Baseball season started!

[sheldonm]

I'll just direct you to what I said earlier:

On name recognition alone, the Cards do have a superior lineup. I mean, the Sox only have two MVP candidates, and the Cards have three! But the thing is, superior lineups don't always win. Certainly the Yanks had the superior lineup in last year's World Series.

Aren't we basically agreeing here?

In some ways we agree but I think saying that they are only superior in "name recognition only" is certainly not true. If that were the case, you could say the same for Boston's pitchers. They are certainly the name players in this case but the difference is the Cardinals "no name pitching" staff won 105 games and had four pitchers with 15 or more wins. The "name players" you mention also executed daily and have proven to be more than just a name. As I mentioned, I'm not much for pissing contests, but enjoy the occasional verbal exchange with you. No disrespect intended !!! It's good to see your passion for your team instead of being a flip-flopper like some people!

[Tjazz]

Yeah, I'd like to see the Cards and Astros play.

See if the Astros can upset the Cards.

If the Twins knock off the Yanks, Boston might be able to relax. (unless, the Twins are better than I thought)

[PHILLYQ]

Yeah, I'd like to see the Cards and Astros play.

See if the Astros can upset the Cards.

If the Twins knock off the Yanks, Boston might be able to relax. (unless, the Twins are better than I thought)

You can't bury the Angels yet, at least not after one game.

[Tjazz]

Yeah, I'd like to see the Cards and Astros play.

See if the Astros can upset the Cards.

If the Twins knock off the Yanks, Boston might be able to relax.  (unless, the Twins are better than I thought)

You can't bury the Angels yet, at least not after one game.

I thought I could write off the Yanks

[BERIGAN]

Yeah, I'd like to see the Cards and Astros play.

See if the Astros can upset the Cards.

If the Twins knock off the Yanks, Boston might be able to relax.  (unless, the Twins are better than I thought)

You can't bury the Angels yet, at least not after one game.

I thought I could write off the Yanks

Damn Yankees!!!! I just knew they would win, right after the Twins scored a run...

I think the Angels can be written off...

[Dan Gould]

Why oh why do the Yankees get freaking gifts everytime they stare defeat in the face? And how in the hell did Grady Little occupy Gardenhire's body last night in the last inning? Who the hell throws a closer out there for a third inning, and has no one warming up until the game is over for all intents and purposes? The guy was on fumes-did you notice how he was huffing and puffing on a cold night? Once he lost the strike zone to Cairo he should have been pulled.

Now we get treated to more bullshit about Yankee mystique and A-Rod earning his pinstripes.

A-Rod's freaking grandmother could have hit that pitch. It was a freaking BP fastball.

On the other hand I have to say I was much happier when I awoke to the late score than when I went to bed at midnight after the Angels got on top. Pedro obviously sucked it up, and if he keeps it up, I don't see anyone beating the Sox. Idle thought: It would be nice if the Twins can win, because Pedro should pitch Game 2 and 7. Both would be in the dome, and its been clear that Pedro loosens up quicker in warmer weather, so avoiding a cold weather start would be nice. Too bad he can only avoid it for so long, though (unless the Dodgers pull their nuts from the fire

[Dave James]

Dan,

How about that Yankee mystique? And didn't you think Alex finally earned his pinstripes last night?

Up over and Harold.

[Dan Gould]

Dan,

How about that Yankee mystique? And didn't you think Alex finally earned his pinstripes last night?

Up over and Harold.

Makes no never mind to me who we face next. It will only be sweeter to celebrate in front of the Empire, as nice as it would be to see the Yanks and their 190 million dollar payroll not get out of the first round.

And don't forget, its still Brown and the great Pitcher To Be Named at the Dome, where there is no stronger home field advantage.

[Tjazz]

And how in the hell did Grady Little occupy Gardenhire's body last night in the last inning? Who the hell throws a closer out there for a third inning, and has no one warming up until the game is over for all intents and purposes? The guy was on fumes-did you notice how he was huffing and puffing on a cold night? Once he lost the strike zone to Cairo he should have been pulled.

