Saturday, May 30, 2009

O-fourtiz and the Red Sox Lose to Jays Again

Brad Penny pitched well enough to keep the Red Sox in the game but RR had his worst outing of the season in relief giving up two runs in the 7th. The offense was pitiful managing just 4 hits in the game. Youk had 3 K's and Big Papi posted his usual 0-4, bringing his average to .185. Baldelli homered in the game but later left with a knee injury (X-Rays were negative.) The Red Sox are now tied with Toronto for second place in the AL East.

Red Sox Lose 5-3 BOX SCORE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 1
Blue Jays 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 14 0

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That Umpire with the Quick Thumb in MN?


Todd Tichenor is the umpire who tossed Redmond, Gardenhire, Varitek, and Francona in MN the other night and is a relative newcomer to Major League umpiring. Tichenor is a AAA umpire who has been called up to the big leagues for only 81 games since 2007 and has a history of 'itchy finger disease.'

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How Much is Lugo Worth?

Judging by the bidding on game used red socks autographed by Julio Lugo; not very much. The Red Sox are paying Lugo $9 million a year to platoon with Nick Green but you can own his socks for the low bid of $1. If you look really close you can see a mark on one of the socks from where he booted a ball.

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Bud Reacts to the Manny Voting

Only Bud Selig could find a way to come up with an answer as bad as this:


"I'm going to think about that," Selig said. "He doesn't come back till July 3. Normally, I'm sensitive to the wishes of the fans. If the fans choose someone, I'd like to honor that. But we've been testing players for a long time, and it bothers me that someone would [cheat] at this stage in the game. I've got some time to think about this one."
He manages to discount the fans by saying I'd like to honor the fans but.... He also shows how clueless he is by saying "it bothers me that someone would cheat at this stage in the game. " Does Selig really believe that the game is clean now and that Manny was just an anomaly? Removing Manny from the All-Star Game would have to be a punishment that was negotiated with the MLBPA. So no matter how long Bud thinks this one over, if Manny is voted in he is going to play. (Unless his grandmother dies again.)

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Today's Red Sox Lineup 5/30 vs. the Jays

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
Jason Varitek, C
Rocco Baldelli, RF
Nick Green, SS

Brad Penny, SP

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Wake Not Ace-Like Tonight

Why can't Red Sox pitchers get it together at the same time? Beckett figures it out and then Wake loses it. For the first part of the season Wakefield was the ace of the staff but now he is getting hit around and his ERA is moving on up. Wake took a page out of Lester's book and gave up 5 runs in the 5th inning to the Jays. Daniel Bard came in to relieve Wake and confounded Toronto batters with 5 K's. The Sox had 11 hits but couldn't push runners across the plate. David Ortiz hit a near grand slam in the game but it did not get out of the park and he ended up with another dissapointing 0-fer. J.D. Drew finally did something since moving to the 3 spot by hitting a tater in the 7th. Ells, Bay and Lugo each had multiple hits in the game.

With the loss and a Yankee win the Red Sox move into second place by half a game.

Don't forget to tune in to hear Mike Lowell call The Baseball Show tomorrow morning (9 am Eastern, 6 Pacific) and talk with Mike Felger, Lou Merloni, Sean McAdam and Steve Buckley.

Red Sox Lose 6-3 BOX SCORE


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 11 1
Blue Jays 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 6 10 0

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Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 5/29 vs. the Blue Jays

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
George Kottaras, C
Julio Lugo, SS

Tim Wakefield, SP

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How Much Longer Can Tito Manage?

Terry Francona had another health issue after yesterday's game in Minnesota. Throughout his years with the Red Sox he has had back and circulation problems and also has high blood pressure. There are few jobs in sports that come with as much stress as managing the Red Sox and Tito's health has suffered because of it. Yesterday's event is a red flag, even if it is being spun as nothing major. Francona may not be able to stay on as the Red Sox skipper for much longer due to the continual strain he is putting on his body. His family and friends have most likely begun to put pressure on him to step aside and I would not be surprised if this is his last season as manager of the Sox.

