About the only thing that might be able to slow down the Boston Red Sox at this point is something the Cleveland Indians weren't able to force in any of the final 3 games of the ALCS- a lineup change.
Game 3 tonight will be played in Colorado. That means no DH. And that means no Kevin Youkilis for Boston, as David Ortiz will get the start at first base. It seems like a no-brainer of a move, but is it? Well, take a look at this.
During the Sox current 5-game winning streak, Kevin Youkilis has hit .476 with 9 runs scored, 7 RBI, and an OBP of .577. David Ortiz? .263, 5, 4, and .364. And during the entire '07 postseason, Youkilis has more hits, extra base hits, homeruns, runs, RBI, and a slightly higher batting average than Big Papi (although his numbers are fantastic as well).
I admit, I'd probably do the same thing right now if I was Terry Francona, but it will be interesting to see how Boston's offense changes (if at all) without one of their key table-setters. After all, the Rockies are used to playing with 8 hitters and a pitcher and at this point, need all the help they can get.
We arrived at the ballpark around 5:00 and there was a noticeable feeling of excitement all around. I had been to Fenway a bunch of times before but this occasion was unique. Getting off "The T" (that's what they call the subway...does it stand for "train?" I felt like if I asked, it would be insulting if the answer was "yes") a guy joked how jealous he was that we were going to the game. He told me he seriously considered buying tickets but that they were more than his rent. To compensate, he said he would have moved out and lived with a friend for a few months.
Why is this important you may ask?Because he wasn't lying.
He certainly wasn't joking or seeking laughter in response to his comment. It's also funny how your average Boston guy a) loves sports and b) talks exactly like Ben Affleck (I thought I saw him 3 times on our way to Fenway.)
Anyway, as we walked around the stadium there were all kind of handouts from local media stations- signs, posters, fliers, etc. and almost an equal amount of guys trying to buy tickets. There certainly were a lot of guys asking for tickets, but I didn't see one person selling tickets. I wondered if these guys who were trying to buy tickets were holding tons of cash. On Stubhub the cheapest seats I saw were close to $1000. Did that mean those guys had nearly that much in their pocket, possibly more if they want to buy mulitple seats? Also if I were going to sell my tickets, I would have performed the transaction online, to avoid confronting possibly a shady guy and having to exchange thousands of dollars in cash. Maybe I am crazy for thinking this, but this could explain why there were no sellers.
Oh, also another reason for the lack of sellers could be because it was a freaking World Series game at Fenway Park...
It was during this time that we met Joe Morgan. He was just walking around outside the stadium and seemed to be a pretty nice guy. If he was playing, America would have gotten a free taco, because he could have easliy stolen a base off Francis. He told us this in "past, future tense." I dont know if that exists, but he was telling us what he could, and pretty much did do, in a situation that hadn't happened yet. So anyway, despite the fact that previously I wasn't a huge fan, overall Mr. Morgan seemed like a pretty good guy. Even though he initially declined, he couldn't resist my smile and agreed to snap a quick picture with me, which in hindsight (too bad I didn't tell him in "past, future tense" that he was setting a dangerous precedent) forced him to take pics with other fans.
After checking out all the gear at the shops around the stadium, we wanted to get something to eat. Because all the bars immediately outside the stadium were jammed with waiting lines of easily more than 50 people, we walked a block and a half and found a bar that was only sort-of crowded. This had to be the most prepared bar I had ever been in, as our burgers arrived in seriously less than 4 minutes (this may have bothered me if I got something other than a burger.)
We watched some pregame coverage and probably 45 minutes later we left. The walk out was at least 5 times more difficult than the walk in, because at this point, the place was packed- something we didn't realize from our table in the very back. The same had happened outside the bar. It was crowded earlier, but now it was jam-packed. It was like your favorite college bar at 2:30 in the morning, when you can't move without squeezing through the crowd, but this was a city street. Morgan (my wife, not Joe) picked up a free Red Bull from the Red Bull truck and we walked around the stadium to our entrance at Gate C.
