I'm not a big fan of Jason Giambi, but I thought what he said about his steriod use today was maybe as open as I've seen a current major league baseball player who used steriods say about them in the game.
"I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said, 'We made a mistake.' We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it. " -- Jason Giambi, DH New York Yankees
I really don't want to get to deep into my thoughts on steriods here in this post, but it's a good thing to see Giambi, a former MVP award winner, reflect about baseball's dark side more competently. I think his statement can be viewed as him blaming everyone in baseball and him getting caught up in steroids, but I also agree everyone involved in the game just let steriods and performance enhancers be accepted as part of the culture of the game (we all see how anyone could have been involved as with that former Mets clubhouse staff person who distributed the juice). Everything going on from Canseco's book to the Mitchell Panel investigation are just scratching the surface on what happened and continues to go on. And honestly, we'll ever know the whole story.
However, Giambi took the equivalent of the Mark McGwire way out of not talking about the past when asked why he took steriods saying, "Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but not now." And perhaps, and I seriously wonder this, McGwire had something to do with Giambi's useage since they played together 1995-1997.
But this may be as good a statement as you can get from a former user on the sad state of affairs in the game. Should MLB apologize about steriods? Well, first it needs to rid the game of them. Baseball can't apologize when players are still using because it still hasn't cleaned up it's culture.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Professor Clemens
A friend of mine emailed this to me today and I thought it was a great shot of what I discussed about Clemens being a leader. This is Clemens talking with Phil Hughes, Jeff Karstens, and Joba Chamberlin and a couple other minor leaguers. It shows Clemens as an instructor and guide to the young ones.
I'll be posting something tomorrow--not sure quite yet what--and then I'll be away from a computer for the entire weekend as I will be watching my little brother graduate college. Next week I'll be coming to you from Tulsa, Oklahoma where I hope to catch a Tulsa Drillers minor league game and do that work thing I sometimes do.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Who's on Second?
Before I get to my topic, I have to respond briefly to Teddy's comments about Ron Villone.
I knew, of course, as soon as Villone's name was mentioned in the post, that Villone is a UMass Alum, in fact, a quick search of baseball-reference.com reavealed that Villone is one of only 18 major leaguers who hail from the Pearl of the Pioneer Valley, and one of only 3 who were active through '06 (Chad Paronto, who would have played there while we were in High School is currently rocking a 5.23 ERA for the Braves, and something called a Doug Clark is 1 for 11 in a career split between the two Bay Area teams in '05 and '06)
There were some surprises on the list - such as Jeff Reardon, who was briefly the all-time leader in Saves and is more recently known for an unfortunate event involving prescription meds and a jewelry heist, Gary DiScarcina who retired just in time for David Eckstein to become America's sweetheart in 2002, and Mike Flanagan - pseudo GM of the Oriole's, Cy Young winner, World Series champion, and the last man to throw a pitch at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore (I know this off the top of my head because I was there) all knew the thrill of shouting, "Go... Go U... Go UMass... Go! U! Mass!"
(To go into a tangent off of my opening tangent, I will argue that Memorial Stadium was superior to Camden Yards until my dying day, and not only because I saw the immortal Wilson Alvarez(!) throw a no-hitter there, and the equally immortal Phil Bradley(?) hit an inside-the-park Grand Slam)
But I had a point here...
Run down (Competently - not A-Rod style)
Around about playoff time, there's often a feature that's run that compares teams position-by-position and gives an edge to one team over the other. For fun, let's do it here:
Catcher:
Jorge Posada (.365/3/21/.970)
Jason Varitek (.283/3/16/.799)
Edge: Yankees - Posada and Varitek are both in decline, but Posada has a lot more to decline from, and his diminished skills as a Catcher on the wrong side of 30 aren't nearly as evident.
First Base:
Doug Mientkiwicz (.233/3/11/.690)
Kevin Youkilis (.328/3/17/.891)
Edge: Red Sox - I was surprised that the counting stats are as surised as they are, but the rate stats certainly indicate Youk's superiority.
Second Base:
Robinson Cano (.230/1/16/.600)
Dustin Pedroia (.259/1/17/.716)
Edge: Red Sox - Cano will play better than this, and while Pedroia might improve as the season goes on, Cano will probably exceed his number by a comfortable margin. But as long as Pedroia is platooning with Alex Cora (.417/2/11/1.170), this has to go to the Sox
Third Base:
Alex Rodriguez (.329/15/39/1.121)
Mike Lowell (.318/7/30/.925)
Edge: Yankees - Lowell's having a nice little season, and I'm happy about it, but there's no way I would even attempt to convince anyone that he's close to A-Rod's equal.
Shortstop:
Derek Jeter (.375/2/20/.920)
Julio Lugo (.265/2/23/.710)
Edge: Yankees - both players are playing as well as can be expected.
Left Field:
Hideki Matusi (.278/2/14/.852)
Manny Ramirez (.248/6/24/.757)
Edge: Red Sox - Yes, Godzilla's rate stats are better than Manny's as off now, and Manny's edge in counting stats could be chalked up to the fact that Matsui has been on the DL, but this is a case where I'll ignore the numbers. Yankees' fans could argue that Matsui is better than Ramirez in the same way that they can argue that Thurman Munson/Ron Guidry/Don Mattingly are Hall of Famers. One could selectively compile evidence for the case, but it wouldn't stand up against any real cross-examination.
Center Field:
Johnny Damon (.259/2/13/.730)
Coco Crisp (.231/0/10/.599)
Edge: Yankees - Both of these guys are disappointing. Crisp was supposed to replace Damon in Boston, and has failed to live up to the billing. Damon seems to be giving way under the increasing weight of nagging injuries. This comparison could go either way by the end of the season, but "Looks Like Jesus, Acts Like Judas, Throws Like Mary" has the edge for now.
Right Field:
Bobby Abreu (.236/1/19/.603)
J.D. Drew (.248/2/12/.714)
Edge: Even - Both these guys are disappointing right now, and both of them have a huge potential to rebound. Their stats aren't terribly relevant right now.
Designated Hitter:
Jason Giambi (.278/5/18/.837)
David Ortiz (.314/9/33/1.046)
Edge: Red Sox - Yes, sentiment (Big Papi tag teams with Tom Brady as my man-crush, Jason Giambi is Barry Bonds' peer in the steroid controversy) has something to do with this, but while Giambi is expected to complement the office, Papi is expected to carry it. They're both doing their jobs, but Ortiz has the most important job.
