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A Rainy Win For The Boston Red Sox Over The Yankees, Beckett And Paps Style
2008-04-13 11:25:00
It was a two time rain delay that stopped the game in its tracks in the 8th inning. The score was 4-3 Red Sox and Alex Rodriguez was waiting for the tarp to be removed. And it was a long wait indeed, just about 2 1/2 hours. Papelbon, ready to enter the game in relief of Josh Beckett, knew the game was on the line. Beckett had pitched a super solid 6 2/3 innings, and the bullpen duo of Mannny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima had stymied the Yankees up until the heavens opened and shed its tears. Only a smattering of people remained to watch the high drama to come. 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, a one run game, and one of the best relievers in all of baseball primed, stoked and just plain old READY. When finally the ump signalled "PLAY BALL," Papelbon delivered. He said this afterwards, from the Boston Globe..."I said to myself, 'This is the ballgame right here,'" Papelbon said Saturday after picking up his fourth save in four tries. "Everybody, top to bottom, worked their butts off t...
More About: Boston Red Sox , Style

Two Hits Just Won't Do The Job For The Red Sox Against The Yankees
2008-04-12 11:34:00
It was a drizzly, dank and dismal Friday night at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, and the home team was mesmerized by an outstanding pitching performance by the New York Yankees ' Chien-Ming Wang. He allowed only two base hits over nine innings-one of them was a ninth inning bunt by Coco Crisp and the other was a nearly caught home run off the hot bat of JD Drew. The New York Yankees prevailed by a score of 4-1 in what was game one of the season series between the bitter American League East rivals. Clay Buchholz also had a memorably great night, going six strong innings and allowing only one run, but he was outpitched by Wang. With the score tied at one, Mike Timlin made his first appearance of the season for Boston, and it was one he will not forget. HE STUNK. This is what he had to say after HIS season opener...?It was terrible, absolutely terrible,? he said. ?I came back, pitched terrible. It?s not how I was looking forward to opening up 2008.?Peter here, and Mike is exactly...
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Red Sox Beat Tigers DESPITE Their Bullpen
2008-04-11 11:30:00
It was a night of thrills and chills, some of them unwanted ones, Thursday at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were facing the Tigers , and Tim Wakefield was on the mound. He went 5 innings and gave up 2 runs, one earned and only three hits. His control was not there, however. He gave up 5 (ouch!) walks in those 5 innings and his pitch count was 108. That's a ton of pitches for such a short outing, but he earned the victory. The bullpen could have had a better night, though. Delcarmen followed Wakes, surrendering one run in 1 2/3 innings. Not bad, not good. Okajima was called on to finish the 7th and did it with four pitches, but he was pulled before the 8th inning started, opening up manager Terry "Tito" Francona to all kinds of second guessing if something were to happen. And, Heaven forbid, it almost did. Terry said this after the game..."You don't want to use Okajima's bullets when we've got a big lead," said Francona, mindful of the Yankees' arrival tonight with their arsenal of le...
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A Costly Loss For The Red Sox
2008-04-10 11:23:00
Jon Lester returned to his normal self Wednesday night at Fenway Park. What do I mean by that? I'll tell you. He threw 97 pitches in only 5 1/3 innings, he gave up four earned runs and most importantly, he threw first pitch strikes to only thirteen of twenty five batters. Naturally, he walked four of them. With those kind of game stats, you have to expect that many free passes, and Detroit used them well. Jon looked like the Lester of last season, having trouble finding the strike zone and wasting far too many pitches. Boston, who was ahead 2-0 after two innings, fell to Detroit 7-2. It was truly a forgettable outing for Mr. Lester, and I know HE knows that he cannot continue to pitch this way. Was it because of Oakland's anemic offense that he looked so good in his previous start? The only way to tell will be to monitor his future starts. I hope he can attack the strike zone much more consistantly in the coming months. After all, he's our number three guy in the rotation. Bryan...
