Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home: 10/5/08 - 10/12/08

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Francona Tries To Explain What Happened - Video

Tito Has Sum Splanin' to Do

This game could have put the Rays away but now many in the Nation are going to question Tito's moves. Beckett had nothing tonight but Francona kept him in well past the point where Grady Little would have gone to the pen. Then there was the AB in the 7th for Tek where Tito stuck with the struggling captain. Finally there was the 11th inning where Papelbon could have come back out but Francona chose to go with Timlin. The leadoff walk came in to score the winning run as it usally does. A tough long night for the Red Sox that overshadows Pedroia's 2 homer night. The game leaves us with some big question marks; will Beckett be able to pitch again this season? What did Casey and Byrd do to not get the call from Tito? When will Jacoby get a hit in the ALCS? He is now 0-11. Should make for an interesting press conference, I'll post the video when it becomes available.

Red Sox Lose 9-8 BOX SCORE

A Buck Martinez Nugget If Ever I Heard One

Beckett's on the mound when the camera shows Delcarmen and Lopez in the bullpen warming up. Manny's got his hand down his pants fixing his cup.

Caray~ "They're loose down in the Red Sox bullpen."

Martinez~ "He's not."

I KNOW YOU LOVE HIM......BUT......

Tito couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag.
HOW is the world do you bring Beckett out for the 5th after the hitters get the lead back?
This IS NOT THE REGULAR SEASON!
THEN you leave him in after he gives the lead up for face Longoria?

JOSH WHO?

Why is it not PAINFULLY OBVIOUS that Beckett is still NOT RIGHT!

He hasn’t hit more than 93mph on the gun yet. He is normally in the 95-98 range.You can’t tell me something isn’t right, why can’t Tito and Farrell see that?

Will someone please stuff Shilling's sock in Caray's mouth already?!

I've never heard such biased coverage! And a national broadcast, taboot! Sheesh!

Make it Stop

I for one am really hope tonight's game will be the last one at the Trop this season. First it was the cowbells, then it was the feeding of Red Sox snacks to rays, and now we have lobsters in Tampa Bay gear:

Allen Berube, the owner of seafood restaurant Monstah Lobstah in Tampa, dressed up his two live lobsters with Tampa Bay Rays top hats on Friday and Saturday.

"This is the Rays' new pinch hittah," joked Berube, the man behind the four lobster rolls stands in Tropicana Field this season.

The Rays' management came up with the idea to dress the lobsters up and Berube didn't hesitate. He attached the black top hats with "TB" on the front with rubber bands.

What will "Rays management " think of next? If the Sox win 3 out of the next 4 we will not have to find out.

Papelbon Breaks Record, Throws Ball in Trash

In case you missed it during your late night celebrations of last night's victory or you are just recovering from temporary blindness due to Craig Sager's suit, Jonathan Papelbon set a record last night. He has 20 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason, breaking the previous record of 20 by Joe Niekro. Paps didn't realize the significance of the game ball so he put it in the trash.

"I accidentally threw the ball away, I'm getting good at that," said Papelbon, whose dog chewed up the game ball from the final out of last year's World Series win over Colorado. "I usually throw the ball away or in a corner after games, but I wasn't thinking about this being a major-league record ball. I had to scurry back in and grab it out of the trashcan."

Red Sox Lineup for Game 2 ALCS

Coco is in for J.D. Drew.

Jacoby Ellsbury RF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Jason Bay LF
Jed Lowrie SS
Jason Varitek C
Mark Kotsay 1B
Coco Crisp CF

Josh Beckett SP

Rays Lineup for Game 2 of ALCS

Akinori Iwamura 2B
B.J. Upton CF
Carlos Pena 1B
Evan Longoria 3B
Carl Crawford LF
Cliff Floyd DH
Dioner Navarro C
Gabe Gross RF
Jason Bartlett SS

Scott Kazmir SP

Don't Worry Dickie V

Dick Vitale is going to throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the ALCS tonight. Rays Insider shows why he does not have to be scared:

"No matter how poorly he throws the ball, Vitale can rest assured there have been a lot worse pitches thrown by people wearing Rays jerseys. Some of them were Rays pitchers."

