Gonzo And Loretta File..And That Makes Five

Just across the wire, from MLB.com....today, Tuesday.....and thank you *Dawn*, for bringing it to my attention.....

BOSTON -- "Mark Loretta helped set the table for David Ortiz all season long, while Alex Gonzalez had a Gold Glove-caliber year at shortstop. On Monday, the Red Sox double-play combination became the fourth and fifth players from the Boston roster to file in the first three days of free agency."

Peter here....Add in Gabe Kapler and Wakes' batterymate, Doug Mirabelli, as well as Trot....so far. And that makes five. A handfull!

Of Tim Wakefield And Keith Foulke, And All Hallow's Eve

The Red Sox have picked up their $4 million dollar option on veteran pitcher Tim Wakefield. Timmy slips into the number four position in the rotation. Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Jonathon Papelbon and Wakes. And of course number five is to be determined. The Sox had trouble when Wakes was hurt last year. He has proven to be an inning eater, something the Red Sox so desperately need. At best a little better than a .500 pitcher, he has been plagued by the lack of runs scored for him when he's on the mound. Let's hope that changes next year. He has been quoted as saying that he is in good shape, healthy and ready. And his off-season conditioning program will ensure that. Way to go Wakes. We need you!
And now for Keith Foulke. The club will decide what to do with him between now and November 8th. Either the Sox will pick up a $7.5 million dollar option or a $1.5 million dollar buy out. He could be the set-up man for the unknown closer. Or he could be a worthless injured person on the pitching roster. We have to hope the club can make an educated guess as to which will come to pass. I say good luck doing that, Sox front office. But of course I wish him the best. A healthy Foulkie, changing speeds and hitting his spots, would be invaluable. Utterly invaluable. And so it goes, Tuesday Oct. 31st. Happy Halloween...be safe.

A Monday Quickie! Trot And World Series Ratings.

Among the ever growing list of players to declare free agency is our very own Trot Nixon. I still hold out hope he will be at home in "his" right field, at our very own Fenway Park.
And this, from today's Globe, about the never more dismal World Series ratings....

"The Cardinals' five-game victory over the Detroit Tigers averaged a record-low 10.1 television rating and 17 share, Fox said Sunday. This year's rating dropped 9 percent from the previous bottom, an 11.1 for a four-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros last year."

Peter here... I'll be back later in the day. For now, welcome to Monday, everybody. I hope your weekend was great. It was stormy with a wind-swept driving rain here in Connecticut. Plenty to do, though.

Check This Out!!!

My most recent post, right below this one, was featured at Universal Hub. Based in Boston, of course. I am a fan. Check this out. For me. Copy n paste...ok??? Thanks.....it's things like this that make me so very happy. That post was from my heart, and I cried near its end. Here's the link...........

http://www.universalhub.com/ Thanks...your proud blog guy!

Red Auerbach 1917-2006

I have many memories of the Boston Celtics, and Red Auerbach. One, however, stands tall. I wrote about it last winter, but I'm rerunning it right now in honor of that great man who assembled so many great teams, from the 50s to the 90s. The 80s team was MY team like no other. Here.......

My Dad's Celtics, and Mine

You don't read much here about the Boston Celtics because I don't follow them with the fervor I did in the magical '80s, when every game was an event unto itself. DJ and Danny Ainge were the guards. Kevin McHale and Larry Bird were the forwards, and the Chief, Robert Parish, was the center. Now that is a starting line-up!
The Celtics always came to Hartford to play four games each year, one pre-season and three regular season games. We had seats in the mid-1980s that were three rows behind the Celtics' bench, just far enough up so that we would not be blocked by the seated players. One game I'll never forget was on a cold snowy night. I was sitting with my Dad. There were 2 seconds left against the Knicks, we were down by one, and Larry arched a shot from the corner near the bench. We were sitting not 6 feet away, and my Dad and I, standing, watched as the ball flew upward, reached its peak, and softly settled into the bottom of the net. Green team wins. It was a magical moment for players and fans alike, as the Civic Center erupted with an earthquake of cheering. And leave it to my Dad to go over to where Red Auerbach was sitting and hand him a cigar. Red promptly slid off the band and lit up. Right there! Priceless memories.
My Dad is gone now. And the Celtics, those multiple World Champions of the eighties, are gone too. In their place have been scores of pretenders. But they can never be MY Celtics. Or as my Dad used to say, our boys.

Peter here, today, in October. Red, thank you for moments like this. And for the 1980s. And there is a neverending supply of cigars up there. In fact, my Dad is looking for you right now. He's got something for you....Rest in peace.

And....One Yankee Fact, As Baseball 2006 Is Over

The Yankees have spent close to ONE BILLION DOLLARS on players since their last rings. Thanks Georgie!!!!
And now, it is the start of the official off season. On the field. But here, on my blog, and in the backrooms, where the front offices try to better their teams, it gets hot. So much unlike the winter weather we are on a collision course to experience. And to live! My windshield scraper has been moved from the trunk into the back seat area. And I love the white stuff of winter. You'll hear about any major upcoming winter weather "events" for the Northeast, and parts near. Sox '07 will be so different. In so many ways. You'll read about it right here. With me! And I could not be happier. No way, no how.....you have me until the Spring, when the hope that will blossum in these upcoming dark months springs tall. Just wait. And see. With me. SMILE!

King Cardinals......RIP Joe Niekro

The Saint Louis Cardinals, winners of only 83 games in the regular season, earned the right to call themselves the 2006 World Champions Of Baseball with better pitching, hitting and defense than their opponents, the Detroit Tigers. And Jim Leyland has won the Boob of the Year award for not going with his hottest pitcher when it counted the most. But eventually the Cardinals would have triumphed in this uninteresting matchup anyways. The Tigers did accomplish something. No pitching staff has ever made errors in each of the first five games of a World Series. Until now. And that's counting last night's game. Thanks go to Joel Zumaya, Todd Jones, Justin Verlander, and Fernando Roony. Pitcher's fielding practice will be a bigger part of spring training next year. Well done! Final score....4-2. Congratulations go to the St. Louis Cardinals and their manager, Tony LaRussa, and of course the players. You outplayed 'em in every possible way. So long baseball 2006. The off season, with all its wheelings and dealings, awaits. And you'll read about it right here.
On a sad note, famed pitcher Joe Niekro died yesterday from a brain aneurysm he suffured on Thursday. He was only 61. Rest in peace, Joe. Your cunning ways on the mound entertained us all. You will be missed.

One Last FATAL Error? We'll See!

