Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
I got on the Metro North train yesterday and went upstate to visit my uncle Donny in New Paltz. We had a relaxing evening, made a delicious dinner and shared terrific, easy-going conversation. Sometimes, it is so revitalizing to be out of the city even for a short time, to feel a slower pace, admire all of the green grass and tall trees, and take in all the space. The night was made even sweeter of course by the results of yesterday's game at Fenway Park, believe that.
I'm interested to see what kind of killer-instinct this Yankee team has. So far, I'm not convinced. Again, 2004 is still too fresh for me to feel too confident about anything with this much time left in the season. But if the Yankees can manage to win one of these last two games, tonight is the game you gotta want. Beating Schilling would extra hard on Boston. Josh Beckett had his biggest start of the year on Saturday and was horrendous. You have to figure that Schilling will rise to the occasion. He ain't going to suck to the tune of nine runs and 47 walks. The game is on National TV, the Sox season is hanging in the balance. This is the kind of game that Schilling has lived for and thrived in during his whole career. Three runs over six innings, a quality start, is not going to be enough for Mike Mussina tonight. Mussina is due for a gem of a start. I figure he's got to give the Yanks two runs over seven, eight innings, in order to beat Schilling.
Both Moose and Schilling are boderline Hall of Famers. I say Schilling gets there but I'm not so sure about Moose, steady as he's been. Hopefully, they are both on the top of their games. Just about the only thing Sox fans and Yankee fans might agree on tonight is a modest desire for these guys to play the game in something less than four hours.
The mockery this post may engender may make posting it not worthwhile. Oh, what the hell.
http://tinyurl.com/hdjjf
if you want to see whether or not Colter actually does exist.
6:00 pm start.
The tougher question is who stays in the four man play-off rotation...Wright or Lidle. My guess is Lidle, with Wright in the BP.
If you are talking next year, there may not be a conflict, since the Yanks may not pick up Mussina's option. Also, don't they have a buyout for Wright next year?
What's Lidle's status next year?
4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
He'll pitch for Columbus on Friday.
From the Globe:
=====
The lefthander is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 15 saves in 35 total relief appearances with Triple-A Charlotte and Pawtucket. He has converted all 15 of his save opportunities and ranks eighth in the International League in saves. With the PawSox, Lopez has no record and a 6.35 ERA in nine games.
Lopez has compiled a 4.15 ERA in 14 relief appearances in his two tours of duty with the Red Sox (June 15-July 17; July 28-August 1). He has allowed a run in four outings with Boston. In his big league career, he has allowed just 24 percent (32 of 134) of inherited runners to score while holding lefthanded batters to a .252 batting average.
====
From what I've seen of him, he has a funky delivery and will probably be tough on certain lefties based on that, but those who aren't fooled by that will have no problems with him.
This from our friends at Bronx Cheer
"Ex-Yankee Kevin Brown pulls a pistol on his neighbor during a dispute over yard trash. His rationale?
"I think it was something anybody would have done in my situation."
Regarding the whole Schilling Hall of Fame thing that Alex mentioned above...no way. If Jack Morris isn't in, then no way Schilling should be in. I hate this Schilling Hall of Fame arguement, here's a guy, who if he had taken his career seriously in the beginning yes, Hall of Fame easy. It's widely known that Clemens pulled him aside at one point and set him straight. He doesn't even have 250 wins. Yes, he has had some amazing postseason performances, but it's just not enough. The press is in love with the guy for ending "The Curse" and the bloody sock. It's just not enough. I'm sure I've got some sour grapes in there, but if Blyleven, Kaat, Morris, and host of others aren't in...Schilling shouldn't be either.
http://tinyurl.com/oz46v
Two more hours till gametime... come onnnnnn.
"Three of the five crucial games against the Yankees have been played, and the numbers are more ghastly than snakes on a plane."
How's the weather in Boston? TWC shows rain. :-(
Fenway 9/2/01 IP....H...R...E...BB..K
Mussina W 14-11 9....1...0...0...0...13
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0
Time of Game: 3:00
http://www.retrosheet.org/
Colter Bean is alive. I'm watching him on tv right now. At least they're calling him Colter, and he's a righty sidearmed pitcher.
