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Where was Foulke, Terry?
Published on 2006-05-30 02:12:00
David Riske in the 8th inning of a tie ballgame! Are you serious, Terry? The guy has thrown 2 innings all season and hasn't pitched in a pressure situation since about 2004. You barely trust Manny Delcarmen with a 3-run lead, but you're going to let this clown pitch in a tie ballgame? He was literally throwing batting practice fastballs. Even Bengie Molina hit two doubles off of him in a single at-bat!Shea Hillenbrand (5-8, HR, 3 RBI career vs Foulke) was probably the reason for the manager
This blogger returns; Coco soon to follow
Published on 2006-05-25 01:22:00
Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Finals have been very hectic, but I'm finally free, so this blog will see daily updates.Rather than rehash the past couple weeks, I'll just start with a clean slate.The latest, and probably most predictable, news comes courtesy of Ian Browne's blog on MLB.com. Browne reports:"For those of you who might be wondering if there is a leadoff controversy in store, considering how great Youkilis has done since Coco has been out, consider the issue to be over.
Musings after two in the Bronx
Published on 2006-05-10 21:52:00
Obviously, Tuesday night's game was very enjoyable. The Yankees made mistakes and the Sox capitalized on them all. That's what good teams do. The bottom of the order, Dustan Mohr and Alex Gonzalez, had me throwing a fit prior to the game. Sure enough, they went a combined 3-for-5, with 3 RBI and 5 runs scored. Hey, I can't be perfect.Loretta's bat really seems to be coming around, with 3 hits on Tuesday and 2 more on Wednesday. So much for Ortiz' slump, too, as he's gone 5-8 so far in the
A couple first month thoughts
Published on 2006-05-06 15:55:00
What to make of Mike Lowell?After 27 games, I can't help but be incredibly impressed with what Mike Lowell has been able to accomplish this year. His defense has come as advertised, but his bat has been sooo much more productive than expected. When Theo made the trade for Josh Beckett, the Sox were required to take Mike Lowell, the $9 Million alabtross, for the trade to go through.One month into the season, Mike Lowell is leading the league with 16 doubles. Will he keep up the .350 batting a
Sox reacquire Mirabelli
Published on 2006-05-01 10:56:00
Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine is reporting that the Boston Red Sox have finalized a trade to obtain catcher Doug Mirabelli from the San Diego Padres in exchange for catcher Josh Bard, minor-league pitcher Cla Meredith and cash.He also adds that the Yankees tried to obtain Mirabelli to block him from returning to Boston, but the Red Sox won out.Personally, I love the deal. Many are clamoring over the loss of Cla Meredith, but I just don't see him ever being a quality major league relieve
Sox fail with runners in scoring position
Published on 2006-05-01 00:36:00
The 9th inning on Sunday was a microcosm of the Sox' main struggle thus far: hitting with runners in scoring position. Sure, the Sox have been able to bop a solo homerun here and there, but from just watching the games, it seems as if they've been positively anemic at hitting with runners in scoring position.On Sunday, trailing by 3 in the 9th inning, Mike Lowell and Wily Mo go back-to-back and bring the Sox within a run, then Trot Nixon worked a walk. Willie Harris ran for Nixon (which is the
Sox hope to turn it around vs Pinstripes
Published on 2006-04-30 23:05:00
A 3-6 roadtrip? Color me displeased. The comeback win on Saturday was nice, but you just can't lose 2-of-3 to Tampa. The offense really needs to pick up the slack, and hopefully Fenway will be just the cure for their hitting woes.It was a nice attempt at a comeback earlier tonight, but really, the Sox were lucky to get as close as they did at the end. Rudy Seanez? Can you feel that breathing on your neck? It's Craig Hansen. We'll see if you're still on the club come mid-June.So what will
Are the Sox making enough contact?