Is Leyland, the manager of the Dee-troit tigers, making one final fatal error tonight in naming his game five starter anyone (!) other than Kenny Rogers?? He would be pitching on his normal four days of rest. No conflict there. So? I mean, why save him if there IS no game six? I think this might be a monumental error by the manager that will come back to haunt him should the Cardinals win tonight. And it would be a weird payback for KR's seemingly breach of the baseball laws. We might not see him again. Not in THIS World series. And that's payback karma style. He angered the Baseball Gods.
OOOOOOO! Halloween Tuesday, along with the change of the clocks. More on that later. Tonight might be the end of baseball 2006 as we know it. Hell, as ANYONE knows it. We'll find out. I'd love to read your comments...do you think Leyland IS making a possibly fatal error? I'll read and respond to each and every one. Promise. On my blog life! And without my blog, and you, my faithful readers (Stephen King, thank you for that phrase), where would I be right now. Writing to myself? No no no...I like writing for you! And readers, his new book, LISEY'S STORY, is one you should go out and get. I received an advance copy. BUY IT. MESMERIZING...not horror at all, but the quiet and the turmoil after a death of a spouse. A beloved and successful husband..Lisey is/was his wife. I'll say no more. But the writing, SK's ability to talk to us through his words as if the story was being told around a campfire, with rapt listeners all, is amazing. As is he, for so many years. Decades. Thanks. Just for being here. And I'd love to hear what you think about the Leyland decision...when you're down three games to one, and you're behind in this pivotal game five, which might happen, anyone on your bench is a possible player. Why not START YOUR BEST!

Comeback Cardinals One Victory Away From The Crown

The St. Louis Cardinals have a 3 games to 1 lead in the World Series. They beat the sloppy and pitching poor Detroit Tigers 5-4 in a game in which they were down 3-1. Poor defense for the Tigers combined with David Eckstein's 4-4 night put the Redbirds on the edge of forever. They need one more win....one! They'll do it tonight, weather permitting.
In other news, Randy Johnson underwent back sugery yesterday. The Doctor's report said that everything went well. And that's good.
Everyone, have a great weekend. I'll be back later today.

RAIN.....And Mike Timlin Signs For 2007

The fourth game of the 2006 World Series of Baseball was rained out. The game was called after a two hour delay and will be made up on Friday, weather permitting. The light percipitation over the area today (Thursday) will, late tonight and Friday, become heavier, with increasing winds. So while there is a window of opportunity to play baseball today, Friday looks dismal. Somehow I hope they get one in.
And Mike Timlin, the veteran Red Sox pitcher, has signed a one year $2.8 contract. If used wisely and much less than the 70 plus appearances he has become used to, he can still be valuable in the set up role. His age, however, has become a factor. This is but one little step....the Red Sox have miles to go before they are set. Their pitching questions, both starters and relievers, are far too numerous for me to go into here. Enjoy game four, weather permitting. If there is another rainout, the pitching rotations will surely change...I'm sure Detroit wants to get Rogers in there ASAP. Enjoy your Thursday!

Carpenter Hammers Tigers

Chris Carpenter was masterful last night as he and his teamates blanked the Tigers 5-0. His line? Get a load of this...8 innings pitched...3 hits...55 strikes...82 pitches....and he faced only two batters over the minumum. The Tigers might have resumed play after their week off, but their bats haven't. And they find themselves down in the series 2 games to 1. Game 2 will be, weather permitting, and it doesn't look good, shortly after 8 tonight in the city with the arch. Jeff Suppan will face Jeremy Bonderman. Look for the Cards to go up three games to one in this World Series that has failed to hold any interest for me whatsoever. Not after Kenny Rogers' pathetic performance. Oh, and I do realize that he pitched seven tremendous innings after what was MORE than a simple washing of his hands. I saw that smear in Hi-Def, and it was a glistening oily reflective spot that if wiped on his pants' leg would have left a shiny ugly spot that was much more than dirt. And no fun for the ones who wash the uniform. But that never happened...it was just dirt from rubbing.......RIGHT. I'm letting this Kenny Rogers' idiocy go...for good. If there is a game six on Saturday, we'll see how effective he will be. I did mention in an earlier post that it is impossible for me to root for the Saint Louis Cardinals...for anything! You see, they were responsible for my first baseball heartbreak...way back in '67, when Bob Gibson, the best pitcher then, pitched three complete games in the seven game series, and what had been an unbelievable Cinderella-type season for the "picked to finish in ninth place" Boston Red Sox ended. As all things do. Yaz and Lonnie and company. Childhood bliss....shattered. But what a year it was from a team called the "Cardiac kids." They always seemed to pull it out...and Yaz had the most clutch year of them all, including our Papi. And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, number 8...Carl Yastrzemski. OK, OK, back to 2007. Enjoy game 4 tonight, and thanks for being here. And Yaz sure could play that Green Monster. Anyone trying to stretch a wall ball from a single into a double was out by 20 steps.....or more......take care.

I HAVE To Say This......NOW..

And yes, it's shortly before 2PM today, Tuesday. The eve of game three. Kenny Rogers will not pull one over on the game of baseball. Not this time. Not a chance. From what I've heard, and I've heard so much, and do not forget.... I don't write this blog blindly. But for a left handed punk, and he was before this 2006 post season, and he will be for the rest of his life, Kenny Rogers has been cheating. May this take the attention away from the game of baseball that we love? Oh yes. IT WILL. IT ALREADY HAS. And whose fault is that? I am in the Cardinal's camp now. And I'll be in whoever's camp that does not have Kenny Rogers making a mockery of our game of baseball. FOREVER. Read it and weep, Mr. Camera Man BEATER. Scum finds its level. You've found yours...and the whole nation knows it. And it doesn't get any lower. Hey, sports fans, baseball lovers, WAKE UP!
To my forever readers, this story WILL play out to its entirety.....and then you might agree with good guy emotional me. Sign this Peter, an enraged baseball fan. Spitting in the face of Kenny Rogers. With malice? OH YES. How dare he? There. I said it. Loud AND proud.

There's Talk Of Splotches And Baseball Galore....Did La Russa Blow It??

Game three of the annual classic is tonight, starting shortly after 8:00 in St. Louis. And the talk of Kenny Rogers and his left hand splotch will just not go away. But now that the brown mystery blob of goo is gone, washed away forever, no one will be able to prove anything. But the fan base and the media in St. Louis will not let it die. And now it has come to light that Rogers had similar splotches near the base of his left thumb in the ALCS game against the A's and the ALDS game against the Yankees. La Russa has been blamed for not pressing the cheating case to the umpires more strongly because of his close friendship with Leyland. This is a big mess, a she-said she-said type of thing that will die down at first pitch time. I hope. But LaRussa had such a great chance to get under Rogers' skin, to destabilize his mental processes so that, just maybe, he'd start making his pitches more hittable. A manager's job is to take any possible advantage for his team and USE IT. This was a missed opportunity. At the least Rogers would have been shaken mentally. At best, for the Cardinals, he would have been suspended and banished from his last post season start. This talk will not go away, and if the Cardinals go meekly, LaRussa will be skewered by the fans from that wonderful city. Don't think all this talk won't be back full force if there is a Rogers' started game 6 Saturday. And there will be a game six, and the talk will continue. And the focus will be taken away from the game of baseball yet again. A shame, a crime. But in my mind, LaRussa BLEW IT...for his team and its fans. A golden opportunity, somewhat like the merry-go-round ring pull that he had a chance to reach for, but maybe because of his dark glasses, he didn't see it. Well, he didn't see something here, and that something might have allowed his team to take that next step. And maybe deservedly so.....hey, if someone cheats, they should pay.
Tonight it's Nate Robertson versus Chris Carpenter. May the best team win. And may the pitchers wash their hands before coming out to the mound in the first. Please. Baseball mixed with drama...I guess that's what we should expect. It almost is making me root for the Cardinals. And Tony.....YOU BLEW IT! Every little advantageous matter to help your team, YOU DO! Well, YOU DIDN'T.