Man, the guy has the Clippers' record for most games pitched. I know someone has to have that record, but it just ain't right.
For the season, Colter's got a .196 BAA. I guess he needs to work on his grammar.
I noticed the Clippers used Cosme last night as a pitcher. He's listed as their third baseman on the roster. His ERA is 36.
Cosme mopped up last night, served up a grand slam.
What's the feeling here? You guys think Moose is going to come up big? He hasn't been great in a while, but he's been decent. Whatta ya think?
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Melky Cabrera LF
Nick Green 3B
A-Rod DHing, Nick Green in the hot corner.
Coco Crisp CF
Mark Loretta 2B
David Ortiz DH
Manny Ramirez LF
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Mike Lowell 3B
Wily Mo Pena RF
Doug Mirabelli C
Alex Cora SS
24 Actually I think Schilling is going to come up short tonight. Call it a premonition, but I don't think "Big game Schill" is showing up tonight. Mussina will be adequate, probably give up a long ball to Papi, maybe four runs.
Hmm....
Steve Philips: This is a message to A-Rod, make no mistake. The Yanks are going to have to trade A-Rod.
I don't know which Moose will show up, but I have a sneaky suspicion it'll be a close, low scoring game.
"Just a coincidence, or maybe not, but A-Rod has made seven errors in games Mussina has started, costing him five unearned runs and a shutout at Detroit on May. 31."
It's probably too much to hope that we'll have another game where we score double-digit runs. Moose doesn't seem to get the run support. So I'll go with "pitcher's duel," too.
My cable's been out all day. I thought for sure they'd have it fixed by game time, but it's not looking good.
Did Moose say he'd refuse to pitch if Arod played 3rd?
It's Torre who doesn't have the killer instinct, not the team. If he had any killer in him he would have bunted on Schilling in game 6 every chance he had. Rip those stitches right out.
Waiting for BBTN, they're finishing up a LLWS game... and there's a pitcher for Saudi Arabia who is 6-3, 190... that's bigger than a couple of the Yankees' pitchers... geez, that's big.
Damon: 5/15, hr, bb, 2 k
Jeter: 8/36, hr, bb, 11 k
Abreu: 8/24, bb, 7 k
Giambi: 5/24, 3 hr, 2 bb, 7 k
Rodriguez: 5/28, 2 hr, bb, 8 k
Cano: 6/14, hr, bb, 3 k
Posada: 10/27, hr, 3 bb, 6 k
Cabrera: 1/7, bb
Green: 1/7, 5 k
Green's definitely not in there for his offense.
Sox vs. Mussina:
Crisp: 6/15, 4 k
Loretta: 3/16, 5 k
Ortiz: 10/44, 3 hr, 5 bb, 17 k
Ramirez: 20/88, 5 hr, 7 bb, 20 k
Youkilis: 1/7, 2 k
Lowell: 5/9, hr
Pena: no plate appearances
Mirabelli: 5/12, 2 hr, bb, 2 k
Cora: no plate appearances
I wonder how many other pitcher-batter matchups are more frequent than Mussina-Manny.
21 Last night's Columbus game ws 20-2 so with guys like Bruney, Beam, etc not available that's probably why they used an infielder to mop up. They should have used Menechino - he's experienced.
They shoulda used Bubba. We could have seen if he can still throw that curveball Chuck Knoblauch's dad taught him. And if Gator's attempt to teach him to throw a splitter was successful. ;-)
http://tinyurl.com/pk5an
3) Mattingly, 1984... races back to make a catch over his back down the line, then throws out a runner.
2) Ken Griffey Sr, 1982... HR robbing catch about 3 feet over the wall in left field
1) Jeter, 2001... The Flip.
Jeter himself admits that the stands-crashing catch wasn't all that spectacular.
Sigh. I guess they're working on it...
3 Mattingly going to short rightfield, over the shoulder catch, turn & fire to nail the runner at home.
2 Ken Griffey Sr. leap over the wall.
1 The Flip.
3. Mattingly over the shoulder Jeter-esque play with a great throw to nail a runner trying to tag up and score from third.
