THE RED SOX WIN! Now what?

OK, I watched part of the game today... enough to see the Sox wiggle out of a bases loaded nobody out situation in the 7th inning.

It was an impressive win by Lester and for the time being, it has brought the Red Sox to within 4 games of the Wild Card.

(As of this post, Tampa is beating Detroit. If the Tigers can come back, the Sox will be 3 1/2 out... 4 1/2 out if the Rays hold on.)

So now what? The Sox have at least picked up a game over the past few days... there's a little more than a month and a half of baseball left.

Are the Sox contenders?
Are the Rays just in a bad stretch?
And is anyone paying attention to the Twins, who are just 1/2 a game behind the Sox?

It's confusing times. It's hard to get TOO excited about a split in the Bronx when the Red Sox really need to start winning series... but with the Rays slumping AND some of their pitchers experiencing arm troubles... and there are six games head to head between the Sox and Rays left...

Should I be getting excited?
Am I being teased?

I'm not sure, but what I DO know is I need to update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 37

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 - 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 - 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall's barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett's return.)

July 26 - 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie's 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 - 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 - 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 - 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 - 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)
August 9 - 2-1 win in Yankees Stadium. (Marcus Thames' bid for a game tying homer hits the top of the wall as Lester, Bard and Papelbon hold on for the win.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 33

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 - 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don't score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 - 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can't hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 - 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester's perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 - 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 - 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi's grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 - 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)


+4?

Wow... they are doing better than I thought.

And they are almost on pace to win 92 games. On to Toronto and Texas (and evidently they will be missing Cliff Lee's start.)

It's getting tempting to be excited again.
Don't make this year hurt!

Hey Rangers... Nice Killer Instinct

Seriously Rangers... I was all ready for a kick ass post about you guys. You had a 6-1 lead, Javy Vazquez knocked out of the game, Cliff Lee on the mound and notice was being served that there was a new sheriff in the American League.

Then when Jeter tripled, I thought to myself "Uh oh... I've seen this before."

And when the score got to be a 1 run game in the 9th I thought "Oh boy... they are going to take the lead."

But with the lead taken, the Rangers had the tying run on third with nobody out and Young, Hamilton and Guerrero coming up.

And they couldn't tie the game.

This was a monumentally stupid loss for the Rangers. The good will of the rally against Rivera last night was flushed down the toilet and they choked this one away.

Now this can be a learning experience or this can be confirmation that they aren't in the Yankees class just yet.

But teams with titles on their mind find a way to win this... and if need be find a way to tie the score in the 9th.

You know, like the way the Yankees won it in the 9th.

Yes Joba... it's gone

Another day for Joba Chamberlain, another bomb let up.

Remember how he could have fetched the Yankees an ace? Now he is the biggest reason for why the Yankees might not repeat as World Champs.

Their two biggest weaknesses now? Lack of rotation depth and the unstable bridge to Rivera. (Don't believe the weak lineup now. When the leaves will turn brown, so will the shorts of opposing pitchers.)

Joba was supposed to fill one of those roles. Instead his ERA is now at 5.02 and he turned a 2 run game into the 9th into a 3 run game into the 9th. Just what you want from your middle relievers.

Of course Javy Vazquez didn't make the night much better.

While he LOWERED his ERA to 4.89, he threw 107 pitches in 4 innings. I didn't think that was possible.

This coupled with Pettitte's slow recovery makes for a very interesting last few months of the season as the Rays and Yankees jockey for position.

I wonder if Girardi will put Joba or Vazquez in a big game again...

I wonder if he has a choice.

It's nice to see the Mariners in full "Wreck the rental" mode

It's safe to say nobody is monitoring Cliff Lee's innings.
The Mariners know they are putting their ace out there for the highest bidder and what better way to up the asking price than showing he can give 9 innings and kick some butt?

Well that's what he did in Yankee Stadium tonight.

That means 4 of his last 5 starts have been complete game victories. Hell, if the Mariners trade him to an American League team, he might wind up winning the AL Cy Young award.

The Mariners are going to squeeze every inning out of him. He's in full "What do we care? He's just a rental!" mode.

