Hip Argot, Categorical Imperatives and Other Ideas of Import
Baseball is one of the few games in which points aren’t scored with the ball. In basketball, football, soccer, golf points are scored by putting the ball in a specified place – there’s no hoop, end zone, goal, hole. Baseball is different: points (“runs”) are scored by a base runner. This leads to the question, “what of the home run?” You know, when the baseball is hit by a batsman over the outfield wall and all base runners and...
Earlier in the year, Jose Canseco appeared on the radio while plugging his new book and from apparently thin air he announced Roger Clemens was the only athlete he knew that hadn’t cheated on his wife. Huh? Well, now we know what Jose was getting at and every radio producer in the country is scouring recordings of Canseco interviews he’s done recently to look for other odd remarks – of which I am sure there are many, Jose’s not exactly known for his…um, coherence...
Those of us who live in the Boston area remember at least two things from the 2007 World Series: Jonathan Papelbon striking out the last batter on a called strike three in game 4 to win the championship - a feeling of unbridled joy and; realizing that we hadn't bought any furniture at Jordan's Furniture during their free furniture promotion if the Red Sox won it all - a feeling of unbounded regret. This year, the furniture store is running a similar promotion - if the Red Sox win it all in...
Talk about malaise. Somewhere in the back of my mind I understand the Red Sox are playing baseball in New York. Emotionally, I just can't seem to get myself up for it. THe landscaping in my yard is coming along nicely. When all is said and done, there will be no question whether or not it was professionally landscaped. It wasn't. I took delivery of 5 yards of mulch the other day; it's been wonderful weatherwise, I know because I can see the sun from my office window. Any way, upon my arrival...
We all remember that in 2004 the Yankees helped the Red Sox break an 86 year curse in the most remarkable of fashions. I don’t know what’s more remarkable this time – that some idiot buried a Sox jersey in the cement under what would be the visitors clubhouse of the new Yankees Stadium, that he told anyone about it before the place even opened, or that the Yankees actually called him on it and spent 5 hours – and heavens knows how much money – on digging it up,...
Today's World Series - the World Championship of Baseball - is a given. Except for the truncated 1994 season, a championship series has been played between the National League and the American League since 1905, with the first series between the two leagues having been held in 1903. Over the 103 World Series; 99 have been a best-of-7 affair. What of those other 4-series and why are there 7-games in the series? The first World Series in 1903 was a best of 9-game arrangement between the American...
At the congressional hearings last month featuring Brian McNamee and Roger Clemens, there did seem something amiss, didn’t there? Kind of, oh I don’t know, some kind of odd partisan battle going on between the Democrats/McNamees and the Republicans/Clemens’. The Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Government, the house committee sponsoring that despicable debacle, released a report yesterday suggesting Clemens was not at Jose Canseco’s party. The Democrats...
I've had an off day. Not a bad day, mind you, just off. A bad day is having someone post a craigslist ad telling everyone that you've moved and come take your stuff. No, this was just an off day. I woke up this morning and stepped on the scale just before my shower. After the shock of seeing THAT number, it slow, sick feeling washes over me that the number I just saw will be the best it will be all day. Ugh. You can look in the mirror all you want and kid yourself that little ponch...
Which “Nation” is larger: The Institution of The New York Yankees or Red Sox Nation? According to Hank Steinbrenner, The Yankees organization is less a baseball club than an American institution and that Red Sox Nation is a bit of a joke. So, a company named “Compete” took a look at tracking metrics and consumer behavior at both the Yankees and Red Sox websites. It would seem that throughout most of the year, the Yankees garnered more of the attention than...
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres played the all-American game in a split squad exhibition game at Wukesong Stadium in Beijing. While a spring training outing is not usually news, this two game tilt was special for the location: Mainland China. The result was about an un-American ending as the setting: a 3-3 tie. The Olympics are coming and MLB wanted to begin the eastward expansion of the game. Back in 2006, MLB was talking about expanding into China....
You’re a major league baseball team. You’ve been in existence for 15 years, during which you’ve won 2 World Series. Your first year of operation, you carried a 64-98 record, but had an average attendance of 37,800 per game, 5th in the league for attendance. The only other time you’ve reached 5th was the year you first won the World Series. After that, attendance has been sliding: in 8 of the last 9 years attendance has been either last or second to last...