Petey's 2004 Red Sox "Lucky Charm" Passes Away.......

From the Globe, today....

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic --"Nelson de la Rosa, once recognized as the world's shortest actor and a ubiquitous good-luck charm for the Boston Red Sox during their victorious 2004 World Series run, died Sunday at a Providence, RI hospital.
De la Rosa, who stood about 2-feet, 4 inches, died of unknown causes, producer Andres Duran said.
He fell ill shortly after arriving in Miami on Friday from Chile."

Peter here. It would be nice, especially in light of the way Pedro was parading him around as if he was a real-life doll on his shoulder during those "giddy for all of us" months in that magic 2004, to hear that he will attend the funeral. Petey, DO THE RIGHT THING. Sling and all......it's the least you could do.

Rogers Mows Down The Cardinals As The Tigers Win 3-1

Let me say this right off the bat, no pun intended. Kenny Rogers is about as far as you can get from being my favorite baseball player. In fact, he'd be near the bottom of that list. But last night, my goodness. He was nearly unhittable. To say his pitches had movement would be a tremendous understatement. His line? 8 innings, 2 hits, 3 walks and no runs, extending his scoreless postseason streak to 23 innings, three short of Christy Mathewson's record of 27 set in 1905. Seems like it was yesterday. He could break it Saturday, if there is a Saturday game six.. The Tigers would have to sweep the three games in St. Louis for there not to be a game six, and that ain't going to happen. The Cardinals will take one of those three.......or? We'll leave that one open. Todd Jones made it interesting in the ninth, muffing a grounder that should have been the third out. But he got the save and Rogers got the win, and all is right with the baseball world. Game three will be in St. Louis on Tuesday night. I can't wait.
Red Sox news? Slim and none. I'll be back before game three...enjoy your Monday.

Cardinals Beat Rusty Tigers 7-2

Anthony Reyes pitched brilliantly last night. Eight innings of four hit two run ball was just what the Cardinals needed to escape their heavy underdog role. The Tiger's flexed their muscles in the first by scoring a run, and the crowd sensed something was going to happen, and happen soon. They were right. It did. And after a double error by 3rd baseman Inge in the fourth inning and home runs by Rolen and Pujois, the rout was on. The final score was 7-2........it wasn't even that close. As the crowd quietly exited the stadium, disappointment and sadness etched on their faces as plain as day, I hope they remember one thing. It's a seven game series, and anything can happen. Last night it did. Tonight, we'll see. It will be Jeff Weaver versus Kenny Rogers for a tie series or a commanding lead. I guess all that talk about a Tiger's sweep has gone out the window. But there's plenty of baseball left to go. The Tigers had better get it in gear tonight, or they will be in a substantial hole. Caused by the week off? We'll find out tonight, shortly after 8, on Fox and FoxHD. And I will say yet again, go Tigers. This is as close to a MUST game as you've had. All year! And it's in Kenny Rogers' hands. For better or worse. We'll all know by 11pm on this clear and cold Sunday morning here in North Central Connecticut. As the fire roars in the fireplace, I bid you adieu. Or goodbye. Whatever, you know what I mean. Thanks for reading, as always.

2007 World Series-Game 1...New Sox Hitting Coach

For the first time in history two rookies will face off against each other in the first game of this 2007 World Series of baseball. Justin Verlander, who was 18-9 in the regular season, will oppose Anthony Reyes. Reyes was 5-8 during the regular season, and it is the first time a pitcher with a losing record will be the game one starter in a World Series. Strange stuff, but the series should be swift. Detroit took all three games from the Cardinals when they met in June. I see the Tigers winning in six. I orginally was sure this would be a five and out set, but the Cardinals are good enough to take two. Mark my words. They got here, didn't they? Although I do think the Tigers will score a bunch of runs in winning the first two at home. Enjoy the festivities tonight. On Fox. Where else?
In Red Sox news, Dave Magadan has been named to take over the hitting coach duties from the recently fired Ron Jackson. Mags had been fired from the San Diego Padres after having trouble communicating with some of the team's younger players. We'll have to see how this plays out. He is said to be a stickler for details and an avid video tape watcher. Let's hope those tapes aren't Disney movies. The jury is out on this one.

It Wasn't "Met" To Be

1-1 going into the ninth. Heilman still in there instead of the not always steady Billy Wagner. Boom, bam, 3-1. The bottom of the ninth for the Mets...two hits, and hope. Yes hope. After being stymied by MVP of the Series Jeff Suppon for seven innings, there was hope. All too quickly those brief but bright hopes were dashed, and the St. Louis Cardinals are on their way to Detroit for games one and two of the World series. Some say the Mets peaked too soon, that this team was built to take it all next year in 2007. But for all the Mets fans out there, and the Cardinal haters, which I have been since the World Series 1967, this was a tough one to take. These 2006 Cardinals are not talented enough to hold the '67 team's jock straps, but their pitching, starters and the bullpen, are good enough not to embarass themselves. I pick the Tigers in 6. And there will be a more detailed prediction post later today. But for the Met's fans out there, keep your heads high. Your team had a great season. Losing game seven at home is always tough. Stay strong. And root for the Tigers. I know I will.

7th Game Wonders To Come

The seventh and deciding game of a series like this changes things a bit. A huge bit. The bullpen becomes every pitcher on the staff, except for the starters last night. Starters and relievers...any pitcher who fits the circumstances can and will be called on to get that crucial out..... or a bunch of 'em. And with the stakes so high, we fans watching on television will be treated to an excitement not known in the regular season. It's winner take all time! The best brand of baseball there is. And the winner will not have much time to regroup. The Series home team is the Tigers. Thank you All Star Game for that. So after tonight's game, the winner, after a relatively minor celebration, has to put on their travelling shoes and skidaddle to Detroit tomorrow...where the BIG ONE starts in front of all of us, on Fox, Saturday night. I'll be ready. But the fun is seeing who will be joining those Tigers. Enjoy, my readers. And thanks for sticking with me. Please stay all winter long, when the only baseball Red Sox style will be those backstage moves, the wheeling and dealing that will set up a new Red Sox brand of baseball. 2007 style. And I'm ready. For the flakes, the cold, the wind, the reshaping of our team from the coaches to the players to just about everything. Bring it on! And stay here...for everything.

All The Marbles

One game. Winner take all. For all the marbles. That scenario will take place tonight at Shea Stadium, New York New York. And that's because the New York Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 4-2 last night at Shea. The rookie John Maine outpitched and outperformed the reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. Indeed, the Cardinals did not score until Billy Wagner came in to pitch the ninth and gave up their two runs.
So, on we go. Game seven. Those two words never fail to produce shivers and shudders down the spine of every Red Sox fan. Every baseball fan too. Everywhere. Shortly after 8pm will be first pitch time. One team will go on to play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. And the other? Can you say FORE? Loudly.....

