Friday, July 23, 2004
SOX EARN SPLIT WITH O'S
Thank God. We need to win every game this weekend.
Man of the Game for Game 1 is Melvin Mora. He went 3 for 4 with a pair of HRs and a double. He also wlaked, had 4 RBI and scored three times. He aboslutely kills us. He has something like 8 HRs against us this year.
Man of the Game for Game 2 is Tim Wakefield who went 7 scoreless. There was some question as to whether or not he could pitch but he gutted it out cuz he knew the alternative was Frank Castillo. He really came up big for us.
The Bitch-Goat shall be divided thusly: (Note: Alvarez is a AA pitcher so he isn't gonna get any)
BH Kim: 0.6 - his inability to pitch in the majors forced us to use a AA prospect
Malaska: 0.1 - put the game further out of reach
Mendoza: 0.1 - same
Bellhorn: 0.1 - 0 for 5, K, 2 LOB
Mueller: 0.1 - 0 for 5, unable to hit in the 2nd spot
ORTIZ SUSPENDED 5 GAMES
It will get reduced to 4 or 3 upon appeal. Seems about fair.
99 RED SOX: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PART 3: MIKE STANLEY
I don;t know exactly what Mike is up to now but after 1999 he was released by the Red Sox in the middle of the 2001 season. He was picked up by Oakland as a first baseman where he batted .268 in 32 games. If anyone knows what he's up to now (I'm assuming his still in baseball, he was a smart player) let me know. Send an e-mail to rawbeezeitz@yahoo.com
Schilling takes on Lieber tonight.
Thank God. We need to win every game this weekend.
Man of the Game for Game 1 is Melvin Mora. He went 3 for 4 with a pair of HRs and a double. He also wlaked, had 4 RBI and scored three times. He aboslutely kills us. He has something like 8 HRs against us this year.
Man of the Game for Game 2 is Tim Wakefield who went 7 scoreless. There was some question as to whether or not he could pitch but he gutted it out cuz he knew the alternative was Frank Castillo. He really came up big for us.
The Bitch-Goat shall be divided thusly: (Note: Alvarez is a AA pitcher so he isn't gonna get any)
BH Kim: 0.6 - his inability to pitch in the majors forced us to use a AA prospect
Malaska: 0.1 - put the game further out of reach
Mendoza: 0.1 - same
Bellhorn: 0.1 - 0 for 5, K, 2 LOB
Mueller: 0.1 - 0 for 5, unable to hit in the 2nd spot
ORTIZ SUSPENDED 5 GAMES
It will get reduced to 4 or 3 upon appeal. Seems about fair.
99 RED SOX: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PART 3: MIKE STANLEY
I don;t know exactly what Mike is up to now but after 1999 he was released by the Red Sox in the middle of the 2001 season. He was picked up by Oakland as a first baseman where he batted .268 in 32 games. If anyone knows what he's up to now (I'm assuming his still in baseball, he was a smart player) let me know. Send an e-mail to rawbeezeitz@yahoo.com
Schilling takes on Lieber tonight.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
BLOW THIS TEAM UP!
I'm writing this in preulde to the sweep the Orioles will inevitably carry out today and tonight in the doubleheader.
This team needs to be blown up. We need to trade Nomar ASAP and get some prospects. We can get some AA guys for Lowe or a bullpen guy and I wouldn't mind trading Nixon. With Shoppach coming up and the ebst backup C in baseball, we shouldn't resign Varitek unless he takes a serious discount. We also shouldn't sign Pedro. You can't believe how hard it is for me to say that but he'll want about $15M and he just isn't worth it.
Here's what I think the team should be next year:
C: Shoppach/Mirabelli (8)
1B: Ortiz (3)
2B: Bellhorn (6)
3B: Youkilis (9)
SS: Mueller (7)
LF: Nixon (5)
CF: Damon (1)
RF: Beltran (2)
DH: Manny (4)
SP1: Schilling
SP2: Wakefield
SP3: Pavano
SP4: Penny
SP5: Arroyo
CP: Foulke
RP: Timlin
RP: Embree
RP: Kim
RP: Dinardo
RP: Leskanic
C: Shoppach/Mirabelli
OF: Kapler
IF: McCarty
IF/OF: Crespo
OF: Daubach?
Is it a great team? No. But neither is the one on the field right now and this team is younger and cheaper and the SPs are deeper.
I'm writing this in preulde to the sweep the Orioles will inevitably carry out today and tonight in the doubleheader.
This team needs to be blown up. We need to trade Nomar ASAP and get some prospects. We can get some AA guys for Lowe or a bullpen guy and I wouldn't mind trading Nixon. With Shoppach coming up and the ebst backup C in baseball, we shouldn't resign Varitek unless he takes a serious discount. We also shouldn't sign Pedro. You can't believe how hard it is for me to say that but he'll want about $15M and he just isn't worth it.
