The Boston Pro Sports Blog

Yeah I know they are dilapidated by injuries. But they are still the Yankees. And any win over the Yankees is a good win. Schilling looked marvelous last night, pitching eight full innings in only 99 pitches while allowing only five hits, one run, and zero walks while fanning six in a 9-5 Sox win over the Bronx Bombers.

So I know what your thinking when you read that last statement. Schilling pitched eight full with one run allowed? What the hell happened in the ninth? Keith Foulke happened in the ninth my friend. Foulkie allowed 5 hits and 4 runs in the ninth turning a 9-1 blowout into a “don’t turn the channel yet” ballgame. Foulke allowed a single to begin the inning and then collected two quick outs, before giving up back to back home runs to Alex Rodriquez and Jorge Posada. He then allowed back to back doublesto Robinson Cano and Bernie Williams before finally recording the last out of the ballgame.

With a 9-1 lead in the ninth we can cut Foulke some slack. His main objective at that point in the game is to throw strikes. As long as he doesn’t walk anyone, some of those strikes will inevitably end up as outs. That’s the theory anyway. So perhaps we can attribute Foulke’s batting practice session yesterday to the fact that he simply just wanted to throw strikes. At least that’s what I am telling myself.

The problem with Foulke’s outing yesterday is a little more complex than four runs on five hits(four for extra bases). In a weird way it puts a lot more pressure on David Wells. Boomer, who finished his rehab stint this week, should be back pitching for the Red Sox Friday. As much as I love DiNardo’s guile, he has been largely ineffective. In his five starts, he is 1-2, although the Sox have won three of those five. But last time he pitched, we got blown out by the Phillies in a game in which Lenny didn’t make it past the fourth inning.

With Foulke still inconsistent, Papelbon is almost guaranteed to stay as the closer for the rest of the season. This leaves Timlin as once again our only really reliable set-up man. Starting pitching is obviously important, but it only goes as far as the bullpen can take it. If Boomer’s knees only allow him to throw a few solid innings, it could wear out our already thin bullpen. When we activate Wells, there is a chance DiNardo might head back down to Triple A for a while to get his head back on straight. It is important that he does that considering he might be one of the better long inning set-up men we have in the organization.

I’ve almost felt bad for DiNardo. I have always liked him and had a lot of respect for him as well. No matter what the situation is, Lenny has never turned down an opportunity to take the mound. Whether its long-distance set-up out of the bullpen, Pawtucket, or keeping the seat warm for Wells, Lenny has done whatever he could for the Sox organization. It didn’t help that Francona seemed to throw in the towel for DiNardo’s starts before a pitch was ever thrown out either. How many times in only five starts did we see Willie Harris, Dustan Mohr, or Alex Cora in the lineup with DiNardo pitching? With this last start, Francona sat David Ortiz. Tito stated before the interleague series that Youklis, Lowell, and Ortiz were all going to get one day off. He gave Ortiz the DiNardo start off, and sat Lowell the second game of the series despite Mike going 3 for 3 the night before. Is it just me or would it have made more sense to put our best hitters against our interim number five pitcher?

In any event, the DiNardo experiment is over. For now. If Wells implodes again this Friday we might have a bigger problem on our hands. I can gaurentee the result of Wells’ start on Friday night will have a direct impact on the amount of Dontrelle Willis/Roger Clemens rumors on Monday. Frankly I’d rather just see him pitch well.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

The Red Sox win streak over the Orioles was ended yesterday after a 4-3 loss. Wakefield didn’t get much run support although give credit to Baltimore pitcher Eric Bedard who held Sox batters to two hits and only one run in seven strong innings. The Sox led 1-0 after a first inning RBI from David Ortiz, but fell behind 2-1 after former Red Sock Kevin Millar took a Wakefield knuckler deep for a 2-run homer.

Big Papi then made it close by drilling a two run shot off Chris Ray in the top of the ninth inning. Wily Mo Pena then singled to short after Manny and Mike Lowell both struck out looking. Willie Harris entered the game to run for Pena, and Trot Nixon came to the plate with a man on first and two out.

The story of the night came two pitches later, when, after Trot took the first pitch for a ball, Harris decided to steal second base despite getting the hold sign from third base coach Bill Haselman and skipper Terry Francona. Harris has a 77% success rate with stealing(50 for 65 career) so obviously he knows what he is doing and is good at his job. But last I heard, the reason the coaching staff is there is for situations exactly like this. You can’t just go around ignoring the coaches and just doing whatever you want. I mean, this isn’t the NBA here. You are suppose to take the signs. Francona might have known something about Nixon facing Chris Ray. Had Harris not stolen, Trot would be sitting on a 2-0 hitters count as well. Although I do understand that if he had stolen second and Trot had gotten a hit we would be singing a different tune.