Ironically the last time I saw "wreck the rental" from a team, it was the Milwaukee Brewers when they had Cliff Lee's ex teammate and fellow Cy Young winning Indians lefty C.C. Sabathia and seemed to pitch him 5 times a week.

Enjoy the Pacific Northwest, Cliff. You'll be somewhere else in 3 weeks.

Should the Yankees trade Joba Chamberlain for Franklin Morales?

I think it is a trade worth considering.

Now Yankee fans reading this who think this is an awful deal, remember I am not talking about the Joba Chamberlain that everyone projected he would be.

I am talking about what Joba actually IS.

The debate over Joba has died down... there are no longer people saying he is an ace pitcher who should be in the rotation. And the people saying "He's a dominating closer and Mariano's heir apparent."

There's no Cy Young talk for Joba.
There's no shut down 8th inning talk for Joba.

The Yankees needed a #4 starter last post season and were going to turn to Chad Gaudin because Joba couldn't cut it as a starter.

This year when the Yankees needs are listed, bullpen depth is always at the forefront. Joba isn't even a mediocre reliever this year. His ERA is a big fat 5.29 and he can't be trusted in big games.

I wrote last March that the Yankees should deal Joba out of mercy to get him out of the circus.

But now I am thinking it is in the Yankees interest as well. Yeah, he's only 24... but this is year #3 of "Waiting for Joba."

The Yankees had a talented pitcher and because of the Joba rules, spectacular indecision, media scrutiny and incompetence, created a formula for failure that would be the envy of Bialystock and Bloom.

Next year he'll be 25... and if he is still a lousy reliever and an ineffective starter then he might have little to no trade value.

A few years ago, he could have fetched Johan Santana. If he keeps this up, he couldn't get Carlos Santana.

At this point in a less stressful environment might have him flourish. But a few more years of being neither a good starter nor reliever and I might have to include him on my "Can't Miss Aces Who Missed" list.

Which brings us to Morales.

Franklin Morales' tenure with the Colorado Rockies can best be summed up in his grotesque 5th inning of Game 1 of the 2007 World Series.

With the Rockies already down 5-1, Morales came into the 5th inning to replace starter Jeff Francis. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver began gushing about how talented he was and that he was a budding ace.

And in 2/3 of an inning, he let up 6 hits, gave up a walk, and committed a balk. All 7 base runners came home for earned runs and the Rockies were sunk.

He was listed as one of Baseball America's top 10 prospects in all of baseball before the 2008 season. But his record as a starter has been awful and the Rockies attempt to make him the closer have back fired as well.

Like Joba he came into baseball in 2007. Like Joba he has playoff and World Series experience that isn't pretty. Like Joba he's been shifted back and forth from the rotation to the pen.

Like Joba he is 24 years old but running out of chances with his home team.

Joba is a big right hander who has been shriveling in the glare of the spotlight in New York.
Morales is a slight left hander who could benefit of getting out of Coors and pitching with some run support and a steady closer behind him.

Maybe they should switch places.

Maybe a lower key baseball environment like Denver could be the perfect place for the big kid from Nebraska with the Star Wars first name.

Maybe being among superstars and having a fresh start is just what the left hander from Venezuela needs.

Each fan base was expecting stardom from these arms and both have come up short.

Why not swap places and see what happens?
How can it be worse than driving their careers into the ground?

44 game season

118 games into the season and the first and 21st biggest payrolls have reached a standstill.

The Yankees and Rays are dead even... and chances are both teams are making the post season. (It will take an effort worthy of the 2007 Rockies for the Red Sox to be a factor again.)

And while any suspense to whether or not they will be playing in October, there is concern this year to actually WIN the Division.

Unlike say 2003* and 2004 or 2008 when the ALCS was a match up of AL East teams that steamrolled through the competition, there is a truly formidable obstacle in the way of the ALCS:

The Texas Rangers and Cliff Lee on the road in Arlington for Games 1 and 5.

You want to face him? Granted, both the Yankees and Rays won games recently started by Lee... but how many times do you think you can pull THAT off?

