Posts Tagged ‘Bronson Arroyo’

Tonight will be the first time I get to really pay attention to Daisuke this season. Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.

I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed baseball last night.

And, ugly though it was, you don’t get extra points for easy wins so I’ll take it.  John Lackey’s ERA might have gone up but he the number in  his “W” column did too and, for now, that’s good enough for me.  Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon pitched 3 hitless innings after Lackey’s exit.  Adrian Beltre and Darnell McDonald were the only Sox to not have hits last night  – man, I missed the Blue Jays!

The Sox are now 17-16 and, thanks to the win and the losses of both the Rays and the Yankees, are now 5.5 games out of first.   Last night is proof that anything can happen this season.

Along with the Rays and Yankees adding to the good baseball night, Bronson Arroyo pitched seven innings last night, giving up five hits and one run (on a home run).  He has an ERA of 5.36 and last night was only his second win in seven starts.  I mention this not only because I’m still following Bronson and am pleased to see him do well but to illustrate that no team’s fans should feel entitled to winning.  Cincinnati is paying Bronson an awful lot of money to struggle this year and the Reds are in second with a 17 -15 record (the Sox are in fourth at 17-16…I don’t want to hear any fans outside our division argue that there isn’t a big difference between the American League East and everyone else).

In case you missed it, I put a poll up this weekend to see how fans were feeling.  Given the usual tone of my readers, I’m not surprised at the results (and please vote if you haven’t yet!  Just to feed my curiosity!).

So we find out that Josh Beckett’s next start is being moved and Tim Wakefield will start in his place tomorrow afternoon.  I’m happy to be seeing Wake pitch (honestly worried there might not be many more opportunities to do so) but worry about what we’re going to go through with Beckett.  I’m torn.  Do I want this to be nothing so he can continue to pitch or do I want it to be a genuine injury so we can excuse what has gone on thus far (especially this weekend)?  I don’t want him to be hurt, really I don’t, but I want him to be fixed.  In my mind, a real injury can be fixed but poor performances with no excuses really can’t.  This’ll be interesting to watch unfold.  And by “interesting” I mean, most likely, extremely painful.

Daisuke Matsuzaka and Dana Eveland on the mound tonight and we’ll be here live chatting.  Join us!

Boston Globe photo by Barry Chin and used without permission

Ugly night in Boston sports all around.  I don’t even want to think about it.  The rain is coming down now washing away the disappointment of Friday night, ready to serve us up a brand new day.

Without wondering what the hell is going on with Beckett (I just can’t wrap my mind around it right now), I looked up some numbers.

This morning, the Yankees are in second place in the division, 1.5 games out of first place behind Tampa Bay with a record of 20-8.  The Red Sox are in second to last place in the division, 7.5 games out of first just ahead of Baltimore with a 15-15 record.  The Sox and Yanks have met 4 times and the Sox only won one of those games.

On May 8, 2009, the Red Sox were in first place in the division with a record of 19-11.  The Yankees were in third place in the division, 4.5 games out of first with a 14-15 record.  The Sox and Yanks had met 5 times and the Sox won all five games.

I am in no way comparing the individuals on each of these teams.  My point is this:  A record of 15-15  doesn’t indicate that the Red Sox won’t be successful this year.  Anything can and does happen in baseball and as agonizingly painful as it was to watch Beckett meltdown last night and as awful as it was to have the Sox lose so badly after coming off a four game sweep, it isn’t the end of the world, people.  If this team has done anything this year they’ve been consistently inconsistent.  We’re going to have to deal with it.

Since I’d rather remember the past this morning, I was thinking about a rainy Saturday back on July 24, 2004.  Going into the game on Friday the 23rd, the Sox were 8.5 games out of first place behind the Yankees.  That Friday night game was going to be a classic until Curt Schilling had his own meltdown and gave up seven earned runs in just over 5 innings.  The Sox came back to tie the game, only to lose it in the ninth when Keith Foulke gave up a single to Alex Rodriguez that scored Gary Sheffield.  Many Yankees fans refer to this game as the game where Curt Schilling cried – He didn’t.  He buried his face in a towel out of frustration but in 2004 we let the Yankees fans grasp on to whatever they can.  The two pitchers we picked up in the off-season to add the extra oomph the team needed to get past the Yankees had both imploded against them.  The Sox went into Saturday, July 24, 2004, 9.5 games behind the Yankees.

Given that 2004 was before the Red Sox had their fancy new drainage system installed, with all the rain happening Saturday morning, even though it wasn’t expected to rain during the game, no one thought there would be a game that day.  Quite disappointing for many reasons but mostly because 1) it was going to be on Fox and more people would be able to see it and 2) who wants to sit around and NOT have a game after such a soul-crushing loss?  The story we heard later that afternoon was that the game was being called and when they found out about it, the Sox, lead by Jason Varitek, mounted a protest and told everyone who would listen that there WOULD be a game that day.  Curt Schilling told it to Alex Speier this way:

We wanted to play, the front office did not. They were very concerned about the ‘gate’ and we were dead set on playing. I remember a “[Expletive] that, we want to play” response when they came and told us they wanted to bang the game.