Score:
Yankees 4, Red Sox 4, Tie 1.
This actually came out a lot closer than I thought - I expected the Yankees in a whitewash. If the difference comes down to pitching, the advantage has to go Red Sox right now.
And finally... who's on Second?
The Yankees have their Second Baseman of the future - Robinson Cano has struggled early on this season, but he's going to be very good for years to come.
The Red Sox are trying to establish their own franchise Second Baseman - Dustin Pedroia - which has been an up-and-down experience so far. He started out hot, struggled, and has since adjusted. He's always been billed as a guy who would excel on his baseball intelligence rather than his raw ability, and Red Sox nation is waiting for just that to happen. It doesn't have to happen all at once (Jimy Williams has never been given enough credit for just letting Trot Nixon bat 9th and play on a regular basis to get used to the big leagues), but the Sox have certainly hitched their wagon to Pedroia's star for the immediate future.
Even while the Red Sox were up and the Yankees' were nowhere ('86 to '95) the Yankees' have always been better equipped and more stable at second base than the Red Sox.
I remember the Yankees going through Gold Glovers/All-Stars Willie Randolph, Steve Sax, and Chuck Knoblauch, (and later Alfonso Soriano) while the Red Sox went through the Marty Barretts, Jody Reeds, Scott Fletchers, Jeff Fryes, Luis Aliceas, Jose Offermans, and Mike Lansings of the world. The most complimentary thing you can say about any of those guys is that they were "servicable".
Granted, Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch were ultimatley undone by their inability to throw from Second to First (which I will not make fun of - imagine being unable to do something as simple as back out of a parking space or brush your teeth with any degree of accuracy, that's how bad it was) and Knoblauch in particular was an early indication of Joe Torre's divorce with reality: "Hey, let's take a leadoff-hitting Second Baseman who can't hit leadoff anymore and put him in left field so we can keep him in the leadoff slot!"
By the same token, the Red Sox have been relatively successful at Second Base the last few years (Walker in '03, Bellhorn in '04, A Gaping Pit Of Despair in '05, and Loretta in '06), but considering there hasn't really been any stability at the position since Bobby Doerr was providing lineup protection for Ted Williams, Sox fans have to take what they can get.
I'll root for both Cano and Pedroia to be adding another dimension to the rivalry for years to come - Pedroia needs to get established, and Cano needs to come out of his slump, but I think they're going to be part of the conversation for quite awhile.
I knew, of course, as soon as Villone's name was mentioned in the post, that Villone is a UMass Alum, in fact, a quick search of baseball-reference.com reavealed that Villone is one of only 18 major leaguers who hail from the Pearl of the Pioneer Valley, and one of only 3 who were active through '06 (Chad Paronto, who would have played there while we were in High School is currently rocking a 5.23 ERA for the Braves, and something called a Doug Clark is 1 for 11 in a career split between the two Bay Area teams in '05 and '06)
There were some surprises on the list - such as Jeff Reardon, who was briefly the all-time leader in Saves and is more recently known for an unfortunate event involving prescription meds and a jewelry heist, Gary DiScarcina who retired just in time for David Eckstein to become America's sweetheart in 2002, and Mike Flanagan - pseudo GM of the Oriole's, Cy Young winner, World Series champion, and the last man to throw a pitch at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore (I know this off the top of my head because I was there) all knew the thrill of shouting, "Go... Go U... Go UMass... Go! U! Mass!"
(To go into a tangent off of my opening tangent, I will argue that Memorial Stadium was superior to Camden Yards until my dying day, and not only because I saw the immortal Wilson Alvarez(!) throw a no-hitter there, and the equally immortal Phil Bradley(?) hit an inside-the-park Grand Slam)
But I had a point here...
Run down (Competently - not A-Rod style)
Around about playoff time, there's often a feature that's run that compares teams position-by-position and gives an edge to one team over the other. For fun, let's do it here:
Catcher:
Jorge Posada (.365/3/21/.970)
Jason Varitek (.283/3/16/.799)
Edge: Yankees - Posada and Varitek are both in decline, but Posada has a lot more to decline from, and his diminished skills as a Catcher on the wrong side of 30 aren't nearly as evident.
First Base:
Doug Mientkiwicz (.233/3/11/.690)
Kevin Youkilis (.328/3/17/.891)
Edge: Red Sox - I was surprised that the counting stats are as surised as they are, but the rate stats certainly indicate Youk's superiority.
Second Base:
Robinson Cano (.230/1/16/.600)
Dustin Pedroia (.259/1/17/.716)
Edge: Red Sox - Cano will play better than this, and while Pedroia might improve as the season goes on, Cano will probably exceed his number by a comfortable margin. But as long as Pedroia is platooning with Alex Cora (.417/2/11/1.170), this has to go to the Sox
Third Base:
Alex Rodriguez (.329/15/39/1.121)
Mike Lowell (.318/7/30/.925)
Edge: Yankees - Lowell's having a nice little season, and I'm happy about it, but there's no way I would even attempt to convince anyone that he's close to A-Rod's equal.
Shortstop:
Derek Jeter (.375/2/20/.920)
Julio Lugo (.265/2/23/.710)
Edge: Yankees - both players are playing as well as can be expected.
Left Field:
Hideki Matusi (.278/2/14/.852)
Manny Ramirez (.248/6/24/.757)
Edge: Red Sox - Yes, Godzilla's rate stats are better than Manny's as off now, and Manny's edge in counting stats could be chalked up to the fact that Matsui has been on the DL, but this is a case where I'll ignore the numbers. Yankees' fans could argue that Matsui is better than Ramirez in the same way that they can argue that Thurman Munson/Ron Guidry/Don Mattingly are Hall of Famers. One could selectively compile evidence for the case, but it wouldn't stand up against any real cross-examination.
Center Field:
Johnny Damon (.259/2/13/.730)
Coco Crisp (.231/0/10/.599)
Edge: Yankees - Both of these guys are disappointing. Crisp was supposed to replace Damon in Boston, and has failed to live up to the billing. Damon seems to be giving way under the increasing weight of nagging injuries. This comparison could go either way by the end of the season, but "Looks Like Jesus, Acts Like Judas, Throws Like Mary" has the edge for now.
Right Field:
Bobby Abreu (.236/1/19/.603)
J.D. Drew (.248/2/12/.714)
Edge: Even - Both these guys are disappointing right now, and both of them have a huge potential to rebound. Their stats aren't terribly relevant right now.
