Pedro (17-6, 1.78) has given up 3 or fewer runs in 26 of 28 starts this year, good enough for Cy Young #3, and Nomar Garciaparra (.367) has a shot at his 2nd straight batting title. But no beans for the team - amazing they lead the league in ERA and really have but one good starter. And a 2-man offense, wallowing near the bottom in runs. In Fenway Park. These components do not a pennant make, and you can quote me on that!
Not much of a crowd for the Dunedin games, but the finale at Jackie Robinson Field in Daytona Beach drew a big and lively crowd. This is the ballpark where J-Rob played his first big-league game. Kind of low-budget compared to the Yankees Legend Field, but a nice park with a lot of spirit. A stone's throw from Daytona Beach, WHERE YOU CAN DRIVE ON THE BEACH! Sorry, it's been a while since I did that and it's still really cool... Ringers for Homer Simpson and Dr. Jacobson were in attendance for game #3.
Red Sox Report/Obituary: Wait 'Til Whenever
The Yankees took 3 at Fenway, ending the Sox real hopes, and they now pray for the Wild Card... But reality has sunk in - they ain't goin' nowhere this year. Perhaps the preseason expectations were, well, premature. They never seem to excell when there are expectations. The Sports Illustrated jinx? If they had another Pedro and another hitter (Mo Vaughn?) that would not be an issue. Once in a while a team that doesn't have the horses takes the trophy, but this has not been the case for the Sox. Least not fer about 80 years...
In other depressing news, the Rocket has burned the Sox tonight at Fenway Park. To the disappointment of the Fenway Faithful (and Yankee fans as well), Clemens (12-6, 3.38) has truly become the Yankee ace. F*ck 'em if they can't take a joke... It's Pettitte-Pedro tomorrow, but, truth be told, things look bleak for the Townies. Their attack is anemic, their starting pitching pedestrian. It's pretty much a 2-man offense, Pedro, and the pen. Ten years back this team would be an embarrassment, but in the year 2000, the Sox are a playoff contender. Go figure...
Had the pleasure of seeing the Pedro Martinez 1-hitter at the Trop last week. As you may have heard, 8 Devil Rays were ejected in the madness that ensued after Pedro hit the games' first batter, Gerald Williams. Question is, would Martinez intentionally hit the the games' first batter? Perhaps Gerald Williams decided to stir things up. Or maybe not: the D-Rays have been very successful against Pedro this year. Pedro has somewhat of a reputation as a headhunter, and by any measure he stakes his claim to the inside of the plate. But it ultimately took 4 D-Ray pitchers to effectively nail Brian Daubach. They got Nomar as well, who, in a blatent show of retaliation trotted down to first. Maybe this whole thing escalated on the Ray's side because Gerald Williams is a classy player (and an excellent one, I must say after watching him up close this year). But, as entertaining as it was at the ballpark, it should never have happened. Perhaps another lesson around baseball was learned, the old Reggie Jackson lesson: don't piss off Pedro!
First order of business: the Sox. I must say I've been observing them from afar for the most part, box scores and such, and I have several observations. The lineups Jimy Williams trots out (on too many occasions) are really pretty poor. The American League demands a lineup that can score 5-6-7 runs a game. Considering the Sox have 1 starter that can hold the opposition to less than that, they should play offense. They are, at this writing, 3 games back, Nomar's hitting about .375 and everyone's wondering if Pedro's hurt. After all, he gave up 3 earned runs to the D-Rays. Well, this is the scoop: they need another good starter and another impact hitter. And you respond: "Doesn't everyone?" This is the plight of the Wild Card Team. (The Braves or Yanks need not apply...
Another development in the AL: the Yankees haved upped the ante. No one else in this this league can afford a $3 million pinch-hitter. So, accordingly, the Yanks have the best depth. Someone will eventually beat them, but it probably won't be a 'better team'. $130 mil in payroll... And they just threw the checkbook at Clemens. I got news fer ya, $30+ for the cheap seats, I ain't goin'... And put me out of my misery before I see the next Yankee-Braves World Series.
The Men Who Would Hit .400
ESPN had Garciaparra, (now 'slumping' at .375), but now it's the Rockies' Todd Helton. Question is, does it count? Of course it counts, but like all baseball's statistics it must be brought into perspective. If Helton ultimately becomes a Brett - Carew type hitter, it will become more apparent when he plays outside of Coors Light. His splits (at this point in time) are .439 home and .360 away. Nomar's splits are .450 at home (Fenway Park, a hitter's mecca for sure, but no longer a power hitter's) and .350 on the road. I suppose we should welcome the new era, since amongst other factors, many of the new ballparks are hitter-friendly, to put it mildly. Teammate Larry Walker, one of baseball's best players, has batted .366 , .363 , and .379 in Denver. This park is NOT a pitcher's ballpark. That being said, THIS DUDE CAN HIT!
(St. Pete, July 14, 2000) Two on and two down in the 9th, Mets ahead 3-2. Brian Daubach smashes a double off the rightfield wall and the Sox win. Doesn't get much better than that. Pedro's long-awaited return was solid, 5 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings, with 10 k's. His ERA balooned to 1.51. The New York teams can continue buying high-priced players, long as they keep letting farmhands like Daubach slip through... -- JB
(St. Petersburg, June 28, 2000) After some sun and several domestic brewskies at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill on the Beach, a time of reflection has come to pass. Today's Gold Medal Thong goes to the brunette on Clearwater Beach parading about with her less adventurous (and somewhat heftier) friend. Though it was too small to tell for sure, I think it was aqua in color. Something smelled of aqua, anyway. Later in the afternoon I had the opportunity to hear her speak (reeling numerous obscenities to her cell phone) and almost rescinded her award, but on further reflection, decided her body was so spectacular that her lack of class meant nothing...