So, there's offically a competition for the Centerfielders' position. Okay, so Jacoby Ellsbury isn't going to be the starter - what is the likelihood of that happening? Amalie Benjamin reminds Sox fans this is not an unprecedented situation. Fact is, the Red Sox will be moving Coco before the season starts. He's too good to be a 4th outfielder and having him rot on the bench will only lower his value. That's unacceptable. He's giving himself a way out as well, saying he'll give whatever spring...
WELCOME TO THE TOKYODOME! "HOME" of the Oakland Athletics. Huh? Yup, March 25-26, 2008, the Red Sox begin their World Series defense as the road team in Tokyo against the Oakland A's. I guess its only fitting, right? This is the "WORLD CHAMPION" Boston Red Sox, and they do have two Japanese stars on their roster. I just remember what happened to the Yankees when they started their season off in Japan...all the jetlag issues and all. Then again, it's not like the scheduled...
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is alleging that during the baseball winter General Managers’ meetings, the GM’s may have violated baseballs basic agreement – the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLBPA – by sharing information, including amounts of money set aside for individual free agents. MLB’s executive vice-president of labor relations and human resources, Robert Manfred, contends...
I spent the better part of the season talking about how mediocre this team was...I guess what I failed to grasp was the balance of this team. Pitching/Hitting. I was wr-r-r-r-ong. I sit absolutely agog. Twice - count them - twice in my lifetime the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series. After the Patriots won the Superbowl the first time, my best friend and I wondered aloud what the City of Boston would be like IF the Sox were to win the World Series. It seems trite, but there were...
Is there any household chore WORSE than painting a ceiling? Ugh. Perhaps seconded only by installing not one, but two ceiling fans. That don't work. Nothing. Of course it's raining today here in Massachusetts so what with all the working ceiling lights having been ripped out of the rooms' ceiling by yours truly, work must come to an end for the day for want of light.
Of course, work a long time ago had since ceased and the Josh Beckett post game interview bit had been ramped up to full bore.
I told Mrs. Mo I was going to set about with a multimeter to see if I had blown something or if the circuitry was dead. She asked me how long she would have to wait to start dating again.
It's funny how a lot has changed in Red Sox Nation. I actually spoke words I wouldn't have just a few years ago - "Think we should go pick up some champagne, just in case the Sox win it this weekend?" Huh? Did I just say that? The last time I allowed myself such thoughts, it was long about the 6th inning of Game 7 2003 ALCS and there we were in a San Diego hotel room. I allowed myself the luxury of wondering aloud if I could find a cigar and champagne around the neighborhood there before the end of the game. D'OH! I suppose I could have, but I would have simply been handing it over to the guy that was sleeping in the alley way. That sucked.
It wasn't about the prep work - going to get some, just in case - I think a lot of fans do that. It was that I even had the thought...Nothing good comes of this, cookie, nothing.
That's not to say I've lost any nurosis or superstition. I've been wearing this ratty green St. Patrick's Day Sox hat for well over a week - I wore it and they won...so I kept wearing it...and they kept winning. It's a good thing I didn't just decide to wear underwear on the night the Sox starting this playoff winning streak. Phew. Haven't worn those things in ages.... (just kidding folks...it's a joke...the thought of Old Mo going commando should scare most women and children).
Well, I've been bending and contorting and twisting all day only to have to rip the freaking fans out again when they didn't work and reinstall...it's a drag man. I'm sore and I'm angry and I'm...well, I guess I'm just sore and angry.
The Colorado Rockies enter the 2007 World Series on something of an historic run – winning 21 of their last 22 games, including a 1 game playoff with the San Diego Padres for the National League Wild Card – a game which ended on a controversial call at home in the 13th inning – and on the strength of two series sweeps against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. They ended the regular season with the second best record in the National League at 90-73 – note that one game playoff was technically a regular season game and as such, the and the Padres each played 163 games in 2007.
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Rodney, I miss you man. I've got the jitters, man. Can we get this show on the road? The Rox have been on ice for 8 days now. The Sox have been off for a couple of days. In 2003, the World Series started the day after Game 7 - I remember this, because sadly, I was hoping Game 1 would be in Boston. It was not. In theory, this World Series could end on November 1. Good grief and zounds. Can we talk to someone about this? THERE'S SNOW ON THE GROUND for the love of Pete... I'm not liking...