Brinkmanship

It was in the early 1960s that the Kennedy administration, indeed the country itself, was on the brink of World War Three. The blockade of Cuba pitted the USSR, now Russia, and the United States in a game of brinkmanship, two countries eyeball to eyball 90 miles south of Florida, in the waters surrounding Cuba, on the brink of a world war. Warship against warship in close confines. Way too close. And then the gamble paid off. The Russians....................backed down. That was brinkmanship. And now, in circumstances much less dire, the Mets find themselves in a similar position. They're on the brink of going home. Home for the season, their quest unfullfilled. They must win two in a row. This after the St. Louis Cardinals defeated them 4-2 yesterday in St. Louis. Jeff Weaver outpitched the Met's ace, Tom Glavine. The Cardinals go for the knockout punch tonight with their ace, Chris Carpenter, on the hill. It's time for the Mets to put up. Or pack it in until the spring. What do I think? I would like to see a game seven. Bigtime.

And A PERFECT Follow Up To The Last Post

Hard to believe...but read on!! This from Media Weekly...today, minutes ago...I kid you not!

"Major League Baseball and Turner Sports are expected to officially announce at a 4 p.m. media conference (today..Tuesday..) that they have reached a deal for
Turner to get the TV rights to the remaining American League and National League Championship Series games each year from 2007-2013, according to
John Consoli.

So this is..goodbye Fox? Next year...I think...and read on....

HUGE NEWS!!!!!! And you heard it here first. Peter, just doing my best. You're here for the BEST. And that's what I try to be. I mean that. That's why you love it here. I hope..I almost know......and thanks...so very much.

The Baseball Post Season Ratings So Far? BUSTED!

Thus from the LA Times Calender...today....Tuesday October 17.......

***Postseason TV ratings plummet, thanks in part to rain and short series. Selig insists it's all good.***

By Larry Stewart, Times Staff Writer

The television ratings for postseason baseball on Fox appear to be dropping faster than a Tom Glavine sinker.
The five first-round games televised by the network averaged a 4.9 rating, down from last year's 6.6.
Game 2 of the National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night couldn't beat an old game show. Or even a new one.
Game 4 Sunday night came in No. 4, well behind the front-runner, "Desperate Housewives."
Commissioner Bud Selig, who keeps a close eye on baseball's ratings, doesn't feel desperate, though.
"Under the circumstances, we're pleased with the overall ratings," he said Monday.

Peter here. With an imagined conversation with the man himself....... "Mr. Commisioner, I'm sorry to wake you. But please, as your Press Secretary, may I make a suggestion? Please sir, in the future try not to fall asleep while you are being quoted in the print media. Or ANY media. Anywhere or anytime you are in the public eye. And especially when you are actually GIVING a quote to a reporter. Thank you very much. We'll spin this quote so that it works FOR us. No problem."

Peter here, as me...I think. And these ratings are even worse because there is a major market team in the mix. We'll see if as we get further along and closer to the World Series, the ratings don't pop up. But for now? Not a great return for all those Fox dollars. To say the least.

Diamonds Are Forever

In James Bond lore diamonds just might be forever, but across this great country of ours, from sea to shining sea, as the song goes, baseball diamonds were deserted leaf collectors yesterday, fittingly a Monday. But we're not finished with October baseball just yet. Not by a long shot. The Mets and the Cardinals play game five today in St. Louis, and the weather forecast is just great. Tomorrow it's back to Shea, where yesterday's St. Louis rain will be moving into the Big Apple shortly after lunchtime. It's a fast moving area of precipitation that will surely be out of here well before tomorrow night's festivities. Enjoy game five, but I will be back later this morning......with something. Promise.

Mets Tee Off On Cardinal Pitching Staff...Tie Series At 2

The Mets realized something last night. How do you silence the crowd in the away park? Here's how..... smash 14 hits, score twelve runs, 6 of them in the 6th inning. The St. Louis crowd sat, stunned and mute. And it helped the Mets emerge from their game three funk. With a bang. A huge resounding crash...a deafening explosion. And it was just what they needed. This victory assures Mets fans all over that the NLCS WILL be coming back to Shea, no matter what happens tonight. Or, if the weather forecasts are correct, tomorrow night. And a rainout would surely help their pitching staff and allow Tom Glavine to pitch on his normal 4 days of rest. The same goes for the Cardinals' game one starter Jeff Weaver. So both clubs benefit. As do the fans. That's huge, and will surely lead to baseball at its finest.
As Detroit waits and rests, the eyes of the baseball world await game 5, a pivotal game in any best of seven series. Anytime. Anywhere. Any clubs. But the Mets and their fans are feeling much better than they were before last night's performance....a performance that they can build on... a bridge leading right to the World Series. Or not. Such is the beauty of baseball. Anything can happen. Much like life. Enjoy your Monday!

Tigers Walk Off...Next Stop World Series. Mets Find TROUBLE In St. Louis

Magglio Ordonez picked the perfect time to hit his second home run of the game. It was a 3 run ninth inning walk off shot that propelled him and his team to the ultimate goal, the World Series of baseball. It was just three seasons ago that the Tigers set the record for most losses in a season. And now? Look at them! And Oakland became the 28th of the 29 teams to go home after losing the first three games of the championship series. The notable exception? You all know it's our Boston Red Sox. So hats off to you, Detroit Tigers. Now take a week off, prepare, mentally and physically, and be ready for next Saturday to play some ball. Your opponent?
Now that's a tough question to answer. The Mets have found all kinds of trouble in the land of the arch. After splitting the first two games at Shea, they were blanked, wrestled and tied down by none other than Jeff Suppan, who forgot how to pitch while he was in a Red Sox uniform. He certainly had no problems last night, as the Mets, injured but still a handful, were overmatched. They did not have a chance. And the Met's Steve Trachsel was carved up and served buffet style by the redbird lumber. Yum. 2 games to 1 Cardinals. Tonight is a game the Mets need. Badly. I for one would much rather see a Detroit-New York series. I've had my fill of watching the Cardinals. But a small part of me wouldn't mind all those Mets fans from New York go home dissapointed. But I said a SMALL part. Wordmaster Michael Legget is a Met fan. His link, Random Fandom, is at your right. That's reason enough to want them to continue. So I want to see them play for all the marbles. Enjoy your Sunday everyone. I might even be back a little later. You never know when you're here what to expect. To tell you the truth, sometimes I don't either. Honest.....

BIG News For The Red Sox. Remember Them?

This, from today's Globe, and then the usual...a comment from me. That's why you're here. Not for reprinted articles from one news source or another, but to hear what I think. Well, I hope so.........I mean, gee, ah.....wow, now I'm not sure..........oh well....here we go. A new pitching coach for the team we love loving is the subject..........

"John Farrell, a 44-year-old New Jersey native who pitched parts of eight seasons in the big leagues and for one season was Terry Francona's teammate in Cleveland, is expected to be named Red Sox pitching coach.
Farrell, currently serving as the Cleveland Indians' director of player development, would succeed Dave Wallace, whose contract was not renewed after the season, and Al Nipper, who had filled in for Wallace while he was recovering from complications stemming from hip replacement surgery."

