Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Revolutionary War officially ended on this day in 1783 with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay signing of the Treaty of Paris. How many high school seniors could tell you what the Treaty of Paris is these days? Not many...  The 1971 Baltimore Orioles had four 20-game winners (Cueller, Dobson, Palmer, and McNally). There may not be a single 20-game winner this season in all of MLB as just three pitchers in all of baseball have 17 wins with not many starts left in the regular season. Times have changed... An X-Files marathon is coming to BBC America. Was the X-Files secretly produced in England by the BBC? To me this is like Showtime running a Sopranos marathon. Or is it strange like The History Channel no longer showing history documentaries... This is awful. Terrible news so sad. If I were President I would scour our National Archives and museums for any Brazilian artifacts or documents to and donate them back to help ease the pain of this loss...  Buzz Aldrin makes his feelings about planting the American flag on the moon quite known.. The Red Sox magic number is now just 18... Am I a bad person for laughing at this?...

Red Sox Magic Number

The Red Sox Magic Number to clinch the AL East is now just 44. And in Boston that number makes you think of Danny Ainge.

Boston fans really have an abundance of riches when it comes to professional sports these days (and for the past two-decades for that matter).

Yankees suck!

Pitchers and Catchers Report Today

Red Sox Magic Number is 163 (but so is every other team's). Hope springs eternal. Play ball!

Red Sox Magic Number

With most of the sportsworld attention focused on the NFL today - just a reminder the Red Sox Magic Number to win the AL East is now just 12.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Hangover ice cream is a genius idea!... Just saying but the Red Sox magic number to win the AL East is now just 115... Heh heh... Sorry but Red Nose Day makes me think that men should have a Hold Your Balls Day where men go around all day holding their balls to raise awareness about testicular cancer. Both days would be equally silly in their marketing... Oh crap... I detest Wade Boggs. The only reason his number got retired by the Red Sox last night is because Peter Gammons has been lobbying ownership to do it for the past decade... Too soon?... According to the Bible - Noah's ark would have been about half the size of the Titanic. Thank God Noah didn't run into any ice bergs... My hat's off to the parents of this young man. Fantastic!... Too bad Charles Bukowski's Beer Shits is too long for a fantasy baseball team name... Heh heh... Is there a bar called the Vodka A Go Go? If not I call dibs... Scientists think they've finally figured out what the appendix actually does...

State of the Red Sox

The Red Sox are 31-40, in last place in the AL East and 8.5 games out of first place. To say they have been a disappointment would be a major understatement. So what gives? What's been the problem(s) and what should the Red Sox do going forwards?

Let's start with the pitching - a staff whose ERA of 4.46 is dead last in the American League. First there's the Rick Porcello in theory and the Rick Porcello in reality. I admit that I too was high on Porcello who has shown flashes of what he was last season. If Porcello was 7-4 with an ERA around 4.00 instead of 4-8 with an ERA of 5.61 then Boston would still be in last in the AL East but only 5 games out of first and talk radio would be hammering about a trade for Cole Hamels. Instead Boston has tied their wagon to a guy whose career ERA+ is not even league average (95). Sadly at this point Red Sox fans can only cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Justin Masterson has been a mess. The Red Sox gave him 7 starts and he gave them a 6.37 ERA in return. Those 7 starts should have gone to Steven Wright and now that Eduardo Rodriguez has taken Masterson's rotation spot for good - when Masterson comes back from his "rehab" in Pawtucket he may force Wright out of the bullpen as the long-relief guy. Wright can't buy a break. I'd prefer for Boston to just admit that the Justin Masterson reclamation project was a mistake and move on.

Then there's the case for Brian Johnson who has been pitching even better than Eduardo Rodriguez in Pawtucket and is 2-years older. Is it wrong to hope that either Porcello or Joe Kelly develops "fatigue" and has to be put on the DL so we can see what Johnson has to offer at the MLB level? Or here's an idea - with the Red Sox out of it why not trade Koji Uehara and see if Kelly can close?

Then there's the position players and hitting where there's been basically 3 sore spots for Boston - catcher, 1st base and right field. Not much you can do about catching. Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hannigan sounded like a great defensive combo before the season but injury ruined that. Now we'll see what Blake Swihart (who has been heating up at the plate) and Hannigan (once he's healthy) can do for the rest of the season.