We waited in line for about 10 minutes and then we were in. I couldn't resist the temptation and we immediately went out to watch the Rockies hit batting practice. We were in the row behind the Red Sox bullpen while the first group of Colorado hitters took some swings. I was mostly distracted by the staduim (even though I have been there many times) and felt like a tourist as I snapped pictures of everything.
After settling in, we moved around to the right field corner to get even closer to the field. It was at this time that Matt Holliday starting hitting. What a treat. This guy was UN-believable. I am fairly certain (it was hard to keep track exactly) that on 2 separate occasions he hit 5 balls out in a row. And these weren't just home runs. They easily cleared the Green Monster, peppering the Coke bottles and Volvo sign...and those were the ones that didn't leave the stadium all together.
At this point we gravitated even further around the field, ending up behind the Red Sox bullpen. We were a few rows from the FOX pregame cast, and snapped some good pictures of Chris Myers and Harold Reynolds. Iam not scared to judge guys, and Chris Myers looks much better on TV than he does in person. The opposite might be true for HR. Both seemed to be enjoying themselves. A few minutes later, some other TV guys, headlined by Chris Berman, stopped by.
At this time I noticed the guy who was hitting...one Troy Tulowitzki. His performance was very much like Holliday in that he was hitting bombs. It was borderline absurd. Maybe it was because other Rockies hitters are easy to overlook, but when both of these guys hit (side note they probably got like 3 or 4 full rounds, which seemed much more than a normal game) it was really obvious how locked-in they were.
As BP was winding down we made our way back to our seats, located in deep right center field- row 29 to be exact (the same secion as those guys with the B-E-C-K-K-K-E-T-T guys, just a few rows in front of them and towards right field a little bit...maybe 10 or so seats). As we found our seats and met our neighbors, my eyes were mostly on the Jumbotron. It played a video about the Red Sox postseason history and included the good and the bad, and helped remind me how lucky I was to be at Fenway Park for a World Series game. There is so much history and you could just feel how much it meant to all the fans.
As the game got closer, they played another video and this one was even better. This went through all the Red Sox post season success. It was sort of Pulp Fiction style in that the chronology was a bit out of order and it was cut up into a lot of snippets. Of course the main theme (or baseline if you will) was the '04 postseason and it was all played to music, apparently with music composed or written by the guy from the Boston Pops. Iguess he has written some memorable scores, all of which were used during this video. I was pretty sure my eyes were a tiny, tiny bit watery when they showed Dave Roberts stealing second and then scoring to keep the Red Sox alive in Game 5. Anyway, there's no sense in retelling the '04 playoffs, but the point is I thought the video was very well made and had the desired affect on the crowd of 36,000 plus, all of whom were now in their seats and ready for the game.
After a giant American flag fell over the Monster and the national anthem was played, some jets did a fly-by. Unlike other pregame fly-bys I had witnessed, it was very, very loud and easily seen by all. After this, a lucky 10-year-old got on the mic and said the two words that everyone had been waiting for, "play ball!"
Beckett took the mound and made short work of the Rockies. I guess hitting the Rockies coach in BP was nothing like hitting Beckett in the playoffs. Everyone in the stadium was excited to see that Beckett had his electric and nearly unhittable stuff working. The only question was if the Red Sox hitters would bring their bats.
That question was quickly answered as Pedroia went deep on the second pitch from the Rockies' "ace" Francis. That started an historic evening at the plate for the Sox, who I think, scored every other run with two outs. I won't get too into the details of what all happened, but there is one other thing worth noting that may not have been covered by FOX, and that was the intensity of the crowd.
Every time there was two strikes, everyone stood....no exceptions. And it wasn't because everyone else was doing it, or because anyone said to do it. I honestly felt like everyone in the stands was rooting, pulling, actually needing, a third strike. Luckily for them, on this night, more often than not, they got it. Any time a Bo Sox batter had 3 balls, the same thing happened. This is not to say they weren't enthusiastic the entire time, because they were. I am just saying it was different than most other baseball games.