Peter here...that is if you WANT to hear from me. I guess I can look around. There must be someone else nearby, maybe on a jog or out getting the paper. But no...it's me and me only. Thank you for your patience during my comic misturn. One of many here and there. YOU'RE STILL HERE. And that's big to me. But this is big news. John Farrell has a reputation for being able to help the younger guys, of which we have a few, and capable of the perfect "kick in the pants get going" type of motivation for the whole squad of pitchers that wear our uniform. For anyone on the staff. I feel badly for Mr. Wallace. He dealt with life threatening health concerns in '06, and thankfully all is well health-wise for him. And gentle Al Nipper did an OK fill-in job, but he is not major league caliber stuff when it comes to coaching. Double or Triple A? Sure. I like him...when he was on on the mound he was a joy to watch and the team usually won! So the best to both of them, and to John Farrell, this. From me: "John, you have so many parts of the puzzle to put together on this pitching staff. And there'll be new parts added before that magic time in February when the game of baseball rises phoenix-like again, as it does every year. Good luck. WE NEED YOU"...Red Sox Nation should be happy. And changes? More to come. That I promise. Readers, enjoy your Saturday of October baseball. I hope we can all see a wild but no "car overturned" celebration this evening from the motor city, and right now home of the team which is making a statement. A statement we could all very easily fall in love with. And after they clinch (such a nice word!), it's time for the Metroplolitans to step up. Step up and take control. I for one do NOT want to see the redbirds of Missouri in the World Series. Wow....so many words. If you made it this far, thank you. It was that little voice in my left ear, at full blast. I'm shutting it down right now. In mid-sentence!! Happy healthy Saturday. Love you all. Muy mucho. And that means very much. And that's from my heart.

Tigers On The Brink. Redbirds Bounce Back In Ninth To Tie Series

The Detroit Tigers, behind suddenly superhero Mr. October Kenny Rogers, are on the brink of gaining entry to the 2006 World Series of Baseball. They lead 3-0 and need only to win one more. The next two games, if needed, are right in their hometown stadium. Three runs were enough for Mr. Rogers and the Tiger bullpen, and the chilled crowd went home dizzy and happy. And so did Fox, for the game was speedy and ended in time for the proper lead ins to game number two.
And that game number two was played at a cool early winterlike Shea Stadium. The Mets succeeded in getting Chris Carpenter out of the game, and the teams were tied at six going into the ninth inning. Trouble came a'calling. Billy Wagner imploded, allowing three crucial runs. As it turned out, one would have been suficient. The Cardinals tied the series at one with a 9-6 come from behind victory. The series travels without a break to St. Louis for a game today. One of two, in fact. Both of them on Fox and FoxHD. Detroit will be rocking. That we know for sure. Enjoy!

Peter N......Rooting For Kenny Rogers? Nah...Impossible...No Way...But..But..Wait A Minute....Yes!

Wow, I never would have thought it would be possible. YES, I am rooting for the Tigers, who are in the enviable position of winning the first two games, both away games in the home of their enemy, and they stand right now, in, oh, seven hours from first pitch time, to be poised to make that next step. You remember "that next step...", the one our Red Sox took in the magic year 2004. The situation was entirely different, but the STEP is the same. And that step, much like Neil Armstrong's was in the late 60s, is HUGE. And it will be Kenny Rogers pitching for the almost knockout blow. He will be opposed by the Cardinal's best, Chris Carpenter, so anything he does WILL be earned. I do not like the man, but I do like the way he stepped up to smash the Yankees and enable his team, which is very close to America's team right now, to be in this so great position. Must see TV, starting shortly after 4PM. And no, I am not employed by Fox. No way no how....If I were, you'd see a much better product on the air. That you can be sure. I'm here for the enjoyment/enlightenment/just plain old entertainment of my readers. YEAH, you!
Enjoy the autumn...the leaves here are a technicolor show of sun beams and reflected light magic. And leaves from brown to green to orange to yellow to unimagined combinations. Go Tigers...and then, go Mets.....and thanks for reading. As always!

Gla(d)vine All Over

The Mets are up one game to zip, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 behind the pitching of Tom Glavine and a two run home run by Carlos Beltran. They have one more to play at Shea, tonight at 8:00, with the rookie John Maine facing the Cardinal's ace Chris Carpenter. This is the best chance for the birds to win a game. And earlier, in the first of three (if necessary), the Detroit Tigers, up two games to none, continue their march toward the ultimate prize. In the cold weather, hence the afternoon start. They have Kenny Rogers going against Rich Harden. Eight plus hours of baseball October style, on a Friday. Does it get better? Yes...the Sox could be playing. But..........I'll leave that one alone. Enjoy everyone!

SHEA STADIUM Is The Place To Be Tonight..

With a small chance of scattered showers that will usher in the sharply colder air mass, I think NYC, and St. Louis, are ready for baseball. As is the country. To hold the emotions in check. And to continue the Mets' search for World Series fame. We'll see, won't we? Beat dem birds, Metropolitans. And to my readers, have a great Thursday. AL baseball resumes tomorrow night, a Friday night of dreams for all Detroit baseball fans. I cannot wait. But for now, right now, it's baseball Thursday primetime on Fox. And time to see what the Mets are made of......remember to use your game #2 tickets. Or just stop in here...if I had my choice, I'd be somewhere near Shea Stadium. With a freshly poured beer and a hot dog with mustard and onions. Nice, huh?

Baseball Triumph In The Midst Of A Tragedy

Baseball went on last night in Oakland, California, and the Detroit Tigers headed home with a commanding 2-0 lead. The next three games, if needed, are in their very own park in Detroit. They are siting pretty.
In New York, the weather matched the somber mood, and the Mets-Cardinals game was rained out. I think the players were relieved. The teams will play the next five games in a row. Game 1, which is really game 2 but honestly game 1 (for ticket holders), is tonight at 8 on Fox.
Cory Lidle and his passenger never had a chance. After seeing the pictures we can understand why. Stay well everyone. Life is too short for anything else.

Thurman Munson...And Now Cory Lidle?

A small passenger aircraft has crashed into an apartment building in NYC. The plane very well might have been flown by its owner, Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle. Right now baseball fans....no no no....make that all of us, hope for the best. But the news looks more forboding with each passing minute. May God bless. Time for a prayer. And it's events such as this that minimizes sports and emphasises life. Jeez.....

A Quick Wednesday Noon Post About Commenting Here...FROM NOW ON!

I just changed the availability of the comment sections, after every post, here, on this Wednesday October 11th. Now you DO NOT need a blogger account to comment. Just click on anonymous after you click on the comment(s) link after each post, and then leave a comment with your name. First or last. And of course those of you with blogger accounts, nothing has changed. And hey! Thank you for reading. Colder air will be streaming into the northeastern United States in the next 24 hours, so the Shea Stadium nighttime temperatures will be falling over the next two nights. Nice segue, huh?
Thanks for all your comments...and enjoy October baseball, even though the team we love to love is idle. Motors running, but in neutral. FOR NOW!!!!