Here are some Sox chops from Boston.com: Here's one I find particularly entertaining: And another... And one from Morrisseyweb: Here's another I just did....
Oh man. Three venti Starbucks and a Red Bull haven’t been enough to keep me awake this morning. I fell asleep for a few minutes at the urinal at work – head propped up against the tiled wall above it. Now, on top of bags under my eyes that could hold a pen in place underneath and the tape now holding my eyes open, I’ve got this remarkable little grid imprint on my forehead. I would love to blame it all on the late schedule of the baseball games, but it might have something...
What can I say? The Boston Red Sox are American League Champions!
I fully believed that once this team was down 3-1 that this series was over. I didn't believe this team had the heart. I thought the Tribe was the better team.
All I can say now is, "I BELIEVE!!!"
In 1922, the Supreme Court ruled against the then defunct Baltimore Federal League team in it’s case against the National League on anti-trust grounds and in so doing created a “troublesome and unusual situation.”
Despite what I said earlier, if you read closely you’ll see that not only aren’t I really done with the Sox, I’m hopeless. Really. I mean they could tell me to go stick it to myself and I would be mad, but come whimpering back, “You didn’t really mean that, did you?” So here I am. Gray hairs popping out by the minute. Heart rate up. Ulcer percolating.
So, I figured the best remedy is to just jot down some odds and ends to take my mind of stuff.
• For all us Sox fans concerned what Game 5 might bring us, here’s a perfect solution. Long after the last pitch it hurled toward home Thursday night, you can be ready for the real game. Yessir, get yourself prepped for The Josh Beckett Press Conference Drinking Game. Win or lose the baseball game, you the viewer can be the winner here.
• Does anyone else fail to understand the spectacle that is going on in Tampa? For the love of Pete, if I’m Joe Torre, I’ve kind of got the message, “Yeah, you’re ambivalent about me managing.” I’ve made it practice to not want to be somewhere I’m not wanted. I’m trying to figure out what Joe gains by waiting around for some tablet to come down off the mountain. If I’m Joe, I really don’t need this crap and I think I might say that. And no sooner have I written this, I come across a New York Newsday piece saying exactly the same thing. From an outsider’s point of view, this just isn’t the way you treat people. I’m with Vagabondguru here. You know what you’re going to do here, and if you’re just looking for style points, you’re gonna lose in the long run where it counts – in public opinion. Joe may be Safe at Home, but home ain’t at Yankee Stadium.
• I found this very cool web application that basically crunches the major league team records by date since 1901 and creates a “horse race” application, showing where each team was record wise in relation to each other.
• As you’re doubtlessly aware, I’m not above shameless huckstering. I’ve got a couple more articles posted at Associated Content; one on The Two Teams which share the NFL record for Most Fumbles in a Season and one on the Cancellation of the National Lacrosse League 2008 Season. Yeah, I know, you just can’t get enough NLL talk. There’s also a less weighty bit I did on why baseball video review is a bad idea. I know, I’m a media slut.
• If you’re looking for some good Pats talk, Check out this Page 2 article, then keep looking for some good Pats talk. Perhaps you’re a Colts fan and want to relive last years’ Superbowl glory – forget the DVD, you won’t get the ads there.
• If you haven’t already, check out the Guardian of the Galaxy’s “Wii and Mii.”
I guess that’s it. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.
A wonderful feeling of calm has washed over me; like some giant prozac dose from the great beyond has worked its way into my system. It gives me that feeling that I remember having waking up one morning and realizing that the relationship with the girlfriend was definitely over. That feeling when you walk into the boss's office and hand in a two-week notice. Yes, that feeling of calm serenity, knowing it will all be over soon. Knowing that after one more tedious conversation, one more "hard"...
The Professional Baseball Hall of Fame identifies the Kansas City Royals as having been one of the most successful expansion teams at the time of their World Series win in 1985.
So, what makes a successful team? The Yankees, as the gold standard of major league baseball has a lifetime winning percentage of .567 - 9383 wins, 7162 losses. Here's a look at the Major League Expansion teams.
Using the metric of winning percentage, the most successful expansion franchise is the 1998 addition, Arizona Diamondbacks with a .505 winning percentage.
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So in all four series, there is a 2-0 lead. First time since 1995. This could be a very short Division Series. The Yankees couldn't seem to keep the Tribe off the base paths tonight, the Indians just couldn't seem to bring anyone of those guys home. It took 11 innings, but Travis "Pronk" Haffner did the job driving in the walk off run. Danny Vinnick. Remember that name...way to go kid...of course his dad is one of the limited partners of the Red Sox. I was wondering how...