Published on 2006-04-27 22:38:00
After watching about a month of Red Sox baseball, I've become curious as to whether the lineup, as a whole, was putting the ball in play enough. I've decided to take a look at the Contact Rates for the Sox lineup. Contact Rate measures a batter's ability to get wood on the ball and hit it into the field of play. Those batters with the best contact skill will have levels of 90% or better, while the hackers will have levels of 75% or less.Below are the Contact Rates for the 2006 Red Sox:I figur
Catching up on the Cleveland series
Published on 2006-04-27 17:05:00
On Wednesday night, the Sox, aided by a Manny Ramirez tie-breaking home run in the 8th inning, toppled the Cleveland Indians by a score of 8-6. Curt Schilling, pitched 6.2 innings, allowing 5 runs, but pitched better than his statline would indicate.What was most surprising was that he came out to pitch the 7th inning, after it appeared that he was most definitely tiring. Schilling finished with 133 pitches thrown, 89 for strikes. Schilling passed Hall of Famer Jim Bunning for 15th on the str
Red Sox @ Indians Series Preview
Published on 2006-04-23 17:42:00
Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians - April 24-April 27 - Jacobs FieldLast season vs Cleveland:Mon. June 20 @ Cleve W 10-9Tue. June 21 @ Cleve W 9-2Wed. June 22 @ Cleve W 5-4Mon. June 27 Boston L 7-0Tue. June 28 Boston L 12-8Wed. June 29 Boston W 5-2Cleveland Indians' Major League Rank:Runs Scored: 113 (1st)Batting AVG: .310 (2nd)On-Base %: .371 (2nd)Total Hits: 203 (1st)Doubles: 43 (2nd)So, yeah, it's quite obvious the Cleveland Indians can hit. Currently, their three hottest hitt
Sabermetric Stats Update: 4/22/06
Published on 2006-04-22 19:41:00
Since the stats of many of the Sox players are beginning to become relevant, I've started an Excel file with their traditional stats, coupled with several sabermetric stats.I've started a separate webpage with the sabermetric stats, and I will update it 2-3 times per week.The first installment can be found below:2006 Boston Red Sox Sabermetric StatsI will also post a permanent link to this page on the righthand side of the site.I will post a preview for the Cleveland series tonight.
Loretta walk-off caps 7-6 Sox win
Published on 2006-04-18 00:16:00
It figures that the one afternoon I get stuck working, the offense finally busts out, led by Big Papi's two homers (and almost a third). All was not lost, though. I was fortunate enough to catch the entire bottom of the 9th on the radio as I rushed home, hoping to catch it on television.Castiglione's call of Loretta's walk-off blast was phenomenal. While he and Trupiano are notorious for "trouping" me on many a false homerun call, Castiglione remained poised until the ball crashed into the se
Beckett mauls Mariners; Sox win 3-2
Published on 2006-04-16 21:36:00
On Sunday afternoon, Josh Beckett got over his first-inning excitedness and led the Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. In all of Beckett's starts as a member of the Boston Red Sox, he has pitched to the tune of 7 innings and 1 earned run, leading the Sox to a victory in each contest.One thing I've come to appreciate about Josh Beckett is that he can turn it on when he's in a tough situation. He can get in predicaments and gut his way through them. On Sunday, with the Sox leading
Boomer expected to miss next start
Published on 2006-04-15 02:22:00
Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald is reporting that David Wells is expected to miss his next start on Monday and could be headed back to the 15-day disabled list.Boomer is still experiencing problems with his right knee and met with the Red Sox’ medical staff following last night’s win over the Seattle Mariners. No final determination was made, but according to the report, indications point to Wells returning to the DL to undergo further treatment on the knee, which required arthroscopic s
Schilling burns M's; Sox win 2-1
Published on 2006-04-15 01:56:00
Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a trend. And so it goes without saying that Curt Schilling nailed down his third win in as many starts on Friday night.It poured practically the entire evening, but it sure didn't faze Curt Schilling, who allowed three hits in eight innings, leading Boston to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Schilling struck out seven and walked none.Alex Gonzalez, of all people, provided all the necessary offense by driving in both runs with a
Crisp signed; Riske DL'd
Published on 2006-04-12 16:57:00
A few things to get to here.Rather than recapping the home opener, which I'm sure most of you saw, I'll just say this: Josh Beckett is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season. He's a warrior on the mound and can scratch and claw his way through a game. He didn't have his best stuff yesterday, but as you saw, he was able to chew up the Blue Jays. Stud.Next, Coco Crisp agreed with the Red Sox on a three-year extension that includes a club option for the 2010 season. Crisp already was si