Ellsbury Forgets to Mention His O-fer on His Blog

Jacoby Ellsbury wrote about what it is like to watch Dice-K pitch in a big game on his blog last night.

Standing out there in center field and watching those rallies unfold -- especially in games like these -- it's huge when they get a leadoff runner on, or two runners on, with no outs and he comes away with a zero on the board. It gives us a lot of confidence in him knowing that if we can put some runs across, we have a very good shot of winning.

For some reason he did not mention anything about going 0-5 in the game but you would not know it from this picture he added to the post.

Pedroia Talks About Game 1 - Video

Dustin Pedroia talks about his stolen base and playing in the postseason.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Rays Fan Gets Ejected For Too Much Cowbell

Even security at the Trop gets annoyed at the cowbell.

From the Heater:

Andy Munkittrick, 27, came out of the holding room. He was banned from Tropicana Field today and tomorrow, which upset the two-year season ticket holder. He said he was ringing his cowbell according to etiquette after the second strike when a Red Sox fan behind him grabbed it and threatened to kick his a-- if he rang it again Munkittrick rang it again. Police took him to the holding area, saying it was an "aggressive move," according to Munkittrick.

My question: What exactly is cowbell etiquette?

Houdini Does It Again

Dice-K looked like he was going to have another short outing after getting a little wild and loading the bases in the first, but he once again found a way to get out of the jam. Even though he walked 4 he was in control for 7 innings (6 of them without giving up a hit) getting 7 K's. Shields looked good for the Rays going 7 1/3 and giving up 2 earned runs while striking out 6. The Red Sox offense missed some opportunities but Youk went 3-4 with a RBI. Ellsbury was 0-5 at the top of the order. Okajima and Masterson pitched a perfect 8th and Papelbon had a perfect 9th to close out the game.

Red Sox Win 2-0 BOX SCORE

7th Inning Stretch

I prefer NY's Irish Tenor doing God Bless America over David Archuleta (who?), but in the land of retirees, I was half expecting to hear the Viagara theme song.

The Ray's only have 2 hits through 7? Lumber problems? Maybe that theme song would be appropriate for more than one reason.

Narragansett Beer

My Uncle Mickey used to own a 'packy' in RI. That's a package store, or a liquor store, for those of you not from the Red Sox country. Since I've been in CA for twenty + years, I haven't had opportunities to drink it. I'm under the impression that they went out of business, too. Just as there are no two beers alike, so are there no two beer drinkers alike. I am happy to report that I've never suffered any gastrointestinal difficulties after imbibing the RI brew. After reading the preceding post about Narry', I found this gem of a poster from 1967, and a couple of TV ads, as well. I also happen to have this 100 + yo Narragansett Brewery bottle opener for sale.

Serious inquiries only.

Narragansett Ad

Vintage narragansett beer ad

The TBS Slant

It's been noted in various posts and subsequent comments that the TBS game analysis is biased against the Sox. Buck Martinez, while announcing the defensive alignment of the Sox tonight, just said that the Sox are noticeably weaker with Lowell out, Youkilis at 3rd, and Kotsay in at 1st. While it may be true that Gold Glover Mike Lowell is out of the line-up, Youkilis is just as capable at that position. Martinez should know that 3rd base is the original position of Youk. As for Kotsay, Martinez must have been off to the pissoir while he was making those fantastic plays at 1st the other night.

Frank and the Bloggers

I think Frank is on to the scribes. There's been no shortage of posts on various blogs, no shortage of comments by readers of the scribes. Yet we are still inundated by the barrage of Frank TV ads. Frank just promised that we will get even more Frank TV ads, 'til we puke. Great.

Enjoy The Game

I'll be back with an update after the game, for live updates during the game check out Eric Ortiz's blog at NESN.com or Rob Bradford's on WEEI.com

Go Sox!

Rays Bar Stocks Narragansett Beer For Sox Fans

I hope security at the Trop has the safety off their tasers tonight because the fans representing Red Sox may not be the best of Red Sox Nation. The local Rays watering hole, Ferg’s Bar and Grill, has stocked Narragansett beer for Sox fans:

“We even stock a beer for them from up there. Narragansett,” she said. “They all say it’s awful. “Gimme one!”

