Red Sox "Occupation" At The Stadium

The 79th All Star Game at Yankee Stadium has to go down as one of the best in ASG History. The starters standing along side their Hall Of Fame counterparts during introductions, George Steinbrenner's surprise appearance, Joe Buck's acknowledgement of Bob Sheppard, and everything else was just great, including the revelation that Ichiro Suzuki gives an annual expletive-laden pep talk to his AL teammates just before the start of every mid-Summer classic.

About the only thing that grated on my nerves during this whole All Star Week, was the media's obsession with the Red Sox "taking over" Yankee Stadium. Way too much was made of Terry Francona occupying Joe Girardi's office, of the all the Red Sox in the starting line-up and about the fact that JD Drew, a Red Sox player, was the game's MVP. I was particularly annoyed with Jeanne Zelasko for talking about all of this garbage during her post-game interview with Drew. She ridiculously tried to tie together the story about the buried Sox jersey at the new stadium construction site with last night's game, bringing that up and then saying that the Red Sox gave the current Stadium a big send-off last night. Uh, hello? The season has another half to go, Jeanne. The Stadium didn't close it's doors last night. If an opposing team is going to give Yankee Stadium a "send-off," it'll be the Baltimore Orioles in September.

All-in-all, though, it was a wonderful night in the Bronx. I don't collect many DVDs, but if the 79th All Star Game makes it onto a disc, it's definitely going in my collection.

The Lady

Papelbon: Tampa-Sox Feud Not Done

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is keeping hope alive for a Sox-Rays rivalry:

“In my opinion it is a bunch of bull what they did. All I got to say is what comes around goes around. Payback is a bitch. In my opinion, and the way I feel right now, this thing isn’t all settled and done. We still got to play them a few more times and I know when we go into Tropicana things will be a little different than when went in there last time.”

Papelbon made his comments on Comcast SportsNet's Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight show. Here's the full interview:




It'll be interesting to see what happens when the two teams meet at Tropicana Field on June 30th.

The Lady

Congratulations, Jon Lester

Two years ago, when Jon Lester was diagnosed with cancer, did anyone think he'd even pitch again, much less pitch successfully? I know I didn't. Lester came back from his illness to pitch Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, and last night at Fenway, he pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.

Ordinarily, when something like this happens to the Red Sox, I could care less. However, it's hard to be a rival when the story is this good. Anyone who's battled cancer or who has gone through any type of crisis in their life should feel inspired by Jon Lester's story. So, for today at least, I tip my cap and say "Congratulations, Jon Lester."

The Lady

Joba Hits The Fans Where It Hurts

Last night after Joba Chamberlain gave up a three-run homer to David Dellucci, putting the Indians ahead for good, The YES Network panned the crowd for their reaction to Joba's first big failure in Yankee Stadium. What I saw was shocking.

I saw Yankee fans looking as if they'd lost their job, home, and family all at the same time. Almost everyone the camera focused on looked like the saddest person in the world. It reminded me of something else I used to see before 2004. It reminded me of how Red Sox fans used to look.

The Yankees would come into Fenway back in the late '90s and early '00s and they'd always fall behind, only to come back, get the lead and win the game. The TV cameras would focus on the Fenway Faithful at that point, and they'd always be looking like the most dejected people in the world. I loved it!

Now that the tide has turned I don't love it, not just because it's the Yankee fans that are dejected, but because they looked so dejected on May 6th! I could understand it if it was later in the season and the bullpen had been problematic all year. But this Yankee bullpen has been outstanding! It's might be the best in baseball. I know, it's mostly the shock of finding out that Joba is human, but still. It's May 6th!

I have every confidence that Joba will bounce back and continue his domination. He just didn't have it last night. It happens, people. Get over it.

The Lady

The Pauley-Wang Connection (Well, Sort Of)

Last night in Chicago, Chien-Ming Wang became the fastest pitcher to 50 career wins since Dwight "Doc" Gooden did it back in 1986. Wang didn't have his best stuff but hung in there, keeping his team in the game, giving them a chance to come back from a one-run deficit to win 9-5.

