Mass The *New* Official Boston Sports Thread

Seems to be a good date to start the thread, as the year's half over now and I wanted a "clean break" with the thread on the Boston board. For those of you who've never been on the Boston board, this thread will be used for all sports-related discussion, be it pro, semi-pro, or college (as I often post about BC's teams)...perhaps you can even brag about your local high school football team here.

Anyway, I wish we had better news to start the thread with, but the Red Sox lost a frustrating game last night. The Sox had chances all night, and while they cashed in early for 4 runs, Beckett couldn't hold the lead in only going 5 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers @ Fenway. It has seemed the lineup can't get anything done w/ RISP recently, and even "Big Papi" and Manny haven't been able to hit like we're accustomed to. On the bright side, OF Jacoby Ellsbury got a hit in his major league debut.

 

The Bruins made a long-awaited trade for a bona-fide #1 goaltender by acquiring Manny Fernandez from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Petr Kalus and a fourth-round draft pick in 2009. Fernandez was 22-16-1 with a 2.55 GAA and a .911 save percentage last season before a knee sprain sidelined him. Fernandez and backup goalie Niklas Backstrom (who became the Wild's #1 goaltender after Fernandez's injury) also shared the William Jennings Trophy, given to the team with the lowest GAA (2.20). The Bruins waited on the trade b/c the higher salary cap ($50.3M) didn't go into effect until today, and consumating the trade before then would've put the Bruins over the old cap ($44M).

 

Yet another frustrating loss to the Texas Rangers this afternoon, by a 2-1 score. To put an exclamation point on the Sox' recent hitting woes, "Big Papi" came up with 2 out and a runner on first in the 9th inning with a chance to win the game on a walkoff homer, but Eric Gagne got him to pop up to first to end the ballgame.

The Red Sox will potentially send 6 players to the All-Star Game a week from Tuesday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco. David Ortiz was voted by the fans as the American League's starting first baseman. Additionally, OF Manny Ramirez and 3B Mike Lowell were voted by the players as AL position player reserves, and Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon were voted by players to the American League pitching staff. I said potentially 6 players because Sox setup man Hideki Okajima was nominated by American League manager Jim Leyland for the "Final Vote", which is going on on MLB.com (look for link to ballot on this page) to name the 32nd players on the AL and NL rosters. Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek, 2 Red Sox players in the "Final Vote" on previous occasions, have both made it on the All-Star team, so do your part, Red Sox Nation...vote early and often!

EDIT: You can also vote for "Oki-Doki" on your cellphone by texting "A5" to 36197

 

The Texas Rangers left Boston with only a split in the wraparound series, thanks to a 7-3 win by the Red Sox in last night's finale. OF Jacoby Ellsbury has been exciting the Fenway crowd, getting his first major league stolen base last night, then, shortly after that, scored from second on a wild pitch, becoming the first Red Sox player to do that since Jeff Frye in 1997. On a night when the Sox bats broke out of it, Eric Hinske had the key blow, hitting a bases-clearing triple with the bases loaded to break open a close game.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays hit Fenway for the first time this year starting tonight, with Rays' ace Scott Kazmir (5-4, 4.26 ERA) getting the call against Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-5, 3.80 ERA). Note: the start time for tomorrow's game has been moved up to 1:05 PM ET in order to minimize traffic problems in the area with the traditional Boston Pops concert @ the Hatch Shell going on later that evening.

 

Dice-K continued his recent mastery last night, making this the sixth start in a row in which he has given up 2 or less runs, and the fourth start in a row in which he has given up 1 or less runs, with an 8-inning shutout performance in which he scattered 4 hits and struck out 9 while walking only 1. The other highlight of last night's 4-1 win was Julio Lugo, who broke out of an 0/33 slump with a 2-run single in the 2nd inning en route to a 2/3 night.

BTW, the Red Sox reached the official halfway point of the season Monday with a 50-31 record, but I will give the full AL East standings tomorrow, as the Fourth of July is considered the unofficial halfway point and is a benchmark date that everyone looks at with regard to the standings.

