SawxBlog

Cold Dice as Sox are Sweepless in Boston

(AP Photo)

While watching the game last night it felt like it was going to be one of those 3-1 low scoring Sox wins, but things just started to go wrong. Matsuzaka just wasn't too sharp, and we didn't get the timely hits we needed. We can't win every game even though it's become hard not to get greedy. Having the bases loaded with no out and not scoring one run is never going to help the winning cause. Even though David Ortiz almost had a very "David Ortiz-esque" hit in that inning. We were about 8 feet away from a tie ball game and all momentum.

Oh yeah, J.C. Romero, you're still not impressing us.

1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

The Sox now have a day off with the 13.5 games back New York Yankees heading into town. Two out of three is all the Sox need here, and even if we're swept (not going to happen) we still have a 10 digit + lead. Which means life is good. However, you know who life isn't good for right now? A-Rod.

This guy is just a whole bag of clown. On the night where the NY Post basically called him out on his post losing activities (which looks like may have his wife on the outs) A-Rod went all bush league on the game of baseball once again. On a pop-up in between short and third A-Rod yelled "Mine!" while running the bases. Are you kidding me?!? I play in a couple softball leagues and this would never be done. slAp-Rod said he called "Hah!" which is just a blatant lie, and in all reality not any better. If you watch the YouTube video below it sure doesn't look like "Hah!". I can't wait until the next time the Jays play the Yankees and he gets absolutely drilled.

Same old A-Rod though. Amazing player, who happens to be a really big d**c*e. This also shows that his slide on Dustin in the Bronx wasn't him playing hard and trying to win, it was him being a d**c*e....again. I also can't wait for every pop-up this guy gets in Fenway, that'll be really fun to not only watch, but listen to. Lastly, they should hand out blond wigs at the turnstiles, now THAT would be classic.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
Mike Lowell - 3B
2/4 1 HR, 2 RBI

14.5 Ahead Feels Pretty Darn Good

(SawxBlog Illustration - Don D)

SawxBlog reader Don D submitted this Photoshop to me earlier in the day and I had to post it. Eric Wilbur has a pretty good article today over at Boston.com on the fun found in the Yankees recent woes.

What cracks me up the most is that the NY Post busted A-Rod with a blond in Toronto. I'm sure that's going to make him happy and hit well... I guess when things are going bad, they're going really bad. If the Sox can take two out of three this weekend it'd be just beautiful.

Enough Yankee talk for now though, there's a series to be swept tonight by Matsuzaka-san.

Click Here to Read all about Stray-Rod.

Oki-Doki, Beckett Sharp As Red Sox Roll Past Indians

(AP Photo)

Yesterday as I was sitting at work my girlfriend called me and asked me if I wanted to grab a drink outdoors after work. Since I wasn't having the best of days I decided that would be a great idea and suggested we meet over at the Rattlesnake Bar & Grill which is right across from where I work. The Rattlesnake is nothing special, however I think it may be one of the more underrated bars in Boston to grab a drink during the nice weather. Their outdoor porch on the roof is a great place to grab a Sam Summer or Margareta. Anyways, after grabbing a couple pops and some dinner we decided to walk home to enjoy the weather, the only problem with this for me is that in order to walk home you have to walk by Fenway Park.

Needless to say the topic of going to the game came up, however better heads prevailed, so...we went to the game! I walked right over the Scalp Free Zone at Fenway and within one minute I had two face value RF Grandstand seats. Not too shabby. This was the first time I've tried to get tickets this way and I highly suggest it for any of you looking to score some tickets late to a game. It's located right near the Ted Williams statue and if you get lucky you can get some decent face tickets.

Our seats were OK, even though I had to lean forward to look around a pole to see Beckett pitch, however I'm not one to complain. It never ceases to amaze me how people can complain about any seat in Fenway. Yeah they're cramped, but I'm a 6'3'' guy who's pushing two bills and if I can get comfortable so can you. The RF Grandstands are by far the worst seats in Fenway (kinda an oxymoron huh?) but who cares, you're in freaking Fenway Park.  It's like going to church and complaining about the pews, some things you just don't do.