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Daisuke Matsuzaka Completes A Magic And Classic Fenway Tuesday, An Unforget
2008-04-09 12:07:00
After the emotional Red Sox Opening Day ceremonies, complete with a tearful but happy Billy Buckner, Daisuke Matsuzaka , who was warming up in the bullpen during the festivites and found a World Series ring in his locker, capped a magic day with yet another powerful and commanding performance. The Boston Red Sox beat the reeling Detroit Tigers by a score of 5-0. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, four hits and four free passes. He had control of every one of his pitches, at least the pitches we've seen him throw in his year plus here in the States. Little Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and the crowd went home happy, voices strained and faces a little tear-stained. Tears of joy are a GOOD thing. Tito Francona had this to say about his starter..."I thought he did a good job addressing the task at hand, 'cause there was a lot of stuff going on," said Sox manager Terry Francona."Kevin Youkilis led the twelve hit parade with three...
More About: Magic , Classic , Tuesday

We're JUST About To Start ...
2008-04-08 19:00:00
...and when I say start, we're starting the pre-game festivities. ENJOY!!!********************************* ********And I'm not ashamed to admit....I have tears streaming down my face. The ceremony was great. BETTER than great! That's MY team. That's YOUR team. THAT'S OUR TEAM. What could be better???? Thanks. Your host, Peter. RED SOX FOREVER. Always and forever.
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Fenway Park Opening Day 2008
2008-04-08 11:39:00
FINALLY! The Boston Red Sox players had a glimpse of the newly redesigned Fenway Park on Monday and they loved it. There were actually higher ceilings in the clubhouse! And today, Tuesday, April 8th marks the first home game of the season. Here is a schedule of the events leading up to the 2:05pm EDT first pitch. The entire ring award ceremony and game will be broadcast on NESN and NESN HD beginning at 1pm EDT. This is from the Boston Globe...*******************************"T ime: The gates will open earlier than usual, 2 ½ hours before game time, at 11:35 a.m. The Red Sox will take batting practice from 11 a.m. until noon with the Tigers? batting practice scheduled from noon until 12:45 p.m. Fans are instructed to take their seats by 1 p.m. to enjoy the ceremonies before the start of the game at 2:05 pm. Pre-Game Ceremonies: The Red Sox have planned for some special pregame ceremonies to celebrate the 2007 world championship season. The ceremonies will commence with a parade of flag...
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A Canadian Clubbing, On The Rocks
2008-04-07 12:03:00
Toronto completed its sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon. At times Josh Beckett, the Sox starter, looked invincible, at other times perfectly ordinary. But he tired in the fifth, an inning that Tito Francona wanted him to finish. But he could not and left with the bases loaded. At the time, the score was 2-2. Respectful enough, right? But all it took was one pitch from the suddenly vulnerable Manny Delcarmen, a grand slam by Frank Thomas off of a Delcarmen fastball, and the game was out of reach. With the day off today, Tito gave Okie and Papelbon an inning of work each, but the damage had been done and the Red Sox were FINALLY able to head home. And good for them...it was a grueling three country trip that started strong and ended weak. Josh Beckett had this to say after his outing, and it should make all of us feel better...?My health was good,? the Red Sox ace said. Health-wise I?m fine, but obviously it was not the result you want,? said Beckett, who...
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RIP Charlton Heston...1924-2008
2008-04-06 12:01:00
He was Moses. He was Ben Hur. And now he's gone. Later in life he was president of the National Rifle Association, but I prefer to remember him as the consumate actor that he was. Ben Hur remains one of my all-time favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, rent the DVD, even with the widescreen panorama look that it has. The chariot race is worth the price of the rental alone. Rest in peace, my friend. You will NOT be forgotten.Click on the title of this post for more on this unforgettable person. Thanks.