1st base? Mike Napoli has been hitting well below his career averages but what's the alternative at this point? Allen Craig? Sure Craig has been hitting at Pawtucket but does anyone think if things had been reversed that Napoli wouldn't be raking on AAA-pitching? Best to leave 1st as is and hope Napoli gets on another hot streak that brings his numbers back to where they should be.

That leaves right field where the answer is simple - bring back Jackie Bradley Jr.

And for those of us optimists out there - the Red Sox magic number is an even 100!

Top 5 - Red Sox Thoughts

With the baseball season more than 10% done - here's my Top 5 thoughts on the Boston Red Sox so far.

1. Boston is in a three-way tie for first despite the fact that their team ERA is 24th in all of baseball (4.37). If the pitching staff had just an American League average ERA then they'd be in first place all by themselves (they currently have an ERA+ of 95).

2. Boston is in a three-way tie for first despite the fact that the team is hitting a dismal .234 (20th in all baseball). The team has an OPS+ of just 92 (100 is league average). Does anyone not believe this team's offense will heat up as the temperatures rise?

3. If the Red Sox are to retire the number 26 - I predict that it will be for Brock Holt and not Wade Boggs. The super utility man is leading the team in batting (.424), OBP (.441), OPS (1.017) and OPS+ (184) while having played 5 positions so far (SS, 2B, 3B, LF, and CF). Big fan favorite is Brock Holt.

4. Not only do I predict that the Boston offense will heat up - I predict the Red Sox will lead the AL in HR by the time the season is over.

5. The Red Sox Magic Number is now 145. Today is the running of the London Marathon. There is also the Grand Union Canal Race held in May which is a 145 mile ultra-marathon that also finishes in London. Here's a useful piece of advice when running either a marathon or ultra-marathon.

Red Sox Magic Number - 109

The Red Sox magic number for this season is now 109. When I hear the number 109 - I think of JFK and his PT 109. However this Red Sox team bears no resemblance of to heroic tales of WWII and certainly no resemblance to JFK who was much more a good Scotch and Cuban cigars guy than a fried chicken and Bud Light fan.

No this Red Sox team is much closer to another 109 - that's the number of career wins Carl Pavano will have with his next victory. This team certainly has a Carl Pavano feel to it. A team with a connection to those great Red Sox teams from a few years ago (Pavano was traded for Pedro Martinez). A team that should have great potential but inexplicably doesn't meet that potential. A team that can't seem to shake a better than .500 record (Pavano's career winning percentage is .502). A team that can't shake injuries. And a team that honestly isn't that likable.

I have to say that for the past few days I've been doing "what could have been" scenarios in my head. I've been thinking that a good general manager should adopt the physicians creed of "first do no harm." I've also been wondering if Ben Cherington and the team would have been better off if he had done nothing at all.

Let's look at some of the moves:

- December 2011 - Sox trade Jed Lowrie to Astros for Mark Melancon. They then also sign utility man Nick Punto. Lowrie has 12 HR and an OPS of .920 this season (only David Ortiz has comparable numbers on the Red Sox) while Mike Aviles has an OPS of just .708 and an OPS+ of just 89 (100 is average for a hitter). Melancon was viewed as a set-up guy but the Red Sox had a great set-up guy in Daniel Bard. So the Red Sox weaken themselves at short and tried to move Bard to starter - how's that worked out? Plus if Lowrie isn't traded then Aviles fills the role Punto has (and does a better job at it).

- December 2011 - Sox trade Josh Reddick to Oakland for Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney. So far Reddick has 14 HR which would be leading the Red Sox while Bailey hasn't pitched an inning for the Red Sox because the often injured pitcher is injured.

- April 2012 - Sox trade for Marlon Byrd who was awful and released in less than 2 months. The Red Sox needed a centerfielder but had the talented Che-Hsuan Lin at Pawtucket. Why not reward the talented youngster with a call-up? It would have been much better for the team and much better for the bottom line.

I won't even get into the Marco Scutaro salary dump trade. The point I guess is that the Red Sox have to move Kevin Youkilis soon and I hope when they do that they improve the team but first I hope that they do no harm.

Because rooting for this team is getting to be like rooting for Carl Pavano.

Red Sox Magic Number - 144

Many people have made the point that the Red Sox have more contract dollars on the DL then teams have in total salary. The people talking about this are missing an important point - it is not the players on the DL that are making this Red Sox team a mediocre unit - it is the players on the active roster. In specific it is the starting pitching.

