Sox fall to Phils

Despite the way the game ended, Ryan Dempster was excellent today. My mother, the casual Red Sox fan, remarked that his name looked like "dumpster" (I'm sure he's never heard that one before) - but he pitched as well as you could expect tonight, giving up just two runs in seven full innings.

Unsurprisingly, the Sox bats couldn't get anything going tonight against Phillies' starter Cliff Lee. Indeed, when I saw who they had going for them tonight, I mentally prepared myself for the disappointment of the conclusion of the four-game winning streak. I would like to once again go on record thanking the Phillies for signing Lee back in the 2010-2011 offseason. Everyone figured he'd go to the Rangers or the Yankees, but he surprised us all and went to Philadelphia. If Lee had made a different choice, we'd be suffering at his hands much more frequently.

With Lee and Dempster performing well, that was an impressively quick game. Certainly it helped that the Sox and the Phils scored just four runs between them, but both Dempster and Lee worked at a brisk pace. Indeed, the two starters are exactly what MLB was hoping for with its rules on pitching speed.

It was weird to see Jonathan Papelbon pitching at Fenway Park again. The former Red Sox closer got the save for the Phillies, indicing David Ortiz into grounding out into the shift to end the game. I'm not sure why the boos seemed to be so loud - I don't begrudge Paps for following the money to his current team. The Sox weren't prepared to show him the money he was looking for, and you could argue that we've paid for that bit of thrift with all the closer woes we've had since the departure of #58.

Thanks again, Cliff Lee!

 With all of the starpower on its way to the American League for the upcoming season, I think it's time to once again thank Cliff Lee for shunning the Yankees' offer of more money to go to Philadelphia last offseason.  With Albert Pujols heading to Anaheim, Prince Fielder going to Detroit, and Roy Oswalt talking to the Rangers, I'm happier than ever that Lee opted for the National League.

Thankfully, neither Pujols nor Fielder are in our division, so we'll be facing the Angels just six times and the Tigers ten times during the regular season (in contrast, we'll play the Yankees, Rays, and other divisional rivals eighteen times each).

Of course, it was especially sweet to finally see a high caliber player rejecting New York, just because their endless money tends to see them getting every player they want, but one year later there's a different perspective - not having to face Lee and his Phils could be the difference between a playoff berth and a third straight year at home in October.

Given the pedigree of hitter now in the AL (and the fact that the DH rule means one more good hitter in the lineup of every non-interleague game), I'm sure Lee is even more content with his decision than he was a year ago.

Terry Francona: Maverick

The current mid-week series in Philly is being billed by many of the talking heads in the sports business as a Fall Classic preview.  The Sox and the Phils are the toast of the bigs, despite the fact that Boston is a game and a half behind New York in the standings right now.

Tonight pitted Josh Beckett against Cliff Lee.  Though Cliff claimed the "W," I won't hold a grudge because I still worship the ground mound he walks on for spurning the advances of the Evil Empire during the offseason.  He's an honorary favorite for life, though that might change if we actually end up meeting him in October.

Despite the fact that I generally approve of Cliff Lee (and Philadelphia generally) I was very happy when Lee gacve up his first hit to the Red Sox, a single to Marco Scutaro in the sixth inning.  The only other Sox hit of the night was clubbed by Darnell McDonald, who doubled to lead off the top of the eighth inning.

We have John Lackey going for us tomorrow, and the big righty has been a bit of a mystery this season.  Personally, I'm inclined to cut him rather more slack than I normally would, because his wife Krista has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and I know how draining, distressing, and rattling it can be to watch a family member fight that battle.

Tito (a better maverick than John McCain ever was), has been hinting that he will combat the uncertainty of Lackey on the bump by putting David Ortiz in the lineup.  As all of you know, playing in Philly means Papi will have to play first base... thus sliding Adrian Gonzalez to right field. Yes, right field.

I could give you my perspective on this plan, but, as always, Dustin Pedroia's take is much more entertaining, so I'll leave it with this sentiment from my favorite second-baseman: "It'll be good offensively, but damn, I've gotta play second, first and right. That's a lot of ground to cover, man. I've got small legs."

It's beginning to look a lot like Cliff-mas...

Yes, the rumors are (apparently) true. Clifton Phifer Lee has turned down offers from the Rangers and Yankees to sign with that "mystery team" we've been hearing about all along: many fans assumed it was a ploy from agent Darek Braunecker, but it turns out that the mystery is for real, and it resides in Citizens Bank Park In Philadelphia.

This is literally the best-case scenario for Red Sox fans. I've been saying for weeks that I wanted Lee to go to the Rangers if given the choice between his two suitors, despite the fact that I was SURE he would be in the Bronx - and that what I wanted most of all was for him to end up in the National League.

