10 things to make a Sox fan smile

View from inside Green Monster at Jet Blue.

1.  Last year Donald Trump tweeted that A Rod is “an average player now that he is unable to use drugs.”  2 days ago, Trump compared singer Debby Gibson to Derek Jeter and then said, “We love Derek.  That’s not an A Rod statement.  It’s a Derek statement.”  Another slap.

2.  Yankee set up man David Robertson was diagnosed with a sprained foot after slipping on a step while emptying a box in the recycling can outside his home. His Opening Day is in jeopardy. The NY Daily News reports that the Yankees are alarmed.  Love it.

3.  Lawrence McCutchen, Buc centerfielder, wore #25 before veteran A.J. Burnett arrived in the Steel City.  McCutchen told A.J. he could have his old numerals if he agreed to pay a fee of $500,000.  Turns out the financially shrewd Pirate was just starting high so that Burnett could feel good about working him down.  The 2 players settled on a $20,000 payment.  In what major field is McCutchen’s college degree from Oklahoma, you ask ?  Why, a B.S. in Economics, of course.

4.  Felix Doubront has just completed a sterling outing against the Yankees in Tampa as I write this.  The lefty went 4 innings, yielding 2 hits and 0 runs. He faced only 14 batters to secure 12 outs.  This guy is going to contribute.

5.  The Red Sox will be a lot harder to hate in 2012 according to the Wall Street Journal.  The primary reason for this is that “goofy, slow, arrogant”, and yes, “excellent”, Jonathan Papelbon is now a Phillie, and has been replaced by “a pair of genial, vanilla New Yorkers.” i.e.,  Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon.  Perhaps the WSJ is forgetting that Yaz and Rico were both mild mannered New Yorkers that thrived in Boston in an era when the 5 Boroughs lacked no bellicosity for the Sox.

6.  The two jamokes broadcasting tonight’s Yankee – Red Sox game from Tampa on YES just said that Pete Rose had 33 triples for the minor league Tampa Tarpons in 1962 or 1963.  Pretty close.  Charlie Hustle had 30 triples for the Class D Tarpons, batting .330 and leading his team to the best record in the Florida State League in 1961.  The Manager of that team ?  Double no-no man, Johnny Vandermeer.

7.  Clay Buchholz spoke with self-confidence to Ron Chimelis of the Springfield Republican after pitching 4 scoreless innings on Sunday.  He said he knew early in spring training that he would “…be ready to throw with maximum effort in game situations.”  The lower back stress fracture is a thing of the past.

8.  Tom Caron explained on NESN.com that Pedroia, Ellsbury, and Gonzales are all each capable of winning the 2012 AL MVP.  Moreover, Caron said, “I do expect Adrian Gonzales to have an even bigger year this year.”  Seriously, Tom ?  Better than  2011, when he posted .338, 27, 113, and a league-best 213 hits ?    I’ll have whatever Tom is drinking.

9.  The Globe’s Pete Abraham predicts that these 5 Sox will be on the D.L. on opening day:  Carl Crawford, Rich Hill, Bobby Jenks, John Lackey and Dice K Matsuzaka.  Crawford won’t be out for long.  And MLB.com’s Ian Brown reports that Dice K threw free and easy on Saturday.  The Interminable One may be back earning his pay before Hill, Jenks and definitely before John Shell Lackey.

10.  WEEI’s Gerry Callahan took credit this morning for the installation of 258 seats inside the Green Monster at Jet Blue Park in Fort Meyers.  The self-absorbed Callahan explained how the idea to create those seats was derived by Larry Lucchino from a conversation Callahan had years earlier with the BoSox President.  I guess you have to have a healthy ego to be the unerring airborne voice of authority in Boston.  Crazy Callahan.

Go Sox.

Varitek: All Time Leader in Respect

Jason Varitek hung it up 16 days after Tim Wakefield.  The only team that would want this pair was no longer interested in either player. 

After 3 years of not hitting in the clutch and not throwing runners out, Tek was toast.

I will never forget how Matt Garza threw it by the old catcher in game 3 of the 2008 ALCS.  The Spitting Man struck out Tek with one down and runners on 2nd and 3rd.  Jason was by then either too banged up or too weathered to have sufficient bat speed any longer.  Those of us present at Fenway saw it so, so clearly.

One of my friends can cite the day, dates, opponents and sequence of events for every game in which ‘Tek came up big.  Guys like Mark Kantor of S.A.B.R.  The details are burned into their memories.

I’ll remember ‘Tek for select accomplishments.

Like for surpassing Ray Schalk’s all time record for catching the most no-hitters by different pitchers. Tek’s record is four – Lowe, Nomo, Lester & Buchholz.    He did not secure a fifth one only because Curt Schilling shook off ‘Tek with two out in the bottom of the 9th on June 7, 2007.  After the shake, the A’s Shannon Stewart singled to right.  Then Mark Ellis popped up to make the 27th & final out.  Sox win 1-0 on a 1-hitter.

Had he called a 5th no-no from a 5th pitcher, a HOF argument would have gained momentum.

