A Troubled Mike Lowell...Papi Wants Pop
Mike Lowell is a troubled man, and it's not because of his hip, which has healed nicely. He's bothered by Boston's energetic attempts to acquire first baseman Mark Teixeira. If the Sox were successful, Youk would have moved to third and Mikey would have been the odd man out, riding the bench multiple times every week. Remember, he accepted a lot less money to stay with the Sox instead of going to the team that would have paid him the most, much more than he's making right now in Boston. Why did he do that, you might ask? It's because he loves the Fenway Park enthusiasm and the Boston fans, the sheer excitement that is a part of every Fenway game...and many road games with the Red Sox traveling road show. The Boston fans, quite simply, are the best, and he knows it. He loves it, too. As do I. Here's part of what he had to say. I'll follow this quote with some thoughts of my own. Here you go...
“I don’t think you could be anything but hurt,” he said yesterday, noting that, “As much as the player wants to believe that this is a game, you get signs throughout your career that it’s not a game, it’s a business. It’s still a game for me and the 25 guys that take the field, but it’s still a business on the other side. It doesn’t change anything in terms of how I prepare for the game,” he assured us. “It’s just little signs of a wakeup call that, you know, it’s a business, and the fans might take it as a game and the players might want to take it as a game, but it’s not always that.”
Mike, you're exactly right. Baseball is a business, a money making enterprise that's played 162 times a year on a beautiful and vibrantly green diamond shaped playing field. Make no mistake about it. Every Fenway Fanatic wanted the team to resign him, and they did. But Mark Teixeira for eight years was too good for the Sox to pass on. But Boras(s) gave the Yankees the last shot, and they outbid every other team (just the Sox, we came to find out) out there. That's Boras(s) for you. It turned out that Mr. and Mrs. Teixeira had the pinstripers in their sights the whole time, and that coupled with Hankie and Hal's "open wallet policy" sealed the deal. But Mike has to realize that baseball IS a business, pure and simple. John Henry and company were just trying to improve their team the best they could, and they were right. Hey, Youk will still be manning first and a healed Lowell will take care of the hot corner. I hope Mikey Lowell will not let his bitterness hinder his play. Knowing him as I do, it won't, and that's good. He's been a Fenway Faithful favorite ever since he arrived in the Beckett trade. We love him...always will.
One other thing. Big Papi David Ortiz has been voicing his opinion that the Boston brass should acquire another bat, a big one, in the void left by troublesome teambreaker baby brat Manny Ramirez. Here's part of what he had to say...
"Our division is built up around pitching," said Ortiz, who himself is angling for a bounce-back season. "I'm pretty sure our division has the best pitching in the league all the way around. You play 19 games against everybody. When you add it up at the end of the season, you're playing almost 100 games in your division. So out of 162, you want to make sure you win most of those games. But if you have offense, you have chances. If you don't have offense, you can't control it. Because you have a guy going out there and trying to throw seven good innings, eight good innings, and you don't produce for him, what's going to happen at the end of the night? He might end up losing the game, 2-1, 2-0, 1-0, and you don't want to be facing that kind of situation."
Big Papi is exactly right. Yes, we have a great pitching staff, the starters and the bullpen, but a team can't go "all the way" if they can't score enough runs. That's baseball. So I applaud Ortiz for saying what he said.
Oh, there will be no AROD stuff today. I've had enough of him, more than enough. Enjoy your Tuesday, click on this post's title for more Red Sox articles and enjoy your Hump Day Wednesday. As always, BE WELL. Cheers. Aloha. Shalom. See ya! I'll be back.
posted by Peter N @ 6:15 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
The Sox owners weren't trying to get Teixeira for business reasons. They were trying to improve the team to win a title; win the game. Of course that would also help the team business, but it was not the main reason to try and upgrade the team. I think Mike was trying to rationalize the FO's actions. Of course it was hurtful, I hope he has put it all behind him, too.
As for Papi's thoughts on needing more offense, I'm sure Pedie, Youk, Bay, Lowell and Drew thank him for all the confidence he has in them.
Hey BFW. I think that's what I wrote. Mike maybe didn't understand that the move was for the best of the Red Sox. I sure did.
As for Papi, he wasn't dissing his teammates...he loves and has complete confidence in them. You showed a little bit of your sarcastic side. I like strong opinions. Thanks. As always....Peter
OK, 'Twister Lovers, today's post is about hitting, so here's the latest.
