The only pitcher to save three All-star games was Dennis Eckersley, in 1988, 1990, and 1991.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam Baseball’

My take – Just another cool stat about one of the most dominant and well-rounded pitchers from the last 30 years!  Eck is cool!!!

Every year, whether a team won 90-plus games like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or a team’s season ended in April like the Washington Nationals, every team faces major offseason decisions.

Some decisions are solely made for the next season and some decisions can shape the course of the franchise for a years to come. Decisions can be made by trades, arbitration, and of course, free agency.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, they face an offseason of free agency that will define the course of their franchise for years to come.

The Cardinals have a myriad of impending free agents, including Matt Holliday, Joel Pineiro, Mark DeRosa, Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, John Smoltz, Khalil Greene, and Todd Wellemeyer.

However, the most important free agent for the Cardinals is manager Tony LaRussa. LaRussa’s contract is up at the end of the month and if LaRussa doesn’t come back, it could set the Cardinals’ franchise back for years to come.

LaRussa is a free agent at the end of the month

LaRussa gives the Cardinals credibility and credibility usually means winning. When players come to play for LaRussa, they know they are in a winning environment. Top players always want to play for him (unless your name is Scott Rolen).

Just think about the course of events if LaRussa leaves.

If LaRussa leaves, then pitching coach Dave Duncan leaves. Duncan is just as important to the Cardinals’ success as LaRussa. Duncan, time and time again is able to take mediocre pitchers and turn them into winners.

Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, Mike Moore, Dennis Eckersly, Jeff Suppan, and Chris Carpenter all had their careers turned around by Duncan.

That allows the Cardinals to spend their resources on offensive players such as Larry Walker, Jim Edmonds, Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Albert Pujols.

Speaking of Pujols.

If LaRussa leaves at the end of the month, it could very possibly mean Pujols could leave after the 2010 season. Pujols is a free agent at the end of the 2010 season and I would say right now there is an 85 percent chance he stays with the Cardinals.

If LaRussa leaves, then I would say that percentage goes down to 25. Pujols has only played for LaRussa in his career and has said that all he wants is for the Cardinals to put a competitive team on the field year after year. Pujols knows every year his teams have a chance of competing with LaRussa at the helm.

Do you think he is going to take a home-town discount playing for Eric Wedge (I am just throwing his name out there. He is not rumored to be going to the Cardinals if LaRussa leaves) or some second rate manager?

That is why LaRussa coming back is so important. Him leaving sets off a chain of events that could set the Cardinals into rebuilding mode after the 2010 season.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., GM John Mozeliak, LaRussa met for two hours yesterday reviewing the season.

It will be interesting to see what happens with LaRussa. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on LaRussa coming back and signing a new deal with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals just wouldn’t be the same without him.

With Jerry Remy finally returning to the NESN broadcast booth tonight at Fenway (albeit part time), I want to look back and thank Don Orsillo for all that he has done for Red Sox Nation over the past four months. After losing his partner to complications from cancer surgery on  April 30th of this year, Announcer Boy, as he was dubbed by Tim Wakefield, has had 23 different personalities in the booth with him. It is a testiment to his professionalism that this guy, who doesnt get half the attention that his good friend Remy does (by design, he’s a classic straight man), has kept his broadcasts so smooth and been a rock for a fan base missing a big part of its leadership.

D.O.’s contribution to the Red Sox is often overlooked, but if you look back to the many amazing things to happen to the Sox in the regular season over the past eight years, it is Orsillo’s voice that you hear giving the play by play and  helping to secure those memories in our minds. Who can forget his call during the stretch run in 2004 when newly arrived Orlando Cabrera homered to give the Sox another walk off win, “Orlando Cabrera is tonight’s Red Sox hero!” Or the Mothers Day Miracle, when he was just as excited as all of us were at home, and it showed in the way that he recounted the events to us. My personal favorite call was in the lost season of 2006, when SMC, Myself and much of the usual suspects were preparing to watch the Marathon pass by on Beacon Street and the day was made by Orsillo’s screams as Mark Loretta’s Walk Off home run settled into the Monster seats.

Here is a list of the 26 people to share Donny O’s booth this season, provided by Sons of Sam Horn, and Orsillo himself during a mailbox column on NESN.com (my comments in parenthesis):

Jerry Remy(of course), Joe McDonald ProJo Writer who was in the booth during spring training), Andy Freed, Dave Roberts (Stole Second Base), Sean McAdam, Ken Rosenthal (thinks the Sox are racist), Jim Kaat (the best of the short timers, good analysis, good personality), Tony Massarotti, Dwight Evans, Brian Daubach,  Nick Cafardo, Buck Martinez (Painful, but at least he’s not Tim McCarver), Sam Kennedy, Lou Gorman, Ron Coomer, Mike Dee, Theo Epstein, Rance Mullinicks (who?), Meg Vallaincourt, Larry Lucchino, Sean Casey (he’s great on the MLB Network too), Joe Castiglione, Rex Hudler, Dennis Eckersley(The Best of the Rest, by far), Bob Montgomery(used to call games with McDonough on TV38, for some reason my parents once bought me an autographed picture of him with ihs golf clubs, hilarious), Frank Viola.

As his good friend gets attetion showered on him tonight in his return to the booth, we here at GetOutofMyBallpark want to salute and thank Don Orsillo for all of the fine work he has done this season in less than perfect conditions. Thanks Don, without you this would have been a completely different season.

Go Sox.

Done.

Our winning streak against the Yanks was snapped on the first night of the series.  John Smoltz effectively proved once and for all that he’s no longer got it.  In fact, he’s got so little of it that he was officially released.  Finally.  Anyway, we eventually got swept.  The series lasted four games, and we lost all four.  Two were shutouts.  The first was Junichi Tazawa’s first Major League decision; it was a loss in fifteen innings.  Just saying the phrase “fifteen innings” makes me feel very lucky not to be a reliever.  On the whole, I don’t really think I can even describe my rage and despair.  Let’s just say that wasn’t the Red Sox team we’d been seeing up to this point.  And that it was painful.  Really painful.  Really, really painful.  Between that and us dropping our two previous games with Tampa Bay, we’d lost six in a row to our division rivals.  Great.  But it gets better.

