They let me vote for something!

Justin Masterson approves. (Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com and used with permission.)
So, recently, I made the decision to join a group called the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA). It’s a wonderful way to network with like-minded bloggers and I’ve met some great people through the group. Established in 2009, I came to it a little late but, apparently, just in time to vote on their yearly, postseason awards.
The Alliance is divided into chapters, by team allegiance of the bloggers, and given that the Red Sox are in the America League, our chapter (including me) only voted on American League awards. There is a list of the awards and when the winners will be announced here. Today the Boston Chapter has released their voting for the first award, The Connie Mack award for Manager of the Year, and this is how the Boston bloggers voted (totals are based on how many votes each manager received):
Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox – 12 points (including four first place votes)
Ron Washington, Texas Rangers – 6 points
Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays – 5 points
Cito Gaston, Toronto Blue Jays – 4 points
Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins – 3 points
My votes were for the three managers bolded, but in this order: Francona, Gaston, Washington.
A couple of notes about my voting: I genuinely think Tito deserves it. For him to bring the team as far as he did with the injuries thrown at him and having to use a lot more minor leaguers than was ever intended, says a lot about his abilities as a manager. I might disagree with some of his in-game decisions and some of his bullpen usage, but on the whole I don’t think you will find a better guy to manage a team and deal with all of the drama involved in doing so. The other note: Joe Girardi could manage The Bad News Bears to a World Series championship and I wouldn’t vote for him. That is all.
Remember, this result is just from the voting of the Boston Chapter of the BBA. The full voting for the Connie Mack Award will be announced on October 14th. It’ll be interesting to see the differences across the board.
So close

Our view last night. Complete with little kid whose parents let him run up front alone while warning him to look out for foul balls.
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to last night’s game and was surprised with seats on the aisle two rows away from the field. Without argument, they are the best seats I’ve ever been lucky enough to sit in. Upon further reflection, I realize that just about every time I’m in the best seats I’ve ever been in, the Red Sox end up losing. Should make a note of that for next time!
Because I was with great company and the weather wasn’t too insufferable, the night was a lot of fun in spite of the final score. Getting to see Justin Masterson was cool (the fans gave him nice ovations both when his name was announced and when he left the field and the Red Sox music folks played “Son of a Preacher Man” when he left the game, which I thought was a nice touch) and hearing the cheers for Jacoby Ellsbury’s return reassured me that not all of the fan base has gone mad with “He’s soft! He only broke a couple of ribs! He’s a clubhouse cancer!” disease. See Jon Lester angrily thow his hands up at Tito when he initially came out to, seemingly, take him out of the game and then proceed to give up a home run…not so nice. But last night’s game was not to be and I’m okay with that. I’ll take my pleasure where I can get it and I hate that people so quickly can forget what happened on Tuesday night just because the team loses a game. Perspective, people, perspective.
In regard to the photo above, as a person with no children of her own maybe I’m just super over-protective (my niece tells me I’m “too child-protective!” which is her way of saying I worry too much) but in what world would you think it was safe to let your small child stand that close to the field when a foul ball or flying bat could absolutely come over and hit him? His parents were four or five rows behind him, not nearly close enough to stop a foul ball or deflect a bat, and they did nothing but encourage him to run up front in the hopes of getting a foul ball. Heck, when Marco Scutaro thew his bat down and it bounced around, I was expecting it to come our way. I get that it’s a baseball game but there are also certain spots in the park where it DANGEROUS. Where we were sitting is one of those places. Sure it’s cool to a kid to get that close to the field but it would be nice if the ADULTS would act as such and take care of their kids. (While I’m ranting, an adult took a late-inning, Big Papi at-bat as an indication he and his son should come to that spot and stand directly in front of me. When I politely tugged on his shirt to get his attention he barked at me that he would get out of my way so I could see. How silly of me to expect to see the ball game. What was I thinking?)