Yes, after walking 2 batters and throwing 42 pitches. The CLOSER is left in the game. Where's the manager?

[Aggie87]

Clemens didn't look real good yesterday, but the offense came through for the Astros. Oswalt's on the hill this afternoon. It would be great for them to take another win at Atlanta, and come back to Houston for the 3rd game. I don't know how far they can go with only two solid starting pitchers, but I'd still like to see the Atlanta curse end, and for them to win a postseason series for once...

[bluesForBartok]

I'm getting very excited. I think the sox are going to sweep the angels in 3 or at the very least take 'em in 4.

BTW, have any of you sox fans here read Bill Simmons' colum on ESPN's page 2.

[Dan Gould]

I'm getting very excited. I think the sox are going to sweep the angels in 3 or at the very least take 'em in 4.

BTW, have any of you sox fans here read Bill Simmons' colum on ESPN's page 2.

Yeah, I've been following his column.

Hey BfB, we should be watching each other's back here a little better! Lots of Yankee fans round here, with a smattering of guys who'll root for the Sox but aren't the way you and me are.

I think we'll be ready to close them out tomorrow. Arroyo's a pretty cool cucumber, and not only are we at home, but we're going in figuring we can score in any inning against any pitcher. So even if Arroyo doesn't pitch as well as Schill or Pedro did, I still expect to get it done tomorrow.

So, I've been thinking about the LCS, and here's my take on the rotation:

If the Yanks manage to pull their nuts from the fire, and we get it done tomorrow, the rotation should be:

Schilling

WAKEFIELD

Pedro

See how that works? Get Wakefield, who the Yanks absolutely hate to see, in there early, especially if he's skipped over in this series. That also has the advantage of

A) Keeping Pedro from pitching in front of a crowd chanting "Daddy"

B) Give Pedro some extra time so he's just as strong pitching the first game at home.

I think its a no brainer, and it starts with Arroyo coming through tomorrow and Francona being smart enough to do the smart thing.

On the other hand, if the Twins do win it, then Pedro should go in game 2 again. He doesn't get loose quickly in cold weather, so pitching him in the Dome makes sense to me.

[bluesForBartok]

Hey Dan,

I got your back man. It ain't easy being a Red Sox fan and that's especially true here in New York. I get so angry every morning riding the subway having to look at the back page of the NY Post and the NY Daily News which always has some stupid catchphrase about the latest Yankee victory. It's time to slay the dragon once and for all and if the Twins can't do it I really think the Sox can.

On the other hand...

A buddy of mine came up with a great analogy about the Sox saying that 'being a Red Sox fan is like being the child of an alcoholic parent.' They promise you the moon and ultimately let you down. But I think this is a different team with a different attitude. They seem to be having fun out there and there is a swagger that I've not seen in a Sox team save for last year. The bench is so deep and if Francona plays a smart, strategic game there's no reason they can't go to the World Series and, *gulp* win it all!

I like your thinking about the pitching rotation. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I've found that when Wakefield pitches on a crisp fall night, the ball dances in ways that makes him unhittable. Maybe it's just my own little two cent observation but I really do think he performs better with that scenario than in a day game. Are there statistics on this???

And yes I think Arroyo will do fine today. He's been a very nice surprise this year.

GO SOX!!!

[Dan Gould]

I think its definitely true that cold air helps Wakefield's knuckler. Plus he's the type of pro that when crunch time comes he's ready to bear down, even though he didn't have a great September.

Speaking of New York media, there's actually a nice piece in the New York Times about the chemistry of the team, how there are no cliques and everyone is pulling for everyone else, how Millar and Manny keep everyone loose.

Damon had a funny line about the team being a bunch of idiots. He said the only person that doesn't apply to is McCarty, because of his Stanford education, "but that's all he's got going for him."

I know the feeling of being cursed, being a Florida State graduate. It seemed like we'd never break through, always come up short in the end, in the most heartbreaking fashion imaginable. But they came through eventually, and I do think this is the year for the Sox as well.