On June 12, 1880 the first perfect game thrown in professional baseball was thrown in Worcester, Massachusetts at what is now the quad on the grounds of the Weller Academic Center at Becker College. An historical marker on the site reads:
"ON JUNE 12, 1880, THE FIRST PERFECT GAME IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL HISTORY WAS PITCHED ON THIS SITE (THE FORMER WORCESTER AGRICULTURAL FAIRGROUNDS) BY J. LEE RICHMOND OF WORCESTER AGAINST CLEVELAND IN A NATIONAL LEAGUE GAME."
John Lee Richmond of the Worcester "Worcesters" - there appear to be differing accounts as to a nickname by which the team was known, referring to "Ruby Legs," "No Names," and "Brown Stockings" - of the National League was the first perfect pitcher in professional baseball against the Cleveland Blues. Incidentally, he was also the first pitcher to give up a grand slam home run.
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Why does the American League seem to be the stronger of the two leagues world series competition? This is one theory and it has nothing to do with Designated Hitters, softer competition, or quality of pitching.
The answer may lie in the statistical analysis on the topic of how many games it would take each season to achieve a statistically significant result at the end of the year.
According to E. Ben-Naim and NW Hengartner, physicists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory , the best team will have the best record if the total number of games should be about the cube of the number of teams. So, for the National League the answer would be a 256 game season - sixteen teams - and for the American League - 14 teams - the answer would be a 196 game season.
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As it turned out, the good folks of Red Sox Nation needn't have had so much angst as we came down to the end of the season. The Sox wrapped up the AL East and the best record - go figure that one...with 96 wins. This will tell you how close the AL was this year though - the Indians finish with the same record, but lose the tie breaker (head to head) and the Angels (AL West Champs) and Yankees (Wild Card) finish with the same record (94 wins). No one else was really close.
Not so with the NL. The Mets, one of the sources of RSN angst, were booted from the postseason on the last day, squandering the 7 game lead they had with, what?, 2 weeks to play losing big time to the Marlins while the Phillies won their game. The NL races were all a little tighter, to the point that there'll be a 1 game play off between the Rox and Padres (I just can't write their nickname out...sorry folks). Of the division winners, only Arizona (sans Randy Johnson) finished with 90 wins. That my friends, is mediocrity at work. Don't give me parity folks, that's simple mediocrity.
In four weeks time, we'll be talking about an NL World Champion, can't you see it?
I remember the 1978 one game play off between the Red Sox and Yankees (yes, that's the year of the Sox collapse, to which I am now happy to report, the Mets are now the biggest chokers) was played as regular season game 163 (Interestingly enough, Jim Rice set the Red Sox record for number of games played in a season that year with...yes, you guessed it, 163), so I reckon - and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong - this will be game 163 allowing the opportunity for either San Diego or Colorado to reach 90 wins.
The Sox had the opportunity to decide when they would next play - they took short rest to play the Angels, presumably because their pitching staff is lined up and to throw a little less time to the Angels to more properly set theirs and to allow Cleveland's starters to get lined up for New York...
Oooh, rally day tomorrow. I'm all for playoff baseball, but folks, it's the ALDS...Division Series. A round that had just come into existence when last they won the AL East...and were swept by the Tribe. Can we wait on the rallies for a bit?
I spent some time this evening watching an ESPN presentation on Roberto Clemente. If you get the chance to catch it, I would recommend it.
Take good care. See you next time.
Over the years, there have been changes to the rules of the game of baseball to enhance run productivity and to address other conditions within the game. There have been new teams and new ballparks added to the mix. We're all familiar with the hints, allegations, and things left unsaid surrounding chemical enhancement of players. Baseball has integrated, and indeed expanded its recruiting scope outside the US. Descriptive statistics of the game have been altered and in some cases newly created. It is clear that baseball in the 21st Century looks very different from the game played at the turn of the 20th Century. What often gets overlooked is the structure of the game itself when comparing statistics across the ages.
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A recent study found that in 1% of calls made by home plate umpires between 2004 and 2006 were affected by race. The study, reported by MSNBC suggests that umpires were more likely to call strikes when the pitcher was of their race and balls when the pitcher is of another race. 71% of major league pitchers and 87% of umpires are white. According to the original article, Asian pitchers are particularly affected by this bias as there are no Asian umpires. What that 1% of...