It seems that less fans show up early for these games lately. The park looked filled once we were sitting but while we were walking around pre-game there were many less people than I’m used to being there. The flip side of that was by the 8th inning, when I expected people to start leaving in droves, most actually stayed. There were patches of empty seats (mostly in the expensive sections) but for the most part the majority of the fans stuck it out. Don’t know if that’s just an indication of folks deciding to enjoy the experience for what it’s worth or those people weren’t going to waste the money they spent for possibly the only game they’ll get to this year by leaving early but in any event it was encouraging. Regardless of how we knew it would probably end, folks hung in there.
As I’m writing this, WBZ’s Dan Roche tweets that Josh Beckett, Mike Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis have been fined (along with Cleveland’s Jensen Lewis) for the non-fight on Tuesday night. All but Beckett and Lewis were fined because they were on the disabled list and not supposed to take the field. Does this prove Ellsbury is one of the guys now? (Cleveland’s third base coach, Steve Smith, the one Tito was going at, was suspended for 2 games. Tito didn’t get suspended or fined. That’s pretty darn telling, I think.) No more fights, fellas, let’s try to just get a split in this series tonight, okay?
No, success against my team doesn't make me happy

It's been brought up more than once to me that I'd be happy if Kyle had just beaten the Red Sox. Hell, I'll be happy when Kyle just gets to get back on the mound...but I still won't want him to beat my team (just pitch well enough against them to not suck and let his bullpen come in and lose to the Sox!!). Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.
No one knows more than I do that sometimes you just choose a player to like, regardless of how well he plays or what team he plays for. I also am aware that Justin Masterson has the label of “Nicest Guy in Baseball…and Possibly Life”. I get it. (And Justin has been more than nice/good to folks I know so I not only am aware of the label but I’m tempted to believe it.)
I just hope folks will excuse me for not being all giddy that the man pitched his best game since being traded to Cleveland against the team I root for.
I’m not one who gets too bent out of shape when the team loses. But I will fully admit that when Boof Bonser came out of that bullpen, I checked out of the game. I had a list of things that needed to get done that I was going to tackle after the game so the non-existent Red Sox offense and the appearance of Boof made he decision to shut the game off before it was over quite easy. I can’t remember the last time I shut a Sox game off before it was over, but I did this one. Maybe external issues not related to baseball have me a bit more tightly wound than normal but, really, I’m not blaming my feelings solely on that. Losing to any team 11-0 sucks. Especially when we had one of our best pitchers out there to start the game and the opposing team had one of their worst. So while I suppose ultimately, if this triggers success for Justin throughout the season, I will eventually be pleased for Justin, right now is not that time. I can’t take pleasure in his success when it comes at the price of such an ass-beating. Maybe next time, Justin. Definitely next time since it won’t be against the Red Sox.
While I’m cranky, I guess it’s a good time to bring up Jacoby Ellsbury and all of this “he’s soft” bullshit going around. The kid fractured his damn ribs (well, if I’m being specific, Adrian Beltre fractured Ellsbury’s ribs) and it’s the kind of injury that’s extremely freaking painful. There is no one, no doctor, no member of the media, no teammate and no armchair athlete who can tell whether Jacoby is genuinely in too much pain to play or just being “soft”. Jacoby is the only one who knows how he feels and to call him soft is ridiculous. Break your ribs, do what he needs to do on the field and then get back to me.
Jon Lester pitches the final game in the series before we get back to interleague play against the Phillies. My crankiness will be over quickly regardless but it would be nice if the Sox left Cleveland with the series win and not the split.
Once again, old guys rule!

Have some champagne, Timmy, you deserve it! Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.
Tim Wakefield, man.
In discussing his achievement of pitching the most innings of any pitcher in Red Sox history, he praised Roger Clemens and credited both John Farrell and Victor Martinez for assisting him in getting to his goals. The man can’t even just sit happily and let folks heap praise upon him and bask in the moment – he has to continue giving back.