We took three of four from Detroit, including our win on August 12.  The one where Youk charged the mound.  Basically, it all started when Brad Penny beaned somebody the night before.  Then Youk was beaned but just took first base.  Junichi Tazawa started the next game and retaliated by hitting Miguel Cabrera on the hand.  He left the game at his next at-bat.  (That’s when the whole retaliation thing gets sticky, especially when you’ve got an inexperienced kid on the mound.  Tazawa went on to get the win, by the way.) Rick Porcello responded by going up and in on V-Mart, who wasn’t very happy.  But then when Youk came to bat, Porcello did in fact hit him on the back.  Youk snapped, charged the mound, threw his helmet at the kid, and tackled him to the ground.  Both benches cleared and the bullpen came out.  It was ugly.  Youk and Porcello were both tossed.  Now, this is a difficult situation to interpret.  The key here is to determine whether Porcello hit Youk on purpose.  If he did, Youk at least had a motivating reason for his actions.  (That’s not to say he’s excused for it; that’s to say we know why he did it.) If he doesn’t, Youk doesn’t.  So let’s look at the big picture.  The retaliation was going back and fourth; beaning attempts were made by both sides.  It looked like Porcello tried to get V-Mart and didn’t but was successful in his attempt on Youk, who for some reason always takes more of his fair share of hit-by-pitches.  On the other hand, when you analyze the pitch, it appears that the ball may have simply gotten away from Porcello.  After the brawl, Jim Leyland had a long conversation with Tito, perhaps explaining that his young arm didn’t do it on purpose.  Then again, that’s tough to buy when the kid fired on V-Mart and missed.  Either way, Youk will serve his time.  That’ll hurt, but luckily no injuries were sustained.

After Youk was thrown out, Lowell came in.  He’s been spending more and more time on the bench lately now that we have V-Mart, which is highly unfortunate.  And when he came in, he showed why.  Two balls hit well out of the park are pretty good proof he’s still got it, I’d say.

Tito was ejected in the same game.  He argued a close call at first.  Yeah.  That was quite the game.

We re-acquired Alex Gonzalez.  His fielding percentage in 2006 was a franchise-record-breaking .985.  If only he’d consistently batted a third of that.

Tim Wakefield completed a rehab outing with the PawSox and is making good progress.  Kottaras caught him.

Brian Anderson saw action in a Boston uniform, and Josh Reddick was sent down to the PawSox to take his place.  Anderson, a good defender, will replace Drew, who’s currently dealing with a sore groin (again) and isn’t expected to start until tonight.

Jed Lowrie and Rocco Baldelli are both on the fifteen-day disabled list.  Jason Bay is luckily off, which means that Youk doesn’t have to continue playing left field.  Jerry Remy says he’s got a date in mind for returning this season, and I’m looking forward to it.  Not that Eck and Dave Roberts haven’t been doing a great job.  They have.  But Remdawg’s been missed.  He says his leave of absence was lengthened by depression, but I think I speak for all of Red Sox Nation when I say that we hope he gets well soon.

There was one more thing I wanted to add.  One more very important thing I wanted to address.  What was it again? Oh, yeah.  We’re seven and a half games behind the Yankees in second place.  Only three ahead of the Rays, who are currently in third.  We’re half a game out of the Wild Card behind the Rangers.  In short, this is a complete and total disaster.  What we are witnessing here is a breakdown of the team as a whole.  Something’s gone horribly wrong.  We need hitting and pitching, when just a short time ago it seemed we had adequate or surplus amounts of both.  It’s absolutely excruciating to see a team so stacked fall so far from such high potential.  I mean, this state of affairs can not continue.  It’s pretty much impossible for this team to sustain such a low level of performance when its key members are healthy.  We are in an extremely sizable hole right now.  There can be no doubt about that.  But we’ve dug ourselves out of worse.  We’re capable.  That’s all I’m saying.  That, and I would just like to state again that it’s painful.  Really painful.  Really, really painful.  It’s like watching a catastrophe in slow motion.  At this rate, it will be a catastrophe in slow motion.  It’s starting to feel sickeningly like 2006.  Nuff ced.  Honestly, I can’t even talk about it.

Frank Galasso

Smoltz will be remembered as one of the best postseason pitchers of all time.

When Boston cut ties with starting pitcher John Smoltz last week, the Red Sox likely brought the end to a memorable career for the 42-year-old right hander. Though probably best known for a bizarre incident in which he burned himself while ironing a shirt that was still on his body (at least he didn’t pull a Marty Cordova, baseball’s original metro-sexual, who burned himself tanning), Smoltz also managed to carve out a niche in baseball history as a member of the Atlanta Braves’ pitching troika of the 1990’s that featured Smoltz, Omar Daal Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Those three pitchers were the cornerstone of an Atlanta team that won 14 consecutive division crowns (not surprisingly, a record) and a World Series title in 1995. However, the greatest achievement of Smoltz’s career may have been his successful transition from starter to reliever back to starter (and possibly back to reliever if he signs with another team). Smoltz’s ability to thrive in any role, bulldog-like demeanor on the mound and clutch postseason pitching (15-4, 2.67 ERA in 40 career playoff games) make him a strong candidate to join his Braves’ teammates in Cooperstown one day.

Boston signed the veteran free-agent in the off-season in hopes that Smoltz could bolster their pitching staff during baseball’s pennant race in the always competitive AL East. Smoltz was recovering from shoulder surgery, but the aging pitcher still flashed good velocity, and after a lengthy rehab program joined the Red Sox on June 26. Smoltz struggled from the get go as he fought to gain command of his secondary pitches and allowed homeruns at a career-worst rate. Things quickly went from bad to worse, and Boston finally decided to move on after Smoltz’s last start against the Yankees in which he gave up 8 runs and 9 hits in just 3 1/3 innings (or as they say in the biz, he “Ponson-ed” it). At the time of his release, Smoltz was 2-5 with a 8.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP. Multiple teams have expressed interest in Smoltz and the Red Sox have considered moving him to the bullpen, but no decision has been made yet. Despite his struggles this season, Smoltz will be fondly remembered for his storied tenure with the Braves.