Here's what I think the team should be next year:
C: Shoppach/Mirabelli (8)
1B: Ortiz (3)
2B: Bellhorn (6)
3B: Youkilis (9)
SS: Mueller (7)
LF: Nixon (5)
CF: Damon (1)
RF: Beltran (2)
DH: Manny (4)
SP1: Schilling
SP2: Wakefield
SP3: Pavano
SP4: Penny
SP5: Arroyo
CP: Foulke
RP: Timlin
RP: Embree
RP: Kim
RP: Dinardo
RP: Leskanic
C: Shoppach/Mirabelli
OF: Kapler
IF: McCarty
IF/OF: Crespo
OF: Daubach?
Is it a great team? No. But neither is the one on the field right now and this team is younger and cheaper and the SPs are deeper.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP ABOUT TO OPEN
Isn't it nice in New England that we have one team that we can watch without puking in our collective mouths? Isn't it nice knowing that if the game is close, someone is going to step up and make a play? Whether its Brady throwing a 14 yard pass on 3rd and 13 or Bethel Johnson returning a kick for a TD or Deion Branch scrambling and getting those extra yards, or Adam Vinaterri hitting a game winner, or Mike Cloud having some big rushes, or Mike Vrabel coming in and catching a TD or Matt Chatham recovering fumbles, or Seymour getting a huge sack, or Bruschi returning a pick for a TD or Law deflecting a pass, or Givens totally bitching a CB, or any of the other dozens of playmakers on the team stepping up. Thank God for the New England Patriots. And remember, every time you're depressed about the Sox, just pop in The Games to Glory II and be merry.
SOX OPEN PIVOTAL HOMESTAND WITH HORRENDOUS LOSS
We needed Pedro to do well today. We needed at least 7 innings from him. We needed a win. What we got was a bunch of shit.
The Man of the Game is David Newhan. Who? David Newhan! He went 4 for 5 with a 2B and HR. He scored 4 times and knocked in a pair of runs.
The Bitch-Goat shall be divided thusly:
Pedro: 1.0 - 6.2 IP, 8 ER
There were some poor offensive performances but if Pedro had gone out there and pitched 7 innings and let up 3, we probably would have won.
Why isn't Ramiro Mendoza being used more often? I know he has sucked for us in the past but he's better than Nelson, Anderson, or Dinardo.
THE 99 RED SOX: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PART 2: JIMY WILLIAMS
This guy was a sports talk show host's dream. He was full of double talk, hunch-based decisions, and he had NO backing from the front office. Even though I didn't like his often baffling decisions, he is the best manager we've had in recent years. Unlike Francona or grady, Jimy was a manager's manager, not a player's manager. He was 414-352 (that's 88 wins per 162 games) as Red Sox manager. He was 12 games above .500 when he was fired in 2001 (Francoma is only 9 above at the moment). Jimy got a job as the Houston Astros manager but was fired right after the All-Star game. He'll probably find a job as an instructor for a team's minor league operations. He enjoyed working with young players like Shea Hillenbrand and he did a good job at it.
We need to sweep the doubleheader tomorrow.
Isn't it nice in New England that we have one team that we can watch without puking in our collective mouths? Isn't it nice knowing that if the game is close, someone is going to step up and make a play? Whether its Brady throwing a 14 yard pass on 3rd and 13 or Bethel Johnson returning a kick for a TD or Deion Branch scrambling and getting those extra yards, or Adam Vinaterri hitting a game winner, or Mike Cloud having some big rushes, or Mike Vrabel coming in and catching a TD or Matt Chatham recovering fumbles, or Seymour getting a huge sack, or Bruschi returning a pick for a TD or Law deflecting a pass, or Givens totally bitching a CB, or any of the other dozens of playmakers on the team stepping up. Thank God for the New England Patriots. And remember, every time you're depressed about the Sox, just pop in The Games to Glory II and be merry.
SOX OPEN PIVOTAL HOMESTAND WITH HORRENDOUS LOSS
We needed Pedro to do well today. We needed at least 7 innings from him. We needed a win. What we got was a bunch of shit.
The Man of the Game is David Newhan. Who? David Newhan! He went 4 for 5 with a 2B and HR. He scored 4 times and knocked in a pair of runs.
The Bitch-Goat shall be divided thusly:
Pedro: 1.0 - 6.2 IP, 8 ER
There were some poor offensive performances but if Pedro had gone out there and pitched 7 innings and let up 3, we probably would have won.
Why isn't Ramiro Mendoza being used more often? I know he has sucked for us in the past but he's better than Nelson, Anderson, or Dinardo.
THE 99 RED SOX: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PART 2: JIMY WILLIAMS
This guy was a sports talk show host's dream. He was full of double talk, hunch-based decisions, and he had NO backing from the front office. Even though I didn't like his often baffling decisions, he is the best manager we've had in recent years. Unlike Francona or grady, Jimy was a manager's manager, not a player's manager. He was 414-352 (that's 88 wins per 162 games) as Red Sox manager. He was 12 games above .500 when he was fired in 2001 (Francoma is only 9 above at the moment). Jimy got a job as the Houston Astros manager but was fired right after the All-Star game. He'll probably find a job as an instructor for a team's minor league operations. He enjoyed working with young players like Shea Hillenbrand and he did a good job at it.