Over the course of the various incarnations of this blog, I’ve written about my feelings for Wake. They’re the feelings I think most Red Sox fans have – the guy busts his tail for the team, does more charity work than maybe any Sox player since Ted Williams, seems to be a fabulous teammate and just comes across as an all-around good guy. The fact that he’s more often than not a good and effective pitcher almost seems like gravy. I don’t want to think of a time when Wake won’t be with the team. For all the comings and goings of players I like, his departure just might be the most difficult one I’ll have to face. For now, I’m just going to enjoy the fact that he’s still with the team and he can still pitch like he means it. Thanks for all of it, Tim!
Another victory on a live chat night puts us at 8 for 8. If you’re planning on going to a Sox game, you might want to try and schedule it for a Tuesday…s’all I’m saying. 🙂 Special thanks, as always, to everyone who stopped by. Next week we get an interleague live chat when the Diamondbacks come to town!
Tonight is a game I’m glad isn’t being played in Boston because I’d definitely find a way to be there and then be mildly conflicted all night. Justin Masterson is pitching against Clay Buchholz. There aren’t enough ways to describe how fond of Justin I (and so many Sox fans) am. I was crushed when he was traded and my heart ached for every loss he’s taken since being in Cleveland. So as much as I want to see him succeed, and as much as seeing him struggle will be painful, I want Clay to have this win. It’ll give him an American League leading 9 wins and it’ll ensure the Sox win the series…these things I want. So I hope the Red Sox don’t bang Justin around TOO much but, still, I sadly have to write these words: I want him to lose tonight. (Man, that feels wrong!)
Because it got to the point where I was going to start unfollowing all those bringing him up yesterday, I will only say is this: Have Stephen Strasburg put up the pitching line he did last night against the Tampa Bay Rays and then maybe I won’t get pissed when you start calling him Walter Johnson or Roger Clemens. He was definitely impressive. That should stand alone without hyperbole.
At 33-26, the American League East fourth place Toronto Blue Jays are tied with National League Central leaders – the Cincinnati Reds. With their record of 35-25, the Red Sox would be leading every division in MLB right now, except the AL East where they are currently in third place. Just thought putting the standings in perspective would be helpful!
Was there a full moon this weekend?

This is Eammon Portice. A 25 year-old pitcher on the Portland SeaDogs. The SeaDogs play at 1pm today on NESN and I figured a picture of Eammon was as good a way as any to let folks know that*. Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permisison.
Memorial Day weekend usually marks the first weekend of the summer (which is still not quite here yet) when people go away. While I didn’t go away, activities this weekend caused me to miss a lot of baseball (including Friday’s and Sunday’s Sox games). So if you’re one of those folks who did a little vacationing this weekend, or just had things that needed to get done and couldn’t stop to watch some baseball, here’s some of what you missed (in no particular order):
- The Angels’ Kendry Morales broke his leg in the celebration following his walk-off grand slam on Saturday. (Incidentally, it makes me crazy whenever anyone refers to a grand slam as a grand slam home run, as the announcer does in that clip. By definition, a grand slam is a home run, no need to be redundant.) If you watch the video, the celebration wasn’t even that rough, Kendry landed the wrong way (supposedly because someone was grabbing for him as he was landing). This was followed by Howie Kendrick (has he always been called Howard or did someone finally ask him which he preferred? I’ll never get used to “Howard”) hitting a walk-off home run on Sunday with no jumping into a pile this time (but still some celebrating). I have no issue with teams celebrating walk-offs. Heck it’s a big deal, let them celebrate. Just maybe they could not try to kill each other while they’re doing it. (Also hearing, “Jimmy Jack” as a term for a home run makes me want to break someone’s leg.)