Generally, I'm a giant skeptic, but Santa has really made a believer about of me this year, first with Gonzo and Crawford, and now this fantastic outcome in the Lee fiasco. Seriously, we Red Sox fans should be kissing Cliff Lee's feet, both for distracting the Yankees for long enough for the Sox to sign Crawford (surely he was their Plan B heading into the offseason), and for ultimately spurning the Yankees offer to return to Philadelphia, thus ensuring that our batters won't see him until the World Series or during interleague play in June.

Apparently, the Yankees had offered Lee $138 million over six years, with an option for a seventh year (for another $16 million), the Rangers offered "a menu of contract options," but it was the Philly's offer of five years, $120 million, with a vesting option for a sixth year for a whopping $27.5 million if he pitches 200 innings in 2015, or 400 combined between 2014-15.

It is interesting to note that the Lees turned down New York, not in favor of being closer to their Arkansas home while playing for Texas, but to go back to someplace Cliff felt comfortable. Lee is really a stand-up guy: we all heard about how uncomfortable Mrs. Lee was in New York for the ALCS, with Yankees fans apparently spitting and throwing beer from the upper decks into the visiting family section, and it seems the couple has taken that into consideration.

It certainly wasn't the money that sent Lee to Philly, so it seems we have no choice but to take it at face value when he claims to simply feel like he belongs there. Lee's former teammates in Philadelphia from the 2009 title run are thrilled to have him back, and rightly so, as he brings the number of aces in their rotation up to four.

I don't know about you, but I'm very glad Cliff Lee will be in the National League for the foreseeable future. Usually I'm a secularist when it comes to holidays, but this year I'll be celebrating Cliff-mas with all of Philadelphia.

Crazy for Cliff Lee (but not insane)

"The Rangers may do something crazy when it comes to Lee, but they won't do something insane." - T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

What on Earth does that even mean? That they won't outbid the Evil Empire? I hate to be critical, but DUH. Even if the Rangers front office had half a mind to try to outbid the Yankees, such a thing is impossible (as Red Sox fans will remember). Yes, the Rangers have a lucrative new television contract... but the Yankees OWN their own network, and in the biggest market in the country.


Nolan Ryan, at least, fully understands just how hard it will be to retain Lee, but their best bet may lie with the three rules of real estate: location, location, location.

New York taxes and the cost of living (even if Lee should choose to live in New Jersey) will add up very quickly. The Rangers can offer the ace millions less than the Yankees, and the adjusted gross value after taxes and all that jazz will probably still be higher if the fireballer stays in Texas.

And, apparently Lee's wife was no fan of New York Yankees faithful:

Perhaps the Rangers' greatest sales pitch simply was having Kristen sit in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs. She says there were ugly taunts. Obscenities. Cups of beer thrown. Even fans spitting from the section above. "The fans did not do good things in my heart," Kristen says. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal." (Via Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY)

There's also the fact that both Kristen and Cliff Lee's families live a forty-minute flight away from Arlington, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the couple recently purchased a home in the city.

Of course, the Yankees will have Lee's friend and former teammate, CC Sabathia, looking to recruit him, and the Bronx Bombers have the resources to commit more money and years to any offer they give.

The Rangers are quietly attempting to woo Lee - they haven't made any well-publicized treks across the country, but they're determined to give this their best shot, and prepared to offer him more money than any Ranger since A*Rod (remember him?).

Rangers second-baseman Ian Kinsler wants Lee to stay in Texas: "In the offseason, I'm probably going to call his phone, oh, a couple of hundred times."

You do that, Ian... Personally, I want Cliff Lee in Arlinton for a long time to come. Actually, in an ideal world, he would go to the National League, so I wouldn't have to see him mow down my boys a few times every summer - but I'll take Texas.

Come on, Jon Daniels.... Make it happen. Do something CRAZY! But not insane.

Will the real New York Yankees fans please stand up?

I wasn't surprised when the Yankees took Game 5 yesterday evening. Yes, I would have preferred the Rangers take it then and there, and then spray ginger ale all over the Yankee "Faithful" while shouting "How's this for fan interference? DO YOU FEEL INTERFERED WITH?!?"

But that was a pipe dream, really. You cannot depend on CC Sabathia throwing two stinkers in one series. He is just too talented for that, and definitely worth every penny the Yankees threw at him (not to mention all the money they must spend to feed him).

That being said, I fully expect Texas to take it. Even if Phil Hughes pitches a gem tomorrow, the Rangers have the trump card, which in this case is an ace (clever, right?). Cliff Lee is as close to unbeatable as it gets in this postseason. His career ERA is 1.44, and the Rangers will even have home field advantage to fall back on.

Yesterday, one of my friends asked me why I care so much about this series, as the Red Sox aren't in it. After telling her that she clearly didn't know me at all, I gave the old line about hating the Yankees, but that's not the most accurate reason. The fact is, I don't really care too much about the team, it's that I really want the fans to suffer.