UPDATE: Rob Bradford of WEEI.com posted this about Francona:

Francona said "when I was on the field I thought i was going down....I thought I was going to pass out...I felt fine today." Francona was thrown out in the 7th inning after arguing with the homeplate umpire. Fracona said he has never experienced anything so sever in regards to his blood pressure like he did Thursday.

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What a Difference a Week Makes

When the Blue Jays entered Fenway last week the series was billed as the playoffs in May. The Jays were in first place and there was talk that they might do what the Rays did last year. Jays fans were feeling very confident as seen from the interview I did with the Toronto Sports and the City blog:

FW: How confident are you that the Blue Jays will be in the playoff hunt in August?

S&TC: August? I'm thinking October. The Blue Jays are winning the pennant.

The Blue Jays have now lost 9 in a row and the confidence is gone:

Amazing. In the space of one road trip, skittish Jays fans have gone from puffing out their chests with pride and planning an October parade route down Yonge Street, to demanding a dismantling of the roster, looking over their shoulders with fear and trepidation at the Orioles.
Wake is starting tonight against Cassey Janssen in Toronto. This series could let the Jays back in the hunt or send them on their way to a fire sale before the trade deadline.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Teddy Ballgame Garage Sale

When they unfreeze Ted Williams he is gonna be pissed that all of his cool stuff is being auctioned off by a second rate junk dealer. Look at the way this stuff is being presented; I've seen more interest at the used DVD table in the flea market.


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Tek and Beckett Beat the Twins

Josh Beckett pitched very well today giving up just one run from a homer by Crede. He only gave up 3 hits in 7 innings and had 8 K's. Oki and Paps each gave up a hit in scoreless innings. Jason Varitek fueled the Red Sox offense with two home runs including a tape-measure bomb in the 7th. Ellsbury's hit streak came to an end but Pedroia had a hit today to extend his streak. Both teams had their catchers and mangers thrown out in the late innings. Tek and Tito were ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The Sox split the series with the Twins 2-2 and have now played their final game at the Metrodome.

Red Sox Win 3-1 BOX SCORE


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 6 0
Twins 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0

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Today's Red Sox Lineup 5/28 vs. the Twins

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Mike Lowell, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
Jason Varitk, C
Jeff Bailey, LF
Julio Lugo, SS

Josh Beckett, SP

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A Plethora of Mediocre Pitching

You can never have too much pitching right? What if you have too much mediocre pitching with a guy who is dominating in AAA wanting to come up. The Red Sox rotation has been OK but there are some big issues.

  • Dice-K is 0-3 with an ERA of 8.82
  • Beckett has pitched well of late but his ERA is still over 5
  • Lester is 3-6 with and ERA over 6
  • Penny is 5-1 but his ERA is 5.96
  • Wake has pitched well but he is not a front of the rotation pitcher
With Buchholz and Smoltz ready to step in the Red Sox need to shake up the rotation. Penny will be traded, that is pretty much a given but what about the rest of the rotation. The team will want to give Dice-K some more time to get it going and Lester pitches well until one bad inning so it keeps looking like he is close to being able to pitch like last season. The DL might be looming for Lester when Smoltz arrives if he continues to struggle. If someone told you before the season started that 4 of the 5 starters would have an ERA's north of 5 and Big Papi would only have 1 home run and be hitting below the Mendoza line at the end of May there is no way you would believe the team would be tied for first place. Things should improve for the starters soon or it will look 40% different.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wild Pitches Everywhere in Red Sox Loss

The Red Sox tied a record with 6 wild pitches in tonight's game in Minnesota. Dice-K gave up 9 hits and 3 earned runs in 5 innings as well as throwing 4 wild pitches and 3 walks. MDC gave up a run in the 6th with a WP and Masterson threw another wild pitch in the 7th. The game was in reach for the Red Sox but they had trouble getting anything going. Bay had a solo homer and Lowell and Ells each had two hits. Ellsbury's hit streak is now at 22 games. Ortiz went 0-4 with a couple of long fly ball outs, maybe Jim Rice is right about him trying to crush the ball insted of going with the pitch. With the loss and a Yankee win the Red Sox are now tied for first place in the AL East.