Designated Hitter:
Jason Giambi (.278/5/18/.837)
David Ortiz (.314/9/33/1.046)
Edge: Red Sox - Yes, sentiment (Big Papi tag teams with Tom Brady as my man-crush, Jason Giambi is Barry Bonds' peer in the steroid controversy) has something to do with this, but while Giambi is expected to complement the office, Papi is expected to carry it. They're both doing their jobs, but Ortiz has the most important job.
Score:
Yankees 4, Red Sox 4, Tie 1.
This actually came out a lot closer than I thought - I expected the Yankees in a whitewash. If the difference comes down to pitching, the advantage has to go Red Sox right now.
And finally... who's on Second?
The Yankees have their Second Baseman of the future - Robinson Cano has struggled early on this season, but he's going to be very good for years to come.
The Red Sox are trying to establish their own franchise Second Baseman - Dustin Pedroia - which has been an up-and-down experience so far. He started out hot, struggled, and has since adjusted. He's always been billed as a guy who would excel on his baseball intelligence rather than his raw ability, and Red Sox nation is waiting for just that to happen. It doesn't have to happen all at once (Jimy Williams has never been given enough credit for just letting Trot Nixon bat 9th and play on a regular basis to get used to the big leagues), but the Sox have certainly hitched their wagon to Pedroia's star for the immediate future.
Even while the Red Sox were up and the Yankees' were nowhere ('86 to '95) the Yankees' have always been better equipped and more stable at second base than the Red Sox.
I remember the Yankees going through Gold Glovers/All-Stars Willie Randolph, Steve Sax, and Chuck Knoblauch, (and later Alfonso Soriano) while the Red Sox went through the Marty Barretts, Jody Reeds, Scott Fletchers, Jeff Fryes, Luis Aliceas, Jose Offermans, and Mike Lansings of the world. The most complimentary thing you can say about any of those guys is that they were "servicable".
Granted, Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch were ultimatley undone by their inability to throw from Second to First (which I will not make fun of - imagine being unable to do something as simple as back out of a parking space or brush your teeth with any degree of accuracy, that's how bad it was) and Knoblauch in particular was an early indication of Joe Torre's divorce with reality: "Hey, let's take a leadoff-hitting Second Baseman who can't hit leadoff anymore and put him in left field so we can keep him in the leadoff slot!"
By the same token, the Red Sox have been relatively successful at Second Base the last few years (Walker in '03, Bellhorn in '04, A Gaping Pit Of Despair in '05, and Loretta in '06), but considering there hasn't really been any stability at the position since Bobby Doerr was providing lineup protection for Ted Williams, Sox fans have to take what they can get.
I'll root for both Cano and Pedroia to be adding another dimension to the rivalry for years to come - Pedroia needs to get established, and Cano needs to come out of his slump, but I think they're going to be part of the conversation for quite awhile.
"Refuse to Lose"
I wasn't planning on posting today, but I was reading through an article on Clemens' most recent side session and read in it Ron Villone was called up from Triple-A today. "So what" you say? Well, there's some meaning to Villone's call up to me and Doug which will shed more light on our background.
I first want to comment on Villone's tenure with the Yankees. He came over to them after the 2005 season in a trade for Ben Julianel, some minor leaguer no one's heard of. Last year Villone was the Yankees' left handed long relief guy who was not the team's LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY). After Proctor and Farnsworth, he was the 3rd on the team in games (70) which ranked 8th in the AL. His line looked pretty poor last year on paper 5.04 ERA, 80 IP, 72 Ks, 51 BBs, but during the first half of the season Villone was getting it done with a 2.27 ERA, 43.2 IP, 35 Ks, 23 BBs and .201 BAA.
What happened in the second half is similar to what happened to the likes of Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon, and Jeff Nelson--some examples of guys over 35 who were relief pitchers for the Yankees. Torre overused Villone, tired him out and he became an ineffective reliever. I was looking briefly at Villone's game log from 2006 and it's ridiculous how often Villone was used in August (during one period, 8/11 - 8/18 he was used six times). Then after August, he completely fell apart entering the month with a respectable 3.27 ERA and ending with the season ending 5.04 in a matter of nine relief appearance.
So during the offseason when the Yankees didn't re-sign Villone, then offered him a minor league contract, then didn't put him on the major league roster after spring training--I felt bad for the guy. Afterall, he was one of the team's top relievers, a valuable lefty, who got abused by Torre's bullpen mismanagement.
But that brings me to the whole point of this entry which is entitled "Refuse to Lose" for a reason. That slogan is in quotations for a reason, and that's because it's the slogan of Doug's and my college alma mater, the University of Massachusetts (UMass)--better known as ZooMass (#7 party school in the country baby!!). Ron Villone is an alum of the school having pitched for UMass in the early 1990s. Now, I'm not pushing the school on anyone here, but for anyone who has pride that they went to UMass, it wasn't a school where anything was handed to you--unless you were written up by a RA or handed down a misdemeanor for rioting in Southwest dorms or often times the keg tap at ______ (fill in the blanks) party. I'm talkin' about the hard stuff, like having to graduate and compete with the Ivy Schools who were all pampered up for a job, not getting favors, things like that. UMass is about not giving up, "refusing to lose".
My point is, Villone, played and carried himself in 2006 the way a UMass alum often does. He fought when he pitched, didn't complain and did what was asked of him by Torre. I wish more sports figures had this attitude--in fact I wish more people in general had this attitude in life. For Villone, the outcome wasn't the greatest, but I fully expect him to make the most of his second chance with the Yankees UMass style.
I first want to comment on Villone's tenure with the Yankees. He came over to them after the 2005 season in a trade for Ben Julianel, some minor leaguer no one's heard of. Last year Villone was the Yankees' left handed long relief guy who was not the team's LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY). After Proctor and Farnsworth, he was the 3rd on the team in games (70) which ranked 8th in the AL. His line looked pretty poor last year on paper 5.04 ERA, 80 IP, 72 Ks, 51 BBs, but during the first half of the season Villone was getting it done with a 2.27 ERA, 43.2 IP, 35 Ks, 23 BBs and .201 BAA.