I know economic times are tough, but come on Sox fans, pony up for a decent beer. I am happy to say that you can't get Narragansett out here in California. I can remember a few not so pleasant experiences in the mid 90's after a night of drinking Rhode Island's $2 a 6 pack beer.

Rays Lineup For Game 1 of ALCS

Akinori Iwamura 2B
B J Upton CF
Carlos Pena 1B
Evan Longoria 3B
Carl Crawford LF
Cliff Floyd DH
Dioner Navarro C
Gabe Gross RF
Jason Bartlett SS

James Shields SP

Red Sox Lineup for Game 1 of ALCS

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Bay, LF
Mark Kotsay, 1B
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C Dice-K, SP

The Trop in the Post-Season: Everyone's Nightmare

The bad lighting, the awful acoustics, fans with cowbells; what's not to like about the Trop? When game one gets underway this evening baseball fans will be deprived of a rite of autumn. There will be no cool October breezes and pitchers trying to warm up their hands. Instead we will have indoor humidity and a catwalk that could determine the outcome of a game. There will be some kid in Tampa Bay who is caught up in the emotion of the Rays playoff run, his dad will spend big bucks to take him to his first baseball game, and he will come through the tunnel into the stands and see....crappy AstroTurf. Back in March they were trying to figure out how to demolish the stadium but now all we hear is the Rays have a home field advantage because they are used to the lighting. That is fine, the Sox have their own advantages at Fenway. But for the fan Tropicana Field takes away the feel of October baseball. Let's just hope they don't pass out silly white towels to further ruin our viewing experience.

Red Sox Nation Invades Tampa Bay

Rays fans are not even safe in their own local watering hole. Will it be the same story at the Trop tonight? It won't be like the old days where there were more Sox fans than Rays fans in the stands but the Nation will be represented.

Rays Should Take Advice From Jim Brown

Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown once said, "when you get to the end-zone act like you have been there before." The Rays should take that advice. Before the first pitch of the ALCS the Rays have already printed shirts saying they have "conquered a dynasty" and taken down Red Sox Nation. Hat tip to Center Field for finding this.

Then there was the wager proposal for the ALCS that was shot down by Boston mayor Thomas Menino because he only bets on championship games.

The Rays don't have a high payroll but they did overpay for champagne.

UPDATE: It gets worse, now their fans are truly delusional.

Red Sox ALCS Roster

Pitchers

19 Josh Beckett
36 Paul Byrd
17 Manny Delcarmen
31 Jon Lester
48 Javier Lopez
63 Justin Masterson
18 Daisuke Matsuzaka
37 Hideki Okajima
58 Jonathan Papelbon
50 Mike Timlin
49 Tim Wakefield

Catchers

30 Kevin Cash
28 David Ross
33 Jason Varitek

Infielders

22 Sean Casey 4
13 Alex Cora
12 Jed Lowrie
15 Dustin Pedroia
20 Kevin Youkilis
Outfielders
44 Jason Bay
10 Coco Crisp
7 J.D. Drew
46 Jacoby Ellsbury
11 Mark Kotsay

Designated Hitters

34 David Ortiz

Dice-K Talks About Game 1 - Video

Thursday, October 9, 2008

I'M HERE TO HELP, DON'T FEAR THE RAYS

So lets examine this ALCS against the Rays. Sure they had won the season series 10-8 but is that really cause for concern?

Sure we lost eight of nine at the Trop this season, but didn’t we lose eight of nine to the Rally Monkey Clowns too? Does it make you feel better that five of the eight games that we lost at the Trop were one run games? I’m not saying that the pressure will get to the Rays in the playoffs, because it hasn’t seemed to yet. What I am saying is that one run games in the ALCS are much different than one run games in April. I like the experience of the SOX in this case, especially when we have the best closer in Papelbon.

Of the two games we lost at home to the Rays, we lost yet another one run game (that makes six one run loses) and one was an extra inning two run loss.