Here's the Times' piece:

The Red Sox Are Passing Baseball's Chemistry Test

By LEE JENKINS

BOSTON, Oct. 7 - On the rare occasion that someone in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse is feeling a little quiet and shy, declining to participate in the latest player pile-up or mosh pit or piggyback ride, Manny Ramirez sidles over and pulls up a folding chair.

With his crooked smile and broken English, Ramirez brings out his usual icebreaker, a question as preposterous as it is routine: "So, what do you think of my swing today?"

For Ramirez, this is sort of like asking about the weather, and for the Red Sox, it constitutes the ultimate hilarity. The words are barely out of Ramirez's mouth and even the most subdued player is back in the circle, giggling for no apparent reason.

As Boston aims for a first-round playoff sweep over the Anaheim Angels on Friday at Fenway Park, the Red Sox are positively giddy. Center fielder Johnny Damon is proudly labeling them the Idiots and the Frat Boys, and while those self-deprecating nicknames speak to the team's carefree and party-hearty nature, they don't do justice to the complexity of their clubhouse dynamic.

That every member of the club is also a member of the fraternity is less the work of idiots and more the byproduct of some interpersonal genius. The Red Sox are a ragamuffin group composed mostly of self-proclaimed cowboys who sport cutoff tank tops and garish tattoos, either grow their hair down to their shoulders or cut it close to their scalps, and shave their beards in a fashion that could scare children.

But in the midst of this biker gang is a handful of the most important players on the team, all Hispanic, all more comfortable speaking Spanish than English. At first glance, the different demographics look like a potentially combustible combination, but somehow the Red Sox have created a delicate chemistry that is the envy of major league clubhouses. Forty-five years after Boston became the last big-league baseball team to integrate its roster, the Red Sox are a portrait of inclusion.

In past years, they were like so many other teams, rife with cliques, separated by ethnicity, never bothering to acknowledge the divisions that so obviously existed. At some point, the Red Sox finally realized that part of their problems on the field might have stemmed from some of their issues in the clubhouse.

"We definitely faced that once," said David Ortiz, Boston's cleanup hitter. "We called a meeting to talk about it and we really never had any problems again. When we see something wrong now, we'll call a meeting to get it out in the open. Everyone here has the same attitude. All that stuff about differences - we don't play that here."

The most apparent clubhouse catalysts are Ortiz and Kevin Millar, whose gregarious personalities shape the team's overall identity. It is not uncommon to see Millar jumping on Ramirez's back, shouting playfully at Pedro Martínez, chasing Orlando Cabrera around the room. There is really no language barrier because so much of the conversation is limited to grunts and guffaws.

"We will not allow cliques on this team," Millar said. "Some clubs have black guys over here, whites over there, Latinos over there. I won't allow it. We play together, we shower together, and we eat together. We're a family. There is just no reason to be segregated."

Consequence or not, the Boston players picked one another up after they lost Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to the Yankees last year, helped one another persevere through a long stretch of .500 ball this season, and vigorously defended one another in the brawl with the Yankees at Fenway Park in July.

Their happy-go-lucky attitude spawned their second-half surge and made them look laid-back heading into the playoffs. Before each of the games in Anaheim, both victories, the Red Sox acted as if they were preparing for a spring training workout, not a postseason pressure cooker.

"I really think the biggest thing here is that we all get along so well, no matter what differences we have on the outside," Ramirez said. "Everybody gets along with everybody. No one here eats dinner alone."

Ramirez, who used to be considered isolated and aloof, has morphed into the most unlikely team spokesman. Ramirez and Ortiz have become more than the most dangerous hitting duo in the major leagues. They are also close friends who bridge the Spanish-speaking players and the English-speaking ones, creating an environment in which the 25th man on the roster can make fun of Ramirez's hair.