Red Sox Lose 4-2 BOX SCORE


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 6 1
Twins 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 13 1

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Gagne Signs With the Wrong Capitals

Eric Gagne must have been saddened when he learned that the Capitals team that was being furnished with steroids was the Washington Capitals and not the Quebec Capitales; the Can-Am league team Gagne just signed with.

"I'ts' too early to gauge the impact of his arrival on turnout at the stadium, but let's just say it's a big score for the team (and) for the league as well," said team owner Miles Wolff.
Probably not the "big score" that Gagne was looking for. I hope the team has stocked up with a large supply of baseballs for when Gagne starts serving up meatballs without the help of PED's.

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Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 5/27 vs. the Twins

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
George Kottaras, C
Nick Green, SS

Dice-K, SP

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Bug Selig's New Problem

There is trouble brewing for Bud Selig as the Midsummer Classic draws nearer. Now there's a movement to vote Manny Ramirez as the starting left fielder for the NL All-Star team. The goal according to the website Vote for Manny is:


To highlight the silliness that are the MLB rules towards PED users as well as their "head in the sand" approach to this situation. Rather than confront it head-on, MLB is choosing to do nothing and simply hope there are three higher vote getters in the NL OF.

Think it won't happen? Manny is currently 4th in voting and this push could put him over the top. What is Bud going to do now?

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John Smoltz Discusses His Latest Start - Video

His rehab is going well and he is a few weeks away from starting his first game for the Red Sox. Last night he went 3 1/3 innings giving up one run and striking out two.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Lester Gives Up Big Inning Again

A pattern is developing for Jon Lester this season; get into a grove for a few innings and then bam, the wheels come off and the opposing team has put a crooked number on the board. Tonight it was the fifth inning where the Twins scored 5 times including a three run homer over the Hefty bag. Lester's ERA is now above 6. Ouch.

The Sox offense had 9 hits including 2 by Ells extend his streak to 21 games. Ortiz had a double in his first game at the #6 spot. Too many runners were LOB and only 2 runs crossed the plate.

Red Sox Lose 5-2 BOX SCORE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 9 0
Twins 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 7 1

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Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 5/26 vs. the Twins

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz,
Jason Varitek, C
Jeff Bailey, 1B
Julio Lugo, SS

Jon Lester, SP

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An End to the Brad Penny Era?

The clock on Brad Penny's time in Boston appears to be ticking away. With Buchholz's domination in AAA and Smoltz activation looming, the Red Sox have to make a choice for the rotation. Here are the options:

Option 1: Keep Penny in the rotation, Buchholz stays in Pawtucket and Smoltz goes to the pen (which he does not want to do.)

Option 2: Bring up Buchholz, send Penny to the pen (Masterson goes to PawSox) and use Smoltz as a spot starter or go with a 6-man rotation.

Option 3: Trade Penny or Buchholz (Smoltz has no trade value until he has some sucessful starts)

The Red Sox are most likely going to trade Penny before the deadline. Buchholz has too much long term value to trade for a quick fix. The rumor mill on Penny has started to heat up and there are a number of teams that would like him. What can the Red Sox get in return for Penny? The catcher of the future or a big bat as insurance for Ortiz is wishful thinking but they could get a good prospect which would help keep the Sox rolling for years to come.

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Clay Buchholz pitches up a storm with the PawSox!

They say you can never have enough pitching. The Red Sox are hell bent on testing out that theory here in 2009. Yes, our current starting 5 has been a little shaky, but in the last couple of weeks they seem to be returning to form. Lester seems to be getting better with each outing. Beckett pitched a gem of a game before Pap came in and messed it all up. Daisuke Matsuzaka is back from reminding us why we hate the WBC and showing that he will return to form. Wake has been a rock star. And Brad Penny...he is even impressing me lately, which says an awful lot.