I remember the first hit the Rockies got off Beckett. After pretty much whiffing everyone he faced, he gave up a double to Troy T (not surprising based on his round in the batting cage before the game). After the double, Morgan (again, my wife, not Joe) turned to me and asked what happened. I told her he doubled and she said she asked because she didn't know why everyone got really quiet, as if something else had happened. That was it, just a double, and this same thing happened any time the Rockies did anything. It was almost an uncomfortable silence. There were 36K+ fans screaming their heads off a majority of the time, but any time the Rockies did something, it was alsoutely slient. It was a pleasant treat to be at a sporting event where everyone was actually watching the game.
The other thing I noticed fans doing that showed that they 'get it' was the respect for others. Any time a person left to get refreshments, treats, or to use the bathroom, they were courteous to their neighbors. Many fans waited at the bottom of the section (at the tunnel to the concourse) for the end of the inning. And those who made their way back to their seats sat in the aisle. They would sit on the dirty wet concrete steps and wait for the inning to end before disrupting the fans in their row I can't say that every single person followed this rule, but it was certainly the case for the majority of fans.
The only real evidence suggesting otherwise was the guy who was sitting next to me. It seemed like he was ripping a beer every time there was an extra base hit. He told me in the first inning he didn't know many Rockies players, but he wished he did. The only thing he did that was actually annoying was call Kaz Matsui "Kenny Lofton." His justification was a fairly fast left handed hitter who wore number 7. I assume that Lofton wears number 7 for the indians, but I am not even certain. In any case it was 5% comical that he stuck to it the entire game. And i guess the only reason it was semi-funny was because he wasn't doing it to be funny. He, himself didn't think it was funny, and wouldn't have even understood why it might be funny if I told him.
Anyway, that was my experience at Game 1. I hope to get my pictures onto the Baseblogg soon.
-BWSC
If you're like me, you're watching last night's game on TV and you're not too surprised that Josh Beckett struck out the side in the top of the first. But then after a Dustin Pedroia homerun just over the monster, a Kevin Youkilis double, and a Manny Ramirez single made it 2-0 in the bottom of the first, you started to get the feeling it was going to be a long night for the boys in black.
And was it ever.
13 runs, 17 hits, 9 of which went for extra bases, and another ho-hum performance by Beckett (7 IP, 1 earned, 9 K's) and Colorado's 10-game win streak and 21 out of 22 streak were history. They even went a combined 0-6 against Timlin in the 8th and Gagne in the 9th.
For the record, Beckett now owns the third lowest ERA is postseason history (1.73) among pitchers who've tossed at least 70 innings. Mariano Rivera is number one, Chrisy Mathewson is number two.
For me, Colorado's miserable Game 1 loss makes Game 2 tonight (Ubaldo Jiminez vs. Curt Schilling) exceptionally important. If they allow another 10+ runs to the Sox (Boston's already the first team ever to score 10+ in 3 straight October games) and fall behind 2-0, I wouldn't be surprised if this series ends in the mountains. But if the Rockies, like the Indians, can overcome a Game 1 Joshing and even the series at a game apiece heading home, they'll instantly regain momentum.
Hopefully, BWSC will share his thoughts later today.
I just received this text message from my Boston World Series correspondent, who shall be known from here on out as BWSC.
"Listen to see if Joe Morgan mentions us since we just met him."
This is going to be nothing short of a treat.
P.S. I have nothing upon which to base this, however I'd be willing to bet Morgan managed to mention he could probably hit .260 and be an above second baseman if he was still playing today.
P.P.S My BWSC is there with his new wife, Morgan. I wonder if introductions went something like this:
Morgan...Joe Morgan. Joe Morgan...Morgan.
P.P.P.S This blog is funny. Appropriately enough, it's about Joe Morgan.
No, I'm not talking about Justin Timberlake.
Let's just put it this way, though. It's not wrong, is about to be right again as the Baseblogg's official, exclusive World Series correspondent (at least our Boston correspondent). The man behind such humorous posts as the Mustache Day chronicles, and the later-revealed-to-have-been-staged bride wigging out video has managed to finagle tickets to all the games at Fenway and has promised to do a morning-after recap for us, complete with pictures.