Before last season some people were arguing that the Red Sox starting 5 of Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz and Matsuzaka was the best in baseball. This season some people are arguing that the Red Sox starting 5 is the worst in the AL East. Talk about the bloom being off the rose.

Daniel Bard has the best ERA among the starters with a 4.38 which equates to an ERA+ of 98. That means that even the best Red Sox starter has been worse than the MLB average (average being 100). Put it another way - of the Red Sox starting pitchers only Clay Buchholz has a winning record (3-1) and that's only because he's been "lucky" as evidenced by Buchholz's 8.69 ERA.

Red Sox fans have been rooting for this team out of habit - not because of anything they have earned on the field.

As an aside the USS Worcester (CL-144) was a post WWII light cruiser. I'll use any excuse to mention Worcester.

Red Sox Magic Number - 158

The famous Murderer's Row of the 1927 Yankees which included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit a combined 158 home runs. The Red Sox were supposed to have an excellent offense but I'm thinking that may have been an exaggeration. With Jacoby Ellsbury out for an extended period of time (at least 6 weeks it seems) that leaves Boston with just two players who are well above average offensively at their position (Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez). Sure Kevin Youkilis could rebound to have a healthy year where he hits close to .300 with 25 HR but that's hardly a lock. I'm guessing Vegas would take all the action it could lay its hands on that Youk won't hit 25 HR this season. Carl Crawford could also rebound to his normal productivity when he gets back but when I think wrist injuries I think Nomar Garciaparra who was never quite the same after he injured his wrist.

While I'm talking injuries - I hate to be "that guy" but one silver lining about Ellsbury's injury may end up being the fact the team didn't sign him long term before the season.

Why am I being a Debbie Downer? Maybe its because yesterday's 12 run outburst may have some people fooled into thinking this team will continue to be an offensive juggernaut. There are 5 players in the AL who have more HR than the Red Sox have as a team. The Magic Number is 158. That's the only thing this line-up has in common with a Murderer's Row offense.

That's all I'm saying.

Red Sox Magic Number - 27

If you played word association with a Red Sox fan and said the word "Twenty-seven" the most likely reply would be "Carlton Fisk". Back in 2000 the new Red Sox ownership group retired Fisk's 27 (Fisk wore 72 when he went to the White Sox as a free agent in 1981). It was a very good PR move as Fisk remains very popular among New Englanders. It also helped heal an old wound. Fisk never should have been allowed to leave in the first place. The old ownership screwed the pooch on that one and the relationship turned contentious. The old ownership waited a whole year before handing out Fisk's 27 to the immortal Mike Brown. Including Brown - 9 other players wore 27 after Fisk left.

I don't have a problem with the Red Sox retiring Fisk's number. He was a local icon. He won the Rookie of the Year and was a 7-time all-star in his 9 full seasons with Boston. I would have issues if the Red Sox wanted to retire the number 26 though.

That number once belonged to Wade Boggs. However, since Boggs left to play for the Yankees 11 players have donned a 26 jersey. The circumstances between Fisk leaving and Boggs leaving were completely different (especially in the mind of fans - no way Fisk ever even thinks of playing for the Yankees). To understand why this is significant consider that when Jim Rice retired - the Red Sox never gave out his number 14 ever again.

Back in June of 2005, Peter Gammons wrote in his ESPN column:

This summer, the number 26 will be retired in Fenway Park and put up on the roof with 1, 4, 8, 9 and 27.

Well it's been more than 6-years and that hasn't happened. And it won't happen. Nobody is out there complaining that Boggs hasn't had his number retired. In fact I think if you asked the average fan they would have a hard time remembering what number Boggs wore. When Boggs played it all about him. His stats, his talking about himself in the third person, his Barbara Walters appearances. Is it any surprise that the only one to care about Boggs at this point is probably Boggs? Personally - I hope to see someone wearing the number 26 next spring training.

As an aside - many people think Carlton Fisk is from New Hampshire and that's understandable since he's lived much of his life in the Live Free or Die state but he was actually born in Bellows Falls, VT. I mention this as a way to bring up the recent damage in the state from Hurricane Irene. If I were President I would redirect all the money that the Department of Transportation is going to waste on "high speed rail" projects and immediately send it to repair the destroyed roads in Vermont. I think if you looked at the pictures I linked to - you'd probably agree.

Red Sox Magic Number - 30

The Red Sox magic number to clinch the AL East is now just 30 (their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is just 22).