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'Penless In Toronto
2008-04-06 11:17:00
All of a sudden, the Boston Red Sox bullpen looks as porous as a piece of paper towel, the less expensive one-ply kind. Saturday, Toronto continued their winning ways with a convincing 10-2 victory over visiting Boston. Clay Buchholz, making his first 2008 start, gave up four runs in five innings, and then the dam let loose, deadly water engulfing everyone and everything. First Kyle Snyder, who was woeful with his control and who might be on his way to Pawtucket, and then Corey, who was even worse, and finally Tavarez, who was OK but by then the game was out of reach. The Sox were being drubbed, and except for Papelbon and Okajima, the relievers haven't done a damn thing this season. Tito Francona had this to say after his team's defeat... "We don't point fingers at anybody," manager Terry Francona said when asked about the troubles with the bullpen. "We win as a team, we lose as a team. When we lose, we all feel like we didn't do the job. They got into our bullpen and did what ...

Blue Jay Way
2008-04-05 11:43:00
The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox on Friday night by a score of 6-3. JD Drew picked up where he left off before his back injury, knotting the game at three in the top of the seventh. But the bullpen couldn't hold it, with Frank Thomas' two run double off Manny Delcarmen in the bottom of the frame being the difference maker. Little Manny had this to say after his outing...?One pitch away,? he said. ?That?s baseball. It?s early.Tim Wakefield, in his first start of 2008, was more than respectable, going six innings and allowing those first three runs. Here is the complete Red Sox pitching summary... IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA T. Wakefield 6.0 6 3 3 3 4 1 4.50 D. Aardsma (L, 0-1) 0.0 0 1 1 1 0 0 5.40 J. Lopez 0.0 1 1 1 0 0 0 9.00 M. Delcarmen 1.2 3 1 1 0 1 0 2.45 B. Corey 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.45 Timmy was outpitched by Toronto starter Shaun Marcum and the team from Canada emerged victorious. The Sox only collected four hits-you can't win many games that way. But it wa...

MLK Jr. 40 Years Ago Today...
2008-04-04 19:09:00
And I still miss him. He wanted peace. He strived for peace. And he was taken away at the age of 39. April 4th, 1968. Can it REALLY be 40 years? And then RFK, two months later. I was a kid, but I cried. I still do. And I'll never stop.
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Bartolo Colon Razor Sharp
2008-04-04 14:38:00
What the Boston Red Sox need more than anything is good starting pitching, and yesterday in Pawtucket, newly aquired Bartolo Colon gave the team a huge shot in the arm. With Clay Buchholz looking like he's not quite "ready for prime time," the fifth spot in the rotation is wide open. Yesterday Colon pitched five scoreless innings while facing only one batter over the minimum. He allowed a lone hit and one walk and struck out five. Of his 74 pitches, 45 were strikes. He had this to say after his stunning performance..."I felt very good," Colon said through interpreter Cookie Rojas, Pawtucket's general sales manager. "I felt like I had control of the ball. I pitched very well today. All I know is that I'll be pitching again in five days."Peter here, and yes you did, and yes you will, Bartolo. We are going to need you. BIGTIME. Clay's future is in front of him. The team needs a solid fifth starter to be able to compete in the American League. NOW. Let's hope Colon comes through. W...
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Lester Sharp As The Red Sox Blank The A's-Youkilis Sets A Major League Reco
2008-04-03 11:34:00
On a Wednesday afternoon in the Bay Area of California, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester took a huge step in this, his early season development. Pitching against the Oakland A's, he went 6 2/3 innings, looking sharp all the way. One of the keys? FIRST PITCH STRIKES! He ended up throwing 94 pitches, which is a low total for 6 plus innings of Jon Lester ball. He gave up zero runs, as did the 'pen, allowing only 3 hits while walking 3 and striking out a trio. This was truly a focused effort that was SO good to see from Jon. He is such an important part of our rotation, and with Schill on an excercise bike and Josh Beckett on the east coast, the Red Sox are securely in first place with a record of 3-1. Papi supplied all the power needed with his 7th inning two run tater, but the Sox weren't finished. A bunch of singles in the next inning produced another 2 runs, and another run in the 9th made the final score 5-0. Corey and Little Manny Delcarmen did a great job out of the 'pen, co...