These Tigers' Paws Have Claws

The Detroit Tigers took up right where they left off against the Yankees with a 5-1 thrashing of the Oakland A's, an A's team that I foolishly picked to beat them. But there's no taking back predictions. Nate Robertson threw 5 shutout innings and the vaunted feline bullpen did it again. It's 1-0 Tigers, with Verlander versus Loiza tonight.
The St. Louis Cardinal-New York Mets series gets it going tonight, with Tommy Glavine going against Jeff Weaver. Suffice it to say the Mets are in capable hands, and will beat the birds and step up to the World Series. Their fans will demand no less. And both games start shortly after 8, with the Mets/Cardinals snaring the FoxHD gig while the Tigers and A's get bumped down to an FX appearance. Why couldn't the schedule makers have done a matinee at 4 and a prime time game at 8? I'll tell you why...... ratings. Baseball fans be damned. We want both these games on in prime time to maximise revenue dollars. Greedy bastards. Damn them. Damn them all. To my readers, enjoy the action. And if you have picture in picture, there will be that much more action to enjoy.

FLASH Follow Up. 1 PM..Sanity In The Yankees' World....For Now?? Thanks GEORGE

Yes, and yes again. Joe Torre WILL be back next year as the manager of the New York Yankees. And that's a good, no, a GREAT thing. More sensible heads prevailed. And it's only October 10th...what an off season this will be. I'll be here every step of the way.......as always.

FLASH At 11:36 AM This Tuesday...RIGHT NOW..Joe Ain't Going Anywhere

This from the Post, the Big Apple version...I'll be back after you read this....

EXCLUSIVE.. "After two days of soul searching, George Steinbrenner isn't going to fire Joe Torre, The Post has learned.
According to several sources, The Boss has decided firing Torre isn't the cure for the subterranean problems that plague his $200 million collection of dysfunctional underachievers who have been flushed out of the playoffs in the first round two consecutive seasons.
By the time Torre meets with the press at 1 p.m. today at Yankee Stadium he will have been assured he will be coming back for his 12th season as Yankees manager."

Peter here...I told you that if there were any breaking news, I'd be back, so smile! Get used to it...you have me all fall and winter until the sun tries to warm us, we who are here on the face of our Earth. In Bush country (shudder). And I think that if this story is accurate, and we'll ALL find out at 1 PM, it's a good thing. There are so many other "sore points/weak points" with this Yankee team as we know it right now. Joe Torre was saddled, shortly after the 2006 season started, with a string of injuries that rivaled our Red Soxs' debilitating curse of the last two thirds of the season. Many of Torre's players, those who cared enough to comment, said that this might have been Joe's best managerial show of excellence EVER! I agree. That's it, for now. Enjoy this beautiful afternoon here in the Northeastern slice of the USA. Baseball coming...in about 8 hours....smile. For me!

Illuminating....No, Fascinating Stuff From the Lakeland Florida Ledger. Yankee Stuff

This from the Lakeland Florida Ledger......illuminating......a look inside the tension that is the Yankee clubhouse. Not a huge surprise after their "on the field" ineptitude that we all enjoyed Saturday, and Friday and Thursday......Here we go....

"It was late August when Johnny Damon took a long, hard look around the clubhouse and was appalled at what he saw. "Let's go (bleep-bleepers), wake up," Damon shouted. The center fielder had had enough of the Yankees' listlessness; it was so disturbingly different from the crazy energy he once shared with the Red Sox at Fenway. But instead of rallying the Yankees, Damon was met with silence.
That, and a cold stare across the room from Randy Johnson. Damon was so unnerved by the apathy, he later asked a team official, "Did I do something wrong?"
Sadly, that incident serves as a microcosm of the 2006 Yankees, and is why George Steinbrenner will soon fire Joe Torre. Despite the billion dollars he's spent since the last world championship in 2000, The Boss has only a series of October failures to show for it. The Yankees are rich, but soft. They can hit, but not when it counts. They talk about pinstripe tradition, but the roster is plagued by petty rivalries and jealousies that act as a cancer in the postseason.
Derek Jeter can't stand Alex Rodriguez and refuses to come to his defense. Mike Mussina doesn't like A-Rod, either, although, come to think of it, the Stanford grad hasn't much use for any of his teammates. No one talks to Johnson. Everyone thinks Carl Pavano is a joke. The Yankees' best pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, is isolated by his limited knowledge of English.

On and on, the list of dysfunctions keeps going.

Peter here....after reading that, I do have to say SOMETHING! Surprise surprise? No, no. We all could tell that the tension that has infested the Yankee clubhouse, so easily recognizable with their on field-in public-in front of the nation (ha ha!) performances, has permeated the team as it is known now. Later? Maybe 3 months or so? The pinstripe uniforms will be filled with different millionaires. Such is the nature of George Steinbrenner's beast. Me? I'll just sit back and enjoy. Enjoy it with me. And smile...........

An ALCS Game 1

8pm tonight, Tuesday, we start the two Divsion series....closer and closer we get to the ultimate prize, the World Series. 4 teams will morph into two teams. Tonight's matchup pits Barry Zito, who had his way with Minnesota just last week. He will be opposed by Nate Robertson, who did not fair so well in game 1, the last time the Yankees beat anyone but themselves this young post season. Oakland will take this one and go up one zip against that team we love to love, the felines from Detroit. As I said in my prediction post a couple back, I am basing this on a feeling. We all know and loved the Tigers and their unstoppableness against that team they call the Yankees. Nate Robertson will be trying to bounce back while Barry Zito will look to continue his excellence established in his last start against the forgotten Twins. The prize....a step up, a huge one, into a World Series berth. And there's no better incentive to pull out all the stops whenever needed. Enjoy! And to all of you who commented or read my John Lennon stuff, I am forever in your debt. As always! If something comes up I will be back before you know it. Maybe before I know it! And that goes for the whole off season, where news will be shaking and breaking so quickly. Just the way we like it!

October 9th...Always A Special Date For Me...No Matter What The Year.

His life began in 1940, and ended abruptly on the night of December 8, 1980. A little before 10PM. In New York City. At the Dakota. You know by now I'm talking about John Lennon. And today marks the 66th year since that wonderful day he drew his first breath on this good Earth. Happy birthday John. You would have been a young 66 today. And I just know you'd be giving our President hell (with your words and music) for this senseless, unending and escalating violence in Iraq. Every death a loss. To all of us. I miss you. And the music that would have been.

Come together.
Give peace a chance.
All you need is love.

Oh yes............

Four Teams Left Standing......

Here are the Championship Series matchups. First up, beginning Tuesday in Oakland, is the series between Detroit and Oakland. And then beginning Wednesday is the matchup between the Mets and the Cardinals. That one starts in NYC. The winners will meet in the World Series 2007. Who will they be? I'm picking the Mets to maul the birds. We've seen enough of the Cardinals these last few years, and if the Mets don't make it to the Series their fans will deem this season a failure. Oakland will beat Detroit and face the Mets for all the marbles. So it will be the Oakland A's versus the wounded but still deadly New York Mets. For baseball's biggest prize. Some would say the sports world's biggest prize. And I would be one of them. Enjoy the League Championship Series....I'll be along to comment on them both. As always.

They SAID IT ALL........

ARod..." They pretty much kicked our ass. Dominated us."
Jeter..." Overmatched us."
Damon..."Beat us all over the field."

Peter here. And I couldn't say it any better! Enjoy your Sunday. I am....big time.

Joe Out, Lou In?