The game did not get ‘banged’. (I also remember a story about the Yankees already being on the team bus in their civies when they got the call to get their butts back to the clubhouse. I still don’t know if it’s true, but I like it so I repeat it often.)  Bronson Arroyo makes the history-altering move of hitting ARod (keep in mind, this is before he became “Slappy”)  and all hell breaks lose.  For my birthday in 2004 (which is in December) my sister gave me what I call the “smoosh” photo – Tek asking ARod how his glove smells – and it is, to this day, one of my most prized possessions.  Long story short, the Sox give the Yankees their own soul-crushing loss when they go into the bottom of the 9th with the Yanks up 10-8 and end up losing with Mariano Rivera on the mound.  A double to begin the inning is followed by a fly ball, a single (which scored a run) and then the historic Bill Mueller two-run homer to end the game.

After that game, we thought the Sox were indestructible.  They came back to win the game on Sunday as well and the Sox owned the Yankees for the weekend.  More good things were to come (although it took some time for the Sox to really bounce back) and October 27th made all of the pain of that Friday night game (and the games prior to that which put the Sox in the 8.5 games behind hole they were in) totally worth it.

My point is, people, who knows what this year’s team is capable of?  I’m not ready to give into the idea that the Sox won’t be sniffing the post-season this year just because of a disappointingly slow start (and a frustrating inability for them to string together many wins – see, I do get how lousy this all has been – I’m just not giving up on this team).  Again, sure it sucks.  But I’m willing to accept the suck given the possibility of how great it could eventually be.

Great could begin today.  Of course the guys have to fight their way through CC Sabathia but with Clay Buchholz on the mound I dig our chances.  Adding to my “this feels like July 2004″ mojo?  The game today is on Fox.  How sweet would it be for McCarver and Buck to have to eat all their negative words (and you KNOW there will be negative words) when the Sox embarrass the Yankees?

Matt Pender proving there is life after baseball! (Photo lifted without permission from broadwayworld.com)

The Portland Sea Dogs have their home opener tomorrow night against the Trenton Thunder.  Today?  They’re in New Britain playing the Rock Cats…at 10:35 this morning.  I absolutely adore the idea of morning baseball.  There’s something a bit self-indulgent about taking a morning off in the middle of the week just to watch a baseball game.  Living on the East Coast this doesn’t happen an awful lot for me.  I won’t be able to watch the game in person but I think I’ll be giving a listen this morning.  The SeaDogs have an exciting roster this season (Casey Kelly had his first start of the season yesterday – yay pitchers!) and should be a lot of fun to follow.

Back in Boston we also get afternoon baseball again.  1:10pm ET start time for the second Sox/Twins game today.  If you don’t have NESN or the Extra Innings package but get the MLB Network, you’re in luck.  Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10pm ET as well.  It seems a little crazy to me that this coming Monday is already Patriots’ Day.  Given my appreciation of morning baseball, yes, I’ll definitely be there!  But for now, we have to deal with John Lackey pitching against Kevin Slowey at Target Field.  So far, Lackey is on the path to quickly becoming a fan favorite.  Let’s hope he keeps it up today!

Last night I had a dream that Bronson Arroyo hired me to be his personal assistant and when he found out, Kyle Snyder, in a fit of jealousy (hey it was a dream!) burned down Great American Ballpark.  That will teach me to not stay up late alternating between watching baseball and “Backdraft”.

Yesterday, Blue Jay Ricky Romero was 6 outs away from a no-hitter when he gave up a home run to former Jay Alex Rios.  What I found fascinating is the Blue Jays fans and their booing of Rios every time he came up to bat (prior to the home run) since the White Sox have been in Toronto for this season.   The Jays put Rios on waivers last year (which is when the White Sox picked him up)…he didn’t sign there as a free agent.  Why all the hate (Jays fans, please feel free to enlighten me – I’m looking at you, Steve!)?  I recall that they treat Eric Hinske the same way and when I asked about it one told me it was because after his Rookie of the Year season and the big contract the Jays gave him, Hinske never performed up to expectations.  Tough crowd in Toronto.

And, finally, my favorite article today (thus far), courtesy of ESPN.com is about former MLB pitcher Matthew Pender.  (Here is a photo of Matt in a promotional shot for the Off-Broadway production he’s in.  2 things.  1 – It’s a little NSFW even though you don’t see anything and 2. You’re welcome, ladies…and some men too!).  After a shoulder-injury ended his career, the, now 28 year-old was convinced by his sister to pursue acting as a career and is starring in “When Joey Married Bobby” at the Times Square Arts Center’s Roy Arias Theatre.