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2-0 Papi And His Red Sox Over A's...So Far
2008-04-02 23:54:00
It ain't over! YET. The bullpen has to hold on to the slim (for now) lead. But Boston is hitting the ball, and now the bases are loaded in the 8th. WE SHALL SEE...the Sox are zero for four with the sacks full...so far. Full details will be right here before you awaken. Thanks for all your earlier great comments!! ANOTHER BASE HIT, 'Tek scores and it's 3-0 good guys. 4 hits in a row off Lenny (no stuff) DiNardo. Youk stands in, STILL nobody retired in this 8th. Bases STILL loaded, as I will be if we don't score more (kidding). The count is 1-1. BASE HIT. 4-0 Sox with 5 straight singles. Papi striding to the plate...the count is 1-1. 2-1. Foul ball to make it 2-2. And another foul...inside..full count..big pitch time! Papi whiffs, but that's only the first out. Manny grounds into a double play. A 4-0 lead should be enough. Paps will have to work again after 16 pitches yesterday, but tomorrow is a day off and I'm sure he's raring to go!I almost forgot...I'm late, I'm late, for...

Red Sox Beat A's Behind Masterful Daisuke--UCONN Women Defeat Rutgers To Ad
2008-04-02 11:45:00
Daisuke Matsuzaka was completely ready to attone for his mediocre outing in his native Japan. And he did JUST that, and more! He started the game by striking out the first two batters, and except for one mistake to Cust, a home run, he sailed, he breezed, he cruised through 6 2/3 innings, giving up that solo home run while only surrendering two hits, walking none (what a change!) and striking out a convincing nine. The batting stars were Kevin Youkilis, who tied Steve Garvey's record with his 193 straight error-free games. THAT IS TRULY AMAZING! Okajima, our Darkman, followed his countryman with one full inning of scoreless relief, and then..then it was time for Paps, the REAL Paps, to shine. And shine brightly he did. He breezed through the last inning and a third, striking out three and allowing a goose egg load of hits. The Okie to Paps combination is alive and well, thank you, as long as the Sox starter can get into the 7th inning. Daisuke said this after the game..."It's some...
More About: Women , Rutgers , Beat , Daisuke

Different Opinions And A Second Start to Baseball 2008, USA Style
2008-04-01 12:09:00
HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!! It's time to begin the 2008 Red Sox baseball season on THIS continent, albeit on the left coast. The game will begin at 10PM EDT, televised on NESN, almost guaranteeing me two or three innings of enjoyment before my Gold Bond (plug!) king sized set of bedding sends me to ZZZZZZ land. But I must address my yesterday post. As you might have read, I picked the AL East finish to be Toronto, Boston and New York. What I should have said was that those three teams are SO close, at least on paper, and if all the players live up to their stats, the division would be virtually IMPOSSIBLE to call. Right now, it is! But read this, from ESPN dot com..."On ESPN.com, 14 of 18 "experts" pick the Sox to win the division, Peter Gammons predicts Manny Ramírez will win the MVP, and Steve Phillips, the former Mets general manager, selected David Ortiz as his MVP. "Baseball Tonight" regular Tim Kurkjian has the Sox beating the Mets in the World Series, while Sean McAdam, who wr...
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The Exhibition Games Are Over!
2008-03-31 12:11:00
The Boston Red Sox played their last exhibition game yesterday in LA, losing to the Dodgers by a score of 8-0. Clay Buchholz started strong but faltered in the fourth. He needs to learn, as he himself said. And now the pundits and media members are intent on telling us who will win the American League East. The person who comes closest to mirroring my own feelings is the Boston Herald's Tony Massarotti. He had this to say in the Sunday edition, and then I'll be back with my two cent's worth...*******************************"C all me (Tony Massarotti) crazy, but I?m picking the Toronto Blue Jays to win the American League East this year.Baseball usually comes down to pitching, after all, and here is the truth: The Jays have the deepest staff in the division. What Toronto needs now is to find a way to stay healthy, particularly after consecutive seasons in which injuries have derailed a Jays team that, at times, has pitched and hit with the very best clubs in baseball.Now the Jays j...