OK, so what else matters? Does it matter that we outscored the Rays in the season series by twenty runs? I have a hard thinking that it doesn’t matter. 20 runs in eighteen games, well, that’s 1.1 run more per game. Well, if the one run game trend continues, then maybe that 1.1 run per game will help in a seven game series. Who knows, but I feel better already.

A History of Violence

The San Francisco Chronicle has the moments in Red Sox/ Rays history where the teams were less than friendly with each other. Take a look:

Aug. 29, 2000, at Tampa Bay: Pedro Martinez hit Tampa Bay's Gerald Williams with the fourth pitch of the game, leading to two bench-clearing brawls and shouting matches in the hallway after the game. Game note: Martinez carried a no-hitter into the ninth until John Flaherty broke it up with a single.

Ejections: 8 Suspensions: 8 Hospitalizations: 2

Sept. 29, 2000, at Tampa Bay: Rays right-hander Roberto Hernandez struck out Nixon to eliminate Boston from playoff contention, and Hernandez waved goodbye from the mound.

Ejections: 0

May 5, 2002, at Tampa Bay: After Rays starter Ryan Rupe hit Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand in the first, Trot Nixon's bat came out of his hand and flew toward Rupe (Nixon said it slipped). Boston's Frank Castillo later hit Randy Winn.

Suspensions: 2

July 18, 2002, at Tampa Bay: Rays second baseman Brent Abernathy and Boston DH Manny Ramirez each get hit twice.

Ejections: 2

Sept. 9-10, 2002, at Tampa Bay: Playing under a warning, five batters were hit in two games.

Ejections: 4

Sept. 27, 2004, at Tampa Bay: After Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo hit Aubrey Huff and Tino Martinez, Rays lefty Scott Kazmir hit Ramirez and Kevin Millar in consecutive at-bats, clearing both benches.

Ejections: 2

April 24, 2005, at Tampa Bay: Six batters were hit earlier in the series, and when Rays right-hander Lance Carter threw behind Ramirez and then threw a pitch at David Ortiz's head, a brawl ensued.

Ejections: 6 Suspensions: 8

March 27, 2006, at Fort Myers: During a spring game, Boston reliever Julian Tavarez punched Joey Gathright in the face after a close play at the plate, and the Rays charged onto the field.

Ejections: 2 Suspensions: 1

June 5, 2008, at Boston: A day after Coco Crisp's hard slide into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay starter James Shields hit Crisp, who charged the mound. Punches were thrown, and the benches emptied.

Ejections: 3 Suspensions: 8

Wow, Rays Fans Really Are Losers

This might be the single best reason why MLB needs to move the Rays out of Tampa Bay.

Red Sox Blogger Roundtable

This Week's Topic: Which alignment gives the Sox the best chance to beat the Rays, and why? Lowrie 3B, Cora SS, Youkilis 1B / Youkilis 3B, Lowrie SS, Kotsay 1B / Youkilis 3B, Lowrie SS, Casey 1B

Check out my response along with the others over at Fire Brand of the American League.

Ken Rosenthal Once Again Proves He is Useless

Fox's "inside guy" Ken Ronsenthal has been wrong on just about everything this season. He had the wrong info on teams at the trade deadline and now he is wrong about the ALCS:

Jon Lester is the best starting pitcher in the American League Championship Series. Jonathan Papelbon is the best closer. And the Red Sox are going to lose, anyway....The Rays are more athletic, and their offense is at full strength now that Carl Crawford is back from his finger injury. The Sox's vast edge in experience cannot be dismissed, but the Rays are a more complete team. By the end of this series, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton could be major stars...My pick: Rays in 6.

He will eat his words.

Kotsay to Start Game 1

Tito is going with Mark Kotsay at 1st and Youk at 3rd for game 1.

Mike Timlin will also be activated for the ALCS roster.

Call the Cops, I see a Red Sox Cap!

The Sox are coming to Tampa Bay, run for your lives!!! Hide the kids, duct tape the windows and have your taser ready. It seems the folks at the Trop think Red Sox Nation ranks up there with soccer hooligans so they have hired a security guard for each section in case anyone cheers too much. One a-hole caused some trouble last game so now every Red Sox fan must somehow be seen as a potential terrorist. One more reason the Trop is the worst stadium in all of baseball.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

My One and Only Defense of the Rayhawk

From previous posts you know how silly I think the Rayhawk is. There is one case however where I have to support it. A 12 year old fan in Tampa was suspended by his middle school for having a mohawk to support the Rays. His mohawk violated the school dress code even after he washed the blue dye out of it. What was the punishment for this violation?

