I was offered tickets, and I couldn’t go…
By Beej | May 19, 2008
Something just happened at Fenway Park that hasn’t happened since my father was 4 years old, and he’s now 57: a Sox lefty threw a no-hitter.
Jon Lester went 130 pitches, striking out a season-high 9, and walking only two.
My boss had a spare ticket to the game tonight along the first base grandstand. I was dadding, and couldn’t go. Dadding was better, but I sure wish this game was played next week!
After seeing the early catch by Ellsbury, there was a little feeling already of something special happening. It was like Pedroia’s amazing play behind Bucholz last year. It was a play that *had* to count for something.
It’s good to be a Sox fan tonight.
Topics: history, lester, no-hitter | No Comments »
Look! Baseballmans!
By Ace | March 25, 2008
Hello fellow lover of Red Sox baseball!
After a month or so of letting Beej carry the Blog Sox weight, I decided it was finally time to show up and start doing some work around here; and what better day than Opening Day? If you answered “There is no better day”, congratulations: you are correct. Or you are reading my mind. In which case, get out of my brain. Seriously.*
It’s been a long, snowy winter, but finally — finally! — the baseball mans are back on my TV, and all seems right with the world. Sure, I’m not crazy about this Japan trip, or the fact that the games start at 6AM EST (aka “normal time”), but that’s what encore presentations are for. Bottom line, I’m sitting in my room right now listening as Jerry Remy details the on-field exploits of Dustin Pedroia in his inimitable — dare I say, sonorous? — Mass-accented voice, and I couldn’t be happier. Spring is here, nerds, and the — YEAH, MANNY!!
Sorry, what was I saying? Right: Baseball season has arrived, and the Sox’s record stands at a glorious 1-0. Better start buying that new furniture.
- ACE
* - And please don’t tell Jenny Lewis what you saw.
Topics: japan trip | 2 Comments »
***Breaking News*** Japan Boycott in the Works
By Beej | March 19, 2008
The Red Sox held a players only meeting this morning, and multiple media sources are reporting that they unanimously voted to not board the flight to Japan scheduled for later this afternoon if Major League Baseball does not hold up it’s end of the deal regarding appearance fees for coaches and members of the training staff.
It seems that last fall, when the deal to go to Japan was worked out, MLB agreed to pay the players, coaching staff, and training staff an appearance fee of $40,000. Generally speaking, this is chump change to the players. However, it makes a big difference to the underpaid coaches who had already been told that they would be receiving it.
The Sox also voted to not take the field for today’s preseason game against the Blue Jays if the matter was not resolved by gametime.
More bulletins as events warrant.
***Update #1*** The Sox have refused to take the field for their final Grapefruit League game against the Jays.
***Update #2*** The Sox have returned to the field. No news on any deal yet.
Topics: japan trip, spring training | No Comments »
For Less Than $1.00 A Day…
By Beej | March 11, 2008
…you too can fight Tim Wakefield Syndrome (TWS).
Take poor little Joshy Beckett. Just six short months ago, he was the winningest pitcher in all of baseball. He just missed out on the Cy Young award, and was brilliant in the playoffs.
Today, little Joshy can barely stand. He has been afflicted with a terrible disease: Tim Wakefield Syndrome, and now he may miss opening day. There is no cure for TWS, but with your help we can find one.
Current and former Red Sox players such as Manny Ramirez, Mike Timlin, Keith Foulke, and of course Tim Wakefield have all suffered from TWS - not to mention yours truly. Symptoms include complaining about back spasms and placement on the disabled list.
There is hope, however. For your contribution of $29.95 per month (that’s less than a dollar a day so long as you don’t count February), you can help little Joshy and countless others who are suffering in silence. Won’t you help?
Send your monthly payments to Fat Blogger Beej, c/o The Blog Sox. Your entire contribution will be put to state-of-the-art home testing of back spasms and perventions/cures.*
Together, we can strike-out TWS.
*Likely research avenues include beer, cable tv, Indiana Jones merchandise, and a Wii.
Topics: Injuries, beckett, spring training | 1 Comment »
Salary Slam!
By Beej | March 7, 2008
Big contract news for the Sox this week!
Yesterday the BoSox came to contract agreements with all of their pre-arbitration players. This is significant for a number of reasons - all players on the 40-man-roster now have contracts for the 2008 season; none of the pre-arbitration players have been unilaterally assigned a salary by the club, and Jonathan “too-big-for-his-britches” Papelbon may have been given a more realistic worldview.
Let me explain - I love Pap. He is dominant as a closer. He shuts batters down as well as just about anybody else out there. Hell, in 135 career cames, he has a 1.63 ERA with 72 saves. Pretty good, right? It sure is.
But here’s the thing - Pap started this week talking to the media about how he should be compensated commensurately with the likes of Mariano Rivera. Hold the phone. The Mariano Rivera?
Now, I may not know tacos from tortillas, and I am sure as heck not a Yankee fan, but Mariano Rivera has a history of proven success over years and years that got him to where he is today (read: BIG MONEY). He came up to the majors in 1995 as a starter, but it wasn’t until he moved to his role as a closer in 1997 that he started seeing real success. In the ensuing 11 seasons, Rivera has had seven seasons with an ERA under 2, and only two seasons with an ERA over 2.5 - and that’s for the regular season. When it comes to the playoffs, he gets even better. With 117.1 postseason innings pitched, he has an unbelievable 8-1 record (anyone remember the loss? I do!) with an ERA of 0.77.
I believe Pap can get there. I even believe he will get there. But he just isn’t there yet. It’s rumored that his agreed upon deal will give him a cool $775,000 for the year. Not Mariano Rivera money, but certainly not chump change. Given that he’ll pitch between 60-70 innings this season if all goes as planned, that nets him a minimum of more than $11,000 per inning. Not too shabby for a 27-year-old who may some day be one of the all-time greats, but still forgets his pants from time-to-time. Oh, and btw - this beats Mariano Rivera’s 1998 deal of $750K with just about the same amount of time in the majors.
Other players agreeing to one-year contracts were outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Brandon Moss, pitchers Clay Buchholz, David Aardsma, Devern Hansack, Craig Breslow, Bryan Corey, Manny Delcarmen, Kyle Jackson, David Pauley, Edgar Martinez, and Jon Lester; catchers Dusty Brown and George Kottaras; and infielders Chris Carter, Dustin Pedroia and Argenis Diaz.
Topics: contracts, papelbon, spring training | No Comments »