I’ll remember Tek for being a team player on the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy cable show, a special Red Sox edition episode.  With pregnant ex-wife Karen skooched from the room, Tek quietly allowed himself to be waxed, groomed and dressed by the Fab Five as Carson drooled over Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar pronounced himself a big gay dude after the team transformation was complete.

I’ll remember standing on the 2nd floor walkway in right field at Fenway, the one between Bleacher 43 and Grandstand 1, on July 24, 2004, watching Sox and Yankee relievers jump over the bullpen wall and run to the diamond where Tek was giving A-Rod a leather facial and a wrestling move.

I’ll remember the May, 1995 episode of Talking Baseball with Ed Randall in which 23-year old, buzz-cut, jowly cheeked Tek explained that he still refused to sign with the Mariners after the June ’94 Draft because they offered a bonus that was $800,000 less than what his draft peers were offered.  He explained that he was staying strong, working out and not worrying about anything that was beyond his control.  (See it now on streaming Netflix.)

I’ll remember Tek leaping into Papelbon’s arms after catching swinging strike 3 for the last out of the 2007 World Series.

I’ll remember Tek for not drawing criticism in his 15 Boston playing years.  Fans loved him and felt nothing but sorrow when his skills declined.  Ambush-prone radio talk show hosts let him be because they couldn’t find a character flaw.  Team owners gave Tek a measure of respect until the end, overpaying him in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and never embarrassing him through his last unsuccessful contract negotiation.

He was selfless.  He was deep in his preparation and in his character.

He is the all time leader in Sox games caught and respect earned.

Thanks for staying in the family, Tek.

Farewell  — for now, Jason.

Go Sox.

 

Hot Stove Pairings: Morgan-Bagwell, Lucchino-Valentine & Santo-Larkin

On November 28, the man who stabilized the Dysfunctional Sox came to Hartford.  Joe Morgan, the Red Sox  Manager who lifted the Sox from 4^th  to 1^st Place and won the first 12 games of his tenure, appeared  with current Sox game announcer Joe Castiglione at the World Series Club of Hartford County.

Castiglione acted as Morgan’s straight man.  Rather than make a prepared speech, the announcer threw questions to the manager in an easy, rehearsed manner.

And Walpole Joe was very entertaining.  He has that old New England accent heard in Eastern Mass. and Rhode Island.  He’s a down to earth wit.

Morgan spoke about the infamous Bagwell-Anderson trade of 1991 and how he tried to alter history.  When Joe attended a management meeting at which the boss, i.e. Lou Gorman, proposed Bagwell for Anderson, Morgan realized this was a clear mistake. He argued that Scott Cooper was a better bargaining chip; Cooper was young and highly ranked and the Astros would find him acceptable. Joe was poo pooed.  The group went with Gorman.  The Sox missed out on Bagwell’s career .297, 449, 1529.  They got Cooper’s career .265, 33, 211. 

A few years later, the Sox would let Wade Boggs leave Boston via Free Agency.  As Boggs would tell an interviewer in 1996, the Sox made him expendable because they thought they had a budding star in Cooper.  Cooper would be out of Baseball after 1997, while Boggs and Bagwell played on – and completed HOF careers.

Out of left field came a Morgan story about how he made a buck in the off seasons when he was the Paw Sox Manager.  He didn’t make much more than minimum wage driving a snowplow for the Commonwealth.  But he did figure out people were losing dollar bills at the toll booths when the winter winds whipped along the Mass Pike.  Morgan said he found hundreds of dollars along the Pike, pulling off the road and scampering down the banks to claim the lost bills, finding $100 in one spot alone.

Guys like Francona or Valentine, both bonus babies in their day, never hustled like that to make a buck.  Joe never made more than $7,000 a year as a player or a modest salary as a MLB Manager. 

He did get a few things right though.  One of them was his prediction at the WSC on Nov. 28 that Bobby Valentine would be the next Red Sox Manager.

SPEAKING OF BOBBY V,

Jeff Jacobs wrote in The Hartford Courant that the spontaneous combustion of Bobby Valentine in a Red Sox uniform is a future certainty.  Valentine will go up in flames, says Half Baked Jake.  Just a matter of time.

Not sure about that prediction, but Jacobs also says the Valentine candidacy for Manager began here in Hartford on Nov. 5 when Bobby Valentine and Larry Lucchino headlined a charitable dinner at World Affairs Council at the Hartford Club.  I was there.

I  spoke with Lucchino and Valentine at the function.  I made a bee line for Larry.  He was great to chit chat with and he signed a nice white Selig official ball for me. 

Soon enough I was standing near Valentine.  I contemplated getting his autograph as well.  I did not want this former Mets manager and disguise-wearing narcissist to ruin my Lucchino ball with his signature.  I decided to ask him to sign a program instead.  I half heartedly asked what he thought his chances were of getting the Manager job, a question I really felt was meaningless and specious.  He chuckled and said, “Yeah, right !” and strode away.  Truly, his vibe was that even he didn’t think he had a shot.

And that would help to explain his tears of joy and noted speechlessness when he got the job.

Good luck, Bobby.

Hey, Ron & Barry.