"I had to go into something called camp," he said. "It was one room, the whole day and I couldn't do anything. I just had to sit there."

WTF is going on in Tampa? They finnally have something to rally the community around and some uptight school administrator gets his panties in a wad. Let kids have some fun and support their team. The Rays only have 4 fans and now one of them can't support his team at school.

There is also new trend among some female Rays fans regarding a "special Rayhawk."

Francona Explains The ALCS Rotation - Video

Another Manny Auction

That's right, you can own another of Manny's cars. Before you start saying that he's a greedy bastard, understand that he donated the car to Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston prior to being traded. If you want own the sweet 67 Lincoln Continental like the one in the start of Entourage you can bid on ebay. There are no bids yet at the starting price of $25,000.

Hatin' the Sox

Now that the Sox have won 2 World Series' in the past 4 years and are poised to win a 3rd (back to back, no less), it seems as if the whole world is hatin' the Sox.

This is an anonymous comment in response to an earlier post:

As much as I would love to see the Dodgers hand Boston their arse in the Series this is Tampa Bays year. Do Red Sox fans know they have now become the Yankees and more peeps hate 'em because of it? Once they are no longer the reigning champs the economy will improve and gas prices will go down.

Fenway West also posted earlier about hating the Sox.

Baseball should be happy that it's not the Yankees and the Braves in the WS for the umpteenth time in a row. One would think that baseball fans would be happy for the Sox enjoying a little bit of success after 86 years of drought. Let's not forget this is the first time in a while the Sox have finished ahead of the Yankees in the division, too. Yeah, we can be a little bit giddy*, but can you blame us after 86 years of misery? Did the A's and Royals catch this shit when they had their strings of success? How about the Big Red Machine?

So why hate the winners? Will the Cubs get it when they start winning World Series'? What about the Giants? They've got their own drought going on as well. I am happy for the Brewers and the Phillies for getting into October this year. And yes, the Rays, too. I'm glad to see different teams playing in October. Different teams getting into the playoffs is good for baseball. (In the grand scheme of things, the Sox are still a 'different' team in the WS. Still there ten years from now? Then it would be old.)

Complaints have been lodged over the Sox's payroll. You can thank the Yankees for raising the payroll bar so damn high that the only way to compete in the AL East is to raise your own. Gotta give 'em credit though, for not matching them dollar for dollar. For the record, the Sox are 4th in MLB in top salary totals in 2008. This after being in the 2nd spot in 2005 and 2006. This year, they trailed the league leading Yankees by $76 million dollars in that department.

As a Sox fan of over 40 years, of course I want to see the Sox win another WS this year, but I am not so naive to think that they will do it every year. Rivalries I get, but this hating thing, I don't. The Sox won't be winning divisions, pennants, and World Series' every year. Somewhere down the line, (hopefully not in my lifetime), the Sox will flounder, but for now, they've built a system designed for some extended success. Compared to the monopoly the Yanks have had on the WS over the years, this run of success (to date) is relatively short, so why the hate? Life is too short to be 'hating.' Trash talk your opponent, but respect them as well, for there are no winners without losers. (It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it, and everyone gets their turn with the shovel, Yankees, too. Sox had it for 86 years.)

Enjoy the game, and may the better team win.

*Preemptive rebuttal: Yes, I know we have obnoxious fans, but no more than any other team. Can't judge the whole fan base by the actions of the few stupid ones.

SOX v. TBY Statistics: Sox got nuthin' to worry 'bout

The Sox and the Rays have played 18 games this season, the Rays winning 10 and the Sox 8, but lets take a closer look at one statistic in particular: runs scored. The Sox outscored the Rays by a total of 87 to 67 runs, for an average of 4.8 to 3.7 per game. Each team blanked the other 1 time. The Sox scored in double digits twice, and the Rays, once. In the games that the Rays won, they outscored the Sox by a mere 4.6 to 2.6 average runs per game, but in the games that the Sox won, the average number of runs per game was 7.6 for the Sox and 2.6 for the Rays.

