Sports Writing

Well, given that it’s last place on the All-Star team, it’s more like Podsednik for Undersecretary of State or something (and yes, I know, that’s an appointed position not an elected one), but anyway:

Instead of using up Tek for the majority of the game and killing his knees, how about seeing if Mike Sweeney has his old catching mitt? Or, for that matter, Shea “third-string catcher behind Tek and Hatteberg” Hillenbrand?

Thoughts on Foulke blowing yet another save? As they say in comic strips: ampersand, pound sign, at sign, dollar sign, exclamation point.

Happy Independence Day to all my American visitors! Time to bring out the BBQs, sling on those “Kiss the Cook” aprons, and throw some burgers on the grill. Or whatever your family custom is.

So the All-Star rosters are out, and there’s really no way anyone can quibble with the AL starting lineup: Tek, Teixeira, Roberts, A-Rod, Tejada, Manny, Damon, Vlad, Ortiz. Which is pretty much what I filled in, save a chronic aversion to voting for A-Rod.

Did the Sox really have to run into Roy Halladay on his way to yet another Cy? What the hell, I feel like firing up MVP Baseball and replaying this game into a win. Bronson Arroyo pitched decently (8 IP, 3 ER), but Halladay’s in some sort of zone.

That ejection of Wells was *cough* bullshit *cough*. Oh well, at least it didn’t cost the Sox the win. Chris Guccione really looked like he was out for glory. If the home plate ump didn’t call it, why should the second base ump? Mike Timlin got the one-out win, and Alan Embree has actually not given up a run in 2 outings. Okay, Foulke had to bail him out with men on 2nd and 3rd, but still, you gotta be thankful for what you got.

Since the big trade news was that Paul Quantrill was traded by the Yankees to the Padres, here’s an all-former-Sox bullpen: RHP Chris Hammond, Padres, 5-0, 1.60, 0.86, .181 RHP Rudy Seanez, Padres, 4-1, 2.65, 1.04, .216 RHP Bob Howry, Indians, 5-2, 3.44, 1.06, .228 LHP Scott Sauerbeck, Indians, 0-0, 3.04, 1.27, .253

A recent Boston Herald article was about Pedro having fond memories of the Sox: “I have room in my heart for the good things that happened. I appreciate so much being a Boston Red Sox for seven years. I established, I think, a small legacy when I was there. You know, there’s more good than bad. There’s nothing I can say - you know how I look at all this that happened this winter? Business. I’m mature enough to understand that that was business, regardless of what happened or how I was treated, it was just business.''

I turned it off after Mike Myers gave up the grand slam to leave the Sox down 9-1; looks like I merely spared myself further pain. The moment Reed “better than Randy or Russ” Johnson came on as a pinch-hitter I had a sick feeling: Myers against righties is not reassuring at all. And then Mantei seems to have lost all form. What does it say that the best reliever today was Alan Embree, doing mop-up duties?

Meanwhile, I feel like my recent trip to Germany has heightened my awareness for schadenfreude, so, here’s Radar magazine claiming A-Rod and Jeter had a tiff: “I was doing an interview in the locker room and saw them go at it,” says the source. “A-Rod walked past Jeter’s locker and mumbled something about his throw, then Jeter told him to go fuck himself and all hell broke loose. Their teammates were pulling them away from each other.”

I know the Belli-to-Belly Monster Mash homers won the game for the Sox, but Mike Timlin’s been the one reliever who’s been dependable this season, and it was good to see him get the save yesterday. I was having this debate with people about Timlin as a closer - I could see some team next season paying a high price to get him as a closer, given how he closed in the late 90s…

Kenny Rogers, another victim of the dumb self-inflicted injuries of 2005 club (members: Clint Barmes, Oliver Perez), went on a rampage and beat up a cameraman. Watch out, cameramen! He knows when to hold ’em, knows when to fold ’em!

Can’t say more, just came back from DJing, absolutely knackered. Catching a few minutes of Cleveland-Sox right now (I like saying it that way: all the little chicks with the crimson lips watch Cleveland-Sox / Cleveland-Sox…). But about yesterday’s game…

Well, the winning streak is over, time to start another one. I predict a riot. (Okay, I just wanted to say that because that damned Kaiser Chiefs song is in my head.) Arroyo really looked iffy out there today, and Millwood was really sharp. And wouldn’t you know it, the Cleveland Bullpen Reclamation Project even managed to get good innings out of Bobby Howry and Scott Sauerbeck. Howry, he of the 38 ERA+ for the Sox in 2003 and the 166 ERA+ for Cleveland in 2004? And Scott Sauerbeck, who apparently seems to have swapped bodies with Alan Embree? They were mocking the Sox! Mocking, I tells yah! Time for Arroyo to throw another oops-I-did-it-again unintentional-intentional HBP. Heh.

The grand slam is a wondrous thing, isn’t it? And Manny Ramirez leads all active players with 19 of them in his career, with only Junior Griffey and Piazza anywhere close at 14… it takes a weird combination of skill and luck to hold that record - after all, Robin Ventura had 18 of them, not even counting his grand slam single in that great 2000 NLCS, and noone thinks continually of Ventura as one of those who were truly great (sorry, had a Stephen Spender moment there). But in terms of chasing the grand slam record Manny also has the disadvantage of batting 3rd here, which means he automatically loses one chance a game of a slam… which, come to think of it, could explain Ventura’s totals, as well as Manny’s early few slams, when he hit lower in that awe-inspiring late-90s Cleveland lineup.

Actually, if they must create rivals for the Sox, the Phillies will do very nicely instead of the Braves, thank you very much. Makes more sense too - the whole northeast city thing would be in play. Although having said that, it took this game for the Sox to have a .500 record against the Phillies in interleague - legacy of the Sox inability to play interleague, methinks.

Finally got around to filling in my All-Star Ballot - I think I voted about 20 times. Here’s the sample ballot: The AL side’s not particularly controversial, I think. Clearly there’s quite a few votes for Boston players, but seriously I think Tek’s been the best AL catcher, Damon’s been great, and Ortiz is clearly the best DH. (What, you were thinking Raffy Palmeiro?) Even Manny on a down season is still better than the other choices methinks - Ichiro’s also hitting somewhat subpar, and Matsui had that godawful stretch last month. Yeah, A-Rod’s probably having a better season than Blalock, but A-Rod’s such a lock for that place anyway I might as well go for a player I enjoy watching. What the hell, in a couple of ballots I voted for Brandon Inge at 3B just because he’s been overachieving.

So I chanced upon this promo coupon for D’Angelo’s Big Papi subcourtesy of the Boston Sports Media Watch messageboards. I thought it was kind of funny that they were okay with using “crowd the plate” as a synonym for “add fries and Coke”, since crowding the plate has been a criticism non-Sox fans have about Ortiz’s style. (See “JamieNYY”’s comment in this Royal Rooters thread for an example.) Obviously I have no complaints about Ortiz’s style, but even so, “crowd the plate” isn’t exactly a phrase with good connotations. But hey, I’m no marketeer.

Not that the Yankees will admit it so soon, but apparently Randy Johnson’s back has been acting up: Randy Johnson will start for the Yankees tomorrow, and he said yesterday that his health was perfect. But the Yankees were so worried about Johnson’s back before his start on Tuesday that they called up another pitcher from Class AAA in case Tanyon Sturtze had to make the start for him. (The New York Times)