Today in Baseball: 5/30/2007

-Former Sox prospect Shoppach goes deep against his old team. The big story in this Indians-Red Sox game was no longer Trot Nixon's return to Fenway, it was former catching prospect Kelly Shoppach's. The backstop put together four hits, including a solo homerun off of lefty reliever J.C. Romero.

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-Jays don't like A-Rod's bush-league tactics. Rodriguez allegedly shouted "mine" into the ear of Toronto third baseman Howie Clark (which the rookie took to mean one of his teammates had a better bead on a Jorge Posada pop-up). Clark gave up on the ball, which fell in for an infield single.

-Johnson defeats Moyer in battle of the lefties. In the oldest lefty matchup in baseball history, Johnson (43) threw six innings with six strikeouts and didn't allow a run. Moyer (44) went 7.2 strong but allowed four runs to score and took the loss.

-'Roid-busted Mota returns to Mets after serving 50 days. The reliever was generally supported in the clubhouse and received a mixed reaction from the crowd at Shea Stadium. "I feel terrible and I promise this is the first and last time that this will happen," he said. "I am determined to prove to you that this was one mistake."

Photo and Video Source: MLB.com

Okajima more of a stopper than Rivera?

An interesting stat from Rotoworld.com: "Does anything sum up the 2007 edition of the rivalry better than this? Neither Papelbon nor Mariano Rivera have missed any time due to injury this season, yet the Red Sox's backup closer now has more saves (four) than the Yankees' future Hall of Famer (three)." Meanwhile, Papelbon boasts of 13 saves, good for fifth in the American League, though he has the lowest ERA (1.86) of anyone else in the top five.

Today in Baseball: 5/29/2007

-Benitez balks off, Delgado walks off. With Jose Reyes on and the Mets down a run in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Giants' closer Armando Benitez balked twice, bringing Reyes home and tying the game. Carlos Delgado then handed Benitez a loss to go along with his blown save with his walk-off homer.

-Hill steals home against struggling Yanks. "We mentioned that if a situation came up, a guy on third, obviously [Pettitte] has his back to us," Hill said. "It was just the right place at the right time, I guess." The Blue Jays went on to win the game 3-2.

-Wayne Drehs wonders if Bonds is a target. The ESPN.com columnist wrote this story about the possible danger Barry Bonds faces as he approaches the hallowed home run record held by Hank Aaron. "This is our national pastime," said Calvin Wardlaw, one of Aaron's bodygaurds during the seventies. "It's not like Hank or Barry is at war with something or someone. This is just a game. But when you have a stadium full of people and emotions are running high, you never know. And in my line of work, you fear the unknown."

-Beckett back, Youk still here. The Red Sox extended their winning streak to five games and moved to 11.5 games above the Orioles behind a dominant performance by newly-returned Josh Beckett (7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 SO) and the continued hitting of Kevin Youkilis, who has made himself a shoe-in for Player of the Month with his 21-game hitting streak and nine consecutive multi-hit games. The Sox defeated the Indians 4-2.
Photo and video sources: MLB.com and ESPN.com

Today in Baseball: 5/28/2007

So as you can tell, I've been slacking on Today in Baseball for the last couple of days. Part of that is the nice weather otherwise employing my time, and another part of that is the fact that my rather lengthy entries for T.I.B. make it somewhat of a chore that I was quick to hate doing every day. That's why I've decided to shorten the length of the posts for T.I.B., while at the same time including more content and possibly introducing a weekly column that will go into further analytic detail on all the most interesting stories of the week. As you might be able to tell, I'm still working out some kinks in balancing being a blogger and a mildly productive member of the real world; if anyone has any tips to make it easier for me, I'd be happy to hear them.

-Clemens improves upon his last minor-league appearance. Pitching against the Toledo Mud-Hens, the Rocket went six innings deep, striking out six batters while walking just two and allowing no runs.

-Sox defeat Tribe in Trot's return to Fenway. Curt Schilling (5-2, 3.68 ERA) was at a season best, striking out ten Indians and allowing just one run. Nixon was 1-3 with an RBI, while rising star Kevin Youkilis had two hits, including an inside-the-park homerun.

-Jones reaches milestone in Braves win. Breaking out of a season-long slump, Andruw Jones powered Atlanta to a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee with his 350th career homerun.

-Former A's pitcher Saarloos can't get it done in Cincinnati. After not retiring a single batter for the Reds in his last outing, Saarloos was sent down to the Triple-A Bats to get some more work out of the bullpen in the minor leagues.