Sorry everyone.  I can’t appreciate Ron Santo.  I have tried.  I look at the stats and I see a good player.  He’s a local legend in Chicago.  If his 342 HR’s and 1331 RBI came with a .305 B.A. he’d have been a HOF selection 40 years ago.  But he batted .277.  The 9x AS and 4x Gold Gloves help, but there are no batting titles, RBI or HR crowns, either. Few stolen bases.  Led the league in walks four times.   This much loved Cub comes close.  But he doesn’t make it.

Santo’s BA/HR/RBI totals are similar to Dwight Evans, one of the best fielding right fielders ever.  Putting Santo in will inspire some people to make the case for Evans.  But, unfortunately, neither player should be in the HOF.  They are very good but not All Time Greats.

Barry Larkin’s .295, 198, 960 are terrific for a shortstop.  Ozzie Smith won 7 Gold Gloves in Larkin’s first 7 years, precluding the Cinci-born Barry from copping the award until he was 30 years old.  Still, Barry nailed 3 GG’s.  A 12x AS with 9 Silver Sluggers and 379 SB’s, I’d say the guy was the complete package.

Only 7 other shortstops in history have more RBI’s than Larkin — Hans Wagner, Joe Cronin, Miguel Tejada, Vern Stephens, Luke Appling, Alan Trammell and Ripken.  4 are in the HOF.

Hit.  Hit with power.  Speed.  Arm.  Field.  He had it all.

Congrats to Barry Larkin & to the late Ron Santo, and the families of both men.

Farewell Pap, Hello Heffers.

 

I’m going to miss Papelbon.  I’ll miss his insane behavior, like the 2007 underwear dance on the Fenway diamond with cameras rolling and fans agog.  I will miss the personality transformation he frequently effected after fist bumping Captain Porky at the BP gate, striding to the grass aside the pitching mound where he would be still and silently transform into a glaring, fire throwing mounds man.  

Awards eluded Pap in Beantown.  Pap failed to take the Rolaids AL Relief Award even once.  The honors went to K Rod (twice), JJ Putz, Mo Rivera (twice), Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde.  Rolaids or not, there were 3 or 4 years in which batters feared no one more than Papelbon.  He relieved hitters of their bats.  He extinguished them.  Made them look hapless.

Pap finished 2^nd to Justin Verlander for the 2006 ROY, a year in which Verlander’s 17 wins trumped Pap’s .092 ERA and 35 saves.

Awards or not, Pap was the Man in Boston.

Pap posted a 2.33 ERA with 219 Saves in 6.5 Red Sox seasons.  If he can continue to do what he has been doing for the next 7 years he will finish with the 5^th most saves in history.

Yankee fans suggest that Pap wasn’t really that effective anymore.  I say he is what he has always been:  one of the top 5 closers in Baseball.

Moving On

The Sox Bullpen has shaped up very nicely with Melancon hired for the 8^th and Andrew Bailey for the 9^th. 

The 27 year old Bailey has a 2.07 career ERA, 75 Saves and, even better, a career 0.954 WHIP. He  doesn’t let put a lot of men on base.  He’s a 6’3”, 240 pound Hoss, but he doesn’t throw like one.  He’s a control pitcher.  This all sounds good to me.  If we had to lose Papelbon, at least we got a young and capable replacement.

You really have to like the trade for Mark Melancon.  Big Ben sent often injured Jed Lowrie and soft throwing Kyle Weiland to the Astros for the 26 year old former Yankee farmhand, who secured 20 Saves and a 2.78 ERA for Houston in 2011.

Melancon.  Bailey.  They have lots in common.  Both are young, right handed, with the size and build of a linebacker, and both are C-H-E-A-P.  They are each making less than $500,000 in 2012.  Melancon isn’t arbitration eligible until 2014.

The Bullpen moves are a feather in the Cherrington cap.  Put these guys together with “Everyday” Alfredo Aceves and the healing Bobby Jenks and one begins to feel optimistic about the 2012 relief corps.

And a meaty corps it is.  These 4 fellows weigh in at a combined 950 pounds.  Although they are all big guys, there is some disparity in price.  Andrew Bailey comes to us for just $1,937 per pound.  Bobby Jenks, on the other hand, costs $26,636 per LB.  And there is 275 pounds of him to go around.

I believe we’ve got more imported ham than bologna in this crew.

Go Sox.

See Baby ‘Tek & the Little Perfessor on Netflix !

I stumbled across a wonderful video trove of Baseball history on Netflix.  Because I have a Wii,  Netflix, and internet from my cable company, I can watch Netflix on my TV.    Anyone with a Netflix account, the internet, and a gaming system can do this.

The trove on Netflex I speak of is 60 episodes of Talking Baseball, a 30 minute program in which host Ed Randall interviews different stars of past and present days.