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Largest Baseball Crowd EVER Sees The Red Sox Stomp The Dodgers
2008-03-30 11:40:00
It was truly a sight to see. The LA Coliseum was packed with a baseball record 115,300 people, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game. The Red Sox beat the Dodgers by a score of 7-4, but it became that close only near the game's end. This is from the Sunday Boston Herald. I have to admit I was only able to stay up for the first inning or so. I guess I was up too early on Saturday morning. Here you go...?It was really a pretty special night for everybody involved with both teams, both organizations,? he said. ?I don?t think any of us knew what to expect but (the Dodgers) did a great job and the players did a good job focusing on the game and not the close porch. It ended up being a pretty special night.?Catcher Kevin Cash said that batters were complaining about the lighting but otherwise there were no major beefs with the odd configuration.?It wasn?t nearly as bad as I thought it would be,? said Cash, who acknowledged that his three-run homer in the second inning probably wo...
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A Surreal LA Night-Where Else?
2008-03-29 10:36:00
Good morning on this cold and dark Saturday. The Boston Red Sox play their first of three exhibition games against the LA Dodgers in quite the setting-the Los Angeles Coliseum. They hope to set a baseball attendance record as more than 115,000 fans are expected. That's three and a half Fenway Parks, more than two Yankee Stadiums filled to their capacities! Here are some interesting facts about the late night (at least here) game, to be broadcast on NESN at 10:00pm EDT..."The Dodgers are coming back to the Coliseum one more time to play the Red Sox in an exhibition game, and officials are hoping for a world-record baseball crowd of 115,000."I remember the Coliseum all too well," said commissioner Bud Selig, who watched the Sox in Japan and plans to be at tonight's game. "My team, the Milwaukee Braves, lost the 1959 pennant there. I remember those Wally Moon shots. There's a lot of history here. We're recreating something from 47, 48 years ago, and it's just amazing."It'll be a ...
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Beckett Looks AND Feels Great!
2008-03-28 11:59:00
Josh Beckett pitched against the Double A team from New Britain, Connecticut (one town away from me!) called the Rock Cats, and he looked mahvelous, as Billy Crstal used to say. He went 4 innings, shutout ones too, throwing 47 pitches, 35 (!!) for strikes, while allowing one hit, striking out 6 and walking none. After seeing Lester and Daisuke in Japan, the walk total and the ball to strike ratio are refreshingly good ones. Josh "Baseball" Beckett's future plans are now NOT up in the air. This is from the Boston Herald... "Beckett is scheduled to join the team for its three-game series in Toronto from April 4-6. If all goes as planned, Beckett then could make his first start of the season in the series finale, but, as Francona explained, ?That?s not etched in stone.??I told him, ?We?re going to include you in on this conversation,? ? Francona said. ?For me, it?s good because he?s healthy. He?s just trying to get ramped up for the season. Everything?s been great, that?s why there is...
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Back In The U.S. Back In The U.S. Back In The U.S. of A.
2008-03-27 10:40:00
Like a time machine morphing eastward, the Boston Red Sox jetted into Los Angeles and landed in the early evening. Because of the time difference, while adding an hour on the clock with each passing thousand miles or so, the Sox gained half a day. I have a few things to say about the two games from the Dome of Tokyo, but first here are a few comments from the Sox owners and players about their trip home. This is from the Boston Globe, with my thanks. The entire article will be linked when you click on the title..."This trip was the best and the worst," said owner John Henry as he waited for baggage. Henry was one of the few who didn't sleep on the 12-hour flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles."I'm looking forward to having my first hamburger," added team chairman Tom Werner."There's still 10 minutes to get a bet down on last night's game," added a member of the traveling party who shall remain nameless." (HaHa! Great line!)Peter here, and that WAS funny! A few of the things that bot...