Dustan Mohr to be called up
Published on 2006-04-10 22:44:00
Gary Jacobs of Sox On Deck is reporting that Dustan Mohr will be recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket as Coco Crisp's replacement.From said report:“I’m excited to have the opportunity,” said the newest member of the Boston Red Sox. “Kind of a bittersweet thing, because you hate to get called up because of an injury on one hand, but on the other hand, this is the reason I signed with the Red Sox, is to be a [Boston] Red Sox. I’m very excited about it. I can’t wait to go up there and do wh
Sources: Ortiz contract extension imminent
Published on 2006-04-09 23:30:00
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald is reporting that the chances are good that the Red Sox and designated hitter David Ortiz will announce a contract extension as soon as today.Both sides are keeping extremely quiet, but indications from multiple baseball sources last night indicated that both sides were close to completing a deal. It is believed to be a 4-year-deal, through the 2010 season, worth in excess of $12 million a season.Last-minute hangups could postpone an announcement of a deal
Steve Burton: Coco could miss 6-8 weeks
Published on 2006-04-09 23:09:00
On CBS4's Sports Final tonight, Bob Lobel reported that Steve Burton has learned that Coco Crisp could miss 6-8 weeks with a fractured left index finger.Later on the show, Coco, himself, was shown standing in the stands in Fenway Park, just looking at everything, taking it all in, but then Steve Burton walked up and asked if he was pumped for Opening Day, to which Coco responded that it's going to be awesome, but that he pretty much wouldn't be playing.When asked how the finger was, Coco said, "
Sox top O's, 4-1
Published on 2006-04-09 20:31:00
First off, let's give a nice round of applause for one Josh Bard. Way to silence your critics, man. He caught the knuckler as well as anyone has and one could argue that he's the reason Wakefield was able to focus and set the O's down for 6 solid innings. The only run of the afternoon came in the first inning, as Miguel Tejada singled home David Newhan.The highlight of Wakefield's afternoon came just after he yielded a double to a sizzling Ramon Hernandez, who then reached third base on Chris
Report: Coco to miss a month due to broken hand
Published on 2006-04-09 18:08:00
Joe Amorosino of WHDH-Boston is reporting that Coco Crisp will miss about a month with a broken hand, suffered when he awkwardly slid into third base during Saturday night's game.More on this as it develops..UPDATE: Ian Browne and Mike Petraglia of redsox.com cite the report from WHDH that Coco Crisp could miss up to one month as the result of a broken knuckle in his left index finger.The report also states, "Reached by phone on Sunday night, team spokesman John Blake told MLB.com that the club
Sox @ O's - Wakefield vs Lopez
Published on 2006-04-09 02:02:00
Will the Sox make Rodrigo Lopez look like the reincarnation of Cy Young or will they bust out and put some big runs up on the board? This is no doubt the most difficult game of the young season to project.Overall, Lopez isn't that great of a pitcher, but he has always given the Red Sox a headache. Over the past two seasons, Lopez is 5-3 vs Boston with a 2.87 ERA. Versus the rest of the league over that same time period, Lopez has posted a 4.50 ERA.In Lopez' first start of the season (vs Tampa
Sox squeak past O's, 2-1
Published on 2006-04-08 22:01:00
After a 90-minute rain delay, Curt Schilling took the mound and pitched seven innings of three-hit ball as the Red Sox nipped Baltimore by a score of 2-to-1. The only run Schilling surrendered was on a solo homerun by Luis Matos in the 6th. Schilling struck out four, while walking two.As expected, Bruce Chen pitched a solid game, allowing 2 runs over 5 innings of work, but it was not enough. Baltimore's bullpen pitched 4 innings of 1-hit ball, but the Boston bullpen proved just as solid. Mik
Sox @ O's - Schilling vs Chen
Published on 2006-04-08 14:12:00
Hopefully the rain rolls through before the 4:35 start and we can get this one in. As we all know, Schilling looked terrific in his first start in Texas, and hopefully that continues today. According to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald, Schilling started his first game with his fastball clocked at 90-92 mph, and finished the game with a sequence that went 92, 95, 93, 96. On SoSH, Schilling explained that this is the first time in his career that he has actually seen the velocity on his
Sox rout O's, 14-8
Published on 2006-04-07 23:34:00
Quite the game last night. The Sox took my patience advice to the next level. Daniel Cabrera was a trainwreck, lasting only an inning and a third, issuing 7 walks. All told, he surrendered 7 runs and the was out of hand before it even really started.Matt Clement cruised through the first 6 innings, before getting into trouble in the 7th. His statline doesn't do his performance any justice. Matt seemed upbeat in his postgame interviews and understands that despite a rocky 7th, he pitched an