The galaxy of stars include Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin, Bill Virdon, Bob Gibson, Bob Murphy, Chuck Tanner, Clete Boyer, Curt Flood, Darren Daulton, Del Crandall, Dock Ellis,  Dom DiMaggio, Don Sutton, Dusty Baker, Ernie Banks, Ernie Harwell, Jenkins with Stargell, Frank Howard, George Foster, Greg Maddux, Harmon Killebrew, Harry Caray, Howard Johnson, Jack Morris, Jason Varitek, Jim Leyland, Joe Pepitone, Johnny Podres, Juan Marichal, Keith Hernandez, Larry Bowa, Lonnie Smith, Luis Tiant, Maury Wills, Mickey Mantle, Orlando Cepeda, Ozzie Smith, Phil Niekro, Phil Rizzuto, Branca with Thomson, Ralph Kiner, Richie Ashburn, Vera Clemente with Roberto, Jr., Robin Roberts, Rod Carew, Roger Clemens, Ron Darling, Ron Santo, Sparky Anderson, Ted Simmons, Ted Williams, Glavine with Justice, Tom Kelly, Tom Seaver, Tony Oliva, Tony Perez, Travis Fryman, Wade Boggs, Whitey Ford, Will Clark and Yogi Berra.

These shows were recorded between 1988 and 1995.

19 of these people have passed.  28 of them are in the HOF.  One day, 33 of them may be in the Hall if we see Larkin, Maddux, Morris, Tiant and Glavine go in.

There are some great nuggets for Red Sox fans.  Like these thoughts from Wade Boggs:

In an April of 1994 appearance,  a humble Boggs reveled in his opportunity to play for the Yankees.  He said he first felt anxiety while playing against former Sox team mates, but he “crossed the bridge” emotionally and left Boston behind.  “The Sox made a business decision, went with Scott Cooper at a low salary, and just let me go.  I watched them let Fisk, Lynn, Rice and Evans go.  If they can do it to them, they can do it to me.  I’m not special.”

Boggs says about his 6 Minor League seasons:  “I figured they thought I had something to work on.  I figured that whenever I finally got to the majors, I would be there to stay.  I was categorized as a poor fielder, and a hitter without power.  There are a lot of labels that are put on people.  I was told in the Minors by a top honcho with the Sox that I would never play 3^rd base at the major league level, but I could hit a little.”

And as for his credentials for Cooperstown, he said, “My place in the HOF is NOT assured.  The guys in the Hall have 3,000 hits.  3,000 hits is the pinnacle, an important piece of the puzzle.  5 batting titles will not do it.”

Boggs was inducted in 2005 with 91.9% of the ballots in his first year of eligibility.  He finished with 3,010 hits.

Jason Varitek’s interview is a Kodak moment.  The 23-year-old catcher spoke with composure beyond his years.  ‘Tek explained that he had not yet sign with the Mariners nearly a year after the 1994 draft because their $400,000 signing bonus offer was $300,000 to $800,000 below what peer draftees were getting.  The buzz cut, jowly faced, pre-rookie ‘Tek explained that with the advice of his agent Scott Boras, he was staying strong, in-shape, calm, and fully understanding that he could only control what he could, and would not worry about the things he could not control.  Asked about his greatest talent, he cited his ability to lead others.  Prescient.

Dom DiMaggio , coiffed and well put together, recounted how Ted Williams insisted on not taking a pass on the second game of the double header on the last day of the 1941 season.  And as for that unrivaled year of ’41, he said, “It was amazing that I was a team mate of the guy who hit .400 and the brother of the other one who had a 56 game hitting streak  – in the same season !!!”

When Randall put Dom’s feet in the fire by asking him to name the greatest batsman he ever saw, the Little Perfessor chuckled his practiced reply, “Oh, I’ve answered that question many times.  Joe was the greatest right handed hitter I ever saw.  And Ted was the greatest left handed hitter I ever saw.”

Dom shared memories of the great talent on the 1940 Sox, when ¾’s of the Sox infield were future HOF’ers (Foxx, Cronin, Doerr):  “Course I played behind Cronin and Doer and I could see how they operated.  Doer was the smoothest second baseman.  He was just so pretty to watch.  1940 was the end of Joe Cronin’s career, but I could see that the talent had once been there and how graceful he was at shortstop.  By the time I got there, some of the balls that Joe would have gotten as a younger man were trickling through, so I when they did get through I charged in hard and made sure the runners didn’t go from 1^st to 3^rd.”

Dom explained how his Dad didn’t initially think that BB was something adults should aim for as a career goal.  “When we reached our teens he wanted us to work rather than play games and wear out clothes and shoes doing so.  But then Vince started as a pro player and Dad realized you could earn a salary.  Later, when Joe went Professional, Dad thought that was nice and he was proud.  And when Joe reached the majors, Dad looked at me and asked, ‘When are you going to start getting paid to play Baseball ?’  He did a compete 180.”

So boot up your Netflix and browse for TALKING BASEBALL WITH ED RANDALL.  Randall is a serious Baseball man and a smooth interviewer.  You’ll dig it.

Ed Randall continues to host TALKING BASEBALL on WFAN-AM Sunday mornings and on Sirius XM Radio’s Home Plate Channel on Saturday mornings.  He has called television play-by-play for the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees.  He is a survivor of Prostate Cancer and founder of Bat for The Cure, which is a charitable foundation dedicated to the prevention of Prostate Cancer.  You can learn more at www.batforthecure.com/.  You can read Ed Randall’s blog at http://www.edrandallstalkingbaseball.com/

Go Sox !

What’s it All About, Tito ?

Now that the season is over, I must ask, what has it all been about, Sox fans ?