Many baseball experts blame the failing health of Smoltz's beloved pug, Scuzz, for the star pitcher's struggles.

Smoltz spent 20 seasons in Atlanta, winning over 200 games and capturing the NL Cy Young award in 1996, a season in which he went 24-8 with a 2.95 ERA and 276 K’s. The talented hurler made the All-Star team in 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2007 as a starting pitcher and 2002-2003 as a closer, becoming Dennis Eckersley 2.0 in the process. Smoltz saved 154 games between 2001-04, and became only the second player in baseball history to win 20 games in one season and save 50 in another. Smoltz was converted back to a starter in 2005, and recorded his 3,000 career strikeout in an injury shortened 2008. With Maddux and Glavine both retired, Smoltz becomes the last of one of baseball’s most talented pitching trios to leave the game. The National League belonged to the Atlanta Braves in the 1990’s, and John Smoltz is a major reason why.

Even if he doesn’t sign with another team, Smoltz’s legacy as one of baseball’s fiercest competitors and clutch performers is safe. His ability to shift from the starting rotation to the bullpen and back again is truly a measure of Smoltz’s hard-work, determination and pitching prowess. Will it be enough to get him into the Hall-of-Fame? Only time will tell, but Smoltz will certainly be remembered as one of the best all-around pitchers of the 1990’s and 2000’s. Baseball lost a good one when Boston released Smoltz, but great hurlers never stop pitching…they just kind of, fade away.

the moment my love for a certain Algerian was cemented.

Some old school cats in that game. Had no idea I was seeing THE Barry Bonds, back then. I was in fourth grade and was more interested in this older gal Peggy, than in seeing Craig Biggio, Glenn Davis, and Bill Doran eek out a win.

She was kind of a fan, and her older sister was a big fan and they were both really kind to me, and somehow I became interested in baseball. Thus beginning a 15 year affair.

I started playing that following year and got my hand eye coordination good enough to play in a few all star games as a teenager before the pressures of high school sucked the joy out of playing (and sometimes living).

For a long time I hated my father for putting so much pressure on me to be a good player, and I grew to hate him even more for trashing my collection of baseball cards as a kid.

Recently though I realized he might have done me a favor. I used to view those cards as a gateway to my youth. Seeing the old cards of Cal Ripken Jr. Bob Tewksbury, or Lance Blankenship still bring about memories of riding my bike to the card shop and plopping down some moulah for the chance at a Darryl Strawberry in Dodgers uniform…….

but now…… not quite the same…….

two strike years lost, and a huge steroids scandal has jaded me a bit.

Finding out about the ‘roids made me feel like James Spader character in Sex, Lies, and Videotape, when he finds out the girl he had on a pedestal fucked his college buddy behind his back.

Names came up and more names came up and everything jsut kind of made sense. All the talk about juiced balls, and all the on the field, bench clearing brawls were suddenly put into a different context.

But in a way i’m like so what? How many of us are on performance enhancing drugs? I’m sitting here writing this blog (and about to work on a short story) with the help of two gigantic, 16 ounce Red Bulls.

So what if it takes years off my life? I have to get this stuff done. And maybe that was the thinking during the Steroids Era. Getting it done, putting up stats and being as good as possible while you still have the chance, because when your career is over, its over, and no one thinks about you because there will always be another player to eclipse your statistics.

So in a way I get it, but still, it takes a little of the luster off the game I had held in such high esteem.

I guess aging does that to you. You get a different sort of perspective on things, and players become people, fucking up like everyone else but having it appear in headlines everywhere.

Players die, players retire, players go bankrupt and get divorced.

I finally learned to seperate what a player does on the field with the off the field stuff.

True Lenny Dykstra had one of the most phenomenal post season runs I’ve ever seen (and should’ve won the ‘93 MVP in my opinion), but does that make him a decent human being?

Even if there weren’t the scandals and the strike stuff, it seems inevitable that I’d outgrow the sport. The last world series I watched with any interest was the last one with the Yankees, in 2003 when they lost to the Florida Marlins.

Even back then my interest was waning. A friend of mine once remarked that baseball was too slow for him, and boring, and I told him I liked the pace of the game, that I found it relaxing.

But that changed. Maybe my life got more complicated and the pace of basketball and international soccer resonated more with me, or maybe baseball really did become boring.

I just noticed that going to the game and sitting still for three hours became harder and harder. Unless I went with a friend, I found myself falling asleep in my chairs, a bit too relaxed by the near silence of crowds, smell of chalk, grass, and roasted weiners and peanuts.

The days of visiting cities just to watch a game in their ballparks are over. Tickets are too expensive and I don’t know any of the players out there anymore.

New and exciting NBA players have won me over, and the intensity of international soccer draws me away from the stop and start of baseball and football.

Besides I can’t stand all the constant advertisements that bombard you inside and outside the stadium. All the parks are owned by banks, and billboards dominate the venues, it used to be a simple church organ between innings and a generic wall. Now every outfield is sponsored by TBS or Staples, or Taco Bell.

In 2006 I fell in love with a certain soccer player who reminded me of a certain hockey player I had a man crush on.

Zinedine Zidane took the French national team as far as it could go without winning. Displaying the characteristics of something I’d recognized. Armed with deft passing skills, a steely glance, and a champion’s cool, I found myself wrapped up in the ‘06 World Cup, realizing that the intensity of the fan base was a major attraction to the sport.

No matter where I was, no matter the nationality of a person I came across while traveling, I found that soccer was an interesting starting point to engage a complete stranger (often foreign) in conversation.

That combined with countless hours of playing the FIFA video game with my roommates in Austin, got me to start tuning into UEFA Leagues and Champions Leagues and I’m a full fledged fan now, even if Zidane retired.

So it goes. Old relationships die, new ones start up, right?

I went to a Tulsa Drillers game tonight with teh kids and it was fun. I didn’t know a single player’s name, and didn’t care. I was just watching baseball. Didn’t care about stats or anything, just enjoying the fundamentals of executing a bunt, or a double steal, and witnessing the beauty of a 6-4-3 double play.