 

With another good win by the Red Sox, here are the AL East standings after the games of July 4:

1. Boston 52-31 .627 ---
2. Toronto 41-43 .488 11.5
3. New York 39-42 .481 12
4. Baltimore 37-46 .446 15
5. Tampa Bay 33-50 .398 19

As you can see, the Red Sox are comfortably ahead, with the Blue Jays and the Yankees battling it out for second place. As can be seen from the expanded standings, the Sox also own the best winning percentage in baseball. I know some of you remember 1978, but the general consensus is that the 1978 team was horribly mismanaged down the stretch (there's a "Sports Huddle" story about Don Zimmer that I remember that I can tell at the next meet I'm at), and I don't expect Terry Francona to do the same.

The "Final Vote" for the All-Star Game ends tonight @ 6:00 PM ET, and Hideki Okajima was leading the AL vote at last report, so keep voting to put him over the top.

 

Morning, Richie!

Heck of a game last night huh? It was like the other team didn't show up or something!

 

Yeah, Wifey...you can't start a game much better than the Sox did last night: the pitcher strikes out the side and the offense hits around. Coco seems to be getting his power back (not that he hits many homers), too, with that 1st inning grand slam...just wish Papi would find his.

If you missed it, before the game, it was announced that Hideki Okajima won the AL "Final Vote", so the Red Sox will be sending 6 players to the All-Star Game on Tuesday night (barring any withdrawals due to injury).

 

After getting swept over the weekend in Detroit in a hard-fought series, the Red Sox have hit the All-Star break with a 53-34 record, good for a 10 game lead in the AL East over the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. Looking ahead, the schedule immediately following the All-Star break is somewhat favorable for the Red Sox: just under half of the next 30 games are at Fenway (with the bulk of those coming just after the break), and 20 of the next 30 are against teams under .500.

 

Yeah, yesterdays game was depressing. The second to last pitch look perfect, right down the middle. He should have had no problems clubbing it away, but no. he just watches it pass him by. no wonder he has no hits

 

WOO HOO! My all-time favorite Patriot, WR Troy Brown signed a 1-year contract with the Pats today. It will be his 15th Season with the team.

 

Dang, beat me to it Mike!

 

The American League continued their recent All-Star Game mastery of the National League last night with a 5-4 victory at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett pitched in the 3rd and 4th innings, allowing just a 3rd inning double by Jose Reyes while striking out Ken Griffey Jr. in the 3rd and Dodgers catcher Russell Martin in the 4th. Beckett picked up the win thanks in large part to Ichiro Suzuki, who had a 3/3 night with one of the hits being the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history. Ichiro was named the game's MVP.

Other Red Sox:

David Ortiz: 0/2, reached on Prince Fielder error in 1st, lined out to Ken Griffey Jr. in RF in 3rd
Manny Ramirez: 0/1, flied out Ken Griffey Jr. while pinch-hitting for Dan Haren
Mike Lowell: 1/1, singled to center field off Billy Wagner in 8th, scored on Victor Martinez home run
Jonathan Papelbon: pitched in 8th inning, allowing single to Derrek Lee and striking out Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand
Hideki Okajima: did not play

The win, of course, means the American League champion will have home field advantage in the World Series in October.

In Patriots news, Francis "Bucko" Kilroy, a 36 year member of the Patriots organization, passed away yesterday at age 86. As the Patriots' personnel director, Bucko was responsible for drafting the team's two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, OL John Hannah and CB Mike Haynes, as well as other notable Patriots such as Steve Grogan, Sam Cunningham, Steve Nelson, and Russ Francis.

 

Brace yourselves, folks...

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=1010675

David Ortiz told the Herald's Michael Silverman and Rob Bradford that he believed that surgery may be needed to correct a problem with his right knee that he said was behind his recent quad and hamstring soreness in that leg. "Big Papi" was scheduled to undergo an MRI when he returned to Boston from the All-Star Game to determine if surgery will actually be needed.

EDIT: WEEI reported, however, that any surgery David Ortiz may have will wait until the offseason.

 

Since I missed it Monday...

Tony Massarotti's midseason Red Sox report card

Among the position players, the highlights were Kevin Youkilis (A), Alex Cora, Mike Lowell, and Dustin Pedroia (all with an A-). The lowlights, not surprisingly, were Julio Lugo (the only F Massarotti gave), J.D. Drew, Wily Mo Peña (both with Ds), and Coco Crisp (D+).

