Here Come The Sawx!

In what's gone from a pip-squeak of a mouse has turned into a full-fledged roar as the injury battered Red Sox have gone on an ass-kicking mission and slimmed a once 8.5 game deficit to pull within a game of the Yanks and Rays. All this while missing Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Jeremy Hermida, and Adrian Beltre at points(And signs aren't encouraging with J.D. having left the game with a strained hammy). The Sox were lead to victory on the left-handed arm of Felix Doubront last night and look to keep on the streak tonight against Vincente Padilla. Doubront, called up from AAA, won his first ML game going five innings giving up 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 K's. With the heart seemingly gone at the beginning of the season, the Sox were streaky at best through the first two months and are seemingly finding their groove now. Why? The bench and David Ortiz.

Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava (.444, 1HR, 6 RBIs), Bill Hall (.230, 5HR's, 30 RBI's) have all come up big for the Sox on defense and offense. After seeing Nava(what a debut against the Phils!) in some action the past week and McDonald(.277, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 5 SB) for about a month, I'm a believer that the Sox can trade Jacoby Ellsbury and get a reliever or middle of the rotation guy seeing as Beckett won't be back for at least another week and Dice-K's time-table is unknown. I know you're wondering why Bill Hall is in the category. Hall had crucial hits in rallies and games that outweigh his low batting average, but look at his OBP. It's his 2nd best. He caters to the small game played with stats. Meanwhile, David Ortiz is making a strong case for the Sox to re-sign him after bopping #15 last night. He's currently batting a .266 with 43 RBIs, a far cry from his sub .190 average to begin the season. Do I see Ortiz coming back? No, the Sox don't have the patience to wait for him to heat up again next season. The offense seems to be clicking much better and Adrian Beltre has been hot at the plate finally validating he's a good fit at Fenway. Pedey's had a average year, but look at him to turn it up and Marco Scutaro has gotten some key hits.

The starting pitching looks like the formidable rotation it was expected to be despite Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Wake's numbers. Clay Buchholz is making a strong bid to appear in his first all-star game with Jon Lester right behind. I've been disappointed with Lackey, but expected the numbers he's put up. Despite the constant circus in the bullpen, it's remained steady and gotten through the innings which it struggled to do in May. Daniel Bard s getting very acclimated to Johnathon Papelbon's role, which could signal a changing of the guards should Paps not become more dominant.

This looks like a good season again for the Sox, but it's going to take a lot more to beat a talent-loaded Yankees team and a consistent Rays club.

Phils bats have gone silent

What is wrong with the NL champs? Only 20 runs in 10 games? They've a few points on team batting average and lost about 2 runs a game since. The Braves have proven to be quite a surprise with the rest of the NL gaining on the Phils coveted second place.Now that Steven Strasburg has hit the majors, I'm sure the Phils are praying they don't face him after his dismantling of the Pirates. Ryan Howard's monstrous HR's are few and far between, Jayson Werth is far from having a huge season, Chase Utley has scattered singles and doubles, but not many HR's lately. Poor Raul Ibanez can't get a hit to have an argument in his favor. Placido Polanco has been getting quite banged up for a thirty-five year old guy this season, so it's hard to stay ina rhythm. Ruiz has never been a prime-time/average contact hitter to argue that he's been hurting them. I credit J-Roll being hurt as a big problem for the team. The bench isn't exactly lighting the field on fire either.

So what to do? In my opinion, Howard is cutting down on his strike-outs, but has to be more aggressive at the plate...maybe crowd it a bit for opposing pitchers to draw walks if he can't get a hit. Utley is some minor adjustments in his swing to get those extra bases. Werth needs to get his mind off the pressure of a new deal, he's flat-out giving away money now. The Phillies shouldn't be in a rush to sign him, nor should he be to. Raul is just an aging mess. Some time in extra BP would do him great to compensate for the loss of bat speed. The bench needs to do something. Castro has been the most productive member in Rollins's absence.

From a manager's stand-point where are the steals and hit and runs? Getting more quality starts and committing less errors would help on the defense side of the ball. The Phils aren't in danger yet of this season slipping away, but they should be taking advantage of the scheduled teams they have coming in under .500.