Major League Baseball requires the home team to have 90 new baseballs on hand for each game, and according to several sources, between five and six dozen balls are used during the course of a game.
What many people do not know, though, is that those game baseballs are never right out of the box, clean and glossy. Every baseball used in a major league baseball game is treated with something called "Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud," it is the only foreign substance used on a major league baseball. The reason so many balls and that one particular brand of rubbing mud are used has an interesting story.
Read the whole article at Associated Content
Knowing the Yankees had already won today - in extra innings again - and watching the Sox give the game back to the Devil Hens, I was feeling particularly foul and started putting fingers to keyboard on a Black Sabbath parody. No sooner had I put the finishing touches on it, Jason Varitek led off the 9th with a long home run off Al Reyes to tie the game at 6. No sooner had I opened this window to start my entry, I learned that Kansas City - The Royals!! - beat Detroit this evening to bring...
The glass ensconcing the panic button has officially been broken open. I have my family holding me back from slamming my fist down on the glowing red button, but the surge from the crowd around us is working to my advantage. Like Homer being restrained from a donut, I will not be denied. The button will be pushed. It's glowing red goodness is too much to be resisted....must...press...button... It makes me feel better knowing Lanz is there with the second key to initiate the panic sequence....
We all know them. The person who wants to join the conversation, but doesn't quite "get" the sporting nuances. I've tried to explain the game of baseball to many people - some of whom pick it up, some of whom do not. "That guy" just doesn't "get it."
Why would I want to watch the last 5 minutes of a football game when our team is up by 20 points? Because.
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I have to say, my brain is boiling inside my skull and if I don't relieve some of this pressure, it's gonna get ugly all over the marketplace walls. This isn't the first such rant, 'tis merely the most recent. Top of the 8th inning, bases loaded, 1 out for the Red Sox. 6-6 tie game with the Baltimore Black Sox - the Orioles are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Negro League Champions - and who strolls up to the plate? Yes, you guessed it - He Who Wears Trot Nixon's #7. As soon as...
Uh, WHAT was that? Holy smokes - in the last 24 hours the Sox have lost twice to the Yankees. That'd be a sweep, for those of you who are uninitiated. Yes, yes, yes. It was my fault. I should have turned left. On Tuesday night, I believed the cookie to be marginally irritated with me. On Wednesday night, I believed my karma had been truly compromised. Today - well, today, I simply didn't have any time to make it right. There I was, wandering Faneuil Hall - I sat with Red Auerbach and compared...
I am here for penance. Despite my meager attempts at reconciliation, the cookie was at the least, annoyed. It is a passionate cookie, for indeed my hash brown was warm and crunchy and an encounter with the Red Hat Society was thwarted, yet it was an authoritative cookie and it demanded compliance. Today though, I am angry. I watched a decent game last night, with several flaws in evidence, HOWEVER the object of my ire is very specific. I am angry with the man who now wears Trot Nixon's...
Well, I messed with karma. Not a good thing to do on the eve of what will likely be the most important series of the baseball season. You see, I received last night a most unusual fortune from my Chinese cookie - "Turn left when leaving home tomorrow." What the hell is that? I flouted that very explicit instruction - after all, who gets THAT kind of instruction from a fortune cookie? I walked out my door, and kept going straight this morning. I then turned right to get to my automobile....
I've taken to calling my youngest mo-bot, "Ness" because he looks so much like the Nintendo character when you throw a baseball lid on his head. So, Ness has decided that just about everything is a "cow." Now, you have to understand that we really don't live anywhere near cows. He's identified the neighbor's Tundra as a cow, the dog, you know just about everything. Took him to the car wash yesterday and there were a lot of cows there. There's this Volkswagen radio commercial...
Get it? References yesterday's "Who's Your Budde?"....oh, never mind. Anyway - you looking for a new car? How about this one? And you thought $10,000 for Manny's Grill was something....I just looked at the actual eBay listing and since the article appeared, there are 35 bids on the car. Phew. Hate to think Papi wouldn't be able to sell his car. News on the baseball front just keeps getting better and better. Most unusual for me to feel this way. A couple of days ago,...