To make a long story short, Jeannine and I worked a little seat frogger and by the 6th inning we were in $90.00 RF Box seats. Man do I love upgrades. The game was amazing. The weather was perfect and the game was actually quite the pitchers duel for awhile. Beckett looked really, really sharp and I think I got a sunburn from being too close to Youk. Homeboy is the hottest hitter in MLB right now and he's showing no signs of slowing downs. Trot got another deserved standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful and Oki-Doki (Hideki Okajima) pitched an exciting ninth to get the save. By the way, if you're keeping score at home that's one more save then Mariano Rivera has with a 1.05 ERA to boot. Okajima is without a doubt one of the best signings of the off-season. Simply said, Oki-Doki ain't no jokie.

One other thing I'd like to touch on is the atmosphere at Fenway. It's some of the best I've seen in a long, long time. It's like a huge block party where everyone's friendly. There was a buzz in there that most ballparks can't even get in October. If the Sox keep playing like this it's only going to get better too. If you haven't been to a game yet you need to go, the place just has a magical feel to it. Not a bad way for me to turn around a not so good day if I do say so myself. Hopefully Dice-K can help us get the sweep as we prepare to put the final nails in the MFY's coffin.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
Josh Beckett - P
7 IP, 2 ER, 7 K's, 1 BB

Youk & Schilling "Spoil" Nixon's Return

(AP Photo)

Last night was another great win for the Red Sox as we welcomed back Trot Nixon to Fenway Park and defeated the Cleveland Indians 5-3. I was beyond happy with the reception the Fenway Faithful gave Trot Nixon, he deserved every second of his four ovations. During Trot's time in Boston he was one of the poster boys of what it meant to be a Boston Red Sox. The way he patrolled right field endeared all us "regular people" stuck in the right field grandstands and bleachers. The one thing you can never knock on Trot was his hustle and effort. Injuries may have been what held back truly spectacular numbers for the original number seven, however real Sawx fans know what Nixon was all about. Before Damon went all caveman on us, Trot was the original anti-Yankee. There's nothing I loved more then when the Sox were playing the Yankees on a Saturday national game and you see Nixon with his dirty hat, pine-tar encrusted batting helmet, war paint like eye black, and unshaven bad goatee...it was beautiful.

As Red Sox fans we're pretty used to seeing old friends (especially from the 2004 team) come back, and I'm just happy to see how Trot was treated, however there was a game to be played, and again the Sox not only played, but played well. Schilling was a beast out there last night, and he got out of some tough early jams that could have made the game have a totally different feel to it. What impressed me almost more then his 10 K's was his 0 walks. Now that's some control.

Random Game Notes:

• Kevin Youkilis - What can I even say about this guy. He's so on fire right now you have to wear a flame retardant suit when watching him hit just to make sure you don't get burned. He's scorching. 20 game hitting streak and now with an inside the park home run. Unreal. If Youk isn't on the All-Star team this year there is no justice in the world.
• Dustin Pedroia - My man (yes, Dustin is now my man) had another ho-hum 3/3 night with a walk to boot, getting on base all four times from the number nine slot. In case you're not looking, our second baseman of the future (and now) is hitting .298. Don't hear those WEEI callers asking for him to benched anymore do we? Good job Tito.
• J.C. Romero - J.C. is not my man. This guy has not been as billed so far. Two batters faced last night, two walks. He does have a nice 2.93 ERA so maybe this is a little knee jerk, but I reserve that right :-)
• Jonathan Papelbon - He's getting the job done, but doesn't seem to have the same fire he's had. This may be unfair but I'm not as confident when he comes in the game. I guess he is human after all.
• Trot Nixon - Can't write this enough. Total class act.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
Curt Schilling - P
7 IP, 1 ER, 10 K's, 0 BB