That seems like enough all on its own. But the list goes on. John Smoltz has been continuing his rehab starts through the minors. He said he feels good and like he would normally in Spring Training. He has stated he hopes to be ready to pitch for the Sox in the middle of June. It's May 26th today, so that is not far away at all. John Smoltz people!

Let's not forget our boys pitching up a storm in the minor leagues. Michael Bowden who we got to see for a few innings of relief pitching early in the year has been getting it done with the PawSox. He has a 2-2 record with a 1.64 ERA.

And, to the heart of this entry...we have Clay Buchholz. We know I am a fan. His stat line so far with the PawSox: a 3-0 record, a 1.30 ERA, 49 Ks over just over 48 innings pitched.

Clay got the start in yesterday's Memorial Day game. Clay held a no hitter until the 9th inning over Louisville until Danny Richar had to be a buzz kill and get a single off our until then perfect Buch. He ended up with a complete shutout game, 1 hitter, throwing 96 pitches, K-ing 7 batters.

Of course, flirting with a no-no is nothing new for Clay. He pitched a no hitter in September of 2007 when he was up with the Red Sox. He was the first Red Sox rookie in history to ever throw a no hitter. Clay reported that he was disappointed that he was not able to get those last 3 outs without allowing a hit. What Clay should be disappointed about is that he is still stuck down in the minors given how he is pitching. They said his control was SO good yesterday that only went to a 3 ball count ONCE.

So, that is our starting pitching....and I haven't even mentioned our bullpen which is the best in the business. Yes, you can never have too much pitching...I agree. However, it does raise some interesting questions:

What will the starting 5 be when John Smoltz is active and ready to go in a few weeks? Who is the odd man...or more likely odd men...out?

With Buchholz pitching like he is in AAA, how long before he gets called up? And if so, how is room made for him?

Are there pitching trades which are going to be made in order to get some of the position players we desire? If so, who? We've heard rumors of Buchholz, Manny Delcarmen and even Brad Penny.

Would Boston ever consider a 6 man rotation?

What is the likelihood of everyone on the pitching staff staying healthy throughout the course of the season?

I still say...with our pitching depth and the questions it raises, it is a still a GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE!

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Pedroia + a Mic = Video Gold

Reality TV at its best. Watch below:

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Red Sox Win Despite Papelbon's Gopher Ball in the 9th

With Brad Penny on the mound you know the team will need some runs to win the game. The Twins jumped out to an early lead when Cuddyer took Penny deep in the second. In the third the Red Sox regained the lead with five consecutive hits scoring 3 runs. Ellsbury got it going with a hit to get his streak up to 20 games. The Red Sox had 2 more runs in the 4th and Jeff Bailey homered in the 8th. Mike Lowell went 4-5 as the DH and the team had 16 hits today.

Penny pitched a typical game giving up 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Amalie Benjamin reported that he was throwing up between innings with some kind of sinus issue. RR took over and shut down the Twins for 1 2/3 innings and Oki pitched a hitless 9th. Then Papelbon gave up a hit and a two-run homer to Joe Mauer to put the Twins within one run before shutting the door for good.

Red Sox Win 6-5 BOX SCORE


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Red Sox 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 6 16 1
Twins 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 8 0

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Today's Red Sox Lineup 5/25 vs the Twins

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, DH
Rocco Baldelli, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Jeff Bailey, 1B
Julio Lugo, SS

Brad Penny, SP

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Memorial Day

People sometime refer to the Korean War as the forgotten war, but I want to take a moment to thank people for taking the time to remember those who lost their lives in that and other wars on this Memorial Day.

My uncle, Bill O'Donnell, was killed in Korea in 1951. He was a great athlete who played baseball and football at The Manlius School in New York and at Seton Hall University.

On Memorial Day in 2000 an article was published by Bill McGurn in the Wall Street Journal:

He and his wife had only been in Madison two years. His wife had a copy of "Always With Us" about the young men who gave their lives in various wars. Mr. McGurn spent ten years in Asia and came across many soldiers and visited many cemeteries there--Vietnam, Korea, Japan. He was very personally conscious of the sacrifices and final resting places of these men. He and his wife were struck by discovering in the book the fact that Bill O'Donnell had lived in their house--to find a face linked to that address. They never met the O'Donnell family, and he imagined that sad telegram that every soldier's mother knows about even before she opens the content. He then wrote the article as a tribute to the men and families that sacrificed in a town such as Madison.