Now that a little piece of our souls has been extinguished and placed in the tomb that was built by Aaron Boone, Mookie Wilson and Bucky Dent, I ask, what has this season really been about ?

It has been about Dustin Pedroia’s 25 game hitting streak.

And Pedey’s face on the cover of the Aug.  15 issue of Sports Illustrated.

And Pedey setting personal season highs in HR’s (21), triples (3), RBI (91), SB’s (26), BB’s (85) and OBP (.384).

And Adrian Gonzales’ league leading Hits (212) and fine .338 BA, 27 HR, and 117 RBI.

And Tim Wakefield’s 200^th major league victory on Sept. 13.

And Jacoby Ellsbury’s 30 – 30 season, the first in Red Sox history and the 58^th in MLB history.

And a 72W – 37L team record from May through August.

And a 18W – 35L team record in April & September.

And John Lackey’s $15,000,000 salary for a 6.41 ERA & 12 – 12 record.

And paying Andrew Miller $1 million to play in the Minors and stink like an old diaper in the Majors.

And Daniel Bard allowing 5 ER in 1 IP on Sept. 7; and 4 ER in 2/3 IP April 1; and 3 ER in 1/3 IP Aug. 1, and 3 other poor outings in September.

And Daniel Bard allowing ZERO ER in 24 consecutive appearances from July 1 to Aug. 31.

And Jon Lester laboring in three September starts.

Josh Reddick hot as a fire cracker in June, batting .407.

J.D. Drew, the $14 Million Dollar Man, getting NO Playing time from July 20 to Sept. 24 and nobody missing him.

David Ortiz, raising his BA 37 points, playing well in April, making fans forget about 2008 & 2009 with .309, 29, 96.

Losing Clay Buchholz to a spine stress fracture from June 16 to Sept. 27; Buch made only 14 starts.  

Being a perfect 77 – 0 when leading after 8 innings, until Sept. 28, when we blew it in the 9^th in the one game we couldn’t afford to lose.

And Papelbon’s mostly excellent farewell tour, a prelude to free agency, registering 4W – 1L, 2.94 ERA and 31 saves.

The success of 29 year old Alfredo Aceves, who posted 10 – 2, 2.61, 2 saves in  55 games.  Bring him back, Theo.

 

The destruction of Dice K Matsuzaka.

The absence of Youk from Sept. 16 to 28.

It is about Joe Girardi not running Mo Rivera into the game to protect a 1 run lead against the Rays in game #162.

It’s about David Ortiz being interviewed at 11 p.m. on Sept. 28, whispering that this has been the most difficult thing he has ever been through in his playing career.

It’s about the offense disappearing one night, the bullpen getting shelled the next day, multiple errors the day after that, and the starter bursting into flames the day following.

It’s about all 4 of the above going bad at the same time.

It’s a doubt that the malaise hanging over the Sox can be dissipated in time to begin the 2012 season.

It’s about the Baseball Gods shuffling the deck at the last possible moment before dealing the cards, changing the seat assignments, blessing some & damning others, proving anything can happen in Our Game.

It’s about the all time ignominious list of Baseball Collapses.  The ’51 Dodgers.  The ’64 Phils.  The ’78 Red Sox.  The ’07 Mets.  And the 2011 Boston Red Sox.

Round up: Base Ball, Abe Lincoln, Johnny & The Sox

Damon and the Rays

Johnny Damon has got to be smiling.  The former Sox CF’er signed with New York instead of the Sox after the 2005 season.  He went to the highest bidder but the winning margin was thin.  The Sox could have topped Brian Cashman’s bid with just $3 million more over 4 years.  Questions abounded at the time.  Would the Sox regret losing their speedy, talented clubhouse leader?  Would Johnny really put on the pinstripes ?  Would he be booed at Fenway ?  Do I have to throw away my WWJD T Shirt ?  (What Would Johnny Do ?)  And my Johnny Caveman beard ?

Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  And Yes.

Since leaving Boston, Johnny has won a ring in New York, played the wise and productive veteran in Detroit and produced for the Rays, who moved into first place in the Wild Card race last night.  All the while, Damon quietly builds on his career numbers.   2,720 hits, 231 homers, 1118 rbi, 404 stolen bases, 516 doubles.  He should get his 3,000th hit in September 2013 if he remains healthy.  If he stays out of the steroid discussion, he will go into the Hall.  The only 3,000 Hit Club Members not in the HOF are Pete Rose, Craig Biggio and Rafael “The Finger Wagerer” Palmeiro. 

Palmeiro and Biggio are suspected of usuing P.E.D.’s.

Rose is Rose.  Ineligible.

Damon will turn 38 on November 5.

Abe Lincoln’s grand daughter and the ballplayer

One finds baseball history in surprising places.

Little Lee & I were passing time with dear friends in the New England countryside this last weekend.  Abe Lincoln’s son, Robert, built a magnificent Mansion and grounds named Hildane in the postcard pretty village of Manchester, VT..  I opened a museum door in the Lincoln home and spied a cluster of 1900 era golf clubs, vintage snow shoes and 100 year old hockey sticks.  (Rumsden.)

“Was any vintage Baseball equipment left behind by the Lincolns?”, I asked the Curator.