Meanwhile, in Boston, Josh Beckett was pulled from his start because of a stiff neck. The Red Sox called up David Pauley to make the start against the Angels, and Boston came from behind, as they usually do, to win 7-6.

So, other than the fact that Pauley and Wang pitched on the same night, what's the connection? Well, I was flipping channels late yesterday afternoon and, when I checked to see what was playing on the YES Network, I saw that it was Yankee Classics. The game being shown was a Yankees-Red Sox game that was played at The Stadium on June 6, 2006. The starting pitchers were, you guessed it, David Pauley and Chien-Ming Wang. They were in the sixth inning and the game was tied at 1. I racked my brains, trying to remember what was so classic about this game. I had no idea. What was so special about it? A short time later, when Manny Ramirez came up to bat against Kyle Farnsworth, I remembered why:

This was the game in which Melky Cabrera made his stunning, inning-ending catch at the top of the centerfield wall, robbing Manny of a go-ahead home-run. After the catch, Johnny Damon jumped up and down like a little kid, and a shocked and frustrated Manny Ramirez, who'd been waiting for Melky at second base, called out to the young outfielder as he ran by, saying he was supposed to let balls like that go. Farnsworth, who'd also been waiting for Melky, gave him a huge, awkward bear hug. For the remainder of that season the play was known as The Catch, and it helped put Melky Cabrera on the map as a Major League player.
I knew Wang was pitching later in the evening, but I didn't know about Pauley until this morning when I checked the box scores. There were no spectacluar catches by Melky Cabrera last night and no home-runs for Manny Ramirez, but I still like to think of both games as The Pauley-Wang Connection.


The Lady

[Photo: Barton Silverman, NYT]

Manny Kills Moose Again

Manny Ramirez had his way with Yankee pitching again last night. Mike Mussina had a game plan and, because he couldn't locate his pitches, he couldn't follow it. That plan included pitching Manny inside. Those pitches were left out over the plate and Manny made Moose pay.

Part of me wonders if Moose just didn't want to pitch Manny inside. He's an older pitcher who's well-known for being a man who's set in his ways and doesn't like to change. During the YES broadcast last night, Michael Kay seemed almost convinced that Mike Mussina didn't pitch inside because he couldn't face up to the fact that his stuff isn't fast enough to leave out over the plate. Al Leiter disagreed, pointing out that most pitchers can't leave pitches out over the plate. He feels Moose still can be an effective pitcher in the League, while Kay gave the impression (to me, at least) that Mike Mussina is toast.

By the fourth inning Mussina was gone. Eventually the seventh inning came and, with it, came Kyle Farnsworth. Everyone who follows the Yankees knows Farnsworth is not a fan-favorite. Last night he earned some points, though, when he threw a pitch behind Manny's head. Now, throwing the pitch behind Manny's head was wrong. He could have ended the guy's career. However, the fact that he made Manny uncomfortable in the batter's box for a change makes you forget about the danger behind it. Manny seemed to understand. He had a smile on his face after the pitch and, according to MLB.com, after the game he told reporters, "You know, we hit one of the best players last night [Alex Rodriguez], and I guess they want to send a message. They need to back up their players, and they did." (Manny grounded out later in the at-bat.)

I'm glad Manny got the message. Apparently, Peter Gammons didn't. He was on Mike & Mike In The Morning today calling for Farnsworth's suspension. Oh, please.

The Rivalry continues July 3rd at Yankee Stadium.

The Lady

[Photo: Jim McIsaac]

Yankees vs Red Sox 2008: Round 3

Phil Hughes got roughed up last night as the Red Sox beat the Yankees to take the first series of the year between the two teams. However, Hughes is not the young Yankee pitcher I'm thinking about right now. My mind is on Joba Chamberlain and his dad, Harlan.

Apparently, Mr Chamberlain collapsed in his home last night and is in critical condition right now at a Nebraska hospital. Joba found out at the end of the game and reports say he broke down in tears. He did not travel with the team to Tampa Bay last night and is expected to head to Nebraska to be with his dad.