After that game Nixon said that “'’I thought he was in there. That’s Willie’s game. Obviously, I did want to bat, but I’d never blame a guy for playing hard to get in scoring position.” I guess we cant come down too hard on Willie. Although I hate when people play ‘hard to get’ when I’m about to score. Next time Willie will focus more on the signs. Honest mistake I guess. We move on. Hopefully he’ll will have that much more motivation to swipe a base when we need it next chance he gets.

Sox are off today and begin inter-league play this weekend playing at Philadelphia before hosting the Bronx Bombers next week.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

Doug Flutie announced his retirement today, stating that he would not return for his 22nd season of professional football. Flutie, a Natick native, spent most of his time with Canadian Football League but also did tours with the United States Football League and the National Football League. He is perhaps best known around these parts for his legendary career at Boston College. Flutie led the Eagles from 1981-84, a career that transcended BC football to national fame and left him as a local deity, a reputation that has continued to subsist at the Heights throughout the post-Flutie decades.

He has also used his fame to promote his Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, which helps raise money and awareness for autism. Doug is also known for routinely joining in local pick-up basketball games as well as helping to promote a lot of the clubs and student organizations at Boston College. You would be hard-pressed to find a lot of New Englanders who would speak ill of Doug, although he will be the first to tell you that he’s always had critics.

His football career in the States is most notably highlighted by a November 22, 1984 Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan on the last play to upset #1 ranked Miami, a 1984 Heisman Trophy, and of course, his own cereal called ‘Flutie Flakes’. Which should be the true mark of an athlete’s career if you ask me. I mean, say what you want about Count Dracula’s pro tennis career, but the guy’s still got his own cereal. And despite Tony the Tiger’s lifetime ban for violating every performance enhancing drug policy known to man, his cereal is pretty popular.

Flutie’s best years were the eight seasons he spent with the Canadian Football League, where he took home six Most Outstanding Player awards and three Championship rings while racking up 41,355 yards and 270 touchdown passes. His career in the NFL was spotty at best, highlighted by a lone Pro-Bowl appearance. However, watching Flutie was anything but dull and, as ESPN’s Mark Kreidler explains, his career as a ‘professional’ football player just might be Canton worthy after all.

Regardless of his numbers, Flutie was a great football player and a joy to watch. He almost epitomized the Cinderella story, constantly ignoring or proving all of his critics wrong. I agree that we were all lucky to witness Doug’s career.

Doug Flutie will forever go down as one of the greatest athletes in Boston’s history. And if you ask me, one hell of a good guy.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

Last night was just an example of how fragile and capricious personal emotions can be during the months of a baseball season. Yesterday my psyche was on cloud nine, this morning it sat by the blue rubbermaid barrels waiting to be dragged off and slung onto a pile of other Red Sox fans’ disheartened mindsets. This will last for another few hours until Tom Caron and the NESN pregame show will arouse my Red Sox libido back to its rightful spot on a small dip in between the twin peaks of hopeful inspiration and dreaded fear.

I thought about the nature of my relationship with baseball, in light of yesterdays 7-3 loss to the Yankees, over my Rice Crispies this morning. My key realization, however obvious, is that baseball is indeed a game of averages. Not just numbers on a piece of paper, but emotional averages as well. As with any competitive league, there is essentially only one team, and their fans, who are left happy, satisfied, and fulfilled at the conclusion of any given season. However, I believe it to be how happy your team has made you on average, that is the ultimate test of a successful season, week, or month in the game of baseball. There is certainly the relevance of how much you enjoyed watching your team play. As well as the lesser details of how much your team causes you to invest your time, how hopeful you are before a given contest or season, and how much you believe they could win a title. But those are less essential than an over-simplified summary of just how happy your team actually made you.

You could rank your team on a .1000 percentage scale as to how happy they made you if you would prefer to stay loyal to the Bill James school of baseball numbers. I am sure you could create a mathematical formula as well that would include such numerical variables as how many hours you spent watching, thinking, or talking about your team; how many souvenir items you purchased within the last year; and how much you would be willing to pay for a playoff ticket. You could also throw in the team’s record as well.