So the two teams are going to play 44 and whomever has the best record will face the White Sox at home. No push over team, to be sure... but homefield advantage and avoiding Cliff Lee is the key.

And so far, guess what?
EVERYTHING is pointing Tampa's way.
They have a slight edge on head to head match up (6-5 over the Yankees) and if they finished tied, then the team with the best head to head match up will be the Division Champ (thus why the Yankees were the Division Champs in 2005 while tied with the Red Sox.)

They play 7 more times against each other.

The Rays have an edge in pitching edge. While they have experienced injuries, they have been able to stick in minor league stud Jeremy Hellickson into their rotation and Soriano has made the bullpen solid.

The Yankees have Sabathia, but Burnett is inconsistent, Vazquez is mediocre, Hughes is up and down and Pettitte is hurt. And oh yeah, no reliever not named Rivera can be trusted.

And schedule wise, Tampa finishes the season against Seattle, Kansas City and Baltimore while the Yankees finish against Toronto and Red Sox teams who would LOVE to knock the Yankees out of the Division Lead.

I wish it were a 3 team race, but 6 games back in the loss column with 7 weeks to play is a bit much to ask for.


*Yes I know the A's nearly beat the Red Sox in 2003... but they didn't, so there.

I have to admit it... the Yankees do Old Timers Day really well

All those years I lived in New York, I never missed watching a Yankees Old Timers Day on TV. You may hate the team and curse them out... but they do ceremonies quite well.

And while it sucks that they have 27 World Series titles, you would think that every year would be a 10th or number divided by 10 anniversary of a title winner.

But the Yankees have yet to win a title in a year ending in 4 or 5.
That's strange, isn't it?

Either way, it's of course great to see Hall of Famers like Whitey, Goose and Reggie there.
But it was also amazing to see lesser Yankees get their due. The Hector Lopez's, Aaron Smalls and Homer Bushes of the world got nice hands.

You put on a good show, Yankees.
And the loss afterwards made it even better.

Come on, Yankees. Just trade Joba

Joba Chamberlain is still a Yankee... and sometimes you have to wonder why!

Seriously... the Yankees could have used him to acquire Johan Santana.
I bet he could have fetched Cliff Lee... twice.
Or Roy Halladay.

They kept him instead of getting Dan Haren.

Why?

Seriously! Why hold on to this pitcher who is clearly regressing? Why hold on to him so he can be shifted back and forth from the pen to the rotation to where now he is actually no longer good at either?

He was a mediocre starter last year... and this year the Yankees can only hope he can RISE to the level of mediocrity as a reliever.

He coughed up a homer to Scott Podsednik which is hard to do.

Near the beginning of July he LOWERED his ERA to an inexcusable for a reliever 4.95.

In less than 2 weeks, it climbed back up to 5.95... which is "Can we send him back to AAA?" territory.

Have you noticed that the Yankees are pursuing either a #4 starter or a set up man? Wasn't Joba supposed to fill ONE of those roles?

Back in March I suggested the Yankees trade Chamberlain just out of mercy.

About a month ago, I suggested the Yankees swap him for another underachiever, Franklin Morales.

But now I am saying "Yankees... keeping Joba instead of trading him for an established star pitcher is insane."

He's been with the team over the past 4 seasons and is regressing.

Yeah, he's only 24 years old, but shouldn't he be showing signs of being even an adequate big league pitcher at this point?

Next time someone offers you an ace caliber pitcher and Joba is the centerpiece of the puzzle... take the trade.

Or keep him. Most pennant contenders would rather have a mop up man with an unsightly ERA to a #1 starter.

Say what you want about Derek Jeter... he gets it

He's a guy who understands exactly who he is and what his role is with the team.

He knows that he represents the link to Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and Ford.
He knows that when there is a tremendous shift in Yankeedom, they don't turn to A-Rod or the latest superstar.

Losing Steinbrenner AND Bob Sheppard back to back? That's a double punch that nobody could have imagined.

He is self aware of his role and knows that someday he'll have a monument out there.

He's entered that territory for Boston fans that Magic Johnson eventually entered:
You couldn't stand to face him, but you have to respect him.