Harlan Chamberlain's health struggles have been well-documented since his son joined the big club late last season. I was so happy for him when he got to see his son make his Major League debut. Hopefully he'll get to see Joba make more appearances this season and for seasons to come.

The Lady

Yankees vs Red Sox 2008: Round 2

Today the New York Media is knocking Joe Girardi for his decision to let Mike Mussina pitch to Manny Ramirez in the sixth inning of yesterday's game at Fenway Park. Girardi decided to ask Mussina if he wanted to pitch to Manny and Mussina said "Yes." Then he paid for that answer, as Manny hit a two-run double into the gap in right-center field, giving the Red Sox the lead, which they never relinquished.

The decision was a bad one and Girardi admitted it without making excuses or going on the defensive. He won't let that happen again, I'm sure. But, why did it happen in the first place? Did he have a brain cramp and forget that Mussina was no longer a peer? The two played against each other and are not that far apart in age. Girardi seems to have remembered all of that and forgotten the fact that Mussina' s record over the past couple of years doesn't give him the right to say whether or not he wants to pitch to Manny Ramirez.

It's admirable that you haven't forgotten where you came from, Joe, but don't ever forget where you are now.

The Lady

[Photo: Sipkin/NY Daily News]

Yankees vs Red Sox 2008: Round 1

I've been so busy the last couple of days that I was beginning to wonder if I'd find the time to post to this blog before the week ended. Well, I just made it. It's a cloudy, foggy Saturday morning in the Bronx but it might as well be sunny and beautiful because my favorite Yankee two-hit the Red Sox last night.

Chien-Ming Wang needed only 93 pitches and faced two over the minimum 27 batters in a complete game, leading the Yankees to a 4-1 victory. Wang took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and, if Bobby Abreu had caught JD Drew's high fly ball to right instead of letting it bounced off the heal of his glove into the Sox Bullpen, the no-hitter would have continued. (Abreu has issues with walls. Just ask any Phillies fan.)

Wang looked just like the ace the Yankees are counting on him to be this season. Being a pitcher who pitches to contact rather than going for the strikeout, many New York fans and media alike like to say he's not a real ace. He doesn't have "swing and miss ability," as Michael Kay loves to say. Put that together with the bad posteasons he's had the last two years and you get no love for Chien-Ming Wang. The Yankees brass seemed to be in agreement: they refused to give the right-hander a long-term deal, and, adding insult to injury, won their arbitration case against him.

None of this bothered Wang, apparently. In Spring Training this year he worked hard with pitching coach Dave Eiland to perfect additional pitches to go with his turbo-sinker, and he practiced pitching inside. The work has paid off so far in this young season. He's 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA.

I think that, what I liked best about Wang's outing last night was his ability to adjust on the fly. In the fifth inning he left a lot of pitches up and the Red Sox hit a lot of loud fly balls deep into the outfield. Wang quickly adjusted, getting the ball back down for the rest of the game. If he can continue to do things like this, we might just see him as the starting pitcher in the All Star Game at Yankee Stadium in July. Go, Wanger.

The Lady

[Photo: AP]

A Time For Team Unity?

As I write this the Red Sox are probably getting ready to land in Japan for their Opening Series with Oakland. All the hoopla has died down. Their coaches will get their stipends. The Red Sox are one big happy family. A united front.

This is why this team wins World Series.

Yeah, right. Here's how it's playing up in Boston:



Actually, I commend the Red Sox players for their actions. I'm also half-disgusted by their greed. According to Gordon Damer of 1050 ESPN Radio, the Red Sox players wanted to make sure they each got the $40,000 that each Yankee player got for going to Japan a few years earlier. What they didn't realize was that the entire pot for the team trip to Japan was less than it was for the Yankee trip, which meant there wasn't anything left for the coaches and staff.

How's that for team unity? Ridiculous.

The Lady

Cat & Mouse Games

Hank Steinbrenner has responded to Jonathan Papelbon's recent criticism of him by saying this:

"Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse."

Well, good thing the mouse's name is Jonathan, not Jerry, and it's Hank, not Tom. Otherwise, George Steinbrenner's son would have some painful times ahead of him.