-Just cut by Atlanta, Redman signs with Texas. Mark Redman (0-4, 11.63 ERA) was a 2006 MLB All-Star, but will begin pitching for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma this week.

-Beckett to return tomorrow. Josh Beckett (7-0, 2.66 ERA) will make his first start for the Red Sox since he went on the DL after the avulsion on his middle finger which accounted for his first non-win of the season on May 13th.

-It's Cash, not Torre who should be worried. "He's on a big hook," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told the Associated Press of General Manager Brian Cashman. "He wanted sole authority. He got it. Now he's got to deliver." After tonight's loss to the Jays, the Yankees sit at 12 games back of the Sox in the AL East.

->Youk was ecstatic after his inside- the-park homerun, the first by a Red Sox since Trot Nixon's in 2005. Photo courtesy of MLB.com.

Today in Baseball: 5/25/2007

Clemens headed to triple-A, Daisuke overcomes stomach ailment to nail seventh win, Late bats battle in Dodgers victory

As expected, a decision has been made regarding Roger Clemens' next appearance after his bullpen session today, but it's not the decision that many Yankee fans were hoping for. The Rocket will make his next start not for the big club, but as another tuneup start in the minors, this time with the triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Clemens' scheduled start after the triple-A appearance would put him against the Red Sox in Fenway, but the five day schedule would run him into Mike Mussina's start against Boston. Therefore manager Joe Torre has not debunked the idea of pushing the Rocket back to make his first major league start this season against the White Sox in the following series. Poor Dice-K. He's definitely a great pitcher, but apparently American food is proving too much for his stomach. In his start today against the Rangers Matsuzaka had to repeatedly return to the clubhouse to...well, we won't discuss what he was doing here, but you can use your imagination. The guy had a belly-ache, but he gutted it out against a powerful Rangers offense that scored five runs off of him in the fourth inning, but couldn't hold on to a one run lead for very long, as the Sox came back to score two runs in the fifth inning and eventually won the game 10-6. When the box score reads of two blown saves and one successful save, you know that there was a crazy game to be seen in the late innings. Such was the case in Los Angeles, as the Cubs scored seven runs in the seventh inning against the Dodgers to ruin Derek Lowe's chances for a win, but L.A. came back with four runs of their own in the eighth and Takashi Saito recorded the save as the Dodgers clawed to a 9-8 victory.

Photo Source: MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/24/2007

Smoltzy takes win number 200 and holds Glavine to 295

Keeping it short and sweet today; I got in pretty late tonight and have to work pretty early tomorrow. Still though, I can't ignore John Smoltz making history today by becoming the first pitcher ever with 200 wins and 150 saves. Smoltz did the deed against his friend and former teammate Tom Glavine of the Mets, who is working on his own milestone of 300 wins. Smoltz went seven strong and didn't allow a run, holding the destructive Mets offense to just seven hits. "It's pretty neat," Smoltz said after the game. "It's just a number. But it's a nice number and I think everybody contributed in an incredible way." Other notables: Lester goes five strong in Pawtucket, Ichiro goes 3-6 in 1000th game.

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Video Source: ESPN.com

Today in Baseball: 5/23/2007

Jeter passes DiMaggio in Yanks win, Clemens faces Futures of Fenway, Giambi tests positive

For the first time in "Today in Baseball" history, one team (the New York Yankees) have taken the trifecta of notable headlines. I'm on the fence as to whether that's a good or a bad thing. You woulda thunk that the first team to garner this great honor would have been the Red Sox, but the Evil Empire is just so damn newsworthy. Oh well, on with the show. In compiling a list of the top ten baseball players of all time, any knowledgeable writer would be remiss to forget Joe DiMaggio, the Yankees legend who in his thirteen seasons in New York had a monstrous 2214 hits, which was until today good for fifth on the Yankees' all-time hits list. With his third hit in today's win against the Red Sox, Derek Jeter logged career hit number 2216, sliding past DiMaggio into fifth on the all-time list. Next comes the fourth slot, which is currently owned by Jeter's former teammate Bernie Williams at 2336. The all-time Yankees' hit leader is Lou Gherig with his 2721. At just 31 years old, however, Jeter is well on his way to passing that record and perhaps become the first ball-player to log 3000 hits in Yankee pinstripes. It may be a few years before Roger Clemens sees the batters he faced today in any kind of Major League action (that is, if he makes it that long in his already extended Hall-of-Fame career), but it still amounted to an interesting match-up as the Rocket threw 102 pitches against Red Sox double-A affiliate the Portland SeaDogs. Facing one of the top Sox prospects in Clay Buchholz, Clemens got the win by a slim margin by going 5.1 innings while giving up six hits and three runs. Buchholz actually had a better outing than did Clemens, going six strong innings and allowing just two runs on seven hits. He struck out eight batters to Clemens' five. The Trenton Thunder won the game 4-3 after a blown save by SeaDog Michael James. Said Yankees manager after Clemens' performance: "Throwing 102 pitches, I guess his legs must be under him. That's really what he was waiting for. If he feels he's ready to come with us and start pitching for us, we're ready to have him." Clemens said that he won't be sure if he'll be ready to start against the Blue Jays next week until after his bullpen session on Friday. The connections between Jason Giambi and performance-enhancing drugs just never end. After he opened his mouth about his steroid-abusing past, leading to an investigation by the MLB commissioner's office, now the New York Daily News is reporting that the Giambino has recently failed a rest for amphetamines, which just became part of MLB's drug testing policy last season. A first failed test for amphetamines bears no suspensions or fines and is supposed to be kept private (though he will be subject to up to six additional tests throughout the season), but it's possible that the information was leaked by the commissioner's office in response to Giambi's recent comments about his previous steroid use. A player who fails the amphetamine test for a second time is subject to a 25-game suspension.