We need to sweep the doubleheader tomorrow.
SOX RETURN FROM 3-3 ROAD TRIP
Not a terrible road trip and we've all seen worse west coast swings. However, we really should have swept Seattle, one of the worst teams in baseball. This team has done just enough to stay in the race but not enough to give them some security or get them back in the divisional race. This homestand will be huge cuz they have a 12 game, 4 city road trip against teams that aren't pushovers.
The Man of the Game is Ichiro who went 4 for 5, walked, and stole 4 bases. He had the quinisential leadoff day. He got on base consistently and got into scoring position. Unfortunately for him, he was only able to come around and score once.
GUESS WHOSE COMING TO BOSTON
None other than class act and all around nice guy Karim Garcia. He was recently acquired by Baltimore and played last night. Pedro Martinez pitches tonight and it should be interesting to see what happens if Garcia plays.
I found a truly funny cartoon about Pedro. http://www.geocities.com/munkycharmzishot/pedro.jpg
Pokey Reese might go on the DL with a bruised thumb. I think if he can't play by Thursday's doubleheader, they gotta DL him and bring up a shortstop so Nomar doesn't have to play 18 innings in a game.
THE 99 RED SOX, WHERE ARE THEY NOW PART 1: DAN DUQUETTE
For all the shit Duquette has gotten for poor moves and sheer cold bloodedness, he did make some good moves. He drafted Nomar, and traded for Pedro, Varitek, and Lowe. So what is he up to now? Well, he is currently involved in the Dan Duquette Sports Academy (http://www.danduquettesports.com/) which includes programs for kids who want to play baseball, softball, football, and basketball. The facility is out in The Berkshires. He also was in the play "Damn Yankees."
The Bruins signed Sergei Samsonov to a one year deal and no-one care cuz the NHL is on vacation for awhile.
Funny thing abous smoking: http://www.geocities.com/munkycharmzishot/ciggs.jpg
Not a terrible road trip and we've all seen worse west coast swings. However, we really should have swept Seattle, one of the worst teams in baseball. This team has done just enough to stay in the race but not enough to give them some security or get them back in the divisional race. This homestand will be huge cuz they have a 12 game, 4 city road trip against teams that aren't pushovers.
The Man of the Game is Ichiro who went 4 for 5, walked, and stole 4 bases. He had the quinisential leadoff day. He got on base consistently and got into scoring position. Unfortunately for him, he was only able to come around and score once.
GUESS WHOSE COMING TO BOSTON
None other than class act and all around nice guy Karim Garcia. He was recently acquired by Baltimore and played last night. Pedro Martinez pitches tonight and it should be interesting to see what happens if Garcia plays.
I found a truly funny cartoon about Pedro. http://www.geocities.com/munkycharmzishot/pedro.jpg
Pokey Reese might go on the DL with a bruised thumb. I think if he can't play by Thursday's doubleheader, they gotta DL him and bring up a shortstop so Nomar doesn't have to play 18 innings in a game.
THE 99 RED SOX, WHERE ARE THEY NOW PART 1: DAN DUQUETTE
For all the shit Duquette has gotten for poor moves and sheer cold bloodedness, he did make some good moves. He drafted Nomar, and traded for Pedro, Varitek, and Lowe. So what is he up to now? Well, he is currently involved in the Dan Duquette Sports Academy (http://www.danduquettesports.com/) which includes programs for kids who want to play baseball, softball, football, and basketball. The facility is out in The Berkshires. He also was in the play "Damn Yankees."
The Bruins signed Sergei Samsonov to a one year deal and no-one care cuz the NHL is on vacation for awhile.
Funny thing abous smoking: http://www.geocities.com/munkycharmzishot/ciggs.jpg
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
PITCHERS BETTER THAN cl*m*ns
Remember, his name doesn't deserve vowels or capitalization. Anyway, the All-Star Game buildup on Fox and r*ger's solid performance this year has caused alot of sports pundits to throw that term around that they like to throw. "Best ever." People like Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, and Kevin Kennedy (idiots in my mind) like to call people the best. Is cl*m*ns one of the best ever? There's no doubt. Hell, on Baseball-Reference.com's cl*m*ns page, the sponsor says he's on of the best 3 or four pitchers ever. It is time to dispell this myth. Here are some things about r*ger that, to me, take him out of the running for best ever. I'll follow that with some pitchers that I feel are better.