Hey, how cool was it to wake up this morning to find out that not only had the Sox taken Scott Kazmir apart, but also to find out that the Yankees lost out on the West Coast on a 10th inning walk off double? This pushed the AL East lead back to 5. You know I actually saw someone walking around yesterday wearing a Devil Hens t-shirt. Of course, it was a Scott Kazmir number t. But lingering questions persist - specifically, as we in RSN are all focused on winning the AL East, which is important...
Isn't this just one of the most typical things you can think of - on Friday, the Sox sent Wily Mo Pena to the Washington Nationals with some cash for "a player to be named later." The guy has something like a $700,000 contract and we're sending cash along with him for the Nats to take him off our hands. Great. So, in one of his first appearances, what does HE do? CRUSHES a pitch into the stands after having a very good debut earlier. Of course. When we sent Bronson Arroyo to the...
30 years ago today, on a quiet side street in a greater Boston neighborhood, a young lad - much too young to understand what it was that he was reporting - ran out of the house into the afternoon sun to announce to the assembled neighborhood kids playing out in the street that "The king of Rock and Roll was dead." Minutes later, an older teenager came down the street and filled in the pieces missing from that young man's report. Elvis Presley had died. August 16, 2007, the Red Sox...
It's not bad enough I forgot to activate Scott Kazmir yesterday, I was definite I was not going to let that happen today - so I made sure Daisuke Matsuzaka was one of my starters. Ugh. He's going against a guy that's 1-8 with close to a 6.00 ERA and this dude - Sonnanstine - was smoking the Sox while Daisuke's wheels came off. A 9th inning rally fell short as Manny struck out with the winning run on first. The only thing that was keeping me the least bit sane was watching the ticker...
BREAKING NEWS This just in - Barry Bonds has hit home run 22 on the season. I'll let my man REIGNBLOOD discuss whatever implications this 22nd homer of the year may have. RED SOX at ANAHEIM Now, I'm as big a Sox homer as anyone else here. Is there anyone who reads this blog that doesn't know that? Please raise your hand and you will be summarily removed from the tavern premises. Anyway, the on refrain you have heard from me almost the entire baseball season, regardless of what the Red...
Check this article and other similar ones out at Associated Content. Professional sports have an interesting twist in New England. As late as the late 1990's, the New York Football Giants were as popular as the New England Patriots in the Greater Boston area. Before 1960, the Giants were the only team around and a lot of the old timers stuck with them as the new AFL Patriots bumbled through their first 35+ years of existence. While the Patriots lay claim to New England, the Boston Red...
The New York Yankees are often accused, particularly by Boston Red Sox fans, of attempting to "buy" championships. One way to measure this is through looking at the World Series Champions over the course of time. One way to measure this premise is to look at the average player salaries over the course of time and the average player salary per team, as well as looking at the average player salary for the World Series finalists. Data. Sean Lahman's Baseball Archive has a comprehensive...
The little man has his bedroom done up in vintage baseball gear. There is a 1915 picture of Harry Hooper, a 1912 reproduction of a World Series pennant, the 1966 Ted Williams HOF Placard, a montage shot of Carlton Fisk's Game 6 Home Run, an imagined world series poster, just a bunch of stuff like that. Now the only one of which that is in color is the Ted Williams placard, but it's in that Brady Bunch sort of "IN COLOR" color...not real colorful, but colored. A pretty cool set up...
Daisuke goes seven Throws shutout ball, 98 pitches Sox win with one run It's always nice to be able to write a positive haiku when Daisuke pitches. Although he's now got 12 wins, he has seemed hit or miss on occasion. Lanz always has a great Sox wrap, between the game by game and of course the weekly wraps, if you miss anything you should check his blog out. Me, I just like commenting on the various happenings, not necessarily the specifics of the game, but perhaps an aspect or two....
One hundred years ago - 1907 - the percentage of home runs per 100 at bats was 0.305, according to baseball-almanac. In 2005 - the last year posted there - it was 3.016. Essentially what that means is that in the major leagues, in 1907 it would take 1000 at bats to equal the home run production of 100 at bats in 2005. If you wish to compare the nice round 100 years figure, the home run production in 1905 was 0.413 per 100 at bats, making my 1000 at bat figure a little less. A ten fold increase...