Photo Sources: MLB.com and NYDailyNews.com

It's just Manny being... well... weird.

Awe, isn't this cute? The homo-erotic saga between Julian Tavarez and Manny Ramirez continues. First Tavarez was passing notes from Ramirez to the media during spring training, and now Manny is having some fun giving Tavarez a nice little head-rub in the dugout.

Source: Towleroad

Today in Baseball: 5/22/2007

Tavarez pitches himself a birthday "W", Griffey and Sosa inch closer to 600, Davies does it all in Atlanta win

It was the big 3-4 for Red Sox pitcher Julian Tavarez, and what better way to celebrate than to put up a big 3-4 (three hits and four walks, that is) in a victory for Boston over the ailing Yankees? On a day when Boston pitchers walked eight Yankees, New York was unable to capitalize and managed to push across just three runs, while the Sox stung Mike Mussina for ten hits and seven runs. Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell each homered, while Boston's surprise relief phenom Hideki Okajima walked two and allowed his first run since he threw his first pitch in the major leagues (which was a homerun for Kansas City catcher John Buck). While Barry Bonds chases the most elusive record in all of sports, two other sluggers are approaching a milestone currently achieved by just four hitters in major league history. Both Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa inched closer to the 600 home-run club today, but neither player could help his team to a victory. Griffey knocked in number 573 and moved to eighth on the all-time list, tied with Harmon Killebrew, but Reds reliever Jon Coutlangus cinched the loss by serving up a eighth inning grand slam to Washington's Felipe Lopez. In Texas, the Rangers have been hot at the plate for the last couple of days, but there's nothing that will put a stop to a hitting streak quite like the best pitcher in the league. Sammy Sosa accounted for the only run against Twins southpaw Johan Santana with his 598th career long-ball, a solo shot in the second inning. The Rangers went on to strike out 18 times in the game (13 against Santana) and allow the Twins to score seven runs, good for a loss in Arlington. It's not everyday that a pitcher bats in more runs than he allows, but that's just what Braves right-hander Kyle Davies did in today's 8-1 win over the Mets. Davies not only pitched a gem, giving up just one run on six hits in an eight inning effort, he also blasted a three run homer off of Mets reliever Aaron Sele in the sixth inning.


Video Source: MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/21/2001

Damn Yankees take game one, Texas plates another 14 runs, and Giambi's mouth may cost him his job

The New York Yankees began the day 10.5 games behind the BoSox, but with Boston visiting the Bombers in Yankee stadium, this series is an important opportunity for New York to begin chipping away at that ginormous deficit. It was the Yanks' ace Chien-Ming Wang against Boston's elder statesman Tim Wakefield, and Wang showed the Sox bats exactly why he finished second in the Cy Young Award voting last season. Though he didn't have his best stuff, Wang tossed six and a third gritty innings, hold the Sox to two runs on seven hits. Alex Rodriguez extended his lead in the major league homerun column with his 18th blast, and Jason Giambi also had a dinger to power the Yankees to a 6-2 victory. The Yanks moved to 9.5 games back of the Sox and 2-5 in the season series between the two clubs. The Texas Rangers are a team that, with their mediocre pitching staff, depend on a powerful offense to score a lot of runs in order to win games. Well, for the past two games, the Rangers offense has responded in kind. After Sunday's 14-1 blowout of the Houston Astros, Texas went back home to host the Minnesota Twins and, highlighted by an eight run fifth-inning (and catcher Gerald Laird's first career grand slam), managed to score 14 runs yet again. Frank Catalanotto, fresh off the DL, reached base three times and hit a homerun. In Bud Selig's new steroid-tough MLB, even beating around the bush about your former doping habits may land you in some serious trouble. In response to Jason's recent apology for "doing that stuff," The New York Times reports today that Selig is planning to orchestrate an interview between Giambi and one of Bud's chief labor executives. According to the article: "When The [San Francisco] Chronicle reported Giambi’s leaked grand jury testimony two and a half years ago, the Yankees investigated trying to void the $82 million left on his contract or buying out part of his deal. But the team did not have proof of Giambi’s steroid use because the testimony would not have been recognized. Now the Yankees will wait and see what Giambi, whose own remarks pushed him into a sensitive position, eventually tells the commissioner’s office." Giambi currently has one season left on his seven year, $120 million contract, plus an option for 2009 which New York was quite unlikely to pick up regardless of Giambi's off-field issues.

