime we might start on time, and when we obviously weren?t, they kept every 15-20 minutes giving us an update, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. Then it was progressively getting worse and it was supposed to get worse, so that?s when they started checking on other options."Peter here, and we have to hope to win two. The bullpen is rested, heck, EVERYONE is rested and ready to go. The weather here in north central Connecticut wi...
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Bartolo Colon ALMOST Ready For Call-Up
2008-05-16 11:36:00
Good Friday morning, a morning I don't have to write about a Boston Red Sox loss. And there's GOOD news to boot! Bartolo Colon , our soon-to-be fifth starter, pitched for Pawtucket yesterday and went six great innings, allowing only one hit and hitting 96 MPH on the gun. The only problem was that he only needed 64 pitches (45 of 'em strikes) to go those six innings, so the Sox will probably want him to go one more time Tuesday before joining the big club. If that's the case, we'll see him on or about Sunday, and boy, do we need him. If he could become a dependable starter, and there's nothing to make me think otherwise, Boston will be a much better club, injuries notwithstanding. And right now he's feeling great. If he doesn't go on Tuesday, the start will probably be awarded to Justin Masterson, who had his worst outing yesterday pitching for Double A Portland, giving up seven earned runs and nine hits in six innings. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be at all surprised to s...
More About: Call , Ready , Bartolo Colon

Bullpen IMPLOSION...Baltimore 6 Boston 3
2008-05-15 11:25:00
This is getting old. FAST. For the third straight game, the Boston Red Sox staked themselves to a 3-0 lead, and for the third consecutive time, the Sox let the game slip away. To be more specific, the bullpen, in the form of Javie Lopez, Craig Hansen and Hideki Okajima, let the victory slip away. Lopez entered the game in the seventh inning and quickly recorded two outs. Freddie Bynum hit a grounder to Pedroia, but Pedey could not make the play. Runner on first with two outs...doesn't sound too bad, does it? Wait. Hansen was called in to relieve Lopez, and he allowed a single to the number 9 hitter, Quiroz, and a walk to Roberts to load the bases. Bye bye Hansen. Zero outs recorded...maybe you should consult Ah-nold again...soon! And then the Darkman was lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July, a regular starburst cluster in the night sky. Okie gave up a monster grand slam slugged by Payton, and the game was effectively over. Okie has now allowed eleven out of fourteen inherit...
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Starting Pitchers Slumping Bigtime...Baltimore 5 Boston 4
2008-05-14 11:38:00
The starting pitching rotation, which was so hot a week and a half ago, is anything BUT that right now. In four of the last six games, the pitching has allowed at least seven runs and ten hits. That won't help to win many ball games. And Josh Beckett, the Red Sox ace, was not even spared Tuesday night in Baltimore . The Orioles, after staking Boston to a 3-0 lead, their second in two nights, won the game 5-3. Josh Beckett allowed all five earned runs and surrendered a season-high eleven hits, the most of any starter this season. It was certainly not a vintage Beckett outing. He threw 97 pitches in only 5 2/3 innings and had this to say after the game..."The loss definitely goes in the right man's hand tonight," Beckett said. "It's pretty simple. I just didn't execute pitches tonight."That's a good wrap-up, Josh...pure and simple. The bullpen was just fine, thank you, but Boston just couldn't score when they needed to. Manny Ramirez came to the plate in the top of the seventh in...
More About: Pitchers

Craig Hansen...A One Inning Savior?
2008-05-13 14:33:00
This is from the Boston Herald, the quote from the man himself. Please read!...?Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength.?Peter here. We need a Craig Hansen for an inning as a part of the bridge to Paps. He would mean so much. And so far, he's been doing great. Grasping at straws? Not me. That's all! And as Bruce said..."No Retreat, No Surrender." EVER and FOREVER...
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Manny's Number 498 In A Losing Cause...Twins 7 Red Sox 3
2008-05-13 11:35:00
Two horrible starts in a row for the Boston rotation make for a glum morning. After Tim Wakefield had what might have been his worst start in a Boston uniform, Clay Buchholz, whose hold on the number five spot in the rotation seems to be slipping from his grasp, allowed seven runs in only four and two thirds innings. Eight hits and FIVE walks were also a part of his night. I watched every pitch he threw, and I wasn't happy. His fastball was uncontrollable so he had to rely on his off speed stuff. The change-up was continually high, out of the strike zone, hence the five walks. The curveball? Here's the man himself to tell you..."I felt great in the pen, felt like the fastball was good," Buchholz said. "Then I got out there and the fastball wasn't as good as I thought it was. I tried to go to offspeed stuff like I have all year and they were all over it. It felt like they were sitting on every first-pitch changeup or curveball I threw. I know I threw too many offspeed pitches ton...
More About: Twins , Number

No Mother's Days Miracle...Minnesota 9 Boston 8
2008-05-12 11:37:00
It wasn't like last year's furious and successful ninth inning five run Mother's Day comeback win. This was probably Tim Wakefield's worst start in a Boston Red Sox uniform ever as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Sox by a score of 9-8. The Sox were in a 7-1 hole after just three innings, and Wakefield couldn't even finish that third frame. Here are the ugly pitching stats for the champs. Time to cringe. Ready? IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA T. Wakefield 2.2 7 7 6 2 2 2 4.25 J. Tavarez 1.1 1 1 0 2 1 0 6.39 D. Aardsma 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.33 M. Timlin 1.2 1 1 1 0 0 1 10.00 J. Lopez 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.38Peter here, and I told you they were ugly, but don't worry, Wakes is NOT injured in any way. Sometimes the Minnesota Twins' Metrodome is not kind to his knuckleball OR his team. This is what he had to say after his abbreviated outing, an outing to absolutely and very quickly forget, maybe even turn the page and burn it to mere cinders, ashes to be scattered by the wind..."It was just...
More About: Miracle , Days

A Mother's Day Hello, With A Smile. Just Listen & Look...
2008-05-11 13:02:00
It's Peter again...I keep popping up here, but I wanted to wish all the Moms and the future Moms the best, and that includes every one of you, Dads too. Please, if you wish (I hope!), turn the sound on and click on the title of this very post. I have tears in my eyes every time I listen to this. From me to you, with a lotta love. Peter N. Sound on, and enjoy. Happy Mom's Day...
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Back On Track...Red Sox 5 Twins 2
2008-05-11 10:55:00
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins by a score of 5-2 Saturday evening, and Friday's loss has faded into the past just like useless windblown dust on the side of an unpaved lonely road. Daisuke Matsuzaka was just what the team needed after the ninth inning defeat the day before, going seven innings and giving up six hits and two earned runs. He had seven K's and 63 of his tidy 93 pitches were strikes. This is what pitching coach John Farrell had to say about Dice K...?We had a lengthy conversation after his (Matsuzaka's) last bullpen session, not that we?re trying to change his style, but just trust his abilities a little bit more around the plate,? pitching coach John Farrell said. ?In the middle innings I think he got into a little bit of a rhythm. And what set the tone early was he used his offspeed stuff right from the get-go, didn?t try and overthrow his fastball and got into the flow of the game.?Peter here, and it worked. Farrell has always amazed me with his ...
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