2. Ken Griffey Sr. climbing the wall in left field (not as good as Melky's catch this year IMO)
1. Jeter into the stands and The Flip tied for first. Jeter said he liked the Flip better because it hurt less.
I remember the moment my voice cracked at age 11. You think his parents said no when he woke up for kindergarten, saying "Awww, I don't WANNA go,"??
Thanks, 49, 54
My cable is back. Hopefully for good this time...
Nothing to show for it, but they made him work which bodes well.
21 pitches, I like that. Grind it out boys, grind it out.
Followed by three straight curves.
Nice to see the Sunday Night BB team rounding into late season form.
And nice to see the umpire have lopsides strikezones.
Hmmm...journalistic neutrality.
Wow--nice plays by Green and Giambi.
How many times do you see a player make a great play, then lead off the next inning?!?
/sarcasm.
I think the Yankees have shown that they can blow them out, now they have to make a late inning come back to really twist the knife this game.
(Shelling is pretty average on the road by the way)
Actually, I think we have a good shot. Fat face is putting everything he has into every single pitch, and we're working the counts. He should be out of it by the time the 5th rolls around.
(Note to Umpire: You have to have the same K-Zone for pitchers of both teams.)
His reaction to Russell Martin's walkoff home run in a 1-0 Dodgers win in 10 innings was "Well, those things happen when a team wins."
Brilliant. Brilliant.
Morgan-Miller are just brutal.
Morgan: "They don't have that 'C' on there for nothing."
Interesting...
I will be more direct in my comments in the future.
Is Schilling out?
Lest we forget a rain delay affected the 2004 ALCS.
http://tinyurl.com/pkeox
I didn't come into this game expecting to win, so I am not too worried, but listening to the Idiot and Jon Miller makes me somehow root for the Yanks even harder, go figure...
Between the "Yanks have played amazing since getting Abreu" to the "Bubba Crosby contributed a ton to this team" to the huge Schilling love fest, to them claiming Ortiz hadn't done much this series because we were pitching around him, when he has no walks and it is in fact Manny we have been trying to pitch around...
And there's an early game tomorrow. This is going to be like another doubleheader. :-P
http://tinyurl.com/f3ggy
And the winning pitcher is:
Colter Bean!
John Kruk should broadcast ___ instead of baseball.
Weather: 71 degrees, clear.
this, with Delayed at the top of the boxscore.
A. Poker
B. Fishing
C. Hot Dog Eating Contest
D. All of the above
Eh, Alex?
;)
So what's the record for biggest margin between post and response (hey, it's a rain delay still). I think it was within the last couple of days.
I'm sure I'm not the only one here who considers it a crime against nature that the Yankees should be on channel 9 while the Mets are on 11.
Schill has come out firing first pitch strikes. He's been ahead of every batter.
Continue to be patient and try and wear him down, or let our big bats sit on a first pitch fastball?
C'mon guys, make Schill work.
BTW, Hi Jen.
Now make Schill work, guys.
you are definitely not the only one...completely agree
Bobbleheads give an Amen.
OK, this is where we start to knock Shelling out.
Gotta admit, that was a good play by Manny.
Giambiner!!!
Morgan: That's a great move by Schilling, because the rules allow it.
???
Giambi!!!
At least Kruk is a goofball. Morgan is allegedly respected. I think Kruk would be better.
Which is not to be taken as a signal that I think Kruk is good.
Miller couldn't be more excited that Manny is coming up and couldn't be more sad that the Sawx are losing. Pfft.
If we rape Shelling in this game, we might push his "Cy Young" ERA over 4.00 (it's at 3.90 now). That would be sweet, just to piss off ESPN.
i have a very good feeling about this game.
go yanks!!
How was Fox yesterday, BTW?
SETTLE DOWN Moose. These are the SCRUBS.
If I've got it right, Philips went on the DL for Karstens. Lidle's been on the roster for a while.
The Yankees activated Cory Lidle off the bereavement list and optioned RHP T.J. Beam back to Columbus. They wanted to keep Jeff Karstens because he can throw 3-4-5 innings if needed.
Lowell, Timlin, Manny, Loretta, Wells, Wakefield, the beloved Tek....these are not kids...
