A couple of fleeting thoughts

In this era where the complete game is more or less a thing of the past, how can you not route for the Phillies'  Cliff Lee. Lee is coming off of 3 complete game shutouts in a row and he faces the Blue Jays today. Keep it going Cliff.

The Red Sox have Designated 55 year old Mike Cameron for assignment. (OK I'm exagerating but what was Theo thinking really?)

Jeter watch is back on tomorrow. 6 hits away from 3000

Back From Hiatus

So, just what the hell kind of blog is this. I just reviewed the blog from opening weekend, and boy did I shoot myself in the foot. That’s it no more promises; I just don’t have the time to have my finger on the pulse of every story. On that note let’s move on, and if your name is not Herb or Gary let me know you’re reading this.

Although He didn’t have a great series against the Red Sox, Toronto’s Jose Bautista has had a tremendous year. A .338 batting average with 21HR and 42RBI is nothing to sneeze at, the top run producer in the American League though is Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez. He has been everything the Red Sox could ever possibly hope to have.

In the National League, has anyone noticed the year Matt Kemp has been having? He is the NL Home run leader with 20 as well being second to Prince Fielder in RBIs with 56. His .331 batting average puts him third in that category but these are potential Triple Crown numbers.

The Derek Jeter watch is on. He has 7 more hits to go to get to 3,000. A plateau that no other Yankee has ever accomplished, isn’t that unbelievable? On that note I wanted to also mention that since I last spoke of it, Alex Rodriguez has climbed to number six on the all-time striking out list. He has 48 to go to tie Willie Stargell for fifth.

As far as strikeouts for the year go, old favorites Adam Dunn of the White Sox (84) and Ryan Howard of Philadelphia(78) are there but Mark Reynolds of Baltimore is not on his usual 200 strikeout pace (only 65). Dunn is the White Sox DH and is batting .180, the lowest average of any everyday player in major league baseball. Isn’t the point of the DH is to have a more consistent hitter in the lineup? The major league leader currently is Cincinnati’s CF and leadoff hitter Drew Stubbs with 89.

I have several more ideas for this blog and if anyone else is reading out there, please share your ideas. Herb, Gary, this includes you too.

Something to Ponder

Should anyone really be considered bigger than the game itself????

Manny Ramirez:A Career Tarnished

It was October 2^nd 1998, the 20^th anniversary of the Bucky Dent game. The Red Sox were playing game 3 against the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. The series was tied at 1 apiece. The Sox were behind 2-1 when Indians right fielder Manny Ramirez hit a solo home run off Brett Saberhagen to pad the lead to 3-1. It was the 9^th inning that I took notice that not only were we in the midst of another playoff collapse but also that Ramirez was one of the best players in the game.

The Red Sox had brought back Dennis Eckersley to finish his career; Eck had not pitched very well during the season so it was surprising to see him in this situation. Manny not only hit his second home run of the day but he hit a rocket out of the park and on the rooftop of the parking garage. The Red Sox did not have anyone like him at the time. Not even Mo Vaughn was the player Manny was. When the Red Sox signed Manny in the winter of 2000, it was considered one of the greatest signings in the history of the franchise. We just didn’t know how eccentric he really was although I do remember a Harpo Marx hairstyle he sported one trip with the Indians in Sept. 2000.

I remember during his first year with the Red Sox he was sent to Pawtucket on a rehab assignment, where most players reject the idea of spending any more than a day or 2 down there, Manny milked it for all it was worth, he was hitting so well down there he didn’t want to leave. There was the incident in 2003 when he was too sick to play a crucial series against the Yankees he was spotted in a bar. He was suspended by the team for a day. This would have enraged most players, especially of his caliber, Manny just looked it this as another day off. He rarely argued close pitches was sometimes caught not running out ground balls. This was Manny being Manny.

The Red Sox finally shipped him off to the Dodgers at the trading deadline in 2008 simply because it was time to move on. It’s very different when someone like this is surrounded by mostly guys his age but with all the younger players the Sox now had, they did not want Manny as their role model.

Like him or hate him. His numbers show a bona fide Hall of Famer. If you ask me I think he belongs there. He is not going to get there though. Manny exited the game on Friday in a way I never expected him to, in shame and this will be his legacy.SHAME!!!

Pitchers Duel Cut Short

OK, as a Red Sox fan I am very disappointed in this 0-6 start but as a fan of the game I can’t believe that Fausto Carmona and John Lester both  got lifted with 2 hit and 3 hit  shutouts going. I don’t accept the fact that the complete game is almost unheard of even though the rest of the world has. This brings me to a spectacular pitching performance by Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo of Milwaukee over the Braves. A spectacular pitching performance is by any pitcher who:

1)      Completes the game

2)      Pitches a shutout

3)      Gives up 3 or fewer hits

Gallardo pitched a 2 hit complete game shutout, granted he only struck out 2 but this is noteworthy just the same. As for our Red Sox-Indians matchup, the fact that it’s a scoreless game in the 8^th and it’s in the hands of the bullpen is just something I can’t wrap my head around.