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Today in Baseball: 5/20/2007

AL East rookies quiet NL East bats, Tigers get revenge in Cards sweep, and new pitch count established in Little Leagues

When taking a look at the pitching probables for today's series finales in New York and Boston, your first instinct would probably be to think that the Yankees and Red Sox were simply giving these games away. In Fenway, the Sox decided to push knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's next start back until Monday's game at Yankee Stadium, instead calling on triple-A hurler Kason Gabbard for a spot start against the Braves. The southpaw responded by going five strong, striking out seven and holding the Braves to just two runs. Against Braves veteran Tim Hudson, the Sox gathered six runs on eight hits, chasing Hudson after 4.2 innings. Atlanta managed three hits and a run off of closer Jonathan Papelbon, but Boston held on to take the victory 6-3. Gabbard was sent back down to the PawSox after the game, replaced on the roster by reliever Manny Delcarmen. Boston became the first team to win 30 games this season, and maintain the best record in the bigs. Meanwhile in Queens, the Yankees started their own rookie (the seventh rookie to start a game for New York this season) and were rewarded with an even better performance, as Tyler Clippard held the Mets to just one run on three hits in his six inning major league debut, while Mets phenom John Maine allowed five runs in his five inning performance. Super-closer Mariano Rivera allowed a ninth inning homerun to second-baseman Damion Easley, but managed to close the game and seal a Yanks victory at 6-2. If the Detroit Tigers were still feeling any sting from losing the 2006 World Series to the Cardinals, their performance against St. Louis this weekend may have helped ease the pain just a little bit. The Tigers took the game 6-3 behind Justin Verlander's eight inning, two run gem. Said third baseman Brandon Inge (1-3, HR, 2 RBI) after the game " I feel pretty good, but it's kind of a year late, isn't it?" If you're one of 2.3 million pitchers between ages seven and eighteen, listen up: no matter how well you're pitching in a game from now on, after a limited number of pitches, you're out. So says Little League International (which governs 7500 leagues across the globe), after orthopedic surgeons reported a marked increase in pitching-related injuries among youths, many of which require complicated surgical procedures to mend. Depending on age, youngsters may be held to between 75-and-105 pitches, and also will face stricter rest requirements between outings. The new regulation looks to save a bunch of young arms from wear and tear injuries, but it will also add a whole new element of strategy to the ever-popular Little League World Series, in which coaches who previously relied on one or two star pitchers will be forced to depend on a deep pitching staff among their kids.

Image Source: MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/19/2007

Sox and Braves split double-header, Glavine clocks win 295 against the Yankees, Lee's slam in eighth powers Cubs comeback