Significant difference.

Rays Rotation for ALCS

Game One: Shields

Game Two: Kazmir

Game Three: Garza

Game Four: Sonnanstine

Getting To Know Rays Fans

Wait, there are Rays fans? Apparently some have jumped on the bandwagon the last few weeks so I will give you some insight into the 50% of the people at the Trop that will not be cheering for the Red Sox.

The Sports Culture: Rays Fans Suck at Attending Games, Being Funny

Ray's Index: has a graph showing fan confidence in the team. To prove they jumped on the bandwagon, only 55% of fans had confidence in their team at the start of the season.

The Rays Mascot Raymond has a blog, I'm not making this up.

Red Sox ALCS Rotation

Here it is, I hope your pacemaker is working for Game 1. Wake gets the call over Byrd for Game 4.

Game 1: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Game 2: Josh Beckett
Game 3: Jon Lester
Game 4: Tim Wakefield
Game 5*: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Game 6*: Josh Beckett
Game 7*: Jon Lester
(*if necessary)

Fort Myers Warns of the Sarasota Curse

In an effort to get stop the Red Sox from moving their spring training out of Fort Myers to Sarasota, the Fort Myers News-Press is urging residents to fill out postcards and send them to the Boston Globe to teach Bostonians about the "Sarasota Curse."

Few know about the Sarasota Curse.
The Red Sox, who have held spring training in Fort Myers since 1993, have won two World Series over the past four years. Fort Myers has been the spring home to five World Series winning franchises, more than any other city in Florida or Arizona.
Sarasota has expressed interest in luring the Red Sox for spring training. There’s been talk there of building a $59 million palace, offering everything except Evian in the showers, the keys to the Ringling Museum for players and beachfront condos on Siesta Key for batboys. Do the Red Sox know about Sarasota’s spring training history? Do they know that every franchise that trained there suffered downturns in their fortunes after moving to town? Do they know that Sarasota is 0-for-ever when it comes to World Series championship teams?

I don't know about this new "curse" but the spring training facility plans do look suspiciously like crop circles.

Jerry Remy Sings About Jason Bay

The Insufferable Badge of Honor

So now the Boston Red Sox and their fans are the targets of hatred throughout the blogosphere. We have seen the countless articles about how annoying we now are when we used to be lovable. Seems kind of strange when the Red Sox fans I know are the same as they were in 2003.

They hate our traditions

They hate Papelbon

The Red Sox Players are compared to Bond Villans.

Some Giants fans might root for the Dodgers over the Red Sox if they met in the Series!

and even I get some of the hate.

What does all of this hatred mean to me? It means we must be doing something right; nobody hates Seattle Mariner fans, nobody hates Cincinnati Reds fans. I say keep writing the articles scorning us and just send the 2008 World Series trophy along with the harsh words.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Schilling Defends Lackey....Sorta

Curt Schilling has a new post up at 38pitches.com where he talks about Lackey's comments. Here's some highlights:

Emotions for me are raw for days after a game, much less an hour or two. You ask me about something that I’m upset/fired up or/excited about and many times I will give an emotional and probably more times than I would like to admit, irrational, response.....but....The better team ALWAYS wins in October. Like it or not the better team wins, always. I don’t care what your regular season record is, it means zero other than to determine where we are playing. He was mad, their season was over, it happens and I completely understand his emotional response. Don’t put too much stock in it. Fact of the matter is the better team won and he got out pitched, twice. I don’t care about ‘bloopers’ or the ‘field effects’, both pitchers started even, Jon out pitched him. October has never been, and never will be about pitching good. October demands pitching great, pretty much every inning of every game. Good gets you early tee times.

Curt also gives his take on the failed squeeze play in last night's game.

Jacoby is Ready for the Rays

Now that the Angels are in the rear view mirror it is time to focus on the Rays. The bad blood is there and it makes for an interesting match-up. Jacoby Ellsbury is ready for the challenge:

We've seen the Rays 18 times already this year, and we're excited to see them again in the ALCS. We're excited to go down there and try to get to the World Series.