“No,”, he demurred, “But Lincoln’s daughter Jessie married a Baseball player.  The marriage didn’t last.”

I wondered what kind of ballplayer married & divorced Abe’s granddaughter.

I dug into the archives.

The New York Times reported on 11/12/1897 that Jessie Harlan Lincoln Beckwith married Warren Wallace Beckwith in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The headline shouted. “  R.T. LINCOLN’S DAUGHTER WEDS; Marries an Iowa Man to Whom Her Parents Objected”.

 

In short, the couple met and fell in love when Beckwith’s family visited the Lincolns in Chicago.  Beckwith’s Father was a friend of Robert Lincoln. The Lincolns expressed their disapproval of the relationship and the matter was considered to be broken up.  But, Jessie and Warren set the gossip wheels in motion when they ran away and married.

Two days later, The Times reported on the character of Abe Lincoln’s grand son-in-law with this header:  BECKWITH A BASEBALL DUDE.; Hero of the Chicago Marriage Sensation Well Known in Dallas, Texas.

In paraphrase:  “Beckwith is well known in Dallas, having played for the Dallas team in the Texas League last year….He made a good professional record and was well behaved.” 

“Beckwith was popular not only with baseball patrons, but cut somewhat of a social figure over the circuit.  He was known among his associates as “The Dude” and “Lady Killer”.  He would never go into a game without first combing and brushing his hair flawlessly.  He always carried a pocket looking glass, and was in the habit of taking a look at himself just before starting from the clubhouse for the diamond.”

Somethings haven’t changed about ballplayers in a Century.

Jessie and Beckwith quietly divorced sometime between 1897 and 1900, the year a lawsuit exposed the secretive split.

Beckwith pitched for Aurora of the Western Interstate League in 1895, when Illinois was still considered to be Western by Baseball people.  Ban Johnson’s Chicago based league of the 1890’s, later to become the American League, was named The Western League.

In 1897, WWB played for the Denison-Sherman Twins, the Waco Tigers, Paris Midlands and the Dallas Steers of the Texas League.

In 1899 he played for the Sacramento Gilt Edges of the California League.

None of Beckwith’s individual records are listed on baseball-reference.com.  I may find them one day.

Although the Rail Splitter himself was known to swing a bat it is certain that the most advanced player in the extended family was old W.W. Beckwith.  A member of the extended family, that is, until Jessie and The Lady Killer went their separate ways.

Keep your daughters away from Ballplayers, friends.

Lackey’s contract

The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan spoke to the Rabbit Maranville Chapter of S.A.B.R. last night in Springfield, Mass.  Can the Sox recover from Lackey’s contract ?  Can Lackey recover from the personal difficulties that are currently effecting his pitching?  Ryan reacted to these questions.  “I don’t know.  What he is personally dealing with is terrible.  I liked the John Lackey that I saw pitch 4 shutout innings against New York on Sunday.  I’ve been watching him.  Trying to figure out what it is that he does well.  He makes the 1-6-3 double play well.  That he can do.  But what else?  I’m not sure.  He’s a pitch-to-contact pitcher.  When it works well, it’s great.  But that’s not the type of pitcher who might do well in the A.L. East.  They should have known that.”

Ryan is a magnetic speaker with razor sharp recall.  If you have a chance to hear him speak do not miss it.

Why I bought Yankee ALCS tickets.  Why I didn’t by BoSox ALDS tickets.

I couldn’t see spending 4 hours poured into a Fenway seat in the New England cold on a weekday night.  Prime time.  Great for TV advertising dollars, bad for every one else.  Especially old dudes like me.

Still, I am a Moron.

Only a moron could get excited about being tied for the Wild Card with 2 games to go.  But I’ve got butterflies.

Guilty.

What Will You Do in the Off Season ?

Big Papi's Body Langage says it all.

Well, the Sox gave away another one last night.  They could have gained 1.5 games vs. TB for the Wild Card but they blew a 4 – 1 lead.

Ho-hum.

The hopeful & forgiving part of my brain, the part that gives Jose Canseco the benefit of the doubt, the part that voted for O’Bama, the lobe that reluctantly acknowledges that Jeter and Cano are outstanding players, that part of my brain is looking past the end of the season and asking, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHEN THE SEASON ENDS NEXT WEEK ?

Well, I have been meaning to research a historical list of Baseball players with the most anatomical names.  Ed Head and Bill Hands to name two. And there are the lighthearted citations of Johnny Dickshot and Nippy Jones.

The list explodes when nicknames are mixed with proper surnames

Like Footsie Blair. Clay Barfoot.  Barry Foote.  Footer Johnson.  

Jerrod Head. Ralph Head.  Chase Headley.

Bird Eye Truby, Eyechart Mientkiewicz, Human Eyeball Lord, Eagle Eye Hemphill, Camera Eye Bishop.  Wagon Tongue Adams.

 

Iron Hands Sullivan, Handy Andy Pafko.  Brad Hand. Rich Hand.

 

 

There are 3 HOF’ers. Rollie Fingers, Three Finger Brown and Shufflefoot Boudreau.

 

Piano Legs Hickman, Piano Legs Gore.

 

Three Finger Newkirk.