Opening Weekend Recap

The 2011 season has begun. On Sundays I will be recapping the week that was (save for the ESPN game of the week. I don’t want to write at the crack of dawn; any great moment in that game will be on next week’s blog posting). Among the highlights are the fast starts of the Orioles, Phillies, Reds and (sorry Red Sox fans) Rangers. Each of these teams has begun 3-0. Carlos Quintin of the White Sox and Ryan Howard of the Phillies are the best offensive so far in their respective leagues, honorable mentions go out to Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz of the Rangers as well as Mark Texieira of the Yankees for hitting 3 home runs apiece. Rookie J.P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays hit 2 home runs on opening day.  Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles turned in a fantastic pitching performance at their season opener giving up only 3 hits over 8 innings, but the top performance goes to the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia for his complete game, 4 hit shutout over the Padres. The Mariners’ Felix Hernandez deserves a special mention for his complete game victory over the A’s. The complete game is such a dying commodity I think I am going to feel the need to mention each and every one of them. The best offensive performance thus far goes to the Tigers’ Brennan Boesch going 4 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs over the Yankees today.

On an unrelated note….

I was in Florida during spring training in 1988. It was Haines City, Florida at the new spring training facility for the Kansas City Royals. It was a part of the “Boardwalk and Baseball” theme park. The fact that it was out in the middle of nowhere eventually led to its demise. A man walked by me that I recognized. Spring training back then wasn’t as in vogue as it is today so the place wasn’t flooded with Red Sox fans so I asked the man to sign my baseball. It was general manager of the Red Sox, Lou Gorman who we lost April 1^st.

I talked to Lou for a few minutes about Ellis Burks who had recently got hurt, he talked in great detail about the bone chip that had to be removed and how Ellis was not going to be ready for opening day and that future star Brady Anderson had been given the job in the interim. I have never shaken a male hand that was so soft before. Not much manual labor there but he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. By this time people got wise and a crowd had gathered and Lou would not be leaving anytime soon but he did not seem to mind.

Rest in peace Lou

Last Preseason Post

I wanted to share some final preseason thoughts before the season gets underway tomorrow. First I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Retrosheet.org is a fantastic website and most of my research from the last article came from there. They have box scores of every game from 1919 on as well as play by play from 1950 on.

I should have pointed out in my last post that Mark Reynolds (200 Ks the last 3 years) is with the Orioles now. As a Red Sox fan it will be fun facing him 18 times this year. I would however like to see the Orioles contend this year. I think it’s a shame what’s happened there. Pittsburgh on the other hand is a disaster.

I won’t dwell on this but I don’t think teams should have to compete economically with each other. The revenue should all go under one umbrella.

Ah but this is The Lighter Side of Baseball so in the words of an old Boston tavern owner “Nuff said”

As I said in my first posting I am looking to create a fresh viewpoint as this season gets underway. Comments are welcome. Let’s see how this all turns out.

Pitching matchup of the day tomorow: Sabathia Vs Verlander

A Very Dubious Milestone

 Originally from 2011 

It was May 13th 1983, Anaheim Stadium. The ballpark the late great Ned Martin once referred to as

 “The House That Remy Built”. The California Angels were in an extra inning battle with the

 Minnesota Twins. The Twins had taken the lead in the top of the 11th inning. With one out and 

Minnesota hurler Len Whitehouse on the mound, Angels DH Reggie Jackson came to the plate.

It was then that history was made. With almost certainly a fraction of the 29,469 of the

 paid attendance still at hand Reggie accomplished what no other player had done in the

 history of the game. It was at this moment that Jackson had struck out for the 2,000th time

 in his career.

Jackson had already accomplished the all-time record for career strikeouts the previous year, passing 

Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell while Willie was still active no less.1982 was Stargell’s last year and was

 nothing more than a gate attraction while Jackson was whiffing sometimes 2 and 3 times a night. By

 the time Jackson called it a career he had struck out 2,597 times and was still the sole member of what

 I would like to refer to as the 2KK club.

Andres Galarraga reached the dubious plateau in 2003 followed by Sammy Sosa in 2004.In 2007 Jim Thome

became the 4th member of this growing club and if he plays through 2012 he will most certainly relieve

 Jackson as club president. I thought it might be interesting to look further into this renaissance of strikeouts. 

Aside from Thome there are 3 players who although won’t make it to 2,000 this year, will be in the top 10 at years end. 

Mike Cameron (BOS) #10 1,842

Alex Rodriguez (NYY) #11 1,836

Manny Ramirez (TB) #13 1,809

Single Season records have been set as well with Adam Dunn of Cincinnati setting it in 2004 with 195. Ryan Howard

 of Philadelphia surpassed that in 2007 with 199. In 2008 Mark Reynolds of Arizona became the first player to strike out 

more than 200 times in a season. He’s done it 3 times (223 in ’09 and 211 in ’10)

Any feedback as to why so many are whiffing at a record pace would be welcome but it will be interesting to see if this trend continues

Milestones vs Moments

Records and milestones have been a big part of baseball over the years, whether it’s a pitcher winning his 300^th game or a hitter collecting his 3000^th hit it’s always fun to watch your favorite stars as they get closer to their goal. My only problem is that people confuse milestones with great moments. A no hitter is a great moment, an unassisted triple play, a walk off home run, something that exists only in that time frame. A milestone or a record breaking achievement is based on the entire career of the player. Does anyone even know if the Braves won the game that Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record or if the Orioles won when Cal Ripken surpassed Gehrig?