And to think the Marlins almost got him for Bryan Harvey!

Yankee fans are throwing Jeter under the bus? This Red Sox fan WON'T HAVE IT!

Wow... it is a strange world we live in. I am a Red Sox fan and I am coming to the defense of Derek Jeter who is being dog piled by Yankee fans.

Even Bizarro finds this odd.

Yesterday I gave Jeter what I thought was a deserved tip of the cap for his class and understanding his role on the team.

Kind of a quick harmless post from me. And it is good ammo against anyone who says I don't give the Yankees any credit.

I figured that was that and I would move on with my life.

But nooooooooooooooo.

I got a few comments on my page and even more private e mails from people all KILLING Derek Jeter.

My cousin Chris e mailed me wanting to know my opinion on Jeter not being at Bob Sheppard's funeral.

Lisa at Subway Squawkers, one of my favorite New York baseball sites, is on Jeter's case.
So is John Harper at the Daily News.
And Bill Madden at the Daily News.
And Mike Mazzeo from the Star Ledger.

And I bet a lot more if I had the time or energy to look more.

REALLY? We're really going to throw Jeter under a bus?
We're going to act like Derek Jeter hasn't been 100% respectful of the Yankee tradition and specifically the legacy of Bob Sheppard this whole time?

After all Jeter has done in a Yankee uniform, and this is coming from a Red Sox fan, to represent its tradition, its titles, its link to the past and its place in New Yorkers lives, you are telling me Jeter has NOTHING in the bank in terms of credit?

This is not some knucklehead like Ben Roethlisberger or some Rent a Yankee who couldn't get out of town fast enough like Randy Johnson. This isn't a dope like Vince Coleman who didn't know who Jackie Robinson was or Jack McDowell flipping off the Yankee fans.

This is the captain of the team.
This is the man who continued to have Sheppard's voice announce him when they went to the new stadium.
He's the one who paid tribute to him and The Boss in front of 50,000+ fans and did so without notes and was clearly choked up.

He's earned the benefit of the doubt.
If he wasn't at the funeral then he should be given a pass. There was probably a reason. Maybe it was a "if the whole team doesn't go, then nobody should go" thing. Maybe it was a "we will pay tribute our way... publicly and in a heartfelt way."

Whatever it was... maybe you shouldn't jump to the conclusion that he did the wrong thing or isn't showing class.

This isn't Steve Howe. It's Derek Jeter... and some day there will be a day for him in the Bronx and will have earned it. (I am assuming he has earned it. According to some Yankee fans he evidently still needs to prove his reverence for the franchise.)

By the way, the next time one of you Yankee fans accuse me of just slamming your team, remember how I came to your captain's defense.

(But if you don't give Jeter credit, what hope do I have?)

Hey Mariners... how about waiting until Thursday to make a deal?

It appears that Cliff Lee might not be heading to the Yankees after all.
It is a shame because so many columnists and bloggers had their stories already written talking about how this means we NEED a salary cap and it isn't fair and blah blah blah.

I admit, I threw up in my mouth a little when I heard the Yankees were on the verge of getting him, but that had nothing to do with payroll. That had to do with me being unhappy when ANYTHING positive happens with the Yankees.

Is Cliff Lee heading to Minnesota for Wilson Ramos?

Is Cliff Lee heading to Texas for Justin Smoak?

Will Cliff Lee join LeBron, Wade and Bosh with the Heat?

First of all, hold off on the deal until after the All Star Game.

Why?

Well first of all it means that Cliff Lee gets to face the Yankees (and hopefully beat them) tonight.

Secondly, Lee is going to the All Star Game. If he gets traded now, he will be making his first appearance in a Twins/Rangers/Yankees/Mets/Bridgeport Blue Fish uniform at the All Star Game.

That's just strange. Have his regular season farewell to the Mariners be a win against the Yankees and the last time the baseball fans see him as a Mariner in Anaheim this week.

Yeah the season hasn't gone as GM Jack Zduriencik planned... but at least he'll be able to say "I acquired an All Star."

Is there any Louisiana Lightning left in that arm?

Ron Guidry was at Yankee Old Timers Day today... he looks pretty good.