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It's Time For Baseball Again In The Land Of The Rising Sun
2008-03-26 10:37:00
The Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A's are almost ready to battle again in the Tokyo Dome. I'm glad you liked my version of a live blog, but it was more a series of updates until the final exciting innings. At that time it became more of a batter by batter, pitch by pitch summary. I had fun, especially because the Sox pulled it out.Today, hard throwing Rich Harden will take on our very own Jon Lester, unbeaten in his last 15 starts. I will be back with periodic updates when I can. Congratulations go out to Manny Ramirez and Brandon Moss for bashing the hits JUST when we needed them! And today the lineup is the same, including Brandon Moss in right for the hurting JD Drew. Coco will be in center. After his night (err...morning) yesterday, that's a great thing! I'll be back every half inning or so...it would be nice to score first today, and cruise, with no nervous moments. But somehow, I don't think so. Here we go, my friends. I thank you so much for your gleeful responses after...
More About: Baseball , Time , Land , Rising Sun

A Wonderful Email From Japan...I Have To Share It With You
2008-03-25 21:57:00
Before the game today, I left a comment on my friend's blog. He is from Japan , and his blog name is Superbowl. He emailed me back telling me about his day today, the first day of Red Sox Nation joining Red Sox International. I want to share his email with you..Hello !Thanks for your comment on my blog !In fact I went to the Tokyo Dome today with my friend....without ticketsWe each walked and walked around for ticket outside of the Dome.I found a man who had a extra ticket.and he said he's going to sell it original price.I was flying high !but I can't cast aside my friend.I said to the man "please wait.. wait a minutes"but it's game start time and he went into the dome.We continued to look for tickets.There are many people like us around the Dome.Some are English speaking guys (maybe Americans)One of them mistook me a scalper and talk to me.It's getting colder outside and we started on homeward journey overwhelmed.I returned home and turned on the TV, I saw Moss tied with the ho...
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AND SO IT BEGINS!
2008-03-25 10:45:00
I'm sitting here on this pre-dawn Tuesday morning listening to the Japanese music echoing throughout the Tokyo Dome as the on the field dancers carrying huge Red Sox symbols march across the spacious field and the band plays "Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue." I, of course, am tuned into NESN's Red Sox pre-game coverage on NESN HD. And it's a beautiful sight indeed. Tickets were hard to come by for the Japanese contingent of Red Sox International, and the pre-game festivities almost have the feeling of a fall football game. But this is baseball, and it's back! The introduction of the two teams is just commencing, with any Sox mentions getting huge ovations. It's now nearing 6am edt, and soon, soon, we WILL have baseball. Here is the just announced Red Sox starting lineup...Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Big Papi Davis Ortiz, Sir Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, JD Drew, Jason "Captain" Varitek, Jacoby Ellsbury and Julio Lugo. And warming up in the bullpen, the Boston Red So...

Wonderful Wakes And Dandy Drew
2008-03-24 10:56:00
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Yomiuri Giants 9-2 yesterday, and the stars were Tim Wakefield and JD Drew , who obviously enjoys hitting the Japanese version of a baseball. He mashed a grand slam in the victory over the Giants just one day after he clubbed a three run homer against the Hanshin Tigers. He said this after the game..."I wish those innings counted right there," Drew said, likely only half joking. "I would have a couple home runs and some RBIs."Peter back once again. Tim Wakefield had clearance to go six innings, but Tito Francona opted to take him out after 5 2/3 to allow the relievers to get some mound time. This is also from the Boston Globe..."Giving up two runs on five hits, Wakefield could have gone longer, but Francona wanted to get work for four relievers. And Wakefield termed himself in regular-season form, with some good curveballs, though he said he didn't have his "best stuff." That might be because the past few days were pretty rough, according to the pitch...