Don’t get me wrong, I like following players as they reach career or single season milestones. Derek Jeter for example will get his 3000^th hit this year. It will be fun to watch him achieve it, but isn’t it a lot more exciting when a pitcher takes a no hitter into the 9^th, knowing that one little dribbler can end it in an instant?

In my next posting I will be examining one of the more dubious records out there. Strikeouts, Striking out that is. My aim is not to mock but just to have a little fun. I’m sure you will enjoy it.

The Unbalanced Schedule, the DH and Interleague Play

There have been a lot of arguments in support of the DH over the years. The one I hear the most is the analogy that you don’t have your starting quarterback play defense. Personally I hate the DH rule, as far as I’m concerned it violates the general principle of the game. You have 9 in the field and when it’s your team’s turn to bat; those same 9 have to take their turn. With every asset there is liability so that in itself negates the quarterback comparison. I have always thought it unfair to compare baseball to other sports anyway.

The designated hitter was introduced in 1973 as a method to add more offense to the game and to let aging stars stay in the game longer but now every level of the minor leagues uses the DH. As far as I’m concerned it takes away a lot of strategy. I applaud the National League for sticking to their guns and not give in to people like Hank Steinbrenner who say that the National League needs to get out of the 19^th century.

This brings me to interleague play which is the very thing that has heated up the DH debate. Everyone seems to love it the way it is or they want to eliminate it altogether. For those who did not follow the game before 1997, The American and National leagues coexisted separately only to see each other for spring training, the All Star game and the World Series. Personally I don’t mind interleague play but there shouldn’t be so many games.

The added factor of the unbalanced schedule means you don’t see enough of the other divisions in your league. My suggestion is that maybe you play only a few more games within the division (sorry Red Sox nation but I don’t think we need to see the Yankees as much as we do). One year the Red Sox faced the Braves in as many games as they did the Twins. That is just wrong. My other suggestion is that interleague play consists of one home series and one away series each year. This would put the mystique back as you would only see each NL team once every 16 years. Personally I miss seeing the Royals, Twins and White Sox coming through twice a year.

A Game of Superstition

More than any other sport Baseball has its share of superstitions. We’ve all heard about The Curse of the Bambino and the Curse of the Billy Goat and over the years you’ve heard of countless players and their pregame rituals. There are also certain things to hold sacred as well. Being in the Hall of Fame is the greatest honor you can receive in the game. Having your number retired by your team is sacred too.

From 1969-2004 the city of Montreal had major league baseball. They enjoyed a legion of fans through the 70s and the 80s and even the early 90s and finally in 1994 they were in first place and had the best team they ever assembled. They were destined to go to the World Series. The strike came in August and cancelled the rest of the season. The fans never forgave them.

In 2004 there was speculation that the Expos would be moving to Washington. Having never seen the ballpark in Montreal I traveled to the park to see it before it was too late. This was the Expos last home stand. Apparently 2 guys wearing Red Sox caps and telling the border patrol we were there to see an Expos game seemed suspicious. “Aren’t the Red Sox playing the Yankees this weekend?” one would say. Attendance was so bad at the stadium, they piped in crowd noise over the loudspeaker.

It was announced at seasons end that the Expos would indeed move to Washington and become the Nationals. A new beginning and major league baseball is back in the nation’s capital. There is still something sacred about the retired numbers of Gary Carter (8) Andre Dawson (10) and Tim Raines (30). The Nationals put these numbers back into circulation and that is why The Nationals have to make the gesture of re-retiring these numbers.

Don’t get me wrong they don’t have to display them they should just have never put them back into circulation. It’s fantastic to start new with a new identity but the Montreal Expos are still part of the teams past and in Baseball more than any other sport you respect the past. Until this is done, the Nationals will never contend. Is it a coincidence Strasburg got hurt around the same time as Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame induction?

Welcome

With the 2011 season upon us I thought I would do something a little different. I wanted to share my take on america's favorite pastime with whoever is clever enough to find this blog in the first place. My first disclaimer is that I don't claim to know everything.

Some of you may find a bit of absurdity in some of my postings. A close watch will be on Ivan Rodriguez this year as he sets out to break the all time Grounding into Double Plays record. I am open for suggestions as well. If you feel some story isn't getting enough coverage here, let me know.

OK, about me. I am from the New England area so my first allegiance is to the Red Sox but I am also a fan of the game. In the years the Red Sox do not make it to the post season, I don't turn to the Patriots, I will follow the post season with not near the same enthusiasm but it's still the best teams fighting it out.I think it's a shame that most Red Sox fans don't even know who won the World Series. (It was the Giants)

This Blog will be about the game overall. I am looking to create something unique so it should be fun. My first real post will appear this week