Talk about acting fast. There are reports out of NY that Joe Torre will be fired and Lou Pinella will replace him as the new manager of the New York Yankees. Strange goings on in the land of George Steinbrenner. The best manager in baseball, gone for a hot headed windbag ex-rightfielder who, Steinbrenner thinks, will infuse his overpaid failure of a team with some life, some emotion. My goodness. And this all could happen soon. Real soon. Hey George, get a life. Good pitching beats good hitting. And that's exactly what happened to you the last six days. AND WE LOVED IT!

And Then There Were None!

And I'm talking about the New York Yankees' season...in this wonderful 2006. Lights out!!!! Thanks for being with me...enjoy Detroit going nuts!!!!!!

7th Inning Stretch......and More.....

WOW! Go ahead! Relax...it's 8-1, and isn't this fun? From now on I will be doing every half inning joy spreading. The Tigers make it so easy..be back-promise.

And now..TO THE 8th.......Happy days are here, almost. Forgive my joy, or join me!!

Me again..who else? And we're just about to start the BOTTOM of the 8th. The Yankees' season comes down to 3 (three) outs! Entertainment plus! In living color. Or something like that.........

Oh, I forgot...Bonderman..8 heroic tremendous innings.......he might even come out for the 9th. But with the Tigers' bullpen? OVER!!!!!!!!!! And he WILL come out for the 9th! This is amazing....

Bullpen time?

GREAT CATCH!! One out in the ninth............

Lights out, bullpen time Detroit style...our style.

2 down in, yes, the ninth......but Posada hits a 2 run home run. A momentary pause....

So Far, Soooo Good....

4-0 Tigers....I know it's early, but I will be watching. With all of you....I hope.

New addition at 6:34 PM........8-0 Tigers, and ....well....9 outs to go. No jinxing here, but with the Tiger's bullpen.....'nuff said! I will be back...promise. Are you loving this?????

A GREAT Afternoon In The Making.....

That's right! We have baseball coming up. The most noteworthy? Detroit, MI. A little after 4PM Eastern daylight time. On Fox. A time maybe to exalt in the moment? Or a time to cringe and wait until tomorrow. Ya know what? I think the happiness will happen shortly before or after 8PM. And the tens of thousands of baseball fans sitting in Detroit, watching the game at the stadium, and all of us, ALL of us, will have something to cheer about. Big time. I for one am excited. Go TIGERS. One more time! And I say that proudly. Faith. The magic word. SMILE. I am........

THUD!!!!

That's right. Thud! That was the sound of the Yankees falling back to earth as my preceding post's prediction came true in spades. 6-0 Tigers steamroll over the Yankees. RJ pitched an ineffective five and two thirds innings as the Tigers rolled with Kenny Rogers' superb 7 plus innings of 5 hit shutout ball. The bullpen took care of business to quickly end it after that and the Yankees face elimination this afternoon as they hand the ball to Jared Wright to save them from an early and embarassing exit from post-season play. How sweet would that be? I have the answer....SWEET! Jeremy Bonderman goes for the felines.
In other baseball news, Oakland concluded their massacre of the Twins and await the victor of the Detroit-New York series, a team that might be known as early as today. And St. Louis and the Mets, both up 2-0, can advance to the NLCS with victories today. But all eyes in THIS household will be tuned to FoxHD at 4:30 where tens of thousands of crazed Detroit fans will let their team know how much they love them. Same here. Big time.

Back To The Future...A Paragraph That Sums Up Tonight's Yankee-Tiger's Game...ALL TRUE!!

Or at least I HOPE it comes to pass as written on this Friday grey morning, October 6th, 2006. A game in Detroit, in front of an adoring crowd...the weather cool, but dry. The mood electric. Here we go...just one small batch of words. May they be the future.....tonight's future.

"RJ, with his back still bothering him, was battered out of the game this Friday night before finishing the third inning, and the Tigers used the four runs to leap ahead of the Yankees and they now have a commanding 2-1 game lead, with another game at home. The final score was 4-2, with the Tiger's bullpen shining yet again."

Peter here, and it's back to Friday morning. My mind has returned from its glimpse of the future. I might be absurdly wrong, but then again, RJ is an older guy with a tricky back. And the Tigers will be on home turf, in front of a loving crowd, with a chance to go up 2-1 with two to play, the next one at home. What do you think? As always, thanks for being here for me. And I DO want to hear your comments on this busy Friday, a grey but not rainy day. All the rain is south of here, NYC and points south and west. Still grey, though, and 44 degrees. Great weather to break in the fireplace. I might...plenty of wood in the garage. And I already did what I have to do today. So....Ok ok, I talked myself into a roaring fire, the first of the season. Knowing that the wood has been cut and stored in my garage for 5 years, it will be an easy, kindling-less fire to start. Newspaper and wood, and a crackly sweet smelling addition to the living room/den/media room is there! Wow, I was thinking while typing. Almost didn't realize it! Off to the garage,. Looking forward to your thoughts on tonight's game. Thanks.

Cardinals Fly, Mets Soar, Oakland Verging and Yankees Stalemated

The playoffs have heated up with three teams on the verge of sweeps. Oakland is on their way home up two zip. The Mets, after their 4-1 victory yesterday, head to LA for games tomorrow and if needed, Sunday and Monday. The Dodgers have not looked good. Same for the Padres. And then there are the NY Yankees. Up 3-1, they lost to the Tigers as the feline bullpen came in and, with the help of the late afternoon shadows, blew them away. 4-3. Good guys win. On to Detroit for games tonight and Sunday and if necessary, back to NY Monday. And remember. The Yankee starter is RJ and his troublesome back, so we have no idea what will happen. It would be so sweet to see the Tigers take this so important game 3. So I have two words for you. GO TIGERS. Be back later with more good stuff. Promise.

The Foot Is On The Other Shoe

Or......whoa...what I meant was the shoe is on the other foot. The Tigers have beaten the New York Yankees by a score of 4-3. And RSN, and baseball itself, is happy. An upside down smile. A nail biter in the Northeast in the town known as New York City. Where the Yankee fans are unhappy. And that makes us............happy! Simple, isn't it? I'll be back in the morning to fill in the gaps. The important thing? One to One Tigers and Yankees. On to Detroit. Honk your horns. After all, Detroit IS the motor city. With more horsepower than the Yanks hope to have.....YES!!!!!

Dodgers Run Themselves To Death.....

A bizarre play, to say the least, took the LA Dodgers out of a potential huge early inning against the Mets. Kent and Drew started the second inning with consecutive singles. Russell Martin followed with a fly to right that would not be caught. But Kent had to pause to make sure the ball was not spearable while Drew just kept on going. Reminds me of a Bruce lyric that goes like this..."Like a river that don't know where it's flowing, I took a wrong turn and I just kept going." It was a two person express train approaching third base coach Rich Donnelly. He waved Kent in, but there was no stopping Drew. Bang bang at the plate, a rare double play that even surprised the Met's catcher Lo Duca. And the Dodger's succeeded in possibly running themselves out of this 3 of 5 game series as the Mets won 6-5. Nomar was the final out as Billy Wagner made it interesting in the ninth.
In the other game, the A's took their second straight from the Twins, and return to the Bay area with a commanding lead. And last but unfortunately NOT least, the Yankees game with the Tigers was rained out, to be played today, at 1PM. Just a little more than 4 hours from now. Go Tigers...there's a Moose waiting to slay you.
Red Sox news? There isn't any. Nor will there be until after the World Series concludes. But then the action will be fast and furious. Theo has his work cut out for him. If he were a player he'd be a leading contender for the comeback player of the year award. Such is the hole he has dug. If anyone can do it........well, we'll see. Everyone, TAKE CARE!