Ollie Perez and The Meaning Of No

Coming soon to a theater near you, the biggest summer blockbuster of them all: Oliver Perez vs. The Mets. Watch as the two sides slug it out over who is the supreme commander of their destiny. Yep, that's how I see it billed. The Mets are most certainly going to roll over for this clown on two legs. I can't understand why the Mets keep him around...he's dead weight. The guy can't pitch. He's had two "good" seasons (if you enjoy just over .500 win decisions and a career ERA of 4.60) with the Mets and the rest of his career in Pittsburgh and San Diego were abysmal numbers. Even then, what did the Mets see in this guy?

This week after so much speculation, "Queen Perez" refused a minor league assignment because it's a slap to his ego...nothing more, nothing less. Ollie, you got command issues, the minors is where you can get back on track. You think Dwight Gooden enjoyed going back to the minors before re-proving his worth to the Yankees and Indians during the 1996-1999 stretch? No, he was scared he'd never make it back, but he took the assignment for his shot and look what it got him-- A World Series ring among a few post-season appearances. Now, by no means am I saying Ollie can become a fire-baller like Gooden was, but he can become a serviceable middle rotation guy if he'd be more accommodating. The Mets NEED to release this guy or force to change his mind. He's hurting the organization and the fans. The Mets could go after a guy like Dontrelle Willis (who will not be a Met) that may be able to help the team out. Joel Sherman of The New York Post says "Fans shouldn't blame him for not accepting, but blame the team for a bad contract." Ok, fine I do blame them for a bad contract, but a player has a duty to the team and Perez isn't doing such.

So if my overall point of this entry was anything, it's that the Mets have a big decision to make and it can't wait much longer.

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Mets questions at pitching

Recently, starter Oliver Perez was demoted to the bullpen after an 0-3; 5.94 ERA start. Seems fitting right? This all comes a brief time ago after signing a three year/$36M contract. The Mets didn't send him to the minors due to him not accepting that kind of demotion and more than likely having to shred the contract and eat the money. Writers say Perez doesn't pitch as well in the cold, which is plausible if you think of Pedro Martinez, but hardly an excuse for lack of velocity. Oliver Perez and Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen can surely commiserate such a problem as Delcarmen has struggled to get his velocity back after an injury. Interestingly, the two are the same age (28) and neither should be hitting a "dead-arm" age yet. Both have been extensively injured throughout their careers.

The real problem for the Mets is the fact who is the person to replace Perez. Jon Niese has been diagnosed with a mild strain of his right hamstring after exiting Sunday's game. Two pitchers are needed now. Johan Santana has yet to win, John Maine is having command issues, while Mike Pelfrey continues to showcase himself as the number one guy for now. Hisanori Takahasi (3-1; 3.12ERA) will take Niese's start on Friday, but rumor has it that Perez's replacement will be R.A. Dickey, whose been added to the roster while they await word on the extent of Niese's hamstring. Dickey hasn't played in the bigs since last season, but sports a 4-2; 2.23ERA at Triple A Buffalo.

The question is are Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey be the replacements to keep the Mets afloat? At least, Chris Carter is exciting to watch while Jeff Francouer took his mental health day.

Baseball reflects life sometimes....

I apologize for my brief disappearance, but I've been busy getting ready for graduation, figuring out how I'm gonna pay my bills on my limited income, and relationship issues. Quite simply, it hasn't been all roses here, a lot of questions that need answers.

The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.

Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.

Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.

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Ryan Howard extension

By now you've heard the Phillies have locked up 1B Ryan Howard to a five year contract worth $125M. If you're a Phillies fan, you thought you'd never see the day when the team spent money to keep up competitively, but if you're not a fan, you probably think the Phils made the worst financial deal of all time given Howard's age and contract length. Let's be honest, Howard hasn't reached a decline point yet, but how will he respond to age. He's a smaller David Ortiz (and Ortiz hasn't aged well). Howard is thirty this season which is typically where analysts and fans begin to jump off hte wagon on a guy, and how can you blame with a league like the NL without a DH? Howard will basically become un-trade able should he decline (which I'm generously giving him until 34).That point, the Phils are on the hook for one more year under contract and he's free to walk. I don't see the problem here. Boston fans have watched Big Papi slip for almost a season and a half. The biggest reason the Phils did this deal without flinching is the fact of the team they have currently. Victorino, Halladay, Ruiz and etc. are all under contract to make consecutive runs. Sure, Raul Ibanez could retire and Jayson Werth & J-Roll could be gone, but still looking at them on paper, they still look like a first place team. This is why Ryan's deal make sense. It's more than enough incentive to take a small risk of decline. Maybe the analysts need to lay-off saying it's overall bad (excluding Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal partially). If anybody needs to leave, it's Cole Hamels. He's been inconsistent to a "t" and when Joe Blanton comes back should be sent to AAA to work out his issues. In the meantime, don't knock a guy who knows how to bring in runs and swings a good bat getting a big contract. Wait until the years go away (with or without WS championships) and see how Ryan Howard continues to play the game.