For the record, these will be his first posts since late May and I have a sneaking suspicion he's been saving up some (in a Larry David voice) pretty good...prettaaaay, prettaaaay good material for us.
Stay tuned
I've decided not to let an 0 for 2 in the LCS round stop me from predicting the World Series, so there. After all, this is somewhat of a compelling series since you have (no longer arguably) the hottest team in postseason history going up against a team which was the favorite to win it all, but on life-support just a week ago.
First, a note about the Colorado Rockies lengthy layoff. Contrary to what some people believe, I don't think this will shake them up much at all. Remember, they had a lot of time off between the NLDS and NLCS. I thought it would cause them problems, but 4 games later, we all learned better. So my thinking is, 5 days off...9 days off...the Rockies will have the same swagger and focus. That said, here's why I think Boston wins this thing, but not easily.
The Rockies, while on a run for the ages, haven't played a team like the Red Sox yet. They just haven't. The Arizona Diamondbacks don't compare, and the Philadelphia Phillies most certainly don't. With all due respect to Brandon Webb, they haven't faced a pitcher like Josh Beckett, yet (or even a veteran like Curt Schilling). With all due respect to Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, the Rockies pitchers haven't had to contend with the likes of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, followed by Papi and Manny. And with much appreciation towards the fans in Arizona and Philly, there's something about playing in Fenway Park.
I don't think the Rockies will be pushovers- far from it. Their lineup in formidable, their defense is top-notch, and their pitching- much-improved. But my thinking is it's only going to take one loss for Colorado's confidence to wane a little bit, and for this team to come back down to Earth. That's why I'm taking the Sox in 6.
Dustin Pedroia's 7th inning homerun gave the Red Sox some breathing room and then his 8th inning bases-clearing double blew Game 7 of the ALCS wide open, propelling Boston into the World Series.
This guy is already a crowd favorite thanks to his hustle and excellent defensive play, but if he and Kevin Youkilis (who went 3-5 with a dinger himself) continue to get on base, this Boston team will be very difficult to beat, even by a team like the Colorado Rockies, which isn't to familiar with losing.
Game 1 of the 2007 World Series gets underway Wednesday in Boston.
Wow. It's as if the Cleveland Indians forgot how to pitch, hit, and play defense all in one night. Now because of that, it all comes down to one night.
The Boston Red Sox, back of an ageless Curt Schilling and 13 hits, thumped the Tribe in Game 6, 12-2, setting up an ALCS showdown tonight at Fenway Park. It was a career night for J.D. Drew as he went 3-5 with a grand slam and 5 RBI, and it was officially an ALCS to forget for Fausto Carmona as he, once again, pitched miserably, getting ranked after just 2 innings. Heck, it was so lopsided, Terry Francona let Eric Gagne pitch the 9th!
If the Indians do, in fact go "New York Mets" and capsize just before the finish line, they'll need look no further than their two regular season aces. In this series, C.C. Sabathia and Carmona have combined to go 0-3 with a 12.67 ERA, 2.63 WHIP, 16 BB and 16 K in 16 1/3 IP. They were both 19 game winners.
And they're not the only struggling Indians. Grady Sizemore is hitting just .208. Travis Hafner, just .130. And Kenny Lofton, who seemed to come alive against the Yankees in the Divisional round, is back down to Earth, at .217.
On the flip side, as has been the case for this entire ALCS, when Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis play well, the Red Sox win. Last night, the #1 and 2 hitters combined to reach base 7 times in 10 plate appearances, 5 times with hits. They also scored 4 times.
Now, a quick note about Schilling. So much has been made (and rightly so) about Josh Beckett's postseason dominance. But if you look at them, Schilling's numbers in October are just as remarkable. In 18 starts for the Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Sox, he's 10-2 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 116 K and 23 BB in 128 IP. Compare that to 5-2, 1.78 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 73 K, and 13 BB in 65 2/3 IP (8 starts and 1 relief appearance). Sure, Beckett's numbers are a little better now, but let's see what he has left when he's 40!
