The fan gets what the fan wants...

While watching the intro to the ESPY's (hey, it's an off-day), host Samuel L. Jackson said something intriguing, namely, "This is all about the fans. The fan gets what the fan wants." How often do we hear owners/managers/athletes say something to that effect, and how often does it actually happen? Of course, Jackson is talking about the winners in his awards show, which are actually voted on by fans, but even within the ESPY's, if the fans got what they truly wanted, there would be more highlights and fewer commercials. Of course, there's no way that every fan could physically get what they want, as everyone has their own opinions about what would make their team better. Below are the events that would take place if the sports world oriented itself around THIS fan's fancy (most are Red Sox related - there's a shocker!).

• JP Ricciardi decides that what he really needs to do is trade Roy Halladay and Marco Scutaro to Boston for Julio Lugo and a packet of grape flavored Big League Chew. Merci!
• Brian Cashman decides that instead of overpaying for yet another free agent, he'll donate the money to a small yet overwhelmingly deserving charity. The Yankees fall out of first place when CC Sabathia eats himself into a coma at one of New York's fine restaurants.
• Ticket prices at Fenway Park suddenly find themselves within the realm of possibility for a college student with a limited income. Trinity College consequently decides that Major League Baseball games qualify as excused absences.
• Dustin Pedroia realizes his love for me. We live happily ever after.
• NESN releases the footage of the beatings Josh Beckett handed down to the Sox offense following the epic FAIL on Tuesday night. Special attention is given to the post-game swirly awarded to Lowrie, and the atomic wedgie suffered by JD "I don't care that my underwear is up my ass" Drew.
• Heidi Watney gets a clue, or, failing that, NESN hires someone with tact and passion to do her job.
  
• Jacoby Ellsbury learns to take a walk, and produces in the leadoff spot. Actually, I won't even wish for that. It's impossible.

Feel free to add your wildest sports wishes in the comments!

Shirts?

So as I was Tweeting the Sox game, I had this thought for a T-shirt design. I'm not sure if I'll be making any of these, but PLEASE let me know if you would buy them, because the more I get, the cheaper they would be. Without further ado:

Oh Papi...

Okay. So that was a tough loss. But there were lots of pretty awesome things within the tough loss. First of all, who was that wearing #23, and what have they done with Julio Lugo? Secondly, may we keep the replacement? In all seriousness, Lugo notched five hits, including a double and a run scored. The best part of his performance? A leaping grab of a liner accompanied by a zero in the errors column.

Dustin Pedroia made a leaping catch of his own, and also collected four hits. Pedey is hitting .336 on the season. The downside of the second baseman's day came in extra innings, when he struck out with the bases loaded on a foul tip into the catchers mitt. Having seen the collection of items he slammed around in the dugout, I can only imagine the colorful language he treated the bench crew to. In years past, his anxiety might have been tempered somewhat by the fact that Big Papi hits behind him. Not so this year, as Ortiz is still waiting for his first homerun of 2009. David Ortiz set an AL record and matched an MLB record today, but unfortunately the category has limited glory: twelve men left on base by a single player in a single game. Ouch.

Obviously something is not right. I would like to give Ortiz the benefit of the doubt just a little longer. I can accept that Papi will probably never be his old self, but I would like for him to at least hit his weight. He is the absolute last person I want at the plate right now with the game on the line. (My list, if you're interested, goes Bay, Youk, Pedroia, Drew, Lowell, Varitek, Van Every... Pesky, Ortiz.) There's been some speculation, since the Manny bombshell, that Ortiz was a user, and now that he's stopped, his production has, too. Of course, there have always been whisperings, but now that quiet minority has become a mob, brandishing their pitchforks and demanding blood. David Ortiz has never been connected to steroids, has never tested positive for any PED, but, contrary to American ideals, the perception seems to be that he's guilty (by Manny association) until proven innocent.

It appalls me that Red Sox fans could behave this way. I understand that there is no proof either way, and the circumstancial evidence looks rather damning. However, I say Ortiz deserves our support until there is irrefutable evidence that he did something wrong. Sure, the man looks like a shell of himself (0-for-7 tonight), barely above the Mendoza line, but he was the hero of that magical run in 2004. How can people turn on him like this? Of course, if/when he snaps out of this, he'll have to prove his effectiveness all over again. But he deserves a chance to prove himself, and to clear his name.

Five Minute Musings

I've been really bad about updating the last few days. My apologies, I made my trek home from Hartford Friday, went to the Sox game Saturday (more on that in a second), did the whole Mother's Day thing Sunday, and went to the doctor's yesterday. Today, I have a meeting with a stockbroker (seriously), but I figured I should squeeze in time to write. This edition of FMM will center around ballpark etiquette, paritcularly the bad behavior I noted during my trip on Saturday.