I'm serious. With all of the lousy bullpens in baseball these days and everyone looking for a left hander, are you telling me that Ron Guidry couldn't make a staff or two?

OK, maybe not the Yankees, but are you saying the Mariners, the Orioles, the Royals and the Diamondbacks would have no place for him?

Make some calls, Ron.

Look, I am happy the Yankees lost but...

The Royals beat the Yankees today and frankly, with KC on pace to lose 92 games, they need all the help they can get.

But when Mark Teixeira hit a difficult grounder with 2 outs and 2 on and the Yankees down by three, he beat out the throw to first base.

I thought it was the case with my naked eyes and less than one minute later no fewer than two replays showed he was clearly safe.

He was called out.

The Yankees would have had the bases loaded, 2 outs, Yankees down by 3 and A-Rod up, knowing an out would win the game for the Royals but a grand slam would win it for the Yankees.

It would have been pure baseball drama... and all instant replay screens showed it should have been.

But alas we can't have it because we can't waste that minute.

Ahhh the insanity of no instant replay.

I guess Big Mac is smarter than the Rocket

Remember how we all made fun of Big Mac's "I'm not here to talk about the past" line that he kept saying over and over to Congress?

He looked like a big dumb jock who was trying to weasel his way out of trouble, didn't he? And he looked even worse with his cringe worthy pathetic and half baked apology interview he gave last January that I couldn't even finish.

Well McGwire is no Mensa candidate, but man he was smarter than Roger Clemens.
Here's something Clemens should have written on his hand as a reminder:

You are better off looking stupid than lying.

And another thing:

Your drug dealer has nothing to lose by telling the truth.

You should have taken my advice and learn the two words "No Comment."

This story makes me sad... I think more sad than most Red Sox fans. Clemens was always my favorite Red Sox when he was on the team, and I wore a Blue Jays cap the days he pitched.

Yeah I rooted against him as a Yankee, but I would have rooted against Jesus Christ if he played for the Yankees.

Clemens, like Bonds, was a Hall of Famer before he mysteriously got bigger and stronger in his late 30s. McGwire wasn't. McGwire was a Dave Kingman, slugger with a low batting average whose career would have been over around 1993 or 1994. Then he got healthy and BOOM! Became the Charles Van Doren of baseball.

Clemens being indicted doesn't mean he is convicted. But it gives the vote AGAINST him more weight.

Roger... Roger... Roger... Why couldn't you have been content with fame, fortune and immortality?

Why this Red Sox fan thinks George Steinbrenner was good for baseball

George Steinbrenner, a unintentionally a showman to the end, died on the morning of the All Star Game. Nobody knows how sick he has been over the last few years as his public appearances have been more and more seldom and his sons Hal and Hank have been running the show.

But now the Boss is gone. And so is a baseball era.

I know I am a Red Sox fan and my blogpost title might have some people think I am going to write a snarky sarcastic piece... or that I am going to try and say something polite out of respect for the recently departed.

But I'm not. I am 100% sincere when I say that when George Steinbrenner took over the Yankees in the 1970s, it was a great moment for baseball in terms of popularity, passion and making the game more fun.

Think about it... for Yankee fans, the franchise turned around twice under his leadership. When he took over the team in 1973 from CBS, the Yankees were just another team. They were 9 years removed from their last pennant and they lagged far behind the Orioles, the Tigers and the mighty Oakland A's in the American League... and the great Yankee Stadium was crumbling.

By the time of his death, the Yankees once again were the gold standard of baseball, winning titles in the 70s, 90s and 2000s with superstars both homegrown and acquired.

Yeah, George had his bad qualities as an owner. His insane merry go round of managers in the 1980s, his gobbling up of free agents from Catfish Hunter to CC Sabathia, and his treatment of Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Dave Winfield and Joe Torre inexcusable.

But wasn't that part of what made the Yankees of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s fun?

And for the rest of us... it was made the Yankees fun to HATE!

For whatever reason, Yankee fans have never seemed to embrace that they are the bad guys in baseball... the villains. But do you know who DID?

George M. Steinbrenner.

