Vin Scully Hospitalized...Buchholz Smooth

I came across this in the LA Times...

LOS ANGELES — "Vin Scully, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ beloved Hall of Fame broadcaster, was hospitalized on Thursday. The West Hills Hospital and Medical Center was planning to release a statement late Thursday night.
Scully, 82, was transported from his Hidden Hills residence just northwest of downtown Los Angeles to the hospital by ambulance, according to NBC Los Angeles, which first reported the story. The station quoted an unnamed family spokesperson saying, "He’s going to be OK."

We certainly hope and pray Vin will pull through and continue his broadcasts of ALL of LA's home games. His voice is etched inside every one of us. Hey Vin, we're pulling for you. Get well. Soon.

Clay Buchholz was able to go 4 smooth and effective innings yesterday against Minnesota Twins single A players. He threw 45 pitches, 31 of 'em for strikes, allowing only one hit and whiffing 4. He then went out to the bullpen for a 15 pitch outing. At day's end, he had this to say...

“I tried to take it as the same outing as if I was pitching against Tampa Bay or New York or whoever,’’ Buchholz said. “Sometimes it’s hard to come out here and pitch when you’re used to the fans and everybody and the big stadium. I felt really good physically, got to use all my pitches, got to four innings, and got some work in.’’

Since his bad year in 2008 Clay has learned to adjust minor flaws WHILE he is pitching without talking to Red Sox pitching coach supreme John Farrell. I think it's a matter of self-confidence mixed with his great physical shape. He gained twenty pounds, most of it muscle, in the off-season. Here he is on that exact subject...

“I’m always going to be working on mechanics stuff,’’ Buchholz said. “There’s times during a game when I feel like I’m doing something wrong, and being able in my own mind to fix it without having to sit down and talk to John Farrell about it and say, ‘Hey, what am I doing wrong,’ I can feel it."

He will vie with Matsuzaka and Wakefield for the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. I'd like to see him on the mound every five days. If Matsuzaka can whip himself into top-shelf game shape by the beginning of the 2010 campaign, it would be a tussle between him and Wakes. One thing is set in stone right now...the Boston Red Sox have three pitchers ready or almost ready to fill two rotation spots. That's the way it is.

It's Friday once again and that's a good thing. Enjoy your day, have a great weekend, click on this post's title for more about that team we love to love and as always, BE WELL. Enjoy the warm weather, too!