As a society, we tend to evaluate decisions quickly without giving things time to work out. Look at Alex Rodriguez's sky-high contract. Great in the regular season, but leaves much to be desired in the playoffs when it counts (don't argue that 2009 validates him, because one season doesn't). Howard is just as consistent come play-offs ( excuse his hiccup last season hitting an abysmal .174). A-Rod's playoff resume is longer than Howard's and his BA only outranks Howards by .23. Yankees fan would agree that A-Rod has been worth despite his struggles would they not?

Ryan Howard may not be the HR leader of all-time, multiple-time world champion, or best 1B of all-time, but he provides a solid bat for a solid team that has multiple bats. Just like A-Rid, just like pre- 2008 David Ortiz, etc.

Reactions to Gordon Edes column

If you click my title, it will take to Edes's column. Here's the link if that's a problem: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=5124562

Upon making my daily stop at ESPNBoston.com, I found a somewhat scathing story about slugger David Ortiz. If you've been under a rock the past few months, you'd think Ortiz was still a god at the plate...he's quite the opposite in fact. I'm sure some are feeling that Wednesday's lifting of Ortiz in favor of Mike Lowell at DH is a signal of an end. Baseball is a business as most of the population knows, but being a fan doesn't exactly equate to the economics of the game. For a fan, it's about when your team is laying it on the line to get the win, the hero stepping to the plate, the player that you adore, and the pride you show even when the team/hero doesn't get it done. While anyone can understand that David Ortiz isn't what he once was despite his valiant efforts in training himself to adapt, the progress has been less than impressive. Ortiz is batting .146 with two RBI's fifteen games into the season. The start is reminiscent of last season when he was under .200 at the All-Star break. He's already been benched for tonight's game. Could Ortiz benefit from more at bats? Maybe. Is it possible Boston isn't working for him anymore? Maybe. Is David Ortiz done? Maybe. We don't know until we find out these things.

Ededs goes on to say, "And few people would disagree with Francona's decision to look to someone other than Ortiz for deliverance. The number of people still professing belief in Big Papi can probably be comfortably seated at a table for one." Economically, yes most people including myself, would agree because he's simply not hitting the ball especially with being offered fastballs which he'd destroy before 2008. The number of people who still believe is doubtful to be just one, Mr. Edes...My girlfriend sits at the table with me. She is nowhere near the maniac I am about the Sox, but she loves David Ortiz. She hates seeing him struggle just as much as I, or any other caring Sox fan does. I think what people forget is the good times. Where would we be without David Ortiz? 2004 would've never happened. Maybe not even 2007. The Red Sox waited 86 years to erase a World Series drought and we complain because the guy struggled five months out of the last nine months of baseball season. People died before seeing a Boston championship and we'd die before Ortiz gets another shot at baseball? That's being a fan, suffering through the tough times, accepting failure (bitterly or not), and continuing to support. Yet, we can't forget about the past--the towering shots Ortiz hit to keep our playoff dreams alive, the plaque given to him by John Henry (Most Clutch Hitter of All Time), and easily the most memorable and productive DH in Red Sox history. Our bitter rivals never forget the past 27 championships they won (never shy to speak about it when around a Sox fan such as myself).

So to close this up, keep up the faith (so to speak). We are fans, not owners or business partners of the team. We will always be loyal to the Sox until death (I hope I can see one more World Series in the next seventy years I hope to live)
Hope the best for David, no matter what happens. Most of all never forget he was the guy who ran away (Man-Ram), the guy who got away (JayBay), controversial (Jim Rice), or the sale of one of the of the greatest to ever play the game (Babe). He just came out to have a good time and play the game, maybe he just needs to find that fun again...but I could be completely wrong. Until we figure it out, there's always seats at the table to hope Ortiz can turn it around.