The article was so powerful that the Mayor of Madison then sent it to the mayor of Morristown, NJ and others to try to get the Morristown Armory named after my uncle. Through the help of people my family has never met, my uncle was honored 50 years after his death on Sept. 20, 2001 with the naming of a the Heritage Room at the armory after him.

This month my father was contacted by the Manlius-Pebble Hill School (fomerly Manlius School) to let him know that the school will be having a dedication this June for his brother and other students that were killed in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and were never honored. I am once again amazed that after so many years people still remember and honor those who have given up their lives for this country.

On this Memorial Day take some time to think about all of those who have been lost and know that you can have a large impact on preserving their memory.

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NY Post Photographer Angers Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon was not happy after blowing the save on Saturday night when a NY Post photographer tried to take his picture. Paps responded with, "Don't take my fucking picture," and then threw a towel at him. The towel missed.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Red Sox Take First Place But Ortiz is Still the Issue

Tim Wakefield picked up his 6th win of the season today as the Red Sox avoided the sweep. The offense delivered with 16 hits and 12 runs. Ells kept the streak going and now has a hit in 19 straight games. Lowell and Youk each hit home runs and J.D. Drew went 4-5. Every Sox starter had a hit but David Ortiz who went 0-5 with 8 runners LOB. He hit one ball hard but it was a line out and he is now batting .195.

Big Papi's time in the 3 spot seems to be over for a while. The team is standing behind him but it is time to drop him in the order until he can get it going again.

Red Sox Win 12-5 BOX SCORE


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Mets 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 8 0
Red Sox 0 3 0 0 3 2 4 0 0 12 16 0



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Shortstop Issue Comes to a Head

Yesterday, Lugo's absence from the lineup was spun as a routine day off. When Nick Green was put into the lineup at short again today there was no hiding that Lugo's defense is going to cost him playing time. In the past Lugo always seemed to get hurt when there was pressure on Francona to bench him. Is Nick Green now the starting shortstop? Are the Red Sox going to platoon Green and Lugo? Will the Sox make a move to get some help at short before Lowrie comes back? All of those things are now on the table and Julio Lugo is not happy about it:

When asked if he was hurt, he said everything was fine. When asked why he was not in the lineup, he walked away from a group of reporters saying: "Go ask Tito."

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KRod sent to the hospital

Met's closer Fransisco Rodriguez was taken to the hospital yesterday with severe back spasms. I heard about almost immediately after the game on Twitter. News was just breaking. It went from he is seeking medical attention to he just collapsed to they are putting him on a stretcher and he is crying uncontrollably with the EMTs.

I was shocked to hear this. I often curse K-Rod mainly because he is so crazy good. I knew we would lose Game 1 since there is no way we were getting 2 runs off K-Rod....no way.

Here is a blog from the NY Post about what happened with K-Rod yesterday.

"I've never been through the type of pain I'm having right now," Rodriguez said. "It's a struggle even to walk."...

"They came out of nowhere," he said. "I was getting my running in and I stopped because my back locked up. I came in to get some treatment and some adjustment, but it made it a lot worse. I couldn't even move for an hour. It's been a really tough day."


For today, it has been reported he is out of the hospital and has reported to Fenway Park. He walked in on his own and did not need to be transported by a wheelchair. I wish nothing but health and a quick recovery to K-Rod. I never like hearing anyone is hurt and to be honest, I've always had a fondness for the guy. I can't imagine how scared the guy had to be. This came on so quickly and he had to have no idea what was going on.

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Today's Red Sox 5/24 Lineup vs. the Mets

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
J.D. Drew, RF
Mike Lowell, 3B
George Kottaras, C
Nick Green, SS

Tim Wakefield, SP

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