As residents of a city that has enjoyed an abundance of championship trophies in the past few years, it might be a little more difficult to fully embrace this concept. After the Patriots’ streak of dominance, its almost hard to comprehend that anything but a championship could still be considered a good season. But if you really try to empathize with an average fan from an average franchise(and remind yourself you are a Celtics and Bruins fan too), its less difficult than you think. For example, I am sure Buffalo Bills fans of the ‘90s were pretty happy with their teams during the seasons. And if you don’t think Philly fans were happy just to have gotten to the Superbowl, well, then you need to talk with a member of the Department of Public Works. I am sure there are also a few(perhaps very few) Tampa Bay fans who actually enjoy watching Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and Scott Kazmir play on a daily basis, despite their abysmal record. And likewise a group of Yankee fans who can’t possibly enjoy watching their team play.

Baseball is the ultimate example of how this concept is important. On any given day their could be a slew of fans around the country happy with how their team played that day, regardless of whether they lived in St. Louis, Pittsburg, Chicago, or Kansas City. However, it is exactly the average feeling that is most important. Just as any big league slugger is not judged on any single game performance, but rather his average over a particular span of time. That time period could range from a week, to a season, to a decade, to a history of the franchise. For me and the Red Sox right now, it’s this season, with the occasional streak thrown in as well. And despite last nights hurtful loss, I’m pretty happy. Cautious, intrigued, anxious, and excited, and sometimes frustrated as well, but pretty happy nevertheless.

The most efficient way to fully evaluate your team based on this philosophy, would be to judge them at the end of the season, but prior to playoffs. This is a lot like giving a grade before the final exam, but it would put things in perspective a little more. As a fan, you might be more appreciative if you took as second to think about how your team made you feel during the duration of the season. No we’re not going to hold hands, take deep breaths, and really open up to the lesbian hippy moderator sitting Indian style across the circle, nodding her head like she really cares. But maybe you can crack a beer and appreciate(or scorn) how happy your team made you that season, before the ultimate disappointment of them not winning a championship.

As this strategy exists on averages, it is appropriate especially for baseball. As it transcends numbers, it can be universally applicable. As a baseball fan, it can be emotionally exhausting riding the highs and lows of a 162 game season. And many of us are not quite seasoned vets at it. Its tough to balance the appropriate detachment with the necessary passion of being a dedicated fan. So at any given time during the duration of a season, you can stop and think about the overall sensation of rooting for you team. If you’re a die-hard Pirates fan, you might not want to do this around razor blades, thick rope, or a medicine cabinet filled with old half-full prescription bottles. Or maybe you don’t want to think about it at all. But for the average Red Sox fan, it might be imperative for your sanity to think about the slightly bigger picture every now and again.

Or maybe you could just listen to what your Rice Crispies have to say.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

Oh man. There are not too many ways last night could have gone any better. Beckett was solid, Randy Johnson SUCKED. The Yankees defense bumble-fucked around for a slew of errors and unearned runs. The seemingly steady Bernie Williams tossed his helmet at the home plate ump in frustration, probably more from the game as a whole than the specific call. Johnson got booed by 54,000 of his own fans. Damon is still hitless. A-Rod’s O-fer brought him to a .259 average. And then there’s this. It just doesn’t get much better than last night.

I know that the proper thing to do is remind ourselves that its only May and that we still have 17 more games against the Yankees who undoubtedly have the scariest lineup in baseball. But I don’t care. This is too good. Say what you want about this Sox club so far this season, but one thing you must admire is the fact they have played their best baseball against the Yankees. And what Sox fan doesn’t love that?

Sixteen hits. Fourteen runs with thirteen men left on base. God the Yankees are lucky last night wasn’t more embarrassing than it was. If tonight’s results are any similar to last nights, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yanks throw at Ortiz, just out of frustration. I would say a nice plunking of A-Rod would be good retaliation but, as you know, we don’t throw at .260 hitters.

The good and bad thing about baseball is that the next day it’s a whole new ballgame. I just wish they all went like last night.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

The Sox finished up a six(would have been seven without a rainout) game homestand yesterday by defeating Baltimore for the sixth straight time this season, leaving them 5-1 for those games and tied for first in the AL East(technically second if you count percentage points). Our bats seemed to come alive after previously slumping a little during the previous roadtrip.

I was happy to see Lenny DiNardo get his first win yesterday as well. If he can get some control back(he walked in a run) he might be able to stay in the rotation considering he only gave up two hits in five innings. I was even happier to see Varitek hit a grand slam. I was surprised to know that it was only his second of his career. I would have thought he would have a few more than two. Seeing Loretta go 8-16 in the homestand was another major plus. We definitely need him to put up some numbers considering our lineup isn’t as hitting-centered as in the past.