It was great. Tickets are cheaper at minor leauge games. Less frills between innings, better seats, less lines for cheaper concessions, and real fans.

The kids were ready to leave after six innings and I didn’t blame them, baseball is a slow and often boring game. Kind of like 1,000’s of people sitting down to watch a chess match (although I rather enjoy chess).

Its not for everyone and maybe not for me anymore, but I will always look back in fondness at certain players and moments I was lucky enough to witness.

I got to watch the two greatest World Series of my lifetime in 1991 (Twins-Braves Smoltz and Jack Morris 10 inning duel) and 2001 (Diamondbacks-Yankees 7 games extra inning affair as well).

I witnessed in person a perfect game thrown by Randy Johnson with a high school teammate in Atlanta in 2004.

I got to see Bo Jackson, George Brett, Matt Williams, Andre Dawson, David Cone, Nolan Ryan, Carlton Fisk, Roberto Alomar, Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley play ball at one time or another.

I’ve been to Wrigley Field, Turner Field, Dodgers Stadium, Roylas Stadium, The Sky Dome, the Astrodome, Ballpark in Arlington. I’ve been on the field at Oakland Coliseum. I even took a plane to Pittsburgh to see the Pirates game. I was a huge fan of the sport.

I enjoyed just coming to the game and sitting for hours, watching and thinking, and talking ball.

And as much as I loved watching, I enjoyed playing even more. Just stepping across the chalk lines brought a smile to my face. I miss having teammates and having reasons to high five, and focusing on tendencies and stealing bases.

Had I known how much focus, and preparation went into being a good player, things may have been different for me. I wish I’d have known just how much of playing the game (and even living life) was mental.

I certainly regret not getting the most out of my ability. Its tough knowing that I wasn’t as good of a player as I could’ve been. I’m thirty years old now, and in what should be the peak of a player’s athletic conditioning and career.

I’d like to think I’d join another men’s league and play until I’m seventy like Bill “the Spaceman” Lee. And if not that then at least coach a bit. Who’s to say what will happen.

I can say that the only way you’ll catch me at a major league game is if someone I know is playing on a major league ballclub. Its refreshing to say that I have better things to do than to spend 30 dollars on a seat in a ballpark named after some corporation.

That’s too expensive of a nap. I’d rather just turn on the television and fall asleep on the couch.

MLB Babble has now moved to the Most Valuable Network. The URL is still the same—http://mlbbabble.com—but I will no longer be posting on this WordPress blog. I have placed this update on all pages in an attempt to redirect visitors to the updated blog. Again, the URL is the same—http://mlbbabble.com. Thanks for reading!

The 80th annual MLB All Star Game was, unlike the Home Run Derby, a real treat to watch. There was some great pitching (mostly by the American League), some great hitting (Joe Mauer, Adam Jones), great plays in the field (Carl Crawford, Chase Utley, Albert Pujols), and just overall great play all throughout.

MLB did a beautiful job with all the pre-Game production. From honoring the community heroes, to bringing out Stan Musial, to involving all the living presidents, everything was really well done.

Starters Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum were the only two disappointments on the night. Every other pitcher, for the most part, seemed to succeed to some degree. This leads me to believe that the two starters may have felt a little pressure, as there is a stark contrast between their performance and the collective performance of the subsequent pitchers.

That all being said, here are some interesting facts about the Game:

• When Roy Halladay batted, he used Evan Longoria’s helmet; he removed the Tampa Bay Rays logo from the front.
• AL pitchers retired 18 straight NL batters until Joe Nathan’s 8th inning two out walk to Adrian Gonzalez.
• Mariano Rivera broke his tie with Dennis Eckersley for most saves in All Star Game history, saving his fourth game.
• This was the first time that Rivera pitched against manager Joe Torre.
• The AL has won by one run each of the last three All Star Games.
• Seven pitchers had innings of ten pitches or less. (Edwin Jackson threw just four pitches.)
• There were only two walks in the entire game, one of which was intentional.
• Former All Star MVP Miguel Tejada made the final out.
• The game was a short, crisp two hours, 31 minutes.
• The AL has won 12 of the last 13 games, including the infamous extra inning tie.

I did, however, have a few gripes about some of the happenings in the Game:

• Simply put, there were just too many players on the rosters. Every time the camera was on the dugout, you could see that there was barely any room to move about.
• Fox’s presentation was solid for the most part, but the sound did cut out during a third inning interview with Roy Halladay. We never did get to hear it.
• St. Louis native Mark Buerhle was the second AL pitcher used—ahead of Zack Greinke.
• Josh Hamilton did not deserve to be in the starting lineup, although he did show up, going 1-3 with an RBI.
• Shane Victorino, the 33rd man voted in out of five potential players, was the starting centerfielder for the NL, taking Carlos Beltran’s place. Undeserved.
• Jonathan Papelbon proved why he is not Mariano Rivera, almost blowing the game had it not been for Carl Crawford’s spectacular play.

All in all, it was a great night for baseball, and it more than made up for last night’s Home Run Derby debacle. Papelbon got the win, Heath Bell took the loss, and Rivera, the save. Carl Crawford was the deserved All Star Game MVP.

Bravo to Major League Baseball.

Honestly, we played the Royals last night, and Zack Greinke was not on the mound.  We should’ve won.  By a lot.  Instead we lost by a final score of 8-6.  And it had nothing to do with Brad Penny.  He hasn’t pitched past the sixth inning once this year, and yesterday he only pitched through five, but that’s okay with me if he holds the opposition to three runs.  Incidentally, that’s why his ERA is so high even though he’s been consistently solid.  He doesn’t allow many runs but his outings are short.  Anyway, we should be able to score more than three runs, and we have the best bullpen in the Majors, which can handle four innings of work with a lead.  Right? Apparently not.