He got it. He understood that role the Yankees play in baseball. As I wrote before, the resentment for the Yankees started long before Steinbrenner took over the team. There's no musical called "Damn Orioles."

But with Steinbrenner the Yankees assumed the role of the monolithic team that everyone wanted to see and beat.

First with the Bronx Zoo, then with the efficient Torre Years and now with the star studded Jeter/Rivera/A-Rod teams, people love to root AGAINST them.

Don't believe me? Check out the Yankees road attendance. Look at places like Oakland or Kansas City or Seattle or Cleveland when the Yankees come to town. There is always a spike in attendance. The teams charge more for tickets because they know that fans want to see their team beat the Yankees.

The Dodgers wouldn't sell single game tickets for the Yankee series... you also had to buy tickets for a less desirable match up.

Like any James Bond film, the better the bad guy, the more exciting it is. And Steinbrenner was always the one to absorb the blows as the Oil Can Harry figure of the team. Whether it was in his crazy press releases, hosting SNL or getting a kick out of being a character on Seinfeld, he understood his role.

It was tough to hate quiet professional stars like Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams (although I found ways to)... but George was always a punching bag and he seemed to relish it.

The biggest dips in baseball's popularity were in the late 1960s and the early 1990s... and in both times the Yankees were lousy. Is that a coincidence?

It's tough to get worked up when the bad guy is the Oakland A's or the Baltimore Orioles.

As for the biggest complaint about him... the fact that he spends the most on free agents on payroll, let's not sidestep that.

Yeah, the payroll of the Yankees is obscenely high. Even more obscenely high than my beloved Red Sox who are as gluttonous as John Belushi circa 1981.

Let me ask you something though... do you think Steinbrenner is the richest owner in the game? For years that was Carl Pohlad of the Twins who let his players jump ship left and right and threatened to contract the team.

Who is a bigger disgrace to the game? George Steinbrenner for making every off season somewhat of a circus? Or the Pirates management pocketing revenue sharing and playing in a tax funded stadium while putting an unwatchable product on the field for nearly 2 decades?

And if you think that just playing in New York makes you a winner, then you should have some conversations with some Mets fans... or Knick fans... or Ranger fans... or Jet fans.... (Imagine if you were a Met/Knick/Ranger/Jet fan... Lord help you.)

As with most of the Yankee resentment, there comes a certain amount of jealousy. I know this as a Red Sox fan... I wanted the Yankee titles and all the Yankee stars to come to Boston. And when people started saying the Red Sox were evil like the Yankees I LOVED it.

Let's face it, Sox fans... Steinbrenner and the Yankees raised the interest level for the Red Sox as well.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Sox main rivals were the Toronto Blue Jays. Yeah those pennant races were fun (especially the wild down to the last Brunansky catch season of 1990) but they were a mere sparkler compared to the fireworks of the late 1990s and 2000s clash with the Yankees.

The Red Sox became a national brand and the passion went through the roof. Part of that was the new ownership who sold the team to the public better than the moronic Yawkeys ever could. But they also had the perfect bad guy for Red Sox Nation.

Would 2004 have been as sweet if the Red Sox came back from 0-3 against the Twins?

Now of course I am heaping a lot of praise on how Steinbrenner ran the team over the years when of course he made many mistakes and often times was the benefactor of other people's work that he disagreed with.

Lest we forget if he had his way Ron Guidry would have been traded to the Blue Jays.

Bernie Williams would have been dealt countless times.

Jeter was almost dealt for Bryan Harvey!

As I wrote before the Yankees of the 1980s were a comedy of insanely bad decisions.

And Yankee managers Dick Howser, Billy Martin, Lou Piniella, Buck Showalter and Joe Torre all led other teams to the post season after getting fired by George.

But that was one of the things that made George fun as well... pointing out the mistakes and the BAD signings. The Hideki Irabus and Ed Whitsons... the Randy Johnsons and Carl Pavanos.

It's going to be different now. With the Yankees as a conglomerate and most owners being anonymous, you aren't going to see a lightning rod owner like this for a long time.

Who knows how interested Hank and Hal will be in running the Yankees?