The two games of today's inter-league double-header in Fenway Park mirrored each other in many ways. In game one, Daisuke Matsuzaka spun his third straight quality start, holding the Braves to just three runs over his eight innings and bumping his record to 6-2. Meanwhile, the Sox offense exploded, gathering 13 runs on 18 hits, including four homeruns (Lugo, Youkilis, Lowell, and Pena). Lowell's dinger was a grand slam off of reliever Mark Redman, and Pena's seventh inning bash was a monster shot, landing over everything in left field, somewhere out by the Mass Pike. In game two, the lines were similar (no runs on three hits against 14 runs on 18 hits), but this gem was twirled by John Smoltz, as the Red Sox were beaten down in their worst shutout since 1990. Smoltz, who earlier in the week both dislocated his right pinky and turned 40 years old (two damaging events for any pitcher) brought his ERA down to 2.85 and added seven strikeouts to his hall-of-fame stat line. In this milestone intensive season, Tom Glavine's run to 300 wins is losing page space every day to Barry Bonds' campaign for homerun king. Yet logging 300 victories remains one of the most difficult tasks in baseball (growing only harder by the year), and is a sure-fire ticket to Cooperstown. Glavine inched closer to the finish line tonight by notching his 295th victory against the Mets' cross-town rival Yankees, going six deep while allowing three runs on 9 hits. The Yanks made it interesting against Billy Wagner in the ninth, but behind David Wright's two homers and three intentional walks, the Mets offense was able to hold on to the lead and further entrench the Bronx Bombers at 10.5 games behind Boston. In Chicago, Cubs first-baseman Derrek Lee has missed the past five games with neck spasms, and though manager Lou Piniella opted not to put him on the DL, he was not expected to make an appearance in this weekend's series against the White Sox. Listed as day-to-day, Lee told Piniella early Saturday that he could possibly pinch hit if needed, and with the score tied and the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Piniella took the National League's batting average leader at his word. Lee responded by putting Sox reliever Boone Logan's 3-1 pitch over the fence and giving the Cubs the lead for good. "He came out and said he was ready to go." Piniella said after the game. "If you have a guy like that, you'd be foolish not to utilize him if he's available. He delivered big time."

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Source: MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/18/2007

Interleague play begins with Rivalry Weekend, Giambi kind of apologizes for something, and the Rocket makes his Yankees debut... the Tampa Yankees, that is.

Here we are again, as the controversial Interleague season began today with some marquis AL meets NL match-ups in the cards. Speaking of Cards, St. Louis met up with Detroit in a World Series rematch that would see the Tigers get a bit of retribution for their loss to the Cardinals last year. Tigers rookie (2006 sixth round draft pick) Andrew Miller made his debut start in place of ailing Jeremy Bonderman (blister) and owned the Cardinals offense, hurling six scoreless innings and allowing just four hits in Detroit's 14-4 victory. In New York, the Subway Series was renewed as the Mets beat the Yankees in a close game (3-2) behind a 7 2/3 inning gem by Oliver Perez. The Freeway Series began with a 9-1 Angels rout over cross-town rivals the Dodgers. Struggling Ervin Santana out-dueled Dodgers ace Brad Penny, allowing just the one run and six hits over six innings. New San Francisco ace Barry Zito crumbled against his old team, the Oakland Athletics. The Giants' $126 Million Man allowed gave up seven runs and matched his career high of seven walks over four innings, while his ERA increased nearly a run from 4.29 to 5.13. There's little doubt in most minds that Jason Giambi was one of many ball players guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs around the turn of the century, and now those die-hard fans who just couldn't drop their "say it ain't so" mentalities have met the final straw. Said Giambi to USA Today: "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.'" He went on to say "That stuff didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a baseball." Right... I suppose that's an apology, of sorts. That is, if you don't believe that increased muscle mass, vision, and recovery rate don't allow you to hit more balls further. Thumbs up Giambino, we just might be hearing more from you here in The Baseball Beat a little later in the week. Roger Clemens made his much anticipated debut for the Yankees today, only it was the single-A Tampa Yankees. A league-record 10,257 fans packed into Legends Stadium to see the Rocket face off against... well I venture to guess that most of those fans didn't give a lick who he was facing. In case you do care, it was the Fort Myers Miracle (of the Minnesota Twins organization), and Clemens held them to one run on three hits over his four innings of work. Showing great command for a pitcher who hadn't competed since October, Roger threw 42 of his 58 pitches for strikes. The one run came off a solo homer in the first by the Miracle's Erik Lis, giving the 2005 ninth round draft pick something to call home about tonight.

Hinske's Big Night

Source: MLB.com

David Ortiz and D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches finally meet on the air

The three most important aspects of my life right now are 1. my family, 2. baseball, and 3. my job (D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches Shift Leader). Well Big Papi has managed to meld numbers two and three on the list in his new tv spot for D'Angelo. Not the best commercial Ortiz is in right now (I love this Vitamin Water spot in particular), but still, I can't ignore its significance in my life. Enjoy.


Source: Boston.com

Curt Schilling Biggest DB of the Week Award: 10/17/2007

This week, Tigers manager Jim Leyland garners his first Curt Schilling Biggest DB of the Week Award because of his inane comments about Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Leyland mistakenly downplayed Dice-K's effectiveness and even mocked the Japanese phenom, referring to him as "Matsuzuki" and saying "I don't give a (expletive) about him. I'm not getting into all that. I could give a (expletive) less. It's another pitcher." Well apparently Leyland should have given a few more (expletives) about Dice-K, as the 26-year old lit up the Tigers' offense on Monday in a 7-1 complete game victory. Leyland was speaking a different tune after the game, when he said "He's a very good Major League pitcher and I was very impressed with him. He had composure and he had good stuff. He knows what to do with it. He's the real deal." AKA: The next time we play Boston I should really care a bit more about what pitcher we're facing. Way to back up your trash talk, douche. It should be noted that the Sox went on to take three of four games against the Tigers in the series.