The Comeback Kids Are All Right - Sox Sweep On A Memorial Weekend

(SawxBlog Illustration)

I was at a friends barbecue yesterday so my Red Sox updates were sporadic at best. Not that I'm complaining though, you can never beat some boccie ball, beer pong, and some nice grill cooked food. Which brings me to another question, is beer pong here to stay? How long has this game been around? Are we the first generation that may still be playing this game in some form into our 40's and 50's? If anything I blame education, you learn a lot more then books while away from home in college. But I digress...

I finally couldn't take not knowing the score so I finally broke down and went into the house to watch the end of the game, and my timing was impeccable. It was the 7th inning and the Sox were down 4-3, but not for long. J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell each had something to say about that.

I was sitting next to my friend Brian and we both just gushed over Lowell for a bit, I mean how can't you? The guy's just an awesome professional ballplayer. I've typed it way more then once, but you could not have replaced Billy Mueller with anyone better. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Mikey next year, but I'm sure as hell enjoying his time on the team now. Also pretty nice to see Drew swing that bat well too huh? Just think, we have the best record in MLB, an 11.5 game lead in the division, and Drew and Manny have been relatively quiet, AND it's now starting to get warm. That's just scary.

The at bat the stuck out most in my mind however was Dustin Pedroia's home run at bat. Earlier in the game my buddy Brian was saying how he was thinking about getting a Pedroia jersey. I thought that it was pretty balls of him, but definitely supported the decision. Then the short, weaselly little Pedroia battled a 12 pitch at bat that ended with the ball landing in the left field bleachers. It's at bats like this that give me faith in him and our managements decision not to bench him and play the super hot and reliable Alex Cora. You have to think long term here, and Dustin may be our second baseman for the next decade. I mean just look at his batting average now, he used to be flirting with the mendoza line, now it sits at .279. Dustin showed me something yesterday, and I think Brian's going to look very good in his jersey.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
Dustin Pedroia - 2B
2/4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR

Four! Manny Helps Sox Slice Through Rangers

(AP Photo)

Whenever Manny Ramirez is slightly struggling in the beginning of the year you begin to hear the whispers of some asking "What's wrong with Manny?". Shoot, the other night when Rick Sutcliffe was committing every reporting error you could possibly dream of he was slamming Manny often while questioning his abilities. What's the moral of this story? We don't seem to learn from the past as well as we'd like to think. Manny often starts off slow, but Manny always end well. For a guy who's a career .313 hitter with a career .596 slugging percentage he should get a mulligan when it comes to slow starts.

Cliche's are a part of baseball talk for sure, but Manny hitting 100 RBI and near .300 isn't a cliche, it's a fact and something that will happen again this year, much like it has for the past six seasons in Boston. That being said what a game for number 24 last night. Manny was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle, and he helped lead the Red Sox past the Texas Rangers 7-4.

Tim Wakefield wasn't the sharpest for the Sawx but he did pitch seven innings for us and, along with an impressive inning by Brendan Donnelly, helped preserve the acquired Red Sox lead. Things are looking good for Boston as the summer heat picks up we'll see how our offense can do with a free swinging Manny on board. Sox go for the sweep today at 3:05pm, Beckett's making his start on Tuesday, and Matsuzaka is recovered from his stomach bug. Like many of the days thus far in the 2007 campaign, it's feeling pretty good to be a Red Sox fan now.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
Manny Ramirez - LF
4/4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Maple Street Press Red Sox Annual 2007: Book Review

A couple of weeks ago when I was traveling Ecuador I often found myself without internet, T.V, or American papers and those times I found myself putting down my Hemingway and picking up a copy of the Maple Street Press Red Sox Annual 2007. This help me semi-cure my baseball fix needs, and also schooled me on some things Red Sox I was not aware of.