The Lady

Mr Met, You've Changed!

Well, the trade appears to have been made. The Mets have pulled the trigger and made a deal for Johan Santana. If you're a Red Sox fan you have to be glad, because now you don't have to worry about your team having to give Josh Beckett at least the same money they would have given Santana. If you're a Yankee fan you have to be ecstatic, because the Red Sox don't have him.

Yes, Johan Santana is Mr Met now, because he gives that team the 1A starter it's lacking, assuming that both parties can agree on a long-term deal (and that Santana passes his physical). Will the Mets give him the deal? If they do, it'll be a big departure for them. They're a team that usually keeps their purse strings pretty tight.

We shall see.

The Lady

[Photo: Eric Miller, AP]

The Mitchell Report: Incomplete

I have a million things to do today and I don't have time to delve into this Mitchell Report thing. I'll only ask this question: Why are so many names missing from The Mitchell Report?

Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte being on the list really doesn't surprise me. There have been whispers about them for the past year or two. However Mark McGwire not being on the list does. Also, I wasn't expecting the 2007 AL MVP to be on the list and he wasn't, but Jose Canseco is surprised that Alex Rodriguez is not on the list.

This report does nothing to end the steroid era. All it is is one big can of worms.

The Lady

The Mitchell Report: Do You Care?

Bud Selig now has the Mitchell Report in his hot little hands and he'll reveal what it says tomorrow. Does anyone care? I don't.

To be more clear about this, I don't care about the Mitchell Report but I do care about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. The Media keeps saying that I don't, but that's simply not true.

Every media organization I turn my attention to says the fans don't care if players are using steroids or HGH. To hear them tell it, all fans only care about seeing their favorite players hit balls out of the park. It doesn't matter how or why they do it, as long as they do it.

That's an insult. Just because attendance goes up every year and the MLB coffers are overflowing doesn't mean fans don't care about steroids or HGH. Heck, I believe the real fans do care. The real fans are the ones who don't miss a game on their regional sports network, who know why a batter bunts, who know why a runner can't score from third on a fly ball with two outs. The real fans, for the most part, can't spend a lot of money on high-priced tickets and merchandise. The real fans, for the most part, aren't rich people who know nothing about the game and only show up at the ballpark to be seen. Fans do care, and I'm tired of hearing that we don't.

As for the Mitchell Report, I refuse to give any credence to someone who was on the payroll of an MLB team, a team who, up until now, has had not a single player come under suspicion for use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Lady

Two Stars Going In Opposite Directions

Barry Bonds is going down, as fast as a juiced-up water balloon. Alex Rodriguez is going up, as fast as his private jet will allow him to. Two men whose names will be forever linked to home-run chases could not have had days more different from each other yesterday.

Bonds has been the victim of a witch hunt, but I could care less. He brought it on himself. Barry, this is what happens to you when you have the attitude you have. People don't like you and they'll do anything and everything to bring you down. You're a modern day Al Capone. They couldn't get Capone on racketeering but they got him on tax evasion. They couldn't indict you on steroids use but they did indict you on perjury and obstruction. So there.

The best thing Alex Rodriguez did this week was crawl back to the Yankees. The Yankees and their stage are the best place to break the all-time career home run record. Assuming that he'll stay healthy, he'll definitely break it in a Yankee uniform.

In other postseason news:

• The Yankees are apparently also looking to sign 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell. The experts are saying this is a bad move and I agree. Lowell is a Fenway Park hitter, and you have to stop and wonder why the Red Sox aren't willing to pay Lowell as much as the Yankees would pay him. What do they know that the Yankees don't? Is this Johnny Damon all over again?
• Does the Yankee Captain owe back taxes? The New York State Division of Taxation and Finance is arguing that Derek Jeter had a residence in the state during 2001-03 and, as such, should have paid taxes. He's fighting it, of course. This news comes out now, when no one is likely to notice it? Wow, what a charmed life that guy leads.

The Lady

Off Their Rockers?

