Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Red Sox make a run at Brad Penny. The Sox (like every other team in both leagues) could use another starter and it is said that owner John Henry really likes Penny. The skinny on Penny seems to be that he was "distracted" in LA. It's tough to be distracted away from baseball when playing in Boston... I hope Orlando Hudson stays in the National League because he could be the only thing standing between Dustin Pedroia and a series of Gold Gloves. That's not to discount Mark Ellis but Ellis doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy enough to be a factor... I'm conflicted at the thought of Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. potentially winding back in Seattle as free agents. On the one hand - there certainly is something to be said for both players coming full circle and ending up their careers where they started. On the other hand - does either player make Seattle a better team? If it were to happen it would have the whiff of a carnival freak show to it where fans were expected to come out to see two future hall of famers and not the game itself... The top 3 things on the Red Sox wish list seem to be - 1. resolve the issues at catcher 2. figure out what to do about Julio Lugo and 3. add another starter. My guesses on these three situations? I think the Red Sox sign Jason Varitek to a one year deal but also shop around for a young stud catcher (like Jarrod Saltalamacchia) to be his eventual replacement. As far as the other two issues - if the Red Sox do trade Lugo it will be for someone else's problem contract ala Nate Robinson or Dontrelle Willis in Detroit. Lugo has shown willingness to be a back-up and maybe that's the answer. But then again - what does it say about the fire in a player that he almost seems resigned to being a backup?...
Chris Lynch's slanted view on sports, politics and entertainment. Please send thoughts or comments to chris.lynch@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Mark Ellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Ellis. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Red Sox Opening Day Live Blog
6:00 - Ohayou - that's Japanese for "Good morning". It's 6:00 and I haven't brewed the coffee yet but I'm watching the game and will be jotting down some miscellaneous thoughts and observations as I go along.
6:17 - Dice-K takes the mound and instead of being excited for Opening Day I'm just feeling awake. I need the coffee. Oh - I didn't just get up to watch the game - I also had to get up early to make a move in one of my fantasy baseball leagues. I'm in a cash league with 8 guys and you have up to a 1/2 hour before the first game to set your line-up for the week. I decided to drop Freddie Sanchez at 2nd (even though he's one of my favorite players) because he's so injury prone. I had to decide between Kelly Johnson of the Braves and Mark Ellis of the A's as a replacement and of course I went with Kelly Johnson. I bring this up just as Mark Ellis drives one out of the park for a 1-0 A's lead.
6:30 - The A's make it 2-0 and Dice-K is having a hard time with his control. Anime fans still love him though.
6:35 - I just realize that Brandon Moss is starting for JD Drew. I still need my coffee (its brewing) but though it might wake me up I'm not sure it will restore the confidence I had yesterday about JD Drew playing 140 games this year.
6:58 - The A's leave them loaded but lead 2-0. I have my first cup of coffee (YAY! COFFEE!). Just for the heck of it I flipped from NESN to ESPN2 and saw that the game is on blackout. I'm amused by that.
7:15 - My first work email of the day has been crafted and sent.
7:22 - I've now added a Happi coat to the list of things I want. Dice-K seems possessed by the spirit of Matt Young.
7:44 - Just finished a bacon and cheese omelet my wife made for me. I love my wife. And I love bacon.
7:57 - Manny drives in 2 to tie the score. That takes Dice-K off the hook. I'm curious to see if he comes back in the game (at 95 pitches right now). Manny now has 1606 career RBI. That's just 3 behind Goose Goslin for 27th place on the all-time list. Goslin played in the 1920's and 30's. He never hit more than 18 HR and suddenly he hits 37 at age 28 and then 30 at age 30? I think Goslin was on the juice. Moss singles in Manny and the Red Sox take a 3-2 lead. Not only is Dice-K off the hook - he could get a win.
8:15 - Jack Hannahan hits a HR off Kyle Snyder which puts the A's up 4-3 and gives Dice-K a no-decision. I keep thinking Hannahan's name is Hanrahan which makes me think of the move Slap Shot. "Hey Hanrahan - Suzanne's a lesbian. A lesssssbiaaaan."
8:42 - Just thought I'd point out that Kyle Snyder is a former 1st round pick. He was taken with the 7th overall pick in the 1999 draft by the Royals. Josh Hamilton was the first pick and Josh Beckett was the second pick. The Red Sox took Rick Asadoorian with the 17th pick that year. Asadoorian was born in Worcester and started out as an outfielder but was switched to pitcher full-time last season for the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. The Lookouts? What an awful name for a minor league team. EXCELLENT catch by Jacoby Ellsbury!
8:56 - BRANDON MOSS!! Game tied at 4!! How do you say extra innings in Japanese? Huston Street = Heathcliff Slocumb.
9:27 - MANNY! Second big 2-run double of the game for Manny. He's now just 1 RBI behind Goose Goslin. Red Sox now lead 6-4 and the Red Sox are bout to face their third former teamate on the mound (Embree, Foulke and now Lenny DiNardo).
9:50 - Papelbon makes us sweat it out but the Red Sox win 6-5. The Red Sox are now on pace for a 162-0 season.
6:00 - Ohayou - that's Japanese for "Good morning". It's 6:00 and I haven't brewed the coffee yet but I'm watching the game and will be jotting down some miscellaneous thoughts and observations as I go along.