 

Jim Hearty, of the 1894 San Fran Hot Peanuts.  What a cool name.

 

Derek Livernois.  Gary Tongue.

 

Ears Mossi.

And my personal favorite, Walt “No Neck” Williams.  The hustling little man on The 70’s ChiSox who well matched his nickname visually.

Who did I leave out ?

BACK TO UGLY REALITY

Even though the team has lost 6 in a row, 8 of 9, 13 of 15, and 18 of their last 26 games, the mission has not changed.  The Sox have got to put their best team on the field 6 more times.

The Probables haven’t been fully announced.  Here is what is on the team sites:

Fri, Sat, Sun at NYY:  Lester v TBD, Wake v TBD, TBD v TBD

Mon, Tue, Wed @ BAL: all TBD.

I expect they will start Beckett & Lester as per the norm in the final 2 BAL games.  That means they have to pick two guys to start on Sunday and Monday.  It’s a crap shoot.  Lackey and Miller are the worst of the remaining choices.  Bedard is a Box of Chocolates.  The rotation should round out as follows:

Fri  @ NYY  7:05    Lester vs. TBD.

Sat @ NYY  4:10    Wake vs. TBD.

Sun at NYY  1:05   Bedard vs. TBD

Mon @ BAL  7:05  Lackey vs. TBD 

 Tue @ BAL  7:05  Beckett vs. TBD

 Wed @ BAL: 7:05  Lester vs. TBD.

Lackey could swap days with Bedard but The Sox will probably see if an extra day of rest helps the most flawed starter on the team.  God only knows who Baltimore will start.  Now that the Yankees have clinched, expect them to rest CC, Nova and Colon.  Expect they will throw AJ at us this weekend with some minor leaguers, which is all in our favor, my fellow Sox fans.

I have never been and will never be a supporter of the New York Yankees.  But I must say something here.  After beating the hell out of Tampa this week, the Empire may further ingratiate themselves to Sox fans by starting poor pitchers and September call-ups all weekend against us.  In so doing, the Yankees may do more to help the Sox at season’s end then the Sox themselves are doing.

What a crazy flipping upside down year.

Distracted, Disgraced and Down

Do the Sox and Pedey have the will to win, as suggested by this week’s cover of Boston Baseball?

18 hours have passed since last night’s collapse and I am starting to regain my balance.

I feel like I was hit on the head with a wiffle ball bat, poked in the ribs, rolled over and fanny whacked.

18 hours ago Daniel Bard took a 1 run lead into the 8^th inning vs. Baltimore and went Single – K – Single against 3 batters, followed  by Papelbon’s K-Single-Double against the next 3 guys.  4 hits in 6 AB’s for 3 runs scored and a blown lead.

And another lost game. 

On a night when Boston could have plumped their wildcard lead from 2 games to 3, the Sox got another poor start and a bullpen fire to boot.  Erik Bedard lasted only 2 2/3 IP, yielding 4 runs, 1 ER, 5 Hits, and 2 BB.  Bard and Pap’s 3 runs allowed was more than the O’s needed to win, 7 – 5.

The Sox had come back from a 4 run deficit and nursed a lead from the 5^th to the 8^th inning.  The team was perfectly set up to have Bard & Pap turn out the lights.  That’s what really hurts.  The longer this slide goes on, the more creative the Sox seem to be at finding a way to lose.

So, do the Sox and Pedey have the will to win ?

I’m thinking NOT.

If distraction is an indication of defeat, then they are already defeated.  Reddick dropped a routine liner which led to 4 unearned runs in the 3^rd inning last night. 

That one distracted play could have foretold the outcome.  But the Reddick botch wasn’t sufficient.  The Bullpen came through and coughed up the victory.

If you think you are done, well, you are.  And you will find a way to lose.

So now the time comes to frame the September Slide in a historical context.

Where does a team that lost a 9 game Wild Card lead held on September 1 fit in among Baseball’s greatest collapses ?

The 1964 Phillies had a 6.5 game lead with 12 games left in the season.  They lost 10 in a row and finished tied for second.  That’s tough to top.

The 2007 Mets had a 7 game lead with 17 games remaining.  They lost 11 of 16, and finished in second by 1 game on the last day of the season when their ace, Tom Glavine, melted down.  They’ve been losing ever since.

The 1995 Angels led by 11.5 games on Aug. 9, then went 12-27 in their final 39 games ending in a tie with the Mariners.  Randy Johnson zotzed them 9 – 1, booting them onto the list of ignominy. 

My 1978 Red Sox led by 14 in July and still held a 7.5-game lead with 32 games remaining. They lost 14-of-17, then charged back with eight straight wins to force a 1 game playoff with the Yankees.  And then, Bucky Dent.

The 1951 Dodgers had a 13.5 game lead on Aug. 11.  They went a respectable 26-22 after that date, but the Giants won 37 out of their final 44 games, tying the Dodgers on the final day. The Giants won a 3 game playoff punctuated by the Shot Heard Round The World.