Batter has a great game...five for five. Next day, same thing...five for five. Gloriosa!! He enters game 3 and has a clean hit first time up. Woweee!! He is one hit short of tying the all-time record for consecutive base hits. Which is 12 consecutive hits. OMG!!!
Then, the fates conspire against our hero to make it tough. Next at bat, bases loaded, one out, he hits a long fly ball that's caught by the center fielder. Run scores. Next time up, he walks. Next time up he is plunked by a changeup and takes his base. Last time up, he clobbers a fast ball into the seats. Two for two.
Did he tie the record? Go ahead, twist your brains.
Slant agat.
Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. I'm sure Lowell isn't bitter, and I bet it lights a fire under him this year.
Me too, Q.
JB, to me, consecutive means consecutive. He had 11 consecutive at bats with a base hit each time, and that's where it ended. When his fly ball was caught by the centerfielder, kaput! That was easy...I think. I know, I think.
Thanks.
I think Papi's teammates do not agree with his perception that the team is lacking offensively and took exception to his remarks like thought they would. Pedie says "Offense is definitely not the problem.", "We don't need anything." and "I think we need to focus on the guys that we have instead of the guys that we don't have."
Jason Bay thinks we've got good offense - "We have four or five guys that could hit third or fourth in any other lineup."
Mike Lowell thinks Papi is spoiled because he had the luxury of hitting in front of Manny for a lot of years. About the Sox offense he says "I think we have five legit guys who can hit 20-plus home runs."
That's what I was talking about, whether that's dissing his teammates or not, it doesn't sound like he thinks they can do enough. And did he think if we got another "big bat", whose place would he take? Not Papi's ... maybe Lowell's or Bay's. I love Papi, but I just felt his remarks were thoughtless.
JB, no record. 12 hits have to be consecutive plate appearances. No walks, SACs or plunks (and for God's sake, can't he get out of the way of a changeup?).
Hi BFW, we agree on JB's "easier than most" question. Thanks, JB.
As for Papi, it's just a matter of interpretation. I didn't hear the inflection in his voice, his implied feelings. I know the man well enough to know that he loves his fellow Soxers. I just know it. We'll be fine.
Hi BFW, we agree on JB's "easier than most" question. Thanks, JB.
As for Papi, it's just a matter of interpretation. I didn't hear the inflection in his voice, his implied feelings. I know the man well enough to know that he loves his fellow Soxers. I just know it. We'll be fine.
Well, Twisters, two of you answered, and answered correctly. BUT FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
The consecutive at bats are OFFICIAL and CHARGED at bats. Reaching base via a base on balls (intentional or not), via a catcher's interference, via a hit by pitch, or committing a sacrifice bunt to move a runner along, do not negate the official consecutive aspect of this twister. The batter is not charged with an at bat in these circumstances. The streak is still alive.
HOWEVER, a sac fly does negate the consecutive aspect, even though the batter is not charged with an official at bat. Why? Because the batter swung at the pitch, attempting to hit the ball fairly, and pick up a base hit. The sacrifice bunt is NOT an attempt to pick up a base hit.
Clear? Fun? Want to look for a job being an official scorer? Hee hee.More to come. Stay tuned. Oh, and feel free to castigate me unmercifully. I'm an old Brooklyn Dodger fan (from birth). I can take it.
JB, I disagree. The record you were alluding to was Consecutive plate appearances with a hit, which is, as you say, 12.
If you wanted to break the record for Consecutive plate appearances reaching base (unofficial) (includes all possible ways of reaching base: base hit, walk, hit-by-pitch, error, fielder's choice, dropped third strike, catcher's interference and fielder's obstruction) or Consecutive plate appearances reaching base (official) (only includes outcomes that increase on-base percentage: base hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch) the batter would have to have more appearances as the record is 17.
JB, you're the best, but I need to voice myself.
Once the batter was 11 for 11, he flied out to center. Didn't that end the streak? In my book, it did. He didn't get a hit, official at bat or not.
I love your contributions to my blog and I STILL think you should have your own...quizzes only? One per day...I'll write a post (for what it's worth) about your blog. Thanks so much. NEVER LEAVE! Have a great night...you too, BFW.
BFW, I didn't see your comment until I made mine...it was the same EXACT time. As for the record, I didn't know that, and I still think JB should have a one quiz per day blog.
JB, you are so welcome to do it right here...send me the question and I'll write the post. After that, you can moniter the comment answers submitted. Let me know... be well.
Thanks to both of you...you made my day.
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