What happened in the second half is similar to what happened to the likes of Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon, and Jeff Nelson--some examples of guys over 35 who were relief pitchers for the Yankees. Torre overused Villone, tired him out and he became an ineffective reliever. I was looking briefly at Villone's game log from 2006 and it's ridiculous how often Villone was used in August (during one period, 8/11 - 8/18 he was used six times). Then after August, he completely fell apart entering the month with a respectable 3.27 ERA and ending with the season ending 5.04 in a matter of nine relief appearance.
So during the offseason when the Yankees didn't re-sign Villone, then offered him a minor league contract, then didn't put him on the major league roster after spring training--I felt bad for the guy. Afterall, he was one of the team's top relievers, a valuable lefty, who got abused by Torre's bullpen mismanagement.
But that brings me to the whole point of this entry which is entitled "Refuse to Lose" for a reason. That slogan is in quotations for a reason, and that's because it's the slogan of Doug's and my college alma mater, the University of Massachusetts (UMass)--better known as ZooMass (#7 party school in the country baby!!). Ron Villone is an alum of the school having pitched for UMass in the early 1990s. Now, I'm not pushing the school on anyone here, but for anyone who has pride that they went to UMass, it wasn't a school where anything was handed to you--unless you were written up by a RA or handed down a misdemeanor for rioting in Southwest dorms or often times the keg tap at ______ (fill in the blanks) party. I'm talkin' about the hard stuff, like having to graduate and compete with the Ivy Schools who were all pampered up for a job, not getting favors, things like that. UMass is about not giving up, "refusing to lose".
My point is, Villone, played and carried himself in 2006 the way a UMass alum often does. He fought when he pitched, didn't complain and did what was asked of him by Torre. I wish more sports figures had this attitude--in fact I wish more people in general had this attitude in life. For Villone, the outcome wasn't the greatest, but I fully expect him to make the most of his second chance with the Yankees UMass style.
Lookee Here
In an effort to keep up with Teddy, I'll offer my own hindsight/foresight perspective on the Red Sox: the week behind and the week ahead.
I'll probably stick mainly to my off-the-cuff style, but try to incorporate more of the kind of documentation Teddy offers.
(I'll also offer Kevin Kouzmanoff as this year's Sean Burroughs to Alex Gordon's Hank Blaylock, all the way down to them both playing for the Padres)
I'll start with tonight's game and then work my way backwards.
The Dice-Man Cometh
In his first three starts, Dice-K was 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA. In his next 3 starts his ERA ballooned to 5.45, while his record improved to 3-2.
Tonight he broke through with the kind of start that had been expected of him. Against the team with the 2nd-best record, he pitched a 9-inning, 1-run, 6-hit complete game, walking none and striking out five. I'd like to see more 7-10 K outings (5 so far) but there wasn't a lot not to like about this game. Considering that Dice-K is essentially replacing Matt Clement's contributions from last year (12 GS, 5-5, 38 BB/43 K, 6.61 ERA) I'm still treating everything else as a bonus.
Last Week
From 5/6 - 5/13, the Red Sox were 6-1, outscoring opponents 52-23.
The fact that the Sox gave up so few runs is hardly surprising, but the fact that they scored so many comes as a surprise, as the Sox have David Ortiz (.311/9/26/1.048) hitting as expected, Manny Ramirez (.250/6/23/.770) only just starting to get hot, and J.D. Drew (.257/2/12/.738) not hitting at all lately, including going 7 for his last 38 with 10 Ks.
Suprisingly, the Sox have been getting help from Kevin Youkilis - no longer just the Greek God of Walks (and a guy I can tell an amusing drunk-dial anecdote about), but someone who was 13 for his last 26 going into Sunday. In addition to Youk the Sox can thank the inexplicably productive Alex Cora (.417/2/11/1.170).
If the Sox are getting this kind of help from the guys who aren't supposed to carry the offense at this point, they should have a lot more thunder to rely on when the offense really comes together.
Blistergate
Sunday's 6-5 win over the Orioles (aided by Brian Roberts' decision not to try and turn a game-ending double play and Chris Ray's 2-run error) is exactly the kind of game you want to see your team win. You can't quantify it in a sabermetric sense (though Bill James has always included the element of luck in his calculations), but when your team wins a game it isn't supposed to like that, you have to like the way Fortuna's wheel is spinning.
Of course, the bad news is that while Beckett was able to strike out 7 in 4 innings while giving up only 2 runs, he did have to leave the game with what was characterized as a torn flap of skin on his middle finger.
Was it a blister? Blisters were always Beckett's achilles heel in Florida (to mix metaphors) but he seemed to have left them behind last year.
"Hopefully I'll make my next start. And that's a big 'hopefully'," Beckett said after the game, which leaves me with a deep sense of dread. A Joel -Piniero-on-the-mound-with-the-game-on-the-line-sense of dread.
The Week Ahead
For the rest of the week we have Wakefield facing off against Verlander. Verlander's been good this year (3-1, 2.83 ERA), but Wake is rocking a 1.79 ERA (with an inexplicable 4-3 record) so this could be anyone's game. As will Wednesday's game, when Mike Maroth and Julian Taverez face off. Neither guy is going to win the game on his own, so this stands to be a shootout.
Wednesday brings us Schilling against Chad Durbin, which will be the Red Sox' game to lose.
After this, the Sox begin a 3-game series against Atlanta. If Beckett can't pitch, the Sox may turn to cancer-free Jon Lester (who's had a few side sessions at Fenway).
Of course, this would mean making a roster change. Since the Sox only have a 4-man bench (Mirabelli, Hinske, Cora, and Pena), a pitcher would have to be bounced from the bullpen.
Papelbon, Okajima, Donnelly, and Romero, are out.
So that leaves Lopez, Snyder, and Piniero.
Lopez, a submarining lefty, is out of options, and has pitched well enough (0.00 ERA in 7 appearances), while Kyle Snyder is a reliable middle innings option (2.19 ERA in 11 appearances), who can be used as a spot starter.
With leaves us with Joel Piniero and his 4.40 ERA in 13 appearances. Piniero was supposed to be the next Flash Gordon, and instead has become the next Shawn Chacon. If he has to be the odd man out, I wouldn't shed any tears.
After Lester, Snyder (I'll take my chances) and Piniero (I think I just threw up in my mouth) are the next two options.
The Braves' have nearly equaled the Red Sox' record this year, so there may be another classic The-Red-Sox-get-derailed-by-interleague-play but I'm hoping for the Sox to still be going strong when they start their next series against the Yankees a week from tonight.
I'll probably stick mainly to my off-the-cuff style, but try to incorporate more of the kind of documentation Teddy offers.