1.) Don't drink to excess, especially at a day game. Saturday's start time was 3:40, sort of an awkward half day/half night game dictated by those idiots over at FOX. Beyond the usual idocy of having a beer an inning (that adds up to around $60), I was sitting in an alcohol free section, and a set of parents with their children were asked to leave with their drinks, so they left their 8ish-year-old children sitting alone while they went off to finish boozing. Keeping it classy.

2.) Don't boo the Red Sox players. Julio Lugo really got it hard on Saturday, as most of the Tampa Bay hits in their big inning found holes on his side of the diamond. In all fairness, there was at least one that should have been an out, but he deserves the support of the fans regardless. When you support the Red Sox, you support all of them, through the bad times and the good. Sure it's fine to pick favorites (I sure do), but booing your own player makes you look no better then a fairweather fan... and if you're a fairweather fan, stop taking up seats at Fenway so the real fans can get in.

3.) Keep your cellphone conversations short, or go talk in the concourse. I didn't pay these obscene ticket prices so I could hear you gush about little Johnny's fist word. Is there really no better time you can think of to talk to your mother in law than in the third inning with two on and nobody out? There was this one really obnoxious girl behind me on Saturday who spent a good two innings on the phone catching up on gossip with her girlfriends, screeching and yelling and giggling at the top of her voice. Don't be that girl.

4.)Don't scream obscenities - be more creative! There was one man on Saturday who was absolutely vulgar, especially towards Mr. Lugo (I think he had also been violating #1). There are children at the games, and beyond that, spouting swear words makes Sox fans look ignorant of the game. Lambast BJ Upton about his dismal OBP, not about what his mother may or may not have been doing last night, and the heckling is rather more acceptable.

5.) Try to limit your bathroom/snack/phone breaks. No one likes having to stand up and have you squeezeby them in those crowded rows at Fenway. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to the bathroom, but maybe if you had 2 beers instead of 4, you wouldn't have to get up every half-inning. Also, most food in the concouses is available from the vendors walking around. One to three times is expected (though I try not to leave at all - I don't like to miss anything!!), but more than four or five is really annoying.

There you have it - my Fenway Five. We all pay ridiculous amounts of money to be at the park, and it's a shame when someone else ruins your experience. Even a blowout like Saturday's can be fun if you decide it will be... heck, we got to witness Julio Lugo's first homerun of the season!

In defense of Javier Lopez

There's absolutely no excuse for botching the play the way Lopez did last night in the bottom of the ninth.  I mean, I know second string Little Leaguers that would have caught that feed from Youkilis.  However, that game was not lost solely on a fielding error by the unfortunate Mr. Lopez.

Remember the third inning, when Lugo got a nearly perfect throw from Youkilis while covering second, and a clean catch would probably have meant an inning ending double play?  Well, E6 dropped it, and instead of being out of the inning, Ben Francisco took Sox starter Brad Penny deep for a three-run homer.  Alright, so Julio just needs to shake the cobwebs off, right? He can't be that bad... but wait.  

Lugo, seemingly determined to make Sox fans forget the two hits he notched last night, made a nearly unforgivable mistake: he ignored a center fielder calling for the ball.  The rules of fly ball catching are simple: the shortstop has priority over the infielders, the center fielder over the other outfielders, and the center fielder over the shortstop.  Lugo, perhaps thinking that a spectacular running catch in short center field would endear him to the fans who have previously disparaged his performance, ran out into Jacoby Ellsbury's territory and tried to make the play.  Now, had he made the catch, it wouldn't matter, but he didn't.  Instead, Ellsbury goes into a slide, seemingly hoping to avoid a collision with Lugo, and Lugo, of course, misses the ball, which bounces off Ellsbury and into left field... I'm just assuming the inimitable Jason Bay returned it to the infield, because I was too busy screaming profanities at my television to notice.

Lugo had this to say: "It's going to take me a little while to get back.  I'm not 100 percent right now. I haven't played for a long time, and I'm going to be off a little bit. I don't have my skills put together. It's going to take me a little while to get back in playing shape and for my knee to feel good and be 100 percent."  Oh, okay.  But if Lugo's not 100%, what is he doing back with the big club? Isn't the purpose of a rehab assignment to get the player back to his full potential!?!? Whew. Deep breaths...

Not that this was a one man show: the Sox made other errors last night, including one on a throw from Mike Lowell, usually an exemplary fielder, throwing over Pedroia's head (cue the "Pedroia is short" joke).  Penny gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings, though only four were earned.  