The Los Angeles Angels (aka California Angels) retired the number 30 to honor Nolan Ryan (whose number 34 was also retired by the Astros and Rangers). Nobody like Nolan Ryan has ever worn the number 30 for the Red Sox. Boston has had to settle for people like Matt Clement (for who the phrase "don't trust anyone over 30" really did apply) and current occupant of the number 30 - Andrew Miller.

Miller is an interesting case. He was the 6th pick of the 2006 MLB draft with players like Clayton Kershaw (7th) and Tim Lincecum (10th) taken after Miller (that was how prized his talents were at the time). He went to North Carolina so he has the support of alum Peter Gammons and Tarheel teammate Daniel Bard. The guy is 6'7" and a lefty - plus the Red Sox didn't give up anything to get him. You would think it would be all upside.

The problem with Miller is he just hasn't been that great. Sure he's 6-1 but his ERA of 4.42 is just OK. The other problem is when Clay Buccholtz is healthy then the last starter slot comes down to Miller and fan favorite Tim Wakefield. Many fans are torn between the more predictable Miller and the knuckleballer Wakefield. Myself included.

Red Sox Magic Number - 36

The Red Sox are in Texas to play the Rangers. Lyndon Johnson was was from Texas and he was the 36th President of the United States but he only became President because of the death of John Kennedy who along with the rest of the Kennedy's are as identified with Boston as the Red Sox. The Kennedy's in general did not get along with Lyndon Johnson or Texas and the Red Sox likewise have issues with the Rangers. It is hot as hell at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington during summer. If you add up the sum of the integers between 1 and 36 - you would have 666 which is the mark of the beast. Tonight's game is on ESPN which is also the mark of the beast. The number 36 is the atomic number of krypton. The Rangers have been like kryptonite to the Red Sox. Coincidences? So many omens - not all of them good.

I'm scared. Hold me.

Red Sox Magic Number - 44

Last night's Red Sox win coupled with the Yankees' loss makes the Red Sox magic number now 44. The number 44 may be significant in other baseball towns (Reggie Jackson wore 44 for the Yankees and Hank Aaron wore 44 for the Braves) but not so much for the Red Sox. Sure Jason Bay brought some luster back to 44 in his brief tenure with the Sox but not enough to erase the stink of people like Kevin Kennedy wearing the number during his stint as manager for Boston.

I think most Boston sports fans probably think of Danny Ainge when you mention the number 44. Even though Ainge was excellent with those great Celtics teams of the 80's and equally excellent in his current tenure running the team - when I think of Danny Ainge I still think of him knocking out of the NCAA tourney the best basketball team Notre Dame ever had with an end to end dash as time ran out back in 1981.

Red Sox magic Number - 46

With the win over the Twins last night coupled with the Yankees loss - the Red Sox magic number now stands at 46.

In science the number 46 is probably mainly associated with the number of human chromosomes. Many Patriots and football fans in general associate 46 with the great 46 defense the Chicago Bears used with beat New England in Super Bowl XX. However when I think of 46 and football - I think of John Lynch but that's because of personal surname bias.

Before Jonathan Papelbon - the Red Sox all-time saves leader was Bob Stanley who wore - you guessed it - number 46.

The number 46 seems to be a little cursed in terms of the Red Sox. Bob Stanley had a very successful career with the Red Sox. He's a nice guy and still lives in the area. You would think he'd be more embraced by Red Sox Nation but he's not. He's viewed with indifference (at best). Since the Steamer retired the number 46 has been worn by 18 different players - mostly for a single year or less. It's like the number 46 is the Harry Potter equivalent of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position. It's understandable why both Jacoby Ellsbury and Josh Reddick switched out from number 46 to uniform numbers more suiting.

Perhaps the Red Sox issues with the number 46 stem from the 1946 Red Sox who lost the World Series 4 games to 3 to the St. Louis Cardinals. That was Ted Williams only World Series and his batting just .200 always seem to haunt him. Just like the number 46 haunts the Red Sox.

Red Sox Magic Number - 56

Yesterday the Red Sox magic number was 57. With the win over the White Sox today the number is 56. Yesterday I thought the Red Sox had a deal in place for Rich Harden. I thought it was a good deal for both sides. Harden has talent but his health was the issue while Lars Anderson is blocked in Boston with Adrian Gonzalez under contract for years. I was actually already rooting for Anderson to have a fresh start with the A's. Then the deal for Harden fell apart.