Now Morgan is licking Sox fans balls saying they know when to support their team because they are knowledgable....sickening
Doin great there Jon...
We're just picking at scabs.
They've DONE IT!!!!!!!
Oh no wait, it was just an RBI single. But you could never tell by Miller's reaction.
(But seriously Moose, DOUG MIRABELLI!!!)
Mirabelli was hitting 182/308/227 before tonight. Damn bloop hit notwithstanding. Damn.
They did say he was rejoining the team today. Maybe they didn't have a choice. I think bereavement leave is approved by the office of the commissioner. They may have had to activate Lidle today.
They did need to find a catcher who could handle the knuckleball, however. Bard and Wakefield were not a good combination.
OK, get that lead back!! go yankeeeeess!!
no tie is safe in Fenway.
Why was Moose pussy footing around Doug? Ugh.
Moose's night is over though. villone will hold the line here
I hope Moose isn't too bad. Why bother having Karstens on this team?
Karstens is for Yanks 11- Red Sox 5....8th or 9th inning work....
After all, he only got a blooper...sometimes they fall in.
And Villone hasn't pitched in what, 24 hours? Damn slacker.
Jason Giambi happened to do the same thing, but...nah, whatever.
338 He does appear to lean over the plate quite a bit.
The game is not "on the line" in the 5th inning in Fenway. STFU you dumbass.
/sarcasm
i would enjoy a 4-1 and certainly a 5-0 but I wouldn't be surprised by a 3-2
Did they talk this much for Giambi's HR...
Just in case Cashman & Torre read this blog.
damn Yankees buy everything....waaahh
http://tinyurl.com/hkl2n
We're a lot better than the M's, but in our current state it wouldn't surprise me to see us come out flat after we leave Fenway.
Bean throws 6 innings and gives up 4 hits and 2 ER. He walks 3 and strikes out 9. Good outing.
6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR, 2.83 ERA.
Don't be too fooled by the Ks. The Mudhens are already over 1000 strikeouts for the season. And their 3B/SS has 20 HR, but is lucky to be hitting over the Bicardi line (.151). He won't see the Mendoza line this year. At .168 right now.
Good job, Bobby!
you have no fielding errors to think about
Our 3 best hitters shit the bed.
Good thing I am now going to eat and won't have to watch/listen
I consider myself an ARod fan...
but I'm getting sick of this man-on-third-and-less-then-2-out act.
Man...
I admit I have little to no faith in him.
as ESPN knows this is the "triple value" Sunday Night Game....they will only be 1 1/2 back after this thanks to Curt and Papi
Bad at bat, bad year.
god, it's like i'm having a bad dream.
It's 4-3 Boston in the bottom of the 6th. Both pitchers — Mussina and Schilling — are their teams' respective aces. The Yanks weren't going to score 14 runs a game.
Yes, that A-Rod crappy, lame at-bat was bad. But it's not a meltdown.
that is the frustrating thing is he is a great talent but this season is horrrrible..
a decent Sept / Oct. will go along way towards getting back on track...
Right. Bad at-bat. Sub-par season. But what are you going to get for him? Nothing good. You cannot replace A-Rod. That's all there is to it.
Great players do have bad seasons. I'll take this as A-Rod's "bad" season. The last thing he needs is the fans & media getting in his head that he sucks.
It's just a bad year. Last year he was the MVP.
agree...you have to be realistic and you can rip the guy but TRADING him is a joke.
the guy is an all time top 10 player....
I do think it is funny when people say "don't boo him"....he fucks up...boo him...this guy has not earned his Yankee bones yet...like Jeter, Bernie, Mo....in fact he shit the bed in the 04 ACLS when it counted...
if the media and fans can get into one of the greatest players in the games head that he sucks....you know what it is mental and he has issues...
if you turned up at the PGA Tour and followed Tiger around at every stop and booed and yelled he sucked....you would not get in his head.....the guy is a killer
And I have to get up at 6:30. Good night all. Just remember, Yanks will leave Boston in better shape than when they arrived. This game is gravy.