Obviously, Lopez's drop of the Kevin Youkilis feed that would have meant extra innings was the most visible sign of defeat, since, technically, it was the play during which the winning run was scored.  However, it's important to remember that even if Lopez had made the play, there's no guarantee that the Sox would have won in the extra frames.  I'm a bit of a Lopez apologist, and I'll admit that it's partially because he generally seems like such a good guy (also, slightly hilarious, see his comments in this video).  But I genuinely believe that Lopez has something to offer this team: at this time last year, Sox fans were doubting the effectiveness of Manny Delcarmen, and to this point this season, MDC has not surrendered an earned run.  I have faith that Lopez will pick it up, and really, he pitched a scoreless ninth, except for his own error that allowed an unearned run.

An unfortunate way to end the eleven game winning streak, to be sure, but in the wise words of Kevin Youkilis, "You don't like losing, but we're playing good ball.  There's too many games to sit around and mope.  Just go home, get some rest, and get back at it again." And really, if anyone has the right to dismiss this loss, it's the man who had two of his throws turned into errors instead of outs.

I imagine his thoughts as this picture was taken closely mirror the words we see Pedroia use after he strikes out... But that's just a guess.

The Pedroia Effect

The New York Times has an interesting piece today about the shrinking waistlines of Major League players.  The piece cites such players as Ryan Howard (Phillies), Brian Bruney (Yankees), and Marlon Anderson (Mets) as having lost weight during the offseason in the hopes that it will allow them to be fleet of foot and injury free.

Interestingly enough, most Red Sox players looking to tweak their physique looked to gain weight over the winter (Julio Lugo, Jacoby Ellsbury), and only Big Papi looks significantly slimmer.  This is probably a reflection of the relative youth of the team, as most players (and men in general) in their twenties aren't keeping close tabs on their waistlines.  However, the Sox had a significant number of players work out at API this offseason (Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Kevin Youkilis) and more than a few worked on adding muscle, while not tampering much with their weight (and as we all know, the media guide isn't exactly factual: Pedroia might weigh 180 in his uniform and spikes, soaking wet... maybe).

I just thought I would cite this article as the phenomenon of shrinking ballplayers is being referred to as the Pedroia Effect by writer Greg Lalas, as players saw his remarkable success as a smaller-than-average MVP and perhaps decided to take a leaf out of his book.

Papi and Lugo; Pedroia and Ellsbury

I love them.

"A-fraud..."

According to ESPN.com, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre's new book The Yankee Years [written with SI's Tom Verducci] bashes several members of the New York Yankees organization, up to and including Owner George Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman.

Allegedly, the book details clubhouse tensions, most specifically Alex Rodriguez's "obsession" with shortstop and captain Derek Jeter.  Now, I think that the "A-rod is gay," talk is overdone, so I'm just going to clarify by telling you that the Yankees third baseman sees Jeter as a rival, not a lover... I think [sorry, couldn't resist].  This actually makes quite a bit of sense, when you think about it.  When A-rod came to the Yankees, he had been a shortstop for the Rangers for his whole career.  Since the Yankees had their home-grown golden-boy occupying that position, A-rod made the shift to the right.  However, the rivalry is long gone, for Jeter at least.  And if A-rod thinks he's competing with the beloved captain for fan affection, he's sorely mistaken, as there is NO contest.

Fans resent A-rod for being somewhat of a choker in important situations.  He puts up stellar numbers all season, but, come October, he's Julio Lugo batting left-handed.  Hence the nickname A-fraud, which I assumed was a fan invention.  Not according to Torre, who allegedly claims that it was common for Rodriguez's teammates to call him by that taunting name.

I'm actually looking forward to reading this book: I have a great deal of respect for Joe Torre, and I think that the Yankees gave him a raw deal after he guided them to twelve straight playoff appearances.  Plus, any reputable book that validates Rodriguez's "A-fraud" name is definitely worth the read.

Five Minute Musings

(1) I LOVE the new MLB Network. Happy birthday to me, they've been showing the 2007 World Series all day. I also immensely enjoy the ads for their lineup of shows, especially the one for Prime 9. About halfway through the promo, they show a clip of Dustin Pedroia being caught stealing: as he dives into second base you see him mouth, "Safe," the umpire signals "out," and Pedroia yells "NO!" Keep in mind, that would have been the only time all year he was caught [20-for-21]. As discussed in this space before, failure is a foreign concept for #15. I am SO looking forward to watching him in a Sox uniform for the foreseeable future.

(2) While watching the aforementioned programming on the MLB Network [Game 2, to be exact], I noticed that Jason Varitek was inadvertently showing the fans what we would be getting for all of 2008. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning, grounded out weakly several times, and just all around choked in the clutch. Though Varitek's hitting game is clearly on the decline, I would not be altogether opposed to him returning for a year with an incentive-laden contract, especially if the Sox could acquire a young catcher to be his protege [Saltalamacchia from the Rangers, or Montero form the Diamondbacks].