Manny Delcarmen was sent back down to Pawtucket today. Expect a roster move tomorrow. I would say it will probably some more bullpen help. The two main possibilities are lefty Mike Holtz or righty Jermaine Van Buren. We could also see short stop Dustin Pedroia. Right-handed relief pitcher David Riske threw side sessions yesterday as well so he could be back in the line-up in the near future. Whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen. The one thing we do know is that our bullpen needs to improve. Outside of Timlin, Foulke, and Papelbon it’s a crap-shoot.

The Sox had the day off today and head down to the Bronx tomorrow. Hopefully well rested and ready to go.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

Well Clement showed that he can be the 10-2 Matt that we saw at the beginning of last season. Or he at least has the potential to. He held the Jays to two hits in six innings last night. He must have read Eric Wilbur’s blog.

It was our inconsistent bullpen that decided to make things interesting, with Seanez giving up a two run shot and Tavarez giving up a solo homer in the late innings last night. Papelbon got to pad his stats with his eleventh save after a 7-1 lead eroded to 7-4.

One good thing was our balance of offense. We got 7 Runs Batted In from 5 different players. As much as I would still criticize Theo’s trade, I can at least take some solace in the fact that Wily Mo Pena is hitting .322.

Schilling goes for his fifth tonight. But we said that last time. It would be nice to have a hot May. Tonights as good a night as any to start that. Go Sox.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

Take a deep breath. Soak it up. Enjoy it. Last night was the best game the Red Sox have played this season. With more storylines than a Brothers Grimm collection, last nights 7-3 win over the Yankees was a perfect way to kick off the greatest rivalry in sports. I am slightly disappointed at the intense hatred toward Johnny Damon displayed last night. I am not going to get into it much since we would need the dental records to identify this horse its been beat so bad. But Johnny played hard everyday in a Sox uniform, he catered to the fans, and above all he brought us a World Championship. The Yankees gave him $12 million more than we offered and he accepted. He may be a hypocrite, he has always been an idiot, but he is no son of Satan. I will leave it at that.

On to the happier events of last night. In one of the most bad-ass displays of player exchanging, Doug Mirabelli exited his limo in full uniform upon arriving at Fenway 12 minutes after landing in Logan. Many thanks to the Massachusetts State Police and the Big Dig for this goose-bump inducing Red Sox moment. I know its not nearly on the same stratosphere but Doug’s return in full uniform was vaguely reminiscent of Larry’s reappearance from the Garden’s tunnel after suffering a concussion. I know, I know. He’s a back-up catcher hitting .192. I don’t care. I was much more excited about Doug’s return last night than hearing the verdict about Damon. Our knuckleballer Yankee killer got his personal catcher back just in time to allow 3 runs on 4 hits in seven full. I am not going to apologize for being excited about that.

There were few things more obvious than the problem Josh Bard had catching Timmy. Bard’s a great backup catcher and a hard worker, but he just couldn’t catch the knuckleball. It was clear it was throwing Tim off a little as well. How could it not. Bard had as many passed balls in 5 games than Mirabelli had all last season. So Theo made the swap and Dougie’s back in town. Welcome back Doug. This could be the missing variable to make Wake’s starts equal wins. Well, that and us hitting the ball.

Which we didn’t have a problem doing last night. I know everyone is praising David Ortiz today for his four RBIs, and rightly so. Not only did Big Papi’s three run homer in the eighth add insurance to our lead, it crushed any Yankee hopes of a win and solidified him as one of the most clutch hitters in baseball(and a certified Yankee killer). However I would just like to point out that it was Mark Loretta that hit a two-out single with two men on to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Loretta’s hit scooted past the mound and right up the middle of the infield to drive in Willie Harris who was on second and running for Alex Cora. Loretta’s game winning RBI was very Bill Mueller-esque and hopefully induced a spark that will pull him out of his mini-slump. Had Ortiz recorded the third out of the eighth, it would have been Loretta’s hit that would have been the celebrated winning run. However, Papi stepped up and proved why he is the best hitter in the American League by crushing a 3-2 pitch to deep center, into the wind.

The best part about Ortiz’s home run was that it came off of Mike Myers, the lefty specialist that the Yankees acquired specifically to face Ortiz in late inning situations. Oh man, it just doesn’t get any better than this. And if you didn’t have enough reason to get pumped for The Rivalry, just keep in mind that the Sox lost the American League East title last year on a 10-9 tiebreaker. So yeah, its early May and its only the first of many Sox-Yanks games this season. But they are all important. As if I had to remind you.