6:17 - Dice-K takes the mound and instead of being excited for Opening Day I'm just feeling awake. I need the coffee. Oh - I didn't just get up to watch the game - I also had to get up early to make a move in one of my fantasy baseball leagues. I'm in a cash league with 8 guys and you have up to a 1/2 hour before the first game to set your line-up for the week. I decided to drop Freddie Sanchez at 2nd (even though he's one of my favorite players) because he's so injury prone. I had to decide between Kelly Johnson of the Braves and Mark Ellis of the A's as a replacement and of course I went with Kelly Johnson. I bring this up just as Mark Ellis drives one out of the park for a 1-0 A's lead.
6:30 - The A's make it 2-0 and Dice-K is having a hard time with his control. Anime fans still love him though.
6:35 - I just realize that Brandon Moss is starting for JD Drew. I still need my coffee (its brewing) but though it might wake me up I'm not sure it will restore the confidence I had yesterday about JD Drew playing 140 games this year.
6:58 - The A's leave them loaded but lead 2-0. I have my first cup of coffee (YAY! COFFEE!). Just for the heck of it I flipped from NESN to ESPN2 and saw that the game is on blackout. I'm amused by that.
7:15 - My first work email of the day has been crafted and sent.
7:22 - I've now added a Happi coat to the list of things I want. Dice-K seems possessed by the spirit of Matt Young.
7:44 - Just finished a bacon and cheese omelet my wife made for me. I love my wife. And I love bacon.
7:57 - Manny drives in 2 to tie the score. That takes Dice-K off the hook. I'm curious to see if he comes back in the game (at 95 pitches right now). Manny now has 1606 career RBI. That's just 3 behind Goose Goslin for 27th place on the all-time list. Goslin played in the 1920's and 30's. He never hit more than 18 HR and suddenly he hits 37 at age 28 and then 30 at age 30? I think Goslin was on the juice. Moss singles in Manny and the Red Sox take a 3-2 lead. Not only is Dice-K off the hook - he could get a win.
8:15 - Jack Hannahan hits a HR off Kyle Snyder which puts the A's up 4-3 and gives Dice-K a no-decision. I keep thinking Hannahan's name is Hanrahan which makes me think of the move Slap Shot. "Hey Hanrahan - Suzanne's a lesbian. A lesssssbiaaaan."
8:42 - Just thought I'd point out that Kyle Snyder is a former 1st round pick. He was taken with the 7th overall pick in the 1999 draft by the Royals. Josh Hamilton was the first pick and Josh Beckett was the second pick. The Red Sox took Rick Asadoorian with the 17th pick that year. Asadoorian was born in Worcester and started out as an outfielder but was switched to pitcher full-time last season for the AA Chattanooga Lookouts. The Lookouts? What an awful name for a minor league team. EXCELLENT catch by Jacoby Ellsbury!
8:56 - BRANDON MOSS!! Game tied at 4!! How do you say extra innings in Japanese? Huston Street = Heathcliff Slocumb.
9:27 - MANNY! Second big 2-run double of the game for Manny. He's now just 1 RBI behind Goose Goslin. Red Sox now lead 6-4 and the Red Sox are bout to face their third former teamate on the mound (Embree, Foulke and now Lenny DiNardo).
9:50 - Papelbon makes us sweat it out but the Red Sox win 6-5. The Red Sox are now on pace for a 162-0 season.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Top 5 - Baseball Players from South Dakota
Here are who I consider the top 5 baseball players from South Dakota.
1. Keith Foulke - 190 career saves and a hero of the 2004 World Series
2. Terry Forster - 127 career saves, a regular season ERA of 3.23 and a post-season ERA (almost 8 innings) of 0.00 - Forster became "famous" when David Letterman referred to him as a "fat tub of goo" but perhaps the most interesting thing about Forrester is the fact that he hit .397 in his career (78 AB) - that means if Forster had one more hit he would have had a career batting average over .400 (.410)
3. Mark Ellis - 2nd baseman for the A's - all-time leader in HR by a South Dakota born player with 57 and counting
4. Dave Collins - a good field, no-hit outfielder who is in 70th place on the all-time list when it comes to steals with 395.
5. (tie) Terry Francona - just because I'm a Red Sox fan (tie) Jim Scott - twice won more than 20 games in a season plus he was born in Deadwood in 1888 just after the time portrayed in the TV series
Pretty slim pickings for South Dakota who must be happy that at least they are not North Dakota. You may have assumed that Roger Maris would be on the list but if you made that assumption then you forgot that Maris was actually born in Hibbing, MN (home of Boston Celtics great Kevin McHale).
Here are who I consider the top 5 baseball players from South Dakota.
1. Keith Foulke - 190 career saves and a hero of the 2004 World Series
2. Terry Forster - 127 career saves, a regular season ERA of 3.23 and a post-season ERA (almost 8 innings) of 0.00 - Forster became "famous" when David Letterman referred to him as a "fat tub of goo" but perhaps the most interesting thing about Forrester is the fact that he hit .397 in his career (78 AB) - that means if Forster had one more hit he would have had a career batting average over .400 (.410)
3. Mark Ellis - 2nd baseman for the A's - all-time leader in HR by a South Dakota born player with 57 and counting
4. Dave Collins - a good field, no-hit outfielder who is in 70th place on the all-time list when it comes to steals with 395.
5. (tie) Terry Francona - just because I'm a Red Sox fan (tie) Jim Scott - twice won more than 20 games in a season plus he was born in Deadwood in 1888 just after the time portrayed in the TV series
Pretty slim pickings for South Dakota who must be happy that at least they are not North Dakota. You may have assumed that Roger Maris would be on the list but if you made that assumption then you forgot that Maris was actually born in Hibbing, MN (home of Boston Celtics great Kevin McHale).
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