Tampa Bay had a tremendous year, but we're excited to go down there and take a shot at it.
We get a couple of days off now, and we'll be ready to go again on Friday night in Game 1 of the ALCS.

The Red Sox go into the series with the experience to go the long haul. The ALCS has been a minefield for the Red Sox in recent years so don't expect a smooth ride. The days ahead will be full of joy and heartache but Boston has the tools to come through in the end.

Somebody Call A Waahmbulance for Lackey

He's startin' to sound like ol' dumbass Hank!

One More Reason to Root for the Red Sox

John Lackey Can't Handle the Truth

After the loss last night John Lackey showed he has no class.

"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything....."[Sunday] night they scored three runs on a pop fly that was called a hit, which was a joke," Lackey said, referring to Ellsbury's pop that fell between center fielder Torii Hunter and second baseman Howie Kendrick in Game 3.

"[Monday] night they scored on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball that anywhere else in America is an out, and he's fist-pumping on second base like he did something great."

It is almost like Dumbass Hank gave him some talking points.
Enjoy your time on the golf course you tool. We eat teams like yours for breakfast.

You Know its A Good Party When the Cops Participate

Monday, October 6, 2008

Jason Bay Scores The Winning Run

One photo.....

Death by Suicide

You can't tell me Cap't 'Tek doesn't have his game goin' on! Willits? OUT!

See the video here.

Time to go Fishin'!

Bring on the Rays!!!!

I LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER!!!!

WHAT A GAME!
LOWRIE! BAY! 'TEK!

Hats off to the Angels for pushin' the Sox as hard as they did.

All I can say right now is:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red Sox ALCS Schedule and Start Times

Game	Matchup	Day	Date	Time ET	TV
Gm 1	SOX @ TBY	Fri	Oct. 10	8:00 PM	TBS
Gm 2	SOX @ TBY	Sat	Oct. 11	7:30 PM	TBS
Gm 3	TBY @ SOX	Mon	Oct. 13	4:00 PM	TBS
Gm 4	TBY @ SOX	Tue	Oct. 14	7:30 PM	TBS
Gm 5*	TBY @ SOX	Thu	Oct. 16	7:30 PM	TBS
Gm 6*	SOX @ TBY	Sat	Oct. 18	4:00 PM	TBS
Gm 7*	SOX @ TBY	Sun	Oct. 19	7:30 PM	TBS

RED SOX WIN ALDS

Lester was dominant, but the pen gave up the lead. Some key defense including Tek's great tag on the botched squeeze. With 2 outs Jed Lowrie's hit a walk-off single. The hit scored Jason Bay and won the ALDS for the Red Sox.

Red Sox Win 3-2 BOX SCORE

Manny Says He is Rooting for the Red Sox

Manny Ramirez said he is pulling for the Sox:

Ramirez said he's been pulling for the Red Sox in their American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels.
"I am," he says. "I've got my boys Davey (David Ortiz) and (Mike) Lowell and all those guys."

He could not let a Manny being Manny go, so he added this:

He held up a two-toned fielder's glove and said MLB "has ruled it's illegal."

Why? "Because it catches everything," he said.

He complained (tongue in cheek) that he hasn't been given his due in the voting for Gold Glove awards.

"I only made two errors," he said. "And I don't even have to dive for balls. I'm so fast, I get to everything."

Troy O'Leary To Throw Out First Pitch Tonight

Even though Angel fans mock him from afar, we know that he will help the Red Sox end the series tonight.

Red Sox Lineup For Game 4 of ALDS

Mike Lowell is out of the lineup tonight so Youk will play 3rd and Kotsay will play 1st. Drew is back in for Coco.