(3) I can't wait to watch coverage of the World Baseball Classic. Unofficially, Sox players that will be participating include Daisuke Matsuzaka [Japan], Jason Bay [Canada], David Ortiz [the Dominican Republic], and Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis [United States]. Five players representing four different countries - how many MLB teams can make that claim? Also, five players is fewer [and therefore better] than the seven to nine that Terry Francona was estimating would participate. In case you forgot, Matsuzaka was the MVP of the inaugural Classic: hopefully he is more careful this time, yet just as effective.





(4) I couldn't be happier about Kevin Youkilis' new contract. The right side of the Red Sox infield is arguably now younger, cheaper, and more productive than any other Major League team. Youkilis and Pedroia are premier players at their positions. They have each won a Gold Glove, and finished in the top 3 of the MVP voting this year. Not to mention the fact that they are both home grown players. As Youkilis said during his press conference, the Sox minor league system was, until recently, decidedly underwhelming. Now, an impact player comes up just about every year. In 2006 Papelbon made a sensation of himself, in 2007 it was Pedroia and Ellsbury who tore up the postseason, and this year Jed Lowrie came up to replace the injured Julio Lugo and was a definite upgrade, despite a broken bone in his wrist. I could get used to this.

(5) Nick Cafardo has an interesting thought in his Boston Globe Baseball Notes column today. "This off season, the Yankees went wild with the signings of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett. Sabathia's postseason history is poor - 2-3. 7.92 ERA." This is potentially because he practically carries his team all season: in 2007, he pitched for 240 innings; this year, he pitched 253. If he has to shoulder that kind of load again, it might spell trouble for New York, but with A.J. Burnett's injury history, such an occurrence would not be out of the question. On a related note, it might be prudent for the Sox to limit Jon Lester's innings this season after he played for a career high 210 last year.

Around the Horn: Jed Lowrie

I'm just assuming that Mr. Lowrie is the heir presumptive to the revolving door that is the starting shortstop job in Boston. Who knows, Julio Lugo might show up to Spring Training having worked his butt off and win back the position, but I'm going to put that possibility in the "distinct long shot" category, at least for now.

What do any of us know about Jed Lowrie, really? Did you know, for instance, that his middle name is Carlson? Or that he hits more than a hundred points better at night (.288) than during the day (.184)? I think we can safely blame that last one on small sample size, but Lowrie just might be the biggest mystery in the Sox infield [beyond "Will Mike Lowell be 100%?"]. However, Mike Lowell's health affects his level of productivity, whereas we have yet to discover the potential ceiling for Lowrie. He had a broken bone in one of his hands down the stretch last season: was that part of the reason that his average versus left handed pitching was significantly worse than against right handed pitching, or is it more of an inherent weakness?

In 2007, while in the minor leagues [Pawtucket and Portland], Lowrie hit .250 against lefties, and .277 against righties: a difference, yes, but in this larger sample, it seems he hits better left handed than right handed, giving credence to the theory that his injured hand affected his hitting. If this is the case, Lowrie might even prove to be impressive, not simply an acceptable replacement for the injured Lugo.

And all of a sudden, the bench looks pretty good...

In the last week, the presumptive bench has improved enormously. Just for the sake of this post, I'm going to assume that Julio Lugo will be the utility infielder. This gives us a bench of Lugo, Rocco Baldelli (OF), Mark Kotsay - remember him? - (OF/1B), and a backup catcher, presumably Josh Bard.

As a starter, Julio Lugo was average at best, and excruciating at worst. In the 81 games he played at shortstop in 2008, Lugo committed sixteen errors, but at times, it felt like sixty.

http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Headline_Archives/BDD_JL_ny_4.27.07_bgjd.jpg

However, I'm alright with the prospect of him as a bench player. Say, for instance, that Mike
Lowell needs a day of rest at the beginning of the season (well within the realm of possibility). Jed Lowrie shifts to third base, and Lugo plays short. Or, if you don't like that, Lowrie keeps Lowell company on the bench, Lugo plays short, Youk slides to third, and Kotsay fills in at first.

The versatility that Kotsay demonstrated at the end of last year is a great boon to the Sox. Say JD Drew needs an epidural (crazy, right?). So far, it's unknown how much Baldelli will be able to play at a time. However, because Kotsay is an above-average outfielder who can play center, Baldelli's health is less of a problem. Keep in mind that Theo would not have signed Baldelli if his health was as bad as has been speculated.

Only one month and five days until pitchers and catchers!