During Game 1 of the best-of-five division series against the Angels, Ramirez hit a three-run homer, then fell into an emotional embrace with outfielder Gabe Kapler at home plate, a sight that was not even considered unusual. The Red Sox, who must lead the league in public displays of affection, offer more hugs than a self-help guru. When reliever Mike Myers notched a critical strikeout in Game 2, he quickly found himself in Ortiz's substantial clutches.

"I really don't think the importance of our clubhouse should be underestimated," Kapler said. "We have a lot of superstars on this team, and it's important that those guys are selfless and human. Manny makes sure to involve everybody in everybody else's business. Millar will rip anyone in here when they need to be ripped and then give a boost of confidence when they need that. Between those guys, the cliques have come together into one clique."

In this most diverse of fraternities, there is no room for introverts, no respect for personal space and no understanding of alone time. The only way to get noticed is with an outlandish display of physical humor. The only way to be heard is to scream like a Little Leaguer. Volume, it seems, is more important here than language.

*************************

[Brad]

RED SOX WIN! RED SOX WIN! RED SOX WIN!

Ok, can somebody now peel Mr. Gould off the ceiling

[Tjazz]

Now I want to see Boston beat the Yankees.

[Dan Gould]

RED SOX WIN! RED SOX WIN! RED SOX WIN!

Ok, can somebody now peel Mr. Gould off the ceiling

Unbelievable. To let the Angels off the floor like that-if they'd have come all the way back, everyone would say, "same old Red Sox." But these aren't the same old Red Sox.

I defy anyone to claim that this isn't the best team in the league.

In about ten days, we'll have proved it.

Edited October 9, 2004 by Dan Gould

[bluesForBartok]

Hi Five to ya Dan!!!

What a sweet sweet win! I'm still reeling. Arroyo was brilliant today.

[Dan Gould]

Hi Five to ya Dan!!!

What a sweet sweet win! I'm still reeling. Arroyo was brilliant today.

Arroyo is going to be much more than a number five starter next season. He just needs to get consistent with his fastball to set up that devastating curveball. Like Varitek says, when its on, its unhittable, and there's no doubt that's true. I could see Sheffield twisting his bum shoulder into next month hacking at that curveball.

Amazing that today's heroes were Arroyo (released by Pittsburg) and Ortiz (released by the Twins). Those two are studs-and we got 'em.

[Tjazz]

Amazing, Ortiz was on 1st with 2 outs in the 9th and the TV commentators were wondering why the manager didn't replace him with Roberts (faster runner).

[ghost of miles]

Hmmm... Twins are starting Santana on three days' rest again. They did that last year against the Yanks in the playoffs and he got blown off the mound. Of course, Vasquez is starting for NY... not really a cause for optimism there. Still, NY had to win last night, or else they were looking at having to win a Game 4 at MN and then face Santana on full rest.

[Dan Gould]

Hmmm... Twins are starting Santana on three days' rest again. They did that last year against the Yanks in the playoffs and he got blown off the mound.

I'd venture to say that as solid as Santana might have been last year, he is light year's better now. The Yanks will really have their work cut out to avoid Game 5.

Which is to say, to avoid pitching Mussina and not have him available at the start of LCS.

Which is to say, this is a win-win for the Sox, so long as the Twins force Game 5.

[GregK]

another early playoff exit for a punchless, shaky-pitching braves team. when they had pitching, they had no offense. when they had offense last year, they had no pitching. this year, they have neither. pretty scary knowing their season is up to Russ "load 'em up" Ortiz

[ghost of miles]

See you in the Bronx, baby!

Yankswin

Edited October 10, 2004 by ghost of miles

[Dan Gould]

See you in the Bronx, baby!

Yankswin

Wouldn't have it any other way.

Let's see: Last year it went seven games. What's changed since then?

Red Sox:

Now have an October-tested ace who's whipped the Yankees before and is all set for the first game; better bullpen than last year, better defense, deeper bench, and no appreciable change in the offense.

Yankees:

Bigger offense than last year, but three staff aces replaced by Irving, Moe and Shemp. Bullpen now consists of two aces and a lot of prayers.