It is true that cl*mens has 321 wins at the moment and will probably end up in the top 10 on the all-time win list. However, only one of the all-time winners has a higher ERA than clemens. clemens is not a clutch pitcher. If there were a one game palyoff at the end of the season, I don't know if I'd want roger to be on the mound. His ERA in the postseason is 3.47 which isn't bad but his record is 8-6. His Divisional round ERA is 4.50 and he's 2-3. His LCS ERA is 3.90 and he's 3-3. We all know about Game 6 in the 86 WS but who started that game and asked out cuz he had a boo-boo? clemens! In 2 starts in the 86 series, he only pitched 11.1 innings. In all of his postseason starts, he has averaged less than 6 innings a start. When I think of best all-time pitchers, they're usually capable of at least getitng you to your top set-up man and then the closer.
The mark of great pitching is consistency. There isn't a whole lot of consistency for roger ERA wise throughout his career. Seven times in his career, his ERA has fluctuated a run or more in between seasons. In 1993, for example, his ERA was 4.46, then it went down 2.85 then it went up to 4.18.
Now its time for the pitchers I think are better than cl*mens in no particular order:
1. Walter Johnson (Senators)
Johnson played for one of the worst teams in baseball history. Despite the fact that they were perennial last place finishers, Johnson was able to win 417 games with them. Johnson has the most Shutouts of all-time with 110. His career ERA is 2.17 (the league average during his career averages to 3.17). Johnson's ERA was 68.5% of the league's ERA. If cl*mens had that eprcentage, his career ERA would be lower. In 21 seasons, Johnson's ERA was below the league average 20 times. Only in his last season did it rise above the average. Johnson won 62.6% of his starts for a team that was over .500 only 9 times during Johnson's career.
2. Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, Cardinals, Cubs)
Alexander probably could have won 400 games if he didn't fight in WWI. He is second in shutouts with 90. GAC averaged 19 wins a season. In his 20 year career, his ERA was below the league average 19 times. The only time it wasn't was his last year.
3. Satchel Paige (Indians, Browns, Athletics)
He was 42 when he made his MLB debut in 1948. Although he was primarily a releif pitcher in the majors he managed to win 28 games in 6 seasons (5 really, he was brought in by the KC Athletic's in 1965 for a 3 inning, 0 ER start when he was 59). There aren't any statistics for his Negro League games but there are alot of stories about Paige. In one month he started 29 games. He never made an error in the big leagues. He claims to have won 104 games in 1934. "He was the bets pitcher I ever faced" - Joe DiMaggio. He claims to have won 2,000 of 2,500 starts. In 1933 he won 21 straight and had over 60 consecutive scoreless innings. He was the first player enshrined in the Hall of Fame for his Negro League accomplishments.
4. Sandy Koufax (Dodgers)
No player has ever had such a dominating stretch as Koufax did at the end of his career. Koufax also had an impressive 0.95 ERA in the post-season. From 1961-66, he averaged 25 wins and 285 Ks with an ERA of 2.19. Although Koufax didn't have a lengthy career, he was for a time the best pitcher in baseball with 3 Cy Youngs (back when there was only one awarded, not two). He won the pitching triple crown three times.
5. Cy Young (Spiders, Cardinals, Pilgrims, Naps, Braves)
The fact that the award for best pitcher is named after this guy says alot. There's alot of records in baseball that people say will never be broken (Dimaggio's hit streak for example) but Young's record will not be ebaten. 511 wins, nearly 100 more than anyone else. More than 100 CGs more than anyone else. 76 shutouts. He went 2-1 in the 1903 World series. He also had a career batting average of .210 with 18 HRs (alot for back then). Yes, I know he pitched in a completely different era from cl*mens but in his 22 year career, he only had 2 seasons in which his ERA was higher than average. Furthermore, there was alot of offense in the 1890s. The league ERA in 1894 was 5.47, a run higher than now.
6. Pedro Martinez (Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox)
Before you call me a stupid homer, look at the numbers. Pedro's career ERA is almost 2 runs lower than the league average. Pedro has accomplished a number of amazing feats. In 2000, his ERA was more than 3 runs lower than the league average. In 1995 he threw 9 perfect innings against the Padres only to have his no-hitter lost in the 10th cuz the Expos couldn't score a run in 9 innings. In Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS, he pitched 6 innings of no-hit relief with an ineffective fastball. He then went on to be the ONLY pitcher to win a game against the Y*nkees in the 1999 playoffs with a 7 inning, 2 hit, 0 ER start. His career winning percentage is an impressive .712. He's won 3 Cy Youngs (should be 5), 2 pitching triple crowns, been selected for 7 All-Star teams, led the league in ERA 5 times, is the active ERA leader, has the highest active winning percentage and the third highest all-time winning percentage (cl*mens is 19th), is the active WHIP leader, is the active Hits/9 IP leader and is second all-time, and is second all-time in K/9 IP.