- Then there’s the Indians’ David Huff, who got nailed in the head with an ARod line drive that turned into a rbi double. Huff, remarkably, didn’t end up with a concussion and didn’t even stay in the hospital overnight, returning to Yankee Stadium before the game ended. The best part of this story, well aside from the fact that Huff is all right, is that ARod’s double made the score 2-0 Yanks in the 3rd inning and the score would get to 10-3, Yanks, yet would end 13-11 Indians. Slappy taking out your pitcher is definitely a game you have to win. Well done, Cleveland. Sadly, not so well done? Justin Masterson. In the following game, Masterson was pitching what was probably his best game in a year. In the middle of the 7th inning, the score was 3-0 Cleveland with Masterson only giving up 4 hits and a walk. Then the 7th got ugly. Three singles and a stolen base in the 7th scored two runs to make the score 3-2. Masterson, with 103 pitches, get taken out of the game and his bullpen coughs up four more runs. The bright side? Masterson gets a no-decision, which breaks this streak of 11 losses in a row going back to last August. I really feel for Justin Masterson but as much as I was upset about his being traded last year, this all kind of takes the sting of that away a little bit.
- On the happier side of baseball, Roy Halladay becomes the third pitcher to throw a perfect game since “The Baseball Project” wrote and released “Harvey Haddix”. I watched the last three innings of Halladay’s game against the Marlins because, well, watching Halladay pitch is entertaining on many levels, and the fans in Florida were really great. I was so terribly impressed with their reactions to all the outs the Marlins were making – and then someone pointed out to me that, being in Florida, there are a lot of snowbirds down there and Yankees and Phillies fans both tend to take over the park. So while I still choose to believe that the Marlins fans were just being awfully cool, it looks like it might have just been Phillies fans cheering their own. Along with messing up Harvey’s song, Halladay is just the 2nd Phillie to pitch a perfect game and the 20th player in MLB history to do it as well as being the Arizona Fall League alumnus to throw one. Cool stuff, Roy. Happy that he has this to add to his resume!
- The Red Sox ended up splitting the series with the Royals behind more great pitching from Buchholz and Lester, winning their weekend games, 1-0 and 8-1. Mike Cameron came alive, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek added to their home run numbers and no one got injured celebrating anything. I’d say that makes this weekend quite a successful one
Disappointingly, the Red Sox aren’t playing today. While this gives me more time to focus on the barbecue (who am I kidding? You know I’ll be going indoors watching pieces of the other games) it still disappoints me that, on a holiday, we don’t get baseball. A little annoyed with the baseball gods with this one – although a day off, on a holiday, while they’re at home, is probably something most of the guys with families are looking forward to – so, I can’t be selfish.
Today is Dave Roberts’ 38th birthday. Send him some good vibes, prayers, birthday wishes, whatever you have because the man deserves them.
Tomorrow the Sox begin a series against the Oakland A’s with John Lackey on the mound. I think our Tuesday night live chat mojo is about to be seriously tested. My computer issues are settled so the chat will be going on with, presumably, no interruptions!
(*It should be noted that Casey Kelly will be the starter for the SeaDogs today. There’s a chance you can see Eammon come out of the bullpen, though!)
How can I feel good when nothing's right?
This is going to make a great story when the Red Sox win the World Series, right?
Man oh man. I joked during the chat last night that it would be twisted but funny if the Red Sox didn’t win another game in the regular season and the Rangers won one more. I’m not so sure the Rangers will think it’s as funny as I do, though. (The Rangers, incidentally, lost again last night.)
Well, at least the Sox made history last night when Dusty Brown became the first Red Sox catcher to pitch in a game. It’s been a long, strange season.
I actually watched the post-game show on NESN last night. Something I don’t usually do if the team loses. I guess I’m just in a better mood since they’re in the playoffs so I got to see Dennis Eckersley seem genuinely pissed that Wakefield was in there while Tom Caron defended the decision. I’m on the side of TC here – we needed to see what Wake could or couldn’t do on the field in order to deal with the playoff roster. As much as I’m looking forward to the playoffs, I’m not looking forward to who will be left off that roster. (Only real light moment of the night was when a reporter called Tito “Theo” as she asked her question and he sternly pointed out that he was “Tito”. Sadly, that reporter wasn’t Heidi Watney.)