(I'll also offer Kevin Kouzmanoff as this year's Sean Burroughs to Alex Gordon's Hank Blaylock, all the way down to them both playing for the Padres)
I'll start with tonight's game and then work my way backwards.
The Dice-Man Cometh
In his first three starts, Dice-K was 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA. In his next 3 starts his ERA ballooned to 5.45, while his record improved to 3-2.
Tonight he broke through with the kind of start that had been expected of him. Against the team with the 2nd-best record, he pitched a 9-inning, 1-run, 6-hit complete game, walking none and striking out five. I'd like to see more 7-10 K outings (5 so far) but there wasn't a lot not to like about this game. Considering that Dice-K is essentially replacing Matt Clement's contributions from last year (12 GS, 5-5, 38 BB/43 K, 6.61 ERA) I'm still treating everything else as a bonus.
Last Week
From 5/6 - 5/13, the Red Sox were 6-1, outscoring opponents 52-23.
The fact that the Sox gave up so few runs is hardly surprising, but the fact that they scored so many comes as a surprise, as the Sox have David Ortiz (.311/9/26/1.048) hitting as expected, Manny Ramirez (.250/6/23/.770) only just starting to get hot, and J.D. Drew (.257/2/12/.738) not hitting at all lately, including going 7 for his last 38 with 10 Ks.
Suprisingly, the Sox have been getting help from Kevin Youkilis - no longer just the Greek God of Walks (and a guy I can tell an amusing drunk-dial anecdote about), but someone who was 13 for his last 26 going into Sunday. In addition to Youk the Sox can thank the inexplicably productive Alex Cora (.417/2/11/1.170).
If the Sox are getting this kind of help from the guys who aren't supposed to carry the offense at this point, they should have a lot more thunder to rely on when the offense really comes together.
Blistergate
Sunday's 6-5 win over the Orioles (aided by Brian Roberts' decision not to try and turn a game-ending double play and Chris Ray's 2-run error) is exactly the kind of game you want to see your team win. You can't quantify it in a sabermetric sense (though Bill James has always included the element of luck in his calculations), but when your team wins a game it isn't supposed to like that, you have to like the way Fortuna's wheel is spinning.
Of course, the bad news is that while Beckett was able to strike out 7 in 4 innings while giving up only 2 runs, he did have to leave the game with what was characterized as a torn flap of skin on his middle finger.
Was it a blister? Blisters were always Beckett's achilles heel in Florida (to mix metaphors) but he seemed to have left them behind last year.
"Hopefully I'll make my next start. And that's a big 'hopefully'," Beckett said after the game, which leaves me with a deep sense of dread. A Joel -Piniero-on-the-mound-with-the-game-on-the-line-sense of dread.
The Week Ahead
For the rest of the week we have Wakefield facing off against Verlander. Verlander's been good this year (3-1, 2.83 ERA), but Wake is rocking a 1.79 ERA (with an inexplicable 4-3 record) so this could be anyone's game. As will Wednesday's game, when Mike Maroth and Julian Taverez face off. Neither guy is going to win the game on his own, so this stands to be a shootout.
Wednesday brings us Schilling against Chad Durbin, which will be the Red Sox' game to lose.
After this, the Sox begin a 3-game series against Atlanta. If Beckett can't pitch, the Sox may turn to cancer-free Jon Lester (who's had a few side sessions at Fenway).
Of course, this would mean making a roster change. Since the Sox only have a 4-man bench (Mirabelli, Hinske, Cora, and Pena), a pitcher would have to be bounced from the bullpen.
Papelbon, Okajima, Donnelly, and Romero, are out.
So that leaves Lopez, Snyder, and Piniero.
Lopez, a submarining lefty, is out of options, and has pitched well enough (0.00 ERA in 7 appearances), while Kyle Snyder is a reliable middle innings option (2.19 ERA in 11 appearances), who can be used as a spot starter.
With leaves us with Joel Piniero and his 4.40 ERA in 13 appearances. Piniero was supposed to be the next Flash Gordon, and instead has become the next Shawn Chacon. If he has to be the odd man out, I wouldn't shed any tears.
After Lester, Snyder (I'll take my chances) and Piniero (I think I just threw up in my mouth) are the next two options.
The Braves' have nearly equaled the Red Sox' record this year, so there may be another classic The-Red-Sox-get-derailed-by-interleague-play but I'm hoping for the Sox to still be going strong when they start their next series against the Yankees a week from tonight.
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Next...Hank Blalock???
I have a little time to post another entry here today, but this is on a non-Yankee subject and one that's more related to the fantasy baseball players reading this. If you did your homework this year, places like Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America had Alex Gordon, the rookie third baseman for the KC Royals, as a sure thing to put up a solid season and possibly win ROY. In fact, if you discount Matsuzaka as a rookie/prospect, Gordon was the #1 prospect going into 2007 (and for good reason, he was College player of the Year in 2005, and minor league player of the year in 2006). And me being a reader at least of BP's annual book picked Gordon in one of my fantasy baseball leagues.
Now, I was thinking back to 2002 when someone you and I know that writes on some blog about the Yankees and Red Sox drafted a player under very similar hype, that played 3b and was to be one of the next George Brett's or Scott Rolen's just as Alex Gordon is talked about. That player is Hank Blalock, 3b for the Texas Rangers (and if my memory serves me correctly, this unnamed friend also drafted Sean Burroughs who was the other highly touted third baseman on the Padres that year and whose career is likely over now. Furthermore, and my memory is good on this one, I won that fantasy league in 2002 with "Hall of Fame" and "Top tier" caliber players--no one will get these terms except my friend since they're an inside joke) who came up in 2002 and posted a .211/.306/.327 line in 49 games all the while being shipped down to Triple-A around mid-May, then getting injured, and finally being called up in September again.