This may seem a little late to write a review on an annual as we're already about 1/3 of the way through the season, however the Maple Street Press Red Sox Annual 2007 isn't a normal type of annual. This is an annual that is made in conjunction with the famous Sons Of Sam Horn Red Sox message board and Red Sox minded people alike, and it shows.

There's a lot of cool facts you wouldn't know otherwise like how the playing of "Dirty Water" came to be at Fenway Park after Red Sox victories and great insight into the players on the team. There's also a 40 year reflection on the 1967 impossible dream season which is certainly worth the read.

All in all this is an annual that could interest even the most hardcore of Red Sox fans, and one I hope to read for seasons to come.

Overall: 8/10

Have a baseball book you'd like reviewed on SawxBlog? Please e-mail webmaster@sawxblog.com for more information!

Daisuke Matsuzaka Socks!

My girlfriend forwarded me an article today from the New York Times that was just plain strange. The article's about how Matsuzaka has introduced numerous teammates to the type of socks he wears.

"The socks, which fit like a glove with each toe individually encased, were met with curiosity in Boston’s clubhouse during spring training."

Now apprently Mike Lowell, Alex Cora, and Doug Mirabelli (Why does it seem so fitting that Doug's wearing these too? Someone has to update update the Dougie's Going Deep site with this. If you've never read one of the most hilarious/famous Red Sox forwards do it now here) are wearing the sock-gloves during games.

In short read the article, it'll make you feel funny afterwards.

Yankess Beat Red Sox - Lead Only 9.5 Games Now...

(AP Photo)

Well last nights game was disappointing to say the least. The Yankees did exactly what the Sox did to them the night before. Get out of the gate early, and protect the lead. Seems pretty simple. This may just be me, but does it seem to anyone else that Curt Schilling is doing his best 2006 Josh Beckett impersonation (sans giving up 347 home runs)?

Curt has looked, to me at least, to be phenomenal on the mound, or very hittable. Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Schilling. You expect the Big Dog (As Papelbon calls him) to step up for games that seem to have any type of importance. You expect him to at least give you a shot to win the game, and Curt didn't really do that last night. I'm not overly concerned at this moment, however it would be nice to see the Big Dog put together 3 or 4 solid starts in a row.

All in all losing our first series of the year to the Yankees is no big deal. They gained one whole game in the standings on us and it's iffy to say if they've gained any true momentum out of the series. Plainly put, I'm not that worried. It's no longer early May, it's almost June, and the Red Sox have a very comfy cushion in the AL East. A lot of baseball still to be played, but these game count as much as the ones in August.

Mike Freeman over at CBS Sportline seems to agree writing the following today:

"And boy does this pain me to state because I am afraid of sending obnoxious, e-mailing Red Sox fans into an orgasmic, alcohol fueled frenzy. But here it goes.   

The Red Sox are the best team in baseball and World Series bound. If they do not get there it would be a tremendous shock. That's how good they are. Their getting dominated at the hands of the Yankees in this three-game series means absolutely nothing."

No obnoxious e-mail here. This is some high praise from the national media and an opinion I want to believe, and am inclined to do so. The Sox are deep from starter, to bullpen, to bench. They have a talented crop of young guys down in the minors, have a coach they respect, and a front office who've made the moves to show the clubhouse that they're not trying to be competitive, they're trying to win. And that's why as I sit drinking my Dunkin Donuts coffee this morning I'm not worried. This team's too good, even if our lead is now only 9.5 games.

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SawxBlog Player of the Game
CoCo Crisp - CF
2/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

A-Rod Plays Dirty (Again) Will Schilling Give Pedroia Retribution?

I understand playing hard. I also understand that breaking up double plays is a huge part (as well as physical) of the game. However I also understand that this is (again) some bush league stuff coming from slAp-Rod. I for one am hoping Schilling sends a little message to him tonight. You can't let people do that to our middle infielders, period.