Manny Delcarmen came in and only stayed for two-thirds of the sixth, allowing two runs in the process.  Somehow he was rewarded with a hold.  Masterson earned a blown save and a loss when he allowed two more runs while trying to finish the inning.  Ramirez allowed one run.  Bard didn’t allow any.  Papelbon didn’t even make an appearance.  So now we’re tied with the Evil Empire for first place, which is not a predicament I particularly enjoy.  Seriously.  And we have the Twins to thank for that one, who allowed themselves to be swept at home.  By the way, did you know Twins fans refer to their team as the Twinkies? Basically, that means a bunch of pre-packaged, pre-processed, and preserved cream-filled desserts were just swept by a bunch of greedy multimillionaires in striped pants.  And we have to pay for it.  Where is the justice.  And as if that weren’t enough, we lost the best home record in the AL.  Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone anywhere could ever have a better home record than us.  Granted, both are temporary, but it’s all just very uncomfortable.

The silver lining to this whole thing is, without a doubt, the 300th career home run hit by one David Ortiz! Big Papi, ladies and gentlemen! First inning, Youk on first, one out, and a ball down and away.  And I thought he was trying to take the skin off the ball.  It just ended up in the Monster seats.  He was all over it, as Eck likes to say.  I mean he had it.  And it cleared the yard for the 300th home run of his illustrious career.  Congratulations! And many more to come.  How impressive has he been lately.  Think about what it was like watching him bat in the beginning of the season, and think of what it’s like now.  He’s come a very long way in a very short time; already he’s been able to accumulate eleven home runs and forty-four RBIs.  And I’d say he’s most definitely got a whole lot left in the tank.  He’s on pace to have one ridiculous second half.

Speaking of home runs, Pedroia the Destroyah got in on the action as well.  His three-for-five night included a towering home run also into the Monster seats on a high fastball in the fifth.  He’s had only two home runs for a while, and then all of a sudden he’s hit two in the past week to make it four.  He just smacked it out of there.  Bay hit an RBI single, Youk went two for five with an RBI, and Kotsay had an RBI, which makes six.  Green was caught stealing and picked off, and Tek made a throwing error.

Last but not least, we should probably address all of this Roy Halladay nonsense.  We do not need another pitcher.  We need another hitter.  We will win the World Series with our current pitching staff, which eventually can include Clay Buchholz and Dice-K, if he gets his act together.  Besides, in order for JP Ricciardi to seriously consider forking him over, we’d have to present quite the package.  Which would have to include the likes of Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Lars Anderson, and Casey Kelly.  At least.  And trading those guys away would literally be trading away our future.  Theo would never fall for that.  Not for a pitcher who’s already more than thirty years old, and not at a time when our weakness is offense, not defense.  In Theo we trust.  He’s got a good head on his shoulders.

Lester will face Brian Bannister tonight, and we have to win this one.  We have to.  Falling into second place just before the All-Star break is not a good idea.  Obviously it won’t be the end of the world, but it’s not a good idea at all.  We’ll need Lester to be on his game.  The sad part is that Bannister and Lester have similar records and ERAs, Lester’s being a little bit worse.  But come on, these are the Royals.  We can do this.

AP Photo

So for the last week, I’ve been away. Some of you may noticed, others may not have (only three people read this so there must be a majority either way). But while I was away, I took the time to stop and smell the roses and learn some new things (in between sessions of beating up my liver).  Here is what I remember:

10. Chicago is a great city, but it is nothing like Boston. Sure, the people are more laid back than New York, but the city looks different, is more segregated and allows drink specials in bars. The most important difference is that while people are similarly laid back, there are fewer assholes per square mile (except on Montrose beach, where people just dont pay attention and walk right through your Cornhole game) and nobody uses the horn on their car. We should conquer them, rename the city “Bostonisbetterthanyouville” and then get wasted with the locals on some of those truly amazing drink specials.

9. I hate the Mets. No, not as much as the Yankees, but the fact that they cant win one of three against them makes them about as useful as the entire city of Newark, NJ.

8. Back in the day it used to be that you could travel to buy products that you couldn’t get at home or foods that weren’t shipped to where you live. Today, you can get anything you want over the internet, and that part of the experience has been taken out of travel to a point. The one thing that you can travel for is beer. In Chicago I drank Goose Island (Honker’s Ale and 312), New Belgium (Fat Tire) and Murphy’s Bleachers ales which I cannot get at home. This added to the experience of being away greatly as it was not just the visual experience which was different, but the taste of the city as well.

7. Every day I am away I miss NESN more. Nuff ‘Ced.

6. From now on Every time I travel for more than a weekend I am going to find a Red Sox bar in whatever city I am in. They are everwhere and walking in to them makes you feel like you are at home. Plus, you can watch the game on NESN, on every TV. Big ups to the Tripoli Tap. I didn’t get to make it there this trip but you’ve made me feel at home in the past.

5. Play Cornhole. It has nothing to do with butt sex, as it may seem, but is a great alternative to sitting while you drink and doesn’t require you to dig out a horshoe pit or put up a dart board.

4. Everywhere you go you will see Red Sox fans, and they will always see you and give you the acknowledgement head nod. It’s a brotherhood.

3. We seem to have forgotten what it was like for us in Red Sox Nation before 2004, when winning became expected and the horrible collapse unthinkable. I was on my way to the airport during the U.S. – Brazil Soccer game on Sunday with my buddy Jimmy Junk (also known as the cheapest man ever), and we heard on the radio that we (that would be the Amurrrricns) were winning two-nil in the 27th (yup, 27th) minute. Junk actually started to celebrate, thinking it was all over and that the rest of the world was going to have another reason to hate us (well F@#$ you too). But I knew different, as that little part of me that wasn’t killed by the Greatest Comeback In Sports History spoke up and told me to stop counting chickens. Sure enough I was right. We should be pissed that we didn’t win it all, not happy that we made it that far. If the U.S. doesn’t win the World Cup next summer I’ll be dissapointed.

2. Eck is getting better at teaching people about the art of pitching every day, even as his vocabulary expands. Last night, as He Who Shall Not Be Doubted (so nasty) was shutting down the O’s, Eck had a sequence where he taught us about establishing the inside, even with a ball, and then making Aubrey Huff look like my sister at the plate by throwing outside. I don”t know if I’m the only one but I wouldn’t mind seeing a three man booth once the Rem Dawg gets back.

1. The Red Sox are really really good and everyone else is jealous.

Go Sox.

Done.