This year I've been watching Alex Gordon struggle mightily and am sitting him on my bench (luckily I have Garret Atkins in at 3b, who hasn't been great either, but better than Gordon). Up to today, May 14th, Alex Gordon is hitting .164/.297/.259 in 35 games with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs and is striking out 30% of the time (39 K's in 130 PAs). Much like Blalock's '02, Gordon's '07 is looking more and more like a big flop. How similar is Gordon's '07 to Blalock's '02? Well check out how their April's went:
Blalock, 4/2002: .200/.300/.329 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 32% SO Rate
Gordon, 4/2007: .173/.316/.296 2 HR, 5 RBI, 11 BB, 32% SO Rate
That's pretty scary, but Blalock turned it around the next year, hit that go ahead HR in the 2003 All-Star "this time it counts" (or whatever the slogan was) game to give the Yankees home field advantage during the World Series in 2003--I guess this is related to the Yankees then-- and since then has forgotten how to hit coming into his prime years as a ball player. Anyway, I went into my BP account and read what they wrote about Blalock following his 2002 season:
"In one short year, Hank Blalock went from The Next George Brett to The Next Richie Hebner. He’s still a very fine prospect, but his flopping at the major league level in April and his subsequent disappointing, injury-plagued showing in Oklahoma serve as a good reminder of how big the error bars are on predictions based mostly on a single season. Unfortunately, that’s often all the evidence that’s available. But the next time you hear the name George Brett (or even, for that matter, Richie Hebner) mentioned in conjunction with a 21-year-old, set your hype-detector on high." --Baseball Prospectus, 2003
Gordon is 23, but that's not the point. I screwed up (as did BP in 2007) and I would guess if Gordon doesn't pick it up this month he'll be sent to Triple-A like Blalock and I'll relive the nightmare my friend did in 2002.
Now, I was thinking back to 2002 when someone you and I know that writes on some blog about the Yankees and Red Sox drafted a player under very similar hype, that played 3b and was to be one of the next George Brett's or Scott Rolen's just as Alex Gordon is talked about. That player is Hank Blalock, 3b for the Texas Rangers (and if my memory serves me correctly, this unnamed friend also drafted Sean Burroughs who was the other highly touted third baseman on the Padres that year and whose career is likely over now. Furthermore, and my memory is good on this one, I won that fantasy league in 2002 with "Hall of Fame" and "Top tier" caliber players--no one will get these terms except my friend since they're an inside joke) who came up in 2002 and posted a .211/.306/.327 line in 49 games all the while being shipped down to Triple-A around mid-May, then getting injured, and finally being called up in September again.
This year I've been watching Alex Gordon struggle mightily and am sitting him on my bench (luckily I have Garret Atkins in at 3b, who hasn't been great either, but better than Gordon). Up to today, May 14th, Alex Gordon is hitting .164/.297/.259 in 35 games with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs and is striking out 30% of the time (39 K's in 130 PAs). Much like Blalock's '02, Gordon's '07 is looking more and more like a big flop. How similar is Gordon's '07 to Blalock's '02? Well check out how their April's went:
Blalock, 4/2002: .200/.300/.329 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 32% SO Rate
Gordon, 4/2007: .173/.316/.296 2 HR, 5 RBI, 11 BB, 32% SO Rate
That's pretty scary, but Blalock turned it around the next year, hit that go ahead HR in the 2003 All-Star "this time it counts" (or whatever the slogan was) game to give the Yankees home field advantage during the World Series in 2003--I guess this is related to the Yankees then-- and since then has forgotten how to hit coming into his prime years as a ball player. Anyway, I went into my BP account and read what they wrote about Blalock following his 2002 season:
"In one short year, Hank Blalock went from The Next George Brett to The Next Richie Hebner. He’s still a very fine prospect, but his flopping at the major league level in April and his subsequent disappointing, injury-plagued showing in Oklahoma serve as a good reminder of how big the error bars are on predictions based mostly on a single season. Unfortunately, that’s often all the evidence that’s available. But the next time you hear the name George Brett (or even, for that matter, Richie Hebner) mentioned in conjunction with a 21-year-old, set your hype-detector on high." --Baseball Prospectus, 2003
Gordon is 23, but that's not the point. I screwed up (as did BP in 2007) and I would guess if Gordon doesn't pick it up this month he'll be sent to Triple-A like Blalock and I'll relive the nightmare my friend did in 2002.
Hindsight and Foresight: Yankee Review May 6th - May 20th
I've been slacking the last couple days on the blog as my fellow blogger on here has made me well aware of. And I'm going to have to respond to the Torre/Francona posting because it is a good question to consider.
But onto what I am calling "Hindsight and Foresight". This is what I'm hoping to be a weekly entry I make every Monday commenting on the past week of Yankees baseball and what lay ahead for the coming week. What I hope it will provide is some insight throughout the season about player trends, what went well/didn't go well, comments on trades/moves, and forseeably at least for the next week, what challenges are in front of the Yankees. I'll be playing around with the format of it, so chime in if you have a suggestion.
Hindsight: May 6th to May 13th
The past week was up-and-down for the Yankees. Sunday started with the announced return of Roger Clemens at the Stadium, which has been blogged and discussed here, there and everywhere. After Sunday's 5-0 win, the first shutout for the team this year, New York's lineup failed to put up more than two runs in four of the eight games played this week--topped off by a Jarred Washburn/JJ Putz combined shutout on Friday. However, the team continued to win against the Texas Rangers, who they are now 5-1 against this year. As for pitching Mariano "Mo" Rivera gave up a solo shot to Adrian Beltre in the 9th on Monday's loss casting further doubt on his ability to close out games. There were two suprises from the starters in Darrell Rasner and Matt DeSalvo--DeSalvo a 26-year old rookie who made his major league debut this week. Combined in four starts the pair went 2-1/24.3 IP/20 H/11 BB/7 Ks/2.23 ERA.
Weekly Stats (via ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 4-4
RS/RA: 31/25
Offensive numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .271/.333/.382
Pitching line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 4.42/1.40/3.74/.261/.433*
Who's Hot: Derek Jeter who hit .500/.593/.591 with 6 RBIs this week
Who's Not: Bobby Abreu continues to struggle with a .160/.160/.200 and 3 RBIs this week
My Yankee of the Week: Matt DeSalvo who is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his first two starts in the majors this week. These were both against the Mariners, but he pitched well enough to keep the games close notching his first win on Saturday in Seattle. Plus given how rookies making spot starts for the Yankees have done the past couple years, DeSalvo looked as if he'd been up for a while.
*To note, Torre did not have to use the pen as much this week using them for 15 IPs of the 53 IPs the entire staff threw this week. This was a much needed break, we'll monitor how this continues.