I’ll be at the game tonight. The way things are going I’m probably going to see Jason Varitek playing left field. Should be an interesting night. It’ll be nice to see Justin Masterson (who pitched a complete game last night but still lost 1-0 in Cleveland) at least.
Elsewhere in MLB, Bronson Arroyo got his 15th (and final) win of the season last night. After struggling with carpal tunnel he got a cortisone shot and pitched damn fine in the second half this year – which means either the Reds will want to keep him around or he just made himself attractive trade bait. Incidentally, John Smoltz was Bronson’s opposing pitcher and he only went four innings. Warms the cockles.
I’ll be at two (tonight and Sunday) of the last four games of the regular season. I don’t want to sound greedy, but at least one win would be nice, fellas!
I will catch your fall

Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.
There’s this rather disturbing practice that they’ve started at Fenway Park this year. Before the game begins, they show you evacuation routes out of Fenway in case of emergency. Now, generally speaking, this isn’t disturbing. As I go into most buildings, I look around for the exits and make sure I have an idea of where I am and how I’d get out if need be. But this is new to Fenway which gives it a creepy “something’s probably going to happen and we just want to cover our asses” feel whenever I see it. Prior to the trade deadline, I joked that folks out right field way were, essentially, screwed and if I was going anywhere during an emergency it would be toward the field, not toward the exits, because there would be less people. Plus, I could make my way to Justin Masterson in the bullpen and be saved with him given his connections to the Lord.
But Justin isn’t around to save me any more so I can’t use him as a buffer between the Almighty and myself. (And while some of what I say is in jest, I’ll say this seriously – I got to see Justin in action, this year, speaking at a church and where some of our beliefs might be different, I have a lot of respect for his passion and his talent for preaching. There’s no doubt in my mind that when he has to leave baseball he’ll find a successful and rewarding life with his church and for that I’m both impressed and a little jealous.)
My salvation lies with me and how strongly I believe. I pride myself on being a believer. In my faith, in my family and friends and in the damn baseball team I follow so closely. But they’re testing me, as they often do. Two straight losses…not just losses but ass kickings…to the Kansas City Royals? I’m not usually one to say “WTF” when it comes to a loss…a loss is just that and they’ll happen, right? Every team in MLB is manned with professionals so they’re all going to win a game or two against the Sox. But after Tuesday night’s loss “WTF” came out of my mouth a lot. (I’m not proud.)
Blow your mind but not completely
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Now is the time for all of us to walk the walk. Everyone loves their team when they’re in first place or even just winning. But now we’re being tested. A five-game losing streak? This isn’t our team is it? How does this work? What are we supposed to do?
We’re supposed to support the damn team, that’s what.
Sure these games are painful. Hell, 6 stolen bases in one game? Two double steals two nights in a row? That’s downright embarrassing. But this is the same team we’ve been supporting all along. Not too long ago they were in first place and Red Sox Nation was the land of sunshine and roses. What’s it say about us if we start wigging out just because the team is going through an ugly losing streak?
Theo is already making moves to help the team. On Friday, Adam LaRoche will be in Boston and Julio Lugo won’t. Goodness knows Lugo wasn’t all what ails the team and LaRoche won’t be its savior but the new blood will be an energizing force into the clubhouse and maybe the team needs a little of that right now.
So, yeah, the losing is lousy. And painful. And just a drag to witness. But it’s real and it’s here. If we’re going to support this team when they’re coasting then we sure as hell should be supporting them when they’re struggling.
We all get a day off on Thursday and then Friday the team is back home. We can all use the day to step back, breathe and look forward to the next series.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to or just followed the live blog. In spite of the outcome of the game it was a lot of fun! (And today’s picture reminds me to wish good luck to Mike Timlin who is trying out for a spot on the Colorado Rockies this week!)