Sources: Freep.com and MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/17/2007

BoSox take double-header, Carmona bests Santana in Tribe sweep, Farnsworth gripes about Rocket contract before Yanks loss, Mets talk 'roids and walk-offs

The Boston Red Sox faced off against the Detroit Tigers today in a day-night double-header that saw the Red Sox get fantastic performances out of two rather unlikely players. It all started in game one, when Julian Tavarez twirled a gem against the Tigers, allowing just one run on four hits over his seven innings. Tavarez has thus far been the weak link in an outstanding Red Sox rotation, and even after today's stellar performance he saw his record move to just 2-4 and his ERA drop to a shaky 5.59. Then in game two, Eric Hinske proved the hero (starting in right field in place of the sore-backed J.D. Drew) by making a spectacular (if somewhat reckless) catch that saw him face-plant in the warning track down right field foul line. The play saved two runs from scoring as the Tigers had runners on second and third with two outs. Later in the game, Hinske hit a two-run homer that put the Red Sox on top of the Tigers and eventually won the game. Curt Schilling was somewhat of a mess on the mound, giving up eight extra-base hits and four walks, yet he managed to hold the Tigers to two runs, which helped Boston stay in the game for good. Surprise bullpen force Hideki Okajima (and his pristine 0.44 ERA) pitched an inning in both games, getting the save in game two. In Cleveland, last year's experimental closer Fausto Carmona (0 saves in 3 opportunities to go along with a 1-10 record) is proving himself to be the Tribe's most valuable starter in '07. For the second time this season, Carmona bested Twin's ace (and reigning Cy Young Award winner) Johan Santana, spinning a 2-0 complete game victory and leading the Indians to first place in the American League Central in the wake of Detroit's loss to Boston. Said Twins center fielder Torii Hunter of Carmona and his nasty sinker: "It was so scary, I thought I was hung over. He was filthy. Even if we were hot right now, he would have cooled us off." Meanwhile, the Twins have lost seven of the last eight and sit below .500 and in fourth place in the Central. On Chicago radio talk-show The Score this morning, Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth criticized the contract stipulations of his new teammate Roger Clemens. Of the clause in the Rocket's contract which will allow him to leave the team to see his family when he's not pitching, Farnsworth said "As far as a teammate and a player, I think everybody should be here whether they're pitching or not. You don't see guys who are hurt not sit on the bench. They're always there." While the flame-throwing setup man didn't seem too concerned about the contract causing friction in the Yankees' clubhouse, he's just one of many baseball personalities to speak negatively about the situation, and Clemens hasn't even started playing yet. I'd like to see how players (and the media) react the first time Clemens actually does leave his team, whether to see his family or play in a golf tournament or anything. Later in the day the clubhouse chemistry certainly didn't help New York overcome the White Sox, as the Bombers were defeated 4-1 in the South Side behind rookie starter Matt DeSalvo's first career loss. After three pitchers in the Mets organization were handed lengthy suspensions for positive drug tests in the last seven months (major leaguer Guillermo Mota and two minor leaguers), COO Jeff Wilpon said today that the organization is in discussions about the team's efforts to curb performance enhancer use. "Not to stop the positive tests but to educate the kids so they know what they're doing to their bodies and they know that besides being illegal and against the rules, that it's not good for them," Wilpon said. "They don't need to do it." On the field, the Mets channeled the May 13th Red Sox and rallied for five runs in the ninth inning, including a walk-off base hit by first baseman Carlos Delgado. The Cubs had previously held the Mets to just one run, but closer Ryan Dempster coughed up three hits, two walks, and five runs in his 1/3 of an inning, allowing the Mets to come all the way back and win the game.