I’ve had many discussions about the question of what do players who never make it long-term in baseball do with their lives.  Some have college educations, degrees and talents that will suit them well.  Others get thrust into sports at such a young age that it’s really all they know.  I’ve often wondered what the average player who has to leave baseball for whatever reasons ends up doing with his life – so reading this story and seeing how Matt has just picked up and moved on to something he finds equally satisfying is refreshing and a bit inspiring.  Baseball doesn’t have to be the end-all for you – especially if you can focus on picking yourself up and devote your time to something else.  Good luck to Matt.  The show he’s in sounds like it’ll be fun (and he’s already getting good reviews!).

More daytime baseball today than we can shake a stick at!  Hope you all get to enjoy some of it!

Photo of JD taken by Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission

This morning, my favorite Boston sports media person to follow on Twitter, Dan Roche, broke the news that JD Drew casually dropped that some time around Thanksgiving, he had surgery on his left shoulder to remove bone spurs.  According to JD:

“Just a little shoulder surgery that I had cleaning up some bone spurs on my AC joint that was giving me fits throughout the year last year. We really didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t take any pictures or did anything during the season. It only got worse as the off-season went along. Came in around Thanksgiving had that done, feel great now.”

Rochie goes on to write that they opted for surgery over a scope because the recovery time is shorter. Which means, ultimately, that JD Drew showed up at camp in hopefully better shape and fully ready to go for the new season.  This, of course, won’t prevent the stories popping up in the blogosphere about how awful JD Drew is nor will it mean and end to the “Drew isn’t worth his contract” pieces that crop up every season.  To me what it means is that Drew conducts his life the same whether it’s during the season or not, which is to say he’s private and quiet and jut does what needs to be done and tries to do so without drawing much attention to himself.

A healthy, spur-less, JD coming into Spring Training makes me very, very happy.

(Edited to add a shout out to reader “Marcus” who correctly points out that JD’s surgery was “news” back in November,  courtesy of – who else? – Rob Bradford.)

An unrelated note:  Over at MLB.com, Kyle Snyder is listed as a non-roster invitee – but not for a specific team.  I worry that 2009 might have been the last time we got to see Kyle play professional ball but I hope that there is still a team for him given that Spring Training only  just started.  Positive vibes being sent Kyle’s way.  Here’s hoping for good news soon.

And a brief mention because I’d be remiss if I let the day pass without writing this:  Happy birthday to both Mike Lowell and Bronson Arroyo!  Aside from their birthdays they don’t have much in common except each has a World Series ring from the Red Sox but they’re certainly two huge fan favorites.  Good things for both of them in 2010 is my hope.  For Mike, I hope that includes still being in a Red Sox uniform come April 4th!

Screen grab from video I took at the Hot Stove concert - Bronson Arroyo and Elan Trotman

Okay so things didn’t go exactly the way I planned they would on Saturday.  I did attend the New Stars for Young Stars event at Jillian’s in the morning and then the Hot Stove Cool Music round table at Fenway Park in the afternoon.  Both were fun and relatively interesting.  I got to see Trot Nixon and finally thank him for his part in 2004 and seeing the young ones interacting with the fans was its own entertainment.  A tremendous amount of thanks to KellyO for generously sharing both events with me!

Omar Minaya was a guest on the panel at the round table where they discussed integrating the foreign players into MLB.  Omar seemed very taken with both Bronson Arroyo and Manny Delcarmen…especially Manny.  He was charming and endearing and seems to genuinely care about his players.  I think Jason Bay is in good hands.   Well, if not good hands at least caring ones.

Manny Delcarmen won a bigger place in my heart than he already had by invoking Mike Timlin’s name first when discussing players who helped him make his way when he first made it to the bigs.  Unfortunately, on Saturday my man Mike was in another part of Massachusetts at a signing, close to where I usually am but far away from where I was all day.  It was a bummer to have missed him even though the day I had was fabulous.

Thanks to a last-minute tip from Elan Trotman that we then got verified by Mike O’Malley after the round table, we found out that Bronson was going to open the Hot Stove show…after debating on whether we wanted to spend the night at the concert, we decided to hit the show, watch Bronson’s set and bolt.  The idea of 12 hours of bouncing from Jillian’s to Fenway to the House of Blues made me long for my bed sooner rather than later so instead of sticking it out for the entire show we literally got there early enough to be up front, watched Bronson’s set and jetted out of there.

I have to admit, although I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t see Bronson perform this year, I was more than a bit giddy at getting to see him again.  I can’t help it, I immediately turn into a fan-girl when Bronson starts his singing.

It was an awful lot of fun for one day.  I posted some photos of the day here and you can find videos of Bronson’s set on my YouTube page.

Friday, February 12th is Truck Day and pitchers and catchers report on Thursday, February 18th.  It’s nice to have those dates to look at in your calender, isn’t it?

My favorite picture that I've taken of Bronson (January 2006).

I don’t know that I’ve ever come right out and said it so I’m going to now:

Bronson Arroyo…I love you.

“…Yeah, I grab my (crotch) and do 8,000 other twitches. What you want me to do about it? That’s how I pitch.”