That's it for now. There's alot of other great pitchers out there that I didn't mention and may mention at a later date (Mathewson, Grove etc.). Address all questions or arguments to mailto:rawbeezeitz@yahoo.com
Remember, his name doesn't deserve vowels or capitalization. Anyway, the All-Star Game buildup on Fox and r*ger's solid performance this year has caused alot of sports pundits to throw that term around that they like to throw. "Best ever." People like Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, and Kevin Kennedy (idiots in my mind) like to call people the best. Is cl*m*ns one of the best ever? There's no doubt. Hell, on Baseball-Reference.com's cl*m*ns page, the sponsor says he's on of the best 3 or four pitchers ever. It is time to dispell this myth. Here are some things about r*ger that, to me, take him out of the running for best ever. I'll follow that with some pitchers that I feel are better.
It is true that cl*mens has 321 wins at the moment and will probably end up in the top 10 on the all-time win list. However, only one of the all-time winners has a higher ERA than clemens. clemens is not a clutch pitcher. If there were a one game palyoff at the end of the season, I don't know if I'd want roger to be on the mound. His ERA in the postseason is 3.47 which isn't bad but his record is 8-6. His Divisional round ERA is 4.50 and he's 2-3. His LCS ERA is 3.90 and he's 3-3. We all know about Game 6 in the 86 WS but who started that game and asked out cuz he had a boo-boo? clemens! In 2 starts in the 86 series, he only pitched 11.1 innings. In all of his postseason starts, he has averaged less than 6 innings a start. When I think of best all-time pitchers, they're usually capable of at least getitng you to your top set-up man and then the closer.
The mark of great pitching is consistency. There isn't a whole lot of consistency for roger ERA wise throughout his career. Seven times in his career, his ERA has fluctuated a run or more in between seasons. In 1993, for example, his ERA was 4.46, then it went down 2.85 then it went up to 4.18.
Now its time for the pitchers I think are better than cl*mens in no particular order:
1. Walter Johnson (Senators)
Johnson played for one of the worst teams in baseball history. Despite the fact that they were perennial last place finishers, Johnson was able to win 417 games with them. Johnson has the most Shutouts of all-time with 110. His career ERA is 2.17 (the league average during his career averages to 3.17). Johnson's ERA was 68.5% of the league's ERA. If cl*mens had that eprcentage, his career ERA would be lower. In 21 seasons, Johnson's ERA was below the league average 20 times. Only in his last season did it rise above the average. Johnson won 62.6% of his starts for a team that was over .500 only 9 times during Johnson's career.
2. Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, Cardinals, Cubs)
Alexander probably could have won 400 games if he didn't fight in WWI. He is second in shutouts with 90. GAC averaged 19 wins a season. In his 20 year career, his ERA was below the league average 19 times. The only time it wasn't was his last year.
3. Satchel Paige (Indians, Browns, Athletics)
He was 42 when he made his MLB debut in 1948. Although he was primarily a releif pitcher in the majors he managed to win 28 games in 6 seasons (5 really, he was brought in by the KC Athletic's in 1965 for a 3 inning, 0 ER start when he was 59). There aren't any statistics for his Negro League games but there are alot of stories about Paige. In one month he started 29 games. He never made an error in the big leagues. He claims to have won 104 games in 1934. "He was the bets pitcher I ever faced" - Joe DiMaggio. He claims to have won 2,000 of 2,500 starts. In 1933 he won 21 straight and had over 60 consecutive scoreless innings. He was the first player enshrined in the Hall of Fame for his Negro League accomplishments.
4. Sandy Koufax (Dodgers)
No player has ever had such a dominating stretch as Koufax did at the end of his career. Koufax also had an impressive 0.95 ERA in the post-season. From 1961-66, he averaged 25 wins and 285 Ks with an ERA of 2.19. Although Koufax didn't have a lengthy career, he was for a time the best pitcher in baseball with 3 Cy Youngs (back when there was only one awarded, not two). He won the pitching triple crown three times.
5. Cy Young (Spiders, Cardinals, Pilgrims, Naps, Braves)
The fact that the award for best pitcher is named after this guy says alot. There's alot of records in baseball that people say will never be broken (Dimaggio's hit streak for example) but Young's record will not be ebaten. 511 wins, nearly 100 more than anyone else. More than 100 CGs more than anyone else. 76 shutouts. He went 2-1 in the 1903 World series. He also had a career batting average of .210 with 18 HRs (alot for back then). Yes, I know he pitched in a completely different era from cl*mens but in his 22 year career, he only had 2 seasons in which his ERA was higher than average. Furthermore, there was alot of offense in the 1890s. The league ERA in 1894 was 5.47, a run higher than now.