While a defensive youth movement seems to be starting on the baseball diamond, the old guard appears to be hanging tight. Greg Maddux won his 17th Gold Glove award yesterday, making him the player with the most gold gloves in Major League history. Now there's also news that Maddux and the Padres have agreed on a
$10 million deal for the 2008 season.

Then there's the matter of Curt "I Care So Much" Schilling. After his "goodbye letter" to Red Sox Nation and after he listed all the teams he'd like to pitch for on his blog, he and the Red Sox agreed to a deal for next year worth $8 million, with $3 million in potential bonuses. One of the bonuses is $1 million if he receives a Cy Young vote. Baseball writer Peter Abraham thinks this might be unethical. He explains why on his blog.

While you may disagree about whether or not Maddux and Schilling are off their rockers, you have to agree that retired players Matt Williams and Ismael Valdez are cringing in theirs. There seems to be proof that they bought steroids at that clinic in Florida currently under investigation. But cringe is all that they'll do. Other than embarrassment, there's nothing else that can happen to them.

Rock on, guys!

The Lady

Eric Gagne: Bullpen Woah!

It was the Best Of The Bullpen again last night at Fenway Park. After Curt Schilling pitched 5 and one-third effective innings, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon took over and closed things out, giving Boston a 2-1 win and a 2-0 edge in the 2007 World Series.

At one point, Okajima retired seven Rockies in a row. Both he and Papelbon pitched in innings most people in Red Sox Nation thought would be pitched by would-be set up man Eric Gagne. Instead, Gagne is only being used in blow-outs this Series, after proving in Boston's stretch run and in the first two rounds of the playoffs that he was a bad pick-up, one of the worst acquisitions by a team this season. Well, I guess that's what happens when you acquire a player just to keep other teams from getting him.

The Lady

[Photo: Elsa/Getty Images]

History At Fenway?

It took only two pitches from Jeff Francis and the Red Sox were off to the races. Dustin Pedroia, the AL's probable 2007 Rookie Of The Year, sent the third pitch from Francis out of Fenway, giving the Red Sox the first of their 13 runs last night. Pedroia became the first rookie in history to lead off a World Series with the long ball.

The first rookie in history to lead off a World Series with the long ball. Woo-hoo! Break out the champagne! Honestly, I love how baseball is built around records and how hallowed so many of those records are, but sometimes things just go too far. Who cares if a rookie leads off a World Series with a home-run? Five years from now no one except Red Sox fans will even remember it, and that'll only be because of incessant airings on NESN. It would be the same thing with YES if, say, Shelley Duncan had done it.

In other World Series News: I loves me some Josh Beckett! The new Mr October had another spectacular outing, giving up just one run in seven innings of work last night. His performance, along with Boston's 12 run cushion, made it safe for Terry Francona to bring Eric Gagne in to close things out. Good job, Eric (laughter)!

The Lady

Red Beans & Rocks

It was close for the first six innings. Then came a lucky 7th. (And an even luckier 8th.) Seventh inning luck in the 7th game of the ALCS means a trip to the '07 World Series for the Boston Red Sox.

JD Drew wears no. 7, and had he saved his game 6 heroics for this game, things would really be complete.

Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched two scoreless innings. Two innings a piece. There was no way Terry Francona was going to take a chance on Eric Gagne in an elimination game.

So the Fall Classic begins Wednesday night in Boston. How will the Rockies fare after such a long layoff? How will the Red Sox look if they go through the entire Series without using Eric Gagne? We'll see. Should be an interesting Series!

The Lady

Did Something Happen In Cleveland Last Night?

Oh! Was there a baseball game last night? Geez, it completely slipped my mind, what with the Yankees and Joe Torre being the more interesting baseball story right now. I think a team was trying to stay alive, right?

Okay, all kidding aside, I have to hand it to Josh Beckett. MLB.com is calling him the new Mr October and they're absolutely right. Injury? What injury? Beckett went 8 innings last night, striking out 11 en route to Boston's 7-1 victory. So Red Sox Nation is breathing easier right now.

Let's see what Curt "I Care So Much" Schilling has up his sleeve tomorrow night in Boston. Last time it was The Bloody Sock. What'll it be this time?

The Lady