The entitlement that Yankees fans seem to possess as a group is absolutely astounding, and it's positively infuriating. I've never met a Rangers fan who was in any way annoying, dismissive, or patronizing. Part of this is undoubtedly a consequence of geography: I live in the northeast and go to school in Connecticut, so I don't run into many Rangers fans.

In the last few days, however, the Yankees-related posts I've been seeing on my Facebook feed are downright rage-inducing, which only makes me hope even more fervently for a Rangers victory, if only so that the Yankees "Faithful" would understand that it actually takes some "faith" to be a fan.

So, without further ado, here's a series of screengrabs from "fans" I actually know... their names and those of the commenters have been obscured for privacy's sake, but I'm sure they'll feel your judgment nevertheless:


First of all, this girl thinks she's British. She is from Manhattan. The real point of this one is to totally showcase the sense of entitlement that fans like Green have: it's not "I hope Cashman goes after Lee," it's "Lee is the best so obviously we'll get him, because, like, who else can afford it, lol."

Obviously when the man who won the 2008 Home Run Derby - IN YANKEE STADIUM - goes deep, it's "lucky." The Yankees never lose because they played poorly, it's because the other team got lucky. Thanks for the lesson, pink. I also think he's forgetting about the other SIX runs the Rangers scored that night. Pretty lucky, eh?

Again, obviously the Rangers couldn't be a formidable team: they're not the Yankees! (Or some other big-market team, like Boston, or Philadelphia.) Get a clue: the Yankees and Rangers SPLIT the season series.

Apparently you can only recognize and care about a team when they are winning. This would, I suppose, explain the lack of Washington Nationals fans. Hello, it's called "faith" for a reason.


Only when the Yankees win the game can they be "real." Since real Yankees never lose, the ones who lost three games to the Rangers must have been impostors planted on the field by that diabolical Nolan Ryan.

For the record, these are all people who are self-defined "diehards." I'd hate to see how fickle their bandwagoners are.

All hail Kevin Youkilis!

Kevin Youkilis is an amazingly effective ballplayer. He has impressive stats, year after year, and yet he's criminally overlooked. Last night Youkilis almost singlehandedly won the game for the Red Sox, driving in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth off of Cliff Lee, and then driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.

Of all the games in this series, last night's was the one I was ready to concede: Cliff Lee is anything but easy to beat, and he had the added motivation of wanting to win his first start in a Rangers uniform. Lee came all too close, getting one out away from a complete game victory when he was thwarted by Youkilis.

Youk often comes through in the clutch, but he's so consistently good that no one seems to notice when he's great. Famously snubbed for this year's All-Star Game, Youkilis shrugged it off, though Red Sox Nation was ready to back him up if indignation was the path he chose; causing a stir has never been his style.

Fiercely competitive (though quieter about it than some of his teammates), Youkilis just wants the Red Sox to win games, and he does everything he can to make sure that happens as often as possible. Every at-bat is a battle, just as every defensive chance is life-or-death, and more often than not, Youkilis comes through.

Here's hoping the dramatic win from last night spurs the Sox to even greater heights (a win streak would be nice) so they can stay alive until some reinforcements arrive.

I love you, Nolan Ryan

I know that Jon Daniels is technically the GM of the Texas Rangers, but you just know President Nolan Ryan has a hand in everything, especially a pitching acquisition like Cliff Lee. As you all doubtless know, the New York Yankees were thisclose to a deal with the Mariners that would have Lee in pinstripes if the Rangers hadn't made an irresistible offer.

Apparently, the inclusion of first baseman Justin Smoak made the deal too good to trun down, and thwarted New York's aspiration to acquire Lee in the bargain. I mean, it makes perfect sense when you think about it: the Yankees have a teamwide policy of "if you can't beat'em, sign'em." It includes players such as CC Sabathia, Johnny Damon, and AJ Burnett, and it almost included Cliff Lee.

And thank god it didn't...

As a Red Sox fan, you've got to love the Texas Rangers for preventing a pitching rotation of Lee, Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte in the Bronx - they won last year with just three capable starters, and the thought of them adding Lee makes me a little ill. Of course, it's very possible that Lee will head to the Bronx via free agency next winter, but for now I'll rejoice that the Rangers have staved off the inevitable, at least temporarily.

However, this gives Texas an even more formidable team, since they were good enough for first place in the American League West, albeit with an identical record to the thrid place Red Sox. Those same Sox have an upcoming series against the Rangers, and depending on the All-Star Game, we may or may not be seeing Lee, but since it's a four game set, I'm going with "may."

Hopefully the Red Sox can get back on track by then, and start regaining some ground in their divisional battle - every win counts, after all.