It's way past my bed time. The smallest Mo will be turning 2 over the weekend, and as anyone with someone in their home who can count their years of life on one hand's fingers will tell you, if you can be sleeping at night, you should be sleeping at night. Well, I'm up watching what is quickly becoming one of those game. These damnable west coast road trips. 10 PM starts back here on the eastern seaboard. I was in California during the 2003 ALCS - that, I will say, was great. NFL football...
I have only one question: whose idea was it to have the Russians build the onboard computer systems for the Space Station? I mean, what with all of the Russians' recent blockbuster software releases I can't imagine why anyone would have thought someone other than the Russians should build this. I can see the plans now, a centrally controlled operating system determining system resource allocation on the basis of Marx: Well, the thrusters haven't been doing a lot of work lately, so we'll allocate...
The Red Sox/Yankees rivalry always seems to find itself in full form regardless of standings, regardless of time of season. It always seems intense, it only gets more intense. Where many series are business like and the teams go about their business, the Sox/Yankees is always a blood feud with the intensity level ranging from intense to precambian volcanic. If you doubt for a second, check out this scene from the first game this Friday - fans pouncing ugly on A-Rod for the revelations...
The Red Sox became the first 30 game winners in the game after dispatching the Braves today 6-3. A rather remarkable game in a few ways - first after several hours of rain delay, it was likely played given this would be the only trip to Boston for the Braves this year and the Sox hit the road to New York tomorrow. Second, after Saturday's laughers (one for each team), it was a rather restrained offensive output with "only" 9 runs. Kason Gabbard looked very strong in his first major...
Daisuke goes tonight for the Sox against Nate Robertson of the Tigers at Fenway. In developing Mo's tradition, a haiku to denote the start: 6-5 Sox, for Mom Win in improbable way O's blow certain win How amazing was yesterday's conclusion to the Sox/Orioles game? All afternoon checking in on the progress of the game to come to the 9th inning and see everything come unraveled for the Orioles. They couldn't even take advantage of the last play of the game - Julio Lugo swinging weakly...
Today's post deals with baseball’s acceptance of alcohol in the clubhouse. With the passing of Josh Hancock, a movement has begun within baseball to review the policy of allowing alcohol – and particularly providing alcohol to players – in the clubhouse. Some clubs have moved to ban it altogether – as you might expect the Cardinals have, and Baltimore. Some clubs- namely the Pirates and Padres - probably in an effort to wait out the storm, have said they’re reviewing...
Someone in my office told me that “carb diets” affect your brain in ways that alter moods, etc. I just thought my mood swings were the effect of the Roger Clemens announcement over the weekend. Lest anyone be convinced of anything else, it really is about the money. Lest anyone be convinced of anything else, that’s really okay. We as fans have to remember that while we’re fans and we get enjoyment from professional sports, to professional athletes sports are a job and...
Daisuke comes in third Okajima rook of the month Japan taking over Ah yes, Daisuke Matsuzaka starts tonight against the Mariners in the 1-game series; the game scheduled due to a previous rain out. As has become the Mo’s Tavern custom, the obligatory haiku begins the post. Nothing coherent today, just a Sox mash. Josh Beckett became the first Sox pitcher in 16 years to win the first 6 games of the season – last done by…you guessed it, Roger Clemens. Incidentally,...
First the obligatory Matsuzaka haiku: Yankees in last place? Pettite tries to stop the slide Daisuke slams the door I’ve invited Supertramp in to perform tonight’s musical interlude. Hit it boys… “So you think Schilling's phoney I guess Thorne couldn’t see Schill killed the Yankees And brought the Series home to me Sock, it’s a bloody red sock you know you got no right to say Sock, it’s a bloody red sock you know you...
I think I have figured out what the deal is with Alex Rodriguez. He has revealed himself to be Bizarro Superman. I believe this to be true for reasons I will now spell out. According to Yahoo News, scientists have discovered a mineral similar to kryptonite: “A mineral found by geologists in Serbia shares virtually the same chemical composition as the fictional kryptonite from outer space.” Think about it - sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide – is that which cripples Superman,...
The Red Sox ownership have become masters of building a brand. Want proof? How about Red Sox Diapers? Yes, folks, it is true. Beth Israel Deaconess hospital – the official hospital of the Red Sox – is giving newborns the whole deal. I guess this has it all for everyone. New citizens of Red Sox Nation (Oh by the way, I’ve always seen that as a birthright, I’m not going to pay ANYTHING for “membership” – I’ve paid enough over the years in emotional...