Tonight however, it's a rematch of Game 3, Jake Westbrook vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka. Westbrook and the Tribe won their previous meeting 4-2 in what was easily the lowest-scoring game in the entire series. He silenced the Boston bats by getting 14 groundballs and 3 double plays over 6 2/3. He doesn't pretend to be overpowering and will need to establish his sinker early to avoid an early exit. Dice-K on the other hand has yet to complete the 5th inning in either of his postseason starts, and has now pitched 214 innings this season. If he retires at least 4 hitters tonight, it will be the most innings he's thrown in a season since 2001. No matter who wins tonight, I think most baseball fans would agree this has been one heck of an entertaining series.And in the "your timing couldn't have been worse" category, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting Indians' hurler Paul Byrd received shipments of HGH between August of 2002 and January of 2005. The story is written by the same two guys who wrote Game of Shadows- the book that outed Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Marion Jones, among others. If the Indians lose this series, this story will likely go away. But if they win, you'd better believe all eyes will be on Byrd in his next start.
Joe Torre turned down the New York Yankees' 1-year, $5 million dollar offer yesterday, meaning for the first time since 1995, somebody else will be their skipper on Opening Day. Torre still would have been the highest-paid manager in baseball, but it also would have been a $2.5 million dollar pay cut.
We don't yet know what impact, if any, this will have on the Yanks keeping guys like Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. But it's not going to help, that's for sure.
As for Torre's future managerial aspirations, his wife, Ali, left the press with this.
"It's always difficult to say goodbye, but there's always hello."
Hmmm.
With the weight of his team's season on his shoulders, Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett delivered again Thursday night, allowing just one run over 8, striking out 11, and out-dueling C.C. Sabathia (again) to send the ALCS back to Boston.
Having watched much of the game myself, I am convinced Beckett has the most devastating combination of fastball/curveball in all of baseball. He was in the mid-to-high 90's all night and got so many swings and misses with his hammer (and a few called strikes as well) I just don't see how people make consistent, solid contact against this guy. Even when he fell behind hitters (2-0, 3-1) they still took very awkward, unsure hacks and ended up punching out or putting the ball in play weakly.
So that's the good news for Sox fans- you're headed home for games 6 and 7.
The bad news is you have Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka starting must-win games, and you have a bullpen that, let's face it, Terry Francona simply doesn't trust beyond Jonathan Papelbon. This postseason, Boston's relievers have a 4.63 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, zero saves or holds, and 14 walks in 23 1/3 IP.
Now for a real-life example of Francona's lack of trust. Last night, going into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Sox were already up 7-1 but Francona sent Beckett out to get 3 more outs. Now, I know he hadn't hit 100 pitches yet and was dominating, but if I'm a manager staring down two more elimination games Saturday and Sunday and can possibly have JB work relief in Game 7, why not yank him after 7 with a comfy lead and let your trusty pen get the last 6 outs? Ah, I know- because you don't have a trusty pen.
I also know this. After their extra innings extravaganza Saturday night (into Sunday morning) Cleveland no longer fears Fenway. And if Schilling and Dicey don't go deep into the game, the Sox could be thrown in the hamper.
With most of the focus this post about Boston's pitching, I want to make a quick note about their offense. It's remarkable how they go as Pedroia and Youkilis go. In the two games they've won, their 1-2 hitters are 7-16 with a .526 OBP, 7 runs scored, and 3 RBI. But in the 3 games they've lost, Pedroia and Youkilis are 6-23 with a .346 OBP, 2 runs scored, and 1 RBI. They're hitting in front of two of the best in the game. But if they don't get on, Manny and Papi's homeruns and solo shots, and their singles don't drive anybody in. Funny how that works.
About the only thing that might be able to slow down the Boston Red Sox at this point is something the Cleveland Indians weren't able to force in any of the final 3 games of the ALCS- a lineup change.