Foresight: May 14th to May 20th
The road trip continues Tuesday in Chicago and then heads back to the Big Apple, but up at Shea as the Subway Series kicks off on Friday. Of course, the Yankees are going to have to win both series so they don't fall further behind the Red Sox (and everyone else)--who they play right after the Mets. A week ago they were 5.5 GB, but are now eight GB sharing the cellar with the D-Rays. In Chicago they will face a 1-4 rookie John Danks, an old teammate in Contreas on Wednesday night and then John Garland before heading to Shea to see Ollie Perez, Glavine and Maine. After horrible weeks from Abreu and Giambi, they both need to start producing in the 3 and 5 hold respectively. A-Rod needs to play smarter in the field after being outrun by Gerald Laird, a catcher, in Texas on a routine rundown, and making too strong a throw for an error in yesterday's game. If the starting pitching continues as is, with Wang forgetting about that big loss against Texas, the Yanks will have a chance for a better week.
But onto what I am calling "Hindsight and Foresight". This is what I'm hoping to be a weekly entry I make every Monday commenting on the past week of Yankees baseball and what lay ahead for the coming week. What I hope it will provide is some insight throughout the season about player trends, what went well/didn't go well, comments on trades/moves, and forseeably at least for the next week, what challenges are in front of the Yankees. I'll be playing around with the format of it, so chime in if you have a suggestion.
Hindsight: May 6th to May 13th
The past week was up-and-down for the Yankees. Sunday started with the announced return of Roger Clemens at the Stadium, which has been blogged and discussed here, there and everywhere. After Sunday's 5-0 win, the first shutout for the team this year, New York's lineup failed to put up more than two runs in four of the eight games played this week--topped off by a Jarred Washburn/JJ Putz combined shutout on Friday. However, the team continued to win against the Texas Rangers, who they are now 5-1 against this year. As for pitching Mariano "Mo" Rivera gave up a solo shot to Adrian Beltre in the 9th on Monday's loss casting further doubt on his ability to close out games. There were two suprises from the starters in Darrell Rasner and Matt DeSalvo--DeSalvo a 26-year old rookie who made his major league debut this week. Combined in four starts the pair went 2-1/24.3 IP/20 H/11 BB/7 Ks/2.23 ERA.
Weekly Stats (via ESPN and Baseball Prospectus)
W-L: 4-4
RS/RA: 31/25
Offensive numbers (BA/OBP/SLG): .271/.333/.382
Pitching line (ERA/Whip/K per 9/BAA/SLG): 4.42/1.40/3.74/.261/.433*
Who's Hot: Derek Jeter who hit .500/.593/.591 with 6 RBIs this week
Who's Not: Bobby Abreu continues to struggle with a .160/.160/.200 and 3 RBIs this week
My Yankee of the Week: Matt DeSalvo who is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his first two starts in the majors this week. These were both against the Mariners, but he pitched well enough to keep the games close notching his first win on Saturday in Seattle. Plus given how rookies making spot starts for the Yankees have done the past couple years, DeSalvo looked as if he'd been up for a while.
*To note, Torre did not have to use the pen as much this week using them for 15 IPs of the 53 IPs the entire staff threw this week. This was a much needed break, we'll monitor how this continues.
Foresight: May 14th to May 20th
The road trip continues Tuesday in Chicago and then heads back to the Big Apple, but up at Shea as the Subway Series kicks off on Friday. Of course, the Yankees are going to have to win both series so they don't fall further behind the Red Sox (and everyone else)--who they play right after the Mets. A week ago they were 5.5 GB, but are now eight GB sharing the cellar with the D-Rays. In Chicago they will face a 1-4 rookie John Danks, an old teammate in Contreas on Wednesday night and then John Garland before heading to Shea to see Ollie Perez, Glavine and Maine. After horrible weeks from Abreu and Giambi, they both need to start producing in the 3 and 5 hold respectively. A-Rod needs to play smarter in the field after being outrun by Gerald Laird, a catcher, in Texas on a routine rundown, and making too strong a throw for an error in yesterday's game. If the starting pitching continues as is, with Wang forgetting about that big loss against Texas, the Yanks will have a chance for a better week.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Managers
What's the difference between Joe Torre and Terry Francona, really?
Well, Torre certainly was a better player, but as managers, what's the big difference?
Torre has certainly been successful longer in New York than Francona has been in Boston, but Torre also bombed out as a manger for the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals before coming to the Bronx. Tito was only a dud for the Phillies.
Both of them won World Series championships in their first years on the job, and both are known more as player's managers than as game managers.
Of course, in this respect, I will argue that Francona is better at managing people and the game than Torre is.
While Joe Torre made his managerial reputation with the'96-'00 Yankees (4 WS victories in 5 Years) this was while managing the Team That Was Impossible to Hate.
I'm a Red Sox fan, but I can't honestly say anything bad about the stars of those teams - David Cone, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez - OK, maybe Paul O'Neil as a hothead, but he wasn't a jerk.
Once Steinbrenner started messing with the formula that was already working and brought in the Giambis and A-Rods, Browns and Johnsons of the world, the team stopped winning championships.
I won't say they stopped winning (someday, that AL East Championship will be Boton's again!), but as everyone knows, anything less than utter eradication of all other teams and a World Series championship is considered a failutre.
Tito has never had a nice, normal team he could call his own. He's had mouth-jobs and headcases like Pedro, D-Low, Schill, Manny, Nomar, and Millar to deal with since Day 1.
(Literally, on the first day of spring training in '04, Tito introduced himself to Manny and was greeted by a profanity-laden tirade about how he hated Boston)
And yet, as the personalities in the clubhouse get more divergent, the team seems to be drawing closer together - witness the 10-part handshake punctuated by a Japanese-style bow between Ortiz and Matsuzaka last week.
I'd love to say that Tito could do something about Schilling's ridiculous blog (said the man writing a ridiculous blog) and I won't pretend that the people and personalities in the Boston clubhouse are perfect because of him, but he does a great job of keeping those guys together.
Meanwhile, the Yankees really have to rely on Derek Jeter to defend everyone - his teammates, his manager, his general manager, his owner - which he does because he's a class guy and a leader, but what's his manager doing throughout all this? Why does Jeter have to be the voice of calm and order? Isn't that the manager's job?
It is in Boston.
In terms of their abilities as game managers, I will point to exhibits A-D, which read as follows:
2004 ALCS Game 4
2004 ALCS Game 5
2004 ALCS Game 6
2004 ALCS Game 7
The point I will actually highlight here is something that happened in Game 7, a 10-3 whitewash by the Sox (marred, granted, by Pedro's insistence on pitching, but he was gone two weeks later, anyway).