Who knows what kind of passion there will be in the front office in the Bronx?

The Boss is gone.

Whether you loved him or hated him... feared him or mocked him... he made the game more fun.

I know I am going to miss him.

I covered a lot of this when I compared Steinbrenner to the Weinstein Brothers a few years ago... it is still applicable.

I don't know if there is an afterlife or not. There may be... there may not be... but if there is, I hope someone up there is recording the George Steinbrenner-Billy Martin reunion.

It would be a sight to behold.

Rest in peace, Mr. Steinbrenner.

Let's look at the positive things about today's game, Blue Jays

For 7 of the 8 innings you pitched today against the Yankees, you kept them scoreless.

You held the mighty Yankees to 2 hits and no runs in 7 out of 8 innings. Seriously, I tip my cap to you for 7/8 of your pitching today.

That's a darn good ratio of good innings to bad innings.

Now that one inning that they DID score was problematic.
9 hits, 3 walks, a hit by pitch, a wild pitch and ELEVEN EARNED RUNS is not a good inning.
That could have had some improvements and is something to try to avoid in the future.

But the majority of the game today... GOOD JOB!

(Yikes.)

There seems to be a lot of pictures like this of Joba Chamberlain

Another day, another run let up late in the game for Joba Chamberlain.

His ERA is now a robust 5.40 and yesterday blew a lead that could have been a huge morale builder for A. J. Burnett.

I hate to say this as a Red Sox fan, but as a human being I feel bad for him.

Just trade him already... it will help all sides out!

A-Rod hits 600... and the fans go wild

I wonder how many fans cheering for A-Rod as he entered the 600 home run club were booing Barry Bonds and saying how awful his chase of Hank Aaron was for baseball.

I wonder how many of them thought Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco is a bum.

I am guessing there is some overlap.

And basically it goes to show what I've always felt... when it comes to steroids and PEDs we only care when ANOTHER player is doing it.

I wrote the other year how the "Mannywood" section in Dodger Stadium used to be filled with people taunting Barry Bonds' interesting bulkiness.

Red Sox fans still stand for Big Papi.

McGwire still gets applause in St. Louis.

Sosa is personal non grata in Wrigley, but that's because he quit on the team.

Soak it up A-Rod. You've joined the 600 homer club. Oh there will be hand wringing when it comes to your Hall of Fame vote (it will be interesting to see how Sammy Sosa does with the voters) but he happy you did it at home.

The fans love a winner... no questions asked.

The Rivalry Gets A New Face for the New Decade

When the Red Sox roll into Yankee Stadium in 2020, there very well might be some kid on the roster who is only 11 years old today.

And that kid very well might turn to steady 32 year old veteran outfielder Ryan Kalish and ask what HIS first experience in Yankee Stadium was like.

And he'd relay the story about being a young call up on the 2010 Sox team and having family members come up from New Jersey to see him play.

"Back then there were still members of the 2004 and 2007 World Series teams in the line up. Big Papi homered, J. D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Lowell were still there. Buchholz was the starter. Papelbon was still the closer. I bet you don't even remember the 2004 team."

"I was 5 back then."

"Well I was the young kid... and I was only there because of injuries to Mike Cameron. And I struck out the first two times in the game, but in the 6th with the Red Sox up by 1 run, I cracked a 2 run homer that made the score 6-3... which was also the final. It was my entrance to the rivalry. I fit right in... and as the veterans slowly retired off, I became the leader of the team."

"Wow. So you are the connection to the great Red Sox teams of the 2000s?"

"That's right. They were the Big Papi/Manny years before I arrived. The Kalish years came later."

"And did you play in Fenway back then?"

"You bet. They build the 7UP Dome and tear down Fenway Park until 2015."

It's nice to look into the future.

Let's update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 36

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 - 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 - 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall's barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett's return.)

July 26 - 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie's 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 - 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 - 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 - 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 - 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 33

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 - 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don't score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 - 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can't hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 - 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester's perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 - 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 - 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi's grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 - 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)


All the way up to +3.

Are the Red Sox turning it around? Could they make a run this year?

Relax. I can't REALLY look into the future.