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Bay, LF
Mark Kotsay, 1B
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C

Jon Lester, SP

Preview of Game 4

Buster Olney Previews Game 4, he talks about the bullpen issues for both the Red Sox and the Angels and the matchup of Lester vs. Lackey

Bullpen in Game 4

After the long game last night the Red Sox bullpen has a few tired arms. Here is the pitch count from the pen yesterday: Delcarmen 25, Oki 17, Masterson 16, Papelbon 31, Lopez 20. The bullpen is not fully loaded for game 4 but most relievers should be able to go again tonight. What we need is a good long outing from Lester, much like he did in game 1. If the Red Sox are tied in the late innings we may see Wake or Byrd make an appearance. Even with the high pitch count last night, look for Papelbon to be back in for a one inning save.

Jerry Remy Expands His Empire

The Remdawg will now be on the board of directors of TruMedia Networks, the owners of Sawxheads.com. Remy will provide blogs and video updates on the site. He issued the following statement in the press release:

"TruMedia's robust social media platform connects me with passionate fans all over the world," said Remy. "SawxHeads.com will continue to be a valuable resource for me as I prepare for every broadcast. It provides me with the daily pulse of Red Sox nation. I am excited to broaden my audience and play a role in the continued growth and development of TruMedia's sports fan communities."

Josh Beckett Says He Is Fine Health Wise

The Red Sox ace didn't have much last night but said he was fine and the injury was not a factor.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Put the Brooms Away, Series Continues Tomorrow

Beckett was shaky tonight as the Red Sox failed to clinch the ALDS. Mike Napoli had 2 home runs in the game for the Angels. After the 5th inning it was all goose eggs until the top of the 12th when the Halos took a one run lead off of a bloop single. In the bottom of the inning Big Papi led off with a walk to put the tying run on 1st. Youk followed with a deep fly out to center, Papi was running on the pitch. Jason Bay came up and watched strike 3 (0-5 on the night.) Cora's grounder to third ended the game and gave the Angels their first playoff win over the Red Sox since 1986. Beckett's outing makes you wonder if he can pitch well this postseason, in other bad news Mike Lowell did not have much range in the field and stuggled at the plate. Dustin Pedroia is still looking for his first hit of the ALDS.

Red Sox Lose 5-4 BOX SCORE

Who Will It Be?

As we move into the 12th, somebody on the Sox is going to have to step up big. Big Papi will lead off the 13th, will he see any pitches to hit?

FENWAY CROWD......WHERE ARE YOU?

Top of the 3rd, runner on 3rd with a two run lead a 2-2 count, then a 3-2 and everyone is in their seats kind of cheering??????????????????????????????

No wonder Beckett served one up.

Pressure Already Building for Mike Sciosia

During the pregame interview Mike Sciosia was already having to play defense on the choke question:

Last night the team from the National League that finished with the best record in that league was eliminated. Lou Piniella sort of lamented the fact that during those three games his team did not play anything like the team that had played through the regular season. You said yesterday that the team that you guys have been hasn't shown up yet. Do you have any theories about why things like that happen when September turns to October?

MIKE SCIOSCIA: Well, first of all, we're not getting eliminated tonight, so I'm not going to answer that question. And we'll talk about that if it comes up, because we're not going to talk about it now.

I mean more the trend of the play being different?

MIKE SCIOSCIA: We're not getting eliminated tonight, and we'll talk about it at some point.

Red Sox Lineup For Game 3 of the ALDS

Lowell and Coco are in, J.D. is out. Here's tonight's Red Sox lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B )
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jed Lowrie, SS
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Coco Crisp, CF

Josh Beckett, SP

Message To Angels: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Josh Beckett is ready to crush the Angels, get your brooms ready.

Josh Beckett Previews

Josh Beckett is ready to roll tonight to complete the sweep of the Halos. Here are some great previews as you get ready for a full day of watching sports with the NFL, the Rays and the Sox all going today. Get the fridge full and the grill ready.

Sox & Dawgs: Beckett Locked and Loaded for Game 3

The Bottom Line: Beckett ready to sweep the Angels away

Surviving Grady: Why is Josh Beckett Smiling?

Changes in Tonight's Red Sox Lineup

Mike Lowell should be back in the lineup and J.D. Drew will likely sit out against lefty Joe Saunders since Coco can bat from the right side. Drew will be available to pinch hit if needed. The official lineup will be posted around noon Pacific time. A sweep for the Red Sox will allow some much needed rest for some of the hurting members of the team.

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