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A Glaring Weakness?? It Could Be!
2008-03-23 10:44:00
I was thinking last night (yes, sometimes I do that!) about what could be a possibly glaring weakness of the 2008 Boston Red Sox. What weakness? I'll tell you. It's very early on Sunday morning, so I work a little slower. At least my mind does. The weakness is this...who will be our fifth starter and for how long before a change is made. That was EXACTLY the question posed in a Boston Globe discussion group that I spied earlier. Here are the choices they offered, and one (just one example of many) answer that made perfect sense to me. I'll be back with a comment after you read this...a. Tavarezb. Colonc. Buchholzd. Other************************************ ******* ANSWER: (one of many-PN)Posted by Joe Breidey on Mar-22 10:47 AM"Tav for at least a month, without a doubt. I penciled Tav in the 5th spot as soon Schill's injury was revealed. It's no secret Buch's inning total will be held to around 180 at the most. Frankly I'd rather see short AAA outings from Buch to begin th...

MANNY Making Sense!
2008-03-22 21:15:00
His words, not mine. But I like 'em. Here you go. He addresses his eventual home run totals, and SO much more..."Just another milestone that I'm going to accomplish," Ramírez said before the Red Sox' 6-5 exhibition win over the Hanshin Tigers Saturday, of reaching 500 home runs. "But my train doesn't stop there. Six hundred. I want to play because I love the game. If I play six more years, why not? I'm pretty sure I'm going to reach it."If my body feels good, I'm going to keep playing. Why stop? You love the game, why you've got to stop? Age is just a number."Ramírez, who will be 36 in May, has said this spring that he is not just hoping but expecting the Red Sox to pick up both options on his contract, each for a year at $20 million. "They're not stupid," Ramírez said. "They know. They know I can play and I'm ready. That's it. I'm going to get the two options, then I'm going to get a four-year deal. I'm just going to go and get it."Peter here. Sir Manny said it, and I...
More About: Sense

Boston Red Sox 6 Hanshin Tigers 5
2008-03-22 10:40:00
Big Papi David Ortiz hit a mammoth 500 plus foot home run but Clay Buchholz had another too short outing as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Hanshin Tigers by a score of 6-5. Clay "Bee" pitched 3 2/3 innings, throwing 76 pitches, 45 of them for strikes. He said this after his rather rough outing..."Overall, I thought it went pretty well. I left a couple of pitches up over the plate and that hurt," said Buchholz, who pitched a no-hitter last Sept. 1 in his second major league start. "The Tiger hitters stayed back on the ball better than I thought they might."So the Sox finally got to play a game. I worry about this topsy-turvy end of their pre-season, for they are missing out on the normal spring training schedule of games. Until yesterday, that is. They will play another exhibition game later today. All the regular season contests will be on NESN, and ESPN2 (with NESN) will screen the season opener on Tuesday morning. EARLY Tuesday morning. Be there!In other somewhat disturbing news,...
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BONZAI! The Japan Schedule...
2008-03-21 10:53:00
While the Boston Red Sox sleep, or at least try to, I'm here on this Good Friday early morning writing to you. I wish every one of you a happy and healthy holiday weekend. Easter already. My goodness! Passover does not begin until April 20th, and the two holidays, which are usually close on the calender, are separated by almost a month. So the matzoh will have to wait. I like mine soaked in whipped eggs, almost as if the eggs were to be scrambled and sizzled. It's called Fried Matzoh, and with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper (some people use maple syrup, but that's too sweet for me), it's delicious. You can tell it's breakfast time here in Connecticut, and I'm a willing participant. I'm also the head cook and primary dishwasher. And I don't mind one bit.The Red Sox play their first two regular season games on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25th and 26th. Both games commence at 6:05 AM EDT. They'll also play exhibition games against the Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Gi...
More About: Japan , Schedule