Among pitchers, the highlights were Hideki Okajima (with the only A+), Josh Beckett, and Jonathan Papelbon (both with As), with J.C. Romero (D) and Joel Piñeiro (D+) the only lowlights. Also notably for the pitchers, Daisuke Matsuzaka, the most heralded acquisition of the offseason, lived up to the hype, getting a B+ despite inconsistencies for portions of the first half of the season.

To round out the grades, Massarotti gave Terry Francona an A and Theo Epstein a B+.

 

Word is that Papi is heading in for an MRI on his knee....

Unfortunately I didn't have time to read the article. Just saw the headline earlier today.

 

In related sports news, I was put on the Staples DL this morning with a strained Achilles Tendon, which will force me to miss the final 2 games of the season and the playoffs.

I'll be having x-ray later this evening to determine if there was any additional damage.

I ended my rookie season in the SSL (Staples Softball League) with a .476 avg, 3 2B, 7 RBI and 6 R batting out of the No. 9 spot in the order.

 

Tough break, Mike.

Rotoworld has named Red Sox farmhand Clay Buchholtz, who was recently promoted to AAA Pawtucket, the #1 pitching prospect in baseball.

 

Nice 7-4 win @ Fenway over the Blue Jays last night to start the second half of the season. "Big Papi" and Manny combine for a 5/9 with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored, and Wakefield, though not spectacular, got the job done. If the "big two" start heating up like this, it should make the Sox even more difficult to catch.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2007_07_12_tormlb_bosmlb_1

BTW, don't look now, but with a 2/4 performance last night, Julio Lugo is back over the "Mendoza Line" (current average is .201).

Also...

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2007/07/schills_session.html

Curt Schilling threw 55 pitches, far more than the 30-35 pitches expected, in a bullpen session today, and appeared effortless in his arm motion, exciting manager Terry Francona (understandably). He's scheduled to throw on the side again on Monday, perhaps to live batters, and may make a rehab start in the minors on July 21 if all goes well.

 

Last night's 9-4 win was mostly notable for the home runs. Eric Hinske had a solo shot, and Jason Varitek smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th inning for what proved to be the game-winner, but the best news of the homers came from "Big Papi", who hit his first Fenway homer in 34 home games and 129 at-bats dating back to April 21. It was only the third time this season that the Sox connected on three or more homers in a game.

 

The New Jersey Jackals won the first half of the Can-Am League (independent league baseball) season with a 31-15 record, 4 games better than the Nashua Pride. The North Shore Spirit were the best of the Massachusetts entries, finishing in 4th place (25-21, 6 games back), followed closely by the Worcester Tornadoes (5th place, 24-23, 7.5 games back), with the Brockton Rox holding up the rear for the Bay State (8th place, 20-26, 11 games back). In the Can-Am League, the two half winners qualify for the playoffs, with two wild cards determined by overall winning percentage also getting in (if the same team wins both halves, there would be a third wild card).

Let's hope our teams do better in the second half.

 

Going to the Sox/Royals game tonight. Here's hoping the offense can get their heads out of their you-know-whats and put a couple of runs up on the board.

 

The deadline for franchise players to reach long-term deals with their clubs passed without the Patriots agreeing to terms with CB Asante Samuel, so that means Samuel can now only sign the one-year, $7.79M franchise tender. Samuel has threatened to hold out until Week 10 of the regular season, so the next few weeks should prove interesting. Training camp opens on Friday, July 27, 11 days from now.

 

Just a masterful performance last night by the lefty Kason Gabbard last night, allowing just 3 hits in a 4-0 shutout in which he went the distance. Forgot what inning it was, but there was one point where Gabbard loaded the bases, but Dustin Pedroia turned in an outstanding play @ second base to prevent the runs from scoring (it became the #1 Web Gem on "Baseball Tonight"). Pedroia, as well as Manny and "Big Papi", were the offensive contributors with home runs (Pedroia and Manny on solo shots, while Ortiz's homer came with one on).

In other Sox news, Curt Schilling had another good throwing session yesterday as he returns from his shoulder problem, and he should make a rehab start Saturday in Pawtucket.