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Video Source: MLB.com

Today in Baseball: 5/16/2007

New-age rivalry delayed, Hamels two-hits the Brew Crew, Jays sweep the Orioles, Hard luck Arroyo issues walk-off walk

The Red Sox and the Tigers will have to wait to continue fleshing out their new American League rivalry, as they were rained out of Wednesday's game in Fenway. The game will be made up as part one of a day-night double header tomorrow. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia's phenom southpaw held the Milwaukee Brewers (supposedly the best team in the National League) to just two hits, and had a perfect game going through six innings. His 11 strikeouts led him to the top of the NL leader-board, moving past San Diego ace Jake Peavy. His sixth inning walk to Rickie Weeks broke up the perfect game, which was followed immediately by a two-run homer by J.J. Hardy to end the no-hitter. The Brewers, meanwhile, are suddenly not looking like the powerhouse team they were for most of baseball's first quarter. Milwaukee lost five of six games on this road trip to two of the better teams in the National League. Chances are, the Beer Makers may hold on to take a weak NL Central, but will not make it further than the first round in the playoffs. In the absence Roy Halladay, Toronto's back-up ace A.J. Burnett flexed his golden arm and three-hit the Orioles in a complete game victory, leading to a much needed sweep over the Blue Jays' division rivals. "We all know who Roy is around here, but with him down, I'm doing my [best] to keep us right in it until we get him back," Burnett said. "But it's not just me. It's the young kid [Litsch] yesterday. It's Shaun Marcum. It's the defense that we play and the chemistry of this clubhouse that keeps this team winning." Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo boasts of a sub-3.00 ERA, yet his winning percentage is a dismal .333. The poor guy has a ton of trouble getting run support in his games, and Wednesday's loss to the Padres was no different. The poor guy pitched a complete game gem, but his error in the ninth inning helped to load the bases, and his walk to Kevin Kouzmanoff brought home the winning run for San Diego. Someday this pretty great pitcher will get his come-uppance. You just watch.



Source: Boston.com and MLB.com

Sox Knocks: Drew and Beckett out

The Boston Globe is reporting today that J.D. Drew will sit out of tonight's game after crashing into the wall in right field in last night's loss to the Tigers, resulting in a bruised back. This after The Boston Herald's Jeff Horrigan reports that Josh Beckett is unlikely to make his next start (scheduled for Friday), after suffering an avulsion (cut resulting in a skin flap) on his right middle finger in Sunday night's game against Baltimore. These are just the first two bumps along the road for the Sox (Mike Timlin's two disabled list stints would mean a lot more if the Sox bullpen wasn't tearing up the league), and how they manage on the field during the absence of their best starter and their number five hitter will go a long way to show just how deep and committed to winning this team is.

Picture courtesy of BostonHerald.com

Today in Baseball: 5/15/2007

I'm trying out a new format here, in which I'll attempt to post a brief recap of today's baseball news and results, as well as all the scores and information you'll need. In this way I'll be able to make some kind of post everyday, while still supplementing Today in Baseball with features like Curt Schilling's DB of the Week Awards and the upcoming First Quarter Report. Any questions or comments are welcome, just post it here or email me at cereardon@gmail.com. Anyways...on to the show.

Yost ejected in Brewers Loss, The King returns, and Chicago destroys New York... that is, the Cubs and Mets.

The Milwaukee Brewers' standing as the best team in baseball has been questioned a lot in this early season due to the ease of their schedule thus far. Well, the Brew-Crew have done little to prove themselves in the past week, having lost four of the last five games to NL East toughs New York and Philadelphia. In tonight's game against the Phillies (the second of a three-game series), Milwaukee manager Ned Yost was ejected in the fourth inning for committing that almighty baseball faux pas: arguing balls and strikes. Later in the game former closer turned setup man Derrick Turnbow gave up the winning run to the Phillies, who continue to struggle around the .500 mark. Meanwhile in Seattle, ace-in-the-making Felix Hernandez made his return from the DL (tightness in the elbow) and pitched well, but not for very long. Facing a pitch-count, "The King" Hernandez threw for just 3 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs, walking three, and striking out five. The Seattle offense was in it for the long run, however, scoring 11 runs (including six in the third inning) and seeing Ichiro put together his sixth five-hit game (that's the most among active players) en route to a win over the Angels. Reliever Sean White picked up for Hernandez with 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the 'pen. The Yankees were rained out of their game against the White Sox, but there was still plenty of NY/CHI baseball to be had, as the Cubs showed up in Shea Stadium with their bats (and their ace) in stow. In Chicago's 10-1 victory, Aramis Ramirez blasted a ginormous grand slam into the second deck in Shea's left field, and Carlos Zambrano used his newly altered mechanics to hold the potent Mets offense to one run on six hits in his eight inning campaign.

Photo and stats courtesy of MLB.com

Kudos, Litsch

The Toronto Blue Jays, reeling from an unruly number of injuries (nine players on the disabled list, including starters Roy Halladay, Gustavo Chacin, John Thomson, and Victor Zambrano) brought up former Tampa Bay bat-boy Jesse Litsch to start today's game against Baltimore. Litsch didn't wilt under the pressure of his major league debut, responding to the call-up by going 8 2/3 innings deep and allowing one run to earn Toronto (and Litsch) the win. Said Litsch after the game: "It's probably the best day of my life. I never thought it would happen that way but it's a great experience." Having gone 5-1 with a 0.96 ERA in his six double-A starts this season, it's very possible that the Jays have found themselves something to be happy about in this disappointing first quarter of the season.