Mariano Rivera saved his 500th game last night.  He ranks second all time (Trevor Hoffman 571) in saves, and first all time in post season saves (34), and ERA (.  Is Mariano Rivera the best closer of all time?  Considering the fact that he has played in New York for the past 13 seasons, and has handled the pressure with ease, I would say so.  There are three sure things in life, death taxes, and Mariano Rivera sealing the deal in the 9th inning.  Rivera is considered by many baseball experts to be the greatest closer in baseball history, despite many baseball experts unfavorably comparing modern closers to those who pitched between the 1960s and 1980s. The role of the modern closer has received criticism for becoming too specialized and easy; closers in past decades often entered games in the middle of innings with runners on base and had to pitch multiple innings, while modern closers are usually called upon to only pitch the ninth inning from the start. Despite being utilized like a modern closer^, Rivera has achieved a reputation as an all-time great reliever. Hall of Fame starter-turned-closer Dennis Eckersley calls Rivera “the best ever, no doubt”, while Trevor Hoffman, the only closer with more saves than Rivera, says he “will go down as the best reliever in the game in history”. Buster Olney says, “No other player can instill calm in his team’s fans as reliably as Mariano Rivera, the game’s dominant closer and arguably the best relief pitcher of all time.” Joe Torre, who managed Rivera for most of his career, says, “He’s the best I’ve ever been around. Not only the ability to pitch and perform under pressure, but the calm he puts over the clubhouse.” Based on his career performance, many baseball journalists consider Rivera to be the most valuable Yankees player from the team’s late 1990s championship years. Although voters have historically been reluctant to allow relievers into the Baseball Hall of Fame sports writers and baseball experts anticipate Rivera will be voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (five years after retirement), due to his career statistics and perception as a dominating pitcher.

Mikeyrolls

While working on my Red Sox Collection on Saturday night, I came across this 1998 Pacific Online Dennis Eckersley card. Is it me, or is this perhaps one of the worst sets ever created? This set featured 800 cards — 780 different players — each card featuring the Web site dedicated to that player. For Eckersley we’re talking about http://players.bigleaguers.com/Dennis_Eckersley.html. Don’t bother trying to visit that URL, I’ve already tried it … it no longer exists.

I guess in 1998, we as a nation were still learning about the World Wide Web. Hell, most of us were still using America On-Line, paying like $39.99 a month for slow-speed Internet and trading cards through the message boards there.

It should be noted that as I write this, I lugged out my Beckett Almanac to see if there are any parallels and there actually were … and this Eck card is one of them. There were versions with red foil, and then the “Web Cards,” which is what this card is. On the back of the card there is a serial number printed in the top right corner that could have been entered into some sort of search engine on Pacific’s Web site for a chance to win an “upgraded” version, according to Beckett. (Note: “web” cards have gold foil, where as regular cards have silver.) I wonder what those “Upgrade” cards looked like? There is no picture or listing for them in the Almanac.

He's not confused, hes just trying to figure out how to make you laugh so hard you crap your pants.

I’m beginning to think that Eck actually does know what he is saying. The other night he said that he was having a “gay old time” (as if Fred Flintstone could have hair that great) and last night in the ninth he said during a replay of John Baker’s double that Baker “lifts and separates this one” to the triangle. Could it be that he has a bet with Jim Ed that he can say these things on the air, or that he knows we are watching him and want us to go nuts every time he does it? Time will tell, but I think he’s getting better at it, because last night it was seamlessly worked into his analysis. I miss Remy, but I’m learning to love Eck.

If anyone can come up with any more of these diamonds in the rough, please make it known in the comments section.

Go Sox.

Done.

We just faced a month’s worth of good teams, and we rocked it and played some of our best ball.  Now we will embark on an epic journey during which we will face a month’s worth of the worst of the worst.  So we’ll rock that too and play some even better ball.  This is a great opportunity for us to finally pull away from the rest of the AL East.  Take last night, for example.  The Marlins have struck out more than any other National League team, and they have a lot of young hitters who just don’t take pitches.  Chris Volstad wasn’t exactly helping the cause.  His strength is the sinking fastball, so when the fastball doesn’t sink, he doesn’t win, and nothing was doing anything for him last night.  And their fielding is absolutely atrocious.  In the second Nick Green hit a chopper off the home plate rubber, and it went over Volstad’s head and right in front of second base.  Dan Uggla tried to handle it but couldn’t, it bounced off Hanley Ramirez, and by the time anyone knew where the ball was Ellsbury had already crossed the plate.  Green was credited with a hit and an RBI so the Marlins got lucky but still.  Ugly play.

We scored once in the second, once in the third, and six times in the fourth.  Papi started the rally with a leadoff solo shot to right.  He finally pulled the ball.  The high fastball was in the Marlins bullpen as soon as it left his bat.  Eck literally said, “See ya” at the crack of the bat.  It was huge.  Fifth of the year.  And the irony is that it was New York who helped him get going.  Papi would finish the night perfect at the plate with a run and three RBIs.  Bay batted in two, Green batted in another and finished two for four with a run.  Drew and Youk both hit, walked, and scored, Youk with a two-out double in the eighth.  Ellsbury went two for two with two runs and two steals.  Pedroia went two for five and scored.  So some signs of life from the slumping second baseman, because in case anyone hasn’t noticed, lately Dustin Pedroia the Destroyah hasn’t been destroying anything except his batting average.  He’s popping out.  He’s grounding out.  It’s painful to watch.  And the eerie part is that his swing during this stretch looks almost exactly like the badness during the first month of his rookie year.  Of course he’ll snap out of it; everyone runs into a bad spell sooner or later.  And even when he doesn’t contribute with his bat, there’s always his clubhouse presence and his defense.  And last but not least, Kottaras went two for four with a run and an RBI and got a little creative with the last out of the fifth.  He actually pushed a chopper fair and used it to tag the batter out.  Marlins Manager Fredi Gonzalez of course had a problem with this, but the home plate umpire stayed with his call while Tito and Kottaras had a good laugh.  I love this team.