The 2011 Boston Red Sox were thought able enough to win 105 games by many with their loaded pitching staff, hardy hitters, and newly acquired studs.  They rebounded from a dreadful 2 W – 10 L start, captured first place and had a seemingly insurmountable 9 game lead in the Wild Card on Sept. 1.  Their starting pitching fell into a funk, the bullpen burst into flames, and the fielding errors were many  as the Sox lost 13 of 17 in September.  With the Wildcard lead down to 2 with 7 games left, their starting pitchers recorded an ERA of 8.97 as the Sox lost all 7 games by a combined score of 56 to 21.  Tampa took the Wild Card by 3 games.

I made that last part up.

And if it does happen, I’d put the 2011 Sox right there with the others mentioned above.  Maybe not the worst of the worst.  But definitely adrift somewhere between the others, feeling around in the dark for another win, unsure of how really bad they themselves are.

I should not watch the game tonight.  But I cannot look away.

Sox Streaking, Stinking, Sinking

The Rays are playing loose.

 Red Sox fans do not give up until our boys are mathematically eliminated.  We give nothing.  Anything can happen in baseball.

I hope it happens soon.

The tenants of the Tampa Ray bullpen strode slowly from the dugout, tall and lean, chatting and taking long, relaxed strides in the sunshine.  Leading the parade were two rookies.  One carried a pink parasol in one hand, a matching pink suitcase in the other.  His colleague walked beside him, a girlish white boa adorning his neck.

It was a rookie hazing seen in progress.  These are the loosey-goosey Joe Maddon Rays.

What else should we expect from a Manager who has Pajama Day and Letterman Sweater Day ?  These are days in which the team dons the aforementioned thematic garb and poses for photos.  Go google “Tampa Ray Pajama Day”.  See what you get.  These guys are having fun.

The Rays are the opposite of my Sox, who are playing tight, making errors, swinging and missing under the pressure of a September with a 4 W – 13 L record.

I had a great field box seat for the Sept. 18 game.  It gave me a perfect view of Mike Aviles’ TWO errant throws from third base.  I had a clear line of sight for the knuckler that bounced off Salty’s shinguard on an uncaught strike 3, allowing that run to reach 1^st base.  I saw to perfection Mr. Connor Jackson, who appears to be afraid of the Left Field wall, misplay a pop fly into a double.  Four men reached base in these fielding misadventures.  They all scored.  The Red Sox lost by 3 runs.  8 to 5.

There are many reasons why the Red Sox have lost 13 of their last 17 games, blowing a 9 game Wild Card lead and a small lead atop the Division —  since September 1. 

There’s been an absence of hitting in critical situations.  The middle relievers have performed poorly.  Fielding is going down the chute.

But how about the most important performers of all, i.e., the Starting Pitchers ?

Here is how each starter has fared in the 17 game slide.

Josh Beckett:  Made 2 starts.  Sox won 1.  2 Quality Starts.  1.86 ERA.  Give him a A+.

Jon Lester:  Made 4 starts.  Sox won 1.  Made 3 Quality Starts.  3.52 ERA.  His grade is a B+.

Erik Bedard: Made 1 start.  Sox won it.  Made 1 Quality Start.  4.50 ERA.  Grade him a solid B.

John Lackey:  Made 3 starts.  Sox won 0.  Made 0 Quality Starts.  8.79 ERA.  Give him an F.

Andrew Miller:  Made 2 starts.  Sox won 0.  Made 0 Quality Starts.  15.71 ERA.   F minus-minus.

Tim Wakefield:  Made 3 starts.  Sox won 1.  Made 1 Quality Start.  6.19 ERA.  A D performance.

Kyle Weiland:  Made 2 starts.  Sox won 0.  Made 0 Quality Starts.  9.00 ERA.  He gets an F.

Thus, Sox starters gave the team a chance to win in only 7 of 17 starts.  Never mind the bullpen.  Forget that Daniel Bard coughed up 3 leads and lost 3 games in 7 days.   Or that Matt Albers brought his little gasoline can to the mound with a 9.44 ERA in this slide.  Before we blame the relievers, a starting rotation made of Beckett, Lester, and a few pretenders is shooting the Sox in the foot.

Miller, Weiland and Lackey’s performances have been an abomination, but it is Shellackey that elicits the upchuck reflex. 

Money isn’t supposed to matter.  I don’t get hung up on salaries.  But in John’s case, the money is making a difference.  Theo signed him to a 5-year, $79.5 Million deal.  He is making $15 Million in 2011, the same sum he will be paid in 2012, 2013 and 2014. 

Nice job, Theo.  You’ve given us two World Championships but only one successful big fish free agent signing (Curt Schilling) in 9 years on the job. 

To underscore the point, at this moment John Lackey has left his start today vs. Baltimore after just 4.1 IP.   He allowed 8 Earned Runs.  The Sox may yet win this game.   They lead 18 to 9 through 8 innings.   But if they win, it will be not at all due to the most overpaid and underperforming man on the 2011 Red Sox roster.

The game on Sunday was mostly devoid of fan energy and noise.  There were a few feisty moments, such as when Wake became the first pitcher ever to throw 3,000 innings for the Beantown 9.

Such highlights did not alter the mood.

The radio broadcasters hit the note repeatedly.  “This crowd is nervous.  Worried.  I’ve never seen a Fenway crowd like this one.”, said Dave O’Brien.

The fans are as tight as the team.