6. Pedro Martinez (Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox)
Before you call me a stupid homer, look at the numbers. Pedro's career ERA is almost 2 runs lower than the league average. Pedro has accomplished a number of amazing feats. In 2000, his ERA was more than 3 runs lower than the league average. In 1995 he threw 9 perfect innings against the Padres only to have his no-hitter lost in the 10th cuz the Expos couldn't score a run in 9 innings. In Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS, he pitched 6 innings of no-hit relief with an ineffective fastball. He then went on to be the ONLY pitcher to win a game against the Y*nkees in the 1999 playoffs with a 7 inning, 2 hit, 0 ER start. His career winning percentage is an impressive .712. He's won 3 Cy Youngs (should be 5), 2 pitching triple crowns, been selected for 7 All-Star teams, led the league in ERA 5 times, is the active ERA leader, has the highest active winning percentage and the third highest all-time winning percentage (cl*mens is 19th), is the active WHIP leader, is the active Hits/9 IP leader and is second all-time, and is second all-time in K/9 IP.
That's it for now. There's alot of other great pitchers out there that I didn't mention and may mention at a later date (Mathewson, Grove etc.). Address all questions or arguments to mailto:rawbeezeitz@yahoo.com
MARINERS LOWER THE BOONE
Good God! Boston Red Sox baseball, ladies and gentleman! Why have the Red Sox not won a World Series in 86 years and the Y*nkees have won 26 in 86 years? In the late innings, the Y*nkees make the defensive plays and the good pitches and make the clutch hits, we make the crappy plays, the shitty pitches and have guys thrown out on second on sacrifice bunts.
How hard is it to bunt, really? If you look at the good bunters in the elague, they're usually not the best of hitters. They usually HAVE TO know how to bunt in order to get to the big leagues. Maybe all it takes to be a good bunter is a little practice in A, AA, and AAA. Maybe the Red Sox should consider teaching its players to bunt. Do you think Youkilis is a good bunter?
This loss was a tough one. Thankfully Pedro's performance in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS was on ESPN Classic. I remember telling my friend to turn on the happy game. And guess whose pitching tonight. Derek "Manic Depressive" Lowe. And remember when people were saying Foulke should have made the All-Star Game? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Funny shit.
The Man of the Game is Bronson Arroyo who had a fantastic start wasted. He went 7 IP allowing 3 H and an ER. He struck out 12.
There aren't enough Bitch-Goat points in the world for this one but here it goes:
Foulke: 0.4 - 2 IP, 2 ER, BS
Leskanic: 0.4 - 0.1 IP, 4 ER
Mueller: 0.1 - 0 for 4, 3 LOB, E
Kapler: 0.1 - 1 for 5, K, 3 LOB
DIFFERENCES FROM 99
As mentioned above, I watched game 5 of the 99 ALDS on ESPN Classic. I couldn't help but notice how much our team had changed in 5 years. Here's a comparison:
1999 vs. 2004
Ownership: Yawkey Trust - John Henry Group
GM: Duquette - Epstein
Manager: Williams - Francona
1B: Stanley - Millar
2B: Offerman - Bellhorn
3B - Valentin - Mueller
LF: O'Leary - Ramirez
CF: Lewis - Damon
DH: Daubach - Ortiz
SP2: Mark Portugal - Schilling
SP3: Pat Rapp - Wakefield
SP4: Saberhagen - Lowe
SP5: Brian Rose - Arroyo
Closer: Lowe - Foulke
All in all, 7 of the 1999 Red Sox are still on the team.
Remember these small contributors?
Damon Buford, Lou Merloni, Butch Huskey, Wilton Veras, Jeff Frye, Donnie Sadler, Scott Hatteberg, Creighton Gubanich, Lenny Webster, Steve Lomasney, Mark Guthrie, Jin Ho Cho
I think I'm gonna do a "Where are They Know" on these guys. Are we no better than that team? Compare Portugal to Schilling. What is wrong with this team.
Good God! Boston Red Sox baseball, ladies and gentleman! Why have the Red Sox not won a World Series in 86 years and the Y*nkees have won 26 in 86 years? In the late innings, the Y*nkees make the defensive plays and the good pitches and make the clutch hits, we make the crappy plays, the shitty pitches and have guys thrown out on second on sacrifice bunts.
How hard is it to bunt, really? If you look at the good bunters in the elague, they're usually not the best of hitters. They usually HAVE TO know how to bunt in order to get to the big leagues. Maybe all it takes to be a good bunter is a little practice in A, AA, and AAA. Maybe the Red Sox should consider teaching its players to bunt. Do you think Youkilis is a good bunter?
This loss was a tough one. Thankfully Pedro's performance in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS was on ESPN Classic. I remember telling my friend to turn on the happy game. And guess whose pitching tonight. Derek "Manic Depressive" Lowe. And remember when people were saying Foulke should have made the All-Star Game? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Funny shit.
The Man of the Game is Bronson Arroyo who had a fantastic start wasted. He went 7 IP allowing 3 H and an ER. He struck out 12.