The aqua bikini, (circumstantial evidence), was her tribute to the up-and-coming AL Beasts of the East, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are playing some fine baseball these days. The D-Rays having been getting some good pitching and defense, and are poised for the return of several of their expensive sluggers (Jose Canseco, Greg Vaughn, and Vinny Castilla) from injury. The other big money off-season signing, projected ace Juan Guzman is apparently out for the year. Despite this, they've tied the Orioles for 4th in the East.
As far as the Orioles are concerned, the lack of a closer (the trade of Benitez looms large) and the lack of pitching depth seems to be sinking their ship. And if Mussina, one of the top 5 pitchers in the game today, moves on, this franchise is really in a pickle. I pray the New York teams don't get him. For a couple of teams to have the means to field All-Star lineups would not be (to quote old Bowie) 'in the best interest of the game'. Maybe it's already too late for this... Anyhoo, with the way the leaders are playing, everyone is in this race.
The Yanks, as we know, have hit a bump in the road. The pitchers seem a bit older, the offense a bit, well, older. Jeter was out for a bit... And the buttkicking at Kramerica Park (a.k.a Comerica, and and a cool-looking field with an old-time pitching path) hasn't helped the morale of their entitled patronage. Juan Gonzalez and the Tigers are beginning to assert thenselves. Not to fear Yankee fans - Sammy Sosa (or maybe Juan Gonzalez) is on the way. Few teams can address shortcomings in this fashion. And the Yanks have an additional advantage: Big Stein's New York is the place to be. Where else would Clemens or Boggs get a ring? At any rate, the sad plight of the Bronx Bombers is almost a separate entity to the rest of the league.
And the Townies have been stumbling, almost step-by-step, alingside the Bombers. Pedro has returned to earth, the whole staff has for that matter. Nomar's hitting .390 and Everett's kicking ass, but they sure could use another bat - in this age of 50-tater folks, how 'bout one in Fenway Park? And another starter - but that's the case throughout baseball.
Like Carlos Delgado (or Mo Vaughn)? The Blue Jays have taken first, and they're looking pretty strong. Boomer Wells has really established himself as one of the great control pitchers... and beer drinkers! Had the pleasure of seeing them thumped by the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field last night, but they are a team to be reckoned with. I've been saying this for 3 years though, so pay no mind.
Ultimately, the Yankees will get a superstar #4 hitter and win the division. And perhaps the Series. But there is some suspense to be had in the meantime. And some questions. Like who's NOT gonna hit 40+ homers this year. Let us reflect...
STATE OF THE EAST
(St. Petersburg, June 22, 2000) Breathin' deep... After the 22-1 shellacking on Monday and a 3-0 defeat of nemesis Pedro Martinez on Tuesday, the Yankees were in the enviable position of sending the stumbling Sox south in the standings, cementing their own status once again as Kings of the Pond. Well, the resiliant Red Sox didn't let that happen. A seesaw battle last night saw the Sox take advantage of an erratic Yankee pen, plating 5 in the 7th for a 9-7 win. Tonight's contest ended 4-2 Boston, back in first in an ever tightening AL East race.
(Boston, June 23, 2000) i happened to in attendance on the night of the historic drubbing of the hometown team. 22-1. ugh. but like a true fan i left the park before the full scope of the loss had unfolded. i think after the yanks had scored 9 runs in the top of the eighth we got up & started to walk out. i think we heard the name wakefield over the p.a. so we knew it was only going to get worse. there were tons of yankees fans in the stands, so after the real disaster started, & lots of sox fans were fleeing, it was like the yankees had home field advantage. boooooo... but fenway still looks great & it was the nicest night for a game. we had great seats out along the third base line...it's been a while since i've sat on that side. it's all about perspective, eh?
do you think that the yankees fans might be regretting the clemens for wells trade? ha-ha on them & yeah for us.
(Boston, May 29, 2000) No doubt about it, this is as
good as it gets in the early season. And it lived up to all the
hype. Last night Pedro bested the Rocket by
a tally of 2-0 at the Stadium in a battle for first. Both
hurlers were at their best, each made one mistake in the 9th.
Trot Nixon made Clemens a loser with
a 2-out, 2-run blast to right in the top of the inning. Bernie
Williams came within a few feet from making him a winner with
a 1-out, 2-on blast to right in the bottom of the inning.
In the first battle of 2000, the Red Sox take two of three in the Bronx, and this one sure smelled like playoff cooking. The Townies leave NY in first place, a game up on the ever-present Bombers.
Pedro Martinez (8-2, 1.05) shut out the Yanks on 4 hits (3 by Derek Jeter) and fanned 9. Roger Clemens (4-5, 3.97) surrendered 2 runs on 5 hits, and struck out 13 for a season high. The respect is mutual. "The Yankees are a great team," said Pedro. "I’ve only been here three years. I wasn’t here when the rivalry started. My rivalry is against everybody. But I love watching these guys." New York manager Joe Torre agreed. "It was awesome. The players felt it and everyone was pumped up. We took our best shot at Pedro and they did the same with Roger. We come away from this series knowing that these are two teams that will probably meet in the playoffs. It was like a heavyweight fight. Roger came out knowing the challenge and knowing what happened the last time they met. Today he was equal to the task."