Baseball Goes On...Without Us

The Yankees used their powerful one-of-a-kind lineup combined with potent pitching, starting and relieving, to bash the Tigers 8-4. Also on the busy Tuesday that was, the Cards won behind a home run by Pujols and sparkling pitching while the A's won on the road in Minnesota behind Frank Thomas' two home runs. I'm rooting for the Twins but I find it hard to imagine the World Series being played in that awful cavern called the Metrodome. Barry Zito took care of them yesterday.
Here in Connecticut, life is tough this time of year when the Yankees are playing and the Red Sox are not. It's different than points North and East, where 9 of 10 are ardent Sox fans. Down here in the Hartford area it's a 50-50% mix, and the summerlong rivalries between neighbors and friends, even people walking down the street, have morphed into a "hold your nose up in the air" type of disdain for all things Red Sox. They're better than us now, and we're not even worth a second look or a casual hello. Part of baseball? Yes. But it's not an easy part. It would be better if the Yankees were sidelined also, but they've put together a monster lineup and look stronger now than they have all season. The haves and the have nots. I'll take the former. Wait 'till next year. Yeah, but it ain't easy.

NESN's Production..."Big Papi's Greatest Hits 2007"....Made Me Cry...

Sometimes it doesn't take much to get me emotional. But last night's Monday night NESN special entitled Big Papi's Greatest Hits...2007 did the trick. And YES, it is being rebroadcast tonight, Tuesday night, from 7 to 7:30 PM, again on NESN, followed by, as it was last night, Remy's post season awards. I have to tell you the truth. Right here, right now, at noon on Tuesday. I watched the Papi show and stopped the DVR before its follow-up, the Remy 30 minute show, which I'm sure will be amusing. This was way more than amusing.. For the best reason. I wanted to make sure to let you all know how great it would be, if you do get NESN, to watch it tonight. Before the Yankee (who?) game. Because for half an hour you hear the commentary, and you see every swing multiple times, of our Papi shatter the Sox record. I've already taped it for one Sox lover up in Canada (The Joy of Sox..one of the best there are)...if you cannot receive NESN, ask a friend to tape NESN for you from 7 until 8 on this Tuesday night. I promise emotional smiles. I really do. Love you all, and thanks for putting up with my words. You make me so very happy.

Coaching Staff Ch...Ch...Ch....Changes

Well, that was quick. Gone are pitching coach Dave Wallace (sorry Michael) and hitting coach Ron Jackson. It seems our club already has plans in the works to bring in former Dodgers hitting coach Tim Wallach, who has played with Tito in the past, and remained close. And the White Sox minor league pitching coordinator, Kirk Champion (what a Wheaties box name) will take over for Wallace. This, my readers, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as the Red Sox of 2006 morph into a new beast in 2007, a beast capable of pitching the ball, fielding the ball and hitting the daylights out of that round stitched object. We have a long journey ahead of us, a long road that will lead to February sooner than we'll believe it! All the up to the latest Sox off season news will be here, RIGHT HERE. So keep stopping back.
Today, the start of the division series. The Yankees, on paper and according to the morning "experts", look ready to roll in 4 over the clawless Tigers. My opinion? You mean someone listens to me? The not declawed Tigers will show tonight that they are worthy to be here, in NYC. You watch and see. Sam's team will surprise us all. And we, the Sox fans, will smile. Be well everybody. The club knows what they have to do. Now they just have to do it. After the last pitch of the World Series. Where the NL will rule. It's been a long time. Let's sit back and enjoy. No worries about which hat to wear, or what will jinx us tonight or in the nights to come. Beat the Yankees. make us happy!

And So The Season Ends.......

And it ends far too early. We must accept a year without any post season baseball. It's not easy. But we are where we are for many reasons. What it all came down to was this: The Boston Red Sox were, in the end, not a playoff caliber team. For whatever reasons, and I can think of plenty of them. 86-76. Thoroughly mediocre. Yesterday's season ender? A perfect example. How fitting was the weather? The game was delayed 3 plus hours, and when the raindrops were few and far enough between, 5 innings of baseball, good baseball, were played. But then the heavens opened up again as if to say, "That's enough for 2006, Red Sox. Get 'em next year." You see, the heavens sounded remarkably like Red Sox fans, at least in this case. Oh, and our starting pitcher, Devern Hansack, hadn't allowed a hit in those 5 innings. Be ready for next year, Devern. And our ex-boy wonder Theo Epstein came right out and said that Paps will be coming back next year as a member of the starting rotation. Good for the rotation....bad for the bullpen. The closer's role is one of many things that the front office needs to address. Finding someone who can do the same job that Paps did? Near impossible. The club is not going to go anywhere next year without an effective closer. Even with 5 Schillings in the rotation.
Enough for now. I'll be writing a more in depth "what's needed where" post later this week, or next. But to the 2006 Boston Red Sox, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Most of us, all but one, never gave up. And that's the way it should be. Every year. Every player. Not every player but one.

Performance Enhancing Drug Use By Clemens, Pettite, Others

Here is part of this just breaking story, from the LA Times Sunday October 1, 2006. A day to be remembered.....

"Roger Clemens, one of professional baseball's most durable and successful pitchers, is among six players allegedly linked to performance-enhancing drugs by a former teammate, The Times has learned. The names had been blacked out in an affidavit filed in federal court.

Others whose identities had been concealed include Clemens' fellow Houston Astros pitcher Andy Pettitte and former American League most valuable player Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles.

The discovery ends four months of speculation surrounding the possible identities of Major League Baseball figures whose names were redacted from the search warrant affidavit filed in Phoenix on May 31. The document was based on statements allegedly made to federal agents by pitcher Jason Grimsley, who has since retired.

Grimsley, a journeyman relief pitcher who played on several teams, including the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Angels, acknowledged using steroids, amphetamines and other drugs, investigators said in the document. He also implicated a number of former teammates, but the names were blacked out in copies of the affidavit made public in June after investigators used the warrant to raid Grimsley's house.

A source with authorized access to an unredacted affidavit allowed The Times to see it briefly and read aloud some of what had been blacked out of the public copies. A second source and confidant of Grimsley had previously disclosed player identities and provided additional details about the affidavit. The sources cooperated only on condition of anonymity.

According to the affidavit, Grimsley told investigators that Clemens "used athletic performance-enhancing drugs." He also allegedly said Tejada used anabolic steroids.

Clemens and Pettitte did not respond to requests for comment made Saturday through their agents and the Astros. Tejada had previously declined to be interviewed."

Peter here, and WOW. More on this later...much more. And the Orioles beat the Sox in game number 161......backseat stuff compared to this lead story. I'll be back later.