Photo courtesy of MLB.com
Source: ESPN.com

Holy Crap! Sox come back.

In one of the craziest ninth inning comebacks ever, the Sox managed to overcome their 5-0 deficit to the Orioles on Sunday, giving those fans who opted to stick around in Fenway Park (my unfortunate sister not included) a run for their money. It all ended on a Julio Lugo ground-ball that turned into a walk-off error by former Sox first-baseman Kevin Millar (though the error should technically belong to the pitcher for his poor catch - Millar's throw was on target). Just insane, and all the drama any Sox fan could ask for.

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Uploaded by cereardon

The Curt Schilling Biggest DB of the Week Award - 5/10/07

I've long held that Curt Schilling, while a very good pitcher, is perhaps the biggest tool in baseball. His douchebaggery seems to have increased exponentially this season with the addition of his blog 38Pitches. That's why I've decided to create this award, which may or may not be updated on a strict weekly basis, but most certainly will depict the biggest DB of the week.

That said, the inaugural Curt Schilling Biggest DB of the Week Award goes too... Curt Schilling! Here's to you Schilling, for going on WEEI radio and prattling on about how Barry Bonds has admitted to his steroid use, his adultery, and his penchant for cheating on his taxes. This would all be well and good if, well, it were true! While the allegations may or may not be true, Bonds has certainly never admitted to any of them. This after Big Schill reamed the sports media for making up stories about how he intentionally bloodied his sock during the 2004 World Series. Luckily, Curt manage to prove himself the "bigger" man by posting a public apology on his blog, featuring such gems as "I’m thinking that waking up at 8:30 am to do the weekly interview we do with WEEI is probably not the greatest format and if you heard the interview it’s not hard to realize that I’m usually awake about 30-45 seconds before it begins." Just like Terry Francona said, for someone who doesn't talk to the media very much, you sure talk to the media a lot. Way to go Schill, you're a douche.

Runners up...
David Wells, San Diego Padres pitcher, is a douche because he says too much and then runs back to retract it all when he realizes how stupid it was. This particular instance involved Roger Clemens, and Wells was quoted as saying "I don't think I would ever do it because of the fact I personally think it would disrespect the team and your teammates," in regards to Clemens' new contract with the New York Yankees, which will allow him to leave the team (if he so chooses) when he is not scheduled to pitch. The next days Wells took it back, saying that parts of the interview had been left out and that he really loves the Rocket. Of course, Wells. The media always misconstrues what you say to them. That fact that you have to flap your fat face about everything and everyone out there has nothing to do with it. And let's see you turn down a contract like the one Clemens received before you start spouting off about it, you douche.

Phil Garner, Houston Astros Manager, is a douche because he, quite like the Big Schill himself, is fond of making up allegations, in this case about his former player Roger Clemens. In reference to Clemens' deal with the Yankees (the precedence for which was made by the Astros), Garner told ESPN's Mike and Mike that the reason the Astros originally allowed for such terms in Clemens' contract was to lure him out of retirement, ostensibly so that Clemens would be able to spend more time with his family than the normal baseball schedule would allow for. "What sort of happened was we'd turn on the TV, and he's playing a golf tournament, so it evolved to be more than just seeing family," Garner said, immediately drawing the wrath of the Rocket. Clemens says that he has never played in a golf tournament while he was supposed to be with his team, and that he means to confront Garner face-to-face on the subject. I'd be scared if I were you, Phillip, and not just because your team sucks. Your douchebaggery is probably going to get you punched in the face this time.

*Update* Cy Young: Beckett making his case

Not too many people believed me when I said that Josh Beckett is going to improve by leaps and bounds in his second year in the American League. Well, the numbers speak for themselves: Beckett has now won each of his first seven starts, giving him the best record in baseball to go along with his tidy little 2.51 ERA (good for fifth in the AL). It seems as though Beckett has settled down after his shaky 2006, putting more trust in himself and in Jason Varitek, and also allowing himself to relax on the mound and not rush his delivery. He still puts the ball over the plate at 97 mph, but he also has much more command and trust in his off-speed pitches, which only makes his heater more effective. Keep an eye on Beckett as the weather (and power bats) heat up; how he manages in the dog days will show just how improved this talented young pitcher is.