Imagine you're Joe Torre. A few days earlier you were a few outs away from sweeping the Red Sox, with the concensus Best Closer on the Planet (this was two seasons before Jonathon Papelbon began his Shermanesque campaign to wrestle that title away) on the mound, when the immortal trio of Millar, Roberts, and Mueller turned it all around.
Now, it's Game 7 - and the starting pitcher is... Kevin Brown.
This is the same Kevin Brown who broke his hand punching a water cooler earlier in the season. Whose first start back in September was against these same Red Sox, and who he basically pitched batting practice to for a few innings before being yanked.
So Kevin Brown predictably had interourse with a canine against the Sox in Game 7 and then was relieved by the ineffective and disgruntled Esteban Loazia (who had given up a pair of 3-run Home Runs in relief against the Indians in a 22-run loss the previous month) who tossed a bucket of gasoline on the fire, giving up a Grand Slam to Johnny Damon (for the second time that season).
This gambit had worked well the season before - with Roger Clemens reeling against the Sox in Game 7 of the '03 ALCS, Mike Mussina was brought in and shut the Sox down. Of course, in the World Series, Torre put The Dream Weaver, Jeff Weaver in during extra innings, and Alex Gonzalez became a postseason hero in Miami. (at least he would have if the Marlins' actually had fans)
Look: the key to being a manager isn't the great choices a Manager makes (Francona pinch-running Roberts for Millar) but the mistakes they avoid (Torre pinch-running Kevin Thompson for Giambi a few weeks later, Thompson coming up in Giambi's place with 2 outs in the 9th and a chance to win the game). Francona has shown that he is particularly adept at avoiding mistakes, such as Grady "God Help Us" Little leaving Pedro in too long; Torre, of late, has not.
I have no doubt that Joe Torre will be elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager, and I don't have a problem with that. I also have little doubt that Francona (barring a dynasty-type run) will not be elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager, and I don't have a problem with that either.
I just want other people to ask the question: What's the difference between Joe Torre and Terry Francona, really?
Well, Torre certainly was a better player, but as managers, what's the big difference?
Torre has certainly been successful longer in New York than Francona has been in Boston, but Torre also bombed out as a manger for the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals before coming to the Bronx. Tito was only a dud for the Phillies.
Both of them won World Series championships in their first years on the job, and both are known more as player's managers than as game managers.
Of course, in this respect, I will argue that Francona is better at managing people and the game than Torre is.
While Joe Torre made his managerial reputation with the'96-'00 Yankees (4 WS victories in 5 Years) this was while managing the Team That Was Impossible to Hate.
I'm a Red Sox fan, but I can't honestly say anything bad about the stars of those teams - David Cone, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez - OK, maybe Paul O'Neil as a hothead, but he wasn't a jerk.
Once Steinbrenner started messing with the formula that was already working and brought in the Giambis and A-Rods, Browns and Johnsons of the world, the team stopped winning championships.
I won't say they stopped winning (someday, that AL East Championship will be Boton's again!), but as everyone knows, anything less than utter eradication of all other teams and a World Series championship is considered a failutre.
Tito has never had a nice, normal team he could call his own. He's had mouth-jobs and headcases like Pedro, D-Low, Schill, Manny, Nomar, and Millar to deal with since Day 1.
(Literally, on the first day of spring training in '04, Tito introduced himself to Manny and was greeted by a profanity-laden tirade about how he hated Boston)
And yet, as the personalities in the clubhouse get more divergent, the team seems to be drawing closer together - witness the 10-part handshake punctuated by a Japanese-style bow between Ortiz and Matsuzaka last week.
I'd love to say that Tito could do something about Schilling's ridiculous blog (said the man writing a ridiculous blog) and I won't pretend that the people and personalities in the Boston clubhouse are perfect because of him, but he does a great job of keeping those guys together.
Meanwhile, the Yankees really have to rely on Derek Jeter to defend everyone - his teammates, his manager, his general manager, his owner - which he does because he's a class guy and a leader, but what's his manager doing throughout all this? Why does Jeter have to be the voice of calm and order? Isn't that the manager's job?
It is in Boston.
In terms of their abilities as game managers, I will point to exhibits A-D, which read as follows:
2004 ALCS Game 4
2004 ALCS Game 5
2004 ALCS Game 6
2004 ALCS Game 7
The point I will actually highlight here is something that happened in Game 7, a 10-3 whitewash by the Sox (marred, granted, by Pedro's insistence on pitching, but he was gone two weeks later, anyway).
Imagine you're Joe Torre. A few days earlier you were a few outs away from sweeping the Red Sox, with the concensus Best Closer on the Planet (this was two seasons before Jonathon Papelbon began his Shermanesque campaign to wrestle that title away) on the mound, when the immortal trio of Millar, Roberts, and Mueller turned it all around.
Now, it's Game 7 - and the starting pitcher is... Kevin Brown.
This is the same Kevin Brown who broke his hand punching a water cooler earlier in the season. Whose first start back in September was against these same Red Sox, and who he basically pitched batting practice to for a few innings before being yanked.
So Kevin Brown predictably had interourse with a canine against the Sox in Game 7 and then was relieved by the ineffective and disgruntled Esteban Loazia (who had given up a pair of 3-run Home Runs in relief against the Indians in a 22-run loss the previous month) who tossed a bucket of gasoline on the fire, giving up a Grand Slam to Johnny Damon (for the second time that season).
This gambit had worked well the season before - with Roger Clemens reeling against the Sox in Game 7 of the '03 ALCS, Mike Mussina was brought in and shut the Sox down. Of course, in the World Series, Torre put The Dream Weaver, Jeff Weaver in during extra innings, and Alex Gonzalez became a postseason hero in Miami. (at least he would have if the Marlins' actually had fans)
Look: the key to being a manager isn't the great choices a Manager makes (Francona pinch-running Roberts for Millar) but the mistakes they avoid (Torre pinch-running Kevin Thompson for Giambi a few weeks later, Thompson coming up in Giambi's place with 2 outs in the 9th and a chance to win the game). Francona has shown that he is particularly adept at avoiding mistakes, such as Grady "God Help Us" Little leaving Pedro in too long; Torre, of late, has not.
I have no doubt that Joe Torre will be elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager, and I don't have a problem with that. I also have little doubt that Francona (barring a dynasty-type run) will not be elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager, and I don't have a problem with that either.
I just want other people to ask the question: What's the difference between Joe Torre and Terry Francona, really?
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