If it's constant, and the lead on ESPN all the time, it would. You do begin to doubt yourself.
that is the nature of the sport...not a Tiger issue
how appropriate, the HERO is out of there with a K, everybody in boston is wet now. enjoy your 3.5 games back guys
Maybe Joe will put Guiel out there one night? He doesn't trust Guiel in CF, but maybe he would in LF.
WTF is he doing bunting?
Mr. Loretta, meet Mr. Bellhorn.
Also, how can anyone be late on a Meyers fastball.
Uh... no, Joe. It's textbook baseball.
proctor in. hold on to your seats guys. if the yanks have any chance in this game, proctor needs to hold the line here. i'm sure he wil.
Oh God, well this is probably the game...And all we get to hear about is the amazing acts of Ortiz and Schilling
Good thing tomorrow is an early game...
Come on Cano! dammit.
Atypical Cano.
that we will win one out of four games.
You think maybe the pressure is getting to the kids?
just remember 3.5
And yet..
Its still seemingly a really boring game. Other than the 2 HRs, nothing really interesting...
Top of the order against the Sox pen - tying it up here is extremely possible.
I hate see him coming up...
btw - Where was Yankee killer Eric Hinske that inning???
And Schilling's gone now. Let's get some runs on the board.
Don't sweat them.
Heart of the order, it's do or die now.
Let's go YANK-ees!
And yet, look, up on the mound, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's...a LOOGY!
Did you see that 2-2 that Abreu laid off?
Fuck, that was amazing.
576, 578 Yes, I can see into the future: Morgan or Miller will say something idiotic before this game ends.
God, I love this guy.
Abreu, Cano, Melky.
These people are the real deal.
I love this team, you know?
I couldn't say that at the year's beginning, but damn, this team is just so compelling!
I actually care about the success of the players in a way that I never cared about, say, Sheffield.
Anyway, let's see what Jason can do.
I never liked Jason until recently, by the way. I've finally made my peace with him, even warmed up to him. He is what he is.
Ok, here we go, Yankees, here we go!
Fingers crossed. XXXXX
i just don't expect arod to anything other than ground into a double play.
it's a crap shoot with cano.
That 2-0. Jason just missed it.
That was his pitch.
here's to hoping he blows the game.
Are you mad?
Have you seen the way he's swinging the bat lately?
The dude is on fire.
at least one's in.
He did the job.
You can do it, Alex!
It's all you!
Can anyone remember were this was posted?
Clap clap.
trust me, i'd rather cano hit.
i'll take a walk from arod at this point
Good that he's being praised, but given the statements on Mirabelli, there's no credibility there...
C'mon, Robby. Make a fool of me. Please!
Evidently.
That Giambi flyball was ominous. Still not sure how it stayed in the park.
I guess the Cabbage Patchelbon Kid is the real deal.
Sure, getting on base keeps the lineup moving, but I would rather have seen an RBI and an out than a walk.
Of course one would rather have the RBI than not, but why not blame any other batter for not tying the game there?
Note to Proctor: no walking Loretta now!
I blame Cano too. That was a poor at bat. Very poor.
I also wonder why Joe won't ever consider using A-Rod to squeeze. Roll a bunt down the line with Derek on third and the game is tied. Think a little here. Manage.
Is there any reason to think bernie stands a chance against Pappelbon pinch hitting?
http://tinyurl.com/r26uz
Guiel is a lefty. However, he's been in a bit of a slump in Columbus, so I could see going with Bernie instead.
Melky!
My
man
Melky.
Give me Wilson or Guiel.
Let's go BER-nie!
Mel
ky!!
man, did kapler look bad diving for that.
ha ha ha hha ha hah ah ah aha ha
Yay!!!
ha ha hah aha hah ah
But now it's all good.
Let's be fair--Miller did just orgasm on Jeter's bloop.
now lets see A Rod save his season with a 2 run bomb
if bobby can get on, maybe jason can crush it this time
Ortiz in the 9th in a tie game? Um. I won't watch. (That's not true.)
Ahh yes, another shot of Ortiz's HR, have they even shown Giambi's once?
against mo
somehow i feel the odds favor the sox
I officially feel sorry for the guy now.
He's gotta feel so neutred right about now.