There aren't enough Bitch-Goat points in the world for this one but here it goes:
Foulke: 0.4 - 2 IP, 2 ER, BS
Leskanic: 0.4 - 0.1 IP, 4 ER
Mueller: 0.1 - 0 for 4, 3 LOB, E
Kapler: 0.1 - 1 for 5, K, 3 LOB
DIFFERENCES FROM 99
As mentioned above, I watched game 5 of the 99 ALDS on ESPN Classic. I couldn't help but notice how much our team had changed in 5 years. Here's a comparison:
1999 vs. 2004
Ownership: Yawkey Trust - John Henry Group
GM: Duquette - Epstein
Manager: Williams - Francona
1B: Stanley - Millar
2B: Offerman - Bellhorn
3B - Valentin - Mueller
LF: O'Leary - Ramirez
CF: Lewis - Damon
DH: Daubach - Ortiz
SP2: Mark Portugal - Schilling
SP3: Pat Rapp - Wakefield
SP4: Saberhagen - Lowe
SP5: Brian Rose - Arroyo
Closer: Lowe - Foulke
All in all, 7 of the 1999 Red Sox are still on the team.
Remember these small contributors?
Damon Buford, Lou Merloni, Butch Huskey, Wilton Veras, Jeff Frye, Donnie Sadler, Scott Hatteberg, Creighton Gubanich, Lenny Webster, Steve Lomasney, Mark Guthrie, Jin Ho Cho
I think I'm gonna do a "Where are They Know" on these guys. Are we no better than that team? Compare Portugal to Schilling. What is wrong with this team.
Monday, July 19, 2004
ARSENAL FC BEGIN 04/05 SEASON WITH A BOOM
After being the first team to win England's top soccer league by going undefeated since the 1800s, Arsenal FC was bound to crush Barnet FC, a Conference team. (The Conference is the 5th highest level on the English ladder) Arsenal won 10-1 with hat tricks from Spainard Jose Reyes and Englishman Francis Jeffers. Dennis Bergkamp added a pair of goals and two more goals were scored by reserves. Arsenal were actually down 1-0 from the 12th minute to the 19th.
Arsenal have 9 more pre-season matches before the English League season begins on August 15th. They'll play NK Maribor (Slovenia), Grazer AK (Austria), Sturm Graz (Austria), River Plate (Netherlands), Ajax (Netherlands), Boreham Wood (England, Ryman League), KSK Beveren (Netherlands), and finally Manchseter United FC in the Charity Shield.
After being the first team to win England's top soccer league by going undefeated since the 1800s, Arsenal FC was bound to crush Barnet FC, a Conference team. (The Conference is the 5th highest level on the English ladder) Arsenal won 10-1 with hat tricks from Spainard Jose Reyes and Englishman Francis Jeffers. Dennis Bergkamp added a pair of goals and two more goals were scored by reserves. Arsenal were actually down 1-0 from the 12th minute to the 19th.
Arsenal have 9 more pre-season matches before the English League season begins on August 15th. They'll play NK Maribor (Slovenia), Grazer AK (Austria), Sturm Graz (Austria), River Plate (Netherlands), Ajax (Netherlands), Boreham Wood (England, Ryman League), KSK Beveren (Netherlands), and finally Manchseter United FC in the Charity Shield.
Sunday, July 18, 2004
SOX LEAVE ANAHEIM WITH A SPLIT
Not a terrible weekend. The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games which is pretty good. However, I think we need to sweep Seattle and end the road trip over .500. This team has won at Fenway all year and if we can just go over .550 on the road, we'll be fine.
Men of the Game:
Game 3: Darin Erstad - 3 for 4, 2 RBI
Game 4: Kurt Schilling - 8 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Bitch-Goat for Game 3:
Joe Nelson: 0.2 - 1.1 IP, 3 ER
Wakefield: 0.4 - 4 IP, 5 ER
Millar: 0.3 - 0 for 4, 2 LOB
Kapler: 0.1 - 1 for 4, 2 Ks, LOB
We need Wake back in our rotation ASAP. With the way Lowe has been pitching and the fact that Arroyo rarely goes past 6 innings, our bullpen is worn down as it is. Thankfully, any replacement starter will go in between Schilling and Martinez who pitch more innings than our other starters therefore releiving our bullpen of some overuse.
NEW NICKNAMES!
Jimmy "The Missing Piece" Anderson
Anderson was acquired when the Red Sox were in the midst of a mighty struggle. Although he's a decent 13th or 13th pitcher he isn't really useful in close games which were and are the games we are losing too many of.
Alan "Shitty" Embree
I used to call him Lefty for obvious reasons but with a 4.76 ERA, he has been shitty for us and may have cost us some games.
Keith "Non-Save Situation" Foulke
Foulke only has 14 saves (should be 15 if it weren't for a Ramirez error) but it isn't his fault. He's only had 18 opportunities however.
Derek "Manic Depressive" Lowe
Duh! He's a big high followed by a devestating low.
Ramiro "0.00" Mendoza
In three games he hasn't let up an earned run.
Joe "Over the Top" Nelson
Nelson, like Anderson is not going to put us over the top, he is a 13th or a 12th pitcher.