I am still hoping for some sort of magic number symmetry though. Yesterday the magic number was 57 which also happens to be the number of career victories for Rich Harden. Today the magic number is 56 which happens to be the uniform number given to Aaron Harang when he first came up to the majors with the Oakland A's (he was later traded by Oakland to the Reds for Jose Guillen). I am hoping that the Red Sox attention turns from a current A's player in Harden to a former A's player in Harang.

The Padres say they aren't trying to deal Harang but for the right offer I'm sure he's available. Lars Anderson probably won't be part of a deal with the Padres with former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo blocking the way but a third team could step in to take Anderson and give the Padres something they want (Billy Beane loves getting involved in deals like that and he just showed that he wants Anderson). It would take more than Anderson to land Harang though but that's OK - the Padres are very familiar with the Red Sox minor league system.

As an aside - is it me or does Aaron Harang look like Paul Giamatti if Giammati was to play an evil professional wrestler?

As a second aside - there would be even more symmetry with the Red Sox trading for Harang when you consider that he was first drafted by Boston in the 22nd round of the 1996 draft but chose to go to San Diego State instead. Though come to think of it - the symmetry works if Harang evades the Red Sox grasp to stay in San Diego just like 15-years ago.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Chad Ochocinco will wear number 85 for the New England Patriots while Aaron Hernandez will switch from 85 to 81. I wonder what that cost Ochocinco to get his uniform number? I think Ochocinco can have Wes Welker type production for that Pats. He doesn't need long bombs to be successful. He is very quick and good at running routes. He easily could match his uniform number in receptions with Tom Brady as his QB. So let it be written - so let it be done... Heh heh - Algorithm... The things you learn on the Internet (via Mental Floss): "In 1965, Alan Stillman opened T.G.I. Friday’s in New York as a way to meet stewardesses. He said it was the first singles bar." I just find that funny. A single's bar that now has a kids menu? If it had a kids menu back it 1965 it would be just creepy. Like a single's bar designed with NAMBLA in mind... 10 Reasons to Love Alex Trebek... It has been 36 years to the day that Jimmy Hoffa disappeared... Today is also Bud Selig's 77th birthday... This is literally scary good. Michael Chiklis' audition tape for The Shield (NSFW language)... Director Christopher Nolan turns 41 today. I will go to see any movie he directs.... The Red Sox Magic Number is now 57

Red Sox Magic Number - 58

The Red Sox won and the Yankees loss so the new magic number is 58 which also happens to be the uniform number of Jonathan Papelbon. Many Boston fans think Papelbon will be gone after this season and with good reason. Papelbon makes $12 million this year and is a free agent at season's end. The only way I can see Papelbon returning is if he unexpectedly accepts arbitration. Otherwise Daniel Bard will probably be elevated as the new Red Sox closer - a move that many fans are both expecting and looking forward to. Bard is 4-years younger than Papelbon and his ERA is almost half of Papelbon's this season (1.81 to 3.59). I still blame Papelbon's 8 blown saves last year as a big reason the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs (plus his blown save against the Angels in the playoffs the year before cost me a lot of money so I'm biased). For people outside New England it may seem strange that so many would be so willing to jettison a hero of the 2007 Wold Champion team but think about this - is that any different than Keith Foulke?

Red Sox Magic Number - 60


With the win over the Royals the Red Sox Magic Number is now down to 60. This gives me the opportunity to mention the Buckminsterfullerene better known as buckyballs - a spherical molecule with the formula C60. The geodesic dome of molecules.

I could have mentioned that Hanley Ramirez wore the number 60 in his cup of coffee with the Red Sox in 2005 (2 games) before being traded to the Marlins in the offseason but buckyballs seemed more fun to talk about.

Red Sox Magic Number - 62

With a Boston victory and the Yankees loss - the Red Sox magic number is now 62.

Sigmund Freud had an irrational fear of the number 62. My wife has an irrational fear of snakes. I have an irrational fear of locking the keys in the car. Some people suffer from ablutophobia which is the fear of washing or bathing (these people tend to be Yankee fans). FDR said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. When my kids were young I used to change the radio whenever the song The Macarena came on and I would tell them I did so because the song scared me because I had dreams of strange people jumping out of the closet shaking maracas and singing The Macarena (in reality I just didn't like the song).