Pitching.  Very important, and not to be overlooked, especially because Wake just notched win number nine.  Six innings, two runs on six hits, a walk, and four strikeouts.  Send Wake to the All-Star Game.  That’s all I have to say about it.  Delcarmen, Saito, and Bard were all perfect.  The advantage of pitching after a knuckleballer continues to be tried and true, and that combined with the easy Marlins lineup provided good opportunities for them to find their form again.

So a great game on all counts.  Hitting and pitching.  And fielding; we were error-free (and, not coincidentally, Lugo-free).  Still two games ahead of New York, but once they lose we’ll be all over it.  Andrew Miller at Penny tonight, which brings us to our final point of business: John Smoltz.  He’s finished his rehab and will make his first start in more than a year next week, probably against the Nationals.  Incidentally, I like that matchup; the Nationals are a bad team and are not the Atlanta Braves, and they should ease him back into his groove.  Smoltz is the only pitcher in Major League history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves.  The catch is that, like I said, we have starting pitching coming out of our ears.  Like I said, Penny is not a reliever, and technically Masterson isn’t, either.  Decision time for Tito and Theo.  But, as always, the best front office in the Majors will figure it out.

AP Photo

I mentioned earlier that I picked up a blaster of 2009 Spectrum. Rather than cover every card laboriously, I thought I’d hit the box highlights. Oh, and this is probably the laziest issue I’ve seen in a few years, featuring players in their 2007 uniforms yet labeled as their 2008 team. Pretty unacceptable in a 2009 issue, I’d think. You’ll see what I mean. Not to say I don’t like the cards, though. I have a Ryan Zimmerman and thought it was nice enough to buy the box, after all, and I don’t regret it.

Magglio Ordonez, Ryan Howard, Hanley Ramirez

Justin Morneau Spectrum Swatches (I’ve pulled his auto and a swatch now – beginning to think I should collect him), Jake Peavy, Dennis Eckersley 20th anniversary set

John Smoltz (second Smoltz of the day – Definitely a theme), Xavier Nady (see what I mean? He was a Yankee for a good portion of 08), CC Sabathia (same applies here, too)

Joba Chamberlain, Aaron Rowand blue, Alex Rodriguez

Adam Dunn, David Ortiz, Brandon Phillips

Jonathan Papelbon, Erik Bedard, B.J. Upton

And that was my Saturday Break! I’m happy with what I got overall.

Amidst the unfortunate absence of Jerry Remy from the NESN booth, Dennis Eckersley has been filling in, and filling in admirably. Sure, he has some moments when his brain doesn’t catch up with his mouth and the constant references to “cheddar” and “cheese” and his other Eck-isms can be a little weird at first, I’m really enjoying listening to him call a game.

All of which leads me to an interesting thought; I wonder if NESN would ever experiment with an occasional 3-man booth for games. While it is clear that when Remy is healthy he’s back in his seat, and rightfully so, and it’s hard to argue with changing something (Don and Jerry) that has worked so excellently over the years, BUT, just because something HAS worked doesn’t mean adding beneficial pieces won’t make it even BETTER.

Now, usually I’m opposed to the adding of more people into a booth, but there are times when a three man booth can really work. For example, I end up watching a lot of games on SNY, the Mets network, and they feature at times a three man booth with Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. The thing I enjoy most about this threesome, besides their obvious chemistry and seeming real like of each other, is that each brings a very different take on the game. Ron Darling knows pitching and is able to give the viewers lots of inside information regarding how or why a pitcher would throw a pitch at any given time. Meanwhile, Keith brings the everyday player perspective to the broadcast and helps break down the action on the field and in the batter’s box from the unique position of being a former MVP player. Finally, Gary serves as the play-by-play man and nicely pivots to the two former players to help move the broadcast along. The three of them work, they’re funny and interesting together and make the broadcasts enjoyable to watch, almost so that you can forget you’re watching the Mets.

Why couldn’t that work in Boston. Now, again, I’m not saying that the NESN broadcast is broke, it ain’t, but who knows, it could get better. With Eck providing the deep pitching analysis and Jerry bringing the everyday prospective the games would become even more interesting to watch because the amount of knowledge the two men would bring. As for Don, we’ve seen that he can seemingly effortlessly switch between partners and maintain good chemistry and move the broadcast along. He’d be perfectly cast in the Gary Cohen role.

I don’t necessarily expect this to happen this season, once Remy comes back they’ll want to give him his rightful spot back and the fanfare appropriate with such a fan favorite. However, this is something they should seriously consider, especially if Remy’s health problems aren’t totally licked. I’m not advocating an every day 3-man booth either, maybe something like a once or twice a week affair that would add to certain broadcasts. Something to consider.

Please. No more. You’ve cussed on air. You’ve jinxed potential no-hitters. You’ve refused to expand your third-grade vocabulary. You’ve made it genuinely difficult to listen to an entire Red Sox game on television.

Even Tim McCarver is laughing at you. Poor Justin Masterson is still waiting for an apology for your confusing his namesake with a well-known verb for autoeroticism.  

Face it. You’re just not cut out to be sitting in a broadcast booth for a full nine innings. The Red Sox play a lot of long games and you lack the requisite stamina. Sure, you’ve gotten some national gigs for TBS in the past, but consistently providing insightful color analysis in a two-man booth isn’t for everybody. Take a cue from your brilliant pitching career and go back to closing out game broadcasts with your short, energized spurts of post-game analysis. Tell your NESN bosses you’re out of gas.

You often become noticeably annoyed by relief pitchers who refuse to throw fastballs down the middle of the plate during mop-up duty and non-save situations. You’ve apparently forgotten that these guys are pitching for their livelihood, facing professional hitters constantly trying to pad their stats. Some of these guys could hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium with half a swing of the bat. (Sorry, we didn’t mean that, bear with us.)

Your chemistry with play-by-play man Don Orsillo is unnatural—if not blatantly rife with unspoken tension. At first you were a novelty. It was cute the way you continuously used words like cheese and paint and salad over and over again. But poor Don has increasingly had to carry you to the finish line, leading you with questions about pitching in which you might respond with something intelligent, all the while keeping a cupped hand close by in case he has to muffle your latest F-bomb.