Mark "Rodney Dangerfield" Bellhorn
Much like Rodney, Mark gets no respect. This really pisses me off. Last year Todd Walker scored 92 runs and knocked in 85 RBI. He had 166 hits (55 for extra bases), 13 HRs, and batted .283 with a .333 OBP, and .421 Slugging. He stole 1 base. This year, Bellhorn is on pace to score about 120 runs (28 more than Walker), and knock in about 100 runs (15 more than Walker). he's on pace for about 165 hits (same was Walker) (70 for extra bases), 20 HRs (7 more than Walker). Walker's average is higher than Bellhorns by about .020 points but Bellhorn's OBP is higher by .050 points. Bellhorn's slugging is about the same only .010 over Walker's. This year Bellhorn is on pace to score about 5 or 6 bases. As I've stated in this blog before, I feel that RPI (Runs Participated in or Runs+RBI-HR) is a very important stat. Last season, Walker participated in a total of 164 runs. This year Bellhorn has participated in 200 runs. Bellhorn is better despite walker's post-season performance which is all people around here seem to remember. Plus, Bellhorn was born in Boston.
Nomar "OC" Garciaparra
After this year he's gone to Southern California. Hey Nomar, ask Mo Vaughan how his trip to Anaheim went.
Kevin "Saumrai Up" Millar
We need to sell this guy to Japan.
That;s it for now. Tomorrow I think I'm going to begin a series on this blog on things that are ruining baseball.
Oh yea, I also began a new blog. It's about Michael Moore and how much he sucks. Her'es the address.
http://www.mikemooresucks.blogspot.com
Not a terrible weekend. The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games which is pretty good. However, I think we need to sweep Seattle and end the road trip over .500. This team has won at Fenway all year and if we can just go over .550 on the road, we'll be fine.
Men of the Game:
Game 3: Darin Erstad - 3 for 4, 2 RBI
Game 4: Kurt Schilling - 8 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Bitch-Goat for Game 3:
Joe Nelson: 0.2 - 1.1 IP, 3 ER
Wakefield: 0.4 - 4 IP, 5 ER
Millar: 0.3 - 0 for 4, 2 LOB
Kapler: 0.1 - 1 for 4, 2 Ks, LOB
We need Wake back in our rotation ASAP. With the way Lowe has been pitching and the fact that Arroyo rarely goes past 6 innings, our bullpen is worn down as it is. Thankfully, any replacement starter will go in between Schilling and Martinez who pitch more innings than our other starters therefore releiving our bullpen of some overuse.
NEW NICKNAMES!
Jimmy "The Missing Piece" Anderson
Anderson was acquired when the Red Sox were in the midst of a mighty struggle. Although he's a decent 13th or 13th pitcher he isn't really useful in close games which were and are the games we are losing too many of.
Alan "Shitty" Embree
I used to call him Lefty for obvious reasons but with a 4.76 ERA, he has been shitty for us and may have cost us some games.
Keith "Non-Save Situation" Foulke
Foulke only has 14 saves (should be 15 if it weren't for a Ramirez error) but it isn't his fault. He's only had 18 opportunities however.
Derek "Manic Depressive" Lowe
Duh! He's a big high followed by a devestating low.
Ramiro "0.00" Mendoza
In three games he hasn't let up an earned run.
Joe "Over the Top" Nelson
Nelson, like Anderson is not going to put us over the top, he is a 13th or a 12th pitcher.
Mark "Rodney Dangerfield" Bellhorn
Much like Rodney, Mark gets no respect. This really pisses me off. Last year Todd Walker scored 92 runs and knocked in 85 RBI. He had 166 hits (55 for extra bases), 13 HRs, and batted .283 with a .333 OBP, and .421 Slugging. He stole 1 base. This year, Bellhorn is on pace to score about 120 runs (28 more than Walker), and knock in about 100 runs (15 more than Walker). he's on pace for about 165 hits (same was Walker) (70 for extra bases), 20 HRs (7 more than Walker). Walker's average is higher than Bellhorns by about .020 points but Bellhorn's OBP is higher by .050 points. Bellhorn's slugging is about the same only .010 over Walker's. This year Bellhorn is on pace to score about 5 or 6 bases. As I've stated in this blog before, I feel that RPI (Runs Participated in or Runs+RBI-HR) is a very important stat. Last season, Walker participated in a total of 164 runs. This year Bellhorn has participated in 200 runs. Bellhorn is better despite walker's post-season performance which is all people around here seem to remember. Plus, Bellhorn was born in Boston.
Nomar "OC" Garciaparra
After this year he's gone to Southern California. Hey Nomar, ask Mo Vaughan how his trip to Anaheim went.
Kevin "Saumrai Up" Millar
We need to sell this guy to Japan.
That;s it for now. Tomorrow I think I'm going to begin a series on this blog on things that are ruining baseball.
Oh yea, I also began a new blog. It's about Michael Moore and how much he sucks. Her'es the address.
http://www.mikemooresucks.blogspot.com
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