The obligatory Red Sox Haiku before any discussion of Daisuke Matsuzaka Thank God for domed parks Daisuke goes even if it rains Sometimes dome sweet dome After a weekend seeing incredibly only one game washed out due to the Nor'Easter blowing through Boston, the 7-4 Sox travel north of the border to Toronto to take on the 7-5 Blue Jays. I never thought I would express an appreciation for a domed stadium - most often baseball played indoors might as well be played in a parking garage for...
Good evening folks. After the opening day loss to Gil Meche and the Kansas City Royals (the Red Sox were the only team against which the Royals had a .500 or better record last year) to put things in perspective, I've climbed back down from The Tobin Bridge only to realize John Henry and Tom Werner had constructed a "Red Sox Jumper" toll booth. Cost me $3 to get up there...But, then again, like the ball park itself, I'm sure I'll be back there again... One only recall Tuffy Rhodes...
We're a little less than a week away from the start of the baseball season. Thank goodness. I decided to take some inventory and compare my two favorite sporting events: football and baseball. Funny how different these two games are, really. One is hyper intense, the other not so much. One has a clock that means everything. One has no clock, time is relative. Football vs. Baseball NFL Best viewed: 60" HDTV, preferably with DVR to granularly breakdown each play. Best in a...
Some time back, I said to Theo Epstein, General Manager of the Red Sox, in a blog entry that I was angry. It’s very simple: I want my Red Sox back. Not in the way Tony Mazzarotti suggests – taking the team back from the “Pink Hats” (you know, those, presumably female, fans who have jumped on the bandwagon), but in a more existential sort of way. One of the things we Boston baseball fans like to do is moan about how the Yankees are buying baseball. Trying to buy...
Before I begin my entry, I would like to send my sincerest condolences to the family of Damien Nash. Damien, who suffered a fatal heart attack while playing basketball to raise money for his brothers’ charity, was 24 years old. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the autopsy has revealed no visible heart problems. His brother Darris had a heart transplant last year, and it was for this cause Damien was involved in raising money. Truly, this is a family that has had a significant amount...
Keith Foulke announced his retirement this week, just before the Cleveland Indians began spring training. According to Gordon Edes in the Boston Globe, it doesn't come as a surprise to Josh Beckett or other teammates. The truly sad thing about this is that this really is a guy who should be remembered as the man who beat the Yankees in 2004 and really could have been ALCS MVP that year. His downfall as far as this Bostonian is concerned was his sense of entitlement. Last season, when the...
Good grief. If I were traveling the universe, I would hope my babelfish would work a little better than Altavista's. I went to the “Babelfish” translator to translate the Japanese site “Go-redsox.com” into English. Outside of the humorous “Terry franc corner” being the “supervision of the lead socks,” I can barely make out anything intelligible. There’s “Communication of Matsuzaka pitcher,” something...
So, you thought the Royals handing out $55MM to Gil Meche over 5 years was a pretty...well, dumb move. How about the Seibu Lions spending some of their $51MM windfall from the Red Sox posting fee for signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka (Newly assigned the #18 on the Sox roster and previous wearer of the Lions #18) to sign the previous wearer of the Red Sox' #18, Jason Johnson to a 1 year, $3MM contract. I can picture the outrage now: You replaced Matsuzaka-son with John-son? ...
For anyone following the tempest around the ball Doug Mientkiewicz fielded for the final out of the 2004 World Series, the issue has apparently been resoloved. According to the Boston Globe, Mientkiewicz (now of the Royals) and the Sox have reached an agreement whereby the ball in question is heading to the hall of fame.
I remember watching the post game interviews and Mientkiewicz said he had the ball and was keeping it. It wasn't until months later when the Sox brass decided they wanted it. In what I would consider a black eye for the organization, they've been pursuing this issue for over a year and a half now. Had Mientkiewicz thrown the ball into the stands, the issue would have been over. The fact is balls are routinely given away - witness the ball attendants - and players routinely keep game balls - witness Derek Lowe who is in possession of the ball that won the 2004 ALCS.
Honestly guys - it's a ball. Mientkiewicz isn't the multi million dollar player who could sweat out the horde of angry lawyers sicked on him by Lucchino et al. The Sox just made it not worthwhile for him to hang on to the ball in a rather specious pursuit of it themselves.
Honestly...it's a baseball. Give the guy a break.
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