He loses his position, fails to get the big hit and then watches Derek tie the game with two outs in the ninth by just dunking one in the other way.
I don't think I'll ever say another unkind word about Arod again, he's just too pathetic.
And Bernie stays in in RF? Hmmm...
Give credit to Papelbon, though...his splitter really is pretty tough. You don't see Abreu striking out too often like that.
Fuck.
Why is Bernie in RF?
And Morgan" big papi, thats a guy who wants to win the ballgame...
Right, because no one else wants to, and hitting into an error really makes him clutch...
Is there such thing as a clutch error?
Jason has to have his body IN FRONT of the baseball.
God damn it.
But you knwo what, the Sox winning off an error isn't so bad..Somehow it will be considered "clutch" by Ortiz, who will get all the credit, but at least we will know better...
YES!
I gotta say, though, I thought that was a risky move, going to third.
BUt it worked.
We are just trying to make this the most annoying loss possible...seriously, couldn't we jsut have gotten blown out?
No, I take that back, I will still be ahppy, we did enough today, that even with an impending loss, its not so bad...
is mo's cutter not working?
shit!
Blew him away.
One more, Mo, one more!
Is it just me, or do the Sox have a plethora of really beefy guys?
I just died. Twice.
ti-
ful!!!
Um, how's this scenario: A-Rod homers, 6-5 Yanks. Mo strikes out Cora and Coco Loco, but Loretta walks. Up comes Fatass Papi...and steals A-rod's thunder. Man, I WOULD cry.
It started at midnight on the East Coast.
It's in the fifth inning.
Mo single-handedly saves another "Torre loss" for now. What interesting chess-moves will the fearless leader make this inning??
Take that, Fenway!
Craig "Phenom" Hansen at his best.
See?
He's just pathetic.
No chance for glory.
His thunder stolen.
Poor man.
I can breathe now.
And what was that craziness about adding a ball? NEver seen that before!
GO JORGE AND CANO YAYYYY
"BOSTON MASSACRE"
A. Mike Timlin
B. Javier Lopez
C. Craig Hansen
Still, they could have written the DH rule a little differently to prevent this but still allow a little more flexibility with the position.
Woo-hoo Posada!!
It looked like a disastrous move after Giambi and Bernie combined to nearly give the game away, but now the move somehow looks good, though no one's going to be congratulating Joe. :-)
Stake through their heart in the 10th.
Just got back from a bar. Man, what a game.
And yes, I do too.
Oh, wait... did I said DEFENSIVE REPLACEMENTS? They´re both average at best.
Wilson > Giambi
Who cares if they are average; they are better than those who they replaced.
i'm afraid i'll wake to a yankees loss.
Torre panicked without thinking that if Rivera came up in the 10th, the game he had to have a lead already, and if he came up in the 11th, he would have pitched two innings already.
Bed Time!!!!!!
Sweep Dreams.
HUGE WIN! DAGGER IN THE HEART!
Great great great great great great win. They went for the juggular, and totally blew this weekend out...I think its a true statement by this team that they not only won the series, but came back to win this game...
POTG? Maybe Jeter, Giambi?
And to top it all off, our BP has been pretty darn good, and theirs is a mess!!!
Those thuds you hear are Red Sox fans jumping out of windows.
Boston (and was a sox fan). Also Frankona probably gonna get trashed for not starting Papelbon in the 8th
I'd love to stay and celebrate, but I've gotta watch a 1 hour special NESN Sportsdesk, where we will have interviews, questions and commentary from the Boston media, and all kinds of other good stuff in reviewing the last 4 games.
This is really gonna be fun.
The animals at the Globe are going to have a field day.
This was the exciting, tightly-pitched game I was waiting for.
It was so great, I muted ESPN and played Chopin's nocturne, Op. 9ii in E flat for the bottom of the tenth, and it timed perfectly with the inning.
I'm so glad the game will be on ESPN.
Ha-Ha, Pepelbitch blew another save. And we killed them again. My God, their bullpen is pathetic. But good game overall. I said I wouldn't care what happened today if we won last night. Well, I gotta keep my word. Though a royal beatdown to finish them off would be nice...
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