Tonight Beckett hits the mound tonight. Hopefully to prove that 2003 wasn’t a fluke and that he is in fact the Yankee killer we all hope him to be. Go Sox.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

That is the question. Unfortunately it will be a mere 37,000 Fenway Faithful who will cheer/boo on behalf of the entire Red Sox Nation tonight during Johnny Damon’s return to Fenway Park. The problem with this is that I am sure if you ask 10 Sox fans you will get 10 different opinions. Needless to say, the Johnny debate has caused some turmoil throughout the Red Sox Nation. After a lengthy and emotionally flip-flopping deliberation over breakfast this morning, I finally reached a conclusion on what I would do if I were attending the Sox-Yankees game tonight.

When Johnny Damon steps up to the plate at Fenway Park for the first time since crossing over to the dark side I would cheer him. Regardless of what uniform he bears now, he was a great Red Sock and one of the most important members of our beloved World Series Champion Idiots that ended our 86 year old title drought. For this, Johnny Damon deserves the same treatment that each member of this unique and esteemed team has received. Orlando Cabrera received a standing ovation in his return to Fenway Park despite the fact he returned in an opponent’s uniform. Pedro will during his return in June. If the Dodgers came to town half the team would receive a cheer(except maybe their manager). Johnny Damon should receive the same. So for his first at-bat the crowd should stand, applaud, and cheer for the same Johnny Damon that we all knew and loved. It will be, in essence, our final good-bye to Johnny Damon as a Red Sock. We were stripped of any closure during an offseason which we never had the chance to see him(characteristic of most offseasons – something we may have forgotten since 2004). So this should be a chance to say thank you to the returning Johnny Damon. That’s it. One at-bat, one standing O. After that he’s a Yankee. And he is subject to the hatred, the boos, and the allegations of sodomy or debilitating diseases acquired primarily through drug use or unsafe intercourse like any other human donning a Yankee uniform. And that is how it should be.

I understand most arguments. In fact, I have probably made about every argument there is during some point of my grieving time for Johnny. But its done, its over, and to argue over responsibility is futile. I am completely ok with Johnny Damon being a Yankee. I have been for a while actually. The only problem I have had recently is how to convey my regard for Johnny in a way that makes sense and is fair.

I love this 2006 Red Sox team. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Yes they can be frustrating and I may get upset at them, but that’s the nature of being a sports fan. Especially a Red Sox fan. And I am ok with that, because at the end of the 162 game season you really feel like you have a bond with your team. You have experienced the things they have. There will certainly be adjustments along the way, but that’s part of the game as well. As a fan you get attached and you have to deal with the consequences of that. Which is precisely why the Damon predicament has been difficult. If you get attached you might get hurt if that person leaves. If you don’t get attached then you have never really loved your team. If you ask me the latter is much more discreditable to the true fan. The experience of sharing a World Series Championship with Johnny Damon was much more joyful than his departure was sad. Which is why if I were one of the 37,000 strong attending Johnny’s reception tonight at Fenway, I would cheer. Just once. Then I’ll boo his ass and laugh at stuff like this. Yankees Suck.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com

So tonight the loudest reception, be it jeers or cheers, should not go to the returning Johnny Damon who will make his first appearance at Fenway Park since signing over to the pinstripes in December. That accolade should go to tonight’s starting catcher Mr. Doug Mirabelli. Dougie will return to a Red Sox uniform and resume as Wakefield’s personal catcher tonight after a trade late last night with the San Diego Padres.

After the Josh Bard experiment turned disastrous, the Red Sox brass decided it was time to bring back their man. Since Mirabelli wasn’t getting the playing time he originally thought with the Padres, the trade made sense. In fact, it makes sense for both teams. The Sox gave up minor league pitcher Cla Meredith, Josh Bard, and probably some cash for Mirabelli. Bard is a solid backup catcher, he just struggled with the knuckleball. So the Padres trade backup catcher for backup catcher, plus they get a pitcher with good potential. The Red Sox get Mirabelli back and possibly more production out of Tim Wakefield. Essentially this makes the trade Meredith, Bard, and cash for Mark Loretta, which I don’t think too many fantasy players would veto. Alls well that ends well I suppose. Welcome back Doug. I hope the Fenway Faithful expresses how truly happy we are to have you back.

theaveragefan@bostonprosports.com