It must be tiresome for Don to hide his frustration as you struggle through reading mid-inning promotions, often sounding like a high schooler who forgot to take his Ritalin before English class. This is not meant to disparage you. We all get it. Any youngster with a talent to throw a baseball like you did would have had, at best, a casual relationship with phonics.  

Please do not worry about us viewers. As NESN awaits the return of Jerry Remy, Orsillo can do his best Vin Scully and man the booth alone. Orsillo already boasts some experience as a solo act, namely when Remy renders himself speechless during one of his classic, tangential giggle fits. Not that we’ll ever complain about Remy again… 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and Remy’s time off as he recovers from cancer has certainly made us all appreciate his consistent presence over the last 20 years. We long for a five-minute tirade about the inability of today’s players to execute a proper sacrifice bunt. We yearn for an explanation of how middle infielders decide who will cover second base in the event of a steal attempt. Heck, we’d be downright giddy to hear him predict yet another hit-and-run with Jason Varitek at the plate. We simply took for granted those little insights, too often tritely griping about Remy’s forced self-promotion of a persona contrived by publicists and marketing execs.

Now, karmic forces have left us with you, Dennis Eckersley. Please do not take this as ingratitude. Dave Roberts wasn’t exactly Bob Uecker in the booth, either. But let’s just say we won’t be too disappointed if you decide you want to head back to the Oakland A’s should a job opening become available. For old time’s sake, maybe the Coliseum will even blare George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone as you make your return.

The ‘89 A’s were the least powerful team of the A’s dynasty, and the injury to Canseco’s wrist that kept him out for the first half of the season was much of the reason why. On March 8, David Bush of the Chronicle described Jim Abbott’s spring debut and the last at-bat Canseco had before the wrist troubles emerged:

“The atmosphere at Phoenix Municipal Stadium yesterday more closely resembled that of a World Series game than the A’s fifth exhibition game of the spring.

The game’s 90-degree weather and the intimacy of the ballpark were springlike enough, but a throng of national media on the field before the California Angels whipped the A’s, 9-4, was worthy of the postseason.

The reason for all the attention was Jim Abbott, the Angels’ remarkable rookie pitcher who was born without a right hand.

Abbott, the Angels’ first-round draft choice last June out of the University of Michigan and a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, came on in the fourth inning and left in the sixth, giving up one run that wasn’t his fault and earning the victory.

Abbott had walked two hitters and had two outs when Canseco came to the plate. On the 1-2 pitch, Abbott dipped an inside slider onto Canseco’s fists and the A.L. MVP waved at it.

“I knew I had a base open but I didn’t want to give into him,” said Abbott. “It was a thrill to face Jose Canseco. That’s what this game is all about. I know it is early in spring training, but for me that was a pressure situation.”

“He’s legit. He’s got a good fastball and above average slider,” said Canseco. “I am just trying to concentrate on the ball. It (Abbott’s handicap) had nothing to do with my at-bat.”

On March 23, Bush reported: “It took two weeks to get Jose Canseco into the lineup and just two swings to remove him.

The A’s right fielder, making his first start since March 7, felt more pain in his tender left wrist and left yesterday’s game against the Giants in the first inning.

San Francisco eventually won the game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6-4, in 11 innings.

Canseco has felt pain in the wrist since the beginning of spring training. After striking out against the Angels’ Jim Abbott on March 7, Canseco’s duty has been limited. The A’s said the idleness was merely a precaution, and once the pain disappeared completely, Canseco would have sufficient time to prepare for the regular season.

With 11 days remaining until the opener, time is running out and Canseco has batted just nine times in spring-training games.

“Even though I haven’t played very much I saw the ball well today,” said Canseco. “But I do need to be in games and face some live pitching to get my timing back.”

Canseco took part in a simulated game on Tuesday, and said afterward that his wrist was a little stiff but that he would be able to play yesterday.

But when fouling off pitcher Dennis Cook’s second pitch on a check-swing, Canseco said he felt sharp pain in his wrist. “It hurt, but I thought I could play through it.”

After taking the next pitch for a ball, Canseco swung and missed at a high fastball. At that point he walked away from the plate and into the clubhouse. “On the second one the pain was even worse, and I told the bench that I should come out,” said Canseco.

His wrist wrapped in ice, Canseco said the pain was worse than it had been all spring. “It doesn’t hurt when I move it up and down, but it does when I move it sideways, which is the motion you use to hit.”

Canseco said he has had no previous problems with his wrist. His twin brother, Ozzie, broke the hamate bone in his left wrist early this spring.

“It’s just coincidence,” said Canseco, who paused, rolled his eyes skyward and said, “but then again, you never know.” Canseco seemed hardly distraught with his ill fortune. “I can’t do anything about it,” he said. “If I get frustrated and angry, that might only make it worse.”

In mid-July, Canseco finally came back, in an 11-7 win over the Blue Jays in SkyDome, in the teams’ first game following the All-Star break. He hit a home run and a single, driving in three runs and stealing a base.

Canseco had missed the A’s first 88 games of the season, and his return overshadow the equally anticipated return of reliever Dennis Eckersley, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning in his first appearance since May 27. Canseco’s third RBI of the game, coming on a ninth-inning single, increased the A’s lead to four runs and deprived Eckersley of a chance for a save.

Jose, after the game: “I was a little nervous, and I just tried to keep it simple,” agreed Canseco, whose rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Huntsville (Ala.) produced an undistinguished record of four hits in 23 at-bats. “”I didn’t do that well in the minor leagues, so I just brainwashed myself into thinking I had been hitting. Then it seemed like yesterday that I was hitting line drives.”

Meanwhile, Eckersley said of his return: “I felt all right. I’m glad it wasn’t a one-run game, because you don’t know how you are going to do.

“It is hard to be confident if you haven’t done it in a long time. I thought I was so-so. One pitch would be good, and the next not so good. But as long as it doesn’t hurt, I will be all right.”

Dennis Eckersley always seemed to have great control on the mound, picking his spots with most of his pitches.

Unfortunately, the same can not be said of his mouth in the press box.

Source:
http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/index.php/2009/05/dennis